Rutgers University Livingston Campus Stormwater Management Design

Rutgers University, as part of the expansion and renovation of the dining hall and dormitories on their Livingston Campus, desired to include innovative stormwater management design to address existing and future expansions. As part of the Biber Partnership and Wells Appel team, Princeton Hydro completed the stormwater management design for the complex.  Through their sustainable design initiatives, Rutgers University wanted stormwater management that would not only meet regulatory requirements but would also provide a living laboratory and set the example for all future stormwater designs.

To mimic the natural environment, Princeton Hydro developed a concept that would integrate the adjacent nature preserve, Kilmer Woods, and extend this ecologically important area into the campus. As a result, a ten-acre parking lot was removed and converted to a floodplain basin that included riparian forest plantings and vernal pool habitat. In addition to the primary stormwater management facility, Princeton Hydro also designed several rain gardens/bioretention islands that were integrated into the pedestrian walkways to provide public education and treat the rainwater at the source.

To achieve these goals, Princeton Hydro completed a subsurface investigation, modeled stormwater runoff, and developed the natural landscape within the proposed stormwater basin and rain gardens. Due to the limitations of existing stormwater pipe, Princeton Hydro also designed and engineered a surface runoff swale that mimicked an intermittent stream that would only flow during rainfall events. This stream connected the runoff at the upper end of the developed watershed and transitioned this water source to the riparian basin.