Building green isn’t a fad – it’s here to stay. And the consensus seems to be that the way to build green is to seek certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, sponsored by the United States Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org).
LEED started several years ago as a rating system for new buildings. Everyone wanted to build green, but no one knew exactly what a green building was. LEED provides the definition. Depending on how green your building is, according to highly specific criteria, you can earn Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum status.
Today, there are LEED rating systems for new construction, existing buildings (operation and maintenance), commercial interiors, core and shell, retail, schools, healthcare, homes, and neighborhood development.
Wastewater treatment hasn’t been left out, and for proof you only have to look at Clean Water Services (isn’t that a great name?), a water resource management utility based in Hillsboro, Ore. ( HYPERLINK "http://www.cleanwaterservices.com" www.cleanwaterservices.com). CWS earned a LEED Silver rating for a new wastewater pump station at it Durham Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility in Tigard.
CWS staff worked with a consultant to design innovations that would earn the LEED rating. This $33 million structure has a peak design capacity of 200 mgd. It saves energy mainly by using computerized pumps and variable-frequency drives that operate the pumps at maximum efficiency. Annual energy savings are projected at $76,000.
Other elements that helped earn the LEED rating included water conservation, site selection, stormwater management, and the use of recycled, local or regional, and low-emitting materials. Previously, the agency’s administrative building complex won LEED Gold certification. Watch for a story about the lift station project in a future issue of TPO.
The beauty of LEED is that you don’t have to put up your building and then hope some judging panel declares it green. You can see the criteria up front and design and build to meet them. It’s a program well worth looking into, no matter what you plan for your next building project.
