Recycled water could bring new life to the Polytechnic campus as plans for a sustainable fountain compete internationally for funding.
The plans call for using wastewater from an on-campus fuel cell to power a fountain that would water plants nearby.
Kevin Shafer, director of the Polytechnic campus’ Facilities Management, submitted his proposal this month for a $5,000 grant from The Intelligent Use of Water Awards.
Rain Bird, a California-based sprinkler manufacturer, organized the awards in 2007 as a way to spread awareness about water conservation. Rain Bird sponsors three different levels of cash prizes based on the cost of each project: four $1,500 prizes, three $5,000 prizes and three $10,000 prizes.
The winners are determined by an online poll, where visitors are allowed to vote once per project per day. Voting will continue through March 22.
The fuel cell producing the wastewater was built by SRP five years ago near the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 3 on the Polytechnic campus.
The alternative energy fuel cell produces excess water through reverse osmosis as it feeds electricity into the grid.
The design of the fountain isn’t complete yet, but Shafer envisions a “mysterious” fountain. Water will spray up from an inconspicuous pipe rather than a traditional pedestal base and rain down on water bells every hour. The bells work like wind chimes, but they use water rather than wind to produce noise.
Shafer said regardless of whether he wins the competition, he will make sure the fountain gets built because it makes financial and environmental sense.
“If we can avoid treating the water … we don’t have that expense,” Shafer said.
Byron Sampson, a landscape architect for ASU, has been working on the fountain design and said he hopes to use recycled materials for the water bells.
Sampson said he is excited to make use of the excess water.
“Not allowing so much water to express itself was really egregious,” he said.
Shafer was helping to coordinate construction between SRP and ASU when project workers decided wastewater from the cell would be clean enough to water plants.
ASU built a holding tank for the wastewater and a pump near the fuel cell, but an irrigation system to distribute the water was never installed, Shafer said.
Workers also installed a pipe to allow the water to flow from the tank above ground.
The water currently flows into the local sewer system, but the fountain will redirect that water onto the campus’ landscaping.
There are currently 44 contestants participating, which is an all-time high for the 4-year-old competition, Rain Bird spokeswoman Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd said.
The award originally honored projects that were already conserving water in an innovative way, she said, and a panel of expert judges chose the winners. By changing the system and awarding grant money to project designs, Rain Bird hopes to raise awareness about water issues on a larger level.
“We want to plant a seed with everyone when they vote and hope they continue to care,” Riley-Chetwynd said.
If the fountain doesn’t win grant money, Shafer said he thinks it’s possible the project will get approved through ASU within the next five years.
University Sustainability Practices Director Bonnie Benson said facilities management was a great example of departments coming forward with their own ideas to improve sustainability.
“It would be really awesome if, as a university, people got behind the project and showed their support for the project by voting,” Benson said.
Reach the reporter at mshinn@asu.edu