Fire Station Rainwater Harvesting Project

The City of Raleigh Stormwater Utility Division has partnered with the City of Raleigh Fire Department to initiate a new effort to green several fire stations by installing rainwater harvesting systems and rain gardens.

Project Team

The City of Raleigh sends its thanks to all project partners including Wake County, North Carolina State University, and NC Cooperative Extension. The City of Raleigh is proud to be working with Cape Fear Rain Water Harvesting, Inc. and Fluvial Solutions, Inc. as the contractors for these projects.

Special thanks to all funding sources for this exciting project allowing the fire stations to Go Green! This project was awarded grant funding in 2009 from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Additional funding was awarded in 2009 as Federal Stimulus Funds from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Current Activity

• Fluvial Solutions, Inc. has completed installation of the rain gardens at Raleigh Fire Station 6, 22, 27, 28, and Wake County's EMS Station 8. Some of the plants have struggled to survive the harsh, dry summer so many will be replanted this fall.
• Cape Fear Rain Water Harvesting, Inc. has completed installation of the rainwater harvesting system at Raleigh Fire Station 6, 8, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and Wake County's EMS Station 8. Installation work for the remaining fire station in Willow Springs is currently underway.
• North Carolina State University is currently monitoring water use at Fire Station 6, 8, and 24. Monitoring equipment will soon be installed at Fire Stations 23, 26, and Wake County's EMS Station 8 to also measure water use at those locations.

Status: Construction Phase

Project Scope

The City of Raleigh Stormwater Utility Division and Wake County are partnering to sponsor eleven project locations receiving a network of cisterns, also known as rainwater harvesting systems. These cisterns will collect rainwater draining off existing rooftops at each facility so that it can be reused for outdoor water uses. Water records have shown that individual fire stations can use as much as or more than 4,000 gallons of water each month for training exercises and washing equipment outdoors. The goal of this program is to replace this use of Wake County's drinking water supply with the harvested rainwater collected in the cisterns.

The use of these rainwater harvesting systems will have multiple benefits for the local area.

• Harvesting rainwater will reduce the demand on our drinking water supply and promote water conservation.
• Harvesting rainwater decreases the volume of stormwater runoff, which prevents stream bank erosion and improves water quality by reducing pollutant loads in our streams.
• The project sites will serve as educational and demonstration opportunities for residents in the community.

Below is a list of the eleven project locations receiving rainwater harvesting systems.

• Raleigh Fire Station 6 - 2601 Fairview Road in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 8 - 5001 Western Boulevard in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 22 - 9350 Durant Road in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 23 - 8312 Pinecrest Road in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 24 - 10440 Fossil Creek Court in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 25 - 2740 Wakefield Crossing in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 26 - 3929 Barwell Road in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 27 - 5916 Buffaloe Road in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 28 - 3500 Forestville Road in Raleigh
• Wake County EMS Station 8 - 1361 Varsity Drive in Raleigh
• Willow Springs Fire Station - 2474 Bud Lipscomb Road in Willow Springs

Of the eleven project locations, five are installing rain gardens. Rain gardens, also known as bioretention devices, are mulched flower beds that are designed to capture stormwater runoff that would otherwise run off the site to other areas downstream. The water usually stays ponded within the rain garden for 1-2 days as it slowly drains through the soil underneath the mulch. As the water drains through the soil, it is naturally filtered and cleaned before draining through the underground stormwater drainage pipes into the nearest stream or lake.

Below is a list of the five project locations receiving rain gardens.

• Raleigh Fire Station 6 - 2601 Fairview Road in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 22 - 9350 Durant Road in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 27 - 5916 Buffaloe Road in Raleigh
• Raleigh Fire Station 28 - 3500 Forestville Road in Raleigh
• Wake County EMS Station 8 - 1361 Varsity Drive in Raleigh

Budget

The total budget for the project including design, construction, and monitoring is $389,000. The Clean Water Management Trust Fund awarded an Innovative Stormwater Grant to the City of Raleigh Stormwater Utility for $125,000 in February 2009 for the project. The project was also awarded $280,000 from federal stimulus funding in the form of a principle forgiveness loan and a zero interest loan in June 2009.