Wednesday, September 3, 2014

YMCA taking steps to be a ‘green’ model

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By DAN TURNER

    These days, words like “sustainable,” “energy efficient” or “green” might sound trendy or clichéd, when really they have just become part of the vernacular. But what’s more important than discussing the words, is practicing them. And while we’re all aware that all these terms are effective ways to protect and preserve the environment, many of us are often frustrated by the lack of progress on all fronts: local, national and international. Well, here’s three great sustainability stories occurring right here at our own Wood River YMCA.
    The first story is a green one for sure! In 2012, thanks to a grant from the Nancy Eccles and Homer M. Hayward Family Foundation, the Y converted its lap pool and spa from a chlorine system to a saline one, which we now know is healthier for swimmers’ lungs, eyes and skin. And this year, the Y went a step further to reduce chemical use by deploying sphagnum moss into the pool’s filtration system. Sphagnum moss eliminates 95 percent of the corrosive “biofilm” that methodically disintegrates pool walls and pipes. By adding moss to the system, the Y has reduced chemical use by more than 50 percent. Furthermore, two other positive and noticeable effects have resulted in the pool area: clearer water and improved air quality.
    Many Y members have remarked that there’s little “chlorine smell” anymore and the water is “crystal clear.” Currently, no regulations or standards exist for air quality in indoor swimming pools facilities. So, with the dramatic reduction in airborne trichloramines in our pool area since moss “tea bags” have been “steeping” in the filtration system, other indoor pool operators are irrefutably taking notice. In fact, not since “Moss Man” climbed out of Frenchman’s Hot Springs has sphagnum moss made such an impact in Ketchum.
    When it comes to energy efficiency, the Y is shining brightly. This spring, two great changes were implemented. First, the Y facility became the first commercial building in Blaine County to completely convert to 100 percent LED lighting. Site Based Energy worked with the Y to replace 800 lights, an improvement that saves us over 300,000 kilowatt hours/year and $25,000/year in utility bills. And second, the Y replaced an over-sized electrical transformer with a more efficient one, which immediately reduced our utility bills by $673/month.  The transformer replacement was paid for by grants from the Chichester DuPont Foundation and Idaho Power. Both these energy savings replacements have had a meaningful impact on the Y’s bottom line, and which has drawn attention from the YMCA on a national level.
    The last sustainability story is only just beginning to bloom here at the Y. This spring, we received full approval to break ground on a new Greenhouse Learning Lab. Our Greenhouse, partially funded through a generous grant from the PECO Foundation, will serve as a year-round interactive learning center, offering sustainable food and gardening programs to both adults and kids. It will be a place where our community comes together to teach and learn about seeding, growing and harvesting food, all while nurturing healthy living and social responsibility. The Greenhouse Learning Lab will be partnering with the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, Hunger Coalition and local schools, adding yet another link to our many collaborative efforts here at the Y.
    Through developing and implementing recent initiatives such as these, the Wood River YMCA is not just speaking the vernacular, but has now established itself as a proactive leader in sustainability in this community, as well as in the national YMCA organization. This is only the beginning as we continue to search for more innovative ways to increase our impact here at home and beyond. Together, we can all be very proud of the Wood River YMCA.

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Dan Turner is the chairman of the Wood River YMCA’s governing board.

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