Rainwater Harvesting

System in Petroleum
Engineering Building
Prepared by:
Austria, Raymark
Magno, Kenneth
Salazar, Barbie Melody M.
Vasquez, Rolando Jr. F.
Adviser: Engr. John Nesmen Arcilla
Instructor: Engr. Nena G. Zara

SY: 2016-2017
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
1

First and foremost, we are thankful to God for the good health and well-being that were
necessary for the completion of this study.
We extend our deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness to our guide, Engr. John
Nesmen Arcilla, Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Architecture and
Technology for his kind attitude, invaluable guidance, keen interest, immense help, inspiration
and encouragement which helped us in carrying out our work. Without his assistance and
dedicated involvement in every step throughout the process, this paper would have never been
accomplished.
We are extremely grateful to Engr. Nena G. Zara, Department of Civil Engineering,
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology for sharing her pearls of wisdom with us
during the course of this research and for providing all kind of possible help throughout the
semester for the completion of this project work.
We also would like to thank Engr. Allan U. Vargas, Palawan State University Office of
Engineering and PAG-ASA, for providing us the roof plan of Petroleum Engineering Building
and annual rainfall data of Puerto Princesa City, respectively. Without those valuable data, this
study would not be as accurate as it is.
Special thanks also for Maggies Bakeshop for the donation of delicious cake during the
defense of this study.
Lastly, we thank all those who were involved directly or indirectly in the completion of
this study. We might not be able to mention each and every one of you but our hearts pulsates
with thrill for tendering gratitude to all of you.

Table of Contents
2

Abstract.4
1.0 Introduction........5
1.1 Background of the Study.........5
1.2 Objective of the Study.6
1.3 Significance of the Study.6
1.4 Scope and Delimitation6
1.5 Assumptions of the Study....7
2.0 Review of Related Literature7
3.0 Theoretical/Structural Framework..7
3.1 Research Paradigm...9
3.2 Perspective Views of the Proposed System10
3.3 Definition of Terms....12
4.0 Materials and Methods..12
4.1 Materials...........13
4.2 Methodology.13
5.0 Results...20
5.1 Water Demand...20
5.2 Rainwater Quantity....20
5.3 Actual Rainwater Harvest..20
5.4 Size of Storage Tank..20
5.5 Required Power of Pump...20
5.6 Cost of Materials....20
5.7 Cost of Operation...20
5.8 Possible Savings........20
6.0 Conclusion and Recommendations........21
6.1 Conclusion.21
6.2 Recommendations..21
7.0 Appendix..22
8.0 References....23

ABSTRACT

Rainwater harvesting is an old practice of collecting water that is common to Filipino

households, done by simply placing a container underneath the gutter or roof edge. In this study,
3

a systematic or organized way of harvesting rainwater or simply a rainwater harvesting system

will be designed, and its efficiency financially-wise is to be determined.
The technical aspect of this paper is rainwater harvesting collected from rooftop of
Petroleum Engineering Building which is considered to be the catchment area. First of all,
required data were collected i.e. catchment areas & hydrological rainfall data. Water harvesting
potential for the Petroleum Engineering building was analyzed, and the tank capacity with
suitable design was considered. The water demand in the building was estimated with most
appropriate method of estimation. The potential rainwater harvest volume was also carefully
computed with the help of the data collected as mentioned earlier, along with the possible
savings with respect to the latest rate of water at Puerto Princesa City Water District. The
evaluations of both the installation cost by summing up all the material costs, and operational
cost by computing the electrical consumption of the proposed system were also done.
The designed rainwater harvesting system could harvest a minimum amount of 600 cubic
meters of rainwater annually which amounts to P25,000, and the annual operational cost was
P7,800. Subtracting the expenditure from savings, the annual possible savings from the proposed
system was P17,200.

1.

Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Water is essential to us human beings. We cant survive without it since
our body needs it. At the same time, water is necessary for our daily activities like
food preparation, watering our plants, washing our clothes, and other cleaning4

related stuffs. Water sources in both urban and rural areas are limited to rivers and
dams (Water District), pumps or poso and wells (both dug and natural).
In Palawan State University, we solely rely in Water District as our source
of water. Of course, we have to pay for every drop of it which is ultimately being
shouldered by the students through their fees. But that is just the minor issue. If
we look at the bigger picture and take into consideration these following issues:
the fast growing rate of our population, the global warming, and the limited
sources of water that we have, we will eventually run out of water in the years to
come. That being said, we need to think of alternative cost-effective and relatively
easier technological methods of conserving water. Rainwater harvesting is one of
the best methods that satisfy those qualities.
Puerto Princesa City receives a fair amount of rainfall annually and these
rainwaters often simply return to hydrologic cycle, unused. In this study, a
rainwater harvesting system will be designed in order to harness the potential of
these rainwaters. The rooftop of Petroleum Engineering Building at Palawan State
University will serve as the catchment area.

1.2 Objective of the Study

General:
This study aims to design a rainwater harvesting system in Petroleum
Engineering Building.
Specifics:
1.2.1 To compute the total cost of building an effective rainwater harvesting
1.2.2

system in Petroleum Engineering Building.

To calculate the possible savings or benefits from the proposed system.

1.3 Significance of the Study

5

1.3.1

It is economically cheaper in construction compared to other sources,

i.e. dams, diversion, etc.

1.3.2

The pressure on existing water sources will be lessened.

1.3.3

This study can serve as reference for future related studies.

1.4 Scope and Delimitation

1.4.1

This study focuses on the design of rainwater harvesting system, thus,

1.4.2

the study does not cover its construction or implementation.

The design of the rainwater harvesting system is limited to the whole

1.4.3

Petroleum Engineering Building.

This study limits the design in such a way that the rainwater collected
can only be used as water for flushing toilets, watering plants, and the

1.4.4

likes.
The study does not cover the design to make the rainwater potable.

1.5 Assumptions of the Study

The following assumptions were used for calculations in this study:
1.5.1 The rainfall data of Puerto Princesa City that is retrieved from
1.5.2

weatherandclimate.com is accurate.
The value of rainwater run-off efficiency of Petroleum Engineering

1.5.3

Building roof area is 0.80

Each toilet in Petroleum Engineering Building consumes 5 liters of

1.5.4
1.5.5

water per flush and is being flushed 5 times per hour.

Each faucet consumes 5 liters of water per hour.
Watering the plants, mopping the building floor and other cleaning
purposes in PB consumes a total of 200 liters of water daily.

2.

Review of Related Literature

Researchers (Chan, Finan, Leung & Skublak, 2004) said that water conservation
is a very important aspect of sustainable development. One method to reduce water
consumption and reliance on traditional sources is to utilize rainwater. Each year,
according to Weather-and-Climate.com (2016), Puerto Princesa City receives an average
6

of 230mm of precipitation. This rainwater often simply returns to the hydrologic cycle,
unused. Depending on the quality of the rainwater (which can be contaminated by bird
droppings or pollutants in the air) the water can be collected, stored and used in a number
of different ways to ease pressure on existing water sources.
According to Gould and Nissen-Petersen 1999, although rainwater is rarely
accepted as potable and the treatment required to make it so would be unfeasible, it can
be useful for other applications such as watering plants, flushing toilets, and even
washing clothes.
The main components of rainwater harvesting system were identified in a
research article by Ranjit Kumar Sharma (2010). The first one was the Catchment, which
is the surface which receives the rainfall and provides water to the system. The next one
was the Gutter, which is a channel that surrounds the edge of a sloping roof to collect and
transport rainwater to the pipelines. Then there is the Conduits or Pipelines that carry the
rainwater from the gutters to the harvesting system. And the Storage facility is the one
that receives all the rainwater conveyed by the Pipelines. It is usually composed of tanks.
The series of calculations to determine the water quantity and the size of tank that would
be required to hold such water is presented in the research article by Chan et al. (2004).

3.

Theoretical/Structural Framework
3.1 Research Paradigm

Rainfall
7

Catchment

Filtration

Overflow

Storage

Control Unit

End Use

3.2 Perspective Views of the Proposed System

3.2 Definition of Terms

10

3.2.1

CATCHMENT AREA: Area from which rainwater is collected for use

3.2.2
3.2.3

in a rainwater harvesting system (e.g. roof area).

STORAGE: A tank or series of tanks that are used to store rainwater.
FILTRATION: Physical removal of liquid-borne contaminants by
means of separation from the output flow.

Particulate filtration

removes suspended particles (measured in units of Total Suspended

Solids (TSS); while other forms of filtration, such as carbon /
absorption filtration, removes dissolved compounds measured in units
3.2.4
3.2.5

of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).

OVERFLOW: Excess amount of rainwater from the tank.
OVERFLOW LEVEL: The highest level that water from a drainage

3.2.6

system can rise to.

OVERFLOW LINE: Line for leading away rainwater when the
rainwater reservoir is full, e.g. into the sewage system or a seepage

3.2.7

system.
PIPING SYSTEM: Pipes that convey the harvested rainwater and

3.2.8

distribute it to various fixtures.

USEFUL VOLUME: Volume that can be completely used during

operation (Typically .80 - .90 of storage volume).

3.2.9 CONTROL UNIT: Composed of pressure tank, valve, and pump.
3.2.10 GUTTER: A channel which surrounds the edge of a sloping roof to
collect and transport rainwater to the conveyance.

4.

Materials and Methods

4.1 Materials
4.1.1 Catchment Area
The roof of the Petroleum Engineering building will serve as the
catchment.

4.1.2 Conveyance Pipes

11

These are Schedule 40 PVC Pipes with 5-inch diameter.

4.1.3 Storage Tanks

A series of 220-liter plastic drums will be used.

4.1.4 Pump
4.2 Methodology
4.2.1 Estimation of Water Demand in Petroleum Engineering
Building
The water demand was estimated based on the following assumptions:

8 Toilets
Each toilet consumes 5 liters of water per flush and is being flushed 5 times
per hour, from 8:00AM-8:00PM daily.

5 Faucets
Each faucet consumes 5 liters of water per hour from 8:00AM-8:00PM daily.

Watering the Plants

100 Liters daily

Mopping the building floor and other cleaning purposes

100 Liters daily

Monthly Water Demand:

Assuming that the water demand on weekdays are similar, while that of
Saturday and Sunday is 75% and 50% of the daily.
Annual Water Demand:
Say, the water demand on regular school months are uniform, and 50% of the
regular monthly demand during summer.

12

4.2.2 Calculation of Rainwater Quantity

Run-off Volume = Roof Runoff Coefficient Area of Roof

m
( 2)

Total Precipitation (mm)

Roof Runoff Coefficient = 0.80
2
Area of Roof = 760 m

Table 1. Average Monthly Precipitation in Puerto Princesa City

Month

Precipitation (mm)

January

25

February

15

March

13

April

30

May

180

June

400

July

505

August

560

September

425

October

305

November

140

December

75

TOTAL

2673

13

4.2.3 Calculation of Potential Harvest Volume

Supply vs Demand (m^3)

400
300
200
100
0

Assuming, that the monthly run-off volume was the supply (blue line),
while the monthly consumption was the demand (orange line).
The harvest volume will be computed as follows:
During months that the supply is greater than the demand, the harvest
volume would be the demand itself. On the contrary, when the demand is higher
than the supply, the harvest volume would be the demand.

4.2.4 Size of Storage Tank

The bigger the tank size, the better it is, since it will ensure lesser
overflow. Therefore, we could harvest more rainwater. But since the system
14

should be as economical as possible, the volume of the tank should at least be able
Use

Pressure (ft)

Pressure (Psi)

Flow (gpm)

Impact sprinkler

93

40

4.5

Clothes washer

46

20

Pressure washer

46

20

Toilet

46

20

Garden hose nozzle

81

35

to support the maximum daily water demand.

4.2.5 Computation of Required Power of Pump

a.) Required Flow
Table 2. Typical minimum requirements of common fixtures in water harvesting

Q1 = 8 Toilets = 8 (6gpm) = 48 gallons/minute

Q (gpm)
2
4
6
8
10
15
20
25

Pipe Diameter (in.)

1/2
5.752
19.307
39.437

3/4
1.302
4.346
8.85
14.697
21.811

Excessive Velocities

1
0.39
1.294
2.627
4.355
6.455
13.234

1 1/4
0.111
0.365
0.739
1.222
1.808
3.697
6.156
9.154

1 1/2
0.052
0.17
0.343
0.567
0.838
1.71
2.845
4.227

2
0.015
0.05
0.1
0.165
0.244
0.496
0.823
1.222

2 1/2
0.006
0.021
0.041
0.068
0.1
0.203
0.337
0.5

3
0.002
0.008
0.015
0.025
0.037
0.075
0.124
0.183

b.) Friction Loss (Head Loss)

Table 3. Friction loss for every 100 linear feet of schedule 40 PVC pipe (ft.)
15

Table 4. Equivalent length for pipe fittings (ft.)

Pipe Diameter
(in.)
Fitting
1/2

3/4

1 1/4

1 1/2

2 1/2

90-degree Elbow

1.5

2.5

3.8

5.7

6.9

7.9

45-degree Elbow

0.8

1.1

14

1.8

2.1

2.6

3.1

Open Gate Valve

0.3

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.5

Tee-Straight Flow

1.4

1.7

2.3

2.7

4.3

5.1

6.2

Tee-Branch Flow

12

15

16

HLA-1 = 0.031m
HL2-B = 0.80 m
c.) Energy Equation between A and B:
EA HLA-1 + HA HL2-B = E

4.2.6 Calculation of Cost

a.) Installation Cost
Cost of Materials:
Material

Unit Cost

No. of Pieces

Total Cost

1-horsepower Pump
4-diameter PVC pipe

4500
604

4500

3-diameter PVC pipe

363

2-diameter PVC pipe

202

1-diameter PVC pipe

220-Liter Drum

126
800

12

9600

Gate Valve

550

1650

Faucet
End Caps

179
23

3
1

537
23

90-degree Elbow (4)

90-degree Elbow (3)
90-degree Elbow (2)
90-degree Elbow (1)

95
45
30
16

6
3
1
1

570
135
30
16
16

TOTAL

P20,000

Table 5. Prices of plumbing materials

b.) Cost of Operation

Electrical consumption of Pump =

Electrical bill for pump =

Power
Efficiency

Power
Efficiency

(running hour)

(running hour) (rate per kilowatt-hour)

Table 6. Effective Power Rate (Pesos/kWh) of PALECO as of September 2016

Municipalities
Residential Commercial Industrial
Street Lights
Puerto Princesa, Aborlan,
Narra, Brooke's Point,
Bataraza and Quezon

10.031

8.9194

8.9223

8.7640

San Vicente, Taytay, El

Nido and Rizal

9.3960

8.6891

8.6654

8.5071

Roxas, Palawan
Araceli, Balabac,
Cagayancillo and Agutaya

9.6650
8.4854

8.6581
7.8574

8.6344
7.8337

8.4761
7.6754

Cuyo and Magsaysay

9.4826

8.8546

8.8309

8.6726

4.2.7 Calculation of Possible Savings

Annual Possible Savings = Annual cost of water saved Annual cost of operation
Table 7. Water Rates Data of Puerto Princesa City Water District

17

4.2.8 Maintenance
Maintenance is generally limited to the annual cleaning of the tank and
regular inspection and cleaning of gutters and down-pipes. Maintenance typically
consists of the removal of dirt, leaves and other accumulated material. Cleaning
should take place annually before the start of the major rainfall season. Filters in
the inlet should be inspected every about three months.
Minimum
Charge

5.

11-20

21-30

31-40

41-50

51-up

m3

m3

m3

m3

m3

Board
Resolution

280

29.90

32.70

36.40

41.10

41.10

200

21.35

23.35

26.00

29.35

29.35

8/9/2005

150

16.00

17.00

19.00

22.00

22.00

7/6/1999

713

Date
Confirmed
12/15/2009

Results
5.1 Water Demand
Daily water demand
Monthly water demand
Yearly water demand

: 2900 Liters or 2.9 cubic meters

: 72500 Liters or 72.5 cubic meter
: 870,000 Liters or 870 cubic meters

Monthly Demand (m^3)

80
60
40
20
0

18

5.2 Rainwater Quantity

Annual rainwater run-off volume = 1,726,758 Liters or 1,726 cubic meter
Monthly Rainwater Run-off Volume:

Monthly Run-off Volume (m^3)

400
300
200
100
0

5.3 Actual Rainwater Harvest

Annual Rainwater Harvest Volume = 600,000 Liters or 600 cubic meters

5.4 Size of Storage Tank

Volume of Tank = 3000 Liters or 3 Cubic meters

5.5 Required Power of Pump

Power = 0.996 horsepower, say 1 horsepower

5.6 Cost of Materials

Total cost of Materials = P20,000

5.7 Cost of Operation

Annual Cost of Operation due to Pump = P7800

5.8 Possible Savings

Annual Possible Savings = P17,200

6.

Conclusion and Recommendations

6.1 Conclusion
Installation of Rainwater Harvesting System in Petroleum Engineering
Building would render a total cost of P20,000 with an annual electrical
consumption of P7,800.
The calculated volume of water that the system could harvest annually is
600 cubic meters, which amounts to P25,000. Subtracting the cost of operation,
the total amount that could be saved is P17,200 yearly.

19

6.2 Recommendations
To further improve the study, the researchers recommend the following:
Determination of the feasibility of constructing an elevated storage to deliver
the rainwater by gravity instead of using pump. This way, the annual charge

for pumps electrical consumption will be eliminated.

The incorporation of a rainwater treatment system to make the rainwater
potable.

7. Appendix
7.1 Appendix A (Calculations)
a.) Rainwater Quantity
Potential Rainwater Run-off Volume:
Area of Roof = 760

m2

Roof Runoff Coefficient = 0.80

Run-off Volume = Roof Runoff Coefficient X Area of Roof

m
( 2)

Precipitation (mm)
Total Run-off Volume

= 0.85 (760

= 1726.758

m3 or 1726758 Liters

X Total

1m

) (2673 mm) ( 1000 mm )

b.) Required Power of the Pump

EA HLA-1 + HA HL2-B = EB
20

P1
P2
8Q 2
8Q 2
+
+
Z
+ + Z2 )
1 ) 0.031 + HA 0.80 = (
2
4
( 2 g D 14
gD2
8 (0.00303)2 0
( 2 g (0.0508)4 + +0 ) 0.031 + HA - 0.80= (
2

8(0.00303) 137.895
+
+10 )

2 g (0.0254)4
HA = 25m

P= Q HA = 0.00303(9,810) (25) = 743.1Watts = 0.996 Horsepower

c.) Electrical Consumption of the Pump

Power
Electrical consumption = Efficiency

(running hour)

Power = 1.0 horsepower = 746 watts or 0.746 kilowatts

Efficiency = 90%
Running Hour =4 hours (The pump wont run all day; it will just keep the pipe
pressurized and will turn on whenever there is a pressure-drop; that is every time
the toilets are being used)
Electrical consumption of Pump = =

0.746
0.90

(4) = 3.315 kilowatt-hours

d.) Calculation of Possible Savings

Annual Possible Savings = P25,000 - P7,800 = P17,200

8. References
1. Boulware B (2009). Rainwater Catchment Design and Installation Standards
2. Chan F, Finan H, Leung M, Skublak C (2004). Rainwater Collection from the ES2
Building
3. Ranjit K (2010). Rainwater Harvesting at National Institute of Technology,
Rourkela
4. Matthew J.P, E.I. and Hunt W. F, P.E., Ph.D (2006). Choosing a Pump for
Rainwater Harvesting. North Carolina State University

21

5. Rainwater Harvesting Catchment Area. Retrieved August 29, 2016, from

http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/catchment-area/
6. Rainwater harvesting from rooftop catchment. Retrieved August 31, 2016, from
http://www.oas.org/dsd/publications/unit/oea59e/ch10.htm
7. Shailesh. (2012). How to calculate potential supply of rainwater
from catchment area. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from
http://greencleanguide.com/rainwater-harvesting-potentialcalculation/
8. Rainwater Harvesting Component Articles. Retrieved September
19, 2016, from
http://www.harvesth2o.com/section_rwh_components.shtml
9. Methods of Rainwater Harvesting. Retrieved September 27,
2016, from http://theconstructor.org/water-resources/methods-ofrainwater-harvesting/5420/
10.

Components of a Rainwater Harvesting System. Retrieved

on September 30, 2016, from

http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/urban/components.htm
11. Wood V. Pump Systems for Rainwater Catchment. Retrieved October 2, 2016,

from http://www.harvesth2o.com/pump_systems.shtml

22