Vanderbilt University
OP-22: Rainwater Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
| -- | Reporter |
Chelsea
Hamilton Sustainability Outreach Program Manager Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability |
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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?:
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:
Low impact design principles are used on new projects to manage stormwater. Vanderbilt is subject to regulations of the Nashville Metro Water regulations on development, which include stormwater management and low impact design (https://www.nashville.gov/Water-Services/Developers/Stormwater-Review/Stormwater-Management-Manual.aspx). Vanderbilt currently uses low impact design to meet regulations and manage stormwater effectively on campus. Examples of stormwater management techniques include: Permeable pavers are used to promote groundwater recharge, bioswales, cisterns, and native plantings.
The new Engineering Science Building has a 10,000 gallon cistern that collects rain water off the roof and condensate from the air handlers on the building which is then used to irrigate the landscaping on the building site.
The new Engineering Science Building has a 10,000 gallon cistern that collects rain water off the roof and condensate from the air handlers on the building which is then used to irrigate the landscaping on the building site.
A copy of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines:
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A brief description of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines that supports the responses above:
Vanderbilt University is subject to numerous government regulations that protect the environment. These regulations come not only from the federal government and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); environmental rules are also issued by the State of Tennessee and Metro Nashville. Metro Nashville has stormwater regulations and guidelines that Vanderbilt adheres to to manage stormwater effectively on campus (https://www.nashville.gov/Water-Services/Developers/Stormwater-Review/Stormwater-Management-Manual.aspx).
Vanderbilt adheres to a strict schedule of stormwater unit and grease interceptor cleanout and maintenance schedule.
VU manages all environmental compliance obligations through the implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS). The EMS at Vanderbilt is used to gather baseline environmental data and helps ensures that critical tasks, such as monitoring and reporting required by environmental regulatory authorities, are performed in a timely manner. Through this centralized repository of environmental performance data and reports, VU can measure the effectiveness and efficiency of its environmental programs, establish objectives and targets, conduct continuous improvement of existing programs, and easily identify missing data and areas where there is room for improvement. Routine tasks and environmental monitoring data are all kept in one place, reports can be generated on pre-determined intervals, and environmental performance can be reported to the Vanderbilt Community. The Vanderbilt University EMS secure online database is administered by staff in the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office. VU’s EMS includes information for stormwater management, including a stormwater management plan and associated training. Vanderbilt receives a 20% reduction in our sewer fee as a result.
16 projects on Vanderbilt’s campus have received LEED certification at varying levels. All new construction strives to achieve LEED certification as well. These projects and the areas surrounding them adhere to the stormwater management requirements detailed in the LEED Rating System.
Vanderbilt adheres to a strict schedule of stormwater unit and grease interceptor cleanout and maintenance schedule.
VU manages all environmental compliance obligations through the implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS). The EMS at Vanderbilt is used to gather baseline environmental data and helps ensures that critical tasks, such as monitoring and reporting required by environmental regulatory authorities, are performed in a timely manner. Through this centralized repository of environmental performance data and reports, VU can measure the effectiveness and efficiency of its environmental programs, establish objectives and targets, conduct continuous improvement of existing programs, and easily identify missing data and areas where there is room for improvement. Routine tasks and environmental monitoring data are all kept in one place, reports can be generated on pre-determined intervals, and environmental performance can be reported to the Vanderbilt Community. The Vanderbilt University EMS secure online database is administered by staff in the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office. VU’s EMS includes information for stormwater management, including a stormwater management plan and associated training. Vanderbilt receives a 20% reduction in our sewer fee as a result.
16 projects on Vanderbilt’s campus have received LEED certification at varying levels. All new construction strives to achieve LEED certification as well. These projects and the areas surrounding them adhere to the stormwater management requirements detailed in the LEED Rating System.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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