Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 50.57
Liaison Yaffa Grossman
Submission Date March 16, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Beloit College
OP-27: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 2.00 Lindsay Chapman
Sustainability Coordinator
Sustainability
"---" 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:

In designing new construction, Low Impact Development practices such as a green roof and accompanying rainwater runoff cistern for irrigation of the greenhouse were incorporated into the building's features. Additionally a rain garden composed of wetland plants was constructed next to the building to absorb and slow the flow of any rainstorm surges to the nearby Rock River.


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? :
No

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

A large concrete rainwater cistern collects and stores rainwater runoff from the Science Center roof, which is then used to water plants located in the greenhouse. Using rainwater for irrigation purposes reduces the needs to pump, treat and consume municipal water supplies. As an added benefit, rainwater contains lower mounts of minerals than the local ground water, which should result in increased plant growth in the greenhouse. The cistern's top is marked by a manhole cover. The hydrant to the left of the cover draws water from the cistern for greenhouse use.


Rainwater harvested directly and stored/used by the institution, performance year:
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A brief description of any rainwater filtering systems employed by the institution to treat water prior to release:
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A brief description of any living or vegetated roofs on campus:

One third of the Science Center roof is a living, vegetated garden. The roof provides added insulation to keep the science center cool during the summer and warm during the winter. The green roof is composed of hardy varieties if sedem, one of the preferred plants for green roofs due to its tolerance of heat, cold, drought, Like rain garden, the green roof absorbs rainwater, reducing runoff and erosion. Rather than absorbing heat like traditional roof, the vegetated roof helps keep the local environment cool through plant evapotranspiration, reducing the urban heat island effect.


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

Around the science center, president's house and near the sports center block pavers are used. These pavers are constructed primarily from concrete. They interlock with one another but leave open, void space between the pavers to permit water to infiltrate into the underlying gravel reservoir. The thickness of the gravel subbase, and the type of material used to fill in the void spaces, determines the amount of infiltration permitted. A typical concrete block pavement installation consists of a soil subgrade, a gravel base, a layer of bedding sand, and the grid pavers. The void space around the pavers are filled with soil and grass.


A brief description of any downspout disconnection employed by the institution:
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A brief description of any rain gardens on campus:

The rain garden on the south side of the science center has specially selected wetland plants which form a swale, running under the deck, through which rainwater runoff from the area around the science center is filtered and absorbed. This eliminates a surge of storm water runoff following major rain events, reducing erosion, flooding of rivers and streams, and transport of pollutants in to ground and surface water. Depending on precipitation levels, the rain garden may range from wet to dry through out the year. New plants and animals may even call the garden home. The rain garden's path may be traced by following the cutouts in the decking.


A brief description of any stormwater retention and/or detention ponds employed by the institution:
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A brief description of any bioswales on campus (vegetated, compost or stone):

The rain garden on the south side of the science center has specially selected wetland plants which form a swale, running under the deck, through which rainwater runoff from the area around the science center is filtered and absorbed. This eliminates a surge of storm water runoff following major rain events, reducing erosion, flooding of rivers and streams, and transport of pollutants in to ground and surface water. Depending on precipitation levels, the rain garden may range from wet to dry through out the year. New plants and animals may even call the garden home. The rain garden's path may be traced by following the cutouts in the decking.


A brief description of any other rainwater management technologies or strategies employed by the institution:
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The website URL where information about the institution’s rainwater management initiatives, plan or policy is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.