Roanoke, VA — The Western Virginia Regional Jail received its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Howard Shockey & Sons was the general contractor for the project. AECOM was the design firm for the project.rnrnThe Western Virginia Regional Jail is a state-of-the-art, 265,000 square-foot correctional facility which was constructed to relieve overcrowded conditions in the local jails of the four localities that make up the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority. rnrnEnvironmental features were incorporated in the regional jail’s design to minimize the jail’s impact on its site which is adjacent to the Roanoke River in the Dixie Caverns area of Roanoke County, and LEED certification was sought in recognition of the jail’s environmentally-friendly design.rnrnTwo of the jail’s more significant environmental features promote water conservation:rnrn* A roof drainage system which works in conjunction with a storm-water recycling system to provide water for the regional jail’s laundry operations. This rain-water harvesting system is estimated to conserve approximately 4.3 million gallons of water annually.rnrn* A vacuum-assisted waste system which reduces water consumption and prevents inmates from damaging the facility by allowing staff to monitor and control individual components of the system. The water savings of this feature are estimated to be 6.1 million gallons annually.rnrnConstructing a building to LEED standards can increase construction costs up to 5 percent; however, AECOM was able to incorporate the chosen “green”” features in the regional jail’s design so that project costs increased only 1.2 percent. A majority of the regional jail’s green features should pay for themselves within the first five years of the jail’s operation.rnrnThe jail’s innovative green design was awarded the 2009 Real Estate and Construction Review Northeast Green Building of America Award and a 2010 American Council of Engineering Companies Virginia Honor Award in the Building/Technology/Structural Systems category for its plumbing design.rnrnThe Western Virginia Regional Jail is a partnership of the counties of Franklin