Lehigh University Campus-wide Stormwater Management Plan

Princeton Hydro provided Lehigh University with engineering consulting services related to the implementation of a stormwater utility. Lehigh University is a multi-campus private university encompassing 2,355 acres (3.7 square miles) within the City of Bethlehem. The City implemented a user fee-based stormwater utility program in 2021. Princeton Hydro prepared comments on the City’s proposed fee-based utility on behalf of the University. Princeton Hydro also quantified the anticipated annual fee for the campus based on the University’s impervious coverage mapping.

As part of this effort Princeton Hydro developed a campus-wide stormwater management plan to assess and minimize the financial impact on the University’s operations. Like most stormwater utilities, the City’s stormwater utility offers a credit system which enables and incentivizes users to implement stormwater management measures to reduce the burden on the City’s infrastructure and reduce the user’s annual stormwater fee. Princeton Hydro conducted a complete GIS-based review of the three University campuses. Following the GIS review, site inspections were completed in order to identify opportunities for stormwater management retrofits. The purpose of potential retrofits was to decrease the University’s annual stormwater utility fee, improve water quality, and provide aesthetic and ecological uplift.