Rain and snow water is the purest form of water. If we can store rain and snow water than put them into domestic usage than we can save a high amount to water. According to surveys, a standard house that has a roof of 100m2 and is situated in an area of low rainfall (600mm per year) then also it can collect up to 48000L of water in a year.
In Ontario, annual precipitation of rainfall ranges from 750–1,000 mm and is well distributed throughout the year, while annually on average 142.6cm snowfall is measured, so by capturing rainwater with rain barrels and water tanks there can be enough water that college can use at least 8-9 months for domestic purposes.
Furthermore, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, during an average rainstorm or snowstorm more than 700 gallons of water run off the roof of a typical home. After the storm, water is rushing right off of nearby buildings and pavement and back into the local waterways, bringing a whole lot of pollution with it and college is the place where people and vehicle movement is very high, so the water run off from the college campus roads may have more pollution and toxics in it.
My idea is to expand the current rainwater collection efforts.
Mohawk college has a wide campus and lot of students, instructors and staff people that uses college facilities, so implementing use of stored water into campus can save good the college on water consumption. There will also be the added benefit of a drastic decrease in water bills; the money that is saved can be put into other sustainability projects!