Mario Martin

Naomi-
If 6″ curbs are a must, explore the possibility of using curb cuts at regular intervals or where it makes sense….the cuts will still allow runoff to enter the depression. Clay soils? Maybe grade soil towards a central trench/basin filled with gravel. Put an underdrain at the bottom of the gravel and follow Charles’ suggestion of piping…[Read more]

Naomi
We have done quite a few parking lots with the planting islands as depressed catchment areas. Most of the time we have to plumb them together to get rid of the water as infiltration is not good. One problem I have seen is that these areas tend collect litter and looks bad unless cleaned oftern.

I just took a little Green Associate Review the week before last as part of training for BPI (Building Performance Institute) certification. I plan to take the GA test within the next few weeks, so I’ll post how it goes.

Anyone have a good detail/case study for using planting islands as small stormwater catchment areas? This is for the northeast, and the parking lot will most likely have standard curbs, but if there’s another idea… Just getting started on the project, but excited about the possibilities. Thanks!

Has anyone taken the LEED Green Associate exam? Please share your exam experience.

Katrina – Sorry I accidentally posted a question about the practice tests to your discussion earlier !!

Katrina,
If your program is LAAB accredited, then you should be fine. Email me priviately and I can make some recommendations for you to address the LATC staff.
Stephanie

Semiarundaria fastuosum is a good screen variety. Dense and upright.

Baskar – Could you go into more detail with your comments…

natural topography( wild grasses area or growing naturally ) can take as landscaped area? or it should be neatly landscaped ( dry or xeroxscping_) area? for site selection ?.

I also got this information from GBCI: If you area a LEED AP and you choose a specialty – there is no harm in keeping your enrollment and that if you do not report any continuing education hours at the end of the 2 years your LEED AP with Specialty credential will expire, however you will remain a LEED AP without specialty.

Hi All,
A little Bio. for your consumption. I started irrigation design in 2001 in Arizona. Worked with a L. A. in Arizona, who exclusively went after IRRIG. projects. He did very well, However I wanted to grow to other areas and moved on. Jump to the present, In the last office I worked in (March 2009), My billable hours for Irrigation Design was…[Read more]

FYI: LEED Credentialing Maintenance Program (CMP) – read last sentence!!

Enrollment Options: LEED APs without specialty will be provided with an enrollment window, a 2-year period between fall 2009 and fall 2011. LEED APs without specialty can view their enrollment window through My Credentials at http://www.gbci.org. The last enrollment windows close…[Read more]

Its the pathogens. Greywater is almost as bad as sewer water. Getting people sick in the name of LEED does not seem to be the way to go.

Potentially greywater could be treated in a bioswale or series of detention ponds, but in California, this system is impossible to permit (Does anyone know of any States who allow this?). However, you can treat stormwater in that method.

how about grey water treating with wetlands/ aerobic system? there is need for open bond rite? instead using in sewage water treatment along with chemicals?

There are strict standards for greywater irrigation – it should not come in contact with people – therefore it is subsurface and also its application is dependent on soil percolation rate, meaning it should not pond to the surface. Not to say with all the rules it is not possible. More potable water is used irrigating landscapes than for basic…[Read more]

I always thought that greywater has too many pathogens to be safely used for irrigation anywhere people would come in contact with it. Not true?

I just started working at a new firm, Rana Creek. The first LEED project I am working on is a large scale neighborhood renovation project that will capture greywater from showers & laundry for a for landscape irrigation. It turns out from our initial calculations, all the homes intended for water harvesting collected too much water, so we needed…[Read more]

I am currently working on a classroom addition for a high school which is a LEED project. We are designing a central courtyard that demonstrates a variety of LID features. These include porous concrete paving, four rain gardens and a cistern that collects rain water from the roof. Most of the materials being used have some recycled content. We are…[Read more]