Self Sufficiency of Water in Mainstream Housing – An Australian Experience

Abstract

It is ideal to have a goal of reaching self sufficiency in water for the promotion of sustainable housing principles. Although there are many small projects of rainwater harvesting, it is yet to be used in mainstream large planned housing developments, which is essential for its successful implementation. There are many associated issues including social acceptance, reliability, cost effectiveness and the feasibility of combining it with the town water supply in an efficient manner. Many of these issues were addressed by implementing a rainwater harvesting system in three Green Smart display homes constructed in a large housing scheme planned for 20,000 houses in Australia. This paper describes the planning, implementation, special features and cost aspects relating to the rainwater harvesting system used in the Green Smart homes and provides a useful example for future larger scale initiatives.