City Breaks Ground on First LEED-Certified Building

It’s official! City of Columbia officials recently broke ground on the construction of a water distribution and wastewater management facility that will be the first government building in Columbia to pursue LEED certification. Leaders across the globe have made LEED the most widely used green-building rating system in the world. LEED certification provides independent verification of a building or neighborhood’s green features, allowing for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective buildings.

The city is pursuing its LEED Silver certification with the facility, which will incorporate six rain gardens to capture and filter storm water to reduce runoff. The building will have a green roof to reflect sunlight and absorb less heat. The proposed landscape design is also intended to lower irrigation by as much as half of the standard usage.

Other green-building strategies for the project include low-flow fixtures that are designed to reduce indoor water use by 30 percent, along with bicycle storage and changing rooms with showers that will encourage employees to use alternative modes of transportation like cycling. Plans also call for the use of LED lighting and sensors on light fixtures to cut down on energy usage by more than 30 percent in all facilities.

“This facility will represent the epitome of true sustainability. We're excited to see this happen here in the city of Columbia,” says Mayor Steve Benjamin.