Due to the combined effect of intense rainfall events together with the expected impact of climate change, this will put pressure on the existing and future infrastructure for storm water management. One of the challenges related to this is the combined sewer system which is still operating in large areas of many cities worldwide. In Stockholm, combined sewer represents around 50% of the total sewer pipe length. In a Combined sewer system, once the conveyed discharge exceeds the system capacity, the system overflows, which can result in a diverse range of health and environmental problems. The cause of overflow has been strongly linked to runoff from intense rainfall events. Therefore, a key proposal to overcome this problem is to disconnect runoff from hard surfaces. This research aims to investigate the impact of applying a rainwater harvesting (RWH) and reuse system to collect runoff water from roof surfaces in areas with combined sewer system. A simulation water balance model for a rooftop RWH system was developed and two reuse purposes were considered, which entails toilet flushing and garden irrigation within the property. The study area consists of one building block within Kungsholmen area in Stockholm. The obtained results indicate that applying such systems can reduce runoff to the sewer system. Toilet flushing reuse shows a higher reduction impact on sewer flow than the use for irrigation. Toilet flushing reuse reduces annual runoff volumes to sewer in a range of 49.5% - 93.4% while irrigation provided reduction in a range of 11.6% - 26.3%. Regarding number of times that overflow from the combined sewer system occurs, toilet flushing reuse demonstrated reduction of 40% - 100% while 20% to 60% was reduced by irrigation reuse. For overflow volume, a reduction rate of 11% to 100% was reached through toilet flushing in contrast to 9% to 43% reduction from irrigation reuse. 19% to 37% of toilet flushing water demand was covered by the tank, while arange of 48% to 100% was covered for irrigation demand. All these parameters were found to be sensitive to change in tank size where increasing the size result in higher flow reduction rates. When considering implementing a reuse system, it is important to consider the applicability of RWH and reuse within the specific property. In areas that are under development, either of the two reuses can be considered depending on local conditions. However, in already built up area it is difficult to introduce a system that requires significant adjustment to existing pipe networks, such as reuse systems for toilet flushing. Systems for outdoor irrigation are possible to implement in most situations. When it comes to tank size, the optimal size will depend on the intended reuse, the catchment area and the objective of the system. For example, if the main objective is to reduce potable water consumption, a smaller tank can be used compared to where the main objective is to reduce sewer overflow. Hence, when considering implementing a rainwater reuse systems, each project will need to consider the local conditions as well as the individual objectives when determining the optimal reuse purpose and tank size. A cost-benefit analysis should also be considered when determining the optimal tank size for the intended use.

Idag spolar den stora majoriteten av alla invånare i Sverige med dricksvattnen itoaletten. Spolning med regnvatten i WC är något som på flera håll i världenanvänds flitigt främst i områden med någon slags vattenbrist. Men i Sverige harregnanvändande anläggningars popularitet inte riktigt slagit igenom ännu.Orsaken till detta kan härledas till flera faktorer. De viktigaste och de sompåverkar mest är; den goda tillgången och således låga priset på dricksvatten iSverige, samt begränsad konkurrens bland företag och återförsäljare vilket ger etthögt investeringspris på regnanvändande anläggningar för konsumenten.Fokus i detta examensarbete ligger på att göra en grundläggande analys avregnvatten och möjligheterna att genom en regnanvändande anläggning kunnaanvända regnvatten istället för dricksvatten för att spola i toaletten med.Tillvägagångssättet har varit att genom en studie av olika källor sammanställainformation relevant till ämnet regnvatten och regnvattenanvändning till WCspolning,följt av en analys och jämförelse av hur ekonomiskt hållbar enregnanvändande anläggning i ett standardhus beläget i Malmö är, i förhållande tillsamma standardhus med en traditionell dricksvattenförsörjning för WC-spolning.Resultatet av analysen visar tydligt att en regnvattenanvändande anläggning ifallet med standardhuset i dagsläget inte går att rättfärdiga ur ekonomisksynpunkt, men även att det finns möjlighet till en realistisk ekonomisk förtjänst iandra byggnader eller i framtiden. / The vast majority of the Swedish population today flushes their toilet withdrinking water. Flushing the toilet with rain water is used diligently on multiplelocations around the world, typically where there is a shortage of fresh water. InSweden though, the popularity of rain water harvesting has not yet beensuccessful. The cause of this can be deducted to several factors, where the mostimportant and the most influential are the abundant source, and therefore low cost,of fresh water in Sweden and the lack of competition among retailers, whichresults in a high investment cost of rain water harvesting equipment for theconsumer.The focal point of this Bachelor’s Degree project is to make a fundamentalanalysis of rain water and the possibilities of using rain water instead of drinkingwater for flushing the toilet. The procedure of the project has consisted of a studyof sources, a compilation of information relevant to rain water and the use of rainwater as flushing water in the toilet and an analysis of a calculated average housein Malmo, Sweden, and a comparison between a traditional toilet flushing systemand a rain water toilet flushing system of the same average house.The result of the analysis clearly shows that a rain water toilet flushing systemcan not be justified from a economical standpoint in the case of the average house,but also that there is a realistic chance of an economical profit in the future or ifused with other building types.

The project "Feasibility of evaporative cooling and toilet flushing using rainwater in a public building" combines rainwater harvesting with the evaporative cooling technology and toilet flushing and explores the practicality and viability of implementing this innovative system in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. This study comprehensively investigates various aspects related to water and energy, and the entire system is computationally modelled using the Equation Engineering Solver (EES) software. The primary objective of the project is to assess the feasibility of utilizing harvested rainwater either for employing evaporative cooling for temperature control or for flushing toilets in a commercial building. By leveraging these sustainable practices, the project aims to reduce both water consumption and energy usage, thereby promoting environmental conservation and decreasing the ecological footprint. The study involves an in-depth analysis of several key aspects. Firstly, the local climate and rainfall patterns in Gothenburg are examined to evaluate the availability and adequacy of rainwater as a resource. Secondly, evaporative cooling technology is extensively investigated to determine its efficiency in cooling indoor spaces. The thermal dynamics and cooling potential of the system are analyzed, taking into account factors such as temperature differentials, humidity levels, and air circulation. The Equation Engineering Solver software is employed to simulate and compute the system's performance under varying conditions, allowing for predictions and optimization. For doing that, three cases with different conditions concerning the priorities of cooling and flushing necessities and the water volume in the two existing tanks in the installation have been developed in order to analyse the benefits they would bring in terms of energy and water savings. The comprehensive analysis of the technical and environmental feasibility of the three cases of study provides some advantageous results. Starting by analyzing the water aspect, in the first case, the one that prioritizes the cooling aspect while the water to fill the toilet flushing necessities is provided just if in the second tank there is any water left, a total of 37% and 10% of the requirements would be filled for the AHU and the toilet flushing respectively. Secondly, the case that still prioritizes the cooling demand but water for toilet flushing is provided as long as the storage tank is half full, meets 69% and 8% of the demand of the AHU and the flushing respectively. Laying aside the flushing aspect considering simply cooling in the third case, 75% of the supply within the AHU is met. When it comes to the thermal part, on the one hand, fractions provided by the new evaporative system are 22%, 32% and 49% respectively. This is due to the fact that almost every month in the three cases studied aims for extra cooling since the system does not hold the quantity of water required and therefore, an extra supply from the current cooling device is needed. Nevertheless, the system brings energy savings of 1005.3, 1510.4 and 2022.4 kWh per year. Furthermore, the energy consumption, in the three cases is very similar and low. The conclusions of the project, from a technical point of view, despite considering the fact that the requirements are not entirely met with actual medium contribution fractions either within the water and cooling aspects, with the existing water availability, the tanks and the pumps sizing and the existing AHU, the system is reliable and is capable to perform properly. Therefore, it can be concluded that it is technically feasible. Concerning the environmental feasibility, the key point of the study, depending on the case, the system would bring different savings. On the one hand, the water savings are 40.3, 47.0 and 8.2 m3 yearly for every case respectively, concluding that the second case is the one that would entail the highest water savings to the system. On the other hand, the energy savings hold values of 1005.3, 1510.4 and 2022.4 kWh annually, with the third case bringing the greatest value. Consequently, the three cases can be considered environmentally feasible since all of them achieve the overall objective of the project, the reduction of water and energy usage. However, depending on the savings’ preferences, either the second case with the highest reduction in water or the third case with the highest decrease in energy could be considered the best ones. From a general point of view, the second case could be the most suitable to set since it is the one that saves more water and moreover, it brings an energy reduction between the average values in the first and in the third case. These outcomes provide valuable insights and inform decision-making processes for the successful implementation and adoption of the system, and they guide future implementation strategies and contributions to sustainable urban development. / Projektet " Genomförbarhet för evaporativ kylning och spolning av WC med regnvatten " kombinerar insamling av regnvatten med evaporativ kylningsteknik och toalettspolning och utforskar möjligheten implementera detta innovativa system i Göteborgs stad, Sverige. Denna studie undersöker aspekter som vatten och energi. Systemet är modellerat med hjälp av programvaran Equation Engineering Solver (EES). Det primära syftet med projektet är att bedöma genomförbarheten av att använda uppsamlat regnvatten antingen för att endast evaporativ kyla för temperaturkontroll i en kommersiell byggnad eller för att spola toaletter med. Genom detta syftar projektet till att minska både vattenförbrukning och energianvändning, och därigenom främja miljö och minimera det ekologiska fotavtrycket. Studien gör en djupgående analys av flera nyckelaspekter. För det första undersöks det lokala klimatetoch nederbördsmönstren i Göteborg för att utvärdera tillgängligheten och tillräckligheten av regnvatten som resurs. För det andra undersöks tekniken för evaporativ kylning för att fastställa dess effektivitet vid kylning av inomhusutrymmen. Systemets kylningspotential analyseras med hänsyn till faktorer som temperaturskillnader, fuktighetsnivåer och luftcirkulation. Programvaran Equation Engineering Solver används för att simulera och beräkna systemets prestanda under varierande förhållanden, vilket möjliggör exakta förutsägelser och optimering.För att göra det har tre fall med olika förutsättningar avseende prioritering av kyl- och spolningsbehov samt vattenvolymen i de två befintliga tankarna i anläggningen testats för att analysera deras respektive energi- och vattenbesparingar. Utifrån vattenaspekten kunde det första fallet, den som prioriterar kyla medan vattnet för att fylla toalettens spolningsbehov tillhandahålls om det finns något vatten kvar i den mindre tanken, fylla totalt 37% och 10% av vattenbehovet för evaporativ kyla respektive toalettspolning. För det andra fallet, prioritering av kylbehovet men vatten för toalettspolning tillhandahålls så länge lagringstanken är halvfull, tillhandahåller 69 % och 8 % av behovet av evaporativ kyla respektive spolningen. För det tredje fallet, där allt vatten avses användas till evaporativ uppfylls 75 % av vattenbehovet. När det gäller den energimässiga aspekten tillhandahålls 22 %, 32 % respektive 49 % av det kylbehovs som krävs. Detta beror på att det under de tre studerade månaderna inte finns tillräckligt med vatten och därför krävs extrakyla. Systemet ger ändå en energibesparingar på 1005, 1510 respektive 2022 kWh per år.Projektets slutsatser, ur teknisk synvinkel, är att trots att man beaktar att hela behovet inte helt uppfylls vare sig inom vatten- och kylaspekterna, med den befintliga vattentillgången, tankarna och pumparnas dimensionering och den befintliga AHU:n är systemet pålitligt och kan fungera korrekt. Därför kan man dra slutsatsen att det är tekniskt genomförbart. När det gäller den miljömässiga genomförbarheten, den viktigaste punkten i studien, skulle systemet medföra olika besparingar beroende på fallet. Å ena sidan är vattenbesparingarna 40,3, 47,0 och 8,2 m3 årligen för varje fall, således är det andra fallet är det som skulle medföra störst vattenbesparing för systemet. Å andra sidan är energibesparingen störst för det tredje fallet. Följaktligen kan de tre fallen anses vara miljömässigt genomförbara eftersom de alla uppnår projektets övergripande mål, att minska vatten- och energianvändningen. Men beroende på besparingarnas preferenser kan antingen det andra fallet med den högsta minskningen av vatten eller det tredje fallet med den högsta minskningen av energi anses vara det bästa. Ur en allmän synvinkel kan det andra fallet vara det mest lämpliga att ställa in eftersom det är det som sparar mer vatten och dessutom ger det en energireduktion mellan medelvärdena i det första och i det tredje fallet. Slutligen ger dessa resultat ger värdefulla insikter hur framtida liknande system kan utformas för att bidrag till hållbar stadsutveckling.

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Cape Town, South Africa, falls within a winter rainfall region, making it difficult to assess the feasibility of rain- and stormwater harvesting. The reason for this is because the region’s high water demand period coincides with the low rainfall summer season, thereby limiting the availability of this alternative water resource when most needed. During this study, rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing purposes, collected from roof surfaces, was practically assessed by means of inserted flow meters at a pilot study site in Kommetjie, Cape Town. The combined and single system roof- and land surface runoff yields and savings of commercial buildings within the Kommetjie business area, were also theoretically assessed by making use of a mathematical roof- and land surface runoff model specifically developed during this study. The statistical testing of the hypotheses statements relating to the pre- and post-harvesting savings at the pilot study building, compared against the average actual municipal water usage, were performed. Hypotheses testing were also performed in order to compare the theoretical rain- and stormwater runoff yields for the commercial business area against the average actual municipal water consumption. The conclusions drawn from this study indicated that valuable potable water, as well as related financial savings, can be achieved within a winter rainfall region, thereby making rain- and stormwater harvesting a feasible option for commercial businesses in Cape Town. / Environmental Sciences / M.Sc. (Environmental Management)

Cape Town, South Africa, falls within a winter rainfall region, making it difficult to assess the feasibility of rain- and stormwater harvesting. The reason for this is because the region’s high water demand period coincides with the low rainfall summer season, thereby limiting the availability of this alternative water resource when most needed. During this study, rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing purposes, collected from roof surfaces, was practically assessed by means of inserted flow meters at a pilot study site in Kommetjie, Cape Town. The combined and single system roof- and land surface runoff yields and savings of commercial buildings within the Kommetjie business area, were also theoretically assessed by making use of a mathematical roof- and land surface runoff model specifically developed during this study. The statistical testing of the hypotheses statements relating to the pre- and post-harvesting savings at the pilot study building, compared against the average actual municipal water usage, were performed. Hypotheses testing were also performed in order to compare the theoretical rain- and stormwater runoff yields for the commercial business area against the average actual municipal water consumption. The conclusions drawn from this study indicated that valuable potable water, as well as related financial savings, can be achieved within a winter rainfall region, thereby making rain- and stormwater harvesting a feasible option for commercial businesses in Cape Town. / Environmental Sciences / M.Sc. (Environmental Management)