Rainwater harvesting and greywater treatment systems for domestic application in Ireland

Abstract

Water shortage has been recognised as one of the key issues facing many countries. Fortunately, there are relatively abundant water resources available in Ireland because of its plenty of rainfall. However, Ireland will inevitably encounter water shortage in the future, especially in urban areas. The water consumption per capita per day in Ireland is one of the highest in Europe. The water demand is still increasing due to population growth and higher standard of living. The use of domestic rainwater harvesting and greywater treatment systems has the potential to supply nearly 94% of domestic water in Irish households. The utilisation of these systems can help Irish householders achieve significant water savings and avoid the domestic water bills that are due to be reintroduced. It also helps take pressure of the centralised water supply to meet the increasing water demand in Ireland and eliminates issues such as high leakage during delivery and large treatment costs for domestic utilisation. Domestic rainwater harvesting and greywater treatment systems can play a very important role in future water management and prospective sustainable living in Ireland.