More Green Roofs
Coming To Seattle
Seattle mayor Mike McGinn announced a plan designed to handle up to
700 million gallons of storm water a year using natural, ���green��� filtration
systems instead of traditional pipe-and-tank systems. One of the main
tactics will be to add more green roofs throughout the city.
Information Request # 516
The executive order, which the mayor���s office said is among the
first of its kind in the country, directs city departments to develop
a coordinated approach to significantly increase the use of natural
drainage systems to slow and clean polluted waters by filtering the
water through vegetation and soil.
The storm water infrastructure approaches are to include bio-retention swales, rain gardens, storm water cisterns, pervious pavement
and green roofs. Other projects that already are required to do this
are those with 7,000 square feet or more of "land-disturbing activity,"
or with 2,000 square feet of impervious surface.
Pam Emerson of Seattle Public Utilities said that any new singlefamily residential project that goes through a storm water code review must implement green storm water measures "to the maximum
extent feasible." Emerson said it is possible that code requirements
will change between now and 2025, when the goal is to manage 700
million gallons of storm water with green infrastructure. Today, a
little more than 100 million gallons of storm water is filtered through
rain gardens, green roofs and swales.
Belgard Announces Ultimate
Contractor Contest
Belgard�� Hardscapes' Ultimate Contractor Contest will be open for submissions
through May 15, 2013. The hardscape provider challenges contractors across the country to share a new sales
or marketing approach that will grow their business in 2013. The contractor with the most innovative idea will be named the Ultimate Contractor and receive a $15,000 business improvement package, including:
��� 1,000 square feet of product from Belgard Hardscapes��� 2013
introductions. (Product may depend on geographic region.)
��� One-year subscription to VisionScapes design software.
Submissions will be accepted through May 15. For full contest
rules and regulations and to enter, visit Belgard.biz/ultimate.
Belgard Hardscapes��� new 2013 products, including Lafitt Grana Slab
modular slab units (pictured), will be available to the winner of the Ultimate
Contractor Contest, along with one-year subscriptions for design software
and educational courses.
Information Request # 395
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