Changes

===Water Quality===

===Water Quality===

Many green roofs receive only rainwater, which is relatively free of contaminants like nutrients and heavy metals, but can contribute contaminants to roof runoff, most notably through leaching of dissolved [[Nutrients]] and [[Heavy metals]] from the growing medium substrate during early establishment.<ref>Vijayaraghavan, K., Harkishore Kumar Reddy, D., Yun, Y. 2018. Improving the quality of runoff from green roofs through synergistic biosorption and phytoremediation techniques: A review. Sustainable Cities and Society. 46 (2019) 101381. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2210670718319383?via%3Dihub</ref>  Concentrations of Total [[Phosphorus]] in green roof runoff have been observed to vary from 0.4 mg/L to over 10 mg/L.<ref>Hill J., Drake J., Sleep B., Margolis L. 2017. Influences of Four Extensive Green Roof Design Variables on Stormwater Hydrology. J Hydrol Eng. 2017;22(8):04017019. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001534</ref>. Such concentrations are well above the Ontario Provincial Water Quality Objective of 0.03 mg/L for Total Phosphorus (OMOEE, 1994<ref>Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy (OMOEE), 1994. Policies, Guidelines and Provincial Water Quality Objectives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Queen’s Printer for Ontario. Toronto, ON.</ref>) to control excessive plant growth in rivers and streams.  To improve the quality of runoff from green roofs, Vijayaraghavan et al. (2018) recommend considering the sorption capacity of the growing medium substrate, the phytoremediation potential of plants, and incorporation of sorbent [[Additives]] to growing medium substrates.<ref>Vijayaraghavan, K., Harkishore Kumar Reddy, D., Yun, Y. 2018. Improving the quality of runoff from green roofs through synergistic biosorption and phytoremediation techniques: A review. Sustainable Cities and Society. 46 (2019) 101381. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2210670718319383?via%3Dihub</ref>

Many green roofs receive only rainwater, which is relatively free of contaminants like nutrients and heavy metals, but can contribute contaminants to roof runoff, most notably through leaching of dissolved [[Nutrients]] and [[Heavy metals]] from the growing medium substrate during early establishment.<ref>Vijayaraghavan, K., Harkishore Kumar Reddy, D., Yun, Y. 2018. Improving the quality of runoff from green roofs through synergistic biosorption and phytoremediation techniques: A review. Sustainable Cities and Society. 46 (2019) 101381. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2210670718319383?via%3Dihub</ref>  Concentrations of Total [[Phosphorus]] in green roof runoff have been observed to vary from 0.4 mg/L to over 10 mg/L.<ref>Hill J., Drake J., Sleep B., Margolis L. 2017. Influences of Four Extensive Green Roof Design Variables on Stormwater Hydrology. J Hydrol Eng. 2017;22(8):04017019. https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/%28ASCE%29HE.1943-5584.0001534</ref>. Such concentrations are well above the Ontario Provincial Water Quality Objective of 0.03 mg/L for Total Phosphorus (OMOEE, 1994<ref>Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy (OMOEE), 1994. Policies, Guidelines and Provincial Water Quality Objectives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Queen’s Printer for Ontario. Toronto, ON.</ref>) to control excessive plant growth in rivers and streams.  To improve the quality of runoff from green roofs, Vijayaraghavan et al. (2018) recommend considering the sorption capacity of the growing medium substrate, the phytoremediation potential of plants, and incorporation of sorbent [[Additives]] to growing medium substrates.<ref>Vijayaraghavan, K., Harkishore Kumar Reddy, D., Yun, Y. 2018. Improving the quality of runoff from green roofs through synergistic biosorption and phytoremediation techniques: A review. Sustainable Cities and Society. 46 (2019) 101381. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2210670718319383?via%3Dihub</ref>

In dense urban centres, green roofs are increasingly being used to receive irrigation from harvested rainwater. Current Ontario Building Code permits the use of rooftop runoff for landscape irrigation purposes, so long as it is 'free of solids'.

In dense urban centres, green roofs are increasingly being used to receive irrigation from harvested rainwater. Current Ontario Building Code permits the use of rooftop runoff for landscape irrigation purposes, so long as it is 'free of solids'.