The Vancouver Convention Center has established not only a relationship with nature, but also an incredibly sustainable one. The convention center does address marine life, but it also addresses the water itself. One incredibly sustainable feature of the convention center is the seawater heating and cooling system. The system “pumps seawater over a heat exchanger to control indoor temperatures”5 minimizing overall building energy by 66%. In addition to indoor temperatures, with advanced lighting controls and the consistent exposure to sunlight, the building is able to function 23% of the day with the lights off, lowering energy consumption even further4. Another important water feature in the building is the blackwater treatment system. The system reduces potable water by an astonishing 72% compared to typical convention centers4.
The system collects and processes the buildings sewage water, treats it, and then reuses it making up nearly 80% of non-potable uses such as toilet water and irrigation. The site itself was also reused. The convention center was built on a Brownfield previo...
Infiltration: This occurs when sewer lines are placed below the water table or when rainfall goes
The article, Hidden Waters by Joanne Zygmunt describes how water is used in almost everything in the world. The article begins by stating agriculture soaks up the majority of all water and is depleting the limited supply. Roughly “70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals are for irrigation” (Zygmunt 8). Zygmunt, sates there are many unknown uses of water. For example, A hamburger contains “2400 litres of embedded water” (10). It is also stated the are different types of embedded water, “blue” and “green”. “Blue” is the water used in daily life. “Green” is water that is found underground (Zygmunt 11). Unlike other natural resources, there is no substitute for water. The effects of water shortage depend on water utilization, environment
The water that supplies Western Australia comes from a variety of sources, including surface water and groundwater. Recent technologies have emerged which allow WA to use water sources that were previously unusable, such as desalinated ocean water and recycled wastewater (Government of Western Australia, 2012). The scale for this report is the state of Western Australia. This scale will allow for analysis of more elements of water consumption in Perth and its surrounding areas, not just the city’s consumption of water, but consumption from other key industries that fuel the economy of Perth and WA, including mining and agriculture.
The design of projections; be these shelfs providing solar protection on the overlying storey which is based on a calculation of the vertical shadow angle in such a way as to ensure that the sun’s rays can enter the opening in winter but not in summer. More detailed sun control studies that also calculate the effects of solar radiation on indoor lighting conditions and heat gains can be useful for the
In the early 90s the CBC Toronto building was built. Before the structure was created, 21 offices existed within Toronto. The final CBC Toronto tower was an effort to bring all the offices together.
A Complete Water Management System - A comprehensive package of best building practices and materials protects walls and foundations from water damage, protects roofs and reduces the risk of indoor air quality problems.
water is almost unavoidable. Much of our water is not potable due to the various pollutants left
Municipal - These systems are designed to serve a given natural drainage area and are part of the public sanitary sewer system.
In the USA, most wastewater utilities collect wastewater through a collection system that is independent of runoff collection networks. Combined sewer systems that are common in Europe are seen less frequently in the USA. Thus, properly designed, operated and maintained sanitary sewer systems are meant to collect and transport all of the sewage that flows into them to a publicly owned treatment works. However, occasional unintentional discharges of raw sewage from municipal sanitary sewers occur in almost every system. A sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) is defined as discharge from a sanitary sewer system at any point upstream of a sewage treatment plant. Thus, an SSO is any release of untreated sewage into basements, out of manholes, onto city streets and playgrounds, and into streams, before it can reach a treatment facility. Health risks occur from direct and indirect exposure to the SSO.
Fig 6.14. illustrates the consumption of water in various landuse. It is inferred from the fig 6.14. that 78% to 80% of the water are used for residential purposes, 3% of the water are used for commercial purposes, 10% of the water are used for public semi public purposes, 8% of the
Why should we care about this topic?All of us need water everyday but many of us don't have
"The United States Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that one third of all water use is used on grass, and some experts estimate that as much as 50% of that that water is wasted to evaporation, wind and runoff" (Outdoor Water Use)
Nowadays daylighting system is a complicated part in building. A daylighting system in the building is not only of daylight apertures, like skylights and windows, but is coupled with a daylight-responsive lighting control system. Using daylighting is not only reducing building energy cost, but also creating a
Waste water treatment plants are essential to communities of all sizes and must work efficiently. Waste water treatment plant primary priority and responsibility is the treatment of incoming sewage water by the removal of biological and chemical wastes so it can be treated and recycled for future use. There are many government agencies and standards set forth to govern and observe the successful treatment of sewage such as: the Department of Environmental Quality, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and the Clean Water Act of 1972. Compliance and constant monitoring of the treatment plant’s operations are important; as they protect the surrounding community. A spill or backflow of sewage due to a complete system malfunction could potentially be detrimental to the environment and local community. A precise system, of which must be compliant according to government standards, is critical to maintain low levels of wastes that are returned to neighboring water systems after treatment.
Less than 1% of the water supply on earth can be used as drinking water.