Interdisciplinary team project to design green infrastructure to manage storm water on campus to benefit the community and the environment.

1. Team Member Discipline
Derek Barthel Geography/Environmental Studies
James Bugielski Geography/Environmental Studies
Alma Gallegos Geography/Environmental Studies
Mariah Green Earth Science
Yesenia Herrera Earth Science
Matt Kauth Geography
Steven Lewis Environmental Studies
Nyinge Lhamo Geography/Environmental Studies
Jessica Perez Environmental Studies
Rafael Prado Geography
Mary Raymond Geography/Environmental Studies
Maria Jazmin Rios Biology
Colleen Schwartz Earth Science
Casey Sebetto Environmental Studies
D. Mary Toranzo Environmental Studies
Faculty Advisor Discipline
Robyn Flakne Adjunct Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Laura Sanders Professor, Department of Earth Science
Ken Voglesonger Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Science
Facilities Department Title
Nancy Medina Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management
Mark Wilcockson Vice President for Finance and Administration
An Absorbing Education:
Stormwater Management to Begin
Northeastern Illinois University’s
Decade of Dreams
EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge
Northeastern Illinois University
Education Building Site Design
December 13, 2013
Registration # S53

2. 1
Abstract
The Campus RainWorks team at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) in Chicago designed a site plan to
mitigate stormwater runoff from a planned new Education Building. After consulting with Facilities
Management, the group researched a variety of green infrastructure (GI) practices. Using the USEPA National
Stormwater Calculator, we modeled the best combination of GI practices to maximize stormwater mitigation on
the 2.5-acre building and landscape site. These include an 8,212-square-foot green roof, rain harvesting in a
1000-gallon cistern, 1,650 square feet of permeable pavement, 4,335 square feet of rain gardens, 32 trees and
21,780 square feet of landscaping using native Midwestern prairie vegetation. Aesthetic highlights of the design
include a fountain feature splashing a portion of the water from the building’s rooftop to a permeable plaza
below, which is spanned by a bridge portion of the building. Seating, the cistern, and interpretive features are
focused on and near the permeable plaza.
This combination of GI practices will not only absorb 80% of annual stormwater, but also educate and
inspire students, faculty, and neighbors of NEIU to think about GI and potentially use similar practices. A draft
campus master plan calls for six buildings to be added to NEIU’s campus during a “Decade of Dreams,”
highlighting the importance of advance planning for future stormwater management needs.
Introduction
Founded in 1867, Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public state university located in Chicago,
Illinois. The university comprises several campuses in the greater metropolitan area. The 67-acre main campus
is located in the northwest part of the city. A federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), NEIU
serves a diverse population of 12,000 students. Ethnic demographics of the student body are 41% White, 30%
Hispanic, 10% African American, 8.5% Asian and 10.5% other.
Architects are being selected to design the first new building on the main campus in several years. Our
Campus RainWorks team took this opportunity to work with Facilities Management in proposing innovative,
beautiful stormwater management practices as the new Education Building is designed. Moreover, the building
is just the first of six buildings proposed in a draft campus master plan outlining a “Decade of Dreams.” The
Education Building will occupy the open space between the physical education complex and a public
broadcasting building (Figures 1-2). The approximate size of the building is 189,000 sq. ft., with a footprint or
roof surface of about 47,250 sq. ft. (Figure 3).
Reducing runoff is important for this project for these reasons:
The campus master plan calls for six new buildings over the Decade of Dreams.
The university is in an urban setting, where a large amount of impervious area is already a challenge.
Chicago uses combined stormwater and sanitary sewers, which can result in combined sewer
overflows into natural water bodies.
The university is in close proximity to a branch of the Chicago River, and flood control is a foremost
concern for the surrounding community.
The university intends the Education Building to be LEED Gold certified, so adding green
infrastructure (GI) to manage stormwater will be supported.
The State of Illinois already has approved $73 million for the entire campus proposal. In addition to the
state funding, NEIU charges every student a $3/semester “green fee” to fund environmentally friendly
initiatives. The Green Fee Committee, which includes students, Facilities Management, staff and faculty,
determines how to disburse the funds. Past projects have included tree plantings, a 10kW solar photovoltaic
panel system installation on a campus building and filtered-water bottle-filling stations. One suggested future
project is implementing rainwater cisterns. This or similar efforts would be a great tie-in with our proposal.
Other possible funding sources are the Section 319 Grant Program, an annual federally funded nonpoint
source pollution control program of the Clean Water Act, and the Illinois EPA’s Illinois Green Infrastructure
Grant program (IGIG). These grants are available to local units of government and other organizations to
implement GI best management practices to control stormwater runoff for water quality protection in Illinois.

3. 2
Figure 1. Current site facing north
Figure 2. Current site facing southeast

4. 3
Figure 3. Main campus site plan with planned Education Building (in yellow).

5. 4
Site Design
The 2.5-acre Education Building site and associated pavement will be over 50% impermeable. If no GI is
used, less than 48% of annual rainfall will be retained on site. Using the EPA’s National Stormwater Calculator,
our team created a GI design that will retain over 80% of annual rainfall (U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 2013a). This approaches the 83% rainfall estimated retained under baseline, pre-settlement conditions
(Table 1). We used 1.5 inches as our “design storm,” exceeding the 0.5 inches required by the City of Chicago
stormwater ordinance (City of Chicago, 2012). Under our design (Figures 4-7), water will be captured first on
the green roof. The rest of the roof runoff will flow by downspout to the cistern and rain gardens. The cistern
will be used to water trees and community gardens, and any overflow will be directed to the rain gardens.
Permeable pavement will absorb water directed to the building’s “permeable plaza.” Trees and native
vegetation used in the site’s landscaping will both absorb stormwater and reduce the need for irrigation. Table 2
shows overall areas involved, cost per unit, total cost and annual gallons infiltrated.
Aesthetic and educational features are incorporated into the design. The permeable plaza is a focal point of
the site, as it is located beneath a pedestrian pass-through extending under a portion of the building. The cistern
located on the permeable plaza can serve as a canvas for art projects. A portion of the runoff from the roof will
be directed to a fountain feature, allowing water to splash onto the permeable pavement and showing how it is
absorbed. Overflow from the cistern and fountain will be collected and channeled to the rain gardens.
Educational signs and kiosks will center near the permeable plaza.
Table 1. Results of USEPA National Stormwater Calculator Modeling (US EPA, 2013a)
National Stormwater Calculator Report
Parameter Baseline/Presettlement New building without GI New building with GI
Site Area (acres) 2.5 2.5 2.5
Hydrologic Soil Group D D D
Hydraulic Conductivity (in/hr) 0.05 0.05 0.05
Surface Slope (%) 2% 2% 2%
Precip. Data Source Chicago O’Hare AP Chicago O’Hare AP Chicago O’Hare AP
Evap. Data Source Chicago O’Hare AP Chicago O’Hare AP Chicago O’Hare AP
% Forest 20 0 10
% Meadow 80 0 15
% Lawn 0 50 15
% Desert 0 0 0
% Impervious 0 50 60
Years Analyzed 10 10 10
Ignore Consecutive Wet Days FALSE FALSE FALSE
Wet Day Threshold (inches) 0.1 0.1 0.1
Green Infrastructure Practice
Disconnection 0 0 0
Rain Harvesting 0 0 2/1
Rain Gardens 0 0 68/10
Green Roofs 0 0 15/100
Street Planters 0 0 0
Infiltration Basins 0 0 0
Permeable Pavement 0 0 15/14
% of impervious area treated / % of treated area used for GI

6. 5
Summary Results
Statistic
Average Annual Rainfall (inches) 31.13 31.13 31.13
Average Annual Runoff (inches) 5.23 16.25 6.15
Percent of All Rainfall Retained 83.19 47.82 80.25
Days per Year with Rainfall 56.27 56.27 56.37
Days per Year with Runoff 8.5 36.58 9.00
Percent of Wet Days Retained 84.9 34.99 84.04
Smallest Rainfall w/ Runoff (inches) 0.11 0.11 0.25
Largest Rainfall w/o Runoff (inches) 1.73 0.3 1.21
Table 2. Overall Area, Cost and Infiltration Calculations
Location/Practice Area or units
Cost Per
Unit
Total Cost
Annual Gallons
Infiltrated*
Site 2.5 acres - - -
Building 47,250 sq ft - $65,000,000 -
Impervious surface 54,750 sq ft - - -
Green Roof 8,212.5 sq ft $18 $147,825 159,406
Cistern 1,000 gal unit $2,500 $2,500 16,499
Permeable Pavers 1650 sq ft $20 $33,000 34,938
Rain Garden 4,335 sq ft $6 $26,010 645,527
Trees 32 units $300 $9,600 64,860
Landscaping
(Traditional and
Native)
1.25 acres $5,000 $6,250 775,068
Total $225,185 (GI) 1,969,298 (80%)
*Calculations use assumptions from Center for Neighborhood Technology (2010).
Figure 4. Concept plan of Education Building with green infrastructure

7. 6
Figure 5. Aerial view of building and surrounding GI
Figure 6. Cistern, permeable plaza and rain garden

8. 7
Figure 7. Permeable plaza and cistern, showing fountain feature
Green Roof
An 8,212-square-foot green roof is proposed. A green roof consists of layers including vegetation, growing
medium, water storage, root barrier and a roofing membrane (US EPA, 2013b; Figure 8). It serves to reduce the
velocity and volume of stormwater runoff by capturing it before it hits the ground. Additional benefits include
pollutant removal, heat island mitigation and reduced energy needs through insulation (Yang et al., 2008).
Green roofs are of two types. Extensive green roofs are lighter in weight, with growing media only 2-6
inches thick. Typical cost of an extensive green roof is $8-15/sq. ft. (Apex Green Roofs, 2010). Intensive green
roofs support vegetation with longer roots, using deeper growing media of more than 6 inches. This makes the
system heavier and more expensive to install and maintain (Bruening, 2013). An extensive green roof would be
the best choice for the Education Building because of its overall lower cost and maintenance.
In the Chicago area, the most common plants used for green roofs are shallow-rooted plants, especially
succulents. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (2013), deep rooted native prairie species
grow roots horizontally on green roofs. This makes it possible to grow native vegetation on rooftops to avoid
introducing non-native vegetation and risking the spread of aggressive invasive species.
Green roofs are costly compared to other GI techniques, but due to the number of new buildings that NEIU
proposes, the technique will become increasingly important as ground space will diminish, leaving little room
for other techniques. The green roof on the Education Building can set the example for future buildings.
Rain Harvesting – Cistern
Cisterns are containers used to collect and store from a roof runoff that would otherwise be conveyed to
storm drains and streams (Figure 9). The main benefit of cisterns is their collection of stormwater for use in
watering landscaping. The primary drawbacks are their lack of aesthetic appeal and demand for space.
Connected to a roof by a downspout system, cisterns can be installed above or below ground (US EPA, 2009).
Placing cisterns underground solves their demand for space, but is costly. According to Crowley (n.d.), a
1,700-gallon cistern installed below ground costs close to $12,000.
For our purposes, the cost savings and educational value of a single aboveground cistern make sense. We
propose a 1,000-gallon cistern that will collect water from 1,000 square feet of the building’s roof. Stored
stormwater will be used to water campus trees and community gardens. The cistern will have aesthetic and

9. 8
educational benefits, as art students can paint murals on the cistern and the practice is something students can
do on a residential scale with rain barrels (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, n.d.).
Figure 8. Typical green roof cross-section
Source: American Wick Drain Corporation (n.d.)
Figure 9. Example cistern
Source: Four Corners Precast (n.d.)
Permeable Pavement
Implementation of permeable pavement within the new building site will be a great alternative to traditional
pavement. Permeable pavement is among the Best Management Practices for stormwater recommended by the
EPA and other agencies (Tennis et al., 2004). Constructed by adding layers of permeable material under a top
level of concrete, asphalt, or pavers with pores for water to seep in (Figure 10), it will minimize runoff entering
Chicago’s sewer system; stormwater runoff will be slower; and long term benefits will easily offset initial costs.
Test sections of permeable pavement already exist on our campus, so Facilities Management is familiar with
maintenance requirements, which include vacuum sweeping, monitoring the permeability regularly, and filling
any potholes or cracks (University of Maryland Extension, n.d.). Done successfully, this installation may
increase desire for the rest of the campus’s walkways to also be permeable.

10. 9
Pedestrian walkways outline the Education Building, including one beneath the pedestrian pass-through at
the center of the building. A permeable plaza here will serve as a gathering spot for students, and is a key area
where permeable pavement should be deployed.
Figure 10. Typical permeable pavement cross-section
Source: Tennis et al. (2004)
Rain Gardens
Two rain gardens totaling 4,335 square feet are proposed on the north and south side of the Education
Building. The rain gardens will absorb a significant portion of runoff directed to them through downspouts on
the roof and channels from the cistern and permeable pavement overflow.
Definitions of rain gardens vary, however all definitions agree that they are constructed as depressions on
the landscape and that their function is to reduce stormwater runoff. They do so by promoting absorption and
infiltration of stormwater (Bannerman and Considine, 2003). This GI practice is very effective at removing
pollutants and reducing runoff volume (City of Chicago, 2013). These systems generally require aggregate or
layers of various media to promote drainage (Figure 11). The engineered depression is then planted with native
vegetation to infiltrate and absorb the runoff (see Table 3).
Figure 11. Typical rain garden cross-section
Source: City of Chicago (2013)

11. 10
Native Vegetation
Native vegetation refers to plants, including trees, shrubs, grasses and forbs that have evolved and adapted
to a particular region. This adaptation to both xeric and wet conditions allows them to be drought resistant, low
maintenance, and great infiltrators for this region. Midwestern native plants (Table 3) have deep root systems
that capture, infiltrate, and absorb runoff water, which diminishes the need to water the landscape. We estimate
that on our ¾ acres of trees and native vegetation, 529,630 gallons per year can be saved through reduced
irrigation (32,670 sq ft x 1 inch water, 26 times per year = 529,630 gallons). Furthermore, native vegetation has
benefits for air quality, and native plants have coevolved with native insects and microorganisms essential to the
local ecosystem (Simmons, 2012). Thus, native plantings increase biodiversity directly and indirectly.
Native vegetation will be used at the Education Building site in several ways. Native plants will be planted
or installed on the green roof and in rain gardens, and areas currently landscaped in turf grass will instead be
landscaped in native plants and trees. Doing this turns an otherwise impermeable area into an area of
infiltration. Things to consider when narrowing down our native plant list include: soil composition, aesthetics,
successfulness (measured by others’ success stories in the Chicagoland area), wildlife and human food value,
sizes and shapes of our gardens, and light exposure. NEIU already has several acres of native prairie, wetland
and tree plantings, and Facilities Management and student volunteers are familiar with maintenance techniques,
including burning and weeding. Our Biology Department runs a greenhouse where some seedlings can be
grown. Tables 3A-C present lists of plants native to the Chicago region that have proven useful in residential
and commercial landscapes. Figures 12-17 illustrate the beauty of some of those plants. Our plan calls for ½
acre of native landscaping and ¼ acre of native trees throughout the site in addition to the highly engineered
green roof and rain gardens.
Table 3. Native Vegetation Suitable to the Site (Source: Chicago Wilderness, 2012)
A. Full Sun:
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardi)
Little Bluestem (Andropogon scoparius)
Marsh Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
False Dragonhead/Obedient Plant (Physostegia
virginiana)
Smooth Blue Aster (Aster laevis)
New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)
Side-Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata)
Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
Purple Lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis)
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)
Path Rush (Juncus tenuis)
Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum)
Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum)
Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium)
Purple Prairie Clover (Petalostemum (Dalea)
purpureum)
Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa)
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)
Yellow (Gray-headed) Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)
Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)
Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Prairie Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)
Blue Joint Grass (Calamagrostis canadensis)

12. 11
Figure 12. Prairie smoke Figure 13. Blue joint grass
Source: http://www.grandmorainegrowers.ca/images/Geum%20triflorum.jpg Source: http://www.prairiemoon.com/images/D/Calamagrostis-canadensis-Blue-Joint-
Grass-group.jpg
B. Partial Sun:
Nodding Wild Onion (Allium cernuum)
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis)
Alumroot (Heuchera richardsonii)
Tall Bellflower (Campanula americana)
Short's Aster (Aster shortii)
(Midland) Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia)
Sweet Joe Pyeweed (Eupatorium purpureum)
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Purple-Sheathed Graceful Sedge (Carex gracillima)
Sweet (Vanilla) Grass (Hierochloe odorata)
Kalm's St. Johns Wort (Hypericum Kalmianum)
Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans)
Blue Flag Iris (Iris shrevei)
Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolum)
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
Heartleaf Golden Alexander (Zizia aptera)
Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)
Figure 14. Black-eyed Susan Figure 15. Northern sea oats
Source: http://www.edenbrothers.com/store/media/Flowers/Black%20Eyed%20Susan%20o.jpg Source: http://www.finegardening.com/CMS/uploadedimages/Images/
C. Little to No Sun:
Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Side-Flowering Aster (Aster lateriflourus)
Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea)
Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata)
May Apple (Podophyllum peltatum)

13. 12
Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)
Virgin's Bower (Clematis virginiana)
Prairie Trillium (Trillium recuvratum)
Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginica)
Marginal Shield Fern (Leatherwood) (Dryopteris marginalis)
Blood Root (Sanguinaria canadensis)
False Solomons Seal (Smilacina racemosa)
Elm-leaved Goldenrod (Solidago ulmifolia)
Great White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
Bottle Brush Grass (Elymus hystrix)
Figure 16. Virginia bluebells Figure 17. Bottle brush grass
Source: http://www.sierrapotomac.org/W_Needham/Pictures/VirginiaBluebells Source: http://www.prairiemoon.com/images/D/Hystrix-patula-Bottlebrush-
MertensiaVirginica_BGoatC_050412.jpg Grass-plant.jpg
Trees are an important form of native vegetation for our project because they contribute significantly to
environmental quality in a city. Among their benefits is their ability to intercept stormwater runoff (Figure 18).
According to the National Tree Benefit Calculator (Casey Trees and Davey Tree Expert Company, n.d.), a
white oak with a diameter of 45 inches, which is native to the Midwest, can intercept about 8,890 gallons of
stormwater runoff annually. In the process of constructing the Education Building, three or four mature trees
will have to be removed. They will be replaced by 32 young native trees, including sugar maples, Ohio
buckeyes, shagbark hickories, hackberries, black walnuts, American lindens, bur oaks, white oaks and swamp
white oaks.
Figure 18. Stormwater benefits of trees
Source: Casey Trees and Davey Tree Expert Company (n.d.)

14. 13
Education and Interpretation
An important aspect of adding GI to the new Education Building is informing students, staff and local
residents about the positive impacts of thoughtful planning. Main messages we will convey are how NEIU is
managing stormwater through a variety of GI techniques, and how these techniques affect water quantity and
quality going into the combined sewer system. We also will demonstrate the environmental, financial and
lifestyle benefits. The ultimate goal is to inspire larger change as people become educated about the benefits,
while keeping maintenance and cost in mind. This is particularly important for our own campus community as
more buildings are developed according to the Decade of Dreams campus master plan.
For the initial public relations phase, we will partner with the Green Fee Committee to inform the student
body and general public about the site’s implementation of various forms of GI and their benefits. Options for
this phase can include an NEIU email announcement, local public broadcasting station interview, newspaper,
radio or TV press release and signs on campus. We will continue to use a variety of outreach tools with a strong
emphasis on electronic media including website, social media and other avenues such as space on the NEIU or
City of Chicago website (Table 4).
Table 4. Educational Tools to Consider
Type of
Outreach
Estimated
Cost
Pros / Cons Recommendations
Print
Brochures
1000 pcs w/
holders: $200
Good low cost option but will need to be
refilled and have ongoing costs
Recommend budgeting for refills and making sure
someone is assigned to restocking
Indoor Signs 10 signs $160
Good low cost option but not as
interactive as other options
Having signs not only in the Education Building but
in various high traffic areas throughout the campus
Electronic
Website $1k-5k*
A well designed, forward thinking
website will be on the expensive end. To
“purchase” the cheap option would
invalidate use for the next two categories.
Recommend hiring professional web developer to
design website. This will ensure regular traffic as
aesthetically appealing and user friendly site will
encourage visitation.
QR Codes *Free
Discriminatory to those w/o a smart
phone
Recommend using as it will encourage visitation.
Social Media *Free
Updates by student volunteers will keep
them knowledgeable of the building and
its features
Recommend using as it will encourage visitation.
On-Site
Signs 10 signs $470 Great for pointing out specific features
Minimum one sign for each different feature used at
its location (Figure 19)
Rain Gauge $169-589 Visually appealing and interesting Use in conjunction with the computer
Computer
Display
Computer &
cart $700
Visually appealing and interesting
Use to display the rain gauge information, site
features and benefits, general green infrastructure
info and education, website location etc.
*Plus cost of ongoing maintenance. Price will vary.
Green infrastructure in an urban setting will be interpreted using easily comprehensible tools and
information both inside and outside the new building. Outside, signs will pique the interest of passersby and
interpret the GI features and how they benefit the building site and the campus as a whole (Figure 19). Other
onsite tools will include a rain gauge, QR codes, a “window” into the water levels on the cistern and brochures.
A theme on campus has been the use of computer monitors to display the performance of campus features such
as solar panels, and we will create such a display to demonstrate and monitor rainfall and runoff on our site.
With undergraduate and graduate programs in Earth Science, Geography, Environmental Studies, Biology,
Education, Media and Communications and Social Sciences, NEIU has a variety of resources to support our
Campus RainWorks project. A few related directly to education and interpretation are these:

15. 14
 Student/Volunteer workdays or internships. This educational tool also cuts down on installation and
maintenance costs. A full time faculty member or student club could head the program.
 The Environmental Interpretation class or an Education class can design and develop many of our
proposed educational tools as class projects.
 The Green Fee Committee can be tapped as an educational and financial resource.
A highlight is the fact that our design is for the Education Building and its landscape. As a building in which
people are being taught how to teach, interpretation and education are particularly relevant. Plans described here
can be designed and used by the students as tools for their research and practice in the field of Education. The
banners, displays, websites, and signs will be placed with this in mind. Education students can lead visitors on
walking tours, integrating the theme of the building with its GI features.
Figure 19. Example sign for interpreting GI onsite
Review
The project will be reviewed first by NEIU Facilities Management. The design engineers and architects are
obligated to demonstrate compliance with the City of Chicago Stormwater Ordinance, requiring no runoff from
a 0.5-inch storm (City of Chicago, 2012). The design presented here exceeds this standard. The stormwater
management plan will be submitted to the City of Chicago, Department of Buildings, for permit. The
Department of Buildings review on behalf of the Department of Water Management will ensure that the plan
complies with all local, state and national regulations. We anticipate that design and permitting will take place
in 2014, with site construction beginning in 2015 or 2016.
Operation and Maintenance
NEIU will be responsible to construct, own and maintain all of the recommended GI features. NEIU will
take responsibility for the operations and maintenance of the site as a routine part of its annual budget.
Anticipated maintenance needs for the GI features include vegetation monitoring, controlled burns,
removal of invasive plants or weeds, re-planting dead or diseased plants as necessary, tree pruning, trash
removal, vacuuming permeable pavement, emptying water stored in the cistern and connecting/disconnecting
the system according to season. Facilities Management has long experience with maintaining permeable
pavement and trees and native vegetation, and staff can be trained to conduct cistern and green roof
maintenance as well. Table 5 describes GI maintenance.

16. 15
Table 5. Anticipated Maintenance, NEIU Green Infrastructure
Task Frequency Responsibility
Green Roof and Rain Gardens, Native Vegetation
Weeding 10 times annually
Facilities Management, interns,
student and staff volunteers
Trash removal 3 – 5 times annually Facilities Mgmt., students
Re-planting Once annually as needed Facilities Mgmt., students
Prescribed burn Once annually, native landscaping G&ES faculty, students
Pruning 5-year cycle, trees Facilities Management
Vegetation monitoring Throughout growing season Biology faculty, students
Cisterns
Water vegetation Routinely throughout season Facilities Management
Drain unit Once yearly before frost Facilities Management
Disconnect/Reconnect Once yearly before frost/after thaw Facilities Management
Inspect unit 3 – 5 times annually Facilities Management
Permeable Pavement
Remove debris/Clean Once annually as needed Facilities Management
Green Infrastructure practices
Inspection of GI Minimum once annually Facilities Management
Repair of GI As needed Facilities Management
Conclusion
Our team has devised an innovative approach to mitigate stormwater runoff from a new Education Building
by using a customized combination of GI techniques best suited for our climate and environment. Our plan will
retain 80% of annual stormwater onsite. The plan balances our unique needs of space and budget while
emphasizing the importance of lifestyle quality and GI education.

17. 16
References
American Wick Drain Corporation. n.d. Green roof. Retrieved from
http://www.americanwick.com/applications/detail.cfm?app_id=18&app_cat_id=6
Apex Green Roofs. 2010. Apex Green roofs: frequently asked questions. Retrieved November 2, 2013 from
http://www.apexgreenroofs.com/faq.html
Bannerman, R. and E. Considine. 2003. Rain gardens: A How to Manual for Homeowners (32 pp). University
of Wisconsin–Extension Publication. Retrieved from
http://ddoe.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddoe/publication/attachments/RaingardenHow2HomeownerU
WExtension.pdf
Breuning, J. 2013. Green roof types. Retrieved from http://www.greenrooftechnology.com/green-roof-types
Casey Trees and Davey Tree Expert Company. n.d. National tree benefit calculator. Retrieved from
http://treebenefits.com/calculator/
Center for Neighborhood Technology. 2010. The Value of Green Infrastructure: A Guide to Recognizing Its
Economic, Environmental and Social Benefits (PDF) (80 pp.). Retrieved from
http://www.cnt.org/repository/gi-values-guide.pdf
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. n.d. Rain barrels & gardens. Retrieved Nov. 2013 from
http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/strategy-papers/stormwater-best-management-practices/rain-barrels-gardens.
Chicago Wilderness. 2012. Native plants for your garden. http://www.chicagowilderness.org/what-you-can-
do/gardening-for-nature/native-plants/
City of Chicago. 2013. Bioinfiltration: Rain gardens. Retrieved from
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/water/supp_info/conservation/green_design/bioinfiltration_rain
gardens.html
City of Chicago. 2012. Stormwater Management Ordinance Manual (142 pp). Retrieved from
http://www.cityofchicago.org/dam/city/depts/water/general/Engineering/SewerConstStormReq/2012Storm
Manual.pdf
Crowley, B. Harvest the Sky. n.d. Retrieved 2 Nov. 2013 from http://harvestthesky.com/products-prices
Four Corners Precast. n.d. Retrieved from http://fourcornersprecast.com/cisterns.html
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. 2013. Plant lists for green roofs. In, Minnesota Stormwater Manual.
Retrieved October 23, 2013 from http://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/Plant_lists_for_green_roofs
Simmons, D. 2012. Myth: There’s no special benefit to growing native plants. EcoMythsAlliance.org. Retrieved
October 23 2013 from http://www.ecomythsalliance.org/2012/04/the-native-gardening-routine

18. 17
Tennis, P. D., M.L. Leming, and D.J. Akers. 2004. Pervious Concrete Pavements. EB302.02, Portland Cement
Association, Skokie, Illinois, and National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Maryland, 36 pages.
Retrieved from http://myscmap.sc.gov/marine/NERR/pdf/PerviousConcrete_pavements.pdf
University of Maryland Extension. n.d. Permeable pavement fact sheet: Information for Howard County,
Maryland homeowners. Retrieved from http://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_docs/programs/master-
gardeners/Howardcounty/Baywise/PermeablePavingHowardCountyMasterGardeners10_5_11%20Final.pdf
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2013a. National Stormwater Calculator User's Guide (PDF) (59 pp,
2.5 MB) Publication No. 600/R-13/085. Retrieved from http://nepis.epa.gov/Adobe/PDF/P100GOQX.pdf
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2013b. Green roofs. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/hiri/mitigation/greenroofs.htm
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2009. What is a rain barrel. Retrieved 20 Oct. 2013 from
http://www.epa.gov/region03/p2/what-is-rainbarrel.pdf
Yang, J., Q. Yu, and P. Gong. 2008. Quantifying air pollution removal by green roofs in Chicago. Atmospheric
Environment 42:7266-7273. Retrieved from
http://www.geo.umass.edu/faculty/yu/2008YangJunAtmosphricEnvironment.pdf