An investigation into new SUB rooftop garden irrigations systems

The objective of this report is to assess a variety of irrigation systems and make an informed recommendation to the committee responsible for implementing the new Student Union Building rooftop garden at UBC. While reviewing this paper, the reader should take note that the water source and its availability were not included within the scope of research. It was assumed that access to a reliable supply of potable water would not be an issue. The following three systems (1) Drip Tape, (2) Sub-irrigation and (3) Conventional sprinklers were analyzed extensively using a triple-bottom line assessment. This evaluation process consisted of examining the ramifications of all possible economic, environmental and social issues. The result is that water consumption, recyclability and durability or life expectancy emerged as critical features to compare. While each system had their own strengths and weaknesses, it was determined that a conventional sprinkler system would both meet the crop watering demands and, if installed correctly, serve as a worthy demonstration piece on sustainability. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”Applied Science, Faculty ofUnreviewedUndergraduat