The seals and sea lions at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC were in need of a revamped home. W. L. Gary Company, Inc. teamed up with the Smithsonian and other contractors to create the American Trail exhibit for these majestic creatures, which opens this Saturday, September 1, 2012.

The two huge pools of the seal and sea lion exhibit have been designed to simulate the natural habitat of the seals and sea lions. To create the oceanic waters in which these aquatic mammals naturally dwell, a wave machine was installed to keep the 300,000 gallons of water moving.

The water has to be carefully monitored and filtered to keep the new habitats constant. The temperature of the water is critical to the comfort of both the seals and sea lions. An intricate control system for each pool was installed to keep the water within the few degree variation needed.

The water used in the seal and sea lion exhibits is recycled water from DC. The process to clean and purify this water is complicated, but with the new plumbing and filtration systems and equipment installed, the exhibit runs efficiently. The plumbing systems play an integral role in decreasing the amount of water usually utilized by these pools by about 50 percent.

To save even more energy, the zoo is able to regulate the HVAC in different areas in the habitats and building separately. With this system, unoccupied spaces can be adjusted lessening the overall consumption of energy.

W. L. Gary Company performed the plumbing and HVAC installation on this job. Mike Dent, Vice President of W. L. Gary Company, expressed, “We are excited to see this exhibit open and proud to be a part of this project at one of our national treasures, The National Zoo.”

The American Trail, which includes the seal and sea lion exhibit, opens on September 1, 2012 at the Smithsonian National Zoo. Currently the new aquatic exhibit houses four female California sea lions, including a pup, and one female gray seal, but three more gray seals and two harbor seals are set to arrive later this year. Besides the seals and sea lions, the American Trail is also home to two gray wolves, three American beavers, two North American river otters, one bald eagle, four ravens, two brown pelicans, and two hooded mergansers. To learn more, visit the National Zoo’s website.