Cedar Water Treatment Facility Operations Building

City Project Case Study Case City Project Public Utilities

Photo by Lara Swimmer Square Feet: 5,480, 1 story Benefits Site: 16 acres n 61% reduction in energy use Location: Natural area near Renton n 33% less water use inside building, and 42% including site Construction Cost: $200/square feet n 80% sediment removed from stormwater (shell and core) n 90% of building naturally daylit, with views Completed: Summer 2004 n 75% of construction waste diverted from landfills n 5,300 gallons of potable water savings annually LEED Facts - NC Gold n 107,450,000 less BTUs of energy (gas and electric combined)

39 51 Sustainable Sites 8 14 Project Overview Water Efficiency 4 5 The Cedar Water Treatment Facility meeting room, mechanical/electrical room, Energy & Atmosphere 7 17 Operations Building stands among several restrooms and personnel lockers. buildings and installations dedicated to Materials & Resources 7 13 Located in a heavily wooded preserve, drinking water treatment and supply in sustainability strategies hinge upon extremely Indoor Environment 15 8 the Lake Youngs Reservation southeast of low-impact site design backed by constructed Innovation & Design 5 5 Renton, in unincorporated King County. It wetlands to offset impacts to the natural houses the main treatment plant control environment from other project components. room, an analytical laboratory, offices, a Points Achieved Points Available

city green building Photo left by Ralph Naess, middle and right by Lara Swimmer

The unique design-build-operate In the operations building, a system of are either in or near Lake Youngs, and the procurement contract used for the delivery clerestories combined with thermal mass new system treats up to 180 million gallons in the floor provides integrated natural per day. Much of the control system for of the overall Cedar Water Treatment lighting, heating and cooling inside this operation is located in the Operations Facility called for a different approach to the building. Building. LEED certification, one that was flexible The Cedar Water Treatment Facility Owned by the City of Seattle, the Cedar and incentive-based. It allowed CH2M HILL, Operations Building is staffed 24 hours Water Treatment Facility was built the designer, builder and operator, to find a day by at least one person. Day-to-day according to a unique design-build- occupancy consists of 3-6 operations operate bidding and contracting process its own cost-cutting opportunities while personnel. The meeting room has a that included stipulations and incentives meeting high standards for sustainability. capacity for 40. for sustainable building design. Winning bidder, designer and contractor CH2M The owner, , Sustainable Sites HILL will operate the facility for up to 25 required that each of the proposals for The well-protected site has been a part years, including a 15-year base term and of the City of Seattle’s water extensions at the option of the City. the components of the project include supply system for nearly a century. Since the primary purpose of the entire a Sustainable Design Strategies Report. The Cedar River watershed provides 70 facility is to improve water quality for the Then, upon acceptance of the proposal, percent of all drinking water used by Seattle area, making the project a model the Seattle metropolitan area, about 1.3 SPU required the project attain LEED Silver of environmentally sensitive design and million people. The Operations Building construction was a primary goal. certification, and also placed an incentive is surrounded by second growth forest CH2M HILL conducted a sustainable design upon achieving LEED Gold certification. and wetland habitat on a 2,482 -acre reservation that includes a 721-acre lake. charrette at the beginning of the design The Operations Building was one such process for the entire treatment facility, project that fit this Design-Build strategy The pristine site does not include farmland, and conducted a performance modeling parklands or endangered species habitat. which resulted in a LEED Gold certification and life cycle cost analysis for all of its The Operations Building footprint does not components. achievement. encroach upon any of the wetlands on the reservation, and is held to at least five feet Although the meeting room has a capacity The design for the full-scale water treatment above the 100-year flood level. for 40, parking spaces are minimized to 9, and the site includes designated carpool, facility also included important energy One goal of the overall project was to vanpool and bus spaces. Accommodations saving measures. It integrates the existing improve the existing water supply and for treatment facility staff include bicycle treatment process, all without interrupting bypass pipelines at the site into the racks, shower facilities and lockers. the supply of drinking water for the people treatment facilities so that when water served by the system. Additions include an Landscaping with native plants is designed to eliminate irrigation over the long term. quality and supply constraints allow, water intake pump station, ozone and ultraviolet Temporary irrigation serves the site as the can be delivered to the treatment process light primary disinfection, chlorination and corrosion control, treated water reservoirs new plants become established. by gravity instead of pumping the water out and flow control stations. All these facilities of Lake Youngs. city green building city green building Photos by Lara Swimmer

CH2M HILL has made the project a being maintained and monitored for treatment plant. In this way, tempered part of the continuing education of elevated turbidity. water is provided to the heat pump, design professionals by participating Water-saving measures inside the facility similar to a ground-source heat pump. in sustainable design exhibits and include flow restricted and low-flow Heat exchangers also temper incoming competitions. A brochure and website fixtures, sensory fixtures and waterless ventilation air and capture waste heat from are dedicated to the sustainable aspects urinals. These measures save an estimate the exhaust stream. of the project. 5,300 gallons of water annually, enough to The highly insulated building envelope Water Efficiency take a frugal shower every day for a year. places rigid insulation between the exterior moisture barrier and the structural Erosion control was a high priority for Energy & Atmosphere roof. In addition to the high performance the Operations Building site due to its In winter, captured heat from clerestory mechanical heating, other measures sensitive location. It is a part of a larger windows heat interior corridors. Much of include: natural ventilation and high- development area for the entire treatment the Operations Building receives natural efficiency air conditioning systems, water facility and next to wetlands that are daylight from clerestories and translucent source heat pumps reverse cycle for part of the well-protected Lake Youngs skylights. cooling, low-e glazing; shaded, double Reservoir watershed. windows; high-reflectance roofing, high The dark concrete floor in the meeting performance lighting, and Energy Star®- An extra large constructed wetland deten- room captures radiant heat through rated appliances. The energy saved, over tion pond or wetpond was built for on-site thermal mass, and a heat recovery duct 107 million BTUs, is more than enough to stormwater treatment to meet the strin- with an in-line fan transfers that heat to power three household water heaters for a gent level set by King County’s standards receiving spaces. Fans are automatically year at a cost of over $2,000. for sensitive stream protection. This large activated when there is excess heat in the pond has over three times the volume conference room (closed in winter months) Materials & Resources of the basic pond required to remove 80 and heat is called for in other areas. The percent of stormwater sediment for the fans then activate and move warm air to Special emphasis was placed upon locally site. It also meets criteria for removing 50 areas requiring heat. sourced materials with recycled content. percent of the phosphorus in the water, a 63 percent of the materials used in function important for the protection of In the summer time, meeting room doors construction of the Operations Building Lake Youngs. are open to promote natural air flow. have recycled or renewable content, Clerestory windows linked to thermostats Water quality is very closely monitored on including: plastic toilet partitions, gypsum open automatically to purge warm air. wall board, concrete, rebar, carpet, various the site. Sediment ponds and traps have Passive solar shading mitigates heat gain been sized for a 10-year storm instead of metals, roofing, rubber flooring, ceramic in the summer and thermal mass in the tile, and ceiling tiles. the requisite 2-year storm. Even though concrete floor also works to regulate there was no requirement for detention temperature in the warm months. 50 percent of the materials used in the during construction, the project provided project were manufactured or harvested full stormwater detention on site at that The mechanical system consists of a water locally. They include: concrete block, stage if needed. After construction, source heat pump with electric reheat, certified wood, metal doors and windows, receiving waters at three wetlands are connected to a City of Seattle underground and flyash in concrete. water supply pipe that runs through the city green building city green building

Rating & Awards U.S. Green Building Council LEED® for New Construction Gold Rating For Cedar Water Treatment Facility, including Operations Building: · Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) “Star” Safety Award (first one in state of ) · The American Council of Engineering Companies’ National Finalist Award American Academy of Environmental Engineers’ Honor Award / Design · Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) National Design-Build Award: Design-Build Excellence for Water (in “over $15 million” category) · National Council for Public-Private Partnership Infrastructure Award Drawing above by CH2M HILL The Team Owner Seattle Public Utilities Indoor Environment Low volatile compound-emitting paints, www.seattle.gov/util adhesives, sealants, and composite Architect The combination of clerestory window, wood products were used throughout. skylight, windows and translucent CH2M HILL panels in interior walls brings natural Innovation & Design www.ch2m.com light deep into the Operations Building Landscape Architect n Education program interior. Susan Black & Associates n Process energy savings www.sbassociates.com Air was filtered and ducts protected Mechanical Engineer during construction to limit toxic n Exemplary performance University Mechanical Contractors materials in the indoor environment, n Building process energy integration www.umci.com and ductwork was sealed during n LEED accredited professional Sustainability Consultant construction. The building was flushed Paladino & Company before occupancy, and air filters Lessons Learned www.paladinoandco.com changed. Incentive Programs A commitment to attaining a USGBC There are operable windows in occupied Green Energy Certificates through Seattle LEED Sliver rating was required by the spaces to allow manual temperature City Light www.seattle.gov/light/green/ City of Seattle in all eligible bids for the adjustments suited to occupant needs. greenpower design-build-operate project, and there The standards for building ventilation was a $50,000 incentive for attaining the To Learn More followed the 2000 edition of the higher LEED Gold rating. This condition City Green Building promotes green building Washington Energy Code. Results are was sufficient to support the efforts through education, technical assistance and substantially more energy efficient of the winning bidder, CH2M HILL, to incentives. www.seattle.gov/dpd/greenbuilding than those of the American Society attain very high standards of sustainable Seattle City Light provides stable, competitively of Heating, Refrigeration and Air design. priced and environmentally sound electricity to Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) customers. www.seattle.gov/light 90.1, 1999. With the incentive, the contractor and Seattle Public Utilities provides customers operator was motivated to attain the To make sure that temperature and with reliable and cost-effective water, sewer, high LEED rating through the design- thermal comfort environments are drainage and solid waste services, while build-operate project delivery method, maintained over time, permanent protecting public health and balancing social which encourages a least-cost scenario air monitoring equipment checks for and environmental responsibilities to the based on functional requirements. The compliance with ASHRAE (American community. www.seattle/gov/util/service rating was attained despite the unusual Society of Heating, Refrigerating and US Environmental Protection Agency and US building type, which is a specialized Air Conditioning Engineers) standards. Department of Energy ENERGY STAR® Program facility in a remote natural location with helps citizens and businesses save money few occupants. and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. www.energystar.gov

May 2009 Cert no. SCS-COC-00911

City of Seattle Department of Planning & Development www.seattle.gov/dpd/greenbuilding