Leadership in Engineering

Strategic Water Planning

MKA’s Strategic Water Planning goes beyond simply stormwater to assess the myriad ways to harvest, collect, reuse, clean, combine, and redirect a site’s water resources.
Announcing the Onsite Non-Potable Water Reuse Practice Guide, co-authored and co-sponsored by MKA, serving as a resource for building design practitioners that will demystify the integration of water reuse functionality into the building design process. TO DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE, PLEASE CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE.
MKA identified water resource techniques site-wide making the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry net-zero for nonpotable water use.
On-site infrastructure is MKA’s plan for the "Office Building of the Future," facilitating a net-zero building with payback in as little as 4 years.
The Washington Monument Grounds will have an extremely small water footprint and a low-impact soils management strategy.

While a project’s water footprint all boils down to "water in" versus "water out," the data behind this simple equation are much more complicated. MKA’s first-of-its-kind proprietary Sustainable Water Analysis Tool takes into account the unique characteristics of a project--including the site, building type, size, location, and several other factors--to provide a comprehensive, holistic, and accessible picture of water inputs and outputs.

Economic Sense

Contrary to what some might think, sustainability and good economics really do go hand-in-hand. Using our Sustainable Water Analysis Tool, we help clients arrive at a water resources solution that includes recycling or reuse of stormwater, greywater, and blackwater that simultaneously decreases environmental impact and makes perfect economic sense.

Innovative Yet Pragmatic

To propel the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry project to a net-zero nonpotable-water level, MKA identified a suite of water resource management techniques that included rainwater harvesting and on-site sewage treatment. GSA’s upfront investment in this technology will be paid back in just 14 years due to skyrocketing water and sewage rates.

Looking to the Future

In this award-winning thought experiment, developing a prototypical "Office Building of the Future," MKA targeted net zero water. Payback on the increased capital cost of on-site infrastructure is estimated to be as little as 4 years.

Net-Zero Showcase

In the heart of Washington D.C, MKA’s design for the Sylvan Theatre will showcase the environmental beauty of net-zero water sites.

Featured Water Planning Projects:
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