Prospects for Participatory Water Condensate Harvesting from Air-conditioning Home Units for Use in Public Gardens: A Case Study in Tripoli, Lebanon

Abstract

As water resources in Lebanon are becoming scarce and polluted, air-conditioner condensate (ACC) water could potentially be considered as an additional water source for the irrigation of public gardens in the city of Tripoli, North Lebanon. Retrofitting buildings with systems for the harvesting of this water is, however, ultimately a matter of social acceptance. Aside from calculating the amount of ACC water that could be generated, this study employed two qualitative research approaches, namely one-to-one interviews and focus group discussions, to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of both residents and municipality stakeholders regarding ACC water recovery and use for urban greenery irrigation.

Results confirmed that the quantity of ACC water generated from buildings in the immediate proximity of a case study green space would fulfill its manual irrigation demands, even exceeding its reported daily needs. Despite the presence of solid technical and social/economic foundations for initiating the proposed project, there was generally no social acceptance for retrofitting existing buildings with ACC water harvesting systems due to the lack of respondents’ awareness on ACC water, lack of cooperation between building residents, lack of system financing, and complexity of system governance.

All weaknesses and threats identified in this study were addressed in light of both the available opportunities and the scenarios proposed by participants in order to guide the implementation of future initiatives. Further research needs to include the design of retrofitted ACC water harvesting systems and the development of policies related to regulations and financial schemes for ACC water collection.