Cisterns

In 2015, Glen Waye Gardens Condominiums and Bethesda Green undertook three major methods to reduce Glen Waye's stormwater runoff: a reforestation project in which 60 native trees were planted, the installation of 6 concrete pads and rainwater collection cisterns, and conservation landscaping that added 23 shrubs, 692 perennials, and 254 grasses to the area. The work was supported by a $32,000 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust through the Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Fund administered by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, with Glen Waye Garden Condominiums as recipient, Bethesda Green as grantee, and Montgomery County RainScapes and Tree Montgomery as partners. Storing water for later use reduces watering costs for the community and lowers the cost of landscape maintenance. Many gallons of water are shed from the building roofs, and diverting water from the roof to the above ground cisterns captures rain water that is then applied to trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses near the buildings. By 2025, about half the world's population, 3.5 billion people, will live in areas without enough water for agriculture, industry, and human needs.

Glenmont, Maryland · United States