The city of Chattanooga has it all, from the Tennessee River to eclectic dining to a lively art scene. But that’s not all the city has to offer. Chattanooga’s mayor, citizens and government officials have taken it upon themselves to move the city toward a more sustainable future by developing a Climate Action Plan.
The Chattanooga Climate Action Plan represents a year’s worth of research, public input and the collaborative brainstorming of many dedicated individuals. Completed in January 2009, the report recommends actions to lower Chattanooga’s carbon footprint.
As part of this plan, the City of Chattanooga has implemented various conservation measures to improve the city’s water quality and protect the city’s water quantity. And to prove their commitment, Chattanooga has already modified their plumbing code to allow gray water to be reused in toilets and landscape irrigation systems.
What does this mean exactly? It means that Chattanooga has basically adopted the International Plumbing Code as gospel truth to make it easier for local business owners and homeowners to save water and money. The move is not an empty gesture either. While reading through the Climate Action Plan yesterday, I came across this little nugget:
When the interim report for this Climate Action Plan was released, many people were under the mistaken impression that the water tower at the corner of Market and 17th Streets was not functioning as designed.
This turned out to be an urban myth. In fact, stormwater is collected in a large tank under the Battle Academy parking lot and is then pumped into the tower. This ‘gray water’ is then gravity released to irrigate street trees in the Southside and used by the City Parks and Recreation Department to water other landscape installations. City engineers are currently studying ways to increase the use of this recycled stormwater and the possibility of creating similar water recycling systems in other parts of the downtown.”
Now that’s putting your money where your mouth is. To learn more about the Chattanooga Climate Action Plan, visit Chattanooga Green.
