Water and Land Projects

• Green Roofs
• Cisterns
• Bioretention ponds
• Trees
• Butterfly Garden  
• Waterless Urinals and low flow faucets

Green Roofs                              

What is a Green Roof?
Rooftop gardens and extensive planting directly on the rooftop is a centuries old concept. Recent technological advances have made the process more efficient and cost effective.

The Process
The existing or new roof is evaluated to determine if it can structurally bear the weight of a green roof and the following layers are applied:

• A waterproofing membrane                                                       
• A drainage layer
• A filter mat allowing water to soak through but preventing erosion
• Lightweight growth media of 4 to 6 inches that supplies plant support and nutrients
• Specially chosen plants such as drought resistant sedum in a variety of colors

The Benefits

• Prolongs the life of the roof
• Slows and purifies stormwater runoff
• Insulates the building in winter and summer, thus lowering heating and cooling costs
• Reduces the heat island effect, especially in urban areas

Funding for the green roofs was provided in part under the Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA's Office of Ocean and  Coastal Resource in conjunction with Maryland's Coastal Zone Management program.

Cisterns

Use of cisterns to harvest rainwater is an ancient method of conserving water. Harford Community College uses cisterns at Joppa Hall and Havre de Grace Hall. The system at Joppa Hall (pictured below) captures rooftop runoff  in an 80,000 gallon cistern for use in the evaporative cooling tower.

Three 2,000 gallon cisterns at Havre de Grace Hall capture rooftop runoff for flushing toilets.

The cistern system at Havre de Grace Hall was funded in part under the Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA's office of Ocean and Coastal Resource in conjunction with the Maryland Coastal Zone Management program.

Bioretention Ponds

Bio-retention ponds, storm water gardens and rain gardens all refer to gardens created to capture stormwater runoff from surfaces that cannot soak it up, such as roofs, driveways, roads, parking lots and sidewalks.

At right, is a photo of the Joppa Hall bio-retention pond after a heavy downpour. The accumulated water was slowly released over a period of days.

benefits of bio-retention ponds

• absorbs more water than a lawn
• slows down the rush of rain water
• captures silt and gravel
• improves water quality by helping to remove pollutants like nitrates, phosphates or petroleum pollutants
• cools rain water after being heated on pavement or rooftop

President's Nursery

In 2001, the College established a nursery of 90 donated trees for future sites on campus. College, county and private collaboration averted the destruction of these trees and effected the replanting at minimum cost.

Shown here is the relocation of a 15-foot dogwood from the nursery to an area in front of the Library.

On Earth Day, 2003, students, faculty and staff planted 50 assorted trees across campus; many of these were placed in a temporary nursery and will be used to line the new campus access road when it is completed in late summer, 2004.  Trees included bald cypress, black pine, river birch, persimmon, red maple, and mountain ash.

In September, 2003, Harford Community College accepted the donation of 54 trees from a northern Harford County tree farm that had been sold.  The new owner of the property had plans to clear the land to create a horse farm, so campus employees "rescued" the mature trees and replanted them across campus.  Trees included cherry, elms, sycamore, sugar maples, red buds, and more.  This supports the ongoing campus effort to beautify the campus landscape and reforest in appropriate areas.

In 2003, Harford Community College increased its tree inventory by nearly 150 trees.

Establishing Habitat:  Butterfly Garden

On Earth Day, April 2003, Harford Community College students, faculty and staff designed and planted a butterfly garden on the lawn behind Hays-Heighe House.  The garden is designed to provide habitat for several species of caterpillars and moths, and includes multiples of the following plants:

• Lilacs, Butterfly Bush, Spirea, Viburnum
• Choke Cherry, Yarrow, Milkweed
• Sedum, Aster, Coreopsis
• Echinacea, Joe Pye Weed, Liatris
• Penstemon, Phlox, Rudbeckia
• Salvia, Scabiosa, Solidago

The garden is designed to flower from April through September.  Campus volunteers adopted the butterfly garden and have been weeding, watering, and planting throughout the growing season.  A butterfly house was donated, providing further enticement for a variety of species.

Waterless Urinals

Harford Community College has installed waterless urinals at many campus buildings. A conventional low volume urinal uses 1.5 to 1.6 gallons per flush, so each waterless urinal saves about 40,000 gallons per urinal per year. The urinals are low maintenance and also save the College energy as electricity is used on campus to pump water.

As buildings and restrooms are renovated and updated, waterless urinals are incorporated throughout the campus, helping Harford Community College to conserve water and reduce energy use.