Photo / Courtesy Sevee & Maher
The exterior of the finished greenhouse.
Updated: 7 hours ago
Sevee & Maher recognized for engineering work on Estabrook's greenhouse
Photo / Courtesy Sevee & Maher
The inside of the finished greenhouse.
Sevee & Maher Engineers Inc. of Cumberland received recognition from the American Council of Engineering Companies’ Maine chapter for consultant work on a project to remediate an abandoned municipal airport site and provide stormwater and water supply solutions for Estabrook’s Farms & Greenhouse’s newly constructed commercial greenhouse facility in Pownal.
The engineering excellence award was in the waste and stormwater category.
Tom Estabrook, Estabrook’s co-owner and president, touted the facility as “the most technically advanced facility in the state of Maine for horticulture” and added it took “a massive team effort.”
Sevee & Maher partnered on the project with CWS Architects in Scarborough, A.H. Grover, Storey Brothers Excavating, ErfGoed and Eason Horticulture Resources.
Hazardous materials
The former municipal airport was unsuitable for reuse because of oil-impacted soils and hazardous materials, according to a news release.
Photo / Courtesy Sevee & Maher
Part of the stormwater management system
Sevee & Maher’s site investigation and remediation team addressed complex and environmentally sensitive characteristics of the property, heightened by the presence of Chandler Brook in Yarmouth and neighboring wetlands to the west. Solutions included remediating impacted soils on-site, and guidance on clean-up and disposal of historical building and hangar debris to provide a safe site for greenhouse construction.
Sevee & Maher’s civil engineering and permitting unit then created a water management system with two components: a 2-million-gallon, drought resistant irrigation pond capable of storing an average of two months’ worth of water; and a multi-source supply system that integrates nearby Chandler Brook withdrawals with rainwater harvesting from greenhouse roofs.
Photo / Courtesy Sevee & Maher
Dan Diffin and Jenna Berry accept the Maine Chapter of ACEC Engineering Excellence Award for their work on Estabrook’s Farms & Greenhouse’s facility in Pownal.
In total, the rainwater harvesting is estimated to add 1.6 million gallons per year to the irrigation pond and minimize withdrawals from Chandler Brook. The water feeds a recirculation system inside the greenhouse and is expected to reduce demand for new water, particularly important in recent seasons of drought.
“By easing strain on the water supply, reducing environmental impact and aiding the local economy, this project reflects SME’s commitment to sustainable, community-focused solutions,” said Dan Diffin, the firm’s vice president and senior civil engineer.
Founded in 1985, Sevee & Maher has over 115 employees in Cumberland and its regional offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix and New Jersey.
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