Rainwater harvesting

g and Irrigation
g
management

Presentation for the

VAPSS Fall Technical Meeting
Low Impact Development-Current Practice and Research Needs
Wetland Studies & Solutions Inc., Gainesville VA

David Sample, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE

Assistant Professor
Biological Systems Engineering
Based at the Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Lab
Manassas, VA

October 9, 2009, 1
 Outline
 Introduction
I t d ti
 The Hydrologic Cycle and Water Demand
 Water Balance
 Runoff and Stormwater Quality
 Estimated Water Needs
 I iti l S
Initial Screening
i E Examples
l
 RHS Design for Runoff Control in Virginia
 Function
 Design using Cistern Spreadsheet/Runoff Reduction
 Simulation/Operation of RHS Systems
 S
Schematic
h ti
 Operational Policies
 Conclusion

October 9, 2009, 2
 CEE-OWML has been monitoring
the Occoquan watershed in NOVA
for over 3
35 yyears
 Tom Grizzard, CEE
 Glenn Moglen, CEE
 Adil Godrej
Godrej, CEE
 David Sample, BSE
 Campus
 CEE Department
 BSE Department
 Center for Watershed Studies

October 9, 2009, 3
The Hydrologic Cycle and Water Demand
 Hydrologic Cycle
 Precipitation
P i i i  Runoff
 Infiltration  Recharge
 Evapotranspiration  Soil
S il M
Moisture
i t

40.92 in/year,
1039 mm/year
Inflow:
0.87 in/year
22 mm/yr
Outflow:
14 09 iin/year
14.09 /
358 mm/year

25.83 in/year,
656 mm/year
Surface Reservoir
Storage:
0.10 in
2.5 mm
Groundwater Storage:
45.16 in
1147 mm

Source: VDEQ (2009) Virginia’s Water Resources, http://www.vanaturally.com/vanaturally/guide/water.html

October 9, 2009, 5
 Precipitation

 Averages 40-42 inches/year (1016-1067 mm)

Source: National Atlas, at www.usgs.gov

October 9, 2009, 6
 Infiltration

 Infiltration function of:

 So types/porosity
Soil ypes/po os y
 Soils hydraulic properties
 Soil moisture content
 Vegetation

October 9, 2009, 7
 Evapotranspiration

 Temperature Based Methods

 Bowen
 Thornthwaite
 More Accurate Method-
Modified Penman-Monteith
(Allen 1998)
 Function
F ti off Radiation,
R di ti vapor
pressure, wind speed, air
temperature

October 9, 2009, 8
 Runoff

 Depends upon:
 Rainfall intensity
 Antecedent moisture
 Density of vegetation
(interception ET)
(interception,
 Imperviousness
 Slope Disccharge

Pre-development
Post-development

Time
Sources: Tess Wynn, “Low Impact Development”, 2009, Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech October 9, 2009, 9
 Recharge

 Recharge-Saturated
Zone
 Process is extremely
slow-faster
slow faster in coastal
areas
 Often calculated as a
calibration parameter

Source: USGS - GROUND WATER ATLAS of the UNITED STATES: Delaware, Maryland,
New Jersey,
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, HA 730-L

October 9, 2009, 10
 Soil Moisture Storage
 “Leaky Reservoir”
 Field Capacity
 Wilting Point
 Readily Available Water
(RAW)
 Total Available Water
(TAW)

Source: Allen, R.G., Pereira, L.S., Raes, D., and Smith, M. (1998) Crop Evapotranspiration: Guidelines for Computing Crop Water
Requirements. United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Irrigation and Drainage Paper 56, Rome, Italy.

October 9, 2009, 11
 Water Budget

Rainwater Harvesting Systems Function Like

Soil Storage
October 9, 2009, 12
 Estimating Demand/Water Needs
 Indoor Use
 Potable Use
 Nonpotable Use
 Toilet flushing
 Clothes washing
 Outdoor use
 Active Irrigation
 Passive Irrigation
g

Grimmond and Oke 1986

October 9, 2009, 13
Rainwater Harvesting/Cisterns (RR)

 Captures impervious
runoff
 Underground/Above
 Reuse-can be
Outdoor or indoor
 Supplements water
supply
 Volume benefits-
maximize if managed
 Variable Removal
(runoff reduction only)

Source: Virginia Rainwater Harvest Manual, at www.CabellBrandCenter.org and

WSSI/Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc., at http://www.wetlandstudies.com.
 Preliminary Screening Model

Evaporation/Runoff Loss
from Impervious Area

Evapotranspiration
Garage=400 sf

Storage Tank= Landscaping=5000 sf

Rainfall Input Roof=1500 sf
Variable Size Irrigation
Infiltration Loss

Driveway=800 sf
Runoff From Landscaping

October 9, 2009, 15
Average Monthly Water Budget

October 9, 2009, 16
Screening Results

October 9, 2009, 17
RHS Design for Runoff Control in Virginia
 Configurations

1. Interior Non-Potable
Demand Year
Year-Round
Round

2 Interior Non
2. Non-potable
potable
Demand year-round,
seasonal Irrigation only

Source: VDCR (2009) Draft Virginia DCR Stormwater Design Specification No. 6,
Rainwater Harvesting, Version 1.2.

October 9, 2009, 19
 More Configurations
3. Interior Non-potable
Demand year-round,
Seasonal Outdoor
Demand, On-site
Stormwater Disposal
during non-irrigation
months

4. Interior Non-potable
Demand year-round, On-
site Stormwater Disposal
Year-round

Source: VDCR (2009) Draft Virginia DCR Stormwater Design Specification No. 6,
Rainwater Harvesting, Version 1.2. October 9, 2009, 20
 Even More Configuraitons
5. Year round or Seasonal
Demand with Dedicated
Constant Year
Year-Round
Round
Drawdown with On-site
Infiltration

6. On-site Infiltration for

Groundwater Recharge,
Recharge
No Re-use of Stored
Water

Source: VDCR (2009) Draft Virginia DCR Stormwater Design Specification No. 6,
Rainwater Harvesting, Version 1.2. October 9, 2009, 21
 Calculate Demand Met
100

90
water can meet demand (%)

80

70

60
Percent rainw

50

40

30
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000

Cistern Storage Associated with Treatment Volume Credit (gallons)

Source: VDCR (2009) Draft Virginia DCR Stormwater Design Specification No. 6,
Rainwater Harvesting, Version 1.2.
October 9, 2009, 22
 Calculate Runoff Reduction Credit
40

85
35

%)
Overfloow Frequency for all storm events (%
30
75
Demand Met by Raainwater (%)

25

65
% demand met by rainwater
20
Overflow Frequency (%)

55 15
D

10

45

35 0
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000
Cistern Storage Associated with Treatment Volume Credit (gallons)

Source: VDCR (2009) Draft Virginia DCR Stormwater Design Specification No. 6,
Rainwater Harvesting, Version 1.2.
October 9, 2009, 23
 Steps
 C
Calculate
l l IIncrementall D
Design
i
Volumes
 Complete
C l t DDesign
i off S
System
t
 Enter Final Volumes/Credits
into Runoff Reduction
Spreadsheet
 Water Quality
Volume Credit
 Roof Area treated
 Evaluate with other
BMPs to Assess WQ
Status
October 9, 2009, 24
Simulation/Operation of RHS Systems
(Work in Progress)
 LID Design/Implementation
Science Museum, Richmond
 Bioretention
 Permeable Pavement
 Rainwater Harvesting
 V
Vegetated
t t d Roof
R f
Clermont Elementary, Alexandria

October 9, 2009, 27
 Development of Rainwater Harvesting
System Rule Curves
 RHS is currently given a 40% runoff credit (but only for
50% of runoff volume)
 Objective: Use simulation model and duration analysis to
develop generalized rule curves for WQ credits

Collaboration with T. Younos

 Operational Dynamics

 Reserve Target
 Time of Emptying
 Dead Storage

October 9, 2009, 29
 Summary

 Screening Tool
 Average
e age C
Climatology
a o ogy
 Water Budget
 Center for Watershed Protection Method
 Water Budget
 Interevent Time Probabilities
 Proposed Rule Curves
 Water Budget
 Simulation
 Duration Analysis
October 9, 2009, 30
 Questions?

Contact Info: David Sample, dsample@vt.edu

(703)361-5606x128