Exelon Corporation
Pepco - WaterShed Center for Sustainability
Rockville, Maryland, United States
Certified Silver through 2025
Project Name
Project Type
Watershed House Native Plant Landscaping
Landscaped
WaterShed House Wetlands
Wetlands & Water Bodies
Watershed House Education
Awareness & Community Engagement
About the Program
The Pepco WaterShed Sustainability Center, located in Rockville, Maryland, is an initiative of the Exelon Corporation. The center was originally designed and built for the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition, which helps to showcase and demonstrate sustainable living with a smaller footprint using more efficient technologies and passive sustainable design. The site includes a 3,000-square-foot landscaped garden and a 325-square-foot constructed wetland system. The conservation objectives are to promote the use of native plants in a residential landscape, to reduce the impact and quantity of resources needed for a residential setting and to reduce the overall quantity of water downstream. This in turn reduces the potential for erosion and transportation of pollution, and the stored water can be used for the vegetation on-site, reducing the demand for potable water. In addition, the Sustainability Center, which is net zero on energy, acts as a demonstration house to illustrate how to reduce the need for fossil fuels in a residential setting.
Practices and Impacts
The Pepco WaterShed Sustainability Center, located in Rockville, Maryland, is an initiative of the Exelon Corporation. The center was originally designed and built for the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition, which helps to showcase and demonstrate sustainable living with a smaller footprint using more efficient technologies and passive sustainable design. The site includes a 3,000-square-foot landscaped garden and a 325-square-foot constructed wetland system. The conservation objectives are to promote the use of native plants in a residential landscape, to reduce the impact and quantity of resources needed for a residential setting and to reduce the overall quantity of water downstream. This in turn reduces the potential for erosion and transportation of pollution, and the stored water can be used for the vegetation on-site, reducing the demand for potable water. In addition, the Sustainability Center, which is net zero on energy, acts as a demonstration house to illustrate how to reduce the need for fossil fuels in a residential setting.
Practices and Impacts
- The 3,000-square-foot landscaped area began in 2013 and includes four different types of gardens. All of the native species from the initial planting are still thriving, thanks to regular monitoring and care. Wildlife interactions are also recorded using the iNaturalist app.
- The 325-square-foot wetland system is planted with native species. The area is maintained with manual weeding, cutting and seasonal maintenance as required, to keep the wetland healthy and avoid algal blooms. Water is collected by a sustainable rainwater system and then re-used for plants on-site to limit the need for additional water usage. Pumps and sensors have been installed to maintain proper water levels and quality.
- Both habitats are used as demonstration areas and outdoor classrooms for regularly-scheduled community engagement events, where visitors learn about the importance of biodiversity, native plants and conservation.
