Subterranean Water Recycling System with Gravity Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water management systems in semi-arid regions, such as Southern California, face challenges in efficiently harvesting and recycling landscape water, leading to excessive fresh water demand and pollution of ecologically sensitive areas due to inadequate capture and treatment of runoff water.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a water harvesting and recycling system utilizing natural gravity flow and subterranean capture and channeling to collect and recycle rain and irrigation water, featuring an intake drain, fluid tank, and fluid mover, which reduces visible infrastructure and promotes aesthetic appeal while minimizing water loss and pollution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional drainage systems are used to capture landscape water, then water collection is achieved, but visible infrastructure and pipes ruin aesthetic appeal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements subterranean capture and channeling systems where drainage infrastructure is nested underground rather than visible on the surface. The intake drain area is positioned below the surface, and water is channeled through subsurface pathways to storage containers, effectively hiding the infrastructure while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from surface-level drainage to subsurface drainage by moving the capture and channeling infrastructure into the vertical dimension below ground. This dimensional shift eliminates visible above-ground pipes and drains while preserving water collection capabilities.
2Loss of substance
If more water is harvested and recycled, then fresh water demand decreases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates automatic pump activation based on water level detection. When the storage container reaches a predetermined low water level, the pump automatically activates to transfer water from the intake drain area back to the container, eliminating the need for complex manual control systems while maintaining efficient water recycling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses water level sensing to trigger pump operation, creating a feedback loop that automatically maintains adequate water levels in the storage container. This simple feedback mechanism enables sophisticated water recycling without requiring complex control infrastructure.
3Ease of manufacture
If subterranean capture systems are implemented, then aesthetic appeal improves, but installation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components: an intake drain area, subsurface channeling pathways, storage containers, and pump systems. This segmentation allows for staged installation and maintenance while achieving the aesthetic benefit of hidden infrastructure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system effectively reduces water bills, minimizes polluted runoff, and conserves water by recycling up to 99.9% of used water, significantly decreasing the demand for fresh water and protecting environmental areas from contamination.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing natural gravity flow and subterranean capture and channeling to collect and recycle rain and irrigation water
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes a system for recycling and reusing water from sprinkler systems to water or irrigate a yard or an area of land. The system includes a water reclamation tank that stores water captured from beneath the area of land. When it is time to water the area of land, the sprinkler system draws water from the water reclamation tank. A portion of this water is then recaptured and supplied back to the water reclamation tank for further storage until the next time the sprinkler system is activated. This cyclical process occurs repeatedly and enables a significant reduction in the amount of freshly supplied water used to maintain the area of land.