Sustainable Facilities and Infrastructure

The Town of Okotoks received its first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification in 2015 for the Southridge Emergency Services Building. The three-storey, 30,000 ft² facility achieves 41% energy cost savings through initiatives such as triple-paned glass to prevent heat leaks and 31% indoor water savings through a built-in rainwater harvesting system for washing emergency vehicles!

Construction on the Operations Centre buildings began in June 2015 and was completed in 2017 with the opening of the main Operations Centre. These buildings include over 58,000 square feet of space for housing the Transportation, Fleet, Parks, Water and Waste Services business centres and all their equipment.

It includes the Eco Centre, a dedicated one-stop location for recycling items not included in the blue cart program and for the safe disposal of excess and niche materials such as household hazardous waste, CFL bulbs, and electronics!

Part of the Operations Centre is dedicated to the Environmental Education Centre which serves as an interpretive centre, a classroom for workshops and school presentations, and an insightful visual exploration of Okotoks' water system and watershed.

In 2019, the Operations Centre received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification, with a focus on energy efficiency.

Many of our Town facilities have solar photovoltaic (PV) installations including the Municipal Centre, the Okotoks Art Gallery and the Library! Additionally, the Fire Station has a solar thermal domestic hot water system and the Recreation Centre uses solar thermal to heat the water used in the building!