NEW LONDON, N.H.—At New London Hospital, a $21 million expansion and overhaul also meant paving a half-acre for parking spots.
Rather than choosing traditional asphalt, officials opted for gray concrete. The choice of concrete over asphalt may seem cosmetic, but it goes deeper than that, say hospital officials and environmental experts.
Gray apparently, is the new green.
While the traditional thought on parking lot paving is to keep moisture out, the material used at the hospital -- pervious concrete -- draws moisture in and allows it to reach soil underneath. In the soil are millions of microbes waiting that eat away at contaminants like gasoline, brake fluid and antifreeze.
"Really, what you're doing in those cases is dedicating that piece of property just to storm water management," said Jamie Houle, outreach coordinator and program manager for the University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center, which is studying its own pervious concrete parking lot.
New London Hospital will also be monitoring its parking lot this winter.
Supporters of the pervious concrete system say it is a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly way of dealing with pollutants than trapping storm water runoff in ponds for treatment.
"There is a big push in this part of the world to maintain the water quality in our lakes and streams," said Lori Underwood, director of planning and projects for New London Hospital.
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Information from: Lebanon Valley News, http://www.vnews.com
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