University of Georgia
OP-T2-46: Non-Potable Water Usage

Fifteen cisterns on campus collect and store over 530,000 gallons of rain and condensate for reuse in campus bulidings and landscapes, including a gray water reuse system installed in the new LEED-certified residence hall Building 1516. Over fifty rain gardens have been installed to improve storm water and watershed health at UGA.

Overall, UGA has 15 cisterns installed or under construction, totaling over 530,000 gallons storage capacity for continuous reuse of harvested rain and condensate water.

Recent construction projects include:

New ECV Residence Hall, Building 1516 (2010): two separate underground cisterns totaling 00,000 gallons of harvested water storage for reuse. Gray water from showers and laundry inside the building, as well as rain and condensate water are collected in separate storage tanks and treated for reuse in toilet flushing, mechanical system make-up water, and landscape irrigation.

•Georgia Museum of Art Addition (2011): 30,000 gallon underground cistern collecting rain and condensate water to irrigate new sculpture garden and surrounding landscapes.

•Special Collections Library (2011): 40,000 gallon cistern underground cistern collecting rain, condensate and ground water for reuse as irrigation of newly created green space and make up water for cooling buildings as part of the northwest precinct central chilled water infrastructure.

•Double Bridges Farm (2011): two separate above-ground cisterns totaling 54,000 gallons are being installed to harvest rain and condensate water for reuse in toilet flushing and animal waste management.

•State Botanical Gardens Maintenance Facility (2011): 10,000 gallon underground cistern collecting rain and condensate water for reuse in indoor (greenhouse) and outdoor irrigation and other site watering.

•Butts-Mehre Building Addition (2011): The UGA Athletic Association recently installed a 200,000 gallon cistern to collect rain and condensate water for reuse to irrigate the Woodruff Football practice Fields.

Other water harvesting projects installed on campus:

• Lamar Dodd School of Art (2009): 35,000 gallon below ground cistern collecting rain and condensate water for reuse in new green space / landscape irrigation.

•College of Pharmacy (2009): 15,000 gallon underground cistern collecting rain and condensate water for reuse in new green space / landscape irrigation.

•Tate Student Center (2008): 75,000 gallon underground cistern collecting rain and condensate water from Tate Expansion and Miller Learning Center for reuse in toilet flushing in Tate Expansion and irrigation of the newly created Georgia Quad green space.

•Grounds Department Maintenance Shops (2008): 10,000 gallon above-ground cistern collecting rain water for reuse in campus tree irrigation and fountain re-fill water.

•UGA Founders Garden (2007): 600 gallon above-ground cistern collecting rain water for reuse as irrigation in the historic gardens.

•Coverdell Center for Biomedical Research (2006): 40,000 gallon underground cistern collecting rain and condensate water for reuse in toilet flushing and building cooling system make-up water.

•UGA Memorial Garden (2005): 5,100 gallon underground cistern collecting rain water from the Military Science Building for reuse as irrigation in the UGA Memorial Garden.