Milestone One
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Apr 3, 2024
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Milestone One 1
2-2 Final Project Milestone One: Topic Selection and Outline
The topic I chose to research how to incorporate alternative water sources to reduce water
consumption. Alternative water sources are sustainable sources of water that help offset the use of fresh water and guarantee water security. Some alternate water sources include, harvested rainwater, graywater systems, foundation, desalinated water, and captured condensate. Ancient civilizations used many ways to hold and transfer water using aqueducts, cisterns, reservoirs, and
MILESTONE ONE 2
wells. Rain harvesting methods were important to the survival of humans especially in hot dryer areas where droughts were common.
Section 1: History and Contemporary Viewpoint.
In 2000 BC, many types of rainwater collection systems were used in Mesopotamia and China. People in the middle east have used cisterns and reservoirs to capture water for over 4,000
years. Household cisterns held 10,000 to 50,000 gallons of water, community cisterns could hold
around 1 million gallons of water, and larger reservoirs were able to hold 11 million gallons of water.
In India, rainwater harvesting systems were built on top of homes to collect water and they still use this method to this day. The ancient romans used aqueducts and built buildings and roads with ways to channel rainwater into underground cisterns. Collected rainwater was then used for livestock, drinking, bathing, washing, and irrigation. In the America’s rainwater runoff was collected and used for agriculture, for drinking, and bathing. Today, throughout the world alternative water sources like rainwater harvesting are becoming a trend because groundwater isn’t being replenished due to the design of infrastructures. Many states are giving rebates for using alternative water sources and developing
alternative water supply projects. Section 2: Local Real‐World Applications and Specific Steps
. The use of alternate water sources can help protect the environment, people, and the animals who rely on water sources. The use of alternate water sources ease worries about over
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drinking or overusing water, and it reduces the amount of wastewater or stormwater discharged to oceans, rivers, lake, and land. Compared to the water sources we use today; alternative water sources will be harder to develop, and they would be more expensive to have installed. This makes it harder for low-income families to have access to alternate water sources. Climate change and increasing populations make it essential to find other water sources so we can have an abundant global water supply in the future. Section 3: Global Significance, Impact, and Applications
.
In 2017, Hampton Roads developed the Sustainable Water Initiative For Tomorrow (SWIFT) plan approved by the EPA and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The
Sustainable Water Initiative For Tomorrow plan is a way to reduce the amount of wastewater they are releasing into the Chesapeake Bay by purifying wastewater to Virginia’s drinkable water standards. After treatment, the water is placed into the Potomac Aquifer, eastern Virginia’s
primary source of groundwater. States like Texas, California, Arizona, Iowa, and Illinois offer homeowners incentives for
using rain harvesting systems. Many countries around the globe use rain harvesting, atmospheric water generation, desalinated water, and reclaimed wastewater as alternate water sources. For example, China uses many alternate water sources to help conserve water, including seawater desalination, household rainwater harvesting, and reclaimed water. Desalinated water is costly, it
consumes large amounts of energy, and requires advanced technology capable of removing high amounts of salt from water. Increasing populations and the threat of climate change make it necessary for us to find and use alternate water sources to keep up with the rising demands. Alternative water sources are
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sustainable and can help reduce the pressure of using surface water, freshwater, or groundwater. Using alternative water sources will ensure the water supply of the future.
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References
Best management practice #14: Alternative water sources
. (n.d.). Energy.gov. https://www.energy.gov/femp/best-management-practice-14-alternative-water-
sources#:~:text=Common%20uses%20of%20harvested%20stormwater,surfaces%20rather
%20than%20from%20roofs.
The history of rainwater harvesting
. (n.d.). https://4perfectwater.com/blog/history-of-rainwater-
harvesting
StackPath
. (n.d.). https://www.stormwater.com/stormwater-bmps/article/33053895/rainwater-
harvesting-as-an-alternative-water-sour
Alternative water supply | WaterMatters.org
. (n.d.). https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/residents/education/h2o-zone/alternative-water-
supply#:~:text=Compared%20to%20traditional%20water%20sources,affordable%20option
%20in%20many%20locations.
Victoria, E. P. A. (2023, June 5). Alternative water sources and their use
. Environment Protection Authority Victoria. https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/environmental-
information/water/alternative-water-supplies-and-their-use
SWIFT Home | HRSD.com
. (n.d.). https://www.hrsd.com/swift
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Liu, Y., Wang, M., Webber, M., Zhou, C., & Zhang, W. (2020). Alternative water supply solutions: China’s South-to-North-water-diversion in Jinan. Journal of Environmental Management
, 276
, 111337
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