On June 11 and 12, the College of Charleston will install a 1,000-gallon cistern and pump that will harvest rainwater. The new system, which will be installed at 26 Coming Street, will result in savings of about $1,000 a year, and reduce irrigation demands on the city water supply. The pump will also provide water for washing equipment and for maintaining an urban garden.
The installation of the system turns a problem – excess stormwater runoff and flooding– into a solution. The most obvious benefits – in addition to cost savings from reduced water consumption –  will be in the areas of public education and environmental protection. The College will demonstrate by example how easy it is to harvest rain from rooftops and reduce water bills. The system will also protect the natural environment by slowing down stormwater runoff and reducing flooding.

Because the College is collaborating on the project with the Clemson Extension office, and is a member of the Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium (ACSEC), it will not have to pay for either the equipment or the installation – a savings of about $2,250. ACSEC will provide the equipment and installation as part of an American Rainwater Catchment System Association (ARCSA) workshop that will be held on campus at the same time.

“The College is taking real steps toward becoming more environmentally responsible,” says Tim Callahan, project coordinator and director of the environmental studies graduate program. “This project should save the College of Charleston 15,000 gallons of water per year. We’re actually going back to an old idea that the College used in 1857 when the large cistern was built behind Randolph Hall. It was used to help control the problem of rainwater flooding the basement of Randolph Hall and to provide water for fighting fires. This new, smaller-scale cistern at 38 Coming Street will allow us to slow down stormwater runoff and save it for use at a later date.”

Dr. Callahan will oversee a graduate assistant, who will monitor the system for two years. That person will track the amount of rainwater collected, the amount of city water saved and analyze the effectiveness of the system.

For more information, contact Tim Callahan at 843.953.2002.