The Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility living roof irrigated with the building’s wastewater covers two buildings and an area of approximately 12,174 square feet. Located in an area prone to droughts, the green roof demonstrates the viability of building with integrated vegetation, which stays active and fresh and maximizes the building’s performance.
The facility generates over 700 million gallons of treated or reclaimed water yearly, but the roof uses just a small fraction of this volume. In theory, the reclaimed water could help irrigate millions of square feet of green roofs, thereby reducing pressure on municipal water sources. The Ellis Creek’s green roof can be seen from an adjacent walking trail and functions like a small ecosystem that supports a variety of plant and animal species.
The Ellis Creek project will be officially crowned winner of the annual Green Roof Awards of Excellence competition at this week’s 2013 Cities Alive Green Roof Conference in San Francisco.
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