scholarly journals Design, Construction, and Operation of a Demonstration Rainwater Harvesting System for Greenhouse Irrigation at McGill University, Canada

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 220-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadman Islam ◽  
Mark Lefsrud ◽  
Jan Adamowski ◽  
Blake Bissonnette ◽  
Allison Busgang
Keyword(s):  
Water Demand ◽  
Flood Control ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
Sustainable Water Resources Management ◽  
Mcgill University ◽  
Roof Area ◽  
Natural Flow Regimes ◽  
Design Construction

Increasing stress on urban water demand has led to the exploration of the potential of rainwater use and water recycling to promote sustainable water resources management. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) not only has the potential to reduce water demand but also contributes to other sustainable objectives, including reducing stormwater pollutant loads, reducing erosion, and inducing natural flow regimes by means of flood control, in urban streams. This research involved the design, construction, and field-testing of an RWH system used to irrigate greenhouses at the Macdonald Campus of McGill University in Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the RWH system was to collect rainwater from a roof area of ≈610 m2 (the Horticulture Services Building on the Macdonald Campus of McGill University) to meet the irrigation demands of the two Horticulture Research Center greenhouses on the campus (≈149 m2 each) from May to October. Over its two years of operation, it was found that the amount of rainwater collected did not only meet the peak irrigation demands of the greenhouses (which amounted to almost 700 gal of water per day), but that there was also enough water for the irrigation of the nearby student-run gardens. The harvested rainwater was clear and did not cause any harm to the plants. The major problem that was experienced during the operation of the RWH system was that of algae growth in one of the water collection tanks. This issue was resolved by covering the tank with metallic green wallpaper, thereby blocking most of the sunlight from entering the tank. The RWH system is currently being used for irrigation and as a demonstration project to promote the learning of sustainable technologies on campus and in the surrounding communities.

scholarly journals A Case Study on Reliability, Water Demand and Economic Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting in Australian Capital Cities

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 2606
Author(s):  
Preeti Preeti ◽  
Ataur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Daily Rainfall ◽  
Cost Ratio ◽  
Capital Cities ◽  
Australian Capital ◽  
Benefit Cost Ratio ◽  
Roof Area ◽  
Daily Water

This paper presents reliability, water demand and economic analysis of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems for eight Australian capital cities (Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney). A Python-based tool is developed based on a daily water balance modelling approach, which uses input data such as daily rainfall, roof area, overflow losses, daily water demand and first flush. Ten different tank volumes are considered (1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 75 and 100 m3). It is found that for a large roof area and tank size, the reliability of RWH systems for toilet and laundry use is high, in the range of 80–100%. However, the reliability for irrigation use is highly variable across all the locations. For combined use, Adelaide shows the smallest reliability (38–49%), while Hobart demonstrates the highest reliability (61–77%). Furthermore, economic analysis demonstrates that in a few cases, benefit–cost ratio values greater than one can be achieved for the RWH systems. The findings of this study will help the Australian Federal Government to enhance RWH policy, programs and subsidy levels considering climate-sensitive inputs in the respective cities.

Effects of rainwater harvesting on centralized urban water supply systems

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 570-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Grandet ◽  
P. J. Binning ◽  
P. S. Mikkelsen ◽  
F. Blanchet
Keyword(s):  
Water Demand ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Water Supply Systems ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Water Infrastructure ◽  
Water Age ◽  
Roof Area ◽  
Supply Systems

The potential effect of widespread rainwater harvesting practices on mains water demand and quality management are investigated for three different types of urban areas characterized by different roof area to water demand ratios. Two rainfall patterns are considered with similar average annual depths but very different temporal distributions. Supply reliability and the extent of reliance on the public distribution system are identified as suitable performance indicators for mains water infrastructure. A uniform temporal distribution of rainfall in an oceanic climate like that of Dinard, Northern France, yielded supply reliabilities close to 100% for reasonable tank sizes (0.065 m3/m2 of roof area in Dinard compared with 0.262 m3/m2 in Nice with a RWSO of 30% for a detached house). However, the collection and use of rainfall results in a permanent decrease in mains water demand leading to an increase in water age in the distribution network. Investigations carried on a real network showed that water age is greatly affected when rainwater supplies more than 30% of the overall water demand. In urban water utilities planning, rainwater supply systems may however be profitable for the community if they enable the deferment of requirements for new mains water infrastructure.

Performance of rainwater harvesting systems under scenarios of non-potable water demand and roof area typologies using a stochastic approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
pp. 304-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitoria A.R. Lopes ◽  
Guilherme Fernandes Marques ◽  
Fernando Dornelles ◽  
Josue Medellin-Azuara
Keyword(s):  
Water Demand ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Stochastic Approach ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Roof Area

scholarly journals Rainwater Harvesting Potentials in Commercial Buildings in Dhaka: Reliability and Economic Analysis

Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Md. Rezaul Karim ◽  
B. M. Sadman Sakib ◽  
Sk. Sadman Sakib ◽  
Monzur Alam Imteaz
Keyword(s):  
Water Demand ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Commercial Buildings ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Rainwater Tank ◽  
Catchment Areas

Despite numerous studies on residential rainwater tank, studies on commercial rainwater tank are scarce. Corporate authorities pay little heed on this sustainable feature. With the aim of encouraging corporate authorities, this study presents the feasibility and economic benefits of rainwater harvesting (RWH) in commercial buildings in the capital city of Bangladesh, where water authority struggles to maintain town water supply. The analysis was conducted using a daily water balance model under three climate scenarios (wet, dry and normal year) for five commercial buildings having catchment areas varying from 315 to 776 m2 and the storage tank capacity varying from 100 to 600 m3. It was found that for a water demand of 30 L per capita per day (lpcd), about 11% to 19% and 16% to 26.80% of the annual water demand can be supplemented by rainwater harvesting under the normal year and wet year climate conditions, respectively. The payback periods are found to be very short, only 2.25 to 3.75 years and benefit–cost (B/C) ratios are more than 1.0, even for building having the smallest catchment area (i.e., 315 m2) and no significant overflow would occur during monsoon, which leads to both economic and environmental benefits. Though the findings cannot be translated to other cities as those are dependent on factors like water price, interest rate, rainfall amount and pattern, however other cities having significant rainfall amounts should conduct similar studies to expedite implementations of widescale rainwater harvesting.

Determination of the optimal capacity of a reservoir considering the effects of flood control volume change on its performance (case study: Darband dam, Iran)

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 509-518
Author(s):  
R. Shahsavan ◽  
M. Shourian
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Volume Change ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Flood Control ◽  
Control Volume ◽  
Study Phase ◽  
Hydroelectric Power ◽  
Software Environment ◽  
Optimal Capacity

Water storage using dams is a perfect solution for agricultural, industrial, drinking water supply, flood control, hydroelectric power generation, and other purposes. Integrated management of water resources involves the development, management, protection, regulation and beneficial use of surface- and ground- water resources. The reliability of water supply reservoirs depends on several factors, e.g. the physical characteristics of the reservoir, the time series of river discharge, climatic conditions, the amount of demand, and the method of operation. If a portion of a dam's volume is kept empty for flood control, the confidence values of taking the bottom water demand will be reduced. In this paper, a yield-storage model developed in a MATLAB software environment is used to determine the optimal capacity of Darband dam in northeast Iran (the study phase). The reservoir's performance with respect to demand downstream, e.g. from industry and agriculture, and for potable use, was studied, and the results compared for scenarios in flood control volume change conditions. The results show that, for a capacity of 80 Mm3, the reliability values for meeting agricultural, environmental, and potable water demand are estimated at 0.922, 0.927, and 0.942, respectively. If the reservoir's capacity is changed from 80 to 350 Mm3, the reliability values increase by only about 7%.

scholarly journals A Zero-Liquid Discharge Model for a Transient Solar-Powered Desalination System for Greenhouse

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Akrami ◽  
Alaa Salah ◽  
Mahdieh Dibaj ◽  
Maxime Porcheron ◽  
Akbar Javadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Maximum Amount ◽  
Distilled Water ◽  
Solar Still ◽  
Discharge System ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
Solar Radiation Intensity ◽  
Liquid Discharge ◽  
The Uk

The need for sustainable desalination arises from fast-occurring global warming and intensifying droughts due to increasing temperatures, particularly in the Middle East and North African (MENA) regions. Lack of water resources has meant that the countries in these regions have had to desalinate seawater through different sustainable technologies for food supplies and agricultural products. Greenhouses (GH) are used to protect crops from harsh climates, creating a controlled environment requiring less water. In order to have a sustainable resilient GH, a zero-liquid-discharge system (ZLD) was developed by using solar still (SS) desalination techniques, humidification-dehumidification (HDH), and rainwater harvesting. An experiment was designed and carried out by designing and manufacturing a wick type solar still, together with an HDH system, implemented into a GH. Using a pyrometer, the solar intensity was recorded, while the microclimate conditions (temperature and relative humidity) of the GH were also monitored. The GH model was tested in the UK and was shown to be a successful standalone model, providing its water requirements. In the UK, for one solar still with a surface area of 0.72 m2, maximum amount of 58 mL of distilled water was achieved per day. In Egypt, a maximum amount of 1090 mL water was collected per day, from each solar still. This difference is mainly due to the differences in the solar radiation intensity and duration in addition to the temperature variance. While dehumidification generated 7 L of distilled water, rainwater harvesting was added as another solution to the greenhouse in the UK, harvested a maximum of 7 L per day from one side (half the area of the greenhouse roof). This helped to compensate for the less distilled water from the solar stills. The results for the developed greenhouses showed how GHs in countries with different weather conditions could be standalone systems for their agricultural water requirement.

Rainwater harvesting and management – policy and regulations in Germany

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 376-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Schuetze
Keyword(s):  
Flood Control ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Climate Resilience ◽  
Rainwater Management ◽  
Decentralized Management ◽  
Private Actors

This paper discusses the most important policies and regulations supporting the decentralized management, harvesting and utilization of rainwater in Germany, where such measures have been increasingly applied during the last few decades. The development and implementation of specific policies and regulations contributed significantly to that trend. They also work as incentives for the development of advanced technologies and businesses as well as the widespread and growing implementation of measures for decentralized rainwater management, harvesting and utilization by public and private actors. This development can generally be associated with environmental and economic concerns related with required adaptation to changes in climate, demographic structures and infrastructures as well as climate resilience including flood control and drought resistance. The addressed and supported measures can be assigned to the two focus areas ‘Decentralized rainwater harvesting and utilization’, aiming for saving of precious fresh water resources and centrally supplied drinking water, as well as ‘decentralized rainwater retention and management’, aiming for flood control and protection of existing infrastructures and ecosystems. The decentralized management of rainwater and its separation from combined sewer systems at the source is generally regarded as the state of the art and basic condition for sustainable municipal wastewater management.

scholarly journals Rainwater harvesting as an alternative for water supply in regions with high water stress

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1946-1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel López Zavala ◽  
Mónica José Cruz Prieto ◽  
Cristina Alejandra Rojas Rojas
Keyword(s):  
Water Demand ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Water Source ◽  
High Water ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Storage Tanks ◽  
Logistics Company ◽  
Current Water

Abstract In this study, the reliability of using rainwater harvesting to cover the water demand of a transportation logistics company located in Mexico City was assessed. Water consumption in facilities and buildings of the company was determined. Rainwater potentially harvestable from the roofs and maneuvering yard of the company was estimated based on a statistical analysis of the rainfall. Based on these data, potential water saving was determined. Characterization of rainwater was carried out to determine the treatment necessities for each water source. Additionally, the capacity of water storage tanks was estimated. For the selected treatment systems, an economic assessment was conducted to determine the viability of the alternative proposed. Results showed that current water demand of the company can be totally covered by using rainwater. The scenario where roof and maneuvering yard rainwater was collected and treated together resulted in being more economic than the scenarios where roof and maneuvering yard rainwater was collected and treated separately. Implementation of the rainwater harvesting system will generate important economic benefits for the company. The investment will be amortized in only 5 years and the NPV will be on the order of US$ 5,048.3, the IRR of 5.7%, and the B/I of 1.9.

Urban water demand assessment for sustainable water resources management, under climate change and socioeconomic changes

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 679-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelos Alamanos ◽  
Stamatis Sfyris ◽  
Chrysostomos Fafoutis ◽  
Nikitas Mylopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Management ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Sustainable Water Resources Management ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Abstract The relationship between water abstraction and water availability has turned into a major stress factor in the urban exploitation of water resources. The situation is expected to be sharpened in the future due to the intensity of extreme meteorological phenomena, and socio-economic changes affecting water demand. In the city of Volos, Greece, the number of water counters has been tripled during the last four decades. This study attempts to simulate the city's network, supply system and water demand through a forecasting model. The forecast was examined under several situations, based on climate change and socio-economic observations of the city, using meteorological, water pricing, users' income, level of education, family members, floor and residence size variables. The most interesting outputs are: (a) the impact of each variable in the water consumption and (b) water balance under four management scenarios, indicating the future water management conditions of the broader area, including demand and supply management. The results proved that rational water management can lead to remarkable water conservation. The simulation of real scenarios and future situations in the city's water demand and balance, is the innovative element of the study, making it capable of supporting the local water utility.

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