Goleta Water District Building Earns LEED Gold Certification

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/020810_goleta_water_district_building_earns_leed_gold_certification/

By John McInnes

An upgrade of the Corona Del Mar Water Treatment Plant Administration Building lowers its power bills $3,300 a month

The Goleta Water District has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute.

LEED is the nation’s pre-eminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. The Goleta Water District is one of the first water districts in California to achieve LEED certification of one of its buildings.

“We are pleased that the Corona Del Mar Water Treatment Plant Administration Building was able to achieve such a high level of certification. All of us at the Goleta Water District take very seriously our job of being a responsible steward of the environment, water and energy resources,” Goleta Water District board president Bill Rosen said.

The Corona Del Mar Water Treatment Plant Administration Building, which houses the laboratory and control center for the plant, was part of a project to upgrade and modify the 30-year-old conventional surface water treatment plant. The upgrades have lowered the district’s power bills $3,300 per month.

The administration building achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, LEED certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

“Building operations are nearly 40 percent of the solution to the global climate change challenge,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. “While climate change is a global problem, innovative organizations like the Goleta Water District are addressing it through local solutions.”

The Goleta Water District provides quality service to more than 80,000 residents, businesses and agriculture.

— John McInnes is general manager of the Goleta Water District.

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