Building Water Systems
Water, water everywhere,
WHICH drop to drink?
Tom Meyer
Director, Technical Programs
National Environmental Balancing Bureau
We are all water creatures
Water makes up:
60% of
your
body
70% of your brain
80% of your blood
Did you know?
While you
can go
almost a
month
without
food…
Your body can’t survive
one week without water.
Did you know?
The same water that
existed on Earth billions of
years ago still exists today.
It covers most
of the planet,
but just 3% is
freshwater.
And most of that is ice.
Less than 1% of
all freshwater
is readily
accessible for
human use.
To put it another way…
Less than 0.007% of all
the water on Earth is
available to drink.
(That’s one gallon in every 70,000 gallons)
Did you know?
What’s Going on
With Existing
Fresh Water Supplies?
20–30% of clean water put into
the local distribution system is
lost before it gets to your
building.
(50% if it’s an older system.)
25% of the clean water
that enters your home…
…is used to flush toilets.
15% of the clean water
that enters your home…
…is used at your faucets.
One toilet flush uses up
to 3 gallons
One load of laundry uses
up to 40 gallons
One 10-minute shower
uses up to 50 gallons
Brushing with the tap
running: 4 gallons
Brushing with the tap off:
0.25 gallons
Did you know?
th
20
In the
Century the
world’s population tripled.
th
20
In the
Century the
water use grew 6 times
Did you know?
Millions of people in the
world live on less than
3 gallons each day
The average American
uses about 160 gallons
Conventional Wisdom:
We are going to run out of water
before we run out of oil.
Due to over-pumping, the
groundwater in several
countries is almost gone.
Depleted aquifers lead to
cutbacks in grain
harvests…
…which lead to more
food shortages and
higher prices.
Our water problem
could fast become
our hunger problem
Did you know?
Industry is
thirsty…
Agriculture is
thirsty…
Humanity is
thirsty…
When the well is dry, we
know the worth of water.
- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1746
Why should we worry?
Now you know why.
This is not a future
generation’s problem
This is a now generation’s
problem
300-Year Drought Was Downfall of Ancient Greece
- Study published in PLOS ONE
In the last five years, nearly every region of
the country has experienced water shortages.
- US EPA
World Water Day: A forceful reminder that
the U.S. is running out of fresh water
- The Washington Post
Freshwater Crisis
- National Geographic
Major U.S. Cities Are at Risk for Climate-Related Water Shortage
- Bloomberg
How do we make a finite
resource meet our
needs?
Reduce Freshwater
Consumption
• Eliminate waste
• More efficient systems
• Use non-potable water where possible
Eliminating Waste
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Leaks/drips
Running water until it heats up (200-300 g/month)
Oversized toilet tanks (oversized → 1.6 → 1.3-0.8 g/flush)
No flow restrictors (500 g/year)
Landscape irrigation (overwatering)
Other ideas?
More Efficient Systems
1.
2.
3.
4.
Toilets/Urinals
WaterSense
Flow restrictors – lavs, showers, etc.
Machines – Washers, dishwashers, etc.
Other ideas?
Overview of
Water Systems
Used to be: 2-pipe system
1.
2.
Pressurized potable water - IN
Unpressurized wastewater - OUT
Now:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Potable water
Rainwater
Greywater
Black water
Reclaimed water
What are these different
kinds of water?
Potable water
Potable water
Sources
• Ground Sources – groundwater, hyporheic zones and aquifers
•
•
•
•
•
Precipitation
Fresh Surface Water
Biological Sources
Seawater Desalination
Atmosphere
Non-potable water
Non-potable water
1.
2.
3.
4.
Rainwater
Greywater
Blackwater
Reclaimed water
Purpose of non-potable
water systems
To reduce the use of
potable water.
Potential uses for
non-potable water
systems
Rainwater
Rainwater Harvesting
Catching and holding rain where it falls and using it.
Rainwater Uses
Reduces flooding, erosion and contamination of
surface water with sediments, fertilizers, and
pesticides in rainfall runoff.
Rainwater Uses
Rainwater is good for plants because it is free of
salts and other minerals that harm root growth.
As rainwater percolates into the soil, it forces
salts down and away from the roots zones,
allowing roots to grow better and making plants
more drought tolerant.
Rainwater Concerns
Water Quality
• Impurities in the air in industrialized/urban
areas such as arsenic and mercury.
• Bird droppings, dust and other impurities.
• Generally, not considered potable in the US
Rainwater Concerns
What’s wrong in this photo?
Rainwater Uses
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lawn and Garden Irrigation
Toilet Flushing
Washing Livestock
Car Washing
Indoor Plant Watering
Pet and Livestock Watering
Evaporative Coolers
Rainwater Systems
• Simple as any container capable of holding
rain from a roof or a patio with a bucket or tap
• Complex as a designed underground complex
of specially designed containers with pumps
Rainwater Systems
Rainwater Systems
Rainwater Systems
Did you know?
Rainwater systems
have been around for
a long, long time.
Greywater
Greywater Defined
“Wastewater collected separately from a sewage
flow that does not contain industrial chemicals,
hazardous wastes, or wastewater from toilets.”
Greywater Sources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Shower/tub
Laundry *
Kitchen Sink *
Dishwasher *
Lavatory Sink
Utility Sink
Swimming Pool #
Evaporative Cooler #
NOT Greywater Sources
•
•
•
•
•
Toilets
Hazardous Waste
Biohazard Waste
Hazardous Chemicals
Laundry water from
Infectious garments
• Laundry water from
greasy or oily rags
• Antifreeze
•
•
•
•
Mothballs
Solvents
Oils
Petroleum based fluids
Greywater Advantages
• Reduction of potable water use
• Reduction of sewer
• Available irrigation water
• Less load on septic systems
Greywater Concerns
• Avoid human contact with greywater
• Avoid contact with greywater irrigated soil
• Do not irrigate food plants except citrus/nut trees
• Minimize standing greywater (no ponding)
• Do not use spray/misting irrigation – go for roots
Greywater Concerns
• Plants which thrive on acidic soil should not be
watered with typically alkaline greywater
• Use greywater on well-established plants, not
seedlings or young plants
• Less effluent = less reclaimed water available
• Do not store greywater unless treated first
Greywater Concerns
•
Accidental greywater-related illness
Number of people struck by lightning in
the US per year:
400
Number of people drowned in bath tubs
in the US per year:
344
Number of people with greywater
transmitted illness:
0
Greywater Uses
Irrigation, toilet flushing and other non-contact uses.
Greywater Systems
Early greywater systems consisted of nothing
more than a pipe going from the bottom of
the sink through the exterior wall to drain out
back pointed down a nearby slope.
Greywater Systems
Greywater Systems
1. Gravity-fed Manual Systems
2. Package Systems
Greywater Systems
1. Gravity-fed Manual Systems
2. Package Systems
Greywater Systems
1. Gravity-fed Manual Systems
2. Package Systems
Greywater Systems
Settling Tank
•
•
•
•
Solids and large particles settle to the bottom
Grease, oils and small particles float
Allows hot water to cool
Should be sized to hold twice the expected daily flow
plus 40%. (65% of domestic water used is greywater)
• Septic tanks are well suited for settling tanks
• Aerobic type tanks provide more oxygen than septic
• Pump out every 3 – 5 years
Greywater Systems
Disinfection
• Chlorine
• Iodine
Greywater Systems
Filters
• Simple as a cloth bag
• Complex as a multi-media filter
Determinants
• Amount of greywater
• Pressurized/non-pressurized
• Contaminants to be filtered
Greywater System Considerations
• How much greywater will have to be treated?
• How much area available to use greywater?
• What contaminants are present?
• What are the possible uses after treatment?
• What is the depth to water table?
Greywater System Considerations
• Soil type and percolation rate
• Climate suitable? Too cold?
• Permits required?
• Low cost/benefit ratio
• Inconvenience (high maintenance)
Greywater System Concerns
• Provide for overflow into the sewer system
• Storage tanks must be covered, sealed, secured
• Stored at least 5’ above the ground water table
• Pipes must be clearly identified
• Greywater must not run off homeowner’s land
• Flush out after 24 hours or filter/treat
Greywater System Concerns
Pump greywater into toilet bowl directly, unless the
tank is specifically designed for greywater use.
• Could cause flushing mechanism to fail
• Possibility of cross-contamination by backsiphoning.
Blackwater
Blackwater Defined
Blackwater Uses
Untreated wastewater is 99/9% water
(by weight)
Blackwater Systems
• Current effluent disposal:
• Ocean outfalls
• Other surface water discharges
• Deep well injection
• Separate sludge from “reclaim-able” water
• Other ways:
• Composting Toilet
• Incinerating Toilet
Incinerating Toilet
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gas or electric powered
Burn cycle takes up to 60 min
Immediate or stored disposal
Uses no water
Produces fine sterile ash
Requires bowl liner each use
Incinerating Toilet
“I expect that properly installed,
odors, noise and explosions are
not an issue.”
- Buyer’s Guide to Incinerating Toilets
Further Reading
• Loo and Behold! – Anurag Yadav, 2004
• Poop Culture – Dave Prager, 2007
• Flush!: The Scoop on Poop throughout the Ages –
Charise Mericle Harper, 2007
• English Heritage Dictionary – Lavatorium:
A communal wash area, sometimes a dedicated outbuilding or facility,
such as a basin or trough, used by monks.
Reclaimed Water
Reclaimed Water
sometimes called “Recycled Water”
But ALL water is “recycled”
PURPLE PIPE
Did you know?
California pioneered water reuse
for agricultural purposes in the
US dating back to 1890.
In 1912, landscape irrigation was
used at San Francisco’s Golden
Gate Park.
Reclaimed Water Uses
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Industrial Uses
Toilet Flushing
Agricultural Irrigation
Landscape Irrigation
Cooling Towers
Vehicle Washing
Cleaning Streets
Nurseries
Cooling Equipment
• Fire Protection
• Construction Dust Control
• Mixing of Pesticides
• Wetlands Restoration
• Flushing & Testing of Sewers
• Decorative Water Features
• Washing Livestock
• Commercial Laundries
• Concrete mix
Reclaimed Water
Cannot Be Used
•
•
•
•
•
Drinking
Bathing
Filling swimming pools, spas, misting
Directly on edible crops
Boiler feed water (except: extremely high quality)
Required warnings when
used for irrigation
IRRIGATION WARNINGS
IRRIGATION WARNINGS
IRRIGATION WARNINGS
Reclaimed Water Systems
PROBLEMS
Hazards of more than a
2-pipe system
•
•
•
•
•
Inadvertent use
Cross-piping
Contamination
Labeling problems
Equipment claims
Code Issues
– Inconsistent definitions
– Inconsistent allowed uses
– Catching up with “Green”
Review of
non-potable water systems
• Rainwater
• Greywater
• Blackwater
• Reclaimed water
Emphasis for Success
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cross-connection control
Public education
Responsible utility management
Responsive regulatory oversight
Control of pathogens
Control of organic and inorganic materials
contained in wastewater (the so-called
“emerging pollutants of concern” – EPOC)
• Acceptance of a “water is water” philosophy
QUESTIONS?
Building Water Systems
Water, water everywhere,
WHICH drop to drink?
Tom Meyer
Director, Technical Programs
National Environmental Balancing Bureau