Binghamton University
IN-15: Stormwater Modeling

Binghamton University adheres to the strict stormwater regulations enforced by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation whenever new construction results in a site disturbance over an acre. This requires the University to create unique stormwater pollution prevention plans for each project which include measures to collect, treat, and temporarily store post-construction stormwater in a manner that results in cleaner water being released from the site at a slower rate than pre-construction. In recent years the University has installed vegetated swales, porous pavements, green roofs, sand filters, stormwater ponds, bio-retention areas, and wetlands as permanent stormwater treatment practices on campus. All of these practices are modelled to meet the requirements of the New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual and are inspected annually to verify their functionality.

In 2018, Sustainability measures were taken during the construction of Lot G1. A stormwater management system was put into place, LED lights with dimmers and motion detectors are being used, trees were planted to mitigate sunlight and create shaded space and a large wetland area was constructed at the North end of the parking lot. Stormwater Management System: In Lot G1 a bio-retention area and stormwater storage system were installed to mitigate an increase in stormwater runoff entering the municipal storm system and potential contaminants in the stormwater. Water from the parking lot sheet flows or enters a drainage system. This water then empties out to a stormwater forebay on the East side of the parking lot where suspended material drops out of the water. Stormwater then flows over a spillway into a bio-retention treatment area where it percolates through a very sandy soil. This bio-retention area is also planted with vegetation that thrives on contaminates and helps keep the soil clean after the water has filtered through. Below the sandy soil is a very large stormwater chamber system that allows a large amount of water to back-up and percolate into the ground. This stormwater management system ensures that all stormwater leaving Lot G1 is flowing at a lesser volume than before construction and that the stormwater is clean.