As Canada experiences more extreme rainfall, the risk of flooding increases, highlighting the growing need for innovative stormwater management solutions. Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) constructed a smart blue roof in 2023 with commissioning and initial operations beginning in Spring -Summer, 2024. CVC’s smart blue roof was the first in Canada to be built in compliance with the Canadian Standards Association’s standard for Rainwater Harvesting Systems (CSA B805-18). The smart blue roof uses modulating control valves directed by a programable logic controller (PLC) to open and close, allowing rainfall to be stored, reused or evaporated into the atmosphere. When these valves are closed, approximately 60 m3 (60,000L) can be stored on CVC’s rooftop for flood control. When opened, water drains from the roof into the building’s 5,000 L rainwater harvesting cistern to be used for non-potable uses like flushing of office toilets. The presentation provided an overview of the planning, design, construction, commissioning, initial performance, challenges encountered, and lessons learned to date.
Additional Resources
- CSA B805-18/ICC 805-2018 | Product | CSA Group
- Automated Real-time IoT Smart Blue Roof Systems for the IC&I Sector for Flood and Drought Resilience and Adaptation: A Literature Review