Environmental Progress - Summer 2004

Agency Works to "Green" HQ Building

Energy, water savings, less toxic materials

In an effort to practice what we preach, Illinois EPA has been busy over the last two years working to lessen environmental impacts and save resources at its Sangamo Headquarters Building in Springfield. These activities range from saving energy to conserving water to making employees more aware of steps they can take to protect the environment.

Perhaps the most interesting environmental initiative has been a pilot project to test the use of two water-free urinals in a men's bathroom. These no-flush urinals look like standard fixtures, but have no incoming water line and don't use any water. Instead, a replaceable cartridge at the base of the urinal acts as a funnel. The cartridge contains a floating layer of biodegradable sealing liquid, which is designed to form a barrier that prevents vapors from escaping to the restroom atmosphere.

Odors are minimized because the chemical reaction between water and urine that creates the odor associated with flush systems is eliminated. The cartridge retains sediments and, when full, is replaced about every 7,000 uses. Because water is eliminated, there is no breeding ground for bacteria.

There has been very little maintenance on the water-free urinals because there are no moving parts to repair. The only upkeep is the easy change of the cartridge. Each urinal saves, on average, 40,000 gallons of water a year. The Illinois Department of Public Health granted the Agency a waiver to test the two fixtures because water-free urinals are not permitted under the state plumbing code.

The Agency has also embarked on a project to improve the efficiency of the lighting systems used in its headquarters building. Lighting accounts for 40 percent of overall electrical usage in commercial and office buildings. Converting four-lamp T-12 to two-lamp T-10 fluorescents in each ceiling light fixture was investigated. By converting to a two-lamp system, one of the magnetic ballasts that regulate the voltage and electrical current in each lighting fixture is being disconnected. This will help reduce the amount of energy being drawn in each fixture by 60 percent.

We specified 5000 degrees Kelvin lamps, which provide illumination that is close to the quality of daylighting. These "color-balanced" lights were chosen to help improve working conditions in the building by reducing eye stress and fatigue. The Agency estimates it will save approximately $21,000 a year, with a payback period of three years to earn back the investment in more efficient lighting.

Occupancy sensors have been installed in two of the men's bathrooms in the building. These motion sensors, which are attached to the ceiling, are set to turn off the lights in 10-minute intervals, unless movement is detected. Simply turning off unneeded lights can reduce lighting energy consumption in little-used areas by up to 45 percent.

The Agency worked with its janitorial service to utilize a green cleaning product that consists primarily of hydrogen peroxide and citrus-based oil. This all-purpose cleaner is lower in toxicity than conventional cleaning chemicals because it does not contain alcohol, glycol ethers, acids, caustics, phosphates, ammonia, chlorine bleach or dyes. The vendor indicated that the green cleaner is very versatile and satisfies just about every general cleaning need, including mirrors, walls, floors, bathrooms and carpeting.

The Agency also created an internal committee to investigate pest management procedures. In collaboration with our pest control contractor, the committee has developed an integrated pest management policy that calls for a wide variety of strategies to be employed to prevent and address damaging pest outbreaks, while reducing risks to human health and the environment. Instead of regular spraying of the entire building, these strategies range from simple monitoring to physical barriers to properly timed pesticide use in targeted areas.