| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.90 |
| Liaison | Paul Mathisen |
| Submission Date | April 16, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
OP-27: Rainwater Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 2.00 |
Liz
Tomaszewski Facilities Systems Manager/Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Department |
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?:
A brief description of the institution’s Low Impact Development (LID) practices:
Recent construction projects have incorporated LIDs as a standard practice. East Hall, opened in 2008, has a green roof which collects rainwater. The rainwater no longer drains directly to the street but is absorbed by the planting atop the roof. Additionally, two 25,000 gallon cisterns were installed to collect storm water runoff from the roof at the Sports & Recreation Center. Collected water is pumped back to the rooftop to cool chillers. The WPI Park Avenue Garage project included the construction of two rain gardens located on the Higgins Lot to help manage storm water runoff from portions of the site entry drive and Higgins Parking. The rain gardens are LID measures that provide water treatment and attenuate increased peak rates of runoff. Also, the design of the subsurface infiltration system includes a permeable bottom that allows for maximum infiltration of the treated runoff from storm events up tot eh 100-year storm. The system can hold approximately 670,00 gallons of water, allowing much of this to infiltrate into the native soils and release in a controlled rate into the municipal system. At Faraday Hall, the grounds are irrigated by a water-conserving irrigation system combined with drip irrigation that reduces potable water use by at least 50%.
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? :
A brief description of the institution’s rainwater/stormwater management policy, plan, and/or strategies for ongoing campus operations:
A brief description of any rainwater harvesting employed by the institution:
Two 25,000 gallon cisterns were installed under the Quadrangle that would collect drainage water from the rood and perimeter of the Sports & Recreation Center. This water is pumped to the roof of this building and used for the rooftop cooling towers. This process saves 850,000 gallons of freshwater per year.
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:
A bioswale has been installed to catch runoff from Higgins parking lot. Water makes it way into the small depression where the soil, plants, woodchips filter sediment and contaminants.
A brief description of any living or vegetated roofs on campus:
East Hall has a green roof which collects rainwater and provides a vehicle for students to study ruffoff.
A brief description of any porous (i.e. permeable) paving employed by the institution:
A brief description of any downspout disconnection employed by the institution:
A brief description of any rain gardens on campus:
A brief description of any stormwater retention and/or detention ponds employed by the institution:
A brief description of any bioswales on campus (vegetated, compost or stone):
A rain garden bioswale was installed at the grounds of the new parking garage at 150 Park Avenue.
A brief description of any other rainwater management technologies or strategies employed by the institution:
When the Park Avenue Garage was built, the city's storm water system in the area was old and undersized. It was not designed to handle runoff from an impervious surface the size of the parking garage. Since there was no room for a retention pond, engineers designed an underground system to keep storm water from flowing too quickly into the city system. It comprises 7-foot-diameter pipes, hundreds of feet long, that hold water until it percolates into the ground or slowly flows into the city infrastructure.
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.