At 155 years, MillerCoors LLC’s Milwaukee brewery is the oldest in the company’s combined network of facilities. Located within the heart of Miller Valley just west of downtown Milwaukee, the MillerCoors green roof was completed in October of 2009. “The brewery was awarded one of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s (MMSD) 2009 Stormwater Best Management Practice Grants to help fund the project, which cost more than $150,000 in total. The green roof is made from recycled plastic trays filled with soil and sedum varietals, allowing rainwater that falls onto the new roof to either evaporate or absorb into the soil. The reduction in rainwater runoff will help fulfill one of the goals of the project: to reduce sewer overflows and storm water pollution into the Menomonee River, Miller Coors Press Release, 2009.”

This ultra-extensive system was chosen due to weight limitations for the rooftop and arrived pre-grown with a variety of sedum species specifically selected for this environment. GreenGrid worked closely with MillerCoors to design a highly functional and aesthetically pleasing green roof that can be viewed by more than 100,000 visitors annually and provides an educational experience to tourists regarding the importance of clean water to communities, stormwater runoff, and pollutant reduction.

According to the BizTimes.com, the greenroof is helping to spur additional green developments at the MillerCoors brewery, which is planning two more major energy and water saving projects that could tentatively start in 2010.