Attachment 1
Rowan University
DESCRIPTION OF KNOWN FLOOD PRONE SITES
Site 1 - Stream Outlet and Vicinity:
The existing manmade conditions of the Chestnut Branch of Manchu Creek, as it
passes through the Rowan Campus, were completed some 45 years ago. The
alterations included the removal of a bridge on the western end of the Campus
which up to that point in time, permitted the stream to remain essentially free
flowing. The bridge was replaced with a massive berm starting at the high school
with Bowe Boulevard placed on top. The two 5’ diameter discharge pipes were
run through the berm to allow the stream to pass under and out of the campus.
The 5 foot diameter pipes have proven time and again to be adequate during a
major storm. The restrictive pipe diameter causes storm water to back up
resulting in as much as 5.5 feet of water to be on the asphalt road. Further, the
reduction in the flow causes the storm water to carry back into the campus and at
times resulting in extensive flooding in the Robinson Building basement
computer labs.
After leaving the campus the stream flows approximately 1.5 miles before
passing the Lapiri Landfill. The segment between campus and the landfill has
severe obstructions restricting flow capacity. Large trees lie fallen across the
water in numerous locations, brush has been allowed to grow out into the flow
channel and sand bars are growing close to the exit pipes at Bowe Boulevard.
Collectively the obstructions cause the stream channel to perform quite poorly
during a major storm event.
Between the landfill and Alcyon Lake, an addition 1.5 miles, the Army Corp of
Engineers’ has, over the last 20 years, undertaken substantial remediation efforts
to clear the stream channel of debris and obstruction. These downstream efforts
also included scrubbing the lake and stream bottom soils of toxic materials as
well as disposal of heavy metals resulting from the leaching of chemicals from a
Super Fund Landfill. An additional wall was built at the landfill only 2 years ago.
Leak and vent monitoring is staged daily at this time. To date the resulting costs
of the cleanup is $200 million dollars. Actions to improve storm water
management on Rowan University must take into consideration the implication
and impact it will have downstream at the landfill and at the lake.
Site 2 - Triad Flooding –
Rowan University purchased the already existing Triad building from a private
owner. The building was previously an apartment building tied into the
Borough’s storm water system. This municipal connection remains today. The
trunk line occupying the front of Triad dormitory rises four or five city blocks
away, near University Avenue. The Triad dormitory sits at the bottom of the
municipal storm drain system. A substantial amount of head pressure is created
in the approximate 40 foot fall from the beginning of the line to its exit at Triad.
Since there is only a 6-inch difference between the top of the outlet box and the
lower level of Triad inlet drains the backup of storm water into the building is
frequent. It should be noted that there is an apartment unit located in the lower
level of the building as well as all mechanicals. When the trunk line experiences
excessive amounts of storm water or is clogged with debris it overwhelms the 3foot diameter pipe passing under Bowe Boulevard. The backup in the building
can be as much as 4-feet of water. If the outlet is clogged an inlet in the Triad
parking lot may, also overflow causing water to rise against the outer wall of
building to a depth of 4.5 feet.
Note: Water sprouting 2-feet from PVC pipes in the floor of Triad has been observed during a storm
surge. The PVC pipes appear to be connected to the footer drains. Footer drains were installed around the
Triad building and the walls were sealed in previous years. Construction costs for the footer drains and
related work exceeded a million dollars. This work, it seems, only served to increase the backflow into the
building during a storm surge exacerbating the flooding.
Another source of flood water that gets into the Triad Apartments basement
arises on the land between Route 322 and the building. This land was recently
purchased by the University and existing structures were removed. Storm
water from the Rt. 322 property enters the building through the south side door
draining into the basement. This second source of flood water is totally confined
to campus property.
Site 3 - Robinson Hall Flooding
As noted this building is the most intensely used classroom building on campus
and includes academic use of the lower floor. When the stream channel becomes
elevated and backs up during a storm surge the floor drain plates in the building
have blown off and water rushes into computer labs.
Site 4 - The Recreation Center Flooding
Rowan Facilities has been working on reducing the Recreation Center’s flooding
issues. The results of the recent modification work has yet to be fully tested in a
major storm event. It must be noted that this building is a designated New
Jersey emergency evacuation site for southern end of the State. In the past
floodwaters from properties outside the University along Carpenter Street
reaching back to Delsa Drive enters the campus on North Campus Drive. The
magnitude of water flowing from the adjacent neighborhood into the campus
from Carpenter Street during a large downpour is reminiscent of a broad flowing
stream. Flooding from this source of storm water has resulted in significant and
repeated damage to the expensive multi-court hardwood basketball flooring. In
additional a loss of conference and membership revenue has occurred because
the building has had to be partially closed for months while repairs are made to
the flooring.
Unrelated to the off campus intrusion of waters into the Rec. Center is flooding
in Esby Gymnasium. Esby is a building structurally integrated into the Rec.
Center. On the west side of the integrated structure storm water will flow down
the ramp and into the basement. The source of this latter storm water intrusion
is confined to the campus.
Site 5 - The Student Center Loading Dock Flooding
At the Student Center loading dock kitchen grease has been observed flowing
from the dumpsters located approximately 25 feet from the drain inlet. The
grease is first a liquid then turns to a semisolid in the drain. If leakage from the
dumpsters had a program for routine monitoring and cleaning a percentage of
the flood water backup could be reduced. This location is immediately adjacent a
stream channel segment.
Site 6 - Chestnut Dormitory Flooding
The drainage system existing in the Chestnut dormitory parking lot is adequate
enough to meet the needs of the immediate Rowan University surroundings.
However, the dormitory storm sewer cannot manage, in a heavy downpour, the
significant amount of storm water flowing out of the entrance road of the
privately owned College Apartments across the street. Storm water from the
College Apartment flows across Carpenter Street and down the embankment
into the Chestnut parking lot overwhelming the inlets. Flooding frequency could
be reduced in two ways:
1) monitor and clean the lone Carpenter Street drain
2) monitor and sweep trash and vegetative on paved surfaces in the
apartment complex.
Note1: Establishing a maintenance program at the apartment complex is outside Rowan
University’s jurisdiction as is maintenance of catch basin in the street
Note 2: Rowan University is required by state law to sweep its parking lots monthly.
Mechanical parking lot sweeping has greatly reduced debris build up in the 137 inlets on
campus. The outlets to the stream channel have also benefited from mandatory cleaning of paved
areas.
Sites 7 and 8 - Willow and Magnolia Dormitories
The Willow and Magnolia dormitories are directly in front of Abbotts Pond.
Unfortunately the courtyards on both structures were built elevated on the pond
side and tipped back to the buildings. The pitch in the patios has results in storm
water flowing against the buildings and the low door jams allow water to enter
both buildings. These repeating flooding problems are totally contained and
solvable within the campus. .
Site 9 - Linden Hall Flooding
Flood water occurs at Linden Hall from two different sources. The first is
confined to the campus and arises on the south side of the building in the
courtyard between the Oak and Laurel Dormitories. In a downpour storm water
literally flows from the courtyard into the building where it continues down the
hallways and stairwell exiting one floor lower on the opposite side of the
building. This problem is totally confined to the campus. An opportunity exist to
remove the parking lot on the west side of Linden possibly using this site in
some manner to bring flood water around the building.
The second type of flooding at Linden Hall arises on the Rt. 322 side of the
building. Storm water flows down a lane adjacent the building from east to west
and because the lane is tilted and oddly pitch towards the building it frequently
causes storm water to pour into the basement to a depth of 4 feet. Labor intense
mechanical pumping takes place throughout the duration of the storm (many
hours) and ultimately mopping is required to get the last of the water out of the
building. Four feet of water in the basement is not uncommon, just absurd. Both
Linden Hall’s flood water sources are totally confined to the campus.
Site 10 - Memorial Hall Flooding
Work has been carried out recently to seal the south doors on the Memorial
Building because of extensive flood damage to the IT computers. The techniques
used for storm water control at Memorial are limited and untested and this
limited stopgap solution has caused a critical building exit to be sealed..
Site 11 - Town House Mold
Rowan University Townhouses experience some minor leakage but not major
flooding. The water related problem is mold. A mitigation program has been
implemented for the entire complex. The source of moisture is the downspouts
on all buildings. The downspouts were not tied into a drainage collector system
as intended in the initial design. The soil in this complex is continuously moist 1)
because of the lack of roof drainage containment and 2) because a storm water
retention basin underneath the parking garage sets above all the Townhouse
buildings
Site 12 - Library Flooding
The Library experiences flooding as a result of the high volume of water in the
driveway during a storm surge. The driveway, on the west side of the building,
has only a single 3 inch diameter inlet Storm water flows down the steps from
the driveway into the building ultimately pooling in the lowest level of the
mechanical room. Curbing has been added to elevate the area leading into the
stairwell. The success of this measure has not been fully tested and the inlet pipe
remains undersized.
Site 13 - Day-Lighting A Section of the Stream Channel Under The Cassady
Parking Lot
A number of years ago a leg of the stream was encased in storm drains placed
under the Cassady Parking lot. When the capacity of this drain is exceeded storm
water flows as much as two feet deep on the surface of the parking lot and at
times creates flooding inside the Cassady Building.
Three factors need to be studied before addressing the value of day-lighting this
off shoot of the stream channel including:
1) The untested impact and possible future mitigation of the problem
because of recent above stream improvements including the Rowan
Boulevard project and the construction of a 1.9-acre retention pond.
2) Accounting for future opportunity to day-light the stream that will
transpire when the Cassidy Building is torn down and Facilities Operation
is moved to a different geographical location. This future land use change
is contained in the Sasaki Master Plan.
3) Day-lighting of the channel in conjunction with improvement work on
Abbotts Pond might serve collectively as a permanent remedy for on-
going needs to periodically detain storm water shifted from the Chestnut
dormitory parking lot. The temporary detaining of storm water coming
from the east will be necessary to minimize the impact of higher and
greater water volumes reaching the Robinson Building which in all
likelihood will in an overall storm surge be simultaneously experiencing
floodwater backing up in the stream channel from the west .
Note: Although water will rise in the stream channel from the outlet at Bowe Blvd. to the
pedestrian bridge at Robinson Hall east of that location the stream may appear during and after
the storm as it did prior to precipitation falling. The source of the sheet flow flood water on the
Westside of campus is twofold:
1) runoff from semi pervious athletic fields
2) runoff from the numerous impervious campus’ parking facilities in that area.
Note 1: To handle and ultimately develop management strategies for the western flooding
problems calculations are needed to determine the amount of storm water coming off the fields
and parking lots as sheet flow and how much storm water is being contributed by the very large
municipal trunk-lines that dump into the stream at various points within the campus.
Note 2: The current master plan indicates that eventually all the land now in parking lots and
athletic fields will be converted to even less pervious buildings and multi-deck parking lots,
hence management strategies must accommodate current conditions and the projected land use
change that will occur as result of future growth.
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