Water reuse key site considerations

Water reuse key site considerations
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Consideration	Notes	Potential constraints
Catchment boundaries	Identify the area(s) from which water can be captured. This is necessary to compute capture volumes, identify site constraints, and determine water quality.	Does the amount of water that can be captured affect the type of possible end use and the size of storage unit?
Existing drainage patterns	Identify how water will drain from the catchment area(s).	Do any additional drainage features need to be constructed to centralize runoff collection?
Buffers and Setbacks	Identify wetlands, streams, shorelines, and buildings/structures in the potential receiving area and determine setbacks from these, including buffer zones. Identify setback distances for infiltration practices described in the Minnesota Stormwater Manual and determine if these are applicable to the project.	Are there any portions of the irrigation area that fall within a setback?
Proximity to water supply wells or sensitive water bodies	Identify setback distances for infiltration practices described in the Minnesota Stormwater Manual and determine if these are applicable to the project.	Are there any setback distances from supply wells or sensitive water bodies to consider?
Existing and adjacent land use/ stormwater hot spots	Water quality varies with land use and will impact the level of treatment needed. Runoff from confirmed stormwater hotspots should not be used for harvest and use unless treated to appropriate standards. May need appropriate bypass systems.	Are there any portions of the catchment area that need to be bypassed from the collection system or that require additional treatment prior to use?
Future land use changes	Changes in the land use of the source area or irrigation areas may change opportunities and hurdles to implementation, such as level of treatment needed or availability of green space for irrigation.	Are there any future land use changes that may prohibit or alter the proposed stormwater harvest and use system? (e.g. stormwater hotspots)
Existing infrastructure	Maintain easements/appropriate distance from sewer lines, fiber optic cables, etc.	Is there any infrastructure that needs to be avoided?
Site slopes	Slope may affect runoff calculations and affect the system design (e.g. location of storage tank).	Can sufficient runoff be collected from the source area? Can the cistern be placed at the lowest point on site? If not, what modifications need to be made to the collection system to route stormwater to the cistern?
Soil type	Infiltration capacity affects runoff calculations and irrigation demand assumptions.	Can sufficient runoff be collected from the source area? How do the irrigation area soils affect irrigation demand?
Proximity to building foundations & utilities	Leakage from storage tanks could damage building foundations or utilities. Geotechnical engineering may be needed to ensure sufficient support for tanks and to prevent damage to adjacent foundations.	Are there any setback distances from building foundations or utilities to consider?
Seasonal high water table	Underground components may be constrained by the seasonal high water table. Above-ground systems are generally unaffected by the seasonal high water table.	Will the seasonal high water table level affect any underground components?
Maintenance access	Need space for maintenance access.	Is there sufficient space for maintenance access?
Code or System Expansion	Configure the system to allow for expansion if space is available. Follow national standards and simple steps of including a pipe stub in or designed plumbing system to allow for future incorporation of indoor uses in a phased fashion	Should we stub in a pipe in case a code or owner changes to allow other uses? Can we configure the plumbing to adapt for indoor use in a second phase or when funding is available?