With the recent opening of UMD's new LEED gold level certified Civil Engineering Building, it's important to remember that a building's footprint goes way beyond its construction.

Which is why the new building uses floor scrubbers with ec H₂O technology.

The concept is simple, an electrical current is applied to oxygenated water.  The current breaks the water into its basic parts, creating a solution with both alkaline and acidic components.  This solution is highly effective at lifting dirt from the floor and suspending it in the solution, which is then picked back up by the scrubber.

What makes this process so sustainable and environmentally friendly is that it uses only tap water, no harsh chemicals are required!

This is important because it dramatically reduces water and energy consumption as well as pollution.  The only waste created by the floor scrubbers is the water and dirt that is collected.

This type of technology is useful for more than just floors, UMD Facilities Management also uses ActiveIon spray bottles that utilize a similar electrolysis process.  ActiveIon bottles also induce an electric field to the ion solution that kills 99.9% of germs.

These technologies are just as effective at cleaning as conventional chemicals and are a safe, reliable and convenient alternative.

It’s evidence that supports the notion that going green doesn’t necessarily require sacrifices, just a bit of innovation.