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Ataur Rahman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Rainwater harvesting potential in Sydney: Are we harvesting enough?
    2016
    Co-Authors: Caleb C Amos, Ataur Rahman
    Abstract:

    Rainwater harvesting has become popular in Australian urban areas due to water restrictions, greater environmental awareness, government regulations and incentives for installation of Rainwater harvesting systems. It can provide non-potable water to meet various needs such as toilet flushing, laundry, gardening and car washing. In peri-urban and rural areas of Australia, Rainwater is also used for drinking. In the urban areas, Rainwater tanks are connected with water mains and hence users have no idea how much water they are saving due to having a Rainwater tank. In this paper, Rainwater harvesting potential in Sydney is investigated by developing a continuous simulation model that accounts for daily rainfall and water demands. The water savings and reliabilities for 3 kL, 5 kL and 7 kL tanks as well as 10 and 15kL are investigated and compared with BASIX requirements in New South Wales (NSW). It has been found that the currently recommended 3 kL tank size in NSW is unlikely to provide optimum water savings from a Rainwater harvesting system. The findings of this study will be useful to recommend an appropriate tank size for Sydney, Australia.

  • Rainwater harvesting in greater sydney water savings reliability and economic benefits
    Resources Conservation and Recycling, 2012
    Co-Authors: Ataur Rahman, Joseph Keane, Monzur Alam Imteaz
    Abstract:

    Abstract Due to greater environmental awareness and mandatory water restrictions in many Australian cities, Rainwater tanks have become popular in recent years. This paper investigates the water savings potential of Rainwater tanks fitted in detached houses at 10 different locations in Greater Sydney, Australia. A water balance simulation model on daily time scale is developed and water savings, reliability and financial viability are examined for three different tank sizes, 2 kL, 3 kL and 5 kL. It is found that the average annual water savings from Rainwater tanks are strongly correlated with average annual rainfall. It is also found that the benefit cost ratios for the Rainwater tanks are smaller than 1.00 without government rebate. It is noted that a 5 kL tank is preferable to 2 kL and 3 kL tanks and Rainwater tanks should be connected to toilet, laundry and outdoor irrigation to achieve the best financial outcome for the home owners. The results from this study suggest that government authorities in Sydney should maintain or possibly increase the rebate for Rainwater tanks to enhance its acceptance.

  • Rainwater tanks in multi unit buildings a case study for three australian cities
    Resources Conservation and Recycling, 2010
    Co-Authors: Erhan Eroksuz, Ataur Rahman
    Abstract:

    Rainwater tanks have become popular in large Australian cities due to water shortage and greater public awareness towards sustainable urban development. Rainwater harvesting in multi-unit buildings in Australia is less common. This paper investigates the water savings potential of Rainwater tanks fitted in multi-unit residential buildings in three cities of Australia: Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. It is found that for multi-unit buildings, a larger tank size is more appropriate to maximise water savings. It is also found that Rainwater tank of appropriate size in a multi-unit building can provide significant mains water savings even in dry years. A prediction equation is developed which can be used to estimate average annual water savings from having a Rainwater tank in a multi-unit building in these three Australian cities.

Peter J Coombes - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Improving Downpipe and Gutter Configuration on a \rResidential Dwelling to Increase Rainwater Yield
    H2009: 32nd Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium, 2009
    Co-Authors: S A Lucas, Peter J Coombes
    Abstract:

    The roof area connected to the Rainwater tank is an important determinant for Rainwater yield at the household scale. This study monitored the performance of a “Rainwater Harvesting System” that supplies a Rainwater tank using an innovative configuration of the downpipe and gutter system that maximises connected roof area. Roof runoff is redirected in the gutter system towards the Rainwater tank by closing downpipes during rain events. Roof runoff from non-connected roof areas would otherwise be directed to street drainage. The system was installed on a residential dwelling in Brisbane (QLD, Australia) and the site was continuously monitored for rainfall, water demand and water levels in the Rainwater tank (6-minute timesteps). Monitoring data was used to calibrate PURRS (Coombes, 2002) to determine the long term Rainwater yield at the allotment scale based on an 83 year rainfall record (Brisbane). Rainwater yield increased from 72 kLyr (with 5 kL tank only) to 142 kL/yr after connected roof area was maximised using the Rainwater Harvesting System. Results also highlight household water demand and connected roof area is more important than the size of the Rainwater tank for increasing Rainwater yield at the household scale.

  • analysis of the performance of Rainwater tanks in australian capital cities
    28th International Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium: About Water; Symposium Proceedings, 2003
    Co-Authors: Peter J Coombes, George Kuczera
    Abstract:

    The performance of IkL to 10 kL Rainwater tanks with mains water tickle topup used to supplement mains water supply for domestic toilet, laundry, hot water and outdoor uses was evaluated for Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. The PURRS (Probabilistic Urban Rainwater and wastewater Reuse Simulator) model developed by Coombes and Kuczera (2001) was employed to continuously simulate the performance of Rainwater tanks using synthetic pluviograph rainfall generated by the DRIP (Disaggregated Rectangular Intensity Pulse) event based rainfall model by Heneker et al. (2001). Depending on roof area and number of occupants in a household, the use of Rainwater tanks resulted in annual mains water savings ranging from 18 kL to 55 kL for 1 kL Rainwater tanks to 25 kL to 144 kL for 10 kL Rainwaters tanks. The average retention volumes available in Rainwater tanks prior to storm events ranged from 0.26 m3 to 0.71 m3 for 1 kL tanks to 2.34 m3 to 8.4 m3 for 10 kL tanks.

  • economic water quantity and quality impacts from the use of a Rainwater tank in the inner city
    Australian journal of water resources, 2003
    Co-Authors: Peter J Coombes, George Kuczera, J D Kalma
    Abstract:

    A dual water supply system (Rainwater and mains water) has been installed at an old house in Maryville a inner city suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. A design was developed for the installation of a Rainwater tank to supply Rainwater for toilet, hot water and outdoor uses. The Rainwater supply is supplemented with mains water via a trickle top-up system when water levels are low in the tank. An air gap is used for back flow prevention in accordance with Australian standards. The design, construction and performance of the dual water supply system at the Maryville house are examined in this paper. Monitoring of water quality from the Rainwater tank and from an instantaneous hot water service at the Maryville house has revealed that the Rainwater was acceptable for hot water, toilet and outdoor uses. Rainwater used in the hot water service was compliant with Australian drinking water standards. The cost of Rainwater has been found to be $0.30 per kL which is less than the price of mains water in the Lower Hunter region and the commonly assumed cost of $1.00 to $14.00 per kL.

  • economic water quantity and quality results from a house with a Rainwater tank in the inner city
    Water Challenge: Balancing the Risks: Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium 2002, 2002
    Co-Authors: Peter J Coombes, George Kuczera, J D Kalma
    Abstract:

    A dual water supply system (Rainwater and mains water) has been installed at an old house in Maryville a inner city suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. A design was developed for the installation of a Rainwater tank to supply Rainwater for toilet, hot water and outdoor uses. The Rainwater supply is supplemented with mains water via a trickle top up system when water levels are low in the tank. An air gap is used for backflow prevention in accordance with Australian standards. The design, construction and performance of the dual water supply system at the Maryville house are examined in this paper. Monitoring of water quality from the Rainwater tank and from an instantaneous hot water service at the Maryville house has revealed that the Rainwater was acceptable for hot water, toilet and outdoor uses. Rainwater used in the hot water service was compliant with Australian drinking water standards. The cost of Rainwater has been found to be $0.3 per kL which is less than the price of mains water in the Lower Hunter region and the commonly assumed cost of $1 to $14 per kL.

Kyle Anderson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • a real option perspective to value the multi stage construction of Rainwater harvesting systems reusing septic tank
    Water Resources Management, 2014
    Co-Authors: Kyle Anderson
    Abstract:

    Recently, Rainwater harvesting systems have received increased attention due to their capability for adapting to water scarcity and climate change. However, a key obstacle to the implementation of Rainwater harvesting systems is that they are often not financially feasible given difficulty in determining optimal system size. A key premise of previous studies was that all Rainwater harvesting systems are constructed in a single construction event even though it is possible to construct a system in multiple stages. This assumption limits managerial flexibility in the construction of Rainwater harvesting systems, which is particularly valuable in scenarios where it is difficult to forecast future rainfall patterns. Therefore, we propose a multi-stage system expansion strategy for the implementation of Rainwater harvesting systems using decommissioned septic tanks under scenarios of uncertainty in rainfall from a real option perspective as a means to improve the financial feasibility of implementing Rainwater harvesting systems. We tested this strategy by evaluating a proposed Rainwater harvesting system for a midsize apartment complex in Jeonju, South Korea. The multi-stage expansion strategy generated an option value of 9,896 USD. This study will help to improve the financial feasibility of Rainwater harvesting systems by adding the value of managerial flexibility through a sequential expansion of RWH systems as new information becomes available.

Guan Ling-jua - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Enedir Ghisi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Investment Feasibility Analysis of Rainwater Use in Residences
    Water Resources Management, 2013
    Co-Authors: Enedir Ghisi, Pedro Neves Schondermark
    Abstract:

    This paper presents an investment feasibility analysis of Rainwater harvesting systems for the residential sector in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil. Five towns were selected for the analysis. Daily rainfall data, average water consumption, Rainwater tank costs, water pump costs, and water, sewage and electricity tariffs were obtained for the five towns. Different values for the roof area, number of residents, potable water demand, and Rainwater demand were analysed. The Rainwater tank capacities were estimated using the Netuno computer programme. The investment feasibility analysis was performed considering the ideal lower tank capacity, as well as capacities smaller and larger than the ideal. Such capacities were obtained according to a variation of six months in the payback period. It was observed that the ideal tank capacity can be conservative for high Rainwater demands. In such cases, an investment feasibility analysis should be performed in order to obtain a more appropriate tank capacity. The main conclusion is that Rainwater usage is economically feasible for most cases; and the higher the Rainwater demand, the higher the feasibility.

  • parameters influencing the sizing of Rainwater tanks for use in houses
    Water Resources Management, 2010
    Co-Authors: Enedir Ghisi
    Abstract:

    Rainwater harvesting has been studied in different countries as a way of easing water availability problems and reducing potable water demand in buildings. The most important factor relating to the efficiency of a Rainwater system is the correct sizing of the Rainwater tank. Therefore, the objective of this article is to assess the influence of rainfall, roof area, number of residents, potable water demand and Rainwater demand on Rainwater tank sizing. The analysis was performed by using computer simulation and by considering daily rainfall data for three cities located in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The roof areas considered were 50, 100, 200 and 400 m2; the potable water demands were 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 l per capita per day; the Rainwater demands were taken as a percentage of the potable water demand, i.e., 10% to 100% at increments of 10%; and the number of residents was two and four. Results indicated a wide variation of Rainwater tank sizes for each city and also for each parameter. The main conclusion that can be made from the study is that Rainwater tank sizing for houses must be performed for each specific situation, i.e., considering local rainfall, roof area, potable water demand, Rainwater demand and number of residents. Therefore, sizing Rainwater tanks according to local tradition is not recommended as it may incur low efficiency.

  • Rainwater harvesting in petrol stations in brasilia potential for potable water savings and investment feasibility analysis
    Resources Conservation and Recycling, 2009
    Co-Authors: Enedir Ghisi, Davi Da Fonseca Tavares, Vinicius Luis Rocha
    Abstract:

    Abstract Rainwater harvesting is an important way of optimizing the usage of water resources and promoting sustainable development. The objective of this article is to evaluate the potential for potable water savings by using Rainwater for washing vehicles in petrol stations located in Brasilia, Brazil. An investment feasibility analysis was also performed. The study was carried out by using Neptune, a computer programme for Rainwater harvesting analysis. Rainfall data from two meteorological stations were considered, as well as different Rainwater collecting areas, tank capacities, number of washings, and potable and Rainwater demands. As for the Rainwater demands, they were considered as a percentage of the potable water demand, varying according to the day of the week. The tank capacities were varied at increments of 1000 L. The investment feasibility analysis was performed for three different cases, taking into account the potential for potable water savings. It was observed that the average potential for potable water savings by using Rainwater is 32.7%, but it can vary from 9.2% to 57.2%. The main conclusion obtained from this work is that using Rainwater for washing vehicles in petrol stations in Brasilia is a feasible investment for most cases as the net present value is positive for an interest rate of 1% per month.

  • Rainwater tank capacity and potential for potable water savings by using Rainwater in the residential sector of southeastern brazil
    Building and Environment, 2007
    Co-Authors: Enedir Ghisi, Diego Lapolli Bressan, Mauricio Martini
    Abstract:

    Abstract Rainwater has been used in many countries as a way of minimising water availability problems. In Brazil, it has been reported that the potential for potable water savings by using Rainwater may range from 48% to 100% depending on the geographic region. In southeastern Brazil, water availability is about 4500 m 3 per capita per year, but it is predicted to be lower than 1000 m 3 per capita per year from about 2100 onwards. The main objective of this article is to evaluate the potential for potable water savings by using Rainwater in 195 cities located in southeastern Brazil. Rainwater tank sizes are also assessed for some cities in order to evaluate the ideal tank capacity as a function of potable water demand and Rainwater demand. Results indicate that average potential for potable water savings range from 12% to 79% per year for the cities analysed. Ideal Rainwater tank capacities for dwellings with low potable water demand range from about 2000 to 20,000 litres depending on Rainwater demand. For dwellings with high potable water demand, ideal Rainwater tank capacities range from about 3000 to 7000 litres. The main conclusion drawn from the research is that the average potential for potable water savings in southeastern Brazil is 41%. It was also concluded that Rainwater tank capacity has to be determined for each location and dwelling as it depends strongly on potable water demand and Rainwater demand.