In celebration of Earth Day 2009, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) proudly announces the completion of a new green roof and terrace at its headquarters location in Alexandria, Va. The project is part of the Federation’s WEF Eco initiative, which was launched two years ago in an effort to reduce the impact of its business practices and operations on the environment.
“WEF takes our mission to ‘preserve and enhance the global water environment’ very seriously,” said WEF Executive Director Bill Bertera. “We realized early on that we could lead change among our members, volunteers and partner organizations by incorporating environmental sustainability into our own practices and by providing an example of how both large and small efforts can have a tremendous impact on thee nvironment.”
Now in phase three of the initiative, WEF has been actively working to reduce its consumption and waste, increase energy conservation and recycling and transition to environmentally friendly products. The idea for constructing the green roof and terrace began in the spring of 2007 after an analysis revealed that the building’s 20-year old roof would need to be replaced. Opting for a green roof provided a cost-effective way to improve air quality, increase energy efficiency, help reduce storm water runoff and significantly reduce the frequency of maintenance and replacement. WEF’s green roof, the first installed on a commercial building in the city of Alexandria, will have a lifespan of 40 years instead of the 10- to 15-year average of a conventional roof.
In addition to the green roof and terrace, WEF’s other environmentally responsible projects include upgrading its heating and cooling systems; installing a new energy management system to maximize the efficiency of the building’s HVAC and lighting; replacing disposable with reusable items in the work and kitchen areas; printing publications on recycled paper; and changing its award-winning technical bulletins and other materials to an electronic-only format to reduce paper usage.
For more information about WEF’s green roof and sustainability practices, visit www.wef.org. For more information about Earth Day and this year’s commemorative activities, visit www.earthday.gov or www.epa.gov/earthday/.
Source: Water Environment Federation
