Introduction
The need for decent housing is a problem that faces mostly the poor all over the world. In developed countries, free markets leads to innovation and productivity that obey economic laws of demand and supply. Half of every population lives on an income below the median hence housing prices are controlled by market quality demands. The consequence of this reality is that irrespective of whether individuals rent or buy houses, decent housing is typically affordable only to half of a given population. It is therefore impossible for markets alone to satisfactorily provide housing for the poorest of any nation. The results of this in urban areas are spontaneous communities of informally build homes or shanty towns, and expanding slums sprouting in a mushroom like manner in the outskirts especially in developing areas. The impoverished population builds and inhibits the slums if to control left to market forces because it is the most viable realistic option economically sensible to them. This has been the trend for the last two centuries with different large cities experiencing higher rates of informal settlements at different times: 1795 for London, 1855 for Boston, 1905 for New York City, and 1995 Mexico City to name a few.
Poor rural areas especially in places of harsh environmental conditions, too faces this degree of housing problems due to monetary inabilities. Marginalized communities with low economic income find themselves in indecent housing that hardly meet their needs. There is need therefore to assist in provision of good sustainable housing in these places by governments and other private independent bodies willing to do so. The truth of the matter is no single institution is currently in a position to completely eliminate poverty and the effects associated with it such as hunger, poor housing and bad healthcare systems. Different organisations however make effort to elevate these conditions for the less fortunate and normally focus on specific regions at a time, targeting particular problems. Some of the international bodies that concentrate on provision of affordable housing are UN-HABBITAT, and Plan International. Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is one of the institutions that provide among other things decent housing, water resources, food production and processing to the poor and has chosen Bendee Downs in Queensland as a community to benefit from their services.
With a vision that aims to provide solutions to problems faced by developing communities worldwide especially in areas that affect health, and using their diverse technical expertise, EWB planned improvement of the Bendee Downs will completely change the lives of many for the better. This project aims to not only provide good housing to the residents of Bendee Downs, but also improve water supply, provide a solution to sanitation problems, and avail safe drinking water to the people. The improvements are to be done in systematic and sustainable manner which is economically viable. Specific housing needs of the residents of Bendee Downs, as a minority group have been considered in the feasibility study for this project. Assessment was carried out to ensure that the final housing strategy put forward takes into consideration, certain housing needs that apply due to the diversity of the community living in the area. This is a challenge frequently met by projects of this caliber if the people’s special needs are not reflected in the project. Affordability of the houses is another aspect that the project aims to address. The proposed housing structure and its surrounding will be in a position to be maintained by the community with minimal monetary requirements since majority of the inhabitants are of low income. If the houses are expensive, then the average residents will find them hard to maintain.
In the project plans, focus has been made in the optimization of the use of space through a housing design that maximizes usage of available land space for accommodation and caters for enough private space for individuals. Energy efficiency inclusive of the cost of electricity in maintaining the houses is maximized to allow the residences afford the lifestyle associated with the housing units. Sanitation in addition to provision of safe clean drinking water and an excellent system for disposing waste that is beneficial to the community has also been factored in. Since Bendee Downs is in a remote region, issues of accessibility have also been addressed in the plan together with access roads within the complex and a through way to nearby centers. Other possible lay outs that may be used to achieve the above have been mentioned together with their pros and cons and a decision to which bests suits the situation made.
Compound layout
The Bendee Downs layout as produced for this current Engineering Without Borders (EWB) project may be a fairly simple one, however is and has been considered to be the most desirable and fitting for the particular community which occupy the area.
It comprises of eight double story houses in total, with each (single) story consisting of adequate utilities and living space for one family. Ergo: one double story house accommodates for 2 families. This optimizes space and resources taken up per family.
These houses will be in a horizontal row (side by side) with the fronts of the houses facing north[Figure 1]. By having the houses established in this way, the input from solar energy will be maximized meaning that less energy, and funds, will be consumed by and wasted on artificial heating and cooling. This is not only economical (by saving money on electricity and gas bills) but also better for the earth and environment because natural resources (sun for heat (solar energy)) will allow the houses to heat up and stay warm during the harsh, cold winter seasons. For summer however, it would be a good idea to use heavy curtains or blinds of some sort (Venetian?) to keep the sun out and the house cooler and darker. This to an extent, eliminates the need for air conditioning, or at least reduced the degree to which artificial cooling is needed. If the houses still feel to warm for occupants during the warmer months, they can invest in a cheap and eco-friendly (Blade?) fan, which uses less electricity and keeps the room needed cool, instead of wasting resources and keeping the larger area cool, even if most rooms are not being occupied or utilized at the time.
There will be a decent amount of area both in front of and behind the house, with enough space but not so that it is in excess and therefore a waste of precious land. The area in front of the houses will not only be, obviously, to allow pedestrians access to their homes and the homes of their friends and/or neighbors, but also for automobiles and other vehicles. This setup mimics the layout of a common, residential street. Another added bonus of having this ‘drive through’ street, if you will, is that it will allow cars and etc. to drive past and facilitate as a kind of shortcut to accessing other nearby areas and facilities. This works at being both green and economical in the way that commuters will use less petrol and time in reaching their destination if they do not have to ‘go the long way’ and can just ‘cut through.’ It is quicker, simpler and easier meaning that people will also be happier and less confused. With this road in place right out front of the houses, residents will be able to access their driveways in a simple and no fuss way.
This landscaping design will also make setting up other amenities and essential utilities simple and more beneficial for all. By having houses in close proximity and running in a straight line (side by side) it will not only be easier to install cables, wires, etc. (underneath the houses) but also to actually set up the internet, electricity, gas, water and more. Houses will be (somewhat) connected) which means they will be sharing, as a community does, and there can be as little as 1 or 2 single ports for the houses to feed their internet connections from and a single line for the above mentioned utilities. By having them set up in this way installation and provider fees will also be much lower than if they were done individually for each house.
Another advantage of having the houses and residents so nearby to each other, although impossible to force and enforce, is that this will allow and encourage the building and preserving of a strong community with shared goals and that will be friendly and work well and efficiently together. It makes it easier for neighbors and individual family members to interact with each other and see what is going on in the neighborhood.
As for bathing and other personal matters of the sort, a bathroom complex has been created. It is situated behind the houses and is to be shared by all members of this community – you may say that it is “communal”. Although each house and 2 families will have a private backyard and access this complex via their own backyard – maintaining a bit more of a sense of privacy. This bathroom will be fairly big, most certainly enough space for all so there is no fighting or misuse. Recycled water will be made use of for the toilets, as well as dual flushing systems so as to save precious water and once more – money. Having a single bathroom complex in one area makes inserting pipes and connecting them to water supplies a easier task and saves numerous un-needed extra pipes and the like. Shower timers will also be included in all showers so residents can track their water usage and try and keep it to a minimum.
As mentioned, backyards will be individual to each home and will allow for private leisure and relaxation areas and also the opportunity, if so desired by residents, to be more organic, and grow their own crops – fruits and vegetables. This would be healthier for the people as they would not be consuming so many chemicals and processed foods and also better for the environment as it would encourage it to flourish and have to spend less money on these foods and will also not be condoning the use of machinery and other expensive and somewhat detrimental methods of harvesting food. The backyards will not be so big as to be a waste of space and land, but big enough for residents to make comfortable and look good, even have room for entertaining or keeping a pet or a swing set. It will provide more of a real home feel and avoid having the residents feel enclosed in a box with no place to just go and sit outside and enjoy the fresh air.
While detailed here is the chosen layout of the new Bende Downs and some reasoning behind, there were also a number of other layout design ideas for this area. These, along with some found flaws in each are listed below.
One input was to have a roundabout type estate, in which the centre of would be the bathroom facility complex. It would be somewhat secluded with the fronts of the houses each facing inwards and only a very small distance between the residents front doors and the centre (complex). This layout seemed good because all families would be in very close proximity to the complex and only have to walk a short distance; however it didn’t seem to clean friendly and may have after a while contributed to a smell or degradation of presentation of some sort. Also each house would be facing a different direction and so solar power may not be distributed evenly – have some houses much hotter or cooler than others.
Another similar idea was to have houses facing outwards and a single lane (one way) road, or no road just the complex, behind the houses which led to similar and also a different set of problems. If room for cars was introduced, especially If it was single lane, this could lead to a high chance of accidents and congestion because it is such a small area and could lead to frustration and impact upon the community relationships and mood. Also it would make it more dangerous for the residents trying to get to the bathroom.
However another trialed and thought out idea was to have a “street” down the middle with 4 of these double storey houses on each side and facing each other (either towards the east or the west). This seemed slightly better as though land usage would be more condensed, however also seemed that it would be more difficult for wiring and piping and would not have that bonus of the drive through road. The bathroom in this layout had 2 possible locations. These were either right in the middle, or down the very end of the road. With all the cars driving by however, it seemed somewhat dangerous and also difficult to do. It would also not be a very equal distance to the bathroom for all families and would therefore be unfair and could lead to some resentment or conflicts. There was again the issue of extreme differing in solar power capabilities for each house.
As you can see, each of the above layouts had some good points, but also some major downfalls. This chosen layout is the best and the most practical for all. It is created in a way so that it is safe and has fair access to the bathroom to all, and also allows safe and uninterrupted travel, both by foot and vehicle. It was selected as it seemed evident that it is the most economic, environmental and resource friendly, community enhancing and also probably the easiest to keep clean.
Housing design
Passive solar heating has been the interest of builders and designers over the past two decades, under the wake of energy crisis and the growing interest in green architecture and building. Its construction can deliver a house that is comfortable and less costly to maintain, this is the key to our project in housing the 16 clans present in Bendee downs. In most respects, the construction of a passive solar residence utilizes standard construction procedures, although the actual configuration of the materials may not be typical. Many new structures in industrial nations are also being heated, cooled, lighted and ventilated by natural means among them homes, banks, corporate offices, universities. Not only are these buildings achieving dramatic reductions in fossil-fuel use and energy costs, they often provide a level of comfort far superior to that found in many conventionally structured houses. Not only will passive solar homes save on heating and cooling bills, but they are also more comfortable- an ideal stipulation for a logical house design in the South Australian region. They are also more sustainable and “green”- less taxing on our natural resources.
Approach to Solar Heating design
Techniques to passive solar heating are only effective in energy reduction if they are combined with, not substituted for, energy conservation techniques. A poorly designed or constructed building can easily offset any energy savings intended to generate. With this reason in context, incorporating energy conservation measures, in both the design and construction phases of the building, is a definite prerequisite for the passive solar home to work effectively. Strategies fall within the realm of the frequently overlooked but age-old practice of natural conditioning. Natural conditioning is the art and science of heating, cooling, lighting and ventilating a building without outside fuels. Passive solar heating is one such technique. Designers and builders can work with the energy of the sun, natural light, ventilation, and the insulation of the earth to make these houses more energy-efficient. Utilizing insulating glass, shading, orientation, thermal mass, and ventilation can accomplish this. The result of this- mechanical systems are smaller to compensate in the overall cost of a better house. In the long run, money will be saved through lower energy bills. This whole house approach, which combines sensible environmental design and good construction practices ensure that there are simple and highly affordable ways of ensuring comfortable living spaces that enhance human kind’s long term possibilities and avoid damaging the life support systems of the planet.
One of the keys to successful passive conditioning is integrated design, designing houses as whole functional units. Integrated designs requires an understanding of the relationship between building components for example the relationship between south facing windows(solar glazing) and heat absorbing mass(thermal mass) in a home. Integrated design seeks multiple benefits from each and every design feature. South facing windows, example, permit solar gain but also provide light during the day. Daylighting reduces the need for artificial light and thus saves energy and money while lessening environmental impacts-“our key focus in our project for Kooma”. My idea of a home for the Kooma clan is a two storey house which rooms atleast 20 people under convenient and most cost-effective manner. The design of the houses-which will be discussed later- is to work out a system the house as a package of features[Figure 2] that work optimally together to provide heat when you need it, and cool indoor temperatures when it is hot outside, and sufficient daylight and fresh air for the families to remain healthy and productive.
Siting
Our choice of site for the new homes, considers the sun’s path through the sky for all seasons of the year [Figure 4]. A region of space that isn’t shaded by other buildings or trees between morning to mid-afternoon during the heating season. Passive solar heating requires sufficient sunlight during the heating season beginning with unobstructed access to the sun, ideally during early and mid-day during the heating season especially in Kooma where temperatures soar at 50 degrees. The houses have to be oriented for optimal sunlight. When building the house we bear in mind that the longest dimension of the house should be oriented within 10 degrees of true south to take optimal advantage of the sun’s rays [Figure 3]. The angle of the sun is lower in the winter, so sunlight will shine directly through south-facing windows during the winter. In the summer, the sun is higher, so the roof can be designed with an overhang to block the rays of the hot summer sun. Awnings and exterior blinds can also be used for this purpose. As a rule of thumb, the sunnier the area, better the prospects for solar heating.
However the concern with the winter season in Kooma at its peak reaches low freezing temperatures, in this case passive solar heating won’t provide a significant amount of heat during this short period however during the three months before and three months after the gloomy season, ample sun is generally available to heat the homes. Therefore while it is important to know the amount of sunlight striking an area each year, knowledge of seasonal patterns is equally vital. The precise location of the house is well discussed later in the report where we have an in-depth look at bearing angle and solar exposure in the region.
Building Design
Considering the hot temperatures of Bendee Downs, we have initiated this sample design that we consider most effective in getting the maximum out of passive solar heating.
Brief analysis of the Kooma Region (Southern Hemisphere) in respect with the sun’s locality:
[In Southern Hemisphere non-tropical latitudes farther than 23.5 degrees from the equator:
- The sun will reach its highest point toward the North (in the direction of the equator)
- As winter solstice approaches, the angle at which the sun rises and sets progressively moves further toward the North and the daylight hours will become shorter
- The opposite is noted in summer where the sun will rise and set further toward the South and the daylight hours will lengthen.]
Taking this into consideration, we decided to convey a plan which suggests that we place most of the house windows on the north side, some on the south side and few if any on the west side. Windows on the east can assist in recovery from cold nights, considering the glass area is not excessive, to prevent over heating in the late mornings. Using north-facing clerestories to bring sun and light deep into the house. Often used for daylighting purposes, clerestory windows help reduce or eliminate the need to use electrical lighting during the day. Typically fixed, clerestory windows can be made operable, providing a means of cross-ventilation for the home. Clerestory windows vastly increase the amount of natural sunlight in the home, and they can also be installed in a logical manner depending on the level of heat gain desired. For instance, to increase natural lighting without increasing direct heat gain that can potentially overheat the home, clerestory windows can be shaded by awnings or roof overhangs. They can also be installed on the south side of the home, where they won’t be exposed to the highest level of direct sun in the region. On the other hand, to increase heat gain in the Kooma homes, clerestory windows can be installed on the north side, where solar windows are placed. Here, include a low-emissivity coating to reduce heat loss. In the winter, the north-facing clerestory windows invite heat in from the sun. In the summer, trees and window shades can help minimize excessive heat gain.
Considering the compound layout in the report, the general suggestion among the team was to plant evergreens to provide shade the houses-the north-facing windows will be well shaded by overhangs while east and west windows can be shaded by deep porches or vertical fins. This tactic can logically assist to shield the house from cold winds (in cold and temperate climates) and hot winds (from dry and hot climates).
The overhang or eave of the house determines is a relatively simple design element that determines the sun penetrates the north-facing windows and when the penetration ends (both cases determining when the house is heated and when it stops respectively). They work by reducing solar gains at intermediate sun positions. They also shade the windows and walls in the summer temperatures thus helping to keep the interior temperature of homes much cooler. In addition, they protect walls from driving rain; a feature that is important to tackle the heavy rain downfall as Kooma experiences annually to a minimum as far as house structure convenience is concerned.
Thermal Mass
Using thermal mass throughout the house, including exterior and interior walls and floors, to moderate and store solar heat[Figure 5] It is an important component of all passively conditioned houses because it helps to stabilize temperatures all year round. In a passively conditioned home ,if walls are not insulated they can lose considerable amounts of heat to the outside and the interior comfort levels suffer enormously therefore its suggested designers should seek to deliver sunlight into the interior of the structure through insulation in walls, floors, ceili0ngs and foundation help in preservation of solar heat.
How it functions:
The basic strategy is to design a house so that its own masses- mainly walls and floors are so placed, proportioned and surface that they will receive and store a large measure of incoming solar energy during daylight hours and will gently release this stored heat to the house interior succeeding night hours or cloudy days.
Thermal mass when struck by sunlight acquires heat. Visible light that strikes the surface is absorbed and converted into heat energy. It acquires heat from other sources as well for example warm air flowing around a thermal mass wall, transfer heat to the wall if the wall is cooler than the air. Heat is also acquired from other objects in the rooms. The heat transfers a considerable amount of heat back to the surrounding air. Heat may also migrate inwards, towards the cooler interior of the mass. The stored up heat in the thermal mass remains there until the room temperature falls below the temperature of the surface of the mass. As heat on the surface of the mass begins to flow into the room, the heat stored deeper in the mass begins flowing outward toward the cooler surface. On the point of reaching the surface of the mass, it is released into the cooler air room.
*Key Point- it is contend that mass do not always have to be dark-coloured and works well even with brightly coloured interiors, as recent study have confirmed light coloured walls for example nearest to solar glazing, reflect light onto the dark-coloured thermal mass located deeper within the structure to ensure greater and even more distribution of heat.
It’s important I summarize here that this mass system is a highly effective heating system that operates without noisy moving parts that inevitably need repair and maintenance. Therefore a vital initiative in this cost-cutting project for Kooma housing. It relies entirely on the passive flow of heat from warm to cold.
Other common features of a convenient design system are:
- Facilitate natural ventilation by placing windows on the north and south and on high and low parts such as at the top of these two-storey houses.
- Insulation in the floor above the crawl space should be tightly fitted between joists.
- Water pipes should be insulated as the floor above it.
- If the floor is not insulated, the crawl space should be airtight and its walls must be insulated.
-If the homes prefer a basement (as we have kept that an optional feature), if unconditioned the floor must insulated, if conditioned then its best to have the outside of the walls to be insulated to compliment the waterproofing system applied.
Adequate Air Exchange
Sealing a house to carefully to reduce air infiltration/ air leakage is as important to energy conservation as adding insulation. A well sealed home reduces energy demand during both the heating and the cooling season, lowering utility bills and increasing comfort levels.
One cost efficient system is the usage of air retarders that prevent air from short circuiting the insulation and also moisture from penetrating into walls. Use of tightly closing windows, such as casements, or awnings is effective in this manner. Researchers have claimed the expansion of foam insulation can be used to seal this penetration in the foundations/walls created by electric wires and plumbing. Vapor barriers help in sealing too. It is also important to seal ducts in back-up heating and cooling systems as this can release substantial amounts of warm or cold air into unconditioned spaces, thus wasting considerable amount of money and fuel.
Alternatives include vapour retarders or a ventilation system that includes windows, whole-house fans, or heat-recovery ventilators.
Room design
Considering we plan to have a double-storey house with five rooms on top and five at the bottom, its important and difficult to extend the effects of passive solar heating through the whole house just through one or few directed paths, thus the idea would be to make each room its own acting solar unit. This arrangement eliminates the need to collect heat in one location to collect heat and transport it to another unheated or less heated space. Our team worked on this design and found out that it would be much difficult to plan it out with a linear design so we suggested a more rectangular or square design as a suggestion to the house design where in such instances rooms are frequently occupied and thus require warmer temperatures-such as bedrooms and living rooms would be located on the north side of the house. Corridors, pantries, laundry units should be placed along the south side. These spaces receive heat primarily by convection from sun-warmed rooms along the north-side of the building.
Special Design Considerations for Passive Solar Construction
Design will have to incorporate three features: south windows, super insulation, and heat sink.
Heat Sinks and Air Circulation
Certain kinds of material absorb a lot of heat energy when the building is warm and release it slowly as the ambient temperature drops. The ones most commonly used in solar construction are bricks, cement, concrete, rocks, sand and water. The denser the material, the better the heat sink but the ease of handling and availabilities are also factors to be considered.
Placement of Glass
Placing clerestory walls, in cases where the Northside walls of the house are higher to the south side walls- a diverse tactic for solar housing.
A sample solution
The house should have a full basement. The basement walls and floors, heavily insulated on the exterior, made of preferred reinforced concrete. I reckon there should be an attached greenhouse or sunspace, with concrete knee walls and a floor of flagstone over concrete. Inside the house, an extensive area of slate flooring. All these materials act like heat sinks. The sun shines directly on the greenhouse floor and the slate. Heat reaches from the sand bed from the greenhouse floor above it by conduction and from the basement via a fan blowing air into the duct, which takes a winding course through the sand and back into the basement. Heat reaches the basement via another fan and duct from the highest part of the house. Heat is produced from the wood.
Economic Assessment
Passive solar heating and passive cooling can help homeowners cut down a large sum by reducing fuel bills-considering the EWB-based financial assessment this is important. Many building codes call in for much more energy efficient windows, walls, ceilings and foundations than in the past, passive solar frequently adds very little or not a cent to the cost of a new home with careful holistic design. Economic gains can be quite impressive. In the United States a study revealed that the additional cost of building a passive solar home ranged from $0 to $6000 while the savings from passive solar heating fell within a range of $220 to $2,255. Over a thirty year period, the total savings at current energy costs reaped the owners of these homes $7000 to $67000. With a likely increase in natural gas and oil prices it’s highly unlikely that energy prices will remain stationary.
On a personal note, I suspect that peaks in global oil production and local natural gas production will sky-rocket fossil fuel prices over the next few decades. Those who invest in passive solar housing will be amply rewarded. Under energy price rise in the next few years, solar home owners will still be able to save on bills, making quite a return on investment over a long term. This concerns the property/official home owners of these houses. Although some energy analysts predict much lower increases on fuel prices, short falls are likely to wreak havoc on this it. If true, the Kooma project and its society can benefit economically from including passive solar homes into the environment. Why I chose passive solar heating is not only considering the EWB project but we also felt it’s a significant contribution for maintaining indoor comfort for decades and minimizing the effects of instability of fossil fuel prices globally.
Advantages of Passive Solar heating
Being highly energy efficient Passive solar design reduces a building’s energy demands for lighting, winter heating, and summer cooling. The sun’s direct energy is free. Strictly passive designs capture it without additional investments in mechanical and electrical “active solar” devices such as pumps, fans and electrical controls.
Passive solar design helps conserve valuable fossil fuel resources allowing incorporation of passive solar design elements into buildings and homes, reducing heating bills by as much as 50%. Daylighting, a component of many passive solar designs, is one of the most cost-effective means of reducing energy usage in buildings.
A well-designed and built passive solar house does not have to sacrifice aesthetics either. It can be as attractive as conventionally designed buildings and still save energy and money.
Passive solar design also reduces greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming because it relies on solar energy, a renewable, non-polluting resource.
Disadvantages
There are few disadvantages to passive solar design and daylighting. With the help of experienced passive solar designer architects and builders, passive solar design costs little more than conventional building design and saves money over the long run.
But in areas where experienced solar architects and builders are not available, construction costs can run higher than for conventional homes, and mistakes can be made in the choice of building materials, especially window glass. Passive solar homes are often built using glass that, unfortunately, rejects solar energy. Such a mistake can be costly. Choosing glass for passive solar designs isn’t easy. The right glass choice depends on which side of the building (east, west, north, or south) the glass is installed and the climate in which you are building.
In addition, room and furniture layouts need to be planned carefully to avoid glare on equipment such as computers and televisions.
And along with daylighting comes heat. During the summer or in consistently warm climates, daylighting could actually increase energy use in a building by adding to its air-conditioning load.
In addition, room and furniture layouts need to be planned carefully to avoid glare on equipment such as computers and televisions.
And along with daylighting comes heat. During the summer or in consistently warm climates, daylighting could actually increase energy use in a building by adding to its air-conditioning load.
Housing water supply
Definition
Water A colourless odourless tasteless liquid that is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen and is vital to all known forms of life.
Supply Provide what is needed or wanted.
Distribution Allocating something.
Introduction
The EWB (Engineers without Borders) challenge of 2010 is to design buildings including water supply/distribution and sanitation to shelter the aboriginal clans in Bendee Downs in NSW.
There are many ways to distribute and supply water but depending on the environment and climate, the solutions are narrowed down to only a few.
Bendee Downs in NSW is very hot and dry, the most appropriate solutions in order to supply most of the water for this project are bore water stations because there are already nearby existing bore water stations making this the easiest and cheapest option.
Extra water will be collected into tanks from the rain water on roofs. Small water tanks are inexpensive and any extra water will be appreciated especially for washing, cleaning, gardening, toilets, etc.
In order to minimize water usage, water saving gadgets is going to be installed.
Sewerage will be built under the toilet blocks.
Method and materials
Main water supply The bore water station in Hurray Sandstone Formation (550m) is to be connected with pipes to Bendee Downs since it is only nearby, but if problems arise for instance pipes cannot be built because of underground blockage, inconvenience, expensive, etc. An alternative is to store the water in a few tankers weekly and delivered to Bendee Downs, then store the water into a very large tank ready to use from there.
Extra Water Every building will have a small water tank placed outside connected to the gutters from the roofs so water can be collected from the rain especially in the wet season. Then the water stored in the tanks will be used for washing, cleaning, gardening, toilets, etc.
An alternative is to collect surface water at Bendee Downs but it is limited. The Nebine Creek only flows following rain in the upper catchment and it is dry for the most of the year. The lakes are generally less than 1.5 metres in depth and are generally dry. Collecting surface water is inconvenient and not very reliable.
Saving Water Water is very limited and in order to save water all showers will have water saving shower heads, toilets with have half and full flush installed and taps will have smarter tap ware. Recycled water will be used for toilets, washing, cleaning and gardening.
Sewerage system The sewerage is going to be under the shower and toilet block, making it easier to collect any wasted water through one sewerage for more convenient recycling.
Conclusion
This water supply and distribution plan has the most reasonable and inexpensive options and it seems to satisfy all the criteria and potentially solve the issue of water supply and distribution.
Water Sanitation
The current sanitation system at Bendee Downs uses an electric motor to mix the waste and transform it into a liquefied form. The waste is pumped from the houses through pipes and into two polyurethane septic tanks where the motor mixes it and then pumps the now liquefied waste through more pipes and then sprays it out over a large grassy paddock. This system was introduced seven years ago and has been suitable for the use of around thirty to forty people a week without much difficulty. However the Bendee Downs community would like to introduce a new system that could comfortably accommodate between fifty and one hundred people per week. They also want to introduce a new method to sanitize as they are worried that with the current method the effluent may in fact infect their natural wetlands and bore water with disease. So the engineers without borders have challenged us students to come up with a new and improved method to sanitize the waste to better suit the Bendee Downs community. The new design needs to be relatively cheap and easy to maintain.
I researched some different ways of sanitizing the waste and came up with a few that I thought would be suitable.
There were a number of designs for a “dry on-plot systems” which were all primarily the same. A “dry on-plot system” is really just a polite way of saying drop toilet. Or if you wanted to use some real Aussie slang then you would call it a dunny or outhouse. These designs were the cheapest as there is no flushing system required. The waste is merely collected in a pit underneath the toilet which requires emptying once every few years at additional maintenance costs. I found a few different designs for this each of them with just a different ventilation system so it doesn’t get to smelly in there when you are doing your business! These systems cost generally between five hundred and fifteen hundred dollars for a single unit depending on the materials used. There is also a maintenance cost varying from fifty to two hundred dollars per year depending how often you have the pits emptied. Now these costs are quoted for a single unit, seeing as we need to accommodate for somewhere between fifty and one hundred people then we would require a lot more than one unit. The ideal way of doing it in my opinion would be to set it up as a toilet block with eight or so toilets in each block using two blocks, one for males and one for females. The pit would also have to be much larger than that of a single unit so taking that into account I think you could expect the costs to be at least five times as much.
I then found some very simple flush away systems, which were basically the same as the dry plot systems except the water flushed the waste into a water tight pit roughly thirty meters away. This would solve the problem of the smell as you are not sitting directly on top of the pits. A majority of these designs required the water to be carried to the latrine by hand which I think is very impractical. It also required regular maintenance costs as the pits need to be emptied once every couple of years or whenever the pit starts to get full. I found a couple of flush away systems that use the house hold wastewater to flush away the contents. The designs that I found flushed the waste through some piping and under the road into a waste treatment facility. Now seeing as Bendee Downs is quite a remote community there is obviously no treatment system anywhere nearby which would make it impractical and costly to install the pipes all the way to a treatment facility. But that made me think that what you could do is just have it carry the waste quite a distance away from the houses and into a large pit which would then require emptying once every few years or so adding a maintenance cost of somewhere between five hundred and one thousand dollars per year which the additional costs of the structure itself being roughly three thousand five hundred dollars and up to six thousand per unit installed depending what materials are used and the volume of the tank. Using this design I think it would be best to install one toilet in each household and have it all flushed into a main pipe which leads to the pit several hundred yards away from the houses. This piping would also add additional installation costs for the material and laboring.
I then came across a very interesting system. It is called the No Water Consumption System (NOWAC). Now this caught my attention right away and I was very intrigued so I read more about it. This design is similar to the previous designs except the pit where the waste is gathered contains and anaerobic filter. An anaerobic filter is a form of anaerobic digester which is something that is widely used nowadays as part of a process to treat wastewater. The material that remains after the digestion is complete is known as digestate; it is a solid material and can be used as a new energy source as it contains methane gases and carbon dioxide rich biogas which can be used to produce energy. It is also very suitable for use as a fertilizer. So if this system is introduced then it could be helpful in more ways than one as in the future if the community is looking to implement new energy ideas then this would be helpful. The filter works by starting with bacteria hydrolysis of the materials in the tank to break down insoluble organic polymers such as carbohydrates which makes them available for other bacteria. The sugars and amino acids and then broken down into carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia and organic acids by a bacteria called Acidogenic bacteria. Acetogenic bacteria then break down these new acids into acetic acid as well as addition hydrogen, ammonia and carbon dioxide. Then to finish these remaining products are broken down by methanogens converting them into a mix of methane and carbon dioxide.
Now I struggled to find an accurate cost for this kind of system as most things that I researched talked about using it for animal waste on farms and using the digestates to produce energy. Now this was referring to a system to accommodate for up to five thousand cows and it was going to costs upwards of thirty thousand dollars. So this of course is not accurate for what I want to use it for. So I therefore referred back to the original document in which I found the design. This showed that the cost of a single unit using this system would be between five thousand and six thousand dollars which included; the complete system, a concrete top for the structure (as it is suggesting the use of one toilet built like an outhouse), the transport, the installation and the training of the households. Now naturally as Bendee Downs is quite remote I think it is pretty safe to assume that the transport costs would be slightly higher. This design does not require any additional maintenance costs as when it is first built the pit gets filled with water and then requires no more work done to it for fifteen to twenty years which is when the sand at the bottom of the pit needs to be replaced, therefore no water needs to be used.
Although the dry systems were very cheap I don’t think they would be very ideal for the Bendee Downs community as it would require a number of different installations, Several pits would need to be dug and maintained as they can only be used as single units. The wet systems were better as I would set it up to have a toilet in each house then have the waste all drained into a pit somewhere away from the houses. However this would prove to be fairly expensive and would require regular maintenance as well as the pit/s would need to be emptied on a regular basis.
That is why I believe the best option is the NOWAC system, although it is the most expensive it requires no additional maintenance costs, it actually doesn’t require any additional work to be done on it at all. Once it is installed you are set for a good fifteen to twenty years. However I would make some alterations to the system. It would have to require water as I would have a toilet in every house and then have all waste drained into one main pipe which carries it to the pit which would of course be dug large enough to be adequate for all the families. The pit may require more than one anaerobic filter which would add to additional costs, it would also require a decent soak away for the excess water going into the pit.
For the introduction of a new water sanitation system the design had to of a low cost and be suitable for use of fifty to one hundred people weekly. The current sanitation system that is in use at Bendee Downs transports the waste into two septic tanks which then mix it around and then pump it away from the houses and spray it over a large grassy paddock. This system does work however it is not large enough to accommodate for the amount of people Bendee Downs is expecting to have each week and they are also afraid that it could infect the bore water and the wetlands located very close to the site.
So we students were challenged to come up with a new system to deal with these problems that is going to be very cost effective and simple to construct and maintain.
I researched some information for new ideas of systems that I could possibly replace the current one with, I found some designs of dry on-plot systems which simply means that the waste is not flushed away and just collected into a pit. These designs proved to be very cheap to construct but required regular maintenance as the pits must be emptied and this is going to cost more money.
I found some designs that implemented a flush away system, many of them quite simple, just like the dry designs except water flushes the waste into a pit that is around thirty meters away. These designs were not much of an improvement on the dry systems as the pits still required emptying and the water must be carried to the latrine by hand, not very practical.
Another system that I discovered used the household wastewater to flush away the waste and pump it away from the village into a treatment system where afterwards it gets disposed of appropriately. This made it more practical than carrying the water by hand but this design was not very cheap compared to the others and required fairly high annual maintenance costs.
I then came across a design called NOWAC (No Water Consumption Toilet). This design, as the name suggests does not consume any water, the only water needed is to fill the pit to activate the system. After that there is no need for additional water. The waste drops down into the main chamber where the organic material decomposes by natural processes. This waste stays in this chamber for approximately one hundred days after which it is pumped into the second chamber. This chamber is fitted with an anaerobic filter which destroys almost all of the dangerous pathogens before it gets pumped into the over the filter and the rest of the pathogens are destroyed. This design was fairly expensive to build but required no maintenance costs for an estimated twenty years.
The dry on-plot designs met most of the required criteria in that they were cheap, easy to construct and maintain. However this type of system is not suitable for use by large numbers of people therefore not making it ideal for this project.
The simple flush designs were also quite cheap and easily maintained but still having the same problem, I don’t think it would be suitable for large numbers of people however if the pit was merely made bigger this would mean it requires emptying less often however seeing as the water needs to be carried by hand to the latrines this seemed very unpractical and not ideal for this project.
The design that used the household waste water solved the problem of the having to carry the water to the toilets by hand however it is not very cheap and required maintenance costs throughout the year. It also seems too similar to the current system used at Bendee Downs and I cannot see it as being a real improvement.
The NOWAC system however seems to me to be ideal, while this system is quite costly it requires no more costs for around about twenty years and no maintenance. It breaks down the waste and could be suitable for use of large numbers. The system could simply be used for a toilet block with all the waste being washed into a large pit with perhaps even a couple of anaerobic filters to break down the waste. This to me seems to be the only design to meet all of the criteria and potentially solve the issue of the current sanitation system.
Suggested Drinking Water
As a part of our project we had to fix up the drinking water problem in the Bendee Down area. The first step was to get the basic data as in how many people live in different areas and how much drinking water the use per a day. So that we can find out how much it cost and how many letters of water they need per day to come up with an idea to supply clean water to the people live in Bendee down.
It’s hard to find water that in drinking condition in an area like Bendee Down. So everyone in our group came up with different ideas and we tried to choose one that cost less, last long and in good condition. One of the idea was to build up a big tank and clean up water through the filters, but in that case even if that was less cost the water still want be in a good condition to drink so we would have to supply that water though a heating system and it would cost more. And other idea was to Bring in Electrical water cleaning systems in that way we would be able to supply more clean and drinkable water. Those electrical water-cleaning systems are government approved and last long and cost bit less than the first idea. Our main target is to supply the clean and healthiest water possible so that we can keep down possibility of the getting sick by drinking unclean water. We created a project proposal and started working on it.
So the first think was to plane how we going start work on it we had some of our group members working on it. Like the first ting was to do is that plane how we going to do the installation, when that was done next thing was to bring in all equipments we need from a major city.
So as the 3rd step we drew the plane about how we going to supply drinking water to the houses. The tanks are where we store the water from normal water lines. We plan to clean it up using the electrical water cleaning system and supply water to the house through the pipes.
We use Light Commercial Ultra Reverse Osmosis Systems as our water cleaner they have been used over years and have been approved by the government.
About the Light Commercial Ultra Reverse Osmosis Systems
- Pure & safe Filtered Drinking water.
- 180/240/360 Gallons/day Commercial Output
- 14 Gallon Tank Included
- FDA & NSF certified Included
- Out put 77 F
Its supply pure and safe Filtered water in that case we wouldn’t have to spend money on extra filters and it would be a really safe cause that filters are build inside the system. And as output these system supply up to 360 Gallons per day it depends on how big it your talk is. It comes with a 14 Gallon water tank and we might need to upgrade that to 2. And we are going to install 2 of these systems so that we can even if even one system broke down other system still runs so it keeps supplying the water. And we are going to build some tank out side to store the water and use Water Pressure Boosting Pumps to pump the water in high pressure. And we can guarantee that the system would last long for at least 15 years and recommend repairing once a year.
The water supply system has 5 stage of cleaning water.
- 1st Stage: NSF Osmonics 5 micron 20″ high capacity polypropylene sediment filter —removes dust, particles, and rust.
- 2nd Stage: NSF KX Extruded Carbon Block 5 micron 20″ —removes chlorine, odor, organic contaminants, pesticides, and cysts.
- 3rd Stage: NSF KX Extruded Carbon Block 5 micron 20″ —removes residual chlorine and VOC, extends membrane life.
- 4th Stage: FDA Filmtec (Dow Chemical) High Rejection TFC membranes —eliminates up to 99.9% of most chemicals, dissolved solids, metals, bacteria, and viruses.
- 5th Stage: NSF Omnipure TCR (Total Contamination Removal) Carbon 10″ —removes any residual impurities and odors from the tank.
Cost
These water cleaning system are worth about $ 1200 each and for the pipe lines and the other equipments it cost $ 25000 and with labour services its going to cost $ 30000 minimum for our project money. We are trying to minimize that price as we can and use that money to redevelop that buildings and transport services.
Bendee Down it a very hot area its about 34, 35 C everyday so as we know that the water from that system comes out pretty hot as well we might need to cool it down before it gets to the houses, so we have planed to build the pipe lines under ground so in that way water might get colder on the way to the houses and we are planning to build the water system in inside a hall build with concrete. So the heat doesn’t go thru the Concrete so that it would help to keep the room cold all the time. That would be a another way to cool down the water cause water doesn’t go straight to the houses its going to stay in the tanks for a while and pump the water as people use it. So far with drinking water project we have successfully come to an end with out any trouble. We have tried to keep the cost low and supply good quality water fro the people in Bendee Down as we go on with the project.
Conclusion
This housing project offers benefits to the residents in a wholesome way to make it be the best alternative in improving the living standards. Taking note of the minimal land available to construct the housing units required for this project to accommodate all the residences whom are to live in the houses, the designs maximize the space and accessibility of amenities such as the shared bathrooms with relative reasonable privacy still maintained. A key issue that the project has addressed is energy efficiency. Use of solar energy is maximized in the layout of the proposed housing structures which is such as to allow for maximum trapping of sunlight. Several other techniques for conserving energy such as trapping thermal mass and harnessing of gas produced in the maintenance of waste are also included in the project. The design is economical as it reduces the amounts of money residents spent to heat and cool their houses which are in terms of electricity and gas bills. The energy method is also environmentally friendly. Access to the building complex and connection to nearby places are also in the project which opens up Bendee Downs to the outside. This ease traffic flows in the region together with travelling costs as the access route shortens the distance to other places. Recycling of water is an aspect of the project that ensures its effective use and immensely reduces wastage thereby economizing use of the resource. Materials that are used in construction off the amenities such as the communal bathrooms are cheap compared to other buildings to lower the cost of the project but are good enough to provide the same support needed. With a provision for utilization of the backyard, the project offers individuals a chance to live on natural fresh vegetable diets that the remoteness of Bendee Downs area does not provide. This promotes practices that encourage healthy living for the residence who benefit from the project. Special design strategies that provide natural heat sinks and air conditioning by controlling ambient temperatures through the materials used assists in maintaining the living conditions in theses houses. In planning for this project, solutions to challenges associated with sanitation are well formulated. Poor sanitation is a good breeding ground for diseases which normally break out as epidemics and other heath related risks.
Like in many other projects aimed at elevating the living conditions of the less fortunate, inadequate financial availability restricts the degree to which projects can be carried out. In this my case, I take note that there is a limit to the amount of money that Engineers Without Borders can spend on the project. Getting products that are cheaper yet of good quality such as building materials however is a cumbersome task. The location of Bandee Downs and its remoteness further ads to the unavailability of several building and construction materials required for putting up the structures. Technical expertise too is minimally available. A trade off has been done in the project to minimize the costs as much as possible, but at the same time provide a quality service that is sustainable. For instance, in the choice of type of sewerage system, the NOWAC system is the most expensive relative to other available options to construct, however factors such as very low cost of maintenance over a period of two decades coupled with the low income of residence makes it the most viable option. This is because installing a cheaper sewerage system that residences will not be in a position to maintain is likely to lead to its breakdown and health problems associated with sanitation. The same applies to some of the possible housing structures whose designs may be easier to put up but they instill undue inconveniences on the residents; amenities being more easily accessible to others which may cause rifts breaking down the cohesion within the community.
In conclusion, the project meets all the needs of Bendee Down within the limits of restrictions and provides the best options from the available alternatives. It’s therefore the most viable choice relative to other alternatives. Its implementation will lead to sustainable better living standards for the Bandee Down people.