Nitsch Engineering received the first ever Judges Award for Innovation in Sustainability from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) at the Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala. The special award recognized Nitsch Engineering’s accomplishment in designing the rainwater harvesting system that was recently constructed at Kroon Hall at Yale University. The rainwater harvesting and water quality polishing system saves 634,000 gallons of water a year, improves water quality, minimizes urban flooding, and adds a landscape that enhances community use.
To meet the goal of quickly treating the “first flush” of stormwater, Nitsch Engineering designed a system that uses a pre-treatment sump to remove settleable solids from the stormwater before it enters a diversion structure that sends this first flush directly to a water feature for biofiltration. The water feature, which is located atop a green roof, uses aquatic plants to remove contaminants. The rainwater harvesting system meets demands for toilet flushing and irrigation using treated stormwater combined with make-up water from the building foundation drainage system. The system helped Yale achieve LEED Platinum certification for the project by achieving all of the Sustainable Stormwater Credits.
Yale’s most sustainable building to date reflects the school’s mission,” said President Richard Levin, “and we hope its energy-saving concepts will be emulated widely and inspire others to advance green building even further.”