Sustainability engagement surges, new report now available.
Since 2021, we’ve been tracking our Sustainability Plan progress. Now, we have a public progress report — and an even clearer path forward.
A commitment to sustainability is woven into our organizational DNA. Our 2021 Sustainability Plan helped sharpen our focus and broaden our efforts, and now our latest 2023 report shows how results are taking shape.
Our mission to safeguard public health and the environment has always had sustainability roots, but the launch of the Sewer District’s first-ever Sustainability Plan was still a game changer in 2021. Our 2023 Sustainability Report is now available, showcasing the Plan’s impact with case studies, dashboards, and new interactive tools that make the plan more user-friendly than ever before. Here are a few details:
A new energy data management system tracks our utility use and identifies possible problems. By flagging just one erroneously high electric bill, the system saved the District $32,000.
A new framework assesses greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, identifying and tracking each emission source. Electricity comprises our largest share of GHG emissions, so increasing the amount of electricity we get from renewable sources (35% in 2021) is a priority.
The best way to save money and protect the environment? Use less energy. Between 2014 and 2022, our three wastewater treatment plants and GJM Building headquarters reduced their energy use by 19%, saving over $1.4 million each year.
Engineering & Construction developed and piloted a checklist that integrates sustainability into the project-design process. It debuted in the Southerly Tunnel and Consolidation Sewer project and will ultimately become a design-process standard.
Over a five-year period, we diverted 153,000 tons of ash (a sludge incineration by-product) out of landfills, saving over $900,000 in related fees. The ash is used locally in topsoil mixtures.
As impressive as these achievements are, they are just the tip of iceberg — a testament to the dedication of employees to sustainability, the efforts of the Sustainability department, and the work of the Sustainability Employee Resource Group.
“Everyone can make an impact,” Sustainability Manager Marie Fechik-Kirk says. “And focusing on sustainability provides ongoing opportunities to be creative and innovate.”
