Stormwater plan in development
Only rain down the drain
When it’s pouring outside, it’s easy just to focus on getting inside as soon as possible. With the impact of stormwater from developed surfaces an important environmental concern, however, the UMass Chan Medical School Environmental Health and Safety team can’t run away from the rain.
The school is developing its first formal Stormwater Management Plan to address stormwater regulations, operations and maintenance of the stormwater management system.
“The Medical School continues to expand on existing practices to meet and maintain compliance with the EPA’s Stormwater Management Program,” said JoAnn Ranslow, CHMM, chemical and laboratory safety manager .
When melting snow or stormwater flows across parking lots and other paved surfaces, it can pick up pollutants that eventually end up in the campus storm drainage system. This is of concern as pollutants damage water ecosystems. The main campus in Worcester overlooks Lake Quinsigamond, with stormwater eventually flowing into the lake’s watershed. Other UMass Chan locations in Shrewsbury, Boston and Dartmouth all impact watershed areas, with various streams, brooks and ponds. The plan in development will address stormwater at all UMass Chan facilities.
To mitigate stormwater impact, UMass Chan facilities management staff conduct regular parking lot and road sweeping, catch basin cleaning and training of personnel in stormwater management. “Our goal is to post the Stormwater Management Plan on our new web page by the end of June and make it available for public comment,” Ranslow said.
For more information on stormwater see the new web page:
https://www.umassmed.edu/growinggreen/stormwater-management/
Anyone interested in providing stormwater feedback now can email the EH&S team at: