In this study, in order to spread and promote rainwater harvesting and to realize Zero Water building, the actual water use situation for eight years in a university lecture building with a rainwater harvesting system of 35.4 mm water stock capacity was clarified, and the performance of rainwater harvesting and the possibility of achieving Zero Water were investigated. The following findings were made.
I. The situation of Water Using and the Performance of Rainwater Harvesting
1) Annual water usage of the lecture building ranged from 16,700 m3 to 22,000 m3, with an average of 19,400 m3, and trended upward through 2017 as the rainwater harvesting system water usage increased. The raw water was about 20% rainwater and 40% each of both tap water and well water, and the rainwater harvesting system was almost entirely funded by about 30% rainwater and 70% well water.
2) The rainwater utilization rate and rainwater replacement rate of the rainwater harvesting system were 71% and 33% respectively.
3) The evapotranspiration on lecture building site was about 20% of the annual precipitation, which was about 13% less than on natural site. The total of evapotranspiration and infiltration was about 34%, which is about 33% less than the recommendation of the Architectural Institute of Japan "Technical Standard for Rainwater Harvesting ". As the installed rainwater harvesting system in the lecture building, about 30% of the annual precipitation was controlled by outflow.
4) The average annual water charges of the lecture building without sewerage charges for cooling tower water were 9,600,000 yen, and the percentage of tap water and sewerage charges was 66% and 34%, respectively. As the installed rainwater harvesting system, the water charges was reduced about 41% and the initial cost recovery by the reduced water charges was about 9.5 years.
5) The Zero Water achievement rate of the lecture building was about 53%.
II. The Possibility of Zero Water
1) When the use of raw water in the rainwater harvesting system was extended to drinking, the Zero Water achievement rate was about 80%, the rainwater utilization rate and rainwater replacement rate was improved to about 90% and 40% respectively, the rainwater outflow control effect and CO2 emission reduction both was increased by 10% compared to the current using, and the initial cost recovery was reduced to 8.7 years.
2) When the use of raw water in the rainwater harvesting system was expanded to drinking and the rainwater collection area was increased more than 1.15 times, Zero Water was achieved, and the rainwater replacement rate was increased to 42-44%, and the rainwater outflow control effect was increased 13-17% more than the current use. However, it was estimated that increasing the collection area by more than 1.15 times will not reduce water charges by much and will not shorten the recovery period for initial costs.
3) In the future, it will necessary to consider the possibilities of Zero Water including introduction of green infrastructure and capacity of storage tank and water conservation.
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