Here is a link to an article published last month in PHC News. The article focuses on the rainwater harvesting system at the New Norris House. Credits have been earned in all LEED for Homes categories and we expect to earn 12 out of 15 credits in the Water Efficiency (WE) Category. 4 of these points come from WE 1.1 - Rainwater Harvesting System. Our rainwater harvesting system features technology from BRAE, a subsidiary of Watts Water Technologies.
The graph above charts the water collection potential of our cistern. The blue line represents the past 10 years average rainfall for each month. Currently, we are permitted to use the harvested rainwater for non-potable sources in the home. With two residents and high-efficiency water fixtures this leads to an average of 37.4 gallons of treated rainwater used per day. Over the next 12 months we will be analyzing the treated rainwater for contaminants. If the water is deemed safe for potable use, we may see as much as 90 gallons being used per day in the home.
The New Norris House is a design/build effort from the University of Tennessee's College of Architecture and Design. Began in 2009, the home was designed and built by UT students in collaboration with Clayton Homes. The built project is now complete and the final phase of the project has begun. A team of 4 people (2 living in the home, and 2 graduate researchers) will rigorously document the experience via qualitative assessments and quantitative measurements, posting results to this blog.
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