DeepRoot Receives Approval from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for Its Flagship Product, Silva Cell
North Carolina can expect to see new approach to stormwater management and urban greenscape plans, larger trees in downtown projects with new Silva Cell technology
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DeepRoot, a San Francisco-based urban landscape products and ecosystem services supplier, announced today that its flagship product, Silva Cell, has been approved by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) for use as a credited nutrient-removing stormwater control measure (SCM). Silva Cell is a soil cell that is placed underneath paved surfaces to provide uncompacted soil to tree roots, allowing large trees to grow and thrive in urban environments. The space within the Silva Cell also creates a place to store and clean stormwater during and after rain events.
Silva Cell solves the problem of integrating trees, soil and stormwater into design projects and results in the planting and growing of large, healthy trees in urban greenscape projects. The product also helps improve air and water quality, reduce energy loads, and mitigate heat island effects. The Silva Cell is the first applicant to be approved by NC DEQ under the New Stormwater Technology (NEST) Program.
A 2015 study by N.C. State University researchers found that two suspended pavement systems in Wilmington — like the Silva Cell — were able to treat 80 percent of stormwater runoff during a one-year period. This led to a significant decrease in pollutant concentrations in the water.
DeepRoot's Silva Cells have already been successfully implemented in 17 North Carolina projects, including Fayetteville's first green street project on Person Street and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Bell Tower courtyard.
"Silva Cells brings the functionality of the forest into the city," said Graham Ray, chief executive officer of DeepRoot. "This approval by the NC DEQ means that projects in North Carolina can now incorporate the Silva Cell for use in stormwater applications without site-specific monitoring requirements, making it easier for innovative designers and engineers to implement green infrastructure solutions."
Headquartered in San Francisco, with locations in Vancouver and London, DeepRoot is a green infrastructure company with more than 40 years of experience helping trees to thrive in cities, nurturing more than 500 blocks of urban treescape in the built environment around the world. Focused primarily on integrating trees, soil, and stormwater into the urban environment, DeepRoot Green Infrastructure develops solutions to enhance urban forests and surrounding watersheds in city streets, parking lots, campuses, and other heavily-paved areas. For more information, visit www.deeproot.com.
SOURCE DeepRoot
Share this article