Citizens Business Bank Arena Breaks Ground As First US Professional Hockey Arena to Make Ice Using Recycled Water
Released by Citizens Business Bank Arena:
Arena’s recycled water projects expected to save 5 million gallons of potable water annually!
Citizens Business Bank Arena officials have announced a ground-breaking water conservation project to be implemented for the Ontario Reign’s 2014-2015 ECHL hockey season. On October 1, 2014 Citizens Business Bank Arena, a City of Ontario owned facility and an AEG Facilities operated arena, will become the first professional hockey arena in the United States to make ice using recycled water. The project is a partnership between Citizens Business Bank Arena, the City of Ontario and the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, which is providing the recycled water.
Combined with the savings from a recent project to operate Citizens Business Bank Arena’s cooling towers using recycled water, both projects together could save an estimated 5 million gallons of potable water each year.Citizens Business Bank Arena’s innovative use of recycled water has been applauded by leaders in the environmental movement. "Water scarcity is going to rival sea level rise as one of the consequences of global climate change. In California this is already very apparent, with 58% of the state experiencing extreme drought.” said Allen Hershkowitz, Ph.D. and Senior Scientist, with the Natural Resources Defense Council and Co-Founder of the Green Sports Alliance.
“Besides the local water saving benefits that Citizens Business Bank Arena will achieve by recycling water to make ice, literally millions of gallons annually, the market and cultural visibility of the arena will inspire businesses and fans throughout the region to conserve water as well."Water conservation is a high priority for Citizens Business Bank Arena, which has taken several measures to cut its annual water consumption by 48% since 2009. Projects including installing low-flow faucets, switching to waterless urinals, and implementing water-saving irrigation practices have driven these major reductions. Citizens Business Bank Arena also has a strong history of using recycled water, which has been used for irrigation since 2008 and currently comprises 60% of its annual water consumption.
“Since opening, we’ve aggressively pursued opportunities to conserve water and use recycled water where we can,” says Richard Vartigian, Director of Operations at Citizens Business Bank Arena. “Kelly White, Facilities Engineer Supervisor, and I try to push the boundaries of what’s possible and it’s been incredible to watch the idea of creating professional hockey ice from recycled water become a reality at our facility.” Beyond water conservation, Citizens Business Bank Arena has implemented many initiatives to reduce its impact on the environment and actively participates in AEG 1EARTH, AEG’s corporate environmental sustainability program. Through the AEG 1EARTH program, Citizens Business Bank Arena tracks monthly “Ecometrics” to monitor energy and water usage, waste diversion, and responsible purchasing, and works to continuously improve in all categories.