UNH Stormwater Center

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) Stormwater Center was established in 2004 to help land use decision makers develop stormwater management programs to protect water quality. The Center is supported by the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), a partnership of the University of New Hampshire and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It is housed within the University’s Environmental Research Group, part of the University’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

Center researchers operate a field facility that evaluates the effectiveness of different stormwater treatments in a side-by-side setting, under strictly controlled conditions. It is the only testing facility of its kind in the nation. Alongside evaluation of conventional treatment systems, researchers are also examining innovative stormwater management approaches such as a gravel wetland and an all-porous asphalt parking lot.

The field site’s conglomeration of stormwater treatments makes it an ideal location for technology demonstrations, workshops, and training exercises. Last year, 15 demonstration workshops drew more than 500 participants from around the Northeast.

The Center engages the advice and experience of representatives from every sector involved in stormwater management. Its Technical Advisory Board includes industry representatives, state and federal regulators, academic scientists and engineers, and local government officials. Researchers also solicit comment from stormwater treatment vendors, manufacturers, regulatory agencies, system designers, and those required to comply with Phase II of the Clean Water Act.