Innovative Water Harvesting Scheme Draws Government Grant

An innovative scheme by the Office of Environmental Sustainability to harvest water at Clayton campus has been backed with a $50,000 Victorian Government grant.

The scheme to adapt a disused 113,000 litre diesel tank for water storage will add to the massive water savings already achieved by the University.  The tank will have the capability of handling more than four and a half million litres of water a year by harvesting water from the roofs of nine campus buildings.

The water will be used to service cooling towers and flusher tanks for toilets at the IT Services Building (28).  It will also be used for cooling high temperature hot water pumps in Engineering Building 38 and other flusher tanks for toilets in Engineering Building 37. 

The $200,000 project was awarded the $50,000 grant from the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Fund, run by the State's Department of Sustainability and Environment.  The fund was established to support water saving measures identified by organisations which make up Victoria's top 200 water users.

"The great thing about this scheme is that it is quite simple and is making great use of existing infrastructure," said Geoff Brace, Mechanical Services Manager for Facilities and Services.  Environmental advisor Michelle Giovas, who secured the Government grant, said: "This water harvesting project has been supported by DSE because it is innovative and will demonstrate that rain water and storm water can be effectively used for cooling tower and cooling water use."

The tank which was last used several years ago was cleaned out and lined with a special resin to make it fit for storing water.  A 6000 litre collection pit with both a low flow and high flow pump will be sunk into the ground a few metres from the tank and 32mm poly piping will be laid underground to carry the water to the IT and Engineering buildings.

The project will be energy efficient and  energy costs for pumping the water to the three buildings has been estimated at just $147 a year.

The system will be in operation by the end of June this year and will enhance the 22 per cent water savings already being achieved at the Clayton campus.