Photo by Pat Heller, Potter League The dog-viewing area at the The Potter League for Animals in Middletown, R.I.
Animal shelters use lots of water. Daily, thousands of gallons flow out of hoses to clean and disinfect kennels to prevent the spread of contagious diseases such as canine parvo virus and distemper. Water bowls are filled then topped off during the day. Plants, trees, flowers and shrubbery on the grounds at some shelters need watering or else they’ll shrivel up and die. Water conservation measures slowly seep into animal shelter management. The Potter League for Animals, on an island off the coast of Rhode Island, opened a green shelter in November 2009 that recently earned a gold LEED certification, the first for an animal shelter. Pat Heller, director of development and outreach says that a 15,000 gallon cistern captures nearly 90 percent of the area’s ample rainwater. That non-potable water is then used for cleaning. Other water conservation measures include low-flush toilets and drought resistant landscape. Across the country in California, Humane Society Silicon Valley’s new green shelter opened in March 2009 and includes an array of water saving measures. “Stained concrete flooring requires less Page 10 • Vol. 2 No. 8.3 April 2010
water and chemicals to clean,” said Laura Fulda, vice president for marketing and communications. A highly efficient cleansing system uses only 2.2 gallons a minute, less than half the standard rate. Less irrigation is needed for the drought resistant landscaping and the artificial turf in the dog park. Low flush toilets and modern washing machines cut water use too. Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center opened an eco-friendly shelter in November 2007. One of the most innovative green features includes an on-site waste water treatment system. Nearly 10,000 gallons of water per day flush germs, dirt and feces out of the kennels. All this water is now recycled for cleaning. “This closed loop system, sometimes referred to as a living machine, consists of a series of containers constructed with a water-proof liner, then filled with gravel and wetland plants,” said Robert Van Buren of the city of Dallas. Over three days, water is flushed through the system. Plants feed off the nutrients found in the effluent, cleaning the water to a “near po-
table level.” The water is then “polished” with chlorine to remove any bacteria and used for cleaning. No city water cleans or disinfects the shelter. Noah’s Ark in Fairfield, Iowa, also recycles wastewater, both human and animal. According to Laura Cohen, executive director, water flows into septic tanks where it is partially treated, then filtered. The effluent enters gravel-filled tanks filled with various wetland plants that provide oxygen to the system, thus enhancing the treatment process. “The wastewater becomes highly treated as it flows through the plant root zone in the cells,” Cohen said. Noah’s Ark uses a subsurface constructed wetland to minimize the exposure to untreated wastewater and to reduce mosquito breeding. The subsurface constructed wetland adds texture and character to the landscape by creating a natural habitat for plants and wildlife Cohen added. Heather E. Lewis, an architect with Animal Arts Design Studios in Boulder, Colo., designs animal facilities, including shelters. She suggests the following to EarthOdysseyOnline