To see more images of the system and its installation, click here.

Solution: The initial rainwater harvesting system design was modeled from the Center on Halsted building project. This helped reduce engineering costs, while still allowing for the unique needs of the building. Both rainwater and groundwater from basement sump pumps are captured, filtered and then stored in two 1,000 gallon tanks housed in the basement utility area. Chlorine sterilization was selected to eliminate any pathogens and to keep the water clear.

Wahaso repressurization skid for the Panduit Corporation world headquarters building in Tinley Park, IL.

Client: City of Chicago, Parks Division 

Project: Rooftop rainwater to flush toilets. Comfort stations at 40th Street and Osterman Beach. 

Solution:: Architects Muller & Muller worked closely with Wahaso to design a system to capture rainwater from the roofs of the two buildings to flush toilets and urinals in the building.   Wahaso's design pre-filters the rainwater through vortex filters into a 2,000 Atlantis D-Raintank cistern below grade.  Permeable pavers above the cistern also capture stormwater run-off into the cistern.  An ultra violet loop system sanitizes the water to ensure that it is safe for public exposure.  U.V. was used instead of chlorine to minimize maintenance.  In a unique building design twist, the processing day tank was elevated in a chase behind windows that make it visible to park visitors from the rest rooms.  A diagram outside the building shows how the system works. To see more pictures of the system and its installation, click here.

The new Chicago Parks comfort station at Osterman Beach.

 Results: The two systems were up and running during the Summer of 2010.  Each should save 45,000 gallons per year and meet virtually 100% of all flushing needs during the spring, summer and fall.

In December, 2010, the project earned Mayor Daley's Greenworks Award for Sustainable Innovation in the Built Environment. The award stated, "The Lakefront Comfort Stations are an amazing example of how a building can live in harmony with its environment. Constructed to provide basic public facilities for beach users, these buildings harvest rain water for use in flushing toilets, are vented and cooled naturally by lake breezes, and are 100% naturally day lit through the use of solar skylight tubes. And all of these amazing features could not have been brought together without the commitment at Muller & Muller to push for changes to state and local building codes. Thank you for taking environmentally innovative technologies to the next level while also paving the way for others to follow in your footsteps."

Chicago Comfort Stations day tank - as a component of the demonstration process, architects Muller & Muller positioned the processing day tank so it is visible through a window in the rest rooms.

Challenge: The Patel Center is the first LEED certified building at the university of South Florida, and sustainable water practices were an important objective for the building's stewards.  With an estimated occupancy of 700 students and 70 teachers and employees per day, the system needed to capture, store and treat enough rainwater to meet the demand of 1,400 gallons per day and over 1,000 flushes.

Workers install the 30K tank and wet vault at the Patel Center at USF. The wet vault houses the pressurization pumps and serves as the municipal make-up tank.

Solution: Wahaso sized the system to store 30,000 gallons of rainwater filtered from the roof in a single fiberglass tank built by Containment Solutions. The high-capacity pumps were housed in a wet vault located below grade next to the tank.  This helped minimize the amount of utility space required by Wahaso's processing system.

To see more pictures of the project, click here.

Results: The building was commissioned late 2010.

Wahaso's control panel for the Patel project.  Most of the system was installed below-grade.

Client: Government Services Administration

Social Security Administration, Harold Washington Building, Chicago, IL

Stuart Bailin and on-site staff evaluate one of four 8,000 tanks that were recommissioned to serve as storage for the system at the Harold Washington Social Security Building in Chicago.  The tanks at one time were used to store chilled glycol.

 Half of all garbage trucks in New York City will have a new home sometime in late 2011 when this LEED certified building is completed. A 81,000 square foot roof will be green with plantings and collect rainwater for reuse.  The Wahaso designed system will also harvest steam condensate from the heating system.  Harvested water will irrigate, flush toilets and wash trucks.  An estimated 3.8 million gallons of municipal water will be saved annually.