[Mr. Waterman serves as the metaphor of the nature and character of water flow.]
Redesigning a river and its watershed or building a dam in the wrong place will undoubtedly change the face of the environment. Toping the list of environmental change are our urban areas.
In 1992, in Central Florida the Kissimmee River Restoration began. It has been cited as one of the most successful ecosystem restoration initiatives undertaken. By re-channelizing the River to replicate its natural paths, birds and other wildlife responded more quickly than anticipated and demonstrated the resiliency of nature.
However, the great China Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, also know as China’s super Green Initiative, proved disastrous environmentally and financially. The project, which began in 1993, came with dangerous risks that the weight of the reservoir would “alter China’s geology, uproot millions of people, poison water supplies by trapping pollution, and disrupt the Yangtze watershed.” And that it did at the cost of 22.5 billion dollars and causing server heartaches for1.4 million people.
Large urban areas are being challenged with water run-off and sewage problems. Too much rainwater is clogging up the sewers and treatment plants. This is a global problem and needs immediate attention. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an agenda to force municipalities to take remedial action—it’s called a Big Fine—sometimes in the millions.
No matter which way you look at it, water flow has a mind of it’s own, so to speak. It needs to be respected and sometimes we need to collaborate with the “Waterman.”
The “Waterman” in urban areas has been shot dead. But his ghost is still around. It’s causing havoc, pollution, flooding, and even the potential for serious disease. Worst of all, he’s become very expensive to deal with. Many municipalities have spent millions on trying to bandage the problems, and taxed themselves into a hole.
The EPA is strongly promoting the Green infrastructure applications. Their approach is that communities can choose to maintain healthy waters, provide multiple environmental benefits and support sustainable communities. Unlike single-purpose gray stormwater infrastructure, which uses pipes to dispose of rainwater, green infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to manage rainwater where it falls. By weaving natural processes into the built environment, green infrastructure provides not only stormwater management, but also a natural way for water purification, flood mitigation, air quality management, and much more.
At a time when so much of our infrastructure is in need of replacement or repair and so few communities can foot the bill, we need resilient and affordable solutions that meet many objectives at once. Green infrastructure is one solution.
Permeable pavement products are now appearing in many forms from geotextiles, geocells to plastic grid-pavers. For the most part, they share the same concept of letting Mr. Waterman have his say and letting him flow naturally and wisely.
Our company, Green Way Pavements, serves as a major distributing enterprise for many US States. Witnessing how our diverse EcoRaster Line of Products communicates and serves with Mr. Waterman satisfies the most his environmental concerns. The EcoRaster, a highly respected product made in Germany and used throughout Europe for over 20 years, provides the original design and composition desperately needed in today’s construction and land movement applications.
The EcoRaster Grid-Paver’s composition is 100% pure Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) recycled plastic not subject to UV, acids, and other degradable chemicals. It offers 98% permeability, and the E50 model has the capacity to sustain 350 tons capacities. That’s one good reason NATO and Military Civil Engineering Services use them on their roadways.
The basic design of the EcoRaster remains the same, but varies in wall height and cellular thickness. The E40 is the basic workhorse of the EcoRaster as it offers a myriad of diverse applications from access roadways, erosion and Stormwater control right down to basic DIY jobs.
The smallest EcoRaster, the X30, can be used for light loads such as livestock, green roofing, and other ground floor areas.
A relatively new EcoRaster product is the EcoSedum Tray used mainly for Green Roof projects. It’s a self-governing tray that holds soil and plant life, provides drainage and temperature control.
Virtually all EcoRaster Products can be used for land management applications as they provide an excellent resource for soil stabilization and retention, infiltration of rainwater, decreasing flood waters, reducing the cost for excessive drainage and labor. In fact, EcoRasters can be installed at a rate of 1,000 square feet per hour per worker.
The prime benefits of the EcoRasters include: diverse applications based on design needs, strong and stable design, virtually no expansion or contraction, non-biodegradable, quick and non-intrusive installation, competitively priced, and offer a 20 year product guarantee.
EcoRasters are LEED eligible and recently have been approved by the New York State Department of Transportation Materials Procurement. Needless to say, it’s design and engineering specification have been thoroughly tested through the European Laboratories.
At Green Way Pavements, our slogan “Together, We Can Build a Greener Tomorrow” is used because the engineers and designers of land management, Mr. Waterman, and the people of this great country deserve the best.
—Robert V. Gerard
Managing Partner
Green Way Pavements
November 2013
