This project is a major downtown office development on a site that will require constant dewatering due to the excavation depth and underground parkade. This is a common problem in the downtown area of our city. We are attempting to obtain City permission to capture and reuse the heat (cooling) from the water to loop through the building prior to discharging it back into the City storm system (this is a City requirement as it ensures that projects do not reduce the the normal aquifer depth). Our question however is this: Can this project - a 38 story concrete office building - qualify for an Innovation Credit for non-potable (i.e ground water) water use during construction? We would write the credit to preclude using potable water for construction activities - from vehicle wash down to cleaning concrete formwork, cutting masonry and stone etc, and save millions of litres of potable water as a result. We would do the calculations to estimate the amount saved, etc.
The intent of reducing potable water use for construction activities is commendable, but the proposal language is not sufficient to show environmental benefit. In order to achieve an innovation point, quantifiable water savings must be demonstrated and environmental benefits need to be addressed. These issues include the water quality resulting from construction activities as compared with the existing groundwater quality; where the water from construction activities is directed after use; whether the water is to be treated before it is discarded; and whether all of the groundwater is used for construction materials. The project team will need to present a comprehensive approach to demonstrate that potable water savings and environmental benefit can be achieved with this strategy. Applicable Internationally.