Georgia Rainwater Harvesting Guidelines Manual

Georgia Rainwater Harvesting Guidelines Manual

If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. See our User Agreement and Privacy Policy.If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. See our Privacy Policy and User Agreement for details.If you wish to opt out, please close your SlideShare account. Learn more. You can change your ad preferences anytime. It depends on the individual skill set also. You can get help from research paper writing. Check out, please ? www.WritePaper.info ?The more time you have before the deadline - the less price of the order you will have. Thus, this service offers high-quality essays at the optimal price.This consensus document is the product of the parties listed below:Guideline Committee Members:Frances Carpenter, chair Bill GuinadeMax Rietschier Marvin RichardsBill Morris Tom CartyErnest U. Earn Bob FreemanDavid Freedman Phillip T. McCreanor, Ph.D.Randy Starr Eddie Van GiesenChris Kumnick Shawn HatleyRyan Meres Frank HenningGreg JeffersThe Guidelines Committee wishes to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to thoseindividuals who donated their time and effort to the development and production of this document. Specialthanks goes out to Eddie Van Giesen and Frances Carpenter for their efforts as principal authors and editorsof this document.Disclaimer and Notice:While the information presented in these guidelines is believed to be correct, the parties involved assume noresponsibility for its accuracy or for the opinions expressed herein.Rainwater harvesting in certain applications throughoutHarvesting (RWH) in its essence is the the state. The guidelines presented in thiscollection, conveyance and storage of document (Georgia Rainwater Harvestingrainwater. Rainwater collected from roofs is Guidelines) will assist regulators, rainwaternot “recycled water”, nor is it “gray water”.

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It systems designers and end users in rainwateris fresh water that is in abundant supply, and is harvesting best management practices. Thegenerally undervalued in the United States.ARCSAs primary mission is to promote rainwater catchment systems in the Americas April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 7 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Currently Rainwater CatchmentDesign and Installation Standards are beingdeveloped by a joint effort of ARCSA and theAmerican Society of Plumbing Engineers(ASPE). It is important to evaluateexisting site conditions of the project to ensurecompliance with state and local requirementsduring the planning phase.To assist in understanding the terminology ofRWH, a glossary of commonly used terms isprovided at the end of this document. April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 8 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Of that 3 percent most people in 2000. The population growth of 32.7is either locked in polar caps or hidden beyond million people in the 1990s was the largestthe practical reach of commercial technologies.In addition, all freshwater sources are “The city of Tucson, Arizona, onderived from either rainfall or snowmelt. Thiswater then makes its way into the ground, or it Tuesday became the firstflows into inland freshwater bodies or the municipality in the country toocean. Fresh water is a diminishing limited require developers of commercialresource, and though we cannot increase the properties to harvest rainwaterEarth’s supply of water, we can manage what for landscaping. The new water-supplies we have more effectively.We are using developments meet 50 percent ofwater as if it is an infinite resource, but it’s not.Shrinking fresh water suppliespresent the most urgent and potentially rainwater.

Water from a municipal source, an relieving, not replacing, some of the burdenexample of an indirect use of rainwater, comes placed on the existing public utilities especiallyfrom a spring or reservoir fed by rainfall and during times of drought and high demand.snowmelt, the ultimate suppliers of thesesources. Because the water runs across parking 2.2 Historylots and highways, through fields that may The collection and use of rainwater is not new.have been treated by pesticides, down storm Long before centralized water delivery andgutters, and into the lakes and streams, the treatment systems were built, our ancestorsmunicipal water authority has to treat the water knew that access to water was a basic necessitywith chemicals to kill pathogens and correct for for survival. Archeological evidence of RWHpH. Rainwater harvesting, an example of a techniques date back at least 4,000 years. Ruinsdirect use of rainwater, is not exposed to the of cisterns have been found in Israel, believedsame pollutants and therefore does not require to be from 2,000 BC. The concept of rainwaterthe same level of treatment as water which harvesting may date back 6,000 years (Gouldflows overland and underground before it’s and Nissen-Peterson 1999).collected. Public utilities have the addedburden of maintaining existing supply and In the 20th century, large-scale public waterstormwater infrastructure as well as designing systems were developed in industrialized During a Level 4 drought, virtually all outdoor water use is prohibited. A Level 4 drought is an “extreme drought,” with lake levels, stream flows and rainfall at or approaching the lowest levels in 100 years. In Georgia, a Level 4 drought was declared in 2007 for the northern third of the state, including the metropolitan Atlanta area. The declaration was made because rainfall in this portion of the state was more than 20 inches below normal (see totalrainfallmap.

html) in 2007 and 2008, and stream flows were far below normal across the state. April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 11 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Law in the U.S. Virgin Islands and 2.3 Current Usage ofmany other Caribbean Islands requires RWHdue to limited fresh water sources. Interest in RainwaterRWH in the United States and around the globe There may be as many as 250,000 RWHhas grown significantly in recent years due to systems in use in the United States (Kincade,d r o u g h t s a n d w a t e r s h o r t a g e s. RW H 2007). Texas, Virginia, Oregon, the state ofassociations are forming in countries all over Washington, and other states have developedthe world and many are now joining together in guidelines for designing and installing April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 12 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY In India, Zealand, Great Britain, Sri Lanka, India,since June 2001, the Ministry of Urban affairs Pakistan and othersand Poverty Alleviation has made rainwater are considerably farther along in theirharvesting mandatory in all new buildings with understanding and regulation of the use ofa roof area of more than 100 square meters and rainwater. Tucson, Arizona recently passed By August 2000, 36 percent of the Unitedthe nation’s first rainwater harvesting States was in severe to extreme drought,ordinance for commercial properties. Currently leading to widespread wildfires and othermore than 10 percent of New Zealanders rely drought-related damages (Natl Oceanic andon rainwater for their drinking needs (Abbott, A tmospheric Administration Climate of 2000 - September, U.S. Drought National Climatic Data Center, 16 October2008). In Australia 17 percent of households Figure 2.

3 Aerial Photo of Lake Lanier 2007 April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 13 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Recent drought conditions in the Southeast and in Georgia in particular have triggered manyAccording to David Stookesbury, state municipalities and governing bodies to placeclimatologist for the state of Georgia, the water restrictions on the use of municipal waterperiod between WWII and the late 1970s was ( F i g u r e 2. 1, S t a t e w i d e Wa t e r L e v e lan abnormally benign climatic period. Since Restrictions). In some instances outdoorthe late 1970s we returned to a more normal watering has been banned completely. Evenclimate pattern that involves greater year-to- more alarming is the possibility ofyear variability in temperature and rainfall. For implementing contingency plans for prioritizedcity planners, public water authorities and the use of municipal water supplies. RWH hasagriculture industry, this means increased great potential for supplying water for variousdifficulty in planning.In December 2008, lake been recently disputed over water rights in thelevels were near the all time low (Figure 2.2, Tennessee River. The aerial view of drought-Lake Lanier Level Diagram). As difficult as stricken Lake Lanier (Figure 2.3, Aerial Photothis is to imagine, there is a finite amount of of Lake Lanier, 2007) makes it clear thatwater in the lake. Once the water level goes actions must be taken to address water suppliesbelow the level of the intakes, there is no way in our State.to extract any more water until the lake isreplenished by additional rains, or until the Water conservation is in the minds of many ofintake is lowered, which could require our citizens and policy makers. Unlike otherdredging and large capital outlays.As a result,Water rights and water availability are our reaction to drought traditionally has notimportant and relevant topics today. Politics, been timely.

It is human nature to think thatindustrial interests, and environmental just because it rained yesterday that the droughtconcerns all play into this picture. The state is over. This is largely due to widespread lack April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 15 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Since itPublic attention tends to wane after significant contains no chlorine, rainwater israin events and sometimes after small ones.As a point of comparison, athe building. Although its which is approximately 350 times cheaper initial equipment installation costs ( can be significant, long-term costs GA2007WaterSewerRatesReport.pdf). are workable, given our circumstances. When calculating the of irregularities of rain events. “payback” for a residential or commercial rain harvesting system, costing in the thousands of April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 16 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Understanding how to implementmunicipal water. Perhaps it makes more sense these technologies is key in rainwaterto think in terms of the overall ecological harvesting as a viable safe supplement to abenefit gained from reducing demands on shrinking water supply.public fresh water supplies.For some individuals the satisfaction ofcatching the rain is motivation enough. Freshwater demands from ground sources (wells),both public and private can also be reduced byusing rainwater. It is worth pointing out that insome instances, the only thing preventing theloss of an established landscape during periodsof outdoor watering restrictions is a RWHsystem. For some residents, having the peaceof mind that their new or existing landscapewill survive and thrive is the only motivationneeded to install a RWH system. In the case ofsome businesses in some municipalities in theSoutheastern US, the ability to remain inbusiness has depended on a functioning RWHsystem.2.7 In conclusionWorldwide freshwater shortages clearlyindicate that immediate action must be taken toimplement RWH technologies.

RainwaterHarvesting has been practiced since ancienttimes. We know from history that local andregional droughts occur on a regular basisthroughout the world. We also know that manythousands of RWH systems exist throughoutthe US and that when they are properlydesigned and installed they are able to providemany benefits, most immediately to alleviate April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 17 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY It is absolutely facilities and homes. For example, the Energyfundamental to determine the reasons for Policy Act of 1992 requires that from Januarycollecting rainwater prior to designing any 1994 onward all toilets sold in the Unitedsystem. There are many reasons for wanting to States use no more than 1.6 gallons of waterhave a RWH system; however, three of the per flush, well below the 3.5 gallons per flushmost important reasons are: used by most American toilets (Energy Policy Act of 1992. Georgia’s average daily per-capita water consumption, excluding agriculture, isExamining these three areas (water estimated at 168 gallons compared with aconservation, stormwater runoff reduction, and national average of 153 gallons. Only oneGreen building) helps focus on the benefits of percent of this water is used for drinkingcollecting rainwater and establishes specific purposes (Benita Dodd, Georgia Public Policyparameters in designing a rainwater system.Water used for non-potable purposes does not3.1 Water Conservation require the same level of treatment as waterConservation practices are those that help us that must meet EPA drinking water qualityextend the usefulness of a specific resource. standards. In order to safely serve these needs,Water conservation makes good economic this water must have, however, appropriatesense and is sometimes law for private and quality. See Chapter 5 for more information on water quality.

April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 18 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY A RWHReduction system can act as a large sponge, absorbing andLow Impact Development (LID) is a design storing water for later use. Capturing rain and encouraging it to of 111% in the amount of impervious surface, April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 19 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Thesestormwater systems and (1)Rainwater is collected and rating systems arethus overwhelm creek used: 6 points based inand stream banks, sustainabilitycausing ongoing (2)Rainwater is distributed using a s t a n d a r d s.ecological degradation. NAHB,enters the stormwater drainage system can help the International Code Council (ICC) and thereduce peak flow volumes during these rain NAHB Research Center have initiated aevents and therefore lessen the environmental process for the development of an ANSIimpacts of these combined systems. standard for Green home building construction April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 20 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Storage capacityharvesting system is to balance the volume of needs to be sufficient to store water collectedwater that can be captured and stored (supply), during heavy rain events to last through drycompared to the volume of water used periods. Some residences might be constrained(demand). This volume of storage capacity that can be installedis easiest to understand if broken down on a due to space or costs. The following sectionsmonthly basis.The rainfall datadays. However, no measurable rain fell from for selected Georgia cities is found in TableSeptember 25th through November 4th, 2000 3.2, Major Georgia Cities Annual Precipitation. April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 21 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Obviously, ifcollection surface per inch of rainfall can be only one side of the structure is guttered, onlycollected during a rain event.

Some rainwater the area drained by the gutters is used in theis lost to first flush (see components, see calculation. A much more in depth Office, average annual rainfall in Georgiaanalysis of how to calculate potential harvested varies from a low of about 40 inches inrainwater is available through the ARCSA Montgomery County to a high of over 80website ( ) inches in isolated mountainous areas in thein their guidelines publication.In other words, regardless of the pitch or the water demand through the longest expectedshape of the roof, the effective collection April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 22 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Since these intense rainfall events apply to that area. Two different estimators ofare considered part of the cumulative annual monthly rainfall are commonly used: averagerainfall, the total available volume of such an rainfall and median rainfall. Taking the sum ofevent is rarely captured.Information on rainfall data ismonths of the year. Statewide average monthly available from numerous public sources, April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 23 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY The decision of whether rainwaterhistorically for the month in question, half of will be used for irrigation, non-potablethe time the rainfall was less than the median domestic use, or both, will factor into howand half of the time rainfall was more than the much water will be used, thus dictating watermedian. demand. April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 24 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Of this amount, 42 percent is usedsole water supply for a set of specific uses, indoors, and the remaining 58 percent is usedoverbuilding ensures a safety margin. This method of calculation is similar there will typically be a spike in volume used.to maintaining a monthly checkbook balance.

The difference between the summer and winterStarting with an assumed volume of water months will typically be the monthly outdooralready in the tanks, the volume captured each usage. It is shocking to many people when theymonth is added to the previous balance and the discover the vast volume of water that is usedmonthly demand is subtracted. Data and Currently the only approved application ofcalculations can be entered on an electronic rainwater in Georgia for indoor purposes arespreadsheet to enable the user to compare toilet and urinal flushing and cooling towerdifferent variables of catchment area and make-up. Although a number of states havestorage. It is suggested that perspective system approved rainwater for use in automatic clothesowners experiment with different variables of washers (washing machines), this is notstorage capacity and, if applicable, catchment permissible in Georgia.surface to find the desired level of comfort andaffordability for catchment size and storage Most American families flush the toilet ancapacity.If toilet146,000 gal of water annually, according to the flushing will be the sole usage of rainwater for April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 25 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Consciouslyconserving water (water-conserving plumbingfixtures, shorter showers, less outdoorirrigation, etc.) decreases the total demand.This results in more efficient use of ourresources and enables us to do more with whatwe already have. For information on residentialwater efficiency, visit the Water Saver Homew e b s i t e ( w w w. h 2 o u s e. o rg ), a v i r t u a lencyclopedia of water-saving tips, andAWWA’s drinktap.org consumer website.3.8 SummaryRainfall events are complicated and an indepthunderstanding of local rainfall is imperative.Those comtemplating designing or installing aRWH system should have an adequate amountof rainfall data, in order to properly size theirsystem (ARCSA GUIDE 2009, Chapter 8).

April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 26 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY April 2, 2009 DRAFT for Public Comment 28 of 58 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 DRAFT COPY Water quality from different from a roof surface, condensateroof catchment surfaces is a function of the from air-conditioningtype of roof material, climatic conditions, andthe surrounding environment (Vasudevan, (dehumidification) units2002). Common sense should prevail in collectively represents adeciding whether or not to collect water from a significant source of water in bothparticular surface. Care should be taken inconsidering how certain roofing materials that residential and commercialcome in direct contact with rainwater affect its applications. The amount of waterquality. Once again, the end use will ultimately that can be collected from anydetermine the viability of a given surface. The given indoor environment variesmajor roof surface types commonly found inGeorgia are listed below.