This comprehensive design team planned a system to collect rainwater from Epler Hall and neighboring King Albert Hall. The water is collected from the roof and ground level plaza area. Rainwater is then conveyed through downspouts to river rock splash boxes at ground level. The river rock splash bed delivers the water to small decorative conveyance streams made up of exposed Belgium blocks. The water meanders through the block pattern as it travels across the plaza, dubbed “Eco-Alley.” The rainwater is channeled into raised planters which double as bio-swales. Some of the water is used for the decorative vegetation in the planters but the majority of the water filters down into an underground stormwater storage chamber. Irrigation water is ready to use. Toilet water gets pumped into a mechanical room inside the Hall, goes through an additional sand filter, UV disinfection, and then gets pressurized. Projections state that nearly 10,000 gallons of potable water will be saved for irrigation and over 100,000 gallons saved from flushing toilets, annually. This equates to be an annual savings of nearly $1000 for water/sewer cost for College Housing Northwest and ultimately, PSU students and Oregon Taxpayers. Designers incorporated many other environmentally friendly and sustainable features into Epler Hall. Wind cooled stack ventilation, passive solar heating and solar lighting, heat recapture, and providing for alternative transportation. Because of the successful design, Epler Hall has received a Silver Rating from the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standard.

The long, thin excavated area was about all that would fit for a storage chamber.

Workers walk carefully, in their stocking feet, so not to damage the PVC liner which encases the Rainstore3 units.

Workers lift a stack of Rainstore3 units for placement.

A layer of geogrid is placed directly on top of the units before it is encased in fabric and membrane.

Courtesy Mithun, Inc. Site plan showing how the roof-captured rainwater travels from the downspouts to the river rock splash boxes (3), then conveyed by the “runnels” to the planter boxes/bioswales (1) and then percolates into the Rainstore3 Chamber (2). The plaza area is also sloped to capture water from King Albert Hall.