RegenerativeRainwater Harvesting Systems

Summer 2016Center for Sustainable Development

Ethan Rohrer

Rachel Warburton

RegenerativeRainwater Harvesting Systems

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to acknowledge all the people who advised and assisted us with this project. First, the staff of the Center for Sustainable Development, namely Sarah Wu and Allan Shearer. Sarah and Allan helped us every step of the way with this project. From making new contacts to guidance on how the project should be conducted, Sarah and Allan where always ready to give helpful insightful and input. Also, we would like to thank our faculty advisor Jason Sowell for his guidance throughout the project.

We would like to send our thanks to The University of Texas’s Office of Sustainability and Green Fee Committee, specifically Jim Walker and Karen Blaney. Without their help, we would not have been successful in producing findings that will affect the planning of the University’s future projects.We would like to thank the Master Planning Committee, especially Dean Frederick Steiner, for attending our final presentation and providing useful feedback that we were able to incorporate into this report.

Thank you to the staff of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center, specifically Michael Abkowitz and Phillip Schulze. Their in-depth tour of the Center’s rainwater systems allowed us to better understand the practical considerations of installing new systems on to existing infrastructure.

Thanks are due to Larrimie Gordon, Facility and Operations Coordinator for The University of Texas Athletics. He was able to provide us with insight on the current irrigation practices of the Athletics department along with tentative schedule and information regarding the construction of new facilities.

We would also like to thank Kasey Faust, Jason Sowell, Kate Catterall, Sarah Wu, and Markus Hogue for serving as judges in the Kinsolving cistern redesign competition.

Finally, we would like to especially thank Markus Hogue for all his help throughout the project. Markus was always available to meet with us whether it be to show us the University’s current and future rainwater harvesters, review simulation results, or to help us analyze the University’s current water usage. He was an invaluable asset throughout the duration of the project.

Once again we would like to thank all of the aforementioned people for their commitment and patience with us as we progressed throughout this project to the final solution outlined in this report.

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CONTENTSCONTENTS

9 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT

13 CHAPTER 2: IMPORTANCE OF RAINWATERHARVESTING

24 CHAPTER 3: AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS

28 CHAPTER 4: FEASIBILITY STUDY

37 CHAPTER 5: PROPOSED & FUTUREBUILDINGS

44 CHAPTER 6: DESIGN PRECEDENTS

50 CHAPTER 7: PUBLIC OUTREACH

57 CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSION

Executive Summary

This report presents the findings from the Regenerative Rainwater Harvesting Systems Green Fee project. The project was developed to investigate The University of Texas at Austin’s current rainwater harvesting systems as well as the potential for any additional innovative and cost-effective systems on Campus. In addition to determining the feasibility of potential new systems, the team also sought to engage with the general public and relevant campus stakeholders to determine the practical considerations for new rainwater harvesters. This outreach included meeting with the Master Planning Committee, Facilities and Landscape Services, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, as well as several others.

The rainwater harvesters currently installed on campus make use of pitched roofs to collect and store rainwater in cisterns. This non-potable water can then be used to irrigate the surrounding landscapes which reduces the University’s dependence on the municipal water supply. As the University continues to grow in the drought prone climate of central Texas, the benefits of drought resistant technologies, such as rainwater harvesters, have become increasingly recognizable.

In order to investigate potential locations for new rainwater harvesting systems on existing campus buildings, a rudimentary feasibility simulator was built by the project team using Microsoft Excel. Using this program, it was determined that the construction of rainwater harvesting systems on existing campus buildings are unlikely to yield a positive return on investment within the system’s projected lifetime. This is predominantly due the installation of dedicated irrigation water meters throughout campus. By using these meters, irrigation water is not subject to the city’s waste water disposal fee. With this reduced cost of water the initial installation cost of the system cannot be justified economically. More information on the development of this analysis can be found in companion paper Rainwater Harvester Feasibility Study: Technical Manual.

Once it was determined that existing buildings were not economically justifiable, the team began to investigate the University’s athletic facilities. Using the same feasibility simulator as before, the University’s football, soccer, and baseball stadiums show potential for economically viable rainwater harvesting systems due to their lack of dedicated irrigation water meters and large collection and irrigation areas. Furthermore, the construction of new campus buildings also offer the potential for cost effective rainwater harvesters. This is due to the fact that during the construction of a new building, much of the expense to add a rainwater harvester can be considered a sunk cost. Therefore, it is suggested that rainwater harvesters be considered during the design phase of all new campus construction. By designing buildings with rainwater harvesters in mind, architects are able to optimize both the system’s collection and irrigation areas and thus the system’s performance.

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT

The Regenerative Rainwater Harvesting Systems Green Fee project was developed to investigate the need for innovative and cost-effective water conservation practices within The University of Texas at Austin campus. Central Texas’ diminishing water resources are becoming increasingly vulnerable by pipe and pump processes that move precipitation through grey infrastructure. The implementation of regenerative rainwater harvesting systems could thus decrease the amount of water piped in from municipal sources by capturing rainwater to use for irrigation. The focus of this interdisciplinary, student led project, is to respond to the rising need for water conservation by investigating the potential for fiscally sound systems that can be appropriately incorporated into the University’s building systems. The project began with the hiring of two Graduate Research Associates (GRAs) —Ethan Rohrer, a first-year Mechanical Engineering student at the Cockrell School of Engineering, and Rachel Warburton, a second-year Landscape Architecture student at the School of Architecture. In addition to the GRAs, Sarah Wu, Program Coordinator for the Center for Sustainable Development, served as the project administrator and Jason Sowell, Program Director for Landscape Architecture, served as the faculty advisor.

The funding for this project came from the Green Fee Committee, a student led task force which was established in 2011 to “solicit, review, and award funds for environmental service related projects on campus” (The University of Texas at Austin, 2016). The Regenerative Rainwater Harvesting Systems project was awarded $60,000 for the yearlong project. In order to meet the general

Green Fee evaluative standards, the project was required to have publicity, education, and outreach considerations as well as provide a mechanism for evaluation and follow up after funding has been dispersed (Green Fee Committee, 2015).

The team met with a series of campus stakeholders and organized a comprehensive feasibility study of existing buildings and sites for potential cistern locations. Due to the findings from these studies, as well as the conversations held with stakeholders, the project goals were adjusted to better suit the University’s needs. The original proposal to highlight potential new catchment systems on existing campus buildings was modified to focus more on future campus developments and projects. This section will detail the original layout of the project, with brief explanations as to why some components of the layout have been altered to better suit the needs of the University.

The team conducted a fiscal feasibility study to determine five possible rainwater harvesting demonstration sites based on aesthetics considerations established in The University of Texas at Austin’s Campus and Landscape Master Plans, capture capacity and construction costs, and short and long-term fiscal feasibility. This study began with a roof analysis which distinguished pitched from flat roofs. Extra attention was given to campus buildings with pitched roofs because their external rainwater catchment system allows for easier integration with a rainwater harvester. here the GRAs were able to narrow down potential sites and compile a list of the specs for buildings with pitched roofs.

GREEN FEE PROGRAM

PROJECT GOALS

FEASIBILITY STUDY

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From here the GRAs were able to narrow down potential sites and compile a list of the specs for buildings with pitched roofs. Building specifications included building style, square footage, and waste water disposal fee. Next, a feasibility simulator was created using Microsoft Excel in order to provide an initial site analysis of potential rain water harvesters. This simulation allows users to easily estimate a potential system’s water savings and return on investment (ROI). Next, the GRAs were able to calculate site-specific capture capacity, produce ROI analyses, and create an initial budget for project implementation. More information can be found on the simulator in Chapter 4.

In addition to the feasibility study, the project team researched aesthetic considerations established in The University of Texas at Austin’s Landscape and Campus Master Plans as well as precedents from both inside and outside of campus. These considerations are outlined in Chapter 3. The team also looked to the guidelines for water conservation provided by the Sustainable SITES certification. Administered by the Green Business Certification Inc., SITES “offers a comprehensive rating system designed to distinguish sustainable landscapes, measure their performance and elevate their value” (The University of Texas at Austin, 2016). The manual states that “cisterns, if used, must be implemented in combination with other approaches.” In Table 1 has a few strategies that are compliant with this prerequisite and can be connected to the cistern’s overflow and/or first flush system (Thomas Cahill, 2012) (Calkins, 2011).

Strategy Benefits

Bioswale Conveys water, improves water quality, slows flow

Bioretention or detention pond

Remove contaminants and sediment from stormwater runoff

Turf-reinforced mat swales

Erosion control, allow vegetation to grow in difficult conditions

Stormwater wetland Collect and filter runoff, provide habitat

Level Spreader Converts centrally located water to sheet flow

Riparian Zone Riparian restoration

Table 1: Additional Water Conservation Practices

Within the Campus Master Plan, one of the Sustainable Strategies is to “improve resiliency of campus by preserving precious water resources and fostering over all of the campus.” Additionally, the Sustainability Themes section states it is the goal of campus to reduce water use by 20% with at least 40% of campus water coming from reuse or reclaimed sources. The chapter also states that following Sustainable Sites Initiative Guidelines for future campus landscape and exploring new opportunities to capture, filter, and reuse rainwater where it falls, is a continuing priority.

AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS AND STANDARDS

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PRESENTING THE FEASIBILITY STUDYThe project team presented the findings of the feasibility study to a number of campus stakeholders. In September 2015, the team met with representatives from the Office of Campus Planning and Facilities Management, Office of Sustainability, and Office of Landscape Services to discuss the project direction. The group discussed the importance of location for each cistern and the need to have differentiation with the cisterns on campus. Variables such as location, program, cost, and aesthetic efficiency define the design for each system. After presenting the feasibility research and explaining the low return on investment for existing campus buildings, it was suggested that the focus of the project be shifted to also include future proposed buildings on campus. The University has many future projects including the Dell Medical School, Frank Erwin Center, the South End Zone expansion at the Darrel K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, and new graduate student housing in east Austin. In conclusion, as water becomes scarcer as well as more expensive, the demand for regenerative rainwater harvesting will increase. This report emphasizes the need for The University of Texas at Austin to not only consider regenerative rainwater harvesting systems at present day, but to consider the potential impact the systems could have for years to come.

As a leader in many fields, The University has an opportunity to become a leader in sustainable and smart water conservation in order to prepare for future drought and flood events. The next chapter will explain the importance of water cisterns and rainwater harvesting on both a state-wide and site-specific scale, with regard to The University.

Key Points:

•This Green Fee project was developed to investigate the potential for innovative rainwater harvesting systems on campus.

•To analyze potential systems, a feasibility study was conducted along with analysis of the University’s Landscape and Campus Master Plan.

•Results of the study suggests that systems on existing buildings cannot be justified, but future buildings may show potential

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CHAPTER 2: IMPORTANCE OF RAINWATER HARVESTING

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Recent years of severe drought have brought focus to the need for water conservation. Through the Landscape Master Plan, the University has adopted a functional approach to campus ecologty. This chapter highlights the importance of rainwater harvesting at a campus, city and state-wide scale.

The University of Texas at Austin administration has recognized that water is a valuable resource that can be better utilized throughout campus. Because of this, one of the objectives of the Natural Resource Conservation Plan (NRCP), published by The University of Texas President’s Sustainability Steering Committee, is to reduce campus’ domestic water by 20% by August 2020. In addition to the water reduction goal, the NRCP states a goal that at least 40% of all campus water should come from reused or reclaimed sources (President’s Sustainability Steering Committiee, 2012). Although the University has been continuously making progress towards their goal, currently only 19% of campus water is from reclaimed sources (University of Texas Facility Services, 2015). This can be seen in Figure 1.

One easily attainable method of reducing reliance on municipal water supply is to better utilize rainwater on campus. This can be accomplished with rainwater harvesting systems that collect and store water in cisterns to irrigate landscapes (Texas Water Development Board, 2005). Currently, there are five cistern systems on campus, two of which serve dormitory gardens. These along

with other recovery methods are able to collect approximately five percent of the University’s total water consumption (STARS, 2014). Other methods of water recovery include the capture of AC condensate, swimming pool water, and laboratory equipment water.

The most recent cistern system installed on campus is located behind Belo Center for New Media (BMC), shown in Figure 2. Installed in 2012, the system consists of four 8,000 gallon tanks and is supplied by the building’s AC condensate as well as captured rainfall (Lawrence Group, 2016). The captured water is used to irrigate the surrounding landscape which primarily consists of drought resistant native Texas plants. This system allows BMC’s landscape to be completely independent from municipal water (Ten Eyck, 2013). Unfortunately, the system’s first flush filter was not properly installed during construction, and the system cannot be cleaned without first having major repairs. If the system is not repaired, the first flush diverter and will eventually clog, allowing debris to enter the pump which may lead to premature failure.

In addition to the system located behind BMC, there is a partially buried cistern located in the center of campus in the Student Activity Center (SAC) courtyard Figure 3. This cistern was designed to supplement the municipal water used to irrigate the surrounding landscapes. While not able to achieve the originally planned 12,000 gallon functional capacity, it is still able to provide approximately 8,000 gallons of storage for rainwater and AC condensate (University of Texas Facility Services, 2015).

RAINWATER HARVESTING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

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Figure 2: Belo Cistern

Figure 3 : Student Activity Center Cistern.

The smallest cistern currently on campus is located underneath the biomedical engineering building (BME), Figure 4, (Boyd, Drake, & Fitzpatrick, 2013). This system can collect up to 5,000 gallons of AC condensate. The water captured is then used to either irrigate the surrounding landscape or to offset the University’s cooling tower water losses

Figure 1: University of Texas Water Consumption per Square Foot (University of Texas Facility Services, 2015).

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Figure 4 : Biomedical Engineering Cistern(Boyd, Drake, & Fitzpatrick, 2013

The final two cisterns on campus are located outside of the Jester and Kinsolving dormitories, shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 respectively. These 9,000 gallon systems collect rainwater from the dorm’s roofs and store it to be used in the dormitory gardens (University of Texas Facility Services, 2015). The gardens, which are jointly managed by the Division of Housing and Food Service and student volunteers, grow organic and sustainable food for the dorm’s dining halls. These two systems are also unique because they are powered via solar panels and are completely independent from both municipal water and electricity (Cobler, 2014) (Cockrell School of Engineering, 2013).

Figure 5 : Jester Dormitory Cistern.

Figure 6 : Kinsolving Dormitory Cistern

Due to the ever present need to conserve water in Texas’ drought prone climate, Texas and the city of Austin have encouraged the construction of rainwater harvesters. These systems allow users to continue to irrigate in drought conditions and reduce demand on municipal water supply. Moreover, during the development of the University’s Sustainability Master Plan, a survey was conducted to investigate students, faculty, and staff’s opinions on various sustainable practices. The results of the survey, Figure 7, show that many of the issues that rainwater harvesters address are also considered a high priority. Therefore, the installation of additional rainwater systems on campus may be an appropriate response to the University’s water conservation goal (UT Austin Sustainability Master Plan, 2015)

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In addition to The University of Texas at Austin’s main campus, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (JWC) strives to reduce the use of municipal water to irrigate their 279 acres of native Texas landscape. Rainwater is captured from JWC’s rooftops and is stored in various cisterns, totaling 68,000 gallons.

Unfortunately during dry summer months the rainwater system is not able to meet the landscape’s irrigation demand, and groundwater from the Middle Trinity Aquifer is pumped to the cisterns.

RAINWATER HARVESTERS AT THE LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER

Figure 7: Survey results for rainwater harvester issues (UT Austin Sustainability Master Plan, 2015)

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When both rainwater and groundwater extraction fall short of the required needs of the landscape, JWC also has the ability to use municipal water for irrigation (Abkowitz, 2015). Although there are several cisterns already in place, there are many projects that can be completed to reduce JWC’s reliance on both municipal and groundwater. The site’s irrigation setup is shown in Figure 8 (O’Connell Robertson, 2015).

The largest storage tanks on site are two 20,000 gallon above ground cisterns. These cisterns are located in the back of the site and feed the main irrigation loop. Because JWC’s groundwater permit specifies a maximum extraction rate that is less than their irrigation needs, a large percentage of the cistern must be kept full for landscaping. This reduces the allowable headspace that can be left in the cistern and subsequently inhibits the system’s ability to effectively capture water from large rain events. This issue could be resolved by expanding the existing irrigation loop storage. Architectural consulting firm O’Connell Robertson, who prepared a report for the renovation of JWC, suggests that the cistern capacity be expanded

Figure 8: Johnson Wildflower Center Irrigation System Diagram (O’Connell Robertson, 2015).

to either 120,000 gallons, at an estimated cost of $115,000, or 250,000 gallons, costing $338,500 (O’Connell Robertson, 2015) .

The Tower cistern, shown in Figure 9, is a 10,000 tank that is connected to the main irrigation loop via a lift station. The water tank is encompassed by a Spanish mission style observation tower that provides a bird’s eye view of JWC (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 2016). Currently, the piping from the cistern to the main storage system is clogged and the cistern is filled with rainwater that cannot be accessed which keeps the cistern from being used in the main irrigation loop and thus reduces to capture large rain events (Abkowitz, 2015).

Every visitor entering JWC walks past the stone faced 10,000 entry cistern, Figure 10. This cistern is fed from collected rainwater that is conveyed via Roman-styled aqueducts. Unfortunately, because the cistern is neither connected to the main irrigation loop nor an independent pump, its use is considerably limited and any irrigation using this cistern’s water must be done by hand (Abkowitz, 2015).

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Figure 9: Observation Tower Cistern (Lady Bird Johnson Wildfl ower Center, 2016).

Figure 10: JWC Entry Cistern

O’Connell Robertson report proposes all cisterns at JWC be interconnected to the main irrigation loop to support greater use. This retrofi t could be completed at the estimated cost of $165,000 (O’Connell Robertson, 2015).

The newest additions to the JWC are those at the Little House Garden, which collects from the gift shop roof and requires hand watering, and the cistern at the Robb Family Pavilion, shown in Figures 11 and 12. This system collects water from the pavilion and irrigates the surrounding native landscape.(Abkowitz, 2015).

Figure 11: Little House Garden Cistern (Lady Bird Johnson Wildfl ower Center , 2016).

Figure 12: Family Garden Cistern (Meridian Solar, 2014).

Proposed improvements include increasing the rainwater catchment area to 300,000 square feet, projected to cost $430,000.The increase in collection area would allow for over 325,000 gallons of water to be collected during the summer months.

Finally, the irrigation controls between rain, well, and domestic water are managed by the staff manually. If these controls were to be automated, with an estimated cost of $43,000, the water sources could be dynamically managed to reduce the use of municipal water (O’Connell Robertson, 2015).

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In an effort to encourage a reduction in municipal water use, the City of Austin has introduced several programs that incentivize local businesses and citizens to participate in effective water conservation practices. These programs not only allow the city to better educate residents and businesses on the benefits of conservation, but also provide financial incentives that adhere to current best known practices (Austin Water Utility, 2016).

Financial incentives currently include initiatives for soil moisture meters, faucet aerators, pool covers, and watering timers for Austin residents. Businesses are able to receive compensation for upgrading commercial kitchens, cooling towers, and irrigation systems. In addition to rebates, the city offers a variety of educational programs to teach water conservation practices. These include lectures for school children as well as assessments, seminars, and audits for local businesses. While these water reduction practices significantly decrease the demand of municipal water, they are unable to capture useable water. This is why Austin Water Utility has also sponsored a rebate program for the installation of rainwater harvesters. This programs allows both business and residents to offset the construction cost of their rainwatercapture system. Rebates of $0.50 and $1.00 per gallon of cistern capacity are available for non-pressurized and pressurized systems respectively. The rebate can be claimed every year until either 50% of the construction costs or $5,000 are claimed. By taking advantage of the rainwater harvester rebate, the new Austin Community College (ACC) Highland campus was able to install two 23,000 gallon cisterns on site (Stoll, 2014), shown in

Figure 13. These cisterns are able to collect both rainwater and air-conditioning (AC) condensate, this water is then used in the building’s water efficient toilets as well as makeup water for cooling towers (Austin Community College, 2015). By using these, as well as other, resource efficient practices, the Highland campus was able to achieve LEED Gold certification.

Figure 13: ACC Highland Rainwater Cisterns (Austin Community College, 2015).

In addition to ACC, several other Austin area institutions are installing cisterns on their property. For example, Austin’s Small Middle School Green Tech Academy currently makes use of a 6,500 gallon cistern for their native plant gardens and landscapes Figure 6 (KXAN News, 2015).

The Lower Colorado River Authority’s (LCRA) Redbud Center has received Gold LEED certification and utilizes a 31,100 gallon cistern to collect rainwater to flush their water efficient toilets as well as irrigate the surrounding landscape. With this design, Figure 14, the Redbud Center was able to achieve the Texas Rain Catcher Award from the Texas Water Development Board (Austin Energy Green Building, 2008).

RAINWATER HARVESTING IN AUSTIN

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Figure 14: LCRA Redbud Center Cistern System (Austin Energy Green Building, 2008).

These programs, as well as their wide spread adoption by both residential and commercial property owners, demonstrate that saving water is a priority for both the City of Austin, as well as countless Austinites.

The 2010-2013 drought, highlighted in Figure 15, saw nearly all of Texas in prolonged exceptional drought conditions (Tinker, 2011). The city of Wichita’s water supply from Lake Arrowhead was nearly dry (Douglas, 2015), Texas ranchers had to cull their herds to historic lows (Peters & Eckblad, 2012), and Lake Travis’ water level was 50 feet below normal (Lakes Online, 2016). These widespread extreme conditions caused many municipalities across Texas to enact aggressive conservation policies, such as the banning of car washing and landscape irrigation, the collection of water used in the shower and laundry, and even the construction of a new “Toilet-to-Tap” facility in Wichita Falls (Hargrove, 2014). While droughts will continue to be a part of life in Texas, many people are turning to rainwater harvesters as a

way to become better drought tolerant and reduce demand on the municipal water supply.To mitigate the impact of future droughts, Denton County installed a 40,000 gallon rainwater collection system for their County Administrative complex in Denton, Texas. This system collects water from the building’s metal roofs and stores it in one of four cisterns, Figure 16. The water is used to irrigate native wildfl owers and landscape throughout the property. With this design, the Administrative complex was able to receive the LEED silver rating (Texas Water Development Board, 2011).

RAINWATER HARVESTING IN TEXAS

Figure 15: Texas drought conditions October 2011 (Tinker, 2011).

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Figure 16: Denton County Administrative Complex rainwater cistern (Texas Commercial Glas Concepts L.P., 2011).

The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District headquarters, Figure 17, located in Conroe, Texas, has recently renovated their facility to highlight how groundwater can be better managed through low- impact development practices.Public education is especially critical because local groundwater withdrawal is already equal to replenishment rate, and the city’s population is expected to continue to grow (Kuhles, 2006).

Figure 17: Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District headquarters (Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, 2016).

Because of this, the new headquarters features exhibits such as a comparison of material infiltration rates, xeriscape gardens, and a detention pond (Texas A&M College of Architecture, 2013). The site also features four 2,500 gallon above ground cisterns that capture rainwater from the building’s roof as well as a 15,000 gallon underground cistern that collects surface runoff from the parking lot by way of a gravel-filled arroyo (Texas Water Development Board, 2012).

The Texas Department of Transportation’s Hill County Safety Rest Area, Figure 18, located outside of Hillsboro, is another example of successful rainwater harvester implementation. The two identical areas each collect rooftop rainwater and store it via a 20,000 gallon underground collection tank. This water is used to irrigate the rest stop’s indoor plants as well as the outdoor agrarian themed landscape. The rest area also educates the public by highlighting water conservation and rainwater harvesting on site, as well as encouraging personal water wise habits (Texas Water Development Board, 2014).

Figure 18: Hill County Safety Rest Area (Texas Department of Transportation, 2016).

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Although rainwater harvesters provide easy access to supplemental water, there are certain safety concerns that must be taken into consideration. The main concern with large scale pressurized systems is the potential for cross contamination with potable water. If this were to occur, the system could inadvertently contaminate either the municipal or building’s potable water supply.

To address this issue, the Austin municipal code along with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have established guidelines that must be adhered to before operating a rainwater harvester. The guidelines include the installation of reduced pressure zone backflow prevention assembly valves at all municipal water meters (City of Austin, 2015), as well as requiring that all rainwater pipes be identified with purple-colored piping and warning signs (Viola, 2012). Finally, cross contamination tests should be conducted regularly by a licensed professional to ensure that rainwater is not being mixed with potable water (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, 2015).If captured rainwater is to be used on edible plants there is a risk of microbial contamination. This risk is greatly reduced with placing captured water on the soil, instead of the vegetation, during irrigation.There is also a risk that rainwater captured from rooftops may contain copper, lead, or zinc contaminates. Fortunately, lead and copper are usually not dissolved in the water and are found in concentrations similar to water captured directly from air. 2009). Zinc levels in the soil should be monitored because high concentrations can cause phytotoxicity and inhibit plant growth (DeBusk, Hunt, Osmond, & Cope, 2009).

Finally, all cistern access points should be covered with netting to prevent mosquito breeding (Texas Water Development Board, 2005)

Key Points:

•Rainwater harvesters are an effective way to irrigate in drought prone central Texas.

•Many institutions, including The University of Texas at Austin, are currently using rainwater harvesters.

•Rainwater harvesters may be able to help the University meet its goal of reducing domestic water use.

REGULATIONS AND SAFETY CONCERNS

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CHAPTER 3:AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS

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In addition to referring to existing examples, mentioned in the previous chapter, those designing a new system for The University of Texas at Austin should consider aesthetic and material guidelines listed in The University of Texas at Austin Campus Master Plan. In order to maintain consistency with the design and aesthetic of The University of Texas at Austin, outlined under the General Guidelines chapter of The University of Texas at Austin Campus Master Plan, it is imperative to consider the University’s existing material palette and building typology when planning to design any rainwater harvesting systems, particularly those above ground (The University of Texas at Austin Campus Master Plan, 2012). This chapter highlights the materials used across campus and suggests that future cisterns utilize the same material palette in order to create cohesion between the systems and the buildings which surround them.

Since the University’s first building was constructed in 1882 (The University of Texas at Austin, n.d.), many different building typologies have taken form. For example, the original historical “Forty Acres”, built between 1883-1930, is made of different materials and is of different scale than those built during the Modernist plan era, between 1945-1975. It is essential to take into consideration the history of each building in order to properly design in conjunction with it. The series of diagrams at the end of this chapter demonstrate the aesthetic evolution and conditions of the campus, Figures 18-20. Included in the Campus Master plan are the “Ten Enduring Principles for Building on the UT Austin Campus”.

As outlined by Principle 6, “The broad palette of materials already employed on the campus should be used as a source book for future material choices.” Table 2, shown below, outlines these materials (The University of Texas at Austin Campus Master Plan, 2012).

Material Type Ex. Location

Stone Fossiliferous Cordova Shell Limestone

Texas Union

Stone Cordova Cream Smooth Limestone

Student Activity Center Windows

Stone Monolithic Indiana Limestone Panels

Perry-Castaneda Library

Stone Large Format Cordova Shell Limestone panels

Harry Ransom Center

Brick Brown brick Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall

Brick Red brick Littlefield Home

Brick Yellow brick Gebauer Building

Brick & Concrete

Yellow brick,concrete

Woolrich Labs

Brick & Concrete

Pink brick, concrete

J.T Patterson Labs

Concrete -- Communication Building

Metal -- Student Activity Center

Terra Cotta -- Liberal Arts

Table 2: The University of Texas at Austin Material Palette

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN MATERIAL PALETTE

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Figure 18: University of Texas at Austin Building Materials (The University of Texas at Austin Campus Master Plan, 2012).

Figure 19: University of Texas at Austin Landscape Types (The University of Texas at Austin Landscape Master Plan and Design Guidelines, 2014).

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Figure 20: Evolution of The University of Texas at Austin’s Campus (The University of Texas at Austin Campus Master Plan, 2012).

Additionally, the University of Texas at Austin Landscape Master Plan identifi es design guidelines for cisterns under the “Site Elements” chapter (The University of Texas at Austin Landscape Master Plan and Design Guidelines, 2014). Here it states “These structures shall be designed consistent with landscape and architectural context to which they are to be placed… Cisterns to be located in or adjacent to civic spaces, streetscapes, courtyards, and other parkland and creek landscape areas shall adopt materials, design vocabulary and

character of their immediate surroundings”.These landscape typologies can be identifi ed in Figure 19.

Understanding material choices and aesthetic considerations of the University, outlined by the Campus Master Plan, was essential before beginning the feasibility analysis phase of the project. Knowing the scale and design of each campus building allowed for a greater understanding of the needs for each potential cistern location.

Key Points:

•Understanding the material choices and aesthetic considerations of the University, outlined by the Campus Master Plan, is necessary to design a system that seamlessly integrates with the environment

•The architectural era and materials associated should be considered when designing an above-ground cistern to match the building typology.

•Stone, brick, concrete, and specifi c metal types are the common materials on the University’s palette

•The University of Texas at Austin Campus Master Plan has identifi ed “Ten Enduring Principles for Building on the UT Austin Campus”. These should act as guiding principles for any future cistern design.

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CHAPTER 4:FEASIBILITY STUDY

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While there are several different rainwater harvester configurations used throughout the world, many of them contain the same critical components. This section briefly describes a typical rainwater harvester system and its components shown in Figure 21. More information on any of these components can be found in the Texas Water Development Board’s Manual on Rainwater Harvesting (Texas Water Development Board, 2005).

The most recognizable collection area for a rainwater system is a building’s pitched roof. Rainwater coming off buildings is relatively free of debris and is easily concentrated by a conveyance

Figure 21: Typical rainwater harvester system.

system. This large, mostly impermeable, area allows for considerable amounts of rainwater to be collected and used for irrigation. After rainwater lands on the collection area, it is collected and transported via the conveyance system. This system, which consists of gutters and downspouts, accumulates the rainwater and carries it toward the cistern. Before reaching the cistern it is advisable to have the water pass through a leaf screen to filter out any large pieces of debris such as leaves and twigs within the water. If debris were to enter the cistern it could obstruct piping or damage the pump, either of which could reduce system efficiency or functionality. This screen must be manually cleaned or replaced on a regular basis in order to prevent the filter from clogging.Once the rainwater passes through the leaf screen, it enters the first flush diverter, shown in Figure 22. When a rain event begins, the initial water entering the downspout contains the majority of the debris that had accumulated on the collection surface.

RAINWATER HARVESTERS OVERVIEW

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This device uses a stand pipe, with or without a ball valve, to discard the initial contaminated water while allowing all remaining water to pass into the cistern. The contaminated water is then slowly drained via a dripping hose bibb into a nearby bioswale or rain garden. Finally, the cleanout plug is regularly removed and the filter chamber cleaned of any debris buildup in order to maintain the filter’s effectiveness.

Figure 22: Typical first flush diverters(Texas Water Development Board, 2005).

After filtering, the debris-free water is transferred to the cistern. This storage tank holds the collected rainwater until it is needed for irrigation. The tank is usually opaque in order to reduce algal growth, and utilizes mosquito screens to prevent infestations. Well designed cisterns allow for easy accessibility for any maintenance or cleaning that may need to take place within the system’s lifetime.

When designing a rainwater harvester, there are several materials commonly used to fabricate cisterns. Fiberglass, polypropylene, galvanized steel, and even concrete are all viable options and are readily available from several suppliers.

Because the cistern is the most expensive component of the system, the water savings potential and return on investment is heavily influenced by the cistern size and therefore must be optimized for each system.

In addition to the rainwater supply inlet, there are additional pipelines connected to the cistern. The tank may be connected to municipal water should the tank run dry and need to be refilled. The cistern must also include an overflow spout that allows excess rainwater to be properly disposed of once the cistern is full. Possible methods of responsible overflow management include bioswales and rain gardens. Finally, the tank is connected to the irrigation system via a pump and controller. The system pumps water on to the landscape reducing dependence on municipal water.

In order to provide an initial site analysis of potential rain water harvesters, a rudimentary cistern simulator was built by the project team using Microsoft Excel. This program has been vetted by members of the University’s Landscape Services department and allows users to easily estimate a potential system’s water savings and return on investment by simulating the University’s current irrigation practices. The following section prevents the results of the analysis on various campus buildings. It should also be noted that this is a purely economic analysis and does not take the intrinsic value of resource conservation, SITES accreditation, or flood mitigation into account.

FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS RESULTS

30

Existing Campus Buildings

Using the methodology detailed in the companion paper Rainwater Harvester Feasibility Study: Technical Manual (Rohrer, 2016), several campus buildings were analyzed to determine their potential for new rainwater harvesting systems. The results, shown in Table 3, suggest that these systems are unlikely to provide a positive return on investment during a twenty year lifetime. The inability to construct a profitable rainwater system is mostly due to the installation of dedicated irrigation water meters throughout campus. These meters eliminate the irrigated area’s waste water disposal fee which reduces the cost of water by over 40%. With the reduced cost of water, the initial construction cost of the system cannot be justified economically.

20 year savings ($)

Water Reduction

Net Savings($)

ROI %

Grant Reqs.

50,000 15% 0 0

ADH 19,872.77 47% 22,088.20 -53

WAG 23,026.13 57% 10,182.23 -31

BIO 20,666.18 63% 8,116.91 -28

PAI 18,278.40 40% 21,013.50 -53

Table 3: Existing buildings feasibility results

Existing Athletic Buildings

Once it was determined that campus buildings were unlikely to meet the return on investment criteria, attention was turned to the campus athletic facilities. After meeting with the Athletics Facility & Operations Coordinator, it was determined that none of the athletic facilities have a dedicated irrigation water meters and thus are subject to the waste water disposal fee. This in combination with the large collection and irrigation areas suggest that rainwater harvesters could be a profitable investment.

Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field

The first campus athletic facility analyzed was the Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field (MMS).

Figure 23: Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field.

3,400 ft 2

296,016 ft2

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The 20,000 person stadium covers approximately 300,000 square feet and is centered around a natural grass multipurpose field, shown in Figure 23 (The University of Texas Athletics, 2013). By collecting rainwater runoff and subsurface drainage from both the stadium and field, the cost of the system could be recovered. Because the stadium is not designed to drain water as efficiently as a pitched roof, this analysis assumed an average collection efficiency of 50%. The results of the analysis suggest that the system’s capacity would most likely be determined by where the cisterns can be integrated into the stadium and not by the cistern size that would maximize the ROI. A system located at MMS also has the added benefit of capturing the field’s fertilizer runoff before it is able to enter the wastewater system. Capturing fertilizer before it becomes runoff reduces the nitrate levels in the water system. High nitrates levels can cause algal blooms which greatly reduce the water’s oxygen

concentration, thus suffocating river life (Biello, 2008). Figure 24 shows the system’s objective parameters as a function of cistern size.

Finally, more study must be done in order to better determine the potential system’s collection efficiency as well as what necessary precautions must be taken to effectively collect, store, and irrigate with water gathered from subsurface field drainage.

Figure 24: Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field system Parameters as a function of cistern size.

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UFCU Disch-Falk Field

UFCU Disch-Falk Field (DFF), shown in Figure 25, was also analyzed for potential rainwater harvester systems. Water may be collected from below the artificial turf field and from the stadium’s rooftop. These surfaces have a combined area of over 150,000 ft2 and could be used to irrigate the stadium’s surrounding landscaped areas. Because of the construction underway to replace the current surface parking with a parking garage, only the perimeter landscapes were considered in the analyses. These areas cover an area of approximately 41,000 ft2.

As with MMS, the collection efficiency of DFF was reduced to an estimated 50% for below grade rainwater collection. The feasibility results, shown in Figure 26, suggest that an above ground rainwater system with a capacity of over 25,000 gallons may provide a profitable return on investment.

Before any cistern construction, more work must be done to better estimate the potential rainwater collection efficiency as well as what special considerations must be taken due to the field’s artificial turf. Also, due to the highly segmented nature of the landscaped areas and current parking garage construction, the layout of the future irrigation system must be thoroughly considered to reduce installation costs.

Figure 25: UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

Figure 26: UFCU Disch-Falk Field System Parameters as a function of cistern size.

132,996 ft

33

Darrell K. Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium

The fi nal athletic structure that shows potential for a rainwater harvester system is the Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium (DKR), shown in Figure 27. During a rain event, the 466,000 square foot stadium drains the majority of the rainwater to the southwest corner of the stadium and into Waller Creek via two drainage pipes, Figure 28 By using the stadium’s existing rainwater management system along with a new capture area located on the south side of the San Jacinto dormitory (SJH), rainwater could be captured and transported across Waller Creek and used to irrigate the surrounding landscapes. The SJH system confi guration is shown in Figure 29.

Figure 27: Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.

Figure 28: Stadium Drainage Pipes (Nef & Richter, 2015).

Figure 29 : San Jacinto Irrigation Areas.

The collection effi ciency of the stadium has been reduced to a conservative 50%, given the stadium is not designed to effi ciently gather rainwater. Assuming this, a 30,000 gallon system would realize maximum return on investment, Figure 30.A system this size could be above ground in a similar manner to the rainwater harvester at the Belo Center or integrated into the proposed reconstruction of the stadium’s south end zone.

466,300 ft2

34

Although the initial results of the proposed DKR system are positive, more analysis needs to be prepared to more accurately determine the stadium’s collection efficiency. The current irrigation system layout must also be better understood to determine the cost of connecting each lawn to the proposed rainwater harvester. If the construction costs are lower than originally estimated, it may be more cost effective to have a larger cistern and to connect more landscaped areas to it.

The initial feasibility analysis on campus athletic facilities yields promising results. Because of their large collection areas and irrigation needs, rainwater harvesters offer a natural solution to the rising cost of water. Even with the positive preliminary results, a more detailed site specific analysis must be conducted before the installation of any rainwater system.

These results rely heavily on the system’s collection efficiency, and while it is reasonable to estimate a constant known value for pitched rooftops (Texas Water Development Board, 2005), this may not be the case for outdoor athletic facilities with complex geometry. To more accurately predict how the system will behave, the collection efficiency of each site must be experimentally determined as a function of rainfall intensity. Moreover, each site must undergo a more detailed estimation of site specific construction costs before being approved. Considerations such as extra pump houses, the collection of below grade water, and irrigation system connection costs were not considered in detail during this initial analysis.

Figure 30: Darrell K. Royal System Parameters as a function of cistern size.

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Key Points:

•The feasibility simulator takes into account a proposed collection and irrigation areas, cistern size, and cost of water to estimate the performance of the cistern over its lifetime.

•Due to the installation of dedicated irrigation meters throughout campus, the installation of rainwater harvesters on existing buildings is not likely to be economical. For this reason, the highest potential is in future buildings and future athletic expansion, such as beneath the new South End Zone.

•Initial analysis of rainwater harvesters on athletic facilities shows potential for significant water savings, but more work must be done to predict how the systems will behave.

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CHAPTER 5:PROPOSED AND FUTURE BUILDINGS

37

As The University of Texas at Austin continues to grow, there are increased opportunities to implement rainwater harvesting systems into proposed buildings and designs. Due to the relatively low cost of water, the installation cost of an underground rainwater cistern on existing buildings can easily outweigh the system’s potential ROI. By integrating underground cisterns into future building plans, the installation cost may be signifi cantly lower given the excavation will already be occurring during initial construction. Whether a new project involves a complete renovation or a brand new building, parking lot, or green space, it is important to consider integrating rainwater harvesting systems, either underground or above-ground, into the design. While adding cisterns may increase the overall cost, it is much less expensive to add them in the initial construction phase than adding them retroactively. This chapter will discuss the potential future opportunities on The University of Texas at Austin campus. Figure 31 outlines the future buildings in orange.

Figure 31 : Map of proposed and future Buildings

The Dell Medical School will soon be the fi rst medical school built from the ground up in decades (The University of Texas at Austin, 2016). Not only will it serve as a new face of the University, the Health District will become the key link between the University and the new Innovation district, connecting it to downtown Austin, shown in Figure32 (The University of Texas at Austin , 2013). The Health District is made up of three medical school buildings, all to be opened in summer 2016. Additionally, the Dell Seton Medical Center, opening in 2017, will serve as a cutting edge teaching hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center (The University of Texas at Austin, 2016).

Figure 32: Diagram of Medical District connecting the University to the Potential Innovation District (The University of Texas at Austin , 2013).

DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL

38

The three buildings within the Health District are adjacent to Waller Creek, which once served as Austin’s eastern border and now acts as an urban creek, often highly contained and surrounded by impermeable surfaces. Given the amount of channelization and impermeable surfaces, during large fl ood events Waller Creek often fl oods adjacent areas within hours. While the design addresses that the site is within the Waller Creek Floodplain, as seen in Figure 33, implementing cisterns in compliance with other storm water mitigation strategies such as bioswales, rain gardens, and infi ltration trenches would help to decrease the risk of fl ooding with the added benefi t of capturing water on-site.

Figure 33: Waller Creek fl oodplain in relation to the Dell Medical School (The University of Texas at Austin , 2013).

In addition to serving as a “catalyst for growth” and “an essential part of the health ecosystem”, the Dell Medical School and Dell Seton Medical Center have the opportunity to be catalysts for sustainable growth as well as an essential part of the natural ecosystem surrounding the site (The University of Texas at Austin , 2013).

The footprints of the proposed medical buildings range from 51,000 to 480,000 ft2. Given the signifi cant size of the buildings, and also the parking structures that will accompany them, there are[many future opportunities to capture rainwater in order to irrigate the medical campus as well as help prevent fl ooding of Waller Creek.

The parking structure for the Dell Medical School Program has a 28,000 gallon cistern, collecting water from the roof and reusing it for irrigating the western side of the medical campus. Should this system be successful, The University of Texas at Austin could incorporate this model into all future and proposed parking garage structures seen in Figure 34.

Figure 34: Future proposed parking garages (The University of Texas at Austin , 2013).

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As for the rest of the Dell Medical School campus, construction has already begun for the first three buildings and above ground cisterns would likely yield highest ROI. Underground as well as parking garage cisterns may have a higher ROI for future buildings and parking structures.

The integrating of water cisterns into the residence halls can be a beneficial educational experience for the students who reside there. For example, the above-ground cisterns located at the Kinsolving and Jester Dormitories are used by the students of those dorms to water their communal gardens. Both tanks are visible from several dorm rooms and the Kinsolving cistern serves as a central point for the residence hall’s courtyard. While the plans for future residence halls are only briefly described in the Campus Master Plan, there are a few potential locations for rainwater harvesting systems within them. Figure 35 shows the preliminary housing proposals from the Campus Master Plan.

Figure 35: Preliminary housing proposals (The University of Texas at Austin Campus Master Plan, 2012)

Creekside Dormitory

The new design for Creekside Dormitory will include 342 beds on five levels as well as communal spaces such as study rooms, lounges, and a cafeteria (The University of Texas at Austin Campus Master Plan, 2012). Given its adjacency to Waller Creek and Dean Keeton Road, which often flood, this dormitory location is highly vulnerable to flooding. While there are no set blue-prints for Creekside Dormitory, it is suggested that a series of storm water mitigation techniques be incorporated into the design to reduce flood risk and increase on-site water capture. The green space that links the dorm to Waller Creek could serve as a floodable zone during large storm events, decreasing the risk of the building flooding. Additionally an underground cistern could be used to capture the rainwater from the Creekside roof to which would decrease the amount of water going into the creek that contributes to flooding.

Guadalupe Dormitory

The proposed dormitory facing Guadalupe Street, like the Creekside dormitory, has no blue-prints or designs have been proposed for the dorm, but given the amount of courtyard and green space surrounding the buildings it could be beneficial to implement a series of cisterns to irrigate with the surrounding landscape. Additionally, given the adjacency to Guadalupe Street, an aesthetically appropriate above-ground cistern could serve as a public face for sustainability on the University’s campus.

FUTURE RESIDENCE HALLS

40

Additional Proposed Residential Halls

The proposed residential halls on Dean Keeton Road, Robert Dedman Drive, and in the Medical District all hold high potential for the implementation of rainwater harvesting systems given their proximity to Waller Creek. It is suggested that as plans for these buildings further develop water cisterns, both above and under-ground are thoroughly considered, not only to help the University meet it’s 2020 sustainability goals, but to set an example to the students living in and around the dorms.

Included in the East Campus Master Plan is a proposal for new graduate student housing which is projected to be adjacent to other University facilities on the east side on I-35, including UFCU Disch-Falk Field and a new parking garage. The proposed East Campus Master Plan can be seen Figure 36. The current plan, designed by Lake Flato Architects is a semi-urban courtyard-design. Within the 350,000 square foot unit will be a mix of townhouse-style housing as well as 4 level units, totaling in 750 beds, along with retail and commercial space on the ground level (Yaden, 2016).

The goal of the project, scheduled for completion in 2018, is to build community and identity for the residents. Due to the existing waste infrastructure that would need to be upsized to implement water collection, there is currently no set plan to implement underground cisterns into the design. Since underground cisterns proved to be too costly, it is suggested that above ground cisterns are implemented to collect water from both the townhouse-style and 4 level units to irrigate the landscape. This should lower water costs, especially in the summer time. Unlike

undergraduate residence halls, these will serve as year-round housing options for graduate students and their families so the water use will inevitably be higher than conventional dormitories.

Figure 36: Proposed Graduate Student Housing (The University of Texas at Austin East Campus Master Plan, 2015).

The Frank Erwin center is a multi-purpose arena located at the southeastern corner of The University of Texas at Austin’s central campus, Figure 37. It serves as the competition arena for the University’s men’s and women’s basketball programs and also hosts myriad university events as well as concerts and shows. The facility opened in 1977 and has a total capacity of 16,540 seats. According to The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Athletics Master Plan, the replacement of the Frank Erwin Center with a new events center on or off campus is one of the major priorities for the athletic facilities. Figure 38 shows the potential relocation of the facility if it were to remain on campus.

FUTURE GRADUATE STUDENT HOUSING

FRANK ERWIN CENTER

41

Figure 37: Existing Frank Erwin Center Location (The University of Texas at Austin Texas Athletics Master Plan, 2016)

Figure 38: Proposed new arena location (The University of Texas at Austin Texas Athletics Master Plan, 2016)

The preferred location, identified in the Athletics Master Plan, should accommodate a structure as large as 700,000 square feet.

Regardless of the future location, the main goals listed for the facilities are to be best-in-class,

flexible, cost-effective, efficient and sustainable. In order to achieve sustainability as well as cost-effectiveness, an underground cistern could be considered to be constructed below the future arena. Given the proposed seat capacity and facility needs, the roof for the arena will have the potential to collect large quantities of water during storm events. In the event the future arena is built on campus at the location identified in the Athletics Master Plan, capturing the water from the roof would not only contribute to irrigating the adjacent landscape but would also help to reduce storm water runoff going into Waller Creek, which may help alleviate the flooding which can occur to the west of Mike Meyers Field.

As the University continues to serve as a leader in many fields, it is essential to integrate sustainable strategies, such as regenerative rainwater harvesting systems, into the future designs and plans. As this chapter has shown there are ample opportunities within the next decade for the University to become a leader in sustainability initiatives. The future design of rainwater harvesting systems will showcase that there are creative and innovative solutions that mot only serve ecological and economic functions, but can be a symbol of the University’s commitment to sustainability while providing multiple functions.

The following chapter identifies successful design precedents which have integrated these systems. The precedents range in scale and size but all have showcased the successful implementation of water cisterns, both above and below ground.

42

Key Points:

•The installation of rainwater harvesters during the initial construction of new buildings may significantly reduce the effective cost of the system

•Several proposed campus buildings, such as the Dell Medical School, Frank Erwin Center, and new dormitories, could integrate rainwater harvesters to reduce municipal water use.

•Given the amount of future parking garages, there is high potential in implementing cisterns within them such as that at Dell Medical School. The cisterns within each parking garage could irrigate surrounding landscape as well as prevent flooding adjacent to the garage.

•While the East Campus Graduate Student Housing is in the initial design phase, more research should be done to evaluate the possibility of cisterns to irrigate the landscape surrounding the housing units.

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CHAPTER 6:DESIGN PRECEDENTS

44

In order to design aesthetic and site-appropriate regenerative rainwater harvesting systems, it is necessary to look at precedents for inspiration. This chapter outlines precedents at two scales. The first section presents precedents at universities similar in population and geographic size to The University of Texas at Austin while the second identifies examples which are innovative and go beyond the norm of cistern design. The following chapter identifies successful design precedents which have integrated these systems. The precedents range in scale and size but all have in common the implementation of water cisterns, both above and below ground.

These universities, having a comparable student population size as well as academic esteem, have led the way in regenerative rainwater harvesting. The University of Texas at Austin has the opportunity to emulate, or improve upon, these designs to become a leader in water conservation.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) utilizes a series of underground cisterns to supply toilets as well as irrigate their green roofs and fields. The examples at UNC demonstrate that cisterns do not have to be visible in order to be

The system located in Ram’s Head Plaza, adjacent to the football stadium, diverts a portion of rainwater runoff from the adjacent recreation and dining buildings to a 56,000 gallon cistern which is placed under the walkways and planters in front of the buildings. The cistern is connected to the collection surfaces via nine downspout nozzles and surface inlets with water quality inserts. Should

the cistern become full,excess rainwater flows into a river-stone gravel layer beneath the remainder of the plaza. Rams Head Plaza is shown in Figure 39 (Andrew Potts, 2007).

Figure 39: Ram’s Head Plaza at the University of North Carolina (Andrew Potts, 2007).

Also located at UNC, the Genome Science building drains roof collected rainwater into a 350,000 gallon stone filled cistern that is positioned below an outdoor amphitheater, Figure 40. The water is used to supply the building’s toilets, as well as irrigate the nearby baseball stadium. This setup requires significantly more plumbing within the Genome Science Building because it be directly integrated to the stadium’s plumbing (Lafaro, 2016).

Figure 40: University of North Carolina Genome Science building and amphitheater (Lafaro, 2016).

PROJECTS AT PEER UNIVERSITIES

45

Nearly every athletic field on The University of North Carolina’s campus has an infiltration bed beneath it, which allows storm water to filter through gravel to recharge groundwater and maintain stream flow, Table 6 (UNC Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, 2014). UNC has also installed an innovative rainwater system under the Boshamer Stadium parking lot. Whereas most systems are only backed up with municipal water, it is possible for this cistern to be refilled with water captured from other rainwater harvesters on campus thus increasing the system’s effectiveness (UNC Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, 2014).

Location Size (gal) Year Completed

Use

Hooker Field 70,000 2002 Irrigation

Rams Head 56,000 2005 Irrigation

Global Ed. 54,000 2007 Toilets

Hanes Hall 60,000 2007 Irrigation

Bell Parking 360,000 2008 Irrigation

Boshamer 80,000 2009 Irrigation

Hooker Field 500,000 2002 Irrigation

Ehringhaus Fields

300,000 2006 Irrigation

Table 6: University of North Carolina cisterns and Infiltration Beds (Lafaro, 2016)

The University of Georgia

The University of Georgia (UGA) has 15 cisterns on campus, collecting 530,000 gallons of rain and condensate for reuse in campus buildings and landscapes, Table 7. Unlike UNC, the cisterns at UGA are a mixture of above and below ground systems. Some of the systems, such as the Jackson Street Building, Figure 41, and those at Residence Hall 1516, are used in the toilets and mechanical system makeup water. The cistern

located at Residence Hall 1516 not only collects water from rooftop runoff, but also from grey water collected from showers and laundry facilities within the dormitory. UGA also employs a series of underground systems that are used to irrigate the adjacent green spaces as well as a community and sculpture gardens (UGA, 2014).

Name Size (gal)

Type Use

Jackson Street Building

25,000 Above Toilets

Community Garden

3,000 Above Irrigation

Residence Hall 1516

30,000 Below Irrigation

Georgia Museum of Art

30,000 Below Irrigation

Special Collection Library

40,000 Below Irrigation

Double Bridges Farm

54,000 Below Toilets

State Botanical Garden

10,000 Below Irrigation

Butts-Mehre 200,000 Below Irrigation

School of Art 35,000 Below Irrigation

College of Pharmacy

15,000 Below Irrigation

Tate Student Center

75,000 Below Irrigation

Grounds Dept. 10,000 Above Irrigation

UGA Founders Garden

600 Above Irrigation

Coverdell Center

40,000 Below Toilets

UGA Memorial Garden

5,100 Below Irrigation

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Figure 41: Jackson Street building cistern at the University of Georgia (Discover UGA, n.d.).

George W. Bush Presidential Center

The 15 acre park at the George W. Bush Presidential Center is an innovative project located in Dallas, Texas. The project, designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, reflects former President Bush’s love of the native Texas landscape (George W. Bush Library, n.d.). The project focuses on collecting water from the site and re-using it to irrigate the native landscape. The storm water is collected and transported through a series of vegetated swales which combine into a wet prairie that not only removes sediments but slows water flow through various textured vegetation Figure 42. The prairie then conveys the water into a 250,000 gallon underground tank, where it is stored for reuse and irrigation. Overall, the center uses 90% of the storm water runoff and has earned LEED Platinum certification (Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., 2016)

This project showcases how The University of Texas at Austin could create a similar system that utilizes native landscape to collect water.

Figure 42: George W. Bush Presidential Center Garden Water Conservation System (Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., 2016).

Andropogon Projects

Andropogon, a landscape architecture firm based in Philadelphia, is committed to “designing with nature” and focuses many of their designs around innovative storm water management techniques (Andropogon, n.d.)

Most of Andropogon’s projects have incorporated rainwater harvesters into their design. Included below are images and diagrams from some of their other projects.

INNOVATIVE DESIGNS

47

Notable Andropogon projects are described below for insight and inspiration.

Shoemaker Green is a 2.75 acre public green at the heart of the University of Pennsylvania’s historic athletics precinct. The project transformed an existing paved surface which once held derelict tennis courts and narrow pathways to create a space that connected both east and west campuses as well as central campus to the athletic annex. The site is essentially a large rain garden, bordered by stone retaining walls that double as seating. The living system collects runoff from the roof and condensate of adjacent buildings and slowly

releases it into the soil under the main green. From there, the water is cleaned as it percolates through designed soils. The water is then sent to a recycled aggregate bed, supported by the infrastructure of the prior tennis courts. Any excess water drains to a larger cistern and is stored for reuse. The system also has an innovative five-year monitoring program which was developed by the University of Pennsylvania staff. Table 5 shows the various areas the monitoring program covers. Figure 43 and Figure 44 show the drainage of the site as well as the completed project (Andropogon, n.d.).

Figure 43: Drainage diagram and solar analysis of site (Andropogon, n.d.).

Figure 44: Shoemaker Green after construction (Andropogon, n.d.).

Category Parameters

Soil and Plants Carbon SequestrationNutrient CyclingCapacity to support programSoil Robustness

Water Evapotranspiration ratesEfficiency of irrigationStormwater quality and quantity

Social Behavior mapping Biophilic connectionsPeople’s perception of site

Table 5: Shoemaker Green Monitoring (Andropogon,n.d.)

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This quad at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, shown in Figure 45, collects both air conditioning condensate and storm water runoff from the adjacent buildings to create “efficient, inter-connected systems embedded in the urban fabric” (Andropogon, n.d.).

Figure 45: Thomas Jefferson University, Lubert Plaza (Andropogon, n.d.).

Finally, Drexel University Master Plan, Figure 46, demonstrates how to incorporate underground cisterns into parking structures.

Figure 46: Drexel University Master Plan, Underground Cisterns (Andropogon, n.d.).

The institutions and projects displayed in this chapter have successfully demonstrated the value of their rainwater harvesting systems. Kevin Kirsche, the Director of Sustainability at UGA, states that “[UGA’s] cisterns have proven invaluable in… maintaining key landscapes during dry conditions when outdoor potable water use is restricted… They also provide great opportunities for student engagement, especially when the tank is above ground, and create a culture of sustainability on campus – the systems offer passive education opportunities and [UGA] occasionally leads tours for classes and other organizations from both on and off campus” (Kirshe, 2016).

By studying large scale innovative projects for inspiration as well as what peer institutions have been able to accomplish, the conditions which create a successful system as well as potential benefits of rainwater harvesters can be better understood.

Key Points:

•Many peer Universities have successfully implemented rainwater harvesting systems to reduce their dependence on potable water.

•Numerous large scale innovative designs have been used to reduce a landscape’s water use even further than the typical small scale rainwater harvester.

•The University of Texas at Austin has the potential to be a leading university in the sustainable reuse of rainwater. Given the large amount of future projects, these innovative designs should serve as an example for how to implement projects of similar scale within the University’s campus to assist it in serving as a sustainable leader.

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CHAPTER 7:PUBLIC OUTREACH

50

KINSOLVING COURTYARD DESIGN COMPETITION

In order to highlight the University’s current rainwater harvesters, several campus community outreach events were held throughout the year. These events allowed the project to “initiate an educational campaign to engage the UT community” as directed by the Green Fee grant proposal (Center for Sustainable Development, 2015). By educating the community, the project encourages the public to learn about the Campus’s current and proposed rainwater systems as well as how individuals can personally capture and conserve water.

As a component of the outreach and campus engagement portion of this project, the team led a competition which focused on redesigning the Kinsolving Dormitory courtyard. The internal courtyard contains a 9,000 gallon cistern that is used to irrigate the herb and vegetable garden, which is then harvested for the adjacent dining hall. While the space is utilized by those dining outside, the cistern lacks integration into the site. The objective of the competition was to redesign the central courtyard by better integrating the site’s water cistern while maintaining the courtyard’s current social and agricultural function. Additional consideration was also given to designs that included an educational component and the participants had six weeks to create a board with their design. The judges, shown in Table 8, consisted of a diverse group of staff and faculty from The University of Texas at Austin. The group met and voted on the top two winners, which were awarded a cash prize. Figure 47 and Figure 48 are the final boards for the first and second place winners and a small excerpt on their project.

Name Field

Kasey Faust Associate Professor, Cockrell School of Engineering

Jason Sowell Associate Professor, School of Architecture

Kate Catterall Associate Professor, Department of Art and Art History

Sarah Wu Program Coordinator, Center for Sustainable Development

Ethan Rohrer Graduate Research Associate, Center for Sustainable Development

Markus Hogue Program Coordinator, Landscape Services, Irrigation & Water Conservation

Table 8: Kinsolving Design Competition judges

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“Our design pairs cisterns with a kit of parts that may be assembled in a multiplicity of ways torespond to each unique location, creating each time interactive ‘ vertical screens’ of plants that illustrate how water travels from the cistern to each plant bed and serve as colorful light shows when the plants are misted at night, making the cistern a spectacle from diff erent points on campus”.

Figure 47: Design for America, Texas Chapter: Saranya Kanagaraj, Piper Cain, Julio Correa, Connie Chang; fi rst place winner.

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“The redesign of Kinsolving Courtyard focuses on moving the cistern to a place of central prominence and integrating it into the daily functions and views of the site. By drawing on the aqueduct form for water conveyance to get from the catchment net and shade structure rooftop to the cistern, the process of moving water across the courtyard overhead becomes a central factor in shaping the space. The cistern is given a shell in order to create a more aesthetic approach while maintaining the protection from light to inhibit algal growth. The shell also allowed for the possibility of providing seating around most of the base of the structure, inviting interaction with the cistern.”

Existing campus cisterns and the basics of rainwater harvesting were also highlighted during the University’s Earth Day Carnival. During this event, shown in Figure 49, members from the CSD

were able to speak with several students about the importance of water conservation, what steps the University has done to safeguard this natural resource, and how water consumption can be reduced at home.

Figure 49: Center for Sustainable Development’s Earth Day table.

Figure 48: Aqueduct Alcove by Nic Odekon; second place winner.

EARTH DAY FESTIVAL

53

STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS

In preparation for the Earth Day Carnival, a scaled rainwater harvester model was constructed to demonstrate how cistern systems collect and store water, Figure 50. This functional model utilizes a flow rate sensor and micro controller in order to tally and display total amount of water saved on an LCD screen. With this prototype, the principles of operation as well as the value of cistern systems can be easily demonstrated to the public.

Figure 50: Model Rainwater Harvester.

During this project it was important to gather input from relevant campus stakeholders. Several meetings were held throughout the year to gain prospective and guidance on the project, shown in Table 9 and Figures 51- 53. From these meetings, insight on topics such as current and needed rainwater harvesters, campus irrigation practices, and aesthetic considerations were gathered.

By reaching out to stakeholders across Campus, the goals and desired outcome of the project as well design constraints concerning new rainwater harvesters became better understood. Stakeholders were also able to request specific water conservation planning tools and information that could be used to help accomplish future projects.

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Table 9 : Rainwater Harvestier stakeholder meetings

Stakeholder Title Department Topic Date

Markus Hogue Program Coordinator Facilitis & Landscape Services

Current System Overview

09/21/15

Karen Blaney Program Coorindator Operation

Office of Sustainability Project Introduction

09/30/15

Jim Walker Director of Sustainability

Office of Sustainability Project Introduction

09/30/15

Markus Hogue Program Coordinator Facilities & Landscape Services

Project Introduction

09/30/15

Planning, Energy & Facilities

-- -- Project Introduction

09/30/15

Larrimie Gordon Facility and Operations Cooridinator

Intercollegiate Athletics

Athletics’ Current Water Practices

10/20/15

Karen Blaney Program Coordinator Operations

Office of Sustainability Athletics’ Current Water Practices

10/20/15

Frederick Steiner School of Architecture Dean

School of Architecture Aesthetic Consid-erations

11/18/15

Michael Abkowitz Director of Operations Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Wildflower Center Cistern Tour

11/23/15

Phillip Schulze Site Manager Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Wildflower Center Cistern Tour

11/23/15

Markus Hogue Program Coordinator Facilities & Landscape Services

Feasibility Analysis Discussion

02/02/16

Master Planning Committee

-- -- Project Results Presentation

05/16/16

Larrimie Gordon Facility and Operations Coordinator

Intercollegiate Athletics

Project Results Presentation

06/24/16

Markus Hogue Program Coordinator Facilities & Landscape Services

Dell Medical School Cistern Tour

07/25/16

Ryan Yaden Architect Lake Flato Architects Graduate Student Housing

07/29/16

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Figure 51: Meeting with Athletics personnel.

Figure 52: Meeting with Wildflower Center personnel.

Figure 53: Viewing Dell Medical School’s parking garage cistern

By reaching out to stakeholders across Campus, the goals and desired outcome of the project as well design constraints concerning new rainwater harvesters became better understood. Stakeholders were also able to request specific water conservation planning tools and information that could be used to help accomplish future projects.

Key Points:

•The University community was engaged throughout the project by highlighting the University’s rainwater harvesters during campus events.

•The project team reached out to University stakeholders to better understand requirements for additional rainwater harvesters on campus.

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CHAPTER 8:CONCLUSION

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SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY

While this project has generated valuable research, there are still several topics that require further investigation in order to fully understand and predict the abilities of rainwater harvesters. Firstly, it is suggested that a long term study be conducted on the University’s current systems in order to benchmark real world results against the predicted results from the feasibility simulator. Although the feasibility simulator has been reviewed and revised by members of the facilities team, results have yet to be compared directly to one of the Campus’s current rainwater harvesters. In order for a direct comparison to be made, current systems would have to be outfitted with sensors and data logging devices so that performance can be measured and tracked.

Once the feasibility simulator has been vetted with real world results, study can then shift to better understand how rainwater can be collected from athletic facilities. As mentioned previously, athletic stadiums were not primarily designed to effectively drain rainwater and therefore collection efficiency for each facility must be empirically determined as a function of rainfall intensity and volume. Furthermore, if subsurface collection is to be implemented, extra considerations must be given to ensure that the water is properly filtered, the pumping system is correctly installed, and the system can be easily cleaned to prevent any buildup of debris. Once all of these subjects are sufficiently understood, the University can begin to consider building rainwater harvesters on athletic facilities.

Because the results from the feasibility analysis suggest that the potential savings from rainwater harvesters on existing buildings is unlikely to offset construction costs, future systems will have to be considered during the initial design phase of new buildings. Designing buildings with rainwater harvesters in mind allows architects to optimize both the system’s collection and irrigation areas. Additionally, a significant portion of the cost associated with the installation of the potential rainwater harvester may be considered a sunk cost during initial construction of a building.

During the initial planning of new campus buildings, the design team should use the feasibility simulator to provide initial performance estimates of potential rainwater harvesters. If the results show potential, the design of the building may be slightly altered in order to optimize the system’s performance. If the outcome of the initial feasibility estimates suggest that a system would not be successful at the current water prices, designers should investigate the system’s performance as a function of the cost of water. If higher water prices suggest that a cistern would be a worthwhile investment, it may be prudent to set aside a space for a system to be installed after water prices have sufficiently increased. Once the initial analysis has been completed, the design team can begin to create a more thorough cost analysis.

PLANNING FOR FUTURE RAINWATER HARVESTING PROJECTS

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This report would detail site specific construction costs, irrigation requirements, collection and irrigation efficiencies, as well as the system’s projected lifetime. With this information, the University’s administration would able to determine the practicality the proposed rainwater harvester.

The drought prone nature of Texas’s climate will continue to make water conservation a priority for everyone, and adoption of rainwater harvesters on campus will allow the University to become more drought tolerant. These systems have the ability to conserve treated municipal water for domestic use while continuing to provide irrigation for landscapes. This practice not only makes economic sense, but also delivers the intrinsic value of resource conservation. Finally, because water conservation has been identified as goal with the student body, the University, and state and local governments, the installation of rainwater harvesters should be heavily considered during the planning of new campus buildings.

Key Points:

•More study must be done to validate the feasibility simulator with real world results.

•Once the accuracy of the feasibility simulator is confirmed, it can be used by designers to determine the effectiveness of potential rainwater harvesters on future buildings.

•Rainwater harvesters offer a practical way to reduce the University’s water consumption while maintaining its landscapes.

•We recommend a future monitoring plan to track soil moisture in one of the Dell Medical School’s bioswales as well as the performance of the rainwater harvester located within the medical school’s parking garage. These plans would form the basis of long term monitoring project that would be used to achieve a portion of the SITES 9.3 credit.

IMPORTANCE OF RAINWATER HARVESTERS

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