02 March . 2012
The Story Behind the Name Sweetwater
To us, Sweetwater isn’t just a pretty name. It’s a responsibility. To live up to it, we’re building water conservation and water quality into the very foundations of the community.
A major concern in any developed area is storm water run-off. Impermeable surfaces give rainwater less opportunity for natural absorption into the ground and channel it in torrents toward low-lying areas. Not only does that cause erosion and destroy vegetation, but it also can pollute waterways, as the run-off carries with it whatever contaminants it collects along the way.
At Sweetwater, we’re designing streets to limit impervious cover. We’re also building 32 innovative water quality ponds to capture and treat water running off rooftops and streets. These ponds provide three-stage filtration after which the water is dispersed across wide areas to be slowly absorbed into the ground.
Because water is a precious commodity in these parts, we’re using drought tolerant native plants and grasses in our landscape plan, and irrigating with reclaimed or non-potable water whenever possible.