November 24, 2020 – Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) received over $280,000 from Intact Financial Corporation’s Intact Adaptation Action Grant to build and evaluate the performance of a smart blue roof system at CVC’s administrative office building. The funding will help CVC assess the real-world performance of the system and understand how to scale this technology in our local communities and across Canada.
Smart blue roofs are built on top of flat-roofed buildings common in the commercial, industrial and institutional sector. Using real-time weather information, smart blue roofs control the release of rainwater in three ways: hold rainwater until it evaporates from the rooftop, send rainwater to a harvesting tank where the water can be reused, and slowly release rainwater into the municipal stormwater system.
“We’re grateful for Intact Foundation’s generous investment and commitment to advancing new approaches to stormwater management,” said Deborah Martin-Downs, Chief Administrative Officer for CVC. “We’re proud to take a leading role in testing new technology that can reduce pressure on municipal stormwater systems and help prevent flooding.”
“The benefits of smart blue roofs extend beyond stormwater management,” said Phil James, Manager of Integrated Watershed Management for CVC. “When water evaporates from the roof, it cools the building, reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.”
Green infrastructure (GI) and low impact development (LID), like smart blue roofs, are sustainable technologies and practices that manage rain to reduce the risks of flooding, protect water quality in our streams and build resilience in a changing climate. For more information about local sustainable technology projects visit sustainabletechnologies.ca.
Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) is a local conservation authority established by the Ontario government in 1954 to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment of the Credit River watershed. That watershed is the area of land where all rainfall, snowmelt and runoff drains (“sheds”) into lands and waters flowing into the Credit River. CVC creates connections between people and nature, knowledge and action. It inspires a deep appreciation for the role of nature in keeping people connected, healthy and happy. CVC is a member of Conservation Ontario.
-30-
Media Contact
Sophia Maio
Supervisor, Marketing and Communications
Credit Valley Conservation
M: 437-240-4801
[email protected]