Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) excels in LEED building assessment.
WALKERTON, Ontario, September 13, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - WCWC staff and board of directors are celebrating a recent Certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold designation, a goal they have been striving for since the facility opened in June 2010. LEED is an international third-party building assessment system administered in Canada by the Canada Green Building Council.
"The new Walkerton Clean Water Centre is one of the most environmentally conscious buildings in Bruce County. We have lower energy and water costs, and better lighting and air quality than a regular building. Our purpose is to serve the Ontario water sector from our exceptional new headquarters in Walkerton." - Dr. Laurence F. (Larry) Moore, Chief Executive Officer, WCWC.
The new facility has surpassed the amount of points required for the Certified LEED Gold designation by meeting or exceeding each credit's technical requirements. During construction recyclable and reusable materials were separated from waste at the site, diverting 73 per cent of waste from the landfill. An approximate 9,950 square metres as designated open green space protects the land from future development. Bike racks, prime carpooling and hybrid vehicle parking spots have been included in the project.
The interior of the building meets all water-related LEED credits and is predicted to use 78 per cent less indoor water than a conventional building. The water conservation credits were met by making use of in-ground cisterns to collect water for re-use in the irrigation system. Energy-saving devices include a ground source heat pump and a solar hot water heater. Occupancy sensors activate lighting only in occupied areas or in insufficient daylight. WCWC uses exclusively EcoLogo certified products as part of the new housekeeping program. Indoor air quality is a top priority of WCWC, achieving all air quality credits available under LEED for such initiatives as using only low-VOC (volatile organic compound) sealants, adhesives and paint.
"The new building has great air quality, which has improved my productivity, general health and well-being." - Linda Cranston, Technology Demonstration & Research Administrative Assistant.
Background
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, in existence for the sole purpose of safeguarding and protecting Ontario's drinking water by providing operator training, practical research, technology demonstration and support for the development of new technologies and services. Hands-on training on operation and maintenance of water treatment, monitoring and distribution equipment is available to owners, operators, researchers and students of Ontario's drinking water systems, including those serving small, remote and First Nations systems. Since its inception in 2004, the WCWC has trained more than 30,000 participants.
The modern new facility increases WCWC's training capacity with two more training rooms and a larger area for hands-on training and technology demonstration. The facility opened in June 2010, achieving Certified LEED Gold designation by the Canada Green Building Council in August 2011.
For more information visit www.wcwc.ca
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