"The water savings provided by the jail's systems totaled nearly 11 million gallons of water per year, which equals a 62.4 percent water reduction over the facility's baseline usage."

Virginia's First LEED-targeted Jail

The Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority (WVRJA) was formed in 2005 to address overcrowding problems in facilities located in Virginia's Franklin, Montgomery and Roanoke Counties and in the city of Salem. When they chose to build a new facility on a 43-acre site within a 100-year flood plain in a bend of the Roanoke River, public protest over stormwater runoff issues threatened the project. But AECOM put forth designs for a development that produces less runoff than its pre-developed site, thereby quieting public concerns and initiating Virginia's first jail slated to achieve LEED certification.

AECOM provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing and site civil engineering for the project from of our Roanoke office, with subconsultant Thompson and Litton providing conceptual and architectural design and structural engineering. Following public consultation, the WVRJA directed AECOM to design a state of the art facility that incorporated sustainable features to achieve a LEED rating. Public concerns faded after assurances that the facility would be sited well above the flood plain, hidden from view, and achieve sustainability targets through a high-performance plumbing system.

Designers prepared a list of 48 possible features to achieve LEED targets, including familiar options such as waterless urinals, sensor-controlled faucets, ultra-low-flow toilets, graywater collection for fixture flushing, rainwater collection, and solar panels for water heating. Some less familiar options included biomass stoker boilers for water heating, composting toilets, a vacuum plumbing system, electronic water controls for fixtures, and heat recovery from vacuum pumps for preheating domestic hot water.

The vacuum plumbing system started out low on the list, but interest grew as multiple benefits became apparent with little cost increase. The vacuum system would provide significant sewage reduction and water savings compared with conventional gravity systems, would cause no delays in the project schedule, and would provide facility staff with centralized control of the system, allowing them to further reduce water usage and prevent inmates from damaging facilities. Working in the absence of established design for such a system, the team contacted AcornVac, a manufacturer of vacuum plumbing components, to assist in the design process.

Rainwater collection was a key part of the water-saving strategy from the beginning. AECOM worked with Rainwater Management Solutions of Salem, VA to develop the design. The design team determined that nearly the entire roof surface of 261,144 square feet would drain via a siphonic roof drain system. The water would be collected from the roof drains into four 30,000-gallon underground stormwater capture tanks, pumped to a filtration system in the mechanical room, and delivered exclusively to the laundry for clothes-washing operations. Potable water also was connected to the system for makeup during low water levels in the tanks.

The design incorporated numerous green features that resulted in 29 credits for LEED certification, with only 26 credits required for a Certified rating. Of those 29 credits, 16 design credits were approved, two design credits were denied, and 11 construction credits currently are under review. The WVRJ is expected to receive LEED certification, making the regional jail the first LEED-certified jail in Virginia and one of the first in the United States.

When the LEED scorecard was completed, the water savings provided by the jail's systems totaled nearly 11 million gallons of water per year, which equals a 62.4 percent water reduction over the facility's baseline usage. Of these 11 million gallons, more than 6.1 million gallons of water per year was due to the vacuum plumbing system. The rainwater harvesting system saved provided the additional water savings of nearly 4.3 million gallons per year. With this exemplary performance, a LEED innovative design (ID) credit was achieved.

The completed WVRJ was dedicated during a formal public ceremony on March 6, 2009, with the lobby packed by public officials and interested citizens. The WVRJ is a unique facility that stands as a monument to the benefits of high-tech plumbing innovation. Superintendent of the WVRJ Charlie Poff stated that he is, "completely satisfied with the regional jail's design with its high level of functionality, which resulted from AECOM's willingness to work closely with representatives of the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the professional correction officers managing this process for the owner, and Virginia Department of Corrections staff throughout the design process. We are very pleased with the facility's multiple environmental or 'green' features and how they were incorporated in the design without causing any delays in the project."

Superintendant Poff went on to say, "We find that the new regional jail functions as it was designed to do. The building's collaborative design and the sustainability features that were included in the design are a 'win-win' for us and will be for many years to come."

Mark Thayer