City's Green Roof

Green Roof on the Effluent Filtration Building

The green roof on the top of the Effluent Filtration Building at the Wastewater Treatment Plant was installed in the fall of 2010. It cost $80,000 to install the plants on the 6,000 square foot roof.

The plants are sedum, alliums, and euphorbia, selected for their ability to withstand drought, wind and sun. They have shallow root structure, making them ideal for roof landscaping where a deep soil is not possible. The plants also provide many months of flowering blooms.

Green roofs reduce urban heat from roof top reflections, reduce stormwater run-off, absorb air pollution, protect the roof from UV ray degradation, provide a natural habitat for birds and small animals, reduce the heat load to the building in the summer and provide additional insulation in the winter.

The next goal is to install a green roof on the new Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility, a 2,000 square foot surface, for an estimated cost of $35,000. This project is scheduled for fall 2012. The project construction manager is Arcadis and engineers are Greeley and Hansen.