ENGR 103 - Spring 2013 Freshman Engineering Design Lab EPRA Rainwater Catchment/Irrigation System Project Design Proposal

Date Submitted: April 17, 2013

Submitted to:

Alexander J. Moseson, alexmoseson@drexel.edu Donald J. Bucci Jr, djb83@drexel.edu

Group Members:

Amanda Ireland, aei29@drexel.edu Egla Qori, eq35@drexel.edu Gregory Baird, gpb35@drexel.edu Mengnan Yang, my359@drexel.edu Ruting Luo, rl457@drexel.edu

Abstract: Currently the East Park Revitalization urban farm in Strawberry Mansion does not have a well-implemented water collection or irrigation system in place. The goal of the project is to give the garden an irrigation system that will reduce time spent caring for the garden and provide a more efficient method of transporting water to the plants. A big technical challenge is moving the least amount of water necessary to its correct location while maintaining the lowest price. Gravity is the ideal pump for the system, but an electric one may be needed. The major tasks of the project are to research, design, and construct a system for irrigation. The system will then be tested for its efficiency. Improvements will be made to the system from the data and information gathered during the testing. Enhancements will be made with what time is left in the term before the presentation date. Ideally the final deliverables will be a water collection mechanism that does not require outside contribution, including a maintained water source and a movable method of irrigation in place. The systems effectiveness, ease of use, and amount of water it conserves must outweigh the expense of the system in or else it is not a realistic plan and will not be put in place by the East Park Revitalization Alliance.

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Mission Statement EPRA farms project lacks an effective way of watering the vegetable beds in one of its

gardens. The projects main purpose is to design a system which catches rainwater, filters it, stores it and later uses it to water the beds using a drip system.

Introduction The planned project consists of storage, rainwater harvesting and irrigation for a garden at

Montgomery Avenue & 33rd. This garden is a popular location for neighborhood youth. It also serves as an educational site except for when it is being used for harvesting by community members on an as-needed basis. This project is an initiative of the East Park Revitalization Alliance (EPRA), a community-based, non-profit located in North Philadelphia, which was started in 2003. Their main focus is on health promotion and environmental improvement1. This garden lacks reliable and easy water access and the community people do not have an efficient or easy way to water the beds. The major goal of this project is combining these needs in creating a rainwater harvesting/storage facility to be able to water the beds in an efficient, durable, and affordable manner. Ideally, the water would be captured from the shed and be stored for later usage. The irrigation system would preferably be easily disassembled for movement around the beds or to other gardens. The irrigation system is a necessity in the community; however an additional and helpful objective would be the construction of the incomplete storage shed on site. This would make the work more efficient and may be able to store the just-harvested vegetables out of the sun. If managed and used properly and efficiently, the shed could also be the main source of water, which it would catch using a large roof. However, water collected on the top of the roof would need to be filtered to remove different impurities before being used for watering edible vegetables.

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Before designing the system several stakeholders and their respective needs were specified. In this list, everybody who is directly impacted by the project is included. Nicole Sugerman-Farm Caretaker and EPRA Representative. She is going to use the system regularly, up to two or three times a week to water the beds. o Need 1: [Priority 1] P: [Performance] The system has use as little water as possible and move the water to the proper location. o Need 2: [Priority 1] P: [People] The total expenses should be within a certain budget for the whole project to be affordable. o Need 3: [Priority 2] P: [People] The systems functioning has to be labor-saving so it can reduce the time somebody has to dedicate to watering the beds. o Need 4: [Priority 4] P: [People] The construction of a storage shed which can make easier everybodys work around the garden. Local Residents. They use the garden on a regular basis to harvest crops they planted. o Need 1: [Priority 2] P:[People] The system has to be easy to understand and use for people not to get confused, even if they do not have experience in that field. o Need 2: [Priority 4] P:[Prosperity] It would be better if the system was dismantled easily, so the residents could transport it to different regions of the garden. Children and community. They use the garden very often, especially during the time from March to October. o Need 1: [Priority 2] P: [Planet] The area needs to be clean, organized, attractive and welcoming. o Need 2: [Priority 1] P: [People] The irrigation system used has to be secure and not a hazard for the communitys members, especially children. Small incidents, such as tripping over the tubes would have to be avoided. Consumers. These are the people who consume different vegetables pertaining to different seasons. Their contribution to the garden is necessary.

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o Need 1: [Priority 1] P: [People] After being harvested, the vegetables have to be safe to eat, without causing any incidents such as poisoning. o Need 2: [Priority 1] P: [Performance] The vegetables have to be of a high quality; in this way the garden serves its purpose effectively. Stakeholder(s) EPRA representative (Nicole Sugerman) Specification An independent water source and storage. Less time needed for the process completion. An affordable price for the whole system to be functional. Local Residents A system that is durable and not easily breakable. A system that can be dismantled easily and used elsewhere. Kids and Community An open space, which is clean and welcoming. A safe and uncomplicated system (not blocking any of the entrances) Consumers High quality vegetables. Units Gallons Time Dollars Time (years) Time Meters2 Number of Entrances Yield Ideal 200 20 minutes $300 7 5-15 minutes 100 2 Marginal 55 1 hour $1000 2 30 minutes 60 1

100%

80%

Table 1: Market study with needs and specifications.

Deliverables At the end of this term, an effective and economical system to collect the rainwater and

irrigate the garden will be designed. If time and budget allow a functional design will be implemented into the garden. The design for the water catchment and irrigation system should be able to 1) catch and store rainwater and 2) distribute it to each bed that needs water. The system should decrease the time that Nicole needs to water all the beds. The system should be within a $500 dollar budget ideally. A filter may be installed to make the water usable for washing 4

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vegetables, however this is not a necessity. A blog will be created that documents the progress on the project each week.

5 5.1

Technical Activities General Research and Market Study Research needs to be conducted to understand the climate of the community garden. This

includes research on topics such as rainfall amounts, irrigation, water catchment methods, existing irrigation systems and technologies that might be used. This will convey a better understanding about what kind of system needs to be implemented. Meeting with the onsite project coordinator will allow an understanding of the needs of the stakeholders for the farm and the farm layout, further suggesting the final solution for the project. 5.2 Creating Designs and Finding Materials With the background and market research in mind, ideas for the project will be formulated. Based on all the previous research, rough sketches of the system design can be created. With more research and testing of scale models the drawings will be refined to create a final draft of the design. The final specifications will include the materials used for each component also based on the existing irrigation systems. 5.3 Prototyping and Testing Prototypes may be necessary to test logistical issues in the system. The prototype will consist of readily available materials that can be found or purchased with a total budget below $20. For example, a prototype may be created to answer the questions: Will water pressure from the water catchment container be able to push water to the farthest bed? The prototype would consist of tubing attached to the milk carton with duct tape. To test the prototype the amount of water in the milk carton will be charted versus the rate of flow at various tubing lengths. Again, additional models may be necessary. 5.4 The Final Design The final design will be a detailed drawing of the irrigation system. This final schematic should contain all the information necessary to build and use the system including 5

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measurements, a bill of materials with prices, and a concise manual on how to use the system effectively. Ideally the system will be constructed according to the schematic; however, this is pending budget and time constraints. 5.5 Presentation The presentation will display the final design and show how it was used. Any prototypes that were made may be displayed as well. The presentation should indicate how the project progressed from day one to the final design, and may be taken directly from the blog or a presentation made from blog content.

Project Timeline 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Task Learn about the project and do research. Do the market study. Create and refine design drawings and schematics. Construct models to test system features. Test the system features. Complete the final design and build the system. Make the final preparations for the final report and presentation.
Table 2: Project Timeline

Facilities and Resources The project requires the use of the machine shop and power tools to fabricate designs for the

water catchment system and the irrigation system.

Expertise The skills needed for the project include knowing how to operate the machines in the

machine shop, such as the band saw or table saw. The knowledge about how the water pressure 6

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in the system can be controlled will be necessary. Also, the watering and concentration of each plant will have to be understood. throughout the project. A general awareness of gardening methods is useful

Budget The budget will vary depending upon what systems will be included in the final design, such

as a pump or filter system as indicated by the separate price columns. Category Projected Cost Project Cost (With Pump & Filter) $145.40 $14.50 $96.00 $97.5 $20.00 $302.12 $119.60 $20.00 $395.50

Water Catchment Sand Filter Pump11 Irrigation Prototyping TOTAL

$145.40

Table 3: Water Catchment and Irrigation system budget with and without optional items in parenthesis

9.1

Water Catchment The water catchment system is the structure that allows water to flow off the roof and be

collected in a container. Subcomponents include corrugated roofing, wood, hardware, catchment barrels, and gutters. The corrugated roofing is for diverting the water and channeling it into the rain barrel via the gutters. The wood is needed to create support for the roof and rain barrel. Hardware will be used to attach the wooden supports and include screws to affix part together. Catchment barrels can be acquired for free from EPRAs water barrel source.

Subcategory Corrugated roofing7 40 24 wooden supports8 7

Projected Cost $88.80 $23.82

ENGR-103 Freshman Design Proposal Hardware5 Catchment Barrels Gutters & Channels6 TOTAL $8.47 $0.00 $24.31 $145.4

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Table 4: Water Catchment Budget

9.2

Filter The filter system will purify water, into a range from drinkable water to simply removing

large particulate in the water. The following budget would produce a filter that is somewhere in between these two extremes. Again the water barrel can be acquired cheaply. PVC tubing is used to direct the water inside and outside the filter. The filter material would include sand and gravel. Subcategory Water Barrel PVC Tubing9 Sand and Gravel1+10 TOTAL
Table 5: Filter Budget

Projected Cost $0.00 $3.20 $11.30 $14.50

9.3

Irrigation A drip irrigation system includes the hose to transport the water and drip points to distribute

it. A packaged system that contains all these elements costs $32.503. The price of this package could be thought of as the marginal price value rather than making our own system. Three of these systems would cover the garden for a total price of $97.50.

10 References [1] " 0.5 Cu Ft Gravel." Lowes. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <http://www.lowes.com/pd_192585-82589-WGM00023_0__?productId=3083093>.

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[2] "About Us." East Park Revitalization Alliance. N.p., 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. <http://www.epralliance.org/>. [3] "Claber 90764 Basic Drip Irrigation Kit." SmartHome. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <http://www.smarthome.com/31108/Claber-90764-Basic-Drip-Irrigation-Kit/p.aspx>. [4] "Drip Irrigation Systems." Zoro Tools Industrial Supplies. N.p., 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. <http://www.zorotools.com/g/00060012/k-G3443151?utm_source=google_shopping>. [5] "Galvanized Deck Screws." Lowes. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

<http://www.lowes.com/pd_9457-1278-PTN3S1_4294710853__?productId=3152895>. [6] "Gutters Search." Lowes. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

[7] "Plain Corrugated Steel Roof Panel." Lowes. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <http://www.lowes.com/pd_12475-28906-4736008000_0__>. [8] "Prime Pressure Treated Lumber." Lowes. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <http://www.lowes.com/pd_46905-432 TC248T225N_4294934154+4294815891__?productId=3185207>. [9] "PVC Pressure Pipe & Fittings." Lowes. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

<http://www.lowes.com/Plumbing/Pipe-Fittings/PVC-Pressure-Pipe-Fittings/_/N-1z10xvn/pl>. [10] "QUIKRETE 50 Lbs All-Purpose Sand." Lowes. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <http://www.lowes.com/pd_98545-286-115251_4294858246__?productId=3048145>. [11] "Utility Pump." Lowes. N.p., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <http://www.lowes.com/pd_9408643049-PU33_4294820778__?productId=3747643>.