• The Client:Nicolas Residence
  • The Asks:6 gpm at 30psi, small footprint

The Problem:

In large urban areas, incorporating storm water discharge in the building design to limit or prevent flooding is a major priority. Toronto Multi-residential high rise buildings need to satisfy storm water management requirements including the City’s Green Standard, Ministry of Environment Climate Change (MOECC) stormwater management guideline, and Toronto Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA). The requirement is to keep a portion of the flow on site and reuse or infiltrate back into the ground within 72 hours.

Since the Nicolas Residence is located downtown where space is limited, there was no green space to irrigate or infiltrate water. Therefore the challenge for Net Zero Water was to select a cost-effective system that was both small in foot print (since space is a premium even in the parking levels), and could meet the requirement to deplete the cistern water within a 72 hour period. As well, the Rainwater Harvesting System needed to be fully automated and require minimal supervision and maintenance.


The Answer:

Using the rainwater for cooling tower make-up water is an ideal solution. Cooling towers consume a large volume of water and since the size of the cistern is small relative to the amount of water it consumes, sizing a rainwater harvesting system to supply a portion of the make-up water made the most economic sense while minimizing footprint.

Net Zero Water designed a rainwater harvesting package that included a floating filter inside the cistern, and a rainwater treatment skid. The rainwater treatment skid provides two stages of filtration and UV disinfection for cooling tower use. The system is fully automated with a control panel which features colored HMI touch screen which display system statuses, water consumption and system diagnostics for pumps, filters and UV equipment.


The Design:

The rainwater harvesting system was commissioned in June 2015 and is operational during spring, summer and fall months. To view a sample design of this application, download the spec below.

The Features:

  • Treatment, Booster and Controls Pre-assembled Skid
  • Complete with Stainless Steel Piping, isolation valves and gauges
  • Treatment Pump in Cistern
  • Two Stage Filtration, down to 5 microns
  • UV Disinfection
  • Color HMI Touch Screen
  • PLC Programmed to Run with Minimal Supervision
  • Water Consumption Tracking
  • Communication to Building Automation System
  • Simplex Booster System
  • O&M Manual
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