| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.46 |
| Liaison | Paul Mathisen |
| Submission Date | May 22, 2020 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
OP-23: Rainwater Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 2.00 |
Paul
Mathisen Dir. of Sustainability & Assoc. Prof Civil & Environmental Engineering |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Which of the following best describes the institution’s approach to rainwater management?:
Less comprehensive policies, plans or guidelines that incorporate green infrastructure
A brief description of the institution’s green infrastructure and LID practices:
Recent construction projects have incorporated LIDs as a standard practice. East Hall, which 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 designed to be pumped for vegetation irrigation. The Park Ave 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 to the 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%.
A copy of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines:
A brief description of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines that supports the responses above:
WPI supports LID practices. A green roof sits atop the East Hall residential building. This roof helps to mitigate the drainage coming from this building. A bioswail was constructed to help remove silt and pollution from surface water runoff. Drainage under the parking garage is designed to slow the flow of stormwater into municipal water systems. A draining system at the Recreation center collects water in two 25,000 gallons cisterns used for watering plants and landscape.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://www.wpi.edu/news/greenres
http://athletics.wpi.edu/sports/news/2011-12/parking_garage
https://www.wpi.edu/offices/sustainability/sustainable-wpi
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