Environmental Leader

Aiming to set a news standard for water use in professional sports facilities, the Minnesota Twins will use a rainwater recycling system that should help reduce the need for municipal water by 50 percent.

The rainwater recycling project, which is being donated by Pentar Inc., will capture and purify water to be used in washing down the lower decks of the new $425 million, 40,000-seat Target Field, as well as to water the baseball field, according to a press release.

The effort, which should save 2 million gallons of water a year, is one aspect of the stadium’s scheme to qualify for LEED certification.

As a marketing benefit for donating the system, Pentair earns the sponsorship title of “The Official Sustainable Water Provider” for the Twins and Target Field.

Pentair says its system can purify water to a level equal to or better than the municipal tap water standards.

As part of the deal, Pentair also is installing its Everpure tap water filtration systems in luxury suites, administrative offices and training rooms. The goal is to reduce the use of plastic bottled water.

Twins President Dave St. Peter said the project would help address water scarcity and quality.

“While clean water is a global issue, it really hits home for Twins fans in the City of Lakes, the Land of 10,000 Lakes and the Great Lakes Region,” he said.

The greening of sports facilities has become a big trend.

For instance, the University of Minnesota’s new football stadium has earned LEED Silver status.

That stadium has taken extra steps for water quality and conservation. A stormwater management system allows rain water to be captured into a comprehensive underground filtering system outside the stadium, where it is harvested, filtered and drained into the Mississippi River.

Water efficiency measures, such as regulated lavatory faucets and low-flow urinals, are expected to save 560,000 gallons of water per year. The low-maintenance landscape design should save 4.8 million gallons of water per year.

As another example, the new Meadowlands stadium in New Jersey touts decreased water use of 25 percent.