Best Practices in Sustainability
Operational Excellence
Erosion Control Project Reduces Water Use
While Improving Aesthetics at Colorado Campus
BEFORE:
Pueblo’s green team getting to work on
the Buffalo Grass Xeriscaping Project.
The Committee Members are Left to
right: Joel Miller, Roger Calloway, Bob
Young and Patricia Maes.
Drought conditions caused tough challenges for employees
maintaining the property at Ingersoll Rand’s Trane campus
in Colorado; an overhaul included planting drought-resistant
Buffalo Grass.
Background and Sustainable Opportunity
Pueblo, CO is home to Ingersoll Rand’s 37-acre, 2-building/700,000-square-foot Trane
manufacturing facility. Since 2008, the region has suffered drought conditions, with only about
one-quarter the average rainfall in 2012. This has caused a significant strain since the state’s water
supply comes primarily from surface water resulting from rain and snow. At the Ingersoll Rand facility
in Pueblo, the previously existing blue grass mixture required continuous watering, mowing and
fertilizing in the summer, bringing to light the need for drought-resistant plantings.
Following the 2013 Ingersoll Rand Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) conference, general
managers committed to implementing a “green” project. The facility’s Green Team (dubbed P2E2 for
Pollution Prevention and Energy Efficiency), proposed the Xeriscaping Erosion Control Project.
Xeriscaping is landscaping and gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water
from irrigation.1 In addition to preserving water, this project would provide a much-needed
improvement of the appearance of a one-acre area between truck entrances, which is seen and used
by employees, visitors, and passersby.
Processes
AFTER:
Native Buffalo Grass planted at Ingersoll
Rand’s Trane facility in Pueblo, CO will
solve erosion, maintenance and aesthetic
problems that resulted from drought
conditions.
Informational Link(s):
Trane Commercial
trane.com
Center for Energy Efficiency
and Sustainability
CEES.ingersollrand.com
1
dictionary.com/xeriscape
Addressing the landscaping dates back to 2010, when the P2E2 team began researching types of
grass that would meet aesthetic, maintenance and budgetary needs. Criteria included that the grass
must be: well-suited to transform a weeded area; hearty and drought-resistant; and easy to maintain
in terms of mowing and fertilizing. After thorough research, they selected indigenous Buffalo Grass.
It requires only 1 inch water per week, is more insect resistant than other grasses, and grows to a
maximum height of 4-6 inches. Natural re-seeding makes it a practical long-term solution.
In 2013, a budget of $10,000 was approved for this overhaul. Along with hiring a landscaping
company to plant the Buffalo Grass, they upgraded to a zoned sprinkler system with an energy
efficient solar-powered controller, which provides more coverage using less water. Strict project
management by the P2E2 team resulted in a budget surplus that enabled installing a pedestrian
walking path along the improved area. The entire project commenced in September 2013 and was
completed in a month.
Results and Benefits
Addressing the landscaping in one area of their campus led to several important achievements for
the Trane Pueblo facility:
•Will use 35,000 fewer gallons per week of water once grass is established (spring 2014)
•Will reduce mowing costs by about $6,000 per year
•New grass will have dense sod to resist erosion and choke out unwanted vegetation
Early indications are that the Buffalo Grass project will be a huge success. Once the area is
completely established and any issues are overcome, the P2E2 team will apply best practices
and start the next landscaping project. In addition to the value these improvements bring to the
company and employees, this long-term, ongoing approach enhances Trane Pueblo’s leadership
position and commitment to their local community.
ingersollrand.com
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sell or a solicitation to buy. Contact Ingersoll Rand for detailed product, design and engineering information suitable to your specific applications. Ingersoll Rand reserves the right to modify its products and related product information
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©2013 Ingersoll Rand
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