- 165 students wash their clothes with PURIFIED rain water
Water harvesting, that’s the method used by a group of 165 students of the University of Costa Rica as another choice to help the environment restore.
This plan consists of collecting, chlorinate, and disinfect rainwater to use it for laundry and other household applications. The occupants of the Costa Rica University’s residence hall are saving around 6 thousand liters of water a day, which adds up to 1170 thousand liters in 30 days.
The Project was initiated with the aid of the Environmental Management Unit and the UCR. These organizations adjusted the system to the requirements of the Student Residence Programs.
“Since rainwater is not so polluted, it can be used at home, replacing drinking water in many things. For example, we can utilize it for watering plants, laundry, and spring-cleaning” – says a representative of the University of Costa Rica.
Juan Carlos, a specialist who works for the Environmental Management Unit, stated that they expected this program had a multiplier effect since that system could also be applied in the communities and areas where the students originally reside.
This info graph explains how this water re-use system works.
A group of students, who live in the University dorms, has been working on other projects since 2011. For example, they are planning on a recycling plan, a parking lot for bicycles, and the organization of eco-fairs to promote the environmentalist culture. At college, they usually reuse paper and share books to avoid photocopies.
It is calculated that 2,352 liters of rainwater fall every year, 2,072 in the North Pacific and 4,277 in the North Caribbean. Stormwater harvesting is emerging as the future water distribution system of the country.
