Cincinnati Zoo Incorporates Stormwater Features into Africa Exhibit

Earlier this summer, Sarah ran a 100-meter dash in 5.95 seconds, the fastest recorded 100-meter run by any animal on the planet and more than 3.5 seconds faster than world-record-holder Usain Bolt. Sarah is a cheetah living in the Africa exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo — recognized as one of the greenest zoos in the U.S.  Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) partnered with the zoo to remove it from the stormwater grid. The zoo has more than 2787 m² (30,000 ft²) of pervious pavement, green roofs on the Giraffe Ridge Barn and Primate Center, and rain gardens throughout. The African Savannah exhibit, now under construction, will have 3 ha (8 ac) of green space, bioswales, and pervious concrete. A large underground tank will collect stormwater for irrigating the exhibit.  MSD estimates that these features will help the zoo capture an average of 45 million to 57 million liters (12 million to 15 million gallons) of stormwater per year. Check it out.