3/25/08- as seen in the Citizen

FKAA plans green building

BY Rob Busweiler

The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority plans to break ground this summer on a $4.2 million administration building that officials say has just about every environmentally conscious bell and whistle available.

The building, slated for Manor Lane across from the Sombrero County Club golf course in Marathon, will be enrolled in the Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design program, aimed at encouraging the construction of green buildings throughout the nation.

Features will include solar panels, stormwater innovations, the use of gray water — captured from sinks and not containing serious contaminants — and healthy materials, including recycled and re-purposed construction supplies. In an effort to reduce car traffic, the utility designed a feature to allow customers to pay their water bills at a "paddle through" dock slip.

The building also will include a small interactive center that will let customers see how the water utility operates.

Green building techniques already have netted the utility a $500,000 grant from the South Florida Water Management District, said utility spokeswoman Colleen Tagle. The utility plans to apply for more grants as it puts the finishing touches on the design plans.

While the new office will house the utility's administrative workers, the current office next to the community park will be dedicated to utility crews.