Over the past year, Mad Mole Brewing has been working on making our brewery space more sustainable. Operations manager Dano Ferons has worked alongside his University of North Carolina Wilmington student interns on many projects. One of the projects our team has been working on is Permeable pavers for our parking lot. Permeable pavers are an alternative to traditional paving methods and improve how urban surfaces absorb water. These pavers create a porous surface to trap and slowly release stormwater into the ground to reduce the amount of water that flows into storm drains. A surface with permeable pavers consists of paving stones and a gravel base.

What is the project?

June 26, 2023
 
To Whom It May Concern,
 
I am writing to express our support for the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s proposal for continued work with community partners to implement the Bradley-Hewletts Watershed Restoration Plan. As a landowner in the watershed, Mad Mole Brewing is eager to come on board and contribute to pollution reduction. Bradley Creek is less than ¼ mile from the end of the breweries parking lot and the addition of permeable pavement would go a long way to reducing runoff into the creek.
 
As a member of the Wilmington and Coastal NC community, Mad Mole Brewing is committed to the reduction of waste and improving the sustainability of the local brewing industry. This project is in line with our business sustainability goals and will add to our work to protect the environment. Additionally, this project will help to serve as a sound business model for businesses next to us and breweries in other areas.  We are eager to promote the project, once complete, and feature it alongside our other outreach materials.
 
Once the permeable pavement project is complete, we will work to maintain site so that it continues to function as intended. Part of our other sustainability projects and goals include maintenance and continued upkeep. The addition of upkeep for the permeable pavers will be smoothly integrated into our operating procedures, recycling program and maintenance schedules.

We appreciate this opportunity to come on board with this comprehensive approach to reducing runoff and thank you for considering this project for acceptance. 
 
Best,
Dano Ferons
Operations Manager
Mad Mole Brewing

What is the project?

• The further stormwater travels down impervious structures as runoff, the more pollutants it collects. These pollutants can include fertilizers, motor oil, and debris. This contaminated runoff will eventually enter our watershed and degrade them. Since we are so close to Bradley Creek, a tributary of the Intracoastal Waterway, I am looking to implement stormwater management techniques at Mad Mole Brewing to reduce negative impacts on our watersheds. By installing stormwater management techniques, we are showing the community our commitment to reducing our environmental impact in addition to inspiring others to make changes in their operations.
• Mad Mole has ample space to convert 2-4 parking spaces located at the bottom of our downspouts into pervious pavement. In doing so, we will be reducing our environmental impact by creating a drainage area for stormwater to soak into. This allows for it to be filtered and become ground water instead of becoming polluted runoff that will end up in Bradley Creek and degrade our watersheds.
• Mad Mole also has space for a rainwater harvesting system. This can take shape in the form of multiple small 50-gallon rain barrels or a cistern that can hold 1,000 gallons of water collected from our roof. After collection, we would need to find a utilization for the water. As a solution, we could plant fruits and herbs that we may be able to use to brew with, vegetables to sell, or flowers to brighten up the brewery with in bioretention planters that drain into the ground. We also may be able to redirect our gutters to directly water these gardens or planters. This management technique prevents rainwater from becoming runoff by directing it into holding tanks instead.
• We can also add more garden boxes/planters to the beer garden area that can be connected to the rain barrels for water retention
• Mad Mole Brewing may also be able to implement a rain garden in a low-lying area on the property. Rain gardens are constructed in depressions in the ground and consist of native plants to effectively collect, utilize, and drain stormwater. These gardens prevent stormwater runoff by collecting and storing it before it can reach the road. (The only location would be where the dumpster is or around the cypress tree. Neither is a great use due to the elimination of seating)

Who is helping the project?

• Anna Reh-Gingerich is The City of Wilmington’s Watershed Coordinator. She works with Heal Our Waterways, an organization through the City of Wilmington working to manage stormwater and mitigate the pollution associated with it. They are focused on the restoration of Bradley and Hewletts Creek through stormwater solutions such as rain gardens and barrels among other methods. This focus is why they are very interested in stormwater projects at Mad Mole because of our proximity to the end of Bradley Creek. They have done stormwater management projects with UNCW including the installation of pervious pavement.
• Lauren Kolodij is the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Deputy Director. The NC Coastal Federation is an organization devoted to the protection and restoration of our coasts through community engagement. Lauren works with organizations and businesses to implement stormwater management techniques. The Coastal Federation has done many large-scale restoration projects including wetland, watershed, and oyster bed restoration. They also work on environmental education and outreach. Would be our main partner in the project.

Finances

• Anna has been working with the city to implement a cost-share program to make projects like these more affordable. Although it is not yet set in stone, she plans on rolling out a cost-sharing program through Heal Our Waterways. Her initiative is first come first serve to landowners in the Bradley and Hewletts Creek area and could cover 75% of our project costs up to $10,000. We would be covering the initial costs and Heal Our Waterways would reimburse us. This would likely cover most of our expenses which may reach upwards of $10,000. In order to qualify, the project must be approved by May and completed and invoiced by June 30th. We should have a final answer on Anna’s program approval by the end of February.
• Another financial source I have looked into is a 319 grant provided through the state. North Carolina receives around $1 million from the EPA annually specifically for watershed restoration projects which includes the installation of stormwater mitigation strategies. Mad Mole would be working with the North Carolina Coastal Federation, making us eligible for the grant. They would be submitting the grant and going through the interview process. There are some financial/other obligations that may be required – more details on this would be helpful