Providence College and the Narragansett Bay Commission to be Presenters at New England’s Largest Water Quality Conference

Providence, R.I. – Providence College environmental officials, along with representatives from the Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) will be presenting at the annual New England Water Environment Association conference in Boston on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. The title of the presentation is “A Sustainable Approach to Stormwater Management.”

While most of Rhode Island’s higher ed Institutions have individual stormwater programs for specific projects around their campuses, Providence College is the only higher ed institution in the state that has a comprehensive, campus wide stormwater management program in place.

In years past, PC’s main objective was always to be in compliance with NBC and the RI DEM stormwater regulations. While that continues today, the College has now adopted a Low Impact Development (LID) approach to stormwater management that meshes well with the overall environmental goals for the campus.

• Campus Wide  vs. Project-by-Project
• Watershed approach to stormwater management
• LID & site-specific Best Management Practices selection process 

PC’s objectives include continued open communication with NBC, reduce stormwater flows to the NBC treatment facility, increase infiltration & groundwater recharge, reduce erosion and sediment loading downstream, improve the quality of the campus stormwater runoff, educate the college community about LID strategies, and evaluate stormwater reuse opportunities.

If you’re interested in this story, Gale Gennaro, director of Environmental Health and Safety for the College, is available for comment.

-30-