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Harvesting rooftop runoff to flush toilets: Drawing conclusions from four major U.S. cities

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  • Rostad, Nathan
  • Foti, Romano
  • Montalto, Franco A.

Abstract

As it provides the simultaneous benefits of reducing the demand for potable water and the generation of water runoff, rainwater harvesting (RWH) has received increasing attention from urban water managers in the past decades. This study employs a mass balance based method to estimate RWH performance for four large metropolitan areas of the United States, namely New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Seattle. Geospatial analysis is used in concert with climatic records to characterize the cityscape and climatic patterns of each city and evaluate the RWH systems performance both in terms of potable water savings and roof runoff reductions. The analysis indicates that typical urban rainwater harvesting setups, consisting of a 100m2 roof connected to a 5m3 storage volume, would be able to reduce potable water demand by over 65% in all cities while contextually reduce roof runoff generation by over 75%. Small differences in performance are observed among cities due to differences in precipitation patterns, typical roof area, and population density. Furthermore, an evaluation of the total water savings and runoff reduction for the application of RWH practices at maximum build out for all four study cities is provided, and the sensitivity of our estimates of performance to precipitation patterns and to the systems’ operating algorithm is also analyzed and discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Rostad, Nathan & Foti, Romano & Montalto, Franco A., 2016. "Harvesting rooftop runoff to flush toilets: Drawing conclusions from four major U.S. cities," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 97-106.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:108:y:2016:i:c:p:97-106
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.01.009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Palla, A. & Gnecco, I. & Lanza, L.G. & La Barbera, P., 2012. "Performance analysis of domestic rainwater harvesting systems under various European climate zones," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 71-80.
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    6. Silva, Cristina Matos & Sousa, Vitor & Carvalho, Nuno Vaz, 2015. "Evaluation of rainwater harvesting in Portugal: Application to single-family residences," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 21-34.
    7. Okoye, Chiemeka Onyeka & Solyalı, Oğuz & Akıntuğ, Bertuğ, 2015. "Optimal sizing of storage tanks in domestic rainwater harvesting systems: A linear programming approach," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA), pages 131-140.
    8. Peterson, Eric Laurentius, 2016. "Transcontinental assessment of secure rainwater harvesting systems across Australia," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 33-47.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Sara Lopes Souto & Ricardo Prado Abreu Reis & Marcus André Siqueira Campos, 2023. "Impact of Installing Rainwater Harvesting System on Urban Water Management," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 37(2), pages 583-600, January.
    3. Jing, Xueer & Zhang, Shouhong & Zhang, Jianjun & Wang, Yujie & Wang, Yunqi, 2017. "Assessing efficiency and economic viability of rainwater harvesting systems for meeting non-potable water demands in four climatic zones of China," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 74-85.
    4. Boroomandnia, Arezoo & Rismanchi, Behzad & Wu, Wenyan, 2022. "A review of micro hydro systems in urban areas: Opportunities and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).

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