Shangri La Botanical Gardens

Top Ten Measure 6: Water Cycle

The project team reinvigorated a natural wetland to remove pollutants from Ruby Lake, which provides nesting habitat for more than a thousand birds. Floating solar-powered pumps circulate and aerate the lake water. Duckweed and algae removed from the lake is composted and reused in the gardens.

A series of constructed filtration wetlands reduce levels of nitrogen and other contaminants. The final wetland is located within the orientation center and demonstrates how natural wetland plants clean the water.

Rooftop rainwater is harvested and stored in nine 3,700-gallon cisterns (a total storage capacity of 33,200 gallons) and used for both irrigation and flushing toilets. This, combined with water-efficient fixtures, results in a 77% reduction in water use over a baseline building.