Decision Support for Rainwater and Stormwater Harvesting

When is it sustainable to recycle rainwater and stormwater, and according to whom? And is it appropriate to flush toilets or water lawns with clean drinking water?

Rainwater from roofs, as well as stormwater in general, can be considered as technical water that could be utilised on a larger scale and for various purposes, and several systems are available on the market. Increased rainwater harvesting could also potentially delay the need for capacity-boosting measures in stormwater systems. Reducing the load on both drinking water and stormwater networks could be a significant benefit for water and sewerage organisations, but this often falls outside their mandate and control, as property owners are responsible for the costs and implementation.

Multi-Criteria Analysis

A deeper analysis of the technical, social, environmental, and economic aspects is required to assess the sustainability of various recirculation systems for water and sewerage organisations and property owners. The project aims to analyse and evaluate these aspects through a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) to develop decision support for the use of rainwater and stormwater.

The work is being carried out within an SVU project led by Tyréns. LBVA and Sweden Water Research are participating, contributing case study areas and experiences from recirculation projects. Through the SVU report, the project provides support for continued work within water and sewerage organisations to promote circular water solutions in a sustainable manner.

Project manager: Johan Åström, Tyréns, johan.astrom@tyrens.se