All three recharge basins retain water throughout the year. Figure 2 shows the area on west Main Campus from which direct runoff enters the recharge basins through storm sewers. A significant fraction of the runoff water is directed from the storm sewers into an abandoned stream valley before entering another storm sewer system and the recharge basin. Flow chart of the sources and paths of water on campus. Campus water includes untreated cooling water and leaking chilled and hot water.
Rainwater falls to an impervious surface, and enters a catch basin.
If the catch basin is open bottomed, the water may directly infiltrate the ground. If the catch basin is clogged or close bottomed, the water will either enter the storm sewer system and travel directly to the recharge basin, or enter the storm sewer system, travel through a stream, again through the storm water system, and finally to the recharge basin. Cooling water is from the Van de Graaff Accelerator, which uses Suffolk Count Water Authority water to cool the helium compressor. It is not chemically treated. This water enters directly into a catch basin, travels through the storm sewers, into the recharge basin.