Flooding on the Rowan University Campus by location and interrelationship
1.
Stream outlet and vicinity:
A.
Forty five years ago a bridge was removed, a massive berm with Bowe Blvd on top was built and two pipes were installed to carry the Chestnut Branch of Manchua Creek as it exits Rowan
University’s campus. The outlet pipes for the stream have proven time and again to be inadequate during a major down pours. Water historically backs up nearly the entire length of the S-curve Road to a depth 5.5 feet. The resulting reduction in flow rate causes an elevation further into the campus and the frequent flooding of Robinson Hall, a major classroom building.
B.
At this time the stream channel, Chestnut Branch, exits the campus under Bowe Blvd. From the
Campus to the Lapiri landfill, about 1.5 miles, the channel is obstructed and congested with debris. Trees are lying across the water and sand bars arise very close to the exit pipes. All properties from the High School across from the campus to the landfill are privately owned.
C.
It must be pointed out that the Chestnut Branch after it passes the landfill, which is a most active super fund site continues for another for 1.5 miles to Alcyon Lake in the Borough of Pitman. The portion of the stream channel past the landfill has been cleared of debris and, at considerable costs, Alcyon Lake has been dredged as part of the super fund remediation. It should be noted that this cleanup of the lake and stream segment included scrubbing soils of toxic materials and separation of disposal of heavy metals. We are dealing with a most complex and environmentally sensitive situation. Currently the landfill is staffed daily and managed for leakage and remediation - an expense that has been in place for over 20 years.
2.
Triad Flooding –
A.
The Triad Building, now a dormitory, was not constructed by Rowan University but purchased as an already existing structure. Originally it was an apartment building tied into the Borough storm water system – this connection to storm Borough remains today. The trunk line in front of the Triad Dormitory arises 7 or 8 city blocks away on University Avenue.
For the region the pitch of the trunk line is quite steep and can create a substantial amount of head pressure. The Triad Dormitory sits at the bottom of this municipal storm drain.
There is only a 6 inch difference between the top of the outlet box for the trunk line and the lower level of the Triad Building. An apartment unit is located in the lower level of Triad and all mechanical rooms. When water backs up in the trunk line as a result of overwhelming the
3 foot diameter pipe exiting under Bowe Blvd or because it is plugged with debris, it can flood the inside lower level of Triad with as much as 4 feet of water.
Note: Within the Triad building during a storm surge a backup in the trunk line water has been observed spouting 2 feet high from PVC pipes in the floor These PVC pipes may be connected to the footer drains. A few years ago fooert drains were installed on Traid and the walls sealed at a cost of over a million dollars. All this work only served to increase the flow

back into the building during a storm surge and exacerbate the flooding of the building. A piecemeal bandage approach will not resolve the enormous amount of water involved.
B.
The land area between 322 and Triad was only recently purchased by the University. All structures were removed from this newly acquired land. Flooding from this land is a separate problem from the backup in the trunk line. Storm water from this land enters the building through the side door which parallels Route 322.
3.
Robinson Hall Flooding
A.
This building is the most intensely used classroom building on campus and includes use of the lower floor. When the stream channel becomes elevated during a storm surge the floor drain plates are blown off and water rushes into the building. The source of the water is storm water runoff from the campus and a portion of Glassboro within the Chestnut Branch sub-drainage basin.
4.
The Rec. Center Flooding
A.
Like Triad work has been performed on this building to reduce the Rec Center flooding. The results of this work are, yet, to be tested in an actual storm event. What has not been addressed is the significant amounts of flood waters flowing from properties outside the campus from Carpenter Street. The magnitude of the water coming into the campus from
Carpenter Street is reminiscent of a stream flow. Some work has been performed to protect the loading dock area of the Rec. Center but the front of the building remains unchanged.
B.
Unrelated to the off campus intrusion of waters is flooding on the west side of the building down the ramp and into the basement of the gymnasium. This is a situation totally confined to the campus.
5.
Chestnut Dormitory Flooding
The drainage system existing on this build are more than adequate to meet the needs of the immediate surroundings, but in no way can it handle the huge amount of storm water that flows out of the entrance road to the apartment complex across Carpenter Street.
____________Apartment Complex has a significant number of buildings, hard surface access lanes and a major amount of parking. None of these solid surfaces are tied into a drainage system and all storm water flows out the entrance road. In a major downpour the single catch basin in Carpenter Street is overwhelmed and storm water cascade of the embankment of
Chestnut filling the parking lot with enough water to destroy student vehicle engines.
6.
Willow and Magnolia Dormitories
Although these dormitories are directly in front of a pond for some unknown reason the courtyard on both structures were elevated on the pond side and tipped back to the building.
Since the door jams are quite low in a major down pour water flows into the buildings. Both these situations are self confined to the campus.

7.
Linden Hall Flooding
Flooding of these confined to the campus situation occurs at times in both the front and back of the building.
A.
On the Route 322 side of the building flooding occurs because the lane adjacent the building and associated parking spaces tip to a low point on both ends near a stairwell leading into the basement. The water has nowhere to go except inside the building. IT has resulted in as much as 4 feet of water in the building that required pumping.
B.
On the other side of the building there is a large grassy courtyard with two building on either side. The Linden building is at the foot of the incline and acts like a dam thrown across the incline. There is a catch basin in front of the doorway but has an inadequate capacity to handle a deluge magnitude storm. Storm waters will pass over the drain and enter the doors of the building flooding the floor inside.
8.
Memorial Hall Flooding
This is a storm water flooding issue confined to the campus. Work has been carried out recently to seal off the south doors of the building, this technique has not been tested to date and flood water sources have not been directed away from the building.
9.
Town Houses mold
A.
Some leakage but not major flooding has occurred in some of these buildings. The problem is mold and a separate mitigation program, at this time, is underway for the entire complex.
The source of what will call moisture results because the downspouts were not, as originally designed, tied into a collector system, the soil in this area are marshy and holds water and a second rather huge visually obscure retention area sits above the buildings underneath the parking garage.
10.
Library Flooding in the basement mechanical room
This is a storm water management issue confined to the campus. During a storm surge the volume of water exceeds the capacity of the small 3 inch pipe in the driveway and storm water flows down the steps in the building ultimately pooling in the lowest level the mechanical room.
Curbing has been added to elevate the area leading to the stairwell. The success of this measure has not been real world tested and the drain pipe still remains undersized for the volume of water coming into the area.
11.
Sheet Flow
Perhaps this issue should be a subset of number 1 “Stream Outlet”, but since it covers so much land within the campus believed to be available for future development it stands here alone as an independent concern in need of independent solution (s).
A.
During a quick heavy down pour the stream will rise on the S-curve and water maybe up to the pedestrian bridge at Robinson Hall flooding the building but above that point on the

campus the stream going east may not contain much more water than it did prior to the storm. Starting at roughly mid north campus the source of the flood waters is twofold: a.
Within the campus water is flowing during a storm as a sheet run off from most athletic fields and off of the numerous campus parking directly to the stream channel. b.
From Glassboro water is also moving from a portion of adjacent neighborhoods via
Carpenter Street rapidly to the stream channel on campus. c.
Under a quick deluge the stream rises almost immediately. A collector system is needed to guide this water, be it from existing athletic fields and existing parking lots or from future new buildings and future new parking lots, away to temporary storage and containment. This storage may be approach as vaults under parking lots or depression of intramural fields. The latter should remain on campus when athletics moves offsite. A second approach would be to increase the capacity to rapidly eject it out of the campus before it builds up as would have been the naturally process before the restrictive pipes were installed and the uplifted Bowe Blvd constructed. If more rapid ejection is employed to get storm water off the campus than an evaluation of the impact downstream on development that has occurred over the last 45 years would have to be analyzed including the implication of increased stream flow passing the Super Fund Site and the impact of increased flow rates into the delicate environment of Alcyon Lake. A combination of containing and storing, be it on or off campus in conjunction with clearing debris from the stream channel to prevent back flow seems like the most logical win/win approach for all land owners along the stream corridor.
12.
Day-lighting the Stream Channel under the Cassady Parking Lot
Currently there is a leg of the stream that was encased in a pipe and placed under the Cassady
Parking lot. Cassady has had severe flooding in the past including a few feet of water on the surface of the asphalt. That can go into the building.
Three factors need to be looked into before addressing the value of day-light this small off shoot of the stream channel including:
A.
The untested impact and possible future mitigation of the problem as result of recent above stream improvements including the Rowan Blvd project with its associated 1.9 acre retention pond.
B.
A future opportunity to day-light the stream channel when the Cassady Building is torn down and its function moved to a different geographical location.
C.
The potential to use the day-lighted stream channel, with appropriate approvals, as an ongoing site for the temporary storage of storm water shifted from the Chestnut dormitory.
This would allow redirection of water from a Borough apartment complex across Carpenter
Street to be routed around the Chestnut dormitory without increasing the immediate volume going down stream where it might potentially increase flooding in the Robinson

Building. Also it would avoid creating additional burden on the outflow from the campus under Bowe Blvd.
10.
B.
approach.