BIOSWALES

North Kingstown Lowes

Type: bio-infiltration swale
Use: Commercial
Installer: Paul Duarte
Designer/Developer: Garofalo & Assoc.
Installation Date: Unknown
Address:1530 Davisville Road, North Kingstown, 02852, Washington County

Project Narrative: The bio – infiltration trenches at the North Kingstown Lowe’s collect and treat stormwater runoff from the parking lot. The gaps in the curbs allow water to flow into the trenches where pollutants are removed via plant uptake and infiltration. The design also adds a pleasing aesthetic to the parking lot, while providing necessary stormwater management.

Landscaped areas bordering the parking lot accept stormwater runoff.

Moran Shipping Building

Type: bioswales
Use: Commercial
Installer: E.W.Burman
Designer/Developer: Durkee, Brown, Viveiros & Werenfels Architects
Installation Date: 2009
Address:106 Francis Street, Providence, 02903

Project Narrative: The LEED certified building is home to Moran Shipping Associates, Inc. and incorporates many sustainable design strategies as a means of meeting LEED standards while also complying with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation. It is heated and cooled by 1,500 ft geothermal wells that supply a constant source of groundwater that will heat and cool the building and then be recycled back into the ground. The site also captures and treats stormwater runoff from the small parking lot with adjacent bioswales.

Bioswales adjacent to the parking lot capture runoff .

Historic Ocean House

Type: Green Roof
Use: Commercial
Installer: Unknown
Designer/Developer: Unknown
Installation Date: May 2010
Address:1 Bluff Avenue, Watch Hill, 02891

Project Narrative: The newly built Historic Ocean House features a green roof on a portion of the building. The roof is composed of plants that have high water retention and the ability to filter pollutants. The roof aids in reducing stormwater runoff and also cools the building.

Roger Williams University Marine and Natural Science Building

Type: Green Roof
Use: Public/Civic
Installer: Ecotope
Designer/Developer: Ecotope
Installation Date: May 2010
Address:1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol, 02809

Project Narrative: This green roof is situated on the top of a new extension to the Marine and Natural Science Building. The roof is 3,200 square feet and planted with a variety of mostly native species that are drought, salt and shallow soil tolerant including sedums and heaths. The roof acts to reduce stormwater runoff from the building with vegetation that has high water retention, and is able to filter pollutants.
Contact: Chuck Carberry, Ecotope, (401) 461 - 1766

Vegetation planted on roof

Vegetation planted on roof

The green roof is located above this new extension of the building.

The Wheeler School

Type: Green Roof
Use: Public/Civic
Installer: Unknown
Designer/Developer: AnnBeha Architects of Boston
Installation Date: 2009
Address:216 Hope Street, Providence, 02906

Project Narrative: Wheeler School in Providence was awarded Narragansett Bay Commission’s 2009 Annual Storm Water Management Award for implementing a variety of stormwater management techniques on their Providence campus. A green roof was installed on the roof of the new student center. The roof is composed of a variety of sedum, a plant that has high water retention, and is able to filter pollutants. In addition, the green roof helps to cool the building. The school also installed an underground dry well system that prevents polluted stormwater from flowing into the city sewer system and eventually Narragansett Bay.

University of Rhode Island Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences Building

Type: Green Roof, rain garden
Use: Institutional
Installer: Pare Corporation
Designer/Developer: Payette Associates (Architecture) and Carol R. Johnson Associates (Landscape Architecture)
Installation Date: January 2009
Address:Flagg Road, Kingston, 02881

Project Narrative: The combined stormwater system in and around the CBLS building provides water quality and peak runoff control. The green roof consists of an outdoor terrace that is partially covered with vegetation. This vegetation will filter pollutants in stormwater runoff as well as reduce heating and cooling needs in the building. The roof runoff is directed to the southwest wing of the building and channeled into runnels that lead under a metal grate walkway and to the rain garden. The rain garden also collects water from overland flow and two other surface runoff catch basins located south east of the building site. The rain garden provides a collection area for stormwater runoff and a filtration pond that reduces stormwater pollutants. In large scale storm events water passes through multiple biofiltration and infiltration ponds to an overflow detention area.

According to Lisa Esterrich, project landscape architect, the landscape design demonstrates a new way to conserve water and has become a living, working ecosystem that engages the community and teaches our future leaders how a sustainable design can be both beautiful and beneficial.

Maintenance: Sediment must be removed from catch basins on a regular basis – annually at a minimum. Any erosion observed should be reseeded immediately. Native vegetation must also be maintained.

The building also features daylight harvesting technologies that contribute to lighting and warming classrooms and laboratories. The efficient heating and cooling system also contributes to the energy conservation techniques of the building. This is the second building at the University of Rhode Island Kingston campus that has received a Silver LEED rating (the first being Hope Dining Hall built in 2008).

Aerial view of rain garden and filtration ponds.

Partially vegetated green roof

Schematic of stormwater system.

Blue Cross Building (Providence)

Type: Green Roof, Cistern
Use: Commercial
Installer: Dimeo Construction of Providence
Designer/Developer: Symmes Maini & McKee Associates
Installation Date: 2009
Address:500 Exchange Street, Providence, 02903

Project Narrative: The LEED certified building utilizes new technologies to save energy and promote a healthy environment. Twenty five percent of the roof is vegetated. The vegetated areas are located on the first and third floor and are accessible to employees. The green roofs will reduce water runoff through plant uptake and aid in insulating the building as well as reduce the heat island effect produced by the surrounding urban area.

On the top floor of the building, there are three huge tanks that collect 2,000 gallons each (6,000 gallons total) of roof runoff. Most of this water comes from the roof above, while some of the water is pumped up from excess runoff that was not absorbed into the vegetation on the lower roofs. This water is then used for the cooling system of the building.

Other green friendly practices include a compost and recycling station, recycled or recyclable furnishings, nine foot windows that harvest daylight to save energy, plumbing features that will reduce water consumption by 30%, and encouraging the use of alternative forms of transportation with preferred parking for hybrids and bicycles.

6,000 gallon cisterns that collect roof runoff are used for the cooling system.

Green Roof

Roof vegetation

Schematic of building design.

Save the Bay Center

Type: Green Roof / Bioretention / Rain Garden / Pervious Pavements / Reserve Parking
Use: Institutional
Installer: Permeable Pavements: Gridtech
Designer/Developer: Croxton Collaborative Architects, P.C.
Installation Date: 2005 project completed
Address: Save the Bay Center, 100 Save the Bay Drive, Providence, RI 02905

Project Narrative: The Save The Bay Center, the headquarters of "Save The Bay", incorporates a green roof as well as several other stormwater and energy saving technologies. The plantings on the roof capture and absorb rainwater. Any remaining stormwater runoff from the rooftop flows to a bermed area along the north side of the building where it is absorbed by plants or evaporates. The entire site is located over a capped brownfield. This limits the ability of vegetated areas and permeable pavements to infiltrate rainfall, as the depth to the impervious cap is shallow. However, bioretention swales and ponds are used to filter and treat runoff from larger storms.

The Bay Center parking lot is comprised of four small, flat, crushed bluestone parking lots that are surrounded by small bioretention ponds and swales. Since the crushed stone has limited permeability, runoff from the parking areas enters the series of bioretention basins, which eventually flow to the largest basin, which is lined with an impermeable membrane. Here, water that is not absorbed by plants eventually evaporates, with overflow directed to a constructed wetland. A reserve parking area is maintained as a grassy lot.

Pervious netpave pavers are installed at the entrance and walkways surrounding the building. These interlocking grids are filled with sand and gravel so as to allow water to infiltrate. The heavier-duty netpave 50 is used at the entrance for heavy vehicle access and netpave 25 is used for walkways. Grassed areas are also reinforced with geotextiles for access around the site. According to Mike Russo, facilities manager, these materials are functioning well with little runoff or ponding even with the underlying impermeable cap. Additionally, in December of 2009 Geoblock 2, a product of Presto Systems was installed in all the remaining walkways to facilitate drainage and limit path erosion.

The architects designed the building to maximize the sun’s exposure. The majority of the building’s windows face south, so the building benefits from the maximum passive heating from winter sunshine. On the lower roof of the building’s west wing is a 20-kilowatt photovoltaic system, one of the largest in the state, that will provide as much energy as it takes to power the building’s lights. The Save The Bay Center serves as a demonstration site for many building and conservation techniques that are important to a healthy Narragansett Bay and watershed. For more information and pictures go to the Save The Bay website on stormwater. Contact: Michael Russo, Facilities Manager
Tel: 401-272-3540 x147
mrusso@savebay.org

A series of swales and bioretention ponds collect and treat stormwater runoff from parking areas.

Shallow bioretention swales used instead of parking islands.

Drainage swale along south side of parking lot receives overflow from smaller bioretention areas.

Permeable pavers (Netpave 25) used in walkways surrounding the building, just after installation.

Walkway pavers in 2010, with additional crushed stone fill.

Walkway close up with permeable paver

Heavier duty Netpave 50 is used for vehicle access at service entrance.

Landscaping with native plants and meadow grasses with minimal lawn reduces water and fertilizer needs.

17 Gordon Avenue Business Incubator

Type: Green Roof / Cistern - Internal reuse / Porous Pavement
Use: Institutional/Commercial: owned by South Providence Development Corp.
Installer: DePasquale Building & Realty Co.
Designer/Developer: Unknown
Installation Date: October 2002
Address: 17 Gordon Ave., Providence, RI 02905

Project Narrative: The building at 17 Gordon Avenue was originally built in the 1930s as a lead pencil factory, however was vacant for several years. South Providence Development Corporation (SPDC) purchased the property to restore the building for use as a small business incubator whose tenants would include (but not be limited to) businesses that provide goods or services of an environmental nature. Among its many green features are a porous parking lot adjacent to the building, a green roof comprising 1/3 of the total roof surface and a rainwater recovery system. The recovery system collects water in a large cistern where it is filtered and then reused in the building's restrooms.

17 Gordon Avenue business incubator

Westminster Lofts Peerless Roof Garden

Type: Green roof
Use: Residential
Installer: Unknown
Designer/Developer: Durkee, Brown, Viveiros and Werenfels Architects
Installation Date: 2005
Address: 229 Westminster St., Providence, RI 02903

Project Narrative: This extensive roof deck is located on the Peerless building, a historic building that was converted into condominiums. The building is located in downtown Providence, RI. The deck is accessible to residents of the building. The green roof size is 1,500 ft2 and the roof slope is 1.5%. The roof was created using products from American Hydrotech and the plant supplier was Emory Knoll Farms.

CISTERNS

Aidan’s Pub

Type: rainwater collection system, cistern
Use: Commercial
Installer: F. W. Munro General Contractors
Designer/Developer: Alan Berry Architect and Rainwater Recovery
Installation Date: 2008
Address: 11 John Street, Bristol, 02809

Project Narrative: Due to runoff and flooding problems in Bristol, local ordinances would not allow Aidan’s Pub to expand without containing all additional stormwater onsite. This constraint led to the installation of a rainwater collection system. All rainwater that hits the roof is filtered and conveyed by gutters to an underground cistern capable of holding 7,500 gallons. Water is then pumped up to the attic where it passes under an ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and contained in a pressure tank. The water is then used for the toilets of the pub and an outdoor hose. Since toilets use approximately 2/3rds of the pub’s water, this system will greatly reduce the use of public water as well as reduce the negative impacts of stormwater runoff on the surrounding area.

Although the system is installed, it will not be activated until the fall of 2010 when a custom controller is integrated into the system. This controller will monitor the water level in the underground cistern. The controller switches the water source to town water if the cistern is more than ¾ empty since at that point it is capable of floating in extremely high water table conditions. The controller is also capable of activating a sump pump that directs excess water in the cistern through an overflow pipe to a catch basin. This addition will finalize the system and require minimal maintenance.

Contact: Alan Berry (401) 474 – 9902 or (401) 273 – 7551

Wickford Flower and Garden Shop Cisterns and Geothermal Well

Type: Cisterns - irrigation and geothermal well
Use: Industrial/Commercial
Installer: Unknown
Designer/Developer: Unknown
Installation Date: Unknown
Address: 170 Main St., North Kingstown, RI 02852

Project Narrative: Wickford Flower and Garden Shop uses several water saving techniques on their property. The shop utilizes cisterns that collect water during rain storms. A yearly average of 43,000 gallons are collected from the roof of the garden shop, this water is then used to water flowers. Another technique employed by the shop is the use of sump pumps associated with wells. The pumps take water out of the ground which is generally at 55 degrees and use it to cool refrigerators. In the process of cooling the refrigerators the water is heated up to approximately 95 degrees and then recycled to water the plants in the greenhouse through an overhead sprinkler system. Recycled water is also used to wash trucks and equipment.

PERMEABLE PAVEMENT

St. Andrews School Grasspave© Emergency Access Road

Type: Permeable Pavement
Use: Civic/Public
Installer: St. Andrew’s maintenance
Designer/Developer: Grasspave
Installation Date: 2002 - Ongoing
Address: : 63 Federal Road, Barrington, RI, 02806

Project Narrative: Many roads on the St. Andrews school campus in Barrington, RI were removed to make it a more walkable campus. This has reduced the total impervious area of the campus, allowing stormwater to infiltrate into the ground. Some high traffic areas still required some kind of paving and support, particularly the areas bordering the walkways. The emergency access road is also an area paved with Grasspave and is able to withstand infrequent fire truck and maintenance truck use. This material consists of connected plastic circular rings that can be filled with a soil/sand mix and grass. Since the material is 92% pervious, it allows water to infiltrate into the soils and reduces the need for costly stormwater management infrastructure to collect runoff. Maintenance includes mowing, irrigation, fertilization and seeding as well as individual grids needing to be replaced over time. Grasspave can handle existing snow removal equipment as long as the plow blades are one inch above the surface.
Contact: Bill Coyle, St. Andrew’s maintenance (401) 246 – 0416

This area used to have a large paved road running through it.

Grasspave installed.

Landscaped island reduces pavement in a cul – de – sac.

Sail Newport Boat Ramp

Type: Permeable Pavement
Use: Civic/Public
Installer: East Coast Construction
Designer/Developer: Gridtech
Installation Date: 2008
Address: : 60 Fort Adams Drive, Newport, 02840

Project Narrative: The articulating concrete block system is designed for stability and erosion control. The cable linked concrete blocks are laid down and gaps are filled with fractured stone which allows for drainage of stormwater flowing down the ramp. The material is capable of supporting heavier vehicles, easy to repair, requires little maintenance and is very durable. In addition to reducing pollutant loading, the material will improve stability and reduce erosion of the underlying sediment.
Contact: Aurthur Erhardt, President of GridTech, aerhardt@gridtech.com, (401) 849-7920

Articulating concrete blocks filled with fractured stone

Poplar Street Boat Ramp

Type: Permeable Paving
Use: Civic/Public
Installer: J A M Construction Company, Inc
Designer/Developer: Gridtech
Installation Date: May, 2010
Address: 80 Poplar Street, Newport, 02840

Project Narrative: The articulating concrete block system is designed for stability and erosion control. The cable linked concrete blocks are laid down and gaps are filled with fractured stone which allows for drainage of stormwater flowing down the ramp. The material is capable of supporting heavier vehicles, easy to repair, requires little maintenance and is very durable. In addition to reducing pollutant loading, the material will improve stability and reduce erosion of the underlying sediment.
Contact: Aurthur Erhardt, President of GridTech, aerhardt@gridtech.com, (401) 849-7920

Fractured stone is filled into block gaps.

FM Global Headquarters

Type: permeable surface (reinforced turf), grass swales
Use: Commercial
Installer: Dimeo Construction
Designer/Developer: Vision 3 Architects
Installation Date: 1999
Address: 1301 Atwood Ave., Johnston, RI 02910

Project Narrative: The FM Global headquarters in Johnston, RI was built to attain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification and incorporates a variety of stormwater related measures. Four retention ponds and a filtration system capture, treat and store stormwater. The entire stormwater system also includes infiltration basins, sediment basins and traps, roof drains that direct water to bio – infiltration swales, and native vegetation. This allows stormwater to be collected and filtered to reduce pollutants. In addition rain water collected in the retention ponds is used as an alternate source for irrigation. The building is surrounded by reinforced turf that consists of a plastic honeycomb that allows grass to grow through it. The reinforced turf allows heavy fire truck access to the building while providing a permeable surface for water to infiltrate.

Reinforced turf surround building.
Courtesy FM Global

One of the retention ponds.
Courtesy FM Global

Middletown Soccer Field Parking Lot

Type: Permeable pavement
Use: Municipal
Installer: Unknown
Designer/Developer: GridTech (Design firm)
Installation Date: 1999
Address: 700 Mitchell Ln., Middletown, RI 02842

Project Narrative: The Middletown soccer field parking lot at the intersection of Wyatt Road and Mitchell Lane in Middletown, RI was built in October 1999 and paved with Netpave 50. Netpave 50 consists of interlocking plastic open grid squares. These squares can be filled with gravel or turf, the grid stabilizes the surface and provides a durable paving solution for parking areas, pathways and access routes.

Netpave 50 pavers are made from 100% recycled polyethylene and connect by lugs and slots. These unique flexible elements can be laid on undulating surfaces and gradients. Netpave 50 can be filled with soil/grass and the cellular structure and open base enables unrestricted root growth. Alternatively it can be filled with gravel and the cellular structure will retain the stone and prevent loss or displacement.

Thomas O’Loughlin, the Public Works Director for the Parks and Recreation Department in Middletown, states that the grid has not deteriorated nor failed; overall he has been very pleased with the results. He does have to periodically top off the gravel because it tends to wash out overtime.

Overall, this has been a successful application, but it does demonstrate the need to ensure that the natural drainage patterns of the site are incorporated into final design plans and that proper installation occurs. According to Arthur Erhardt, the President of Grid Tech, there is pooling water and deposition of fine materials in the center of the parking lot area due to the fact that the contractors hired to build the lot did not place the storm drain in the correct location or use the soil recommended by Grid Tech. However, the grass continues to grow and in many areas completely covers the pavers despite cars parking on both sides of the lot.

Parking lot shortly after construction (1999)


Close-up view of vegetated area

Coventry Center Greenway Bike Path

Type: Permeable pavement
Use: State
Installer: Unknown
Designer/Developer: Unknown
Installation Date: 2003
Address: 2030 Flat River Rd., Route 117, Coventry, RI 02816

Project Narrative: A one hundred foot test section of Netpave 50 was installed by contractors hired by the R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM) at the western end of the Coventry Center Greenway bike path in 2003. The bike path is located along the south side of Route 117 in Coventry, and the start of the test section is located just west of the Propane store located on Route 117. Netpave 50 consists of interlocking plastic open grid squares. These squares can be filled with gravel or turf, the grid stabilizes the surface and provides a durable paving solution for parking areas, pathways and access routes.

The cost of paving this section of the Coventry Center Greenway with Netpave 50 was approximately two times the cost of standard bituminous asphalt.

Notes: An in-house DEM construction crew installed a 50-foot long section of Netpave 50 at the Nicholas Farm Management Area in 2001. Lisa Lawless, an engineer at DEM, stated that the in-house crew did not construct any shoulders and that unraveling began to occur shortly after installation. Therefore, the Coventry Center Greenway test installation was built with a stabilized shoulder and has held up much better. Lisa Lawless stresses the importance of a good stabilized shoulder and adequate gravel cover. The DEM has been very pleased with the test section and is planning on paving the entire western end of the bike path, which is 2.1 miles, with the Netpave 50. The project is scheduled to go out to bid for construction in one to two years.

Contact: Lisa Lawless, Engineer at the R.I. DEM (401)222-2776

University of Rhode Island Permeable Parking Lots

Type: Permeable Pavement
Use: Institutional
Installer: 2002 & 2003 lots: Coventry Asphalt and Richmond Sand and Gravel (Installer)
2005 lot: Fleet Construction Co., Inc. (Contractor) and Coventry Asphalt L.L.C
Designer/Developer: 2002 & 2003 lots: Cahill Associates and BETA Group
Installation Date: 2002, 2003 and 2005
Address: 400 Plains Rd., University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881

Project Narrative:

In order to accommodate the demand generated by commuting students and the newly constructed Ryan Convention Center, the University of Rhode Island (URI) installed three parking lots at the Kingston campus during 2002, 2003 and 2005. Porous pavement lots were installed to maintain recharge to groundwater and control runoff of pollutants to surface waters.

The total parking lot capacity of the three lots is 1,800 passenger vehicles. The larger lot, which is 5.5 acres, holds 800 vehicles and was constructed in the fall of 2002 on a turf farm previously utilized by the University for overflow parking. The nearby smaller lot, which is 1.47 acres, is a retrofit of an existing lot and accommodates 200 vehicles. The third lot is an extension of the larger lot and holds 1,000 vechicles.

Extensive information on cost, maintenance, infilltration data and water quality of these sites is available the the publication "The University of Rhode Island's Permeable Parking Lots , Updated Feb. 2008)"

Brown University's Lincoln Field

Type: Permeable pavement
Use: Institutional
Installer: Unknown
Designer/Developer: Unknown
Installation Date: 1994
Address: 200 Thayer St., Providence, RI 02906

Project Narrative: Advanced Turf (ATS) was installed on Lincoln Field on Brown University’s campus in 1994. ATS consists of small pieces of polypropylene mesh, about the size of playing cards that are blended with soil and grass seed. Once the grass begins to grow the roots intertwine with the mesh and stabilizes the turf.

Lincoln Field, which is located off of Thayer Street in Providence, R.I., is a low-lying area that was subject to frequent flooding prior to the installation of the ATS. A contractor installed eight inches of the advance turf/high sand content growing medium above properly prepared base and subbase layers. This composite design (i.e. the layer of ATS/sand mix, the subbase and base) took into account the specific conditions of the site and the anticipated use, specifically occasional vehicular traffic and numerous University events.

According to Patrick Vettere, the Ground Superintendent, this area requires a lot more watering than other grass areas on campus. A few grids were visible on the surface in June 2004, but these can either be cut up by a lawn mower or melted with a flame torch. Patrick Vettere also stated that it took a while for the organic material to take hold. In hindsight, he believes that they should probably have used a little more organic material. However, overall he is very happy with how well the ATS system has worked and held up over the past ten years. Regular maintenance includes mowing, irrigation and fertilization.

University of Rhode Island Purchasing Building

Type: Permeable pavement
Use: Institutional
Installer: Richmond Sand and Gravel
Designer/Developer: Cahill Associates and BETA Group
Installation Date: 2000
Address: URI, 581 Plains Rd., Kingston, RI 02881

Project Narrative: An emergency vehicle access road was constructed with Turfstone outside of the Univ. of Rhode Island Purchasing Building, which is located at the bottom of Flagg Road on the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston campus. The area where this access road was constructed is prone to mud formation when the top layer of soil defrosts on a cyclical basis in the spring. The University wanted to ensure a stable foundation for emergency access vehicles. According to David Bascom, Assistant Director of the Landscapes and Grounds Department at the University of Rhode Island, the Turfstone emergency access road is easy to maintain and has held up very well.

Metro Center Warwick

Type: Permeable pavement and rain garden
Use: Commercial
Installer: Fleet Construction, Cumberland, RI
Designer/Developer: Dennis Diprete of DiPrete Engineering
Installation Date: October 2007
Address: 117 Metro Center Blvd., Warwick, RI 02886

Project Narrative: Porous asphalt and rain gardens were used on this commercial facility. The porous asphalt has been in place since October, 2007 and is visually monitored on a regular basis to detect any problems. The porous pavement is designed to infiltrate the 100 year storm from the 6 acre parking area and 2.8 acre rooftop. Building runoff is conveyed directly under the parking lot and then infiltrated. The 450 space parking lot and drainage design, is sized to accommodate a second building to be built in the future.

The site is a former gravel bank with an average water table of 6 – 8 ft. and good infiltration rates of (1.3 – 15.5 in/hr). Additional fill used in development will provide greater separation to groundwater. In lieu of the originally designed 4 ft of base stone across the entire parking lot area, the design was modified during construction to reduce the stone coverage to 2 ft in some areas, stepping the stone infiltration bed under the pavement. This allowed the bottom of the stone infiltration zone below the pavement to be laid flat; areas of shallower stone base are sloped toward the deeper stone areas. This saved a substantial amount of stone, reduced cost, and appears to be working well.

To ensure proper stormwater management in case efficiency of the porous asphalt is reduced over time, a redundant drainage system was installed. Catch basins with infiltration pipes allow stormwater to enter the stone infiltration bed directly. Roof leaders are also piped into the stone infiltration zone. Stone trenches located along the edge of the parking areas are also tied to the stone bed at several places to provide additional opportunities for infiltration. Finally, rain gardens along the westerly boarder of the property treat water flowing onto the property as well as on-site landscaped areas.

For more information: http://www.diprete-eng.com/index.cfm?pg=74&prjid=17

Contact: Greg Guglielmo, DiPrete Engineering; Greg@diprete-eng.com

Howland Green Landscaping

Type: rain garden
Use: Commercial
Installer: Howland Green Landscaping
Designer/Developer: Howland Green Landscaping
Installation Date: 1998
Address:Fairgrounds Road, West Kingston, 02892, South County

Project Narrative: This rain garden is designed to accept run off from the entire parcel including the roof top and parking lot. The subsurface is filled with crushed rock and acts to store rain water before infiltrating into the ground. This design reduces the amount of stormwater runoff, treats runoff, and promotes groundwater recharge.

Woonsocket High School

Type:rain garden
Use: Civic/Public
Installer: A biology class taught by Cathryn MacDonald and Elizabeth Shallcross
Designer/Developer: Students with the help of Mike Merrill (District Conservationist) and Joel Schmidt (Hydrological Engineer)
Installation Date: 2005
Address:777 Cass Avenue, Woonsocket, 02895

Project Narrative: A biology class at Woonsocket High School helped to design and dig a rain garden next to the parking lot at their high school as part of the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District’s Urban Rain Garden Project. The students planted native vegetation in and around the rain garden. The rain garden serves to collect and treat stormwater runoff that flows over the parking lot. The students then publicized their rain garden so as to educate the public on the importance of controlling and treating stormwater runoff.

Wilcox Park

Type:rain garden
Use: Public
Installer: Save the Bay, OSEEC AmeriCorps, Chariho High School
Designer/Developer:
Installation Date: April 2010
Address:44 Broad Street, Westerly, 02891

Project Narrative: The 1,000 square foot rain garden will redirect and filter runoff from a parking lot located just above the park land and local waterways including Park’s Pond, Pawcatuck River and Little Narragansett Bay. It consists of native plants, stones, gravel and mulch which will capture and filter the runoff water. This rain garden is part of a Save the Bay educational pilot project that demonstrates sustainable landscaping and stormwater management. With the help of local landscape architect David Renzi of Out in Front Horticulture, Wilcox Park Manager Alan Peck, OSEEC AmeriCorps members and Chariho High School, the project was a success and the community is aware of the benefits of rain gardens.

Installing the geotextile under the rain garden

Laying gravels and planting natives in the rain garden

Shea High School

Type:rain garden
Use: Civic/Public
Installer: Mike Merrill (NRCS Conservationist)
Designer/Developer: Students with the help of Mike Merrill (District Conservationist) and Joel Schmidt (Hydrological Engineer)
Installation Date: 2005
Address:486 Pleasant Street, Pawtucket, 02860

Project Narrative: An ecology class at Shea Senior High School in Pawtucket helped to establish this rain garden at Varieur Elementary School as part of the Northern Rhode Islands Conservation District’s Urban Rain Garden Project. With the help of a hydrological engineer, Joel Schmidt, and district conservationist, Mike Merrill, the rain garden was dug near the parking lot at the elementary school. The students then planted native vegetation in and around the rain garden. The rain garden serves to collect and treat stormwater runoff that flows over the parking lot. The students then publicized their rain garden so as to educate the public on the importance of controlling and treating stormwater runoff.

University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy

Type:Bioretention area, decreased impervious cover
Use: Institutional
Installer: Pare Corporation
Designer/Developer: Payette Associates (Architecture) and Carol R. Johnson Associates (Landscape Architecture)
Installation Date:
Address:Flagg Road, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, 02881

Project Narrative: The low impact stormwater systems designed for the URI College of Pharmacy building provide water quality and peak runoff control so as to maximize infiltration. It was designed in conjunction with the Center for Biological Science Building that is to the west of the site and will utilize some of the same stormwater systems. The new design has 1.6 fewer acres of impervious surfaces than the previous structure. This will promote increased infiltration and decreased peak flow rates. The bioretention area is north of the building structure and receives water from areas east and south of the site which it is designed to store. It consists of a catch basin where suspended solids can settle out, has a stone bottom and has vegetation in and around the area.

Grass Swale design leading to the bioretention area

Lonsdale Rain Garden

Type: Rain garden
Use: Civic/Public
Installer: Blackstone River Coalition and Audubon Society of RI
Designer/Developer: Eugena Marks, Audubon Society of RI
Installation Date: 2009 - 2010
Address:270 River Road, Lincoln, 02865

Project Narrative: The rain garden installed next to the parking lot at Lonsdale Elementary School in Lincoln is designed to capture and treat stormwater flowing off of the impervious area. It is 120 ft long and 20 ft wide, and abuts the entire length of the parking lot. The project was initiated in 2009 by Kim Wiegand, the town engineer, through the Blackstone River Coalition. In 2010, a grant received through the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, provided funds to finish the planting of the garden. Some of the plants include ever-blooming daylily (red), blazing star, Echinacea/ Purple coneflower, and at bottom of swale Eupatorium/ Joe Pye weed. The most recent planting was in the shallower end of the swale and included Arctostaphylos uva ursi/ bearberry at the rim, extension of daylilies, Dicentra/ Bleeding heart, and Osmunda cinnamomea / cinnamon fern. The rain garden is designed to be a demonstration site and a sign has been made and will be installed on the guardrail so as to educate the public as to the importance and usefulness of rain gardens.

Lonsdale parking lot before rain garden was installed

Planting in May 2009

Prepping site for more planting in 2010

Ocean Science and Exploration Center, Pell Marine Science Library

Type: Rain garden, groundwater recharge system
Use: Civic/Public
Installer: Gilbane Building Co. of Providence, Fleet Construction Co. Inc., Cumberland, R.I.
Designer/Developer: Burt, Hill of Boston
Installation Date: 2009
Address:University of Rhode Island, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, 02882

Project Narrative: The building features a groundwater recharge system that consists of a series of chambers laid out under the south east quadrant of the quadrangle area (the area previously occupied by the library). Those chambers collect roof runoff and stormwater, remove sediments, and return it to the site so as to infiltrate water back into the ground. This system also reduces the stress on Narragansett stormwater infrastructure and limits runoff into the ocean. There is also a rain garden in front of the building that collects water on site and is landscaped with native plants. The entire site is also landscaped with drought-tolerant, native plants, including no-mow grass species, so as to reduce the need for irrigation.

Large rain garden in front, captures and infiltrates water on site.

Outreach Center University of Rhode Island

Type: Rain garden
Use: Institutional
Installer: Richard Casagrande
Designer/Developer: URI Plant Science Dept.
Installation Date: 2002
Address: 3 East Alumni Ave., University of Rhode Island, Kingston, 02881

Project Narrative: A smaller scale rain garden filled with perennials and other native wetland plants was installed at the Outreach Center on the URI Kingston campus. This rain garden requires little maintenance and it effectively infiltrates runoff from the roof of the building. The installer Richard Casagrande started by digging a hole and edging it with rocks. He then ran a pipe from the Outreach Center’s roof drain into the rain garden. Finally, they planted a few wetland plants in the garden.

North Kingstown Town Hall Rain Garden

Type: Rain garden
Use: Municipal
Installer: Out in Front Horticulture and URI Master Gardeners
Designer/Developer: Unknown
Installation Date: Approx. 2005
Address: 80 Boston Neck Rd., North Kingstown, RI 02852

Project Narrative: The garden reduces runoff and potential water pollution, replenishes valuable groundwater resources and solved a flooding problem in a nearby intersection. Stormwater runoff from one of the Town Hall’s roof gutter downspouts (southwest corner) is directed to the rain garden through an underground plastic pipe. The garden was hand dug to form a depression with the excavated soil being used to make a berm around the low side of the garden. This creates a uniform depression that can temporarily hold runoff until it soaks into the ground. Perennial shrubs and herbaceous plants, specially selected for their ability to tolerate temporary pooling of water as well as dry periods, were planted and will aid in soaking up the runoff. The garden may temporarily pool water for about 4 to 6 hours after a rain event.

Contact: Healthy Landscapes http://www.uri.edu/ce/healthylandscapes/NKTownhall.html

Bentley's Tavern

Type: Rain garden
Use: Private
Installer: Northern RI Conservation District(NRICD)
Designer/Developer: Ramona LeBlanc (NRICD)
Installation Date: June 2008
Address: Bentley's Tavern, Corner Route 116/6, North Scituate, RI

Project Narrative: This rain garden was installed as a demonstration project by the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District (NRICD). The garden treats roof runoff from the office/rental space adjacent to Bentley's Tavern. The project was funded by Providence water. Northland Seamless Gutter installed the gutters to direct the rooftop runoff to the rain garden.

Information contained in this resource center was generated, in part, due to on-going work between URI Cooperative Extension, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM), and Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RI DOT), under a grant to provide assistance to Rhode Island municipalities affected by the federal Stormwater Phase II requirements.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

West Kingston Business

Type: Infiltration Trench
Use: Commercial
Installer: Unknown
Designer/Developer: Unknown
Installation Date: Unknown
Address: : 4 Frank Ave., West Kingston, 02892

Project Narrative: This infiltration trench does not incorporate any biological treatment; however it provides an example of an older version of parking lot infiltration practices. The parking lot has no curb which allows runoff to flow directly into the trenches to filter into the soil below.

West Kingston APC

Type: Infiltration Trench
Use: Commercial
Installer: Unknown
Designer/Developer: Unknown
Installation Date: Unknown
Address: 132 Fairgrounds Road, West Kingston, 02892

Project Narrative: This infiltration trench does not incorporate any biological treatment; however it provides an example of an older version of parking lot infiltration practices. The parking lot has no curb which allows runoff to flow directly into the trenches to filter into the soil below.

SITE DESIGN

Browns Farm Subdivision

Type: Reduced pavement, retention pond
Use: Residential
Installer: Uknown
Designer/Developer: Uknown
Installation Date: Uknown
Address: Browns Farm Drive, Kingston, 02881

Project Narrative: This subdivision is designed with conservation development techniques. The clustered houses are located close to the road to reduce driveway length and thus reduce impervious surfaces. The area bordering the entrance to the development utilizes a mowed path instead of a sidewalk which also eliminates the need for excess impervious surfaces. Another feature that reduces total impervious area is the alternative turn around design. Instead of an end of the road cul-de-sac turnaround, this development has a short length of road with three driveways branching off. A central component of the development is the retention pond that is incorporated as an aesthetic feature of the subdivision and can be used for passive recreation.

Harbour Ridge Subdivision

Type: Infiltration Trenches
Use: Residential
Installer: J.H. Lynch & Sons
Designer/Developer: David D. Gardner & Associates
Installation Date: 2006
Address: Summit View Lane, North Kingstown, RI, 02852

Project Narrative: This twenty-one lot cluster subdivision with single family homes incorporates a variety of stormwater reduction and management techniques. Infiltration trenches abut the curbless roads and collect water running off the street. The trenches are 2.5 to 3 feet wide and are filled with approximately 4 ft of gravel base backfill that acts to filter the water before infiltration to the ground. At the bottom of the trench a PVC pipe with holes collects and stores water to slowly infiltrate into the ground below. All stormwater infrastructure and systems are designed for the 100 year storm and with the exception of some overflow into a nearby wetland located off site, stormwater is collected and treated onsite and much of it is recharged to groundwater. The subdivision also reduces impervious coverage with the use of landscaped islands in the middle of cul-de-sacs.

Contact: Chris Palmer chris@ddgardner.com