Assessing the potential of rainwater harvesting and reuse for sustainable university campus

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 123 - 133, 31.03.2025

Nilay Mısırlı , Elif Ebru Şişman

https://doi.org/10.35208/ert.1485825

Abstract

Water resource management, one of the paradigms for creating sustainable universities, ensures that universities manage the quantity of water used and maintain the quality. Water resource management models that begin with campus priority create input for cities at a higher scale. Water resource management encompasses a variety of sustainable practices. One of the most applicable is the reuse of rainwater. The study aims to propose site-specific solutions for reusing harvested rainwater and contribute to nature and the water cycle.
In the study, the Rational Method was used to calculate the amount of rainwater. Hardscape (roads, parking lots), landscaped areas (landscaped and wooded areas) and roofing materials within the campus were determined and the amount of rainwater was calculated for each material.
In a year, the total water consumption was calculated at 54,773,000 liters. The valuable volume of annual rainwater is 296,400,000. It can be seen that a volume that is approximately 5 times the amount of water required is achieved.

Keywords

Rainwater harvesting, Rainwater reuse, University campuses, Water resources management

References

• P. Gleick, “A look at twenty-first century water resources development,” Water International, Vol. 25(1), pp. 127-138, 2000. [CrossRef]
• A. Cortese, “Education for sustainability: the need for a new human. Second Nature,” Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED459069.pdf Accessed Oct 10, 2022. [CrossRef]
• G. Rochon, L. Nies, C. Jafvert, J. Stuart, R. Mohtar, J. Quansah, and A. Martin, “Education in sustainable production in US universities,” Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, Vol. 8(1), pp. 38-48, 2006. [CrossRef]
• H. Alshuwaikhat, and I. Abubakar, “An integrated approach to achieving campus sustainability: assessment of the current campus environmental management practices,” Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 16(16), pp. 1777-1785, 2008. [CrossRef]
• A. D. Cortese, “The critical role of higher education in creating a sustainable future,” Planning for higher Education, Vol. 31(3), pp. 15-22, 2003.
• UNESCO, United Nations decade of education for sustainable development (2005–2014): International implementation scheme. Annex 1. Report by the Director General on the UN DESD. 2005. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000148654 Accessed Jan 18, 2023.
• United Nations, “International decade for action, water for life,” 2005-2015. Available at: https://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/ Accessed Jan 15, 2023.
• Water Action Decade, United nations secretary-general’s plan: water action decade 2018-2028. 2016. Available at :https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-action-decade/#:~:text=In%20December%202016%2C%20the%20United,on%20water%20during%20ten%20years Accessed Jan 27, 2023.
• IPPC, “Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (eds.)],” 2023. p. 1-34. Available at:https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_SPM.pdf Accessed Jan 10, 2024.
• World Resources Institute, Ensuring prosperity in a water-stressed world. 2022. Available:https://www.wri.org/water Accessed Feb 10, 2023.
• D. Grey, and C. Sadoff, “Sink or swim? Water security for growth and development,” Water Policy, Vol. 9(6), pp. 545-571, 2007. [CrossRef]
• C. Sadof, E. Borgomeo, and S. Uhlenbrook, “Rethinking water for SDG 6", Nature Sustainability, Vol. 3(5), pp. 346-347, 2020. [CrossRef]
• IPCC WGII Sixth Assessment Report, “Climate change 2022: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Chapter 4 : Water. 2022,” Available:https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/chapter/chapter-4/ Accessed Feb 20, 2023.
• Ministry of Development, “Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı On Birinci Kalkınma Planı 2019-2023: Su Kaynakları Yönetimi ve Güvenliği Özel İhtisas Komisyonu Raporu,” 2018.
• S. Peng, H. Cui, and M. Ji, “Research on the Sustainable Water Recycling System at Tianjin University’s New Campus, in Unmaking Waste in Production and Consumption: Towards the Circular Economy”. In R. Crocker, C. Saint, G. Chen, Y. and Tong, (Eds.), Emerald Publishing Limited- Bingley. pp. 295-307, 2018. [CrossRef]
• E. Bayramoğlu, and Ü. Büyükkurt, “Water Savings in Sustainable Campuses: Example of KTU Kanuni Campus,” Online Journal of Art and Design, Vol. 8(4), pp. 347-353, 2020. [CrossRef]
• M. Özeren Alkan, and Ş. Hepcan, “Determination of Rainwater Harvesting Potential: A Case Study from Ege University,” Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi, Vol. 19(2), pp. 259-266, 2022. [CrossRef]
• P. Selimoğlu, and R. Yamaçlı, “Sürdürülebilirlik Sürecinde Yağmur Suyu Hasadı: Sinop Üniversitesi Kuzey Yerleşkesi Örneği,” Türk Tarım ve Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi, Vol. 10(4), pp. 854–864, 2023. [CrossRef]
• M. Yalılı Kılıç, S. Adalı, and K. Öztürk, “Üniversite Kampüsünde Yağmur Suyu Toplama Sisteminin Kurulumunun İncelenmesi,” Türk Tarım ve Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi, Vol. 10(1), pp. 180-186, 2023. [CrossRef]
• S. Echols, and E. Pennypacker, “Artful rainwater design: creative ways to manage stormwater,” Island Press-Washington, 2015. [CrossRef]
• A. Liu, A. Goonetilleke, and P. Egodawatta, “Role of rainfall and catchment characteristics on urban stormwater quality,” SpringerBriefs in Water Science and Technology, 2015. [CrossRef]
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, “Rain Gardens, a how to manual for homeowners,” UWEX Publication-University of Wisconsin-Extension, 2003.
• N. Dunnett, and A. Clayden, “RAIN GARDENS, Managing water sustainably in the garden and designed landscape, Timber Press, 2007.
• S. Strom, K. Nathan, and J. Woland, “Site engineering for landscape architects,” 6 ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc-Hoboken, 2013.
• S. Walling, A. Osborne, B. Lee, and R. Durham, Residential rain gardens design, construction, and maintenance. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Cooperative Extension Service, 2014.
• A. Piasecki, and A. Pilarska, “Rainwater management in urban areas in Poland: literature review,” Bulletin of Geography, Vol. 25, pp. 5-21, 2023. [CrossRef]
• R. Hlushchenko, T. Tkachenko, V. Mileikovskyi, V. Kravets, and O. Tkachenko, “‘Green structure’ for effective rainwater management on roads,” Production Engineering Archives, Vol. 28(4), pp. 295-299, 2022. [CrossRef]
• D. Zhang, R.M. Gersberg, W. Jern Ng, and S. Keat Tan, “Conventional and decentralized urban stormwater management: A comparison through,” Urban Water Journal, Vol. 14(2), pp. 113-124, 2017. [CrossRef]
• R. C. Brears, “Blue and Green Cities: The Role of Blue-Green Infrastructure in Managing Urban Water Resources,” Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. [CrossRef]
• C. A. Booth, and S. M. Charlesworth, “An Overture of Sustainable Surface Water Management, in Sustainable surface water management : a handbook for SUDS C.A.B,” In S. M. Charlesworth, (Ed.), John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1-10, 2017. [CrossRef]
• M. Awawdeh, S. Al-Shraideh, K. Al-Qudah, and R. Jaradat, “Rainwater harvesting assessment for a small size urban area in Jordan,” International Journal of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering,Vol. 4(12), pp. 415-422, 2012.
• A. İstanbulluoğlu, “Hidroloji, uygulamalı havza hidrolojisi. Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2015.
• Official Gazette, “Yağmursuyu Toplama, Depolama ve Deşarj Sistemleri Hakkında Yönetmelik, Ek-1 Yağmursuyu kanalizasyon sistemlerinin etüt, planlama ve projelendirilmesine ilişkin usul ve esaslar,” in 30105. 2017, T.C. Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.
• Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V., DIN 1989–1:2001–10, “Rainwater harvesting systems – Part 1: Planning, installation, operation and maintenance,” 2001: Fachvereinigung Betriebs- und Regenwassernutzung e.V. Darmstadt, Berlin. p. 1-34, 2001. [Deutsch]
• Türkiye State Meteorological Service, “Köppen İklim Sınıflandırmasına göre Türkiye iklimi,” 2016. Available at: https://www.mgm.gov.tr/FILES/iklim/iklim_siniflandirmalari/koppen.pdf Accesed Mar 8, 2022.
• Türkiye State Meteorological Service, “Seasonal norms for provinces. 2022. Available at: https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?k=undefined&m=EDIRNE Accesed Mar 8, 2022.
• Ö. Doğangönül, and C. Doğangönül, “Küçük ve orta ölçekli yağmursuyu kullanımı,” Teknik Yayınevi, 2009.
• P. Pande, and S. Telang, “Calculation of rainwater harvesting potential by using mean annual rainfall, surface runoff and catchment area,” Global Advanced Research Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 3(7), pp. 200-204, 2014.
• İ. Bektaş, A. Dinçer, and Z. Ö. Parlak Biçer, “Değişen iklim koşullarında çatı kaplama malzemelerinin verimliliğinin incelenmesi–Safranbolu örneği,” Erciyes Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, Vol. 33(3), pp. 35-53, 2017.
• T. Ramachandra, N. Nagar, S. Vinay, and B. Aithal, “Modelling hydrologic regime of Lakshmanatirtha watershed, Cauvery river,” IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference. 2014: South Asia Satellite, pp. 64-71, 2014. [CrossRef]
• S. Eslamian, and S. Motevallian, “Sustainability in urban water system,” in S. Eslamian, (Ed.), Handbook of Engineering Hydrology, Taylor & Francis/CRC Group, pp. 549-562, 2014. [CrossRef]
• P. Waterfall, “Harvesting rainwater for landscape use,” University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Publication, 2004.
• F. Boogaard, and S. Eslamian, “Water reuse and sustainable urban drainage systems,” in S. Eslamian, (Ed.), Urban Water Reuse Handbook, Taylor & Francis, pp. 37-44, 2015.
• S. Noor Islam, S. Reinstädtler, and S. Eslamian, “Water reuse sustainability in cold climate,” in S. Eslamian, (Ed.), Urban Water Reuse Handbook, Taylor & Francis, pp. 875-886, 2015. [CrossRef]
• L. F. Sanches Fernandes, D. P. S. Terêncio, and F. A. L. Pacheco, “Rainwater harvesting systems for low demanding applications,” Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 529, pp. 91-100, 2015. [CrossRef]
• V. Lazarova, and A. Bahri, “Water reuse for irrigation: agriculture, landscapes, and turf grass,” CRC Press, 2004. [CrossRef]
• R. Seymour, “Capturing rainwater to replace irrigation water for landscapes: rain harvesting and rain gardens,” in Proceedings of the 2005 Georgia Water Resources Conference. 2005: The University of Georgia, Athens, pp. 1-4, 2005.
• J. Anderson, “The environmental benefits of water recycling and reuse,” Water Supply, Vol. 3(4), pp. 1-10, 2003. [CrossRef]
• T. Biggs, and B. Jiang, “Soil salinity and exchangeable cations in a wastewater irrigated area, India,” Journal of Environmental Quality, Vol. 38(3), pp. 887-896, 2009. [CrossRef]
• M. E. Jensen, “Water Consumption by Agricultural Plant,” in Water Deficits in Plant Growth, T. T. Kozlowski, (Ed.), Academic Press, p. 1-22, 1968.
• N. Matheny, L. Costello, and D. Kelley, “Overview of recycled water quality and landscape plants, in California Plant and Soil Conference,” California Water: Balancing Quality and Quantity. 2015: Fresno, CA. pp. 46-53.
• H. Eşbah Tunçay, “Suya duyarlı şehirler,” Türkiye Su Enstitüsü, 2021.