2022 was quite a year for Lotus! Having the opportunity to work on projects that tackle important water challenges and community priorities is itself immensly rewarding, and getting recognized with industry and professional awards — especially multiple awards — just sweetens the pot. Lotus is grateful for all the hard work our staff and project partners dedicate to seeking out innovative solutions that reimagine how we manage and protect our shared water resources. Here are just some of our achievements in 2022:
Orange Memorial Park Regional Stormwater Capture + Reuse Project
Project of the Year, American Public Works Association (APWA) of Silicon Valley
Environment + Parks Award, American Public Works Association (APWA) of Silicon Valley
Outstanding Stormwater Capture & Use Project, California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA)
Outstanding Environmental Engineering Project, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Francisco
city + regional officials and project partners celebrate the project’s ribbon-cutting in June 2022.
Completed in spring 2022, the Orange Memorial Park Regional Stormwater Capture + Reuse Project is the first project of its kind in Northern California, diverting flows from the Colma Creek Flood Control Channel into the park for pretreatment and harnessing the treated water for park irrigation and replenishing the groundwater aquifer.
Lotus has been honored to receive multiple awards in recognition of the project’s innovative design, which not only achieves multiple interagency goals around water quality, flood resilience, and sustainability, but was funded in part by a $6M collaborative grant negotiated between the City of South San Franciso/Lotus, Caltrans, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). The success of this project is helping pave the way for other regional stormwater projects being planned around the Bay Area.
San Francisco Civic Center Public Space Plan
Honor Award - Analysis and Planning Category, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
Image Credit: CMG
Recently selected to receive the 2022 ASLA Honor Award in the Analysis and Planning Category, the Civic Center Public Space Plan develops a vision for transforming the heart of the City of San Francisco into a thriving public realm that meets multiple objectives—including inclusion, community, diversity, and resilience. Lotus Water collaborated with the consultant team—led by CMG—and various city agencies and stakeholder groups to develop a district-scale green infrastructure and water reuse measures ranging from detention, infiltration, and passive harvest-reuse irrigation all integrated into the redesigned social spaces.
The proposed sustainable water management plan could save 7.6 million gallons of drinking water, capture 2.3 million gallons of stormwater, and divert 5.5 million gallons of wastewater from entering the city's combined sewer system annually. The district-scale water system also proposes to provide an emergency supply of potable water during natural disasters.
Congratulations to all the teams - let’s carry that positive momentum into the new year!