California's Exceptional Drought's Impact on Our Industry - LACC Reacts

May 11, 2015

The Los Angeles Convention Center, currently the focus of major expansion and renovation plans, has already implemented water saving measures and technologies. Furthermore it searches for ways to reuse water whenever possible. Just last month the LACC partnered with Green LA in such an effort.
 

1.    What measures is the Los Angeles Convention Center taking to conserve water? 
•    As a USGBC LEED-EB Gold certified facility, environmental sustainability has been at the fore-front of the AEG Facilities’ managed venue.
•    We achieved a 7% overall reduction in water consumption in 2014 compared to 2013
•    Beginning in February 2014, the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) has replaced 80% of sprinklers located throughout the facility’s vast outdoor areas. The improved irrigation system features leak-preventing nozzles, which have measurably reduced water usage and waste at the Center.
•    The LACC reduced irrigation by 33% compared to 2013 by introducing a new, water-saving irrigation plan consisting of separating vegetation areas into two zones. 
•    As part of the refined irrigation system, the LACC Operations team is also monitoring irrigation meters on a weekly basis to ensure a timely response to any excessive water use or waste and to mitigate any issues before they arise. Project leaders have found that such precise monitoring will contribute to the LACC’s on-going effort to lead the convention center industry in environmental sustainability, a vital facet of the LACC’s commitment to excellence.
•    Water conservation efforts also include updating the fire pump systems; the LACC West Hall jockey pump was replaced with a mechanical seal pump, which has zero water loss emission. 

•    We have done even more this Spring (April 2015): 
o    Following the SCVA Junior Qualifier competitions (4/11-4/13 AND 4/17-4/19), thousands of gallons of water were left over from their setup (volleyball courts)
o    The LACC teamed up with a local organization, Korean Youth and Community Center, who are part of Green LA. They plant on average 1000 trees annually.
o    LACC and KYCC shared the water
o    The results: total water reused across both weekends: ~6,000 gallons (about 1/3 of total water used by the show)
o    How was it reused?
•    KYCC: parkway tree watering and pressure washers for graffiti removal
•    LACC: scrubbers, pressure washers, & specific deep-tree watering

2.    Do you have more projects in terms of conservation in the works to save even more?
•    The LACC is in the process of reducing its landscaping area by 30,000 sq. ft. and replacing it with drought-resistant plants.
•    The LACC has an upcoming project to retrofit existing toilets with low-flush technology.

Brad Gessner, SVP of AEG Facilities and General Manager of the Los Angeles Convention Center: “Environmental sustainability is an area of critical importance for the Los Angeles Convention Center. Water conservation is a vital facet of our environmental initiatives and we constantly seek opportunities to invest in sustainable products, technology, and practices to reduce negative environmental impact.”