Water conservation strategies for the reuse of non-clinical non-potable water for hospital outdoor landscape, in arid climates, such as Abu Dhabi.
Supervisors: Dr John Littlewood, Professor George Karani
Research group: Ecological Build Environment Research and Enterprise (EBERE)
Research Degree Type: Professional Doctorate in Sustainable Built Environment (DSBE)
Based in the United Arab Emirates, Geraldine Seguela’s professional change project is based on the need for Abu Dhabi to decrease desalinated potable water consumption to reduce environmental impact and operational cost. The aim of the research is to measure the impact of using onsite alternative water sources in a healthcare setting in Abu Dhabi, to alleviate the use of desalinated potable water and reduce associated energy consumption, capital cost investment, and carbon emissions.
The medical facility, a 364-bedroom hospital that opened in 2015 with 50% landscaping, is targeting 100% non-clinical/non-potable water use for irrigation, from treated condensate water, which is a by-product of air conditioning. For five months per year, however, there is a predicted non-potable water deficit, so costly and non-sustainable desalinated potable water is required. The change project has developed a sustainable water strategy to meet this five month shortfall, including a protocol to extract water from recycled onsite organic food waste, fire pump test water and reject water from Reverse Osmosis water treatment system, adapting and monitoring the medical facility’s irrigation technology, and implementing soil improvement techniques from the landscape architecture/agriculture industries.
If successful, the project could be legislated and mandated by the competent authority for regional medical facilities. Benefits of the change project will include zero use of desalinated water for irrigation and consequently significant reductions in energy use, cost and carbon emissions associated with the production and supply of desalinated water.
The project is due for completion in Spring 2018.
Contact details: G.Seguela@outlook.cardiffmet.ac.uk
