Earth Day

The first Earth Day took more than forty years ago in the United States with more than 20 million Americans participating in coast-to-coast rallies to raise awareness for a healthy, sustainable environment. Now, April 22nd is celebrated as Earth Day in more than 184 countries around the world.
Here in North America, Earth Day coincides with the time of year when homeowners return to their gardens. For those homeowners who are considering changes to their outdoor living spaces, many are looking for ways to ensure that these changes are as environmentally friendly as possible. One approach, worthy of consideration, is permeable pavers for patios, driveways and walkways.
Did you know … that many urban areas face problems of excessive storm water volume and poor water quality due to runoff? When we replace natural vegetation with impervious pavements, we reduce Mother Nature’s ability to naturally infiltrate rainwater, which can contribute to flooding and pollution of natural water systems. While traditional methods of dealing with this problem include redirecting excess runoff to detention ponds, a permeable paver system offers a more efficient solution by treating rainwater at the source and reducing storm water runoff.
Permeable paver products such as Eco-Priora™ and Eco-Optiloc™ from Unilock (pictured above) are designed with space in between the paver units that allow rapid penetration of rainwater into the sub-base and subsoil. This space is filled with clear, fine stone chips which allow rainwater to flow through the pavement surface and ultimately back into the natural water table rather than off the pavement and into municipal storm water management systems.
Design options for permeable pavers have never been better. While permeable pavers were initially designed with utility in mind for large scale commercial projects, this has changed. Permeable pavers are now available with premium finishes, like Unilock’s Town Hall pavers which are cast from original brick street pavers for an attractive, time-worn appearance.
Many homeowners choose permeable paving because they want to make a positive impact on their own environment, but others are considering it because they live in a city where new legislation limits use of impervious surfaces on residential properties. Even if a homeowner’s city hasn’t yet set these limits, in order to maintain maximum flexibility for future projects, it makes sense to consider permeable for projects today.
For more detailed information on permeable paving, follow this link http://www.icpi.org/permeable