Rainwater catchment system for disadvantaged community Ulisses T. Bezerra 1,a , Normando P. Barbosa 2,b , Hector G. Morales 3,c , Janean M. Shedd 3,c , Jennifer E. Hewitt 3,c , Justin Fu 3,c , Kelsey Evezich 3,c , Matthew T. Tobin 3,c , Uzoma B. Ayogu 3,c , Wanyi Ng 3,c , Diego S. Amorim 2,d , Guilherme O. Oliveira 2,d , Helen K. R. F. Pinto 2,d , Jacqueline G. Silva 2,d , Jessé P. Gomes Júnior 2,d , Márcio S. Gonçalves 2,d , Rafaela L. Silva 2,d , Roberto M. P. F. Mendonça 2,d 1 Federal Institute of Paraiba-IFPB, Av. 1º de Maio, 720, Jaguaribe, João Pessoa-PB, Brazil, 58015-435 2 Federal University of Paraiba-UFPB, Center of Technology – LABEME, Campus I, Cidade Universitária, s/n, Castelo Branco, João Pessoa-PB, Brazil, 58051-900 3 DUKE University, Pratt School of Engineering, 100 Science Dr, Durham, NC 27705, United States of America a [email protected], b [email protected], c [email protected], d [email protected]Keywords: water sustainability, rainwater tank, toilet flushing, disadvantaged community. Abstract. A partnership between Federal University of Paraiba - UFPB (Brazil) and DUKE University (USA) chose an economically-impaired community in Northeastern Brazil for the implementation of a rainwater catchment system. The goal was to collect rainwater for using it in toilet flushing in order to achieve: (i) water consumption reduction; (ii) use of gravity force; (iii) electric consumption reduction; (iv) utilization of an extra water source. This project, started in the end of 2013, was developed during the first semester of 2014, and implemented from July to August, 2014. For this purpose, engineering undergraduate students from DUKE University traveled to Brazil and, joining the Brazilian academic group. They constructed two rainwater catchment systems as well as the supply piping for three bathrooms. Each system was built in a different location: one in a place belonging to a non-governmental organization and the other in a local popular home. Low-cost construction materials were employed, always aiming to follow safety and sanitary normative requirements. The tanks are located in an intermediate height between the roofs and the toilet water inlet so that the water is conducted along the piping by gravity only. Results have shown that: (i) water consumption decreased in both systems, (ii) rainwater is currently used with efficiency, and (iii) electric consumption was also reduced. Henceforward, the main idea is to propose to local governments the adoption of such rainwater catchment systems for all the community (500 families) as to introduce a sustainable use of water from rainfalls. Introduction Despite the economic development that has occurred in emerging countries during the last decades, a certain portion of society remains on the margins of social and economic progress. In these countries, peripheries of big cities present many infrastructure problems. In addition, the lack of adequate housing conditions, water, sanitation, etc., are part of a disturbing reality, where the most affected are those who are more vulnerable: the children and the elderly [1]. In Brazil, hundreds of low-income communities suffer from problems related to the insufficiency (or even absence) of essential elements of urban infrastructure.
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Rainwater catchment system for disadvantaged community
Ulisses T. Bezerra1,a, Normando P. Barbosa2,b, Hector G. Morales3,c, Janean M. Shedd3,c,
Jennifer E. Hewitt3,c, Justin Fu3,c, Kelsey Evezich3,c, Matthew T. Tobin3,c, Uzoma B.
Ayogu3,c, Wanyi Ng3,c, Diego S. Amorim2,d, Guilherme O. Oliveira2,d, Helen K. R. F.
Pinto2,d, Jacqueline G. Silva2,d, Jessé P. Gomes Júnior2,d, Márcio S. Gonçalves2,d, Rafaela
L. Silva2,d, Roberto M. P. F. Mendonça2,d
1Federal Institute of Paraiba-IFPB, Av. 1º de Maio, 720, Jaguaribe, João Pessoa-PB,
Brazil, 58015-435
2Federal University of Paraiba-UFPB, Center of Technology – LABEME, Campus I, Cidade
Universitária, s/n, Castelo Branco, João Pessoa-PB, Brazil, 58051-900
3DUKE University, Pratt School of Engineering, 100 Science Dr, Durham, NC 27705,
Keywords: water sustainability, rainwater tank, toilet flushing, disadvantaged community. Abstract. A partnership between Federal University of Paraiba - UFPB (Brazil) and DUKE
University (USA) chose an economically-impaired community in Northeastern Brazil for the
implementation of a rainwater catchment system. The goal was to collect rainwater for using it in
toilet flushing in order to achieve: (i) water consumption reduction; (ii) use of gravity force; (iii)
electric consumption reduction; (iv) utilization of an extra water source. This project, started in the
end of 2013, was developed during the first semester of 2014, and implemented from July to
August, 2014. For this purpose, engineering undergraduate students from DUKE University
traveled to Brazil and, joining the Brazilian academic group. They constructed two rainwater
catchment systems as well as the supply piping for three bathrooms. Each system was built in a
different location: one in a place belonging to a non-governmental organization and the other in a
local popular home. Low-cost construction materials were employed, always aiming to follow
safety and sanitary normative requirements. The tanks are located in an intermediate height between
the roofs and the toilet water inlet so that the water is conducted along the piping by gravity only.
Results have shown that: (i) water consumption decreased in both systems, (ii) rainwater is
currently used with efficiency, and (iii) electric consumption was also reduced. Henceforward, the
main idea is to propose to local governments the adoption of such rainwater catchment systems for
all the community (500 families) as to introduce a sustainable use of water from rainfalls.
Introduction
Despite the economic development that has occurred in emerging countries during the last
decades, a certain portion of society remains on the margins of social and economic progress. In
these countries, peripheries of big cities present many infrastructure problems. In addition, the lack
of adequate housing conditions, water, sanitation, etc., are part of a disturbing reality, where the
most affected are those who are more vulnerable: the children and the elderly [1]. In Brazil,
hundreds of low-income communities suffer from problems related to the insufficiency (or even
absence) of essential elements of urban infrastructure.