Climate Change Challenge
Possible loss of HAVC systems due to high winds and/or severe weather.
Climate Resilience Project Scope
EOLWD will purchase and install water and temperature sensors in various locations including but not limited to Brockton, Fall River, and Taunton.
EOLWD will, with the assistance of design professionals, develop designs and plans for the screen walls in Brockton, Fall River, and Taunton with the goal of installing same.
Metrics and Results
The following ResilientMass Metrics are aligned with the project:
- #4 - The government is able to minimize interruptions to the services it provides amid threats from coastal and inland flooding, storms, wind, and extreme heat.
- #9, #11, #14- State-owned buildings, facilities*, and assets as well as key facilities used in partnership with the state or local governments) are resilient to coastal flooding, inland flooding, wind, extreme heat, and extreme storms.
- #205 - The government has enough capacity to meet the increase in demand for infrastructure maintenance, public health resources, and emergency services caused by climate stressors.
We installed screen walls around the HVAC roof top units at both our Taunton and Fall River locations. These two projects went very smoothly with little to no issues at all. The screen walls provide protection for our equipment from potentially damaging sun and high wind exposure. We decided to install the screen walls in Taunton and Fall River first as they are older than Brockton and there was a much greater benefit visually and functionally. Moreover, installation in Brockton, given the Photo voltaic panels on the roof would have been much more complicated, if it would have been possible at all.
The decision to not install flood sensors was purely budget driven. We lacked funds for the ongoing yearly subscription fee, which was high enough to dissuade the purchase of the sensors.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
It was critical that LWD conduct a risk assessment in advance of this project to determine the vulnerability of the facilities to environmental damage. From that assessment a reasonable means of abatement could be developed and implemented.
Further Action
LWD will continue to monitor the environmental threats to its facilities and will implement protective measures as deemed necessary, including possibly adding protective screen walls to the Brockton facility.