Our concern is a water management in a small comunity located in Madrid - a town in Europe which suffers from drought. The periods of dry coditions are followed by the periods of rain. The water usage by local communities is unsustainable for future years. However, individuals do not take this situation into an account as a threat. Maybe they do not even realize its importance for their future well being because they are not directly hit by the greater problem of not having water at all. We will try to look at this complex issue from various perspectives and try to find a possible solution.
Our international interdisciplinary group is looking for possible solutions and innovative ideas inspired by presence design and biomimicry in order to use water effectively and at the same time sustain it for future generations.
How can nature inspire us for saving water in dry conditions and help us to reach a more sustainable world?
How can nature inspire us for saving water in dry conditions and help us to reach a more sustainable world?
Pozuelo de Alarcón,Madrid(Spain)
Our concern is how to save water in a city of Madrid,Pozuelo de Alarcon using rain water.Madrid has a mediterranean climate which is characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters.Collecting rainwater allows you to be prepared for times of low rainfall and means and aid of extra water to many uses in our neighbourhood. To maintain the garden,for the garage,laundry,bathrooms and kitchen.
The people living in the community have to take some actions in order to tackle the drought problem. These actions are concerning not only the whole community but also the individual resident. Firstly, as a community, they could build containers to deposit the water that falls from the rain and conduct it through drainpipes to deposits to store the water. As individual action, they could take a shower instead of a bath, be aware of closing the tap when not needing water, recycling the water of the community swimmingpool, water the grass at night and with a specific system to save water.
The people living in the community have to take some actions in order to tackle the drought problem. These actions are concerning not only the whole community but also the individual resident. Firstly, as a community, they could build containers to deposit the water that falls from the rain and conduct it through drainpipes to deposits to store the water. As individual action, they could take a shower instead of a bath, be aware of closing the tap when not needing water, recycling the water of the community swimmingpool, water the grass at night and with a specific system to save water.
ACTIONS
RAINWATER COLLECTION
Rainwater tanks, traditionally an icon of the Australian outback, are becoming a more common feature in urban communities, with around 17% of all households installing a tank on their property. More households need to purchase a rainwater tank if the community is to make a real difference to conserve rapidly depleting water supplies.
Why use rainwater?
Using rainwater can reduce your water bills as rainwater is free. Tank rebate schemes are available in many states. For further information, contact your local water retailer.
Collecting rainwater allows you to be prepared for times of low rainfall, so you can still maintain your garden, especially if there are water restrictions in your area.
It reduces the load on stormwater systems because roof runoff is not flushed into the drains.
Using rainwater reduces the need to build more water storage dams, which may have to be situated in environmentally sensitive areas.
Benefits of installing a rainwater tank
Saves large amounts of water which can be used in the garden or in the home.
Requires a relatively simple system which is easy to use.
During the wet season, when the garden doesn't need any extra watering, rainwater can be connected to the house and used for toilet flushing as well as in the laundry
Rainwater is also suitable for use in pools and for washing cars
In some rural areas, it is possible to use rainwater for all domestic uses, and not draw upon the mains supply.
Issues associated with rainwater use
There are some important factors that affect the quality of rainwater, which may also become health issues:
Contamination from pollutants found in roof and pipe materials.
Contamination from bird droppings, local pollution, and organic material collected on the roof.
Breeding of mosquitos in the water supply.
The quality of water you need to maintain will depend on its use. However, water from rooftops that contain harmful chemicals should not be used for any purpose. Obviously, drinking water will have to meet the standards set by health authorities.
These quality issues can be overcome if you use approved products and techniques. Tanks and other equipment must meet the required standards, and state health authorities will approve most reputable manufacturers and installers. Your local water authority should be able to recommend high quality products and approve your system.
Tank to pool systemsInstalling a rainwater tank is a great way to reduce the use of mains water in your swimming pool. Many regions now have rebates available for rainwater tanks.
Rainwater diverters are an inexpensive alternative to installing a tank. They attach to a downpipe and can be used to divert rainwater into your swimming pool. In large downpours, you will need to monitor the water level in your pool so that it does not overflow. You should consult a plumber about stormwater diversion.
Reducing EvaporationEvaporation is a major cause of water loss from your swimming pool. It is important to remember that the evaporation rate is highest in the early evening as the air cools and the water remains warm. This can be reduced by covering the pool's surface. Covering the pool lowers the pool's temperature, decreasing evaporation whilst preventing debris from falling on the pool surface. By preventing sunlight from penetrating the water, you will also reduce the amount of chemicals needed to keep the pool clean.
Ways to reduce evaporation
What type of filter should I use?Sand filters require backwashing which can use up to 8000L of water every year. Purchase a cartridge filter if you are installing a new pool or replacing the filter. Cartridge filters do not require backwashing to be cleaned so they use less water.
Backwashing a sand filter should be carried out once every 4–6 weeks. Only backwash until the glass goes clear - backwashing for longer will waste excessive amounts of water.
Pool behaviour and maintenanceWhat if my pool has already gone green?
The objective of these measures is to make the people realize of the consequences of not having water and giving it a bad use, and therefore act as a whole community to prevent the problem. With these measures we can reach an ecology water community which means saving money and avoid the problem we are treating.
How about drinking water in Madrid? I think most of people in Spain have to buy it in bottles. Do you have an idea how to increase this system?
In Madrid the quality of the water is not a problem, Spanish people don’t have to buy bottles and they can drink it directly from the tap.
Have you thought of any water storage system?
Yes, we thought to place rainwater tanks on the roof of our houses in order to use it to maintain gardens, for toilet flushing or for the laundry.
How will you change the mentality of people to change their habits?
We think that people will change their mentality if these solutions mean saving money and respecting the place where they live.
You said that people are not taking this threat into account. Do you think a striking advertising campaign of the fight against smoking, putting shocking pictures on cigarettes?
I think it could be an interesting idea to make people aware of the water shortage. It’s very important if we expect people wants to do the initial inversion. We have to make this idea that an opportunity of save money with an intelligent use of the water.
Do you think that can work well? Do you really believe in the power of community in terms of auto-regulation?
It’s not exactly an auto-regulation. We are thinking in a containers of water rain to use better the water, to manage better but it’s an aid an extra water with this we are going to save money.
How will it be organized? Election of someone who will be the responsible of many discussion between everybody?
I think that the collaboration should be together all the measures should be discussed but we could have a leader group who has more responsibility or implication in the process. This leader group will be changing democratly.
Could you imagine making a system, which can be realized all over the world? For example Italy and Ghana are quite different.
No. As it is already mentioned each area has other challenges and other problems with water (lack of water or floods). The system is specified for all the countries which have enough rain during one time of the year and have lack of water during the other time of the year. So the solution will be to store the water in any way.
Have you thought about imposing fines on those who spend more water then what they need?
Yes, they could be paying higher taxes that could be used for the future water management.
Why is money relevant? Real solutions don’t come from economy, they come from physical, real objects and actions.
We think that money is relevant. Usually, the more we pay for goods the more we value them. If an average person gets something free, it is most likely to happen he will not appreciate it as much as he would if he paid for it.
Why is it only a seasonal problem? For example, there are many years when a serious drought comes, but it may happen that the serious drought does not appear for a long period of time. Isn’t it a long term problem?
We are definitely addressing a long term issue. Due to the small capacity of rainfalls in Mediterranean climate, the droughts become a cyclical feature. We have to face the problem of not only preserving water to supply in a year of drought, but also think about long term plans for the intelligent use of water and considering the prevention of future problems regarding
Where are you going to collect and save the water from the rain?
The water from the rain will be collected by elements placed on the roof of the houses and pipes will transport the rainwater to the rainwater tank. A rainwater tank is a water tank used to collect and store rain water runoff, typically from rooftops via rain gutters. Rainwater tanks are devices for collecting and maintaining harvested rain.
Rainwater tanks are installed to make use of rain water for later use, reduce mains water use for economic or environmental reasons, and aid self-sufficiency. Stored water may be used for watering gardens, flushing toilets, in washing machines, washing cars, and also for drinking, when other water supplies are unavailable, or of poor quality, and that adequate care is taken that the water is not contaminated or the water is adequately filtered.
Is the system connected to the flood waters system?
No it is not. Madrid does not get flooded.
Can small communities challenge the problem on their own?
This is more of a moral problem than an infrastructure problem. This means that it is more important to concern people about the problem, because their behavior regarding water use during the everyday cycle is crucial. Building a tank and a pipe system is not a great problem, but closing the tap while brushing the teeth depends on each person. It is also important to concern everybody of the importance of the problem. The communities may create some kind of a working grid that will lead to a bigger communication unity within the area.
Do you think that an advertising campaign will raise people’s awareness?
In our small community, the government cannot take part, so adverts on commercial tv are rejected, unless it is a local television and the campaign made by local initiative. It could be interesting to put posters around the community to force people remember their role in this problem.
The cactus is an inspiring model for the water collection and storage.
Because in the desert it’s hot and it’s raining only a few times during the year, it had to create a solution. So when it’s actually raining, the cactus tries to get as much water as possible to store it as long as possible. For that reason there is a large system of roots and water- retaining tubers below the soil. To prevent the water from evaporation the stomata open up only at night to collect carbon dioxide. The water is transported from the roots to the top by osmosis (->gradient of concentration).
We tried to transform the advantages into our system. We want to collect the water in the soil before it seeps away. We are going to try that with a drain or with the power of osmosis. Then we can store the water in an insulated tank to prevent it from evaporation.
With special sensor we can make sure thad we do not take too much water out of the soil.
Hana Havlova,
