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Future City 2013
Estuaria: Engineering Embraces Nature
The innovative city of Estuaria is located 100 feet above the
Chesapeake Bay on the east coast of the United States. Estuaria
was a collaborative project between the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The
purpose was to build a model city for stormwater management.
The name Estuaria honors the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary
in North America.
In 2013, widespread urbanization along the east coast destroyed
natural habitats and the percentage of impervious surfaces
increased. As a result, the 64,000 square mile Chesapeake Bay
watershed became a giant funnel for polluted runoff that flowed
freely along rooftops, roadways, and other impenetrable surfaces,
toward the 4,000 square mile Chesapeake.
Every inch of rainfall landing on one acre of impervious surface
rendered 27,156 gallons of water to runoff untreated into the
Bay. This water carried toxins: nitrogen, phosphorous, and
sediment. The EPA used Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to
determine the maximum amount of pollutants that can enter a
waterway and still meet quality standards. Most cities exceeded
TMDLs, resulting in excess nutrients that caused algae blooms,
depleted oxygen, and dead zones in the Chesapeake. Poor water
quality spread illness, lowered quality of life, and depressed the
economy.
Civil engineers knew that nature left to her own devices does not
have a runoff problem. The original city of Estuaria built in 2023,
was designed to mimic nature whenever possible. Zer0development communities that imitate the natural environment
were the earliest solutions. Buildings and landscapes were
engineered by simple principles: increase infiltration, reduce
impervious surfaces, and use stormwater as a resource rather than a
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hazard.
Zer0-development communities use Pre-Engineered Living Spaces
(PELS) as the main residential units. PELS are as small as 12ft x
24ft x 20ft and can be linked together for multi-use buildings
where people live, work, and learn. Features of PELS include:
1.
Prefabrication - reducing sediment runoff from construction.
2.
Lush 8" thick green roofs - planted with Sedum. Nanoreinforced wood structures support the loads.
3.
Cisterns - integrated into the foundation capture excess
rainwater. This water is used throughout the home. PELS
have two systems, potable water for drinking, and nonpotable water for all other residential needs.
Seventy percent of the Chesapeake's pollution results from runoff
caused by human activity. Natural landscapes designed by
landscape architects and environmental engineers are integrated
into Estuaria as much as possible. Strategically placed plantings
throughout the city are beautiful and functional. Estuaria’s
landscapes are built on three levels:
1.
Xeriscapes, or landscapes with plants that prefer dry soil are
planted on natural contours. Native plants such as
Switchgrass slow down and absorb rushing water, which
prevents flooding in rain gardens.
2.
Rain gardens with native plants preferring wet soil such as
Beebalm are planted on the bottom of slopes and other low
areas. These gardens infiltrate water from slopes, increase
groundwater levels and prevent pollutants from entering the
Bay.
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3.
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Managed forests with native trees are planted throughout
Estuaria as buffers and landscapes. Trees benefit Estuaria in
three ways: slowing water, percolating rainfall, and
preventing erosion.
Despite all efforts, toxins still reached the Chesapeake Bay. In
2073, chemical engineers established a pollution extraction
procedure. Located just north of Estuaria, an abandoned liquid
natural gas dock and storage facility was converted into a liquefied
nitrogen facility. A fleet of ships was used to decontaminate Bay
water through chemical reactions. First, to remove nitrogen,
hydroperoxyl (HO2) is combined to form HNO2, or nitrous
acid. Next, this acid is decomposed and nitrogen is used as a clean
and efficient fuel. Finally, chemical engineers remove
phosphorous by synthesis of hydrogen and oxygen, forming HPO4,
or phosphoric acid. Similar to nitrogen it is decomposed and used
to make fire retardant materials. This both reduces the volume of
pollutants in the Chesapeake and uses them as resources.
New industries provided jobs and the community of Estuaria grew.
By 2123, PELS no longer sufficed as the primary source of
housing. To minimize disruption of the restored landscape,
Estuarians built upward. Skyscrapers called Eco-towers follow the
same principles as the early Zer0-developed communities. These
towers mimic trees as they treat and use water. They have green
roofs and 4-foot deep vegetated balconies that extend from the
shafts of the buildings. They perform similar to the leaves on a
tree. Rainwater that reaches the parks and plazas surrounding Ecotowers is directed to foundation cisterns that act like roots of a
tree. This non-potable water is then filtered, treated and pumped
by wind power to holding tanks at the tops of Eco-towers,
providing the required water pressure for inhabitants. To enhance
the quality of life, some water is diverted for use in fountains
located in urban parks and plazas.
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Throughout Estuaria’s history, engineers overcame many risks and
challenges. In pollutant removal, acids were formed. Engineers
built “OneWay” capsules. These capsules only allow for acids to
enter. As a result, in the case of a disaster, acid could not leak
back into the Bay. A second risk was that no one wanted to live in
the original city because of the simple lifestyle and small
homes. However, education about the value of sustainable living
and the high quality of life rendered by Zer0-development
persuaded many to become citizens. Eco-towers and Zer0development have higher construction costs, but better air and
water quality overcame this problem.
Like a healthy tree, Estuaria continues to grow. Today, 2163,
teams of engineers are working on what will prove to be their
greatest environmental achievement: The “Save the Bay Bridge”
project. Not only will the bridge link Estuaria to the Eastern Shore
and encourage economic growth, it will incorporate new methods
to remove sediment from the Bay's water. Like a giant oyster, the
Bridge will filter water and redistribute sediment-free water back
into the Chesapeake Bay. Through responsible engineering,
Estuaria is a sustainable city where people love to live, work, learn,
and play in harmony with nature.
Word Count: 981
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Works Cited
Books
Future…Restoring Chesapeake Landscapes. Annapolis:
Chesapeake Ecology Center, 2005. Print.
Lathan, Zora and Thistle Cone. Rainscaping with
Raingardens…Working with Nature to Transform
Stormwater Runoff into Garden Oases. Annapolis:
Chesapeake Ecology Center, 2005. Print.
2010 State of the Bay. Annapolis: Chesapeake Bay Foundation,
2010. Print.
Electronic Sources
"Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving a National Treasure Chesapeake Bay Foundation." Chesapeake Bay Foundation Saving a National Treasure - Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation, n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.cbf.org/>.
"Chesapeake Ecology Center ." Chesapeake Ecology Center .
Chesapeake Ecology Center, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012.
"US Environmental Protection Agency." EPA. Environmental
Protection Agency, n.d. Web. Nov.-Dec. 2012.
Interviews
Wessner, Brian (Aerospace Engineer and CBF Volunteer).
Personal and Email. 17 Nov. 2012.