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Business & Tech

Percoa Concrete Slabs Decontaminate Ground Water

The company finished a parking lot at Birch Island Woods in Eden Prairie with its patented concrete that helps protect lakes and rivers.

As builders, cities, and others look for ways to meet environmentally friendly requirements. Brett Pomerleau, CEO of Percoa USA LLC, believes his Eden Prairie company can help.

Percoa makes a patented type of pervious concrete. The porous concrete acts as a storm water management system. Usually water drains from the storm water system and into the river, Pomerleau explained.

“Take a parking lot for instance," he said. "When it rains all the water from the roof and parking lot go to a storm sewer catch basin. ... All that water that’s flowing over the pavement and all the containments (and much of it is the tar itself, rubber from tires, nitrates, phosphates)—once it goes into the storm sewer it goes to the nearest lake or river. There’s nothing stopping it.”

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Pomerleau, who has a background in concrete wondered: “Why hasn’t anybody stopped this flow of water from going directly into [the river]?”

So he developed Percoa concrete slabs. When water comes in contact with the slabs it sits in a recovery bed system, Pomerleau said, where microorganisms decontaminate the water. Through such a system, Percoa sidewalks, parking lots and patios help recharge the ground water, from which cities draw water, Pomerleau explained. It also helps maintain cleaner rivers and lakes.

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Homeowners interested in constructing additions to their home could also be helped by using Percoa products, Pomerleau suggested. Cities often have rules on the percentage of paved area allowed per land area. Since Percoa concrete is not considered 100 percent hardscape, using it for a patio or driveway could help homeowners stay within the limits when completing home expansion projections.

Percoa is the only pre-cast pervious concrete available, Pomerleau said, and it can be installed throughout the year. The slabs are made in a controlled environment, which make them less likely to have problems in the future, he added. Extra strength and durability are gained by the way the slabs fit on each other in the installation process.

The company also has completed projects in Plymouth, Minnetonka Beach, and Albertville. At the end of June, the company constructed a parking lot for Birch Island Woods in Eden Prairie.

Pomerleau said Percoa products come in various concrete colors and stamp patterns. In the future, they also will be available in different sizes.

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