By: Lisa Libby, BES
[0]Later this summer, you will see a green wall among other sustainable stormwater treatments around the hostelIn 2001, the Hawthorne Hostel (3031 SE Hawthorne Boulevard) installed an ecoroof with a $5,000 grant from the City of Portland's Community Watershed Stewardship Grant Program. Now this neighborhood landmark is about to get a lot greener.
Construction is expected to start this January on the Hawthorne Hostel Rainwater Demonstration Project. The design includes two 3,000-gallon cisterns to harvest rainwater for the building's toilets, irrigation and other non-potable water uses. Overflow from the cisterns will irrigate vegetation on the front of the cistern walls and flow into a swale. The backside of the cisterns will be the surface for a community mural.
The stormwater management techniques will keep rainwater onsite and out of the sewer system, where the water would contribute to combined sewer overflows to the Willamette River. The re-use system will conserve fresh water, and the swale will allow rainwater to soak into the ground and recharge groundwater supplies.
About $75,000 of the project budget will come from the Portland Watershed Investment Fund. Commissioner Sam Adams initiated this general fund resource to support high-priority projects that promote watershed health.
On November 9th over 70 people attended a public open house at the hostel to view the project design plans and learn about community involvement opportunities. The design plans will be on display at the hostel until the construction is complete. For more information stop by the Hawthorne Hostel or contact Lisa Libby (Environmental Services) at 503-823-7863.