San Antonio’s Famous Pearl District Includes Permeable Pavement & Water Filtration System to Manage Stormwater On-Site

Project Background

What started as a project to preserve the historic Pearl Brewery building in San Antonio, Texas, turned into the development of a mixed-use retail/residential complex and entertainment district known as The Pearl. The developers had a strong desire to preserve the history of the brewery while creating an eco-friendly and sustainable destination near the heart of Downtown San Antonio. Project leaders considered the following requirements when planning the transformation of the historic Pearl Brewery site:

• Sustainable site access: Planners required that the site be easily accessible by foot and bicycle. They also wanted the development to be positioned close to public transportation in an effort to limit emissions.
• Efficient use of water and energy: They sought to integrate the use of recycled and captured rainwater, along with low-water landscaping, energy-efficient windows and insulation.
• Use of sustainable construction materials: Planners required the use of materials containing a high percentage of recycled content.

Preserving History & Sustainability

In keeping with these environmental goals, a permeable pavement/water collection and filtration system was designed for an access way to the Pearl’s Hotel Emma. The highly permeable GEOPAVE® Gravel Pavement System situated above a sand filtration system provided a way for water to infiltrate at its source in the motor court and be treated and controlled before its release into the adjacent San Antonio River.

One-Two Punch for Managing Stormwater; Eliminating Point Source Pollution

The GEOPAVE system was used in conjunction with the Environmental Passive Integrated Chamber (EPIC) system. The combination of GEOPAVE pavers with highly permeable, open-graded aggregate at the pavement surface and the EPIC collection chamber underneath to collect and treat the water before releasing it delivered a complete on-site stormwater system. The EPIC system captures rain during storm events and stores it for use during drier times. Through natural sand filtration, the system removes 70-85% of the suspended solids and up to 35% of pathogens, creating healthier water for irrigation and discharge into waterways, virtually eliminating Point Source Pollution. The overall system’s efficient, fast infiltration and on-site treatment eliminated the need for additional storm drainage infrastructure or ponds.