Evaluation of Rainwater Harvesting on Residential Housing on Virginia Tech Campus

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dc.contributor.authorMcCloskey, Taraen
dc.contributor.committeechairCampbell, James B. Jr.en
dc.contributor.committeememberKennedy, Lisa M.en
dc.contributor.committeememberSforza, Peter M.en
dc.contributor.departmentGeographyen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:36:09Zen
dc.date.adate2010-05-27en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:36:09Zen
dc.date.issued2010-04-29en
dc.date.rdate2010-05-27en
dc.date.sdate2010-05-13en
dc.description.abstractRainwater harvesting (RWH) refers to the collection of rainwater for subsequent on-site use. Rainwater is most often used for non-potable purposes including toilet flushing, laundering, landscape and commercial crop irrigation, industry, fire fighting, air-conditioning, and vehicle-washing. This study evaluates the potential impacts of RWH on residential housing on Virginia Tech campus in southwestern Virginia in regards to potable water offset, energy conservation, stormwater mitigation, carbon emission reduction, and financial savings. Potential rainwater collection was estimated from three simulations used to approximate the maximum, average, and minimum range of annual precipitation. Collected rainwater estimates were used to calculate the impacts on the areas of interest. Cumulatively, the sample buildings can collect 3.4 to 5.3 millions of gallons of rainwater — offsetting potable water use and reducing stormwater by an equivalent amount, save 320 to 1842 kWh of energy, and reduce carbon emissions by 650 to 3650 pounds annually. Cumulative savings for the nine buildings from combined water and energy offsets range between $5751 and $9005 USD, not substantial enough to serve as the sole basis of RWH implementation on campus. A significant advantage of RWH relates to the management and improvement of the Stroubles Creek watershed in which the majority of the campus sits. Additionally, RWH implementation would benefit sustainable initiatives and provide Virginia Tech additional opportunities for conservation incentives and environmental stewardship funding.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.identifier.otheretd-05132010-145818en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05132010-145818/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/42647en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartMcCloskey_T_T_2010.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectenergy conservationen
dc.subjectBest Management Practicesen
dc.subjectfacilities infrastructureen
dc.subjectwater-energy nexusen
dc.subjectrainwater harvestingen
dc.titleEvaluation of Rainwater Harvesting on Residential Housing on Virginia Tech Campusen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineGeographyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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