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Modeling the Effect of Cistern Size, Soil Type, and Irrigation Scheduling on Rainwater Harvesting as a Stormwater Control Measure

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Abstract

Urban stormwater runoff could have negative impacts on water resources and the environment. Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) can serve both as a stormwater control and water conservation measure. Cistern size and irrigation scheduling are two of the factors that directly impact the total runoff from a residential unit with a RWH system and the amount of potable water used for irrigation. The effectiveness of RWH was evaluated for four soil types; Sand, Sandy Loam, Loamy Sand, and Silty Clay, with a root zone of 15.2 cm using three irrigation scheduling methods (Evapotranspiration (ET)-based, soil moisture-based, and time-based), and five cistern sizes. Total runoff volumes and total supplemental potable water used were compared among the three irrigation scheduling systems and a control treatment without RWH. A model was developed to simulate the daily water balance for the treatments. Irrigation and runoff volumes were compared for the various scenarios. Silty clay soil resulted with 83 % more runoff than Sandy soil, while Sandy soil required on average 58 % more supplemental water than Silty Clay soil. On average, the 833 L cistern resulted with 41 % savings in water supply and 45 % reduction in total runoff. Results showed that the greatest volumes of runoff predicted were for the silty clay soil Control Treatment using a time-based irrigation scheduling method, while the least volumes calculated were for the sandy loam soil time-based irrigation scheduling treatment with 833 L cistern size. The greatest volumes of total supplemental water predicted were for sandy loam soil Control Treatment, while the least volumes were for silty clay soil ET-based irrigation scheduling treatment with 833 L cistern size. Regression equations were developed to allow for users to select a RWH cistern size based on the amount of water they want to save or runoff to reduce.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Texas Water Resources Institute and USGS, for providing the funds for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas, TX, 75252, USA

    Sa’d A. Shannak & Fouad H. Jaber

  2. Kaselco LLC, 959 Highway 95 North, Shiner, TX, 77984, USA

    Bruce J. Lesikar

Authors
  1. Sa’d A. Shannak
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  2. Fouad H. Jaber
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  3. Bruce J. Lesikar
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Correspondence to Fouad H. Jaber.

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Shannak, S.A., Jaber, F.H. & Lesikar, B.J. Modeling the Effect of Cistern Size, Soil Type, and Irrigation Scheduling on Rainwater Harvesting as a Stormwater Control Measure. Water Resour Manage 28, 4219–4235 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-014-0740-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-014-0740-x

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