Potential for the Use of Rainwater in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of Building D of Campus 2 of the Polytechnic of Leiria

As water scarcity increases, the search for alternative water sources, the development of new technologies for water efficient use and the need for planning and integrated water resources management have been shown to be relevant in several fields. The rainwater harvesting system appears in this context as one of the most promising alternative of water sources for buildings, as the system can be easily installed, and rainwater can be used without significant treatment for non-potable purposes. The study presented here, focuses the potential for the use of rainwater harvesting system in higher education institutions, taking as case study the Building D of Campus 2 of the Polytechnic of Leiria. The results show that economic viability, reliability, and resilience of the system depends on factors related to precipitation, the area of rainwater catchment, the storage capacity, and the demand/value/tax for drinking water from public services. Additionally, the use of rainwater may reduce the drinking water demand between 46% to 89% and enabling the building taken as in case study to become more sustainable.