The Industrial Environmental Association (IEA) has selected the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority as a 2020 Environmental Excellence Award winner.
Environmental stewardship is integral to operations at San Diego Airport (SAN) with the Airport Authority establishing one of the first sustainability policies for a major airport in the US at this airport. Those shortlisted for an award were evaluated on projects that demonstrate science driven environmental leadership and best practices, with SAN recognised for its Northside Stormwater Capture Cistern.
“We live in a region that depends on imported supplies for more than 80% of its drinking water,” said Kimberly J. Becker, Airport Authority President and CEO. “Water stewardship is a key part of the airport’s sustainability efforts. We are honoured to receive this award and we are proud to see continued development of our Stormwater Capture and Reuse System contribute to conserving our region’s natural resources.”
The Northside Stormwater Capture Cistern has been constructed to capture stormwater runoff from 80 acres of airport property on the north side of the airport runway. The cistern is designed to capture and reuse approximately 16 million gallons annually. These water reserves can then be used to wash cars at the nearby Rental Car Centre where an average of 4,000 cars are washed every day.
Development of the Northside Cistern is driven by scientific analysis and provides an innovative response to regional permit requirements for both stormwater pollution prevention and post-construction requirements for development/ redevelopment, while creating a new source of water in San Diego’s drought-prone arid environment.
