Water reuse policy
At TIIAME National Research University, a practical
water reuse system has been implemented on campus so that a portion of daily
water demand is covered not only by fresh drinking water from the city network,
but also by recycled water. The core concept is straightforward: rainwater is
captured, stored separately from the potable system, and reused several times
for non-potable purposes before it is finally discharged. This approach
directly supports SDG 6.4.1 by increasing the share of reused water in the
university’s total water consumption.
Rainwater from university buildings is collected from
the roofs through fixed pipes and trays. Instead of being directed immediately
into the drainage system, this water is routed to dedicated on-site storage
tanks. The system consists of one large underground tank with a capacity of
about 350 m³ and two additional tanks inside the main building with a combined
capacity of about 50 m³. These tanks operate as a closed technical system and
are not connected to the municipal drinking-water supply. In practical terms,
this means that a certain share of the university’s water demand is met from
stored rainwater. In 2024, approximately 15% of the campus’s total water demand
was covered by harvested and reused rainwater.
The stored water is subsequently reused for several technical and landscape needs. It is used to irrigate lawns, trees and ornamental plants across the campus, so that the maintenance of green areas does not depend entirely on potable water. The same water also supplies decorative fountains and selected experiments in the hydraulics laboratories, where drinking-water quality is not required. In all of these applications, recycled rainwater substitutes for municipal drinking water and thus increases the proportion of reused water within the overall campus water balance.
Rainwater from buildings poured into the water trays through installed tubes
Then,
water trays direct collected rainwater to the water tanks.
A
350-ton water tank is located under this building and two water tanks with an
overall capacity of 50 tons are located inside theis building.
Rainwater falling
on the buildings is first directed through fixed pipes into surface trays. These
trays then convey the collected rainwater into the storage tanks. A 350 m³ tank
is located beneath the building, and two additional tanks with a total capacity
of 50 m³ are installed inside the building.
Wherever
technically possible, the system is operated as a closed loop. Water used in
fountains or laboratory installations is not discharged immediately to the
sewer. Instead, it is collected again and passed through filtration units to
remove suspended solids. When necessary, additional disinfection (for example,
UV treatment) is applied to ensure that the water remains safe for further
technical use. The treated water is then returned to the storage tanks and can
pass through several further cycles of use and treatment. As a result, a single
captured volume of rainwater can serve multiple functions before it eventually
leaves the campus system.
The technical
services maintain a simple but effective monitoring regime for this reuse
system. Tank levels, pump operating modes, the condition of filters and the
main water meters that record withdrawals from the city network are regularly
checked. The estimated volumes supplied from the rainwater tanks are compared
with total campus consumption in order to determine the annual share of reused
water in the university’s water use. These data form the basis for reporting
against SDG 6.4.1.
Beyond its
quantitative impact on water consumption, the system also has strong
demonstration value. Because it is physically located on campus, it can be
shown to students as a real example of rainwater harvesting, storage, treatment
and reuse in a water-stressed country. In this way, the system not only
increases the proportion of reused water, but also helps to foster a culture of
careful and intelligent water use among future engineers and water managers.
Selected
2024 evidence of outreach & engagement (public links)
- Public discussion on national water scarcity and
wise use of water
On 25 November 2024, a TIIAME NRU student from the Faculty of Ecology
and Law took part in a televised debate on water scarcity in the programme “Suv
tanqisligiga tayyor turaylik(mi?)” on Milliy TV, raising awareness about
responsible water use in a water-stressed country.
https://tiiame.uz/news?id=7534 tiiame.uz
- UNESCO Chair meeting with ICID and Dayu
irrigation group on water-saving technologies
On 11 October 2024, the UNESCO Chair at TIIAME NRU hosted a meeting with
the Honorary Vice-President of the International Commission on Irrigation and
Drainage (ICID) and a representative of Dayu irrigation group Co., Ltd.,
focusing on innovative water-saving irrigation technologies and capacity
development in efficient water use.
https://tiiame.uz/news?id=7024 tiiame.uz
- Field visit to water management structures within
an international summer school on water diplomacy
On 14 August 2024, participants of an international training and summer
school on water diplomacy carried out a field visit to major water management
structures, where practical issues of water use, efficiency and infrastructure
operation were discussed on site.
https://tiiame.uz/news?id=6689 tiiame.uz
- “Water is precious, water experts are jewellers”
outreach to school pupils
On 31 January 2024, staff and young researchers of the “Hydraulics and
Hydroinformatics” department organised outreach sessions in partner schools
under the motto “Suv tekin emas” (“Water is not free”), presenting
national programmes on water management and the role of water-saving
technologies.