Annapolitans get their drinking water from the City’s brand new water treatment plant located on Defense Highway. The facility is one of nine buildings in Maryland to be nominated and is a finalist for a 2019 United States Green Building Council (USGBC), Maryland Chapter Wintergreen Award.
The facility began operations in April 2017, after going through the necessary City Capital Budget approvals, design phase and construction beginning back in 2012. The project, completed at a cost of $35 million, is the largest construction project ever undertaken by the City of Annapolis. Funded by the City and the State of Maryland, the purpose of the facility is to provide clean and safe drinking water to Annapolis and parts of Anne Arundel County that are on city water. It’s impressive on its own, but it is also the first City of Annapolis capital project to receive the Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification.
David Jarrell, Director of Public Works for the City of Annapolis said, “The City requires all new construction to be LEED Certified. That means we have to meet certain standards in energy efficiency and environmental design. It is one thing to do it for a building, but quite another challenge to meet those strict standards for a complex facility like a water treatment plant.”
Some of the features of the green energy infrastructure include three bio-retention facilities, a permeable paver parking lot, re-circulators for water efficiency and separation for waste water streams, energy efficiency due to variable frequency drive pumps, and a data-driven efficiency system to reduce chemical usage. In addition, the facility has environmental innovations like a low-impact design, a nationally registered Monarch Butterfly Way Station, bike racks and parking for energy efficient cars.
“Upgrading critical infrastructure is important to quality of life for residents of the City of Annapolis,” Mayor Gavin Buckley said. “To do it in a way that stands out – that gets us recognized for innovation and green building – that takes a good intention and makes it even better.”
The Wintergreen Awards will take place on March 7 at a Gala event at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. For more information, visit: www.usgbc.org/event/usgbc-maryland-wintergreen-awards-celebration.
