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facilitation from the WSPC to work with an innovative visionary determined to implement an on-site water stewardship project. With financial assistance, grants, and in-kind vendor contributions facilitated by the WSPC, the on-site rainwater harvesting and infiltration project reached a value of more than $100,000, whereas the original concept design proposed by Calstone Inc. was estimated at $5,000. These financial grants and incentives combined with the in-kind and discounted vendor contributions attributed to the reduction of potential capital costs associated with these types of projects, provide a collaborative model that can be replicated for other ICI sector participants seeking similar ways to improve overall sustainability. Collaborative Endeavor The final project completed by Calstone Inc. and the WSPC included the following: • 42,000-square-foot rooftop retrofit • Conversion of unusable land into an employee green space • 8,400-square-foot infiltration and retention system (including two retention ponds, one infiltration pond, and one infiltration trench) • Installation of a 9,300-liter (~2,450-gallon) rainwater harvesting tank to be used for on-site irrigation. Calstone's on-site stormwater management system involves collecting rainwater from four of its six downspouts that were disconnected from the roof and feeding it to the municipal storm sewer. Once a storm event occurs, the water flows from the downspouts into the 9,300-liter rainwater harvesting tank or the infiltration trench. One of the tanks overflows into the three interconnected ponds, two of which provide temporary water retention and infiltration, while one is a permanent, striking water feature. These ponds are adjacent to a recycled materials walkway, which allows visitors and employees to walk alongside the new features and leads to the secondary infiltration trench at the back end of the building. The official planting of drought-resistant native plants and shrubs was completed in spring 2015. Additionally, monitoring of the performance of these stormwater treatment and infiltration technologies will commence in 2015 and continue for two years. The findings gained from evaluating the effectiveness and cost viability of such systems can be used to encourage the installation of future ICI property retrofits elsewhere. In total, it is estimated that the stormwater management system will be able to capture, infiltrate, and divert approximately 1.9 million liters (more than 500,000 gallons) of water annually. This will help restore a more natural water cycle to nearby Highland Creek. These stormwater best management practices also set Calstone Inc. apart from other medium-sized businesses in the area by providing an enhanced and distinguished green space for employees and showcasing dedication to exemplary water stewardship within their local watershed. A Model For Sustainability And Corporate Water Stewardship Calstone Inc.'s installation puts it ahead of the curve on addressing property-level LID solutions to stormwater management issues. Stormwater infrastructure in Toronto is aging and does not have the capacity to withstand the current population growth, increasing urbanization, and the threat of climate change, which is associated with occurrences of greater, more frequent storm events. This type of lot-level stormwater management demonstrates to the community at large a different and necessary approach to reducing the cost associated with retrofitting municipal infrastructure. Additionally, at a property level, this type of infrastructure mitigates the risk of incurring property damage during large storm events, which Toronto has seen in the previous years (e.g., Insurance Bureau of Canada estimated the July 8, 2013 storm cost approximately $1 billion in damages) and is likely to occur more often in the future. Calstone's project is a model for other ICI companies throughout North America and beyond to follow, as the collaborative project with PPG focused on the impact to the triple bottom line — social, environmental, and financial. Emphasis was placed on the social and environmental aspects of the project, with a financial impact experienced through incentives, in-kind vendor contributions, and a reduction in localized flood risk. When combined, these factors mitigate the overall risk of high capital expenditures expected for these types of projects, while addressing key issues associated with effective watershed management. By continuing to develop service and technology vendor networks willing to collaboratively pursue implementation projects with engaged government stakeholders, the notion of long-term replication of these types of projects may become a reality. 32 wateronline.com ■ Water Innovations Eric Meliton is the project manager of the Water Stewardship team at Partners in Project Green. His expertise includes industrial and municipal water/ wastewater treatment technologies, regulatory affairs, and compliance. Meliton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and environmental science from Western University. GREENTECHNOLOGIES Alyssa Cerbu is the project coordinator of the Water Stewardship team at Partners in Project Green. Cerbu holds a Master of Science in integrated water resources management and a Bachelor of Commerce in global strategy and geography from McGill University. before after About The Authors