Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.26
Liaison Gioia Thompson
Submission Date March 1, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Vermont
OP-23: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Lani Ravin
Associate Planner
Campus Planning
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Which of the following best describes the institution’s approach to rainwater management?:
Comprehensive policies, plans or guidelines that require LID practices for all new projects

A brief description of the institution’s green infrastructure and LID practices:

We have an extensive system of stormwater treatment facilities and drainage, which include grassy swales when possible, that covers almost the entire campus where underlying soils are glacial till on bedrock.

We have several areas of pervious paving and green LID’s (even though drainage from these goes into our overall treatment system). In the walkway between two buildings where we were required to widen for emergency access we used “grasscrete” tiles. We have pervious pavers in the following areas: bike racks in library quad, bus stop in front of Waterman, slabs on the north parking lot at Trinity Campus.

In addition, the University complies with the MS4 requirements and institutes best management practices (BMP’s) campuswide, such as street sweeping, low salt/brine applications and more (see attached MS4 permit) The University complies with the stringent federal and state standards for flow restoration and the TMDL for Lake Champlain. The University collaborates with the other MS4’s with common watersheds and contributes financially to the Stormwater Utilities in the Cities of Burlington and South Burlington.

Other features include:
- A constructed wetland at University Heights, together with a stepped seating amenity near student residential housing, also functions as a very attractive visual amenity on the residential campus.
- Stormwater from the MAT parking lot runs through a grassland swale into a constructed pond. This diverts water from running directly into the municipal stormwater system, which drains into Centennial Brook, with no retention and no treatment.
- The stormwater from a small structure near Moulton Winder field infiltrates into the ground, near Spear Street.
- Several small structures at Centennial Field were built with slatted surfaces and are drained by infiltration.
- Student-initiated rain garden near Votey that detains and treats stormwater from an adjacent parking lot before it eventually drains into a city stormwater system.
- The Southeast Stormwater pond near Redstone Lofts Apartments functions as a scenic amenity for the nearby student residences.
- There is a small raingarden at Redstone Lofts Apartments.


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:

Documents supporting the institution's rainwater management practices:
1. UVM Flow Restoration Plan, 9/29/2016;
2. Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit 3-9014, dated 9/10/2016
3. 2016 AMENDMENT APPLICATION EPA MS4 PHASE II – GENERAL PERMIT 3-9014
4. Sample: Narrative from the MS4 Renewal Application for the North Campus Watershed


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Additional documentation is available about MS4 permits


Additional documentation is available about MS4 permits

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.