Optimizing the Use of Rainwater Harvesting at Flats as Effort to Realize Energy-Efficient Buildings: Case Study at Rental Flats in Yogyakarta

Abstract

The crisis of clean water supply for the major cities in Indonesia is an issue that arises in line with the development of more advanced cities. It is also felt in Yogyakarta. Various attempts have been made by the government in addressing the issue of clean water to meet the needs of the urban population in Indonesia. The availability of clean water for the survival function of a building should consider be considered when constructing human facilities. In this way, buildings potentially requiring large amounts of clean water should consider using it wisely to help provide solutions to the problems of urban water crisis. Rainwater harvesting is a concept that is intended to save water and manage its use to meet the water needs of a building. Utilizing rainwater is an alternative source of clean water to be used for certain activities in the building. Yogyakarta is one of the major cities in Indonesia with high population growth. This leads to an increased demand for community housing. Addressing the needs of urban settlements is continuously carried out by the government of Yogyakarta. Flats are one form of urban settlements that are currently being developed by the government. In the city of Yogyakarta, there are two high-rise buildings built by the government, namely, Dabag flats and Juminahan flats. Therefore, it is necessary to have a study that evaluates the effectiveness of the utilization of rainwater harvesting at flats in reducing the need for clean water of the flats that were examined. This was a comparative study with explorative method using any existing library with case studies of the real condition of flat buildings. This study was conducted in association with the building design of flats and the need for clean water. This was a case study of two flats in Yogyakarta. This paper is expected to provide a general description of the magnitude of the potential use of rainwater harvesting at flats in reducing the need for clean water. From this study, it can be concluded that the utilization of the potential use of rainwater harvesting at flats can reduce the need for clean water to meet the needs of its inhabitants. This will reduce energy requirements in the provision of clean water in flat buildings. Thus, optimizing the use of the concept of rainwater harvesting at flats may be one of the efforts to create energy-efficient buildings. This study recommends that the design of flat buildings be able to optimize the integration of the concept of rainwater harvesting. The concept of rainwater harvesting can be applied to flats as an effort to achieve an energy-efficient building.