The University of Texas at Dallas
OP-22: Rainwater Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Gary
Cocke Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Which of the following best describes the institution’s approach to rainwater management?:
A brief description of the institution’s green infrastructure and LID practices:
UT Dallas is located within the boundaries of the City of Richardson’s “urbanized area” (UA) and is regulated under the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. The overall goal of the MS4 permit is to improve the water quality of Cottonwood Creek flowing through our campus into receiving waters, and to protect the US waterways from pollution.
Environmental Affairs manages the University’s storm water compliance programs, including permitting, spill prevention, above-ground storage inspections, and outfall inspections.
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:
UT Dallas publishes an updated Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) periodically. UTD will review and/or modify the SWMP, as necessary, and during annual reviews throughout the permit term to ensure it is up-to-date. When UTD determines that a modification needs to be made to address any procedural, protocol, or programmatic change, the change will be made as soon as practicable but no later than 180 days from the review. The SWMP includes the documentation of prevention efforts across multiple university entities and departments, including GIS mapping of the creek, education and outreach about the creek and stormwater pollution, visual inspections of the creek, pollution prevention training for university staff, appropriate signage, and more.
UT Dallas also publishes an annual Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) report, which details the university’s efforts to prevent polluted stormwater from entering larger water bodies via Cottonwood Creek, which runs through campus. The MS4 report includes similar information at the SWMP.
Contractors who are involved with construction projects on campus must comply with all applicable regulations regarding stormwater protection. The state of Texas and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) were granted delegated authority by the EPA to administer their own National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting Program for wastewater and stormwater discharges associated with construction activity, industrial activity as well as Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) activity. Because the EPA and The Clean Water Act required a program for addressing the pollution caused by stormwater discharges, The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality implemented and managed the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permitting Program to fulfill all Clean Water Act and federal mandates. The TPDES provides a process for project owners and operators to attain permit coverage allowing the discharge of stormwater and wastewater into Texas surface waters.
UT Dallas implements the following LID practices:
Rainwater storage @ BSB and SSB
Bioswales throughout campus
Grasscreet in housing
Detention ponds at north west and south west corners of campus
Riparian habitat preservation (creek bed)
Habitat restoration (large monarch waystation) by creek
Website URL where information about the institution’s green infrastructure and LID practices is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.