2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

As urbanization continues to expand, fewer and fewer pervious surfaces are available to help alleviate rainfall, particularly in areas and time periods where rainfall is substantial. The impacts of urbanization are starting to become evident through the frequency of nuisance flooding – where water accumulates in low-lying areas and compromises street intersections and other parts of neighborhoods. The impacts of unexpected heavy rains can be alleviated through preventative methods, such as passive and active rainwater harvesting (RWH). In the desert southwest of El Paso, Texas, summer monsoons bring heavy rains from June through September.
Urban sprawl throughout the city has resulted in atypical flooding and unprecedented damage to residential areas infrastructure. The study area is home to some underserved communities who, due to their socioeconomic status, reside in properties that are more vulnerable to nuisance flooding. The study focuses on a predominantly Hispanic population in northeast El Paso. This project aimed to investigate individuals' perception, knowledge, and willingness to adopt either passive or active RWH. In the selected area, the level of adoption (e.g. what percentage of people may be able to harvest rain), feasibility (appropriate structure, sufficient land), and land cover (e.g., turf, xeriscaping) were evaluated.
The survey results allowed for the investigation of social and economic disparities in the neighborhood and how they can be addressed to help spread knowledge about the options available to help protect residents’ homes and improvements from the effects of nuisance flooding. In addition, we explored the community’s attitude and understanding of climate change and their opinions on the impact, if any, they believe has been identified in the region. The resident’s views and knowledge of rainwater harvesting and climate change must be considered to fully gauge the barriers that could present themselves in the implementation. Additionally, based on the responses, different scenarios were created of varying levels of adoption to quantify the benefits at different levels of rainwater harvesting for underserved communities.
This study is relevant to the ASEE 130th Annual Conference’s interest in engineering education, where social and economic barriers were investigated to ensure that a solution to a flooding problem can be adopted. By considering the communities’ opinions and perceptions, a clear understanding of the degrees of adoption that will be adequate for the area of interest can be developed. Additionally, the study examines how underserved communities can be helped and informed on possible solutions to flooding problems they face during atypical flooding.