Wilmington brewery takes on new project to protect nearby waterway

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Mad Mole Brewing in Wilmington, North Carolina, is installing permeable pavers to prevent rainwater run-off pollution in Bradley Creek.

The waterway has dealt with contamination issues in the past, and pollutants from rainwater run-off which can be deadly for wildlife and humans alike.

Dano Ferons, the Operations Manager for Mad Mole Brewing, said it’s the company’s latest move in prioritizing sustainability.

“Bradley Creek is a heavily impacted waterway, and so by capturing that first inch of rain, we’re gonna reduce the runoff and the waste from our parking lot,” Ferons said.

Permeable pavers soak up rainwater runoff, absorb it and put it back into the ground, unlike other parking lots, which redirect the water.

Dan Thorpe, the president and founder of Thorpe Landscaping, does these types of projects all the time - and he said they’re becoming more crucial than ever.

“If we can limit the amount of sediment that we have in these waterways, it actually increases the health of the fish and the ecosystem,” Thorpe said. “I think more businesses and homeowners need to turn to permeable - if you’re not turning to permeable applications, you’re kinda missing the boat.”

The project was made possible through a partnership between the City of Wilmington, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. It was funded through an NCDEQ grant.

“We’re all neighbors to the watershed,” Anna Reh-Gingerich, the Public Works Coordinator with the City of Wilmington, said. “We all influence what’s downstream, so to have a location that’s so close to Bradley’s Creek to showcase what options they too can do to protect our waterways,” Reh-Gingerich said.

Since 2020, the company has led a green initiative, which has helped to drive thousands of pounds of waste from landfills to recycling programs over the past five years.

Ferons said it’s been exciting to see the brewery’s latest project come to fruition.

“Getting to watch the guys working out there and just, it’s just a cool, cool feeling and just excited to be a part of it,” Ferons said.