NEW Zoo Penguin Exhibit - Life and Safety Systems

Thanks to Rohde Brothers, Inc., the penguins at the Northeast Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo and Adventure Park now have an upgraded habitat to call home.

The system had become obsolete and was still using chlorine to disinfect the water in the pools. The new system included an extra sand filter, redundant backup systems and an ozone generator, effectively removing the need for chlorine, which has noticeably improved the lives of the African Penguins living in the exhibit.

To combat the concerns of the NEW Zoo’s facilitators, Rohde Brothers, Inc. installed a state-of-the-art life support system (LSS) for the 39,000 gallon African penguin habitat at the Northeast Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo and Adventure Park in Green Bay, WI. The new water filtration system was designed to enhance the living conditions of these endangered birds while meeting the rigorous standards established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in their Spheniscidae Care Manual. This project was completed on schedule to coincide with the spring opening and came in under budget. It required many innovative approaches to overcome a wide range of challenges, including extremely tight spaces,  winter construction, and the addition of  an Ozone water sanitizing technology.

A rigorous value analysis and engineering process was central to the project’s success. Early in the design phase, Rohde conducted a comprehensive review of materials, design elements, and construction methods. Rohde identified opportunities for cost savings without compromising quality or performance. Using 3-D CAD we modeled the extremely small 10×14′ space to ensure all of the new equipment would fit. Planning equipment placement ahead of time also made onsite construction much more efficient.