Design of a Rainwater Harvesting Unit HARVESTING A

Design of a Rainwater Harvesting Unit HARVESTING A FRESHWATER FUTURE Kevin Cryan Brad Gauthier Arjun Kanianthra Chetan Mistry

Presentation Layout

Background Information n n Nilgiris District of Southern India requires a solution to their water crisis Government has enforced a law that requires rainwater harvesting units to be installed on the rooftops There a total of 42 homes in the village 32 homes have a rooftop that is 60 m 2 (type A), and 10 have a rooftop that is 100 m 2 (type B) Our task is to present a design that maximizes the amount of water harvested (an efficiency of at least 90%), while trying to minimize cost

Storage Tank Sizing n n n Microsoft Excel was used to calculate the most efficient storage tank size 2 different sized tanks were required for the 2 different sized houses 3 equations were used: Ci = min (Si-1 + APiz, Di) Qi = max (Si-1 + APiz, Di – V – Ci, 0) Si = Si-1 + APiz, Di – Qi – Ci ) n We found the most efficient storage tank sizes to be 7800 L (type A) and 5600 L (type B)

Total Cost n n n We were given a budget of 840, 000 Rupees Total costs for our project came to 849, 000 Rupees However, there are many ways we could reduce our costs: - train the citizens of the village to install and maintain their own units - enlist volunteers to install the units - construct the tanks on site (lower shipping costs) - fundraising events

Materials n n The storage tanks are to be built from ferrocement for the following reasons: - extreme strength - will not burn, rot, or rust - “near zero” maintenance is required The down piping will be constructed from polyvinylchloride (PVC) piping for the following reasons: - excellent corrosion and chemical resistance - excellent flow characteristics - light weight - accommodates expansion and contraction very well

Maintenance n n Very little maintenance is required General inspection of all unit components must be done every 2 weeks and a thorough inspection must be done every 6 weeks Any problems or concerns should be reported immediately Absolutely no makeshift components are to be installed

Recommendations n n One sufficient rainfall must occur before any water is consumed Water within the storage tank must be tested regularly for contamination All contamination cases must be reported immediately All water must be sanitized (through boiling or the use of chlorine iodine) before consumption

Code of Ethics n n As engineering students we should guide ourselves through all tasks with the code of ethics in mind We have many duties to fulfill, including: - Duty to Society (we must do all we can to design the most appropriate solution for the citizen’s of the village) - Duty to Colleagues (we must work together as a group to obtain the best results possible) n By adhering to the code of ethics, we stand a much better chance at being successful

Conclusion n n An engineer must explore possibilities beyond the completion of a project An engineer must strive to design a safer, more efficient and more effective solution We could look into developing lighter, stronger and cheaper materials to construct our units We should work hand-in-hand with the citizens of the village to ensure they get the water they need We should take every step possible to ensure that we make an improvement to this village’s standard of living