Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 55.91
Liaison Allie McAllister
Submission Date Nov. 25, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Villanova University
OP-27: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution use Low Impact Development (LID) practices as a matter of policy or standard practice to reduce rainwater/stormwater runoff volume and improve outgoing water quality for new construction, major renovation, and other projects?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s Low Impact Development (LID) practices:

Currently the campus utilizes a number of stormwater management or green infrastructure projects on campus including rain gardens, bioswales and stormwater wetlands. A part of the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership (VUSP), many of our stormwater projects are maintained and used for research by faculty and students. We include green infrastructure on new construction projects as well.


Has the institution adopted a rainwater/stormwater management policy, plan, or strategies that mitigate the rainwater runoff impacts of ongoing campus operations through the use of green infrastructure? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s rainwater/stormwater management policy, plan, and/or strategies for ongoing campus operations:

In the campus master plan, which outlines future campus development, there is an entire section dedicated to the stormwater management for the proposed new development.The Plan, with final recommendations published in 2008, mentions rain gardens and green roofs.


A brief description of any rainwater harvesting employed by the institution:

The University collects rain water from select campus buildings in rain barrels and dispenses the water via a soaker hose to surrounding plantings. The campus buildings utilizing this system include John Barry, Fedigan, Middleton, and O’Dwyer. In the winter, water is redirected to the drains as to prevent rain barrels from freezing and bursting in the colder months. The volume of water harvested and reused this way is unknown and areas irrigated in this way are are not irrigated using public water.


Rainwater harvested directly and stored/used by the institution, performance year:
---

A brief description of any rainwater filtering systems employed by the institution to treat water prior to release:

The West Campus Bio-infiltration Rain Garden collects run-off from West Campus student parking lots, which is removed via evapotranspiration and infiltration, with studies showing a reduction in nitrogen, phosphorus, metals, and other parameters. The Law School Stormwater Wetland treats 41 acres of runoff, including 16 acres of impervious surface. The Parking Lot Treatment Train, incorporating a vegetated swale and two rain gardens act as pretreatment to reduce sediment, followed by an infiltration trench. A number of other rain gardens are located throughout campus, where water's release through evapotranspiration, absorbed by garden plants, or filtered through the garden bed.


A brief description of any living or vegetated roofs on campus:

The engineering building has a green roof, with the planted area measuring about 530 square feet, and is used for research and student learning. This roof is designed to capture the first half inch of any storm event. The nursing building also has a small green roof over the main entrance. More information on the green roof installed on the engineering building can be found at: http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/engineering/research/centers/vcase/vusp1/research/green-roof.html


A brief description of any porous (i.e. permeable) paving employed by the institution:

The Mendel Parking Lot incorporates an area of 50' x 30' each of pervious concrete and porous asphalt, and serves as a test site to compare the two techologies. Permeable pavers used in campus walkways capture approximately 50,000 square feet of most impervious surface area. More information on pourous concrete used in campus walk ways can be found at: http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/engineering/research/centers/vcase/vusp1/research/pervious-concrete-.html


A brief description of any downspout disconnection employed by the institution:

Many of the stormwater management installations throughout campus employ downspout disconnection, including rain barrels and the West Campus Dormitory rain garden.


A brief description of any rain gardens on campus:

An estimated 15+ rain gardens are present throughout campus, including those at the West Campus Dormitories, Fedigan Hall, Austin Hall, the Pavillion, and the sports fields on West Campus. The West Campus Dormitory bio-infiltration rain garden, designed for storm events of up to 1.5", incorporates a retro-fitted traffic island, and is described in more detail at:
http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/engineering/research/centers/vcase/vusp1/research/bio-infiltration-rain-garden.html


A brief description of any stormwater retention and/or detention ponds employed by the institution:

Several retention/detention ponds exist throughout campus: at the engineering building, behind the stadium, at the sports fields, behind the Connolly Center, underground near the nursing building, and underground near to the Campus Corner restaurant.


A brief description of any bioswales on campus (vegetated, compost or stone):

St Augustine parking garage utilizes the nearby vegetated swale for its stormwater runoff as part of a treatment train, and serving as a pre-filter to reduce sediment in runoff arriving at an infiltration trench.


A brief description of any other rainwater management technologies or strategies employed by the institution:

With the help of faculty on campus, students have designed, built and installed rain barrels around campus to collect rainwater for irrigation. An historic seepage pit also exists, receiving stormwater runoff from Tolentine Hall and the St. Thomas Monastary.


The website URL where information about the institution’s rainwater management initiatives, plan or policy is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.