Indiana Sports Corp and USA Swimming are committed to making the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming presented by Lilly a environmentally friendly and sustainable event. See below for all the ways this event is working on sustainability.
Water Sustainability presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey
All water being utilized in the Olympic Trials pools will be sourced from the White River and treated to the highest standards for world class swimming competition by Citizens Energy Group. At the conclusion of Trials, the water will be stripped of chlorine, chemicals, and other impurities before being returned to the White River. There will be virtually zero water loss and the water that is coming from the White River will be returned to the river much cleaner than when it was originally sourced.
Other facts about Citizens Energy Group supplying water for the Olympic Swimming Trials:
- The event will purchase approximately two million gallons of water from Citizens Energy Group for the pools in Lucas Oil Stadium.
- While this number may seem large, here are a few comparisons:
- Across its production facilities, Citizens Energy Group produces 127 million gallons per day on average for Central Indiana customers.
- At the height of lawn irrigation season (during hot, summer months), Citizens estimates that up to 100 million gallons of water per day is used just on watering grass and landscaping. To be a more sustainable consumer and avoid over-watering lawns (and unnecessarily inflated water bills), Citizens recommends limiting irrigation to just twice a week if necessary. This is the recommended watering frequency for most Indiana lawns. Other tips include remembering to turn off automatic water systems when it is raining, and/or using a rain barrel to catch and re-use free irrigation (stormwater) from the sky.
- Treating two million gallons of water at the conclusion of the event will be no problem for the Citizens wastewater collection team. This volume of intake from a single event is actually similar to the amount our system might receive after fire departments use water from a hydrant to fight a large fire.
- Several of the same Citizens staff who will support this event were also present to provide water to the 2004 FINA World Swimming Championship in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, albeit supplying a smaller volume of water for the smaller-scale event.
Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium
The ICCLOS has a number of sustainability efforts in place when it hosts events.
FOOD RESCUE: Food that has not been consumed and meets health and safety standards is rescued by Second Helpings, a local not-for-profit. Rescued food is then transported to Second Helpings’ kitchens and job training program participants, under the supervision of training chefs, learn to prepare the donated food for use by homeless shelters, food banks and other missions.
REUSE/RECYCLING: The ICCLOS recycles approximately 100 tons of aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass and cardboard annually from Colts games, conferences and other events. In addition, our facilities have programs to recycle:
- pallets
- paper
- cooking oil
- batteries
- light bulbs
- electronics
When performing upgrades to our facilities, (e.g. the new video boards inside LOS, carpeting inside the ICC), a requirement for reusing or recycling the removed items is included in contract language. ICCLOS also works directly with clients to implement event specific sustainability programs when requested.
WATER CONSERVATION: The ICCLOS undertakes a number of efforts to reduce water waste and contamination:
- In an effort to save water and reduce single-use plastics, the ICC provides water stations throughout the building
- Sink faucets are sensory guided to avoid waste
- In public areas, toilets have low-flow valves with automatic flush
- Parking lots are swept – not sprayed – when being cleaned
- Storm water infiltration basins separate storm water from oils and grease before it travels to nearby waterways
ENERGY CONSUMPTION: It is standard operating procedure to undertake the following energy-reduction measures in the ICCLOS:
- Reduce lighting and HVAC during move-in and -out dates in exhibit halls where doors will be open for a significant period of time
- Escalators and lighting are turned off when no or minimal use is anticipated
- High-efficiency exterior Visionwall® curtainwall glass through-out the ICC helps keep energy use low
- Motion-sensor lighting controls are installed in all restrooms
- Building design allows us to use natural daylight to light most lobby areas
- Exterior lighting is on low level on non-event days at LOS
- Meeting rooms and lobby areas utilize compact fluorescent lamps and exhibit halls have LED lighting, which produces zero toxic elements and is up to 80% more efficient
- LOS has several energy saving materials including a retractable roof, CPI Daylighting system and Big Ass® Fans that are designed to move the maximum amount of air with minimal energy consumption