Houston, Texas

This facility features the following green attributes:
Green Power
Water Management Plan

Environmental Services Branch Laboratory

Total Facility Area: 40,516 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 72 persons
Energy Consumption: 22,049,549,376 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 544,218
Total Water Consumption: 3,721,000 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per Year: 91.8

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2010.

Description

The Houston facility provides office and laboratory space in support of regional monitoring and criminal, civil, and enforcement activities. Laboratory personnel also perform evaluations and audits of environmental monitoring laboratories and public water supply laboratories.

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

The facility's cooling tower and main auxiliary heating unit are equipped with variable frequency drives, which save energy by enhancing operation of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system motors.

Green Power

EPA offsets 100 percent of the electricity consumption at the Environmental Services Branch Laboratory with renewable energy certificates (RECs) purchased through the Agency's current blanket green power contract. Learn more about EPA's current and past blanket green power contracts.

Water Conservation

EPA completed a water conservation assessment and developed a water management plan for the Region 6 Environmental Services Branch Laboratory (PDF) (17 pp, 1.2MB, About PDF) in July 2005.
In April 2005, the facility installed a water treatment system that kills bacteria and algae with ultrasonic waves, thus eliminating the need for certain chemical water treatments and mitigating the facility's overall environmental impact.

For More Information About This Facility

Website: www.epa.gov/region6/6lab/r6lab.htm

Stephen Reese (reese.stephen@epa.gov)
U.S. EPA Region 6 Laboratory
10625 Fallstone Road
Houston, TX 77099
Phone: (281) 983-2193

Abbas Keshavarz (keshavarz.abbas@epa.gov)
Sustainable Facilities Practices Branch
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. (3204R)
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: (202) 564-5075