*** Our Emerald Hills Facility Coordinator, Joe Wilson, is happy to report that the city of Louisville has officially approved the complete set of detailed plans for our Emerald Hills wastewater treatment system. This not only provides for sewerage treatment at the already-constructed Freedom Barn, it will also provide full capacity for the future needs of ..
****** The entire Prayer Center & Atrium building (which we'd love to construct and occupy by Christmas)
****** An Int'l Services Center wing, with offices for 70
****** A Training Center (for 150 people) — including a family life center like a gym, where there will be seating for 150 people on the back sides of conference tables,
****** A complete commercial kitchen ("grease trap" and all), and dining area for 150 people, currently planned for the lower level of the Int'l Services Center
****** A lodge to *sleep* 150 people!
Keep in mind that a donor has said he'll cover the entire cost (though he's still in the process of raising the funds). Also, remember that this is a state-of-the-art system that should be a real model of "living with the land" in an eco-friendly way. It doesn't route a single *pint* of waste into any of the streams or springs at Emerald Hills. The truth is, most of the waste will be handled by a really cool, no-moving-parts wetlands prairie, which should provide yet another beautiful site to visit at Emerald Hills, and expected to be completely free of any odors. What's more, the run-off of pure treated effluent is dispersed 8-12" under our "Great Lawn" (which will look a lot like a soccer or football field; huh; imagine that! 🙂 ). So one of the great fringe benefits is — our Great Lawn will be one of the greenest in town! 🙂
So whereas some camps, retreat centers, or churches are constantly having to revise and add capacity as they grow from one phase to the next, we are hopefully preparing to be *at* full capacity even as we turn our first shovelfuls of dirt.
Finally, included in this plan were the major concepts that included handling wastewater run-off from our future parking lots and areas surrounding our buildings. So it's really great news that it's been approved.