Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has announced plans for the first green roof ever to be constructed on a city-owned building.
As part of a project designed to reduce and treat raw sewage overflows into the White River, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) will install a green roof on a new portion of a wastewater storage and treatment facility on the north side of Indianapolis.
The vegetated roof systems will help capture storm water runoff that otherwise would enter the city's overburdened combined sewer and drainage systems. Storm water that is not captured will be filtered through the vegetation as it comes off the roofs, which helps reduce the amount of pollution that ends up in waterways. Green roofs also help capture air pollution and carbon dioxide, reduce outdoor air temperatures and the urban heat-island effect and insulate buildings, which saves energy.
At an Oct. 17 press conference, Mayor Ballard and DPW representatives discussed these and other benefits of green roofs, described plans for the first city-built green roof and encouraged incorporating green roofs into residential and commercial development.
Other plans for "greening" Indianapolis' infrastructure include installing porous pavement and planting trees, rain gardens and bioswales. These techniques significantly reduce costs for taxpayers while protecting and improving the environment.
