Keystone United Church of Christ

Located in the Greenlake neighborhood of Seattle, Keystone United Church of Christ’s mission centers around social justice and advocacy. Through their Green Team’s commitment to care for the planet, Keystone UCC joined the RainWise program to manage rainwater runoff from 2,015 square feet of roof area. The project

• protects Puget Sound from combined sewer system overflows,
• creates habitat for birds and butterflies,
• enhances sidewalk appeal and garden enjoyment, and
• creates a sense of community ownership towards a solution to pollution issues.

The installation was completed in December 2015, with a total of $6,603.90 covered by the RainWise rebate program.

Fasoldt Gardens completed the project in about six months’ time. Originally only half of Keystone UCC’s roof could be captured, but Fasoldt was able to get approval for innovative ways to capture the entire roof area. The two rain gardens are in front of the church, with the larger of the two capturing 1,170 square feet of the roof. The second rain garden captures the remaining 845 square feet of the roof, with both rain gardens overflowing to the sidewalk.

Keystone UCC believes that faith and secular communities must work together towards combatting the effects of climate change. Increasing rainfall causes more pollution to flow into Puget Sound and Keystone UCC’s RainWise installation shows their dedication to environmental advocacy. They serve as a wonderful example for other faith communities to engage in conserving the planet.

Project partners include church leadership, King County staff, RainWise outreach staff and the RainWise contractor, Fasoldt Gardens. All stakeholders worked together to keep thousands of gallons of rainwater out of the sewer system each year.