A WATER MANAGEMENT MASTER PLAN –
We celebrate World Water Day today by discovering the water-saving and water-management strategy of our project at Cecchignola, Rome.
The residential complex consisting of 720 apartments is designed as a self-sustaining ecosystem in which the water system is a central element.
The project includes a strategy to reduce water consumption through efficient dispensing devices and graywater recycling throughout the operation.
The recovery and reuse of graywater complements the use and regulation of stormwater, considering a 30 percent increase in peak precipitation due to ongoing climate change.
The Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) strategy calls for surface water runoff from building and parking areas to be directed to the man-made pond after purification treatment with natural systems.
The water collected in the lake will then be reused for irrigation purposes and for toilet drains inside the buildings.
Only during periods of great drought will underground springs be used to maintain water volume.
To pursue these goals through natural strategies, the project includes the following:
– Use of extensive permeable surfaces to increase natural infiltration of stormwater and reduce surface erosion
– Use of channels and drainage trenches to reduce stormwater flows, controlling peak flows and reducing flooding risks
– Use of green roofs and use of the lake and the lamination ponds under the parking lots as a natural reservoir that can mitigate peak flows, run-off and reduce the risk of congestion of drainage networks.
