Proposal to Implement a Rainwater Harvesting System at St. Edward's

No Image Description
EcoTopic / Project Category
Water
Project Goal Summary
As institutions that host society's emerging professionals, universities can generate large-scale support for sustainable initiatives. This is particularly true within college sports, which frequent the spotlight and bring diverse communities together. College athletic sustainability is an emerging practice, and its potential as a catalyst for environmental change has been noted. In Texas, athletic departments can benefit exponentially from water conservation initiatives as an ongoing drought and increasing population persist. An EnviroMedia statewide public awareness survey noted that 87% of Texans are more likely to conserve water after learning ideas on how to do so. Institutions of higher education bear responsibility to spread knowledge of pressing issues that will continue to affect the community at large. This research aims to highlight the opportunity that St. Edward's University (SEU) has to conserve water and educate the public through the installation of a rainwater harvesting system (RHS) on campus. Using ArcGIS to develop a campus map, our study develops various rainwater collection scenarios. Our findings indicate that a 75,000 gallon system can yield optimal water and costs savings for the school. Thus, if SEU collects and uses rainwater to irrigate one or more athletic fields, we believe it will be economically advantageous to the school and have a positive environmental impact on the surrounding community.
 
Project Location
3001 S Congress
Austin, TX 78704
United States
File #1
Rainwater Harvesting System ProposalRainwater Harvesting System ProposalAn ongoing drought and increasing population have made water conservation a critical issue for the state of Texas. The importance of this issue is highlighted by the recent passing of Proposition 6, which will allocate $2 billion to water conservation projects in the state (“Texas” 1). Large-scale efforts are essential to significant change. As institutions that educate and house our society’s young adults, universities have the power to engage in meaningful and effective water conservation efforts. The purpose of this proposal is to highlight the opportunity that St. Edward’s University has to conserve water through the installation of a rainwater harvesting system (RHS) on campus. If St. Edward’s collects and uses rainwater for irrigation purposes, we believe it will be economically advantageous to the school and have a positive environmental impact on the city of Austin.2617 KB
File #2
Preliminary Financial AnalysisPreliminary Financial Analysis252 KB

Project Feedback


Log in to post a comment.
No Image Description

Tags

Form Details

Average Rating:
Date Added: Mar 24, 2014
Date Last Modified: Mar 24, 2014

Certify Your EcoLeader Project

Are you ready to certify your project with National Wildlife Federation and share your positive impact on the environment? 
 
CERTIFY YOUR PROJECT