SUSTAINABLE WATER USE IN BUILT ENVIRONMENTA CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

Abstract

The ever growing population demands more buildings, greater infrastructure which in turn demands more use of resources. This growing use of resources causes depletion of the current energy and water reserves. Pakistan in the global context stands amongst one of the most water stressed nations and if the current water usage pattern continues, it would be amongst the water scarce nations by year 2030. The depleting water resource is an alarming situation for the entire nation. The growing infrastructure increases the amount of run-off water along with increased demand of water supply. Sustainable construction practice is a way to address the environmental, economical and social issues with significant focus on water efficiency. In order to assess the water savings by water conservation a framework has been developed to identify means and methods for reclamation of storm water. A case study of university campus is selected to assess the impact and contribution of water reuse on fresh water savings. The campus complex is divided into smaller zones based on their functionality and varying surfaces. Each zone is evaluated for the amount of rain and storm water generated using the rational method to calculate the runoffs. The result confirmed that storm water management can facilitate significant fresh water saving. The study in the end proffered the measures to reuse the non-potable water by efficient technology and human behaviour.