Water Resilience Mission

The water systems are built on four strategic goals:

• Reliability: Maintain safe, sufficient water supply during grid failures and storm disruptions.
• Redundancy: Layer multiple sources—rainwater, stored potable, trucked water, and public mains.
• Safety & Quality: Ensure potable water meets health standards even under degraded conditions.
• Environmental Stewardship: Capture, reuse, and manage water in a way that protects local ecosystems.

Integrated Water Supply Strategy

The campus water strategy is deliberately multi-sourced to avoid single points of failure. The system integrates:

• Rainwater harvesting from major roof surfaces and covered structures.
• On-site potable storage in elevated and ground-level tanks.
• Connection to public water mains where available, with backflow protection.
• Truck-fill access for emergency replenishment via tanker delivery.

This design ensures that even if one or more sources are compromised, the campus can continue to operate.

Rainwater Harvesting & Cisterns

Rainwater is a primary resilience asset for the campus. Roofs over the CRC, Village 5, staff housing, agricultural facilities, and auxiliary buildings are engineered as collection surfaces feeding a network of cisterns and storage tanks.

• Gutter and downspout design sized for intense tropical rainfall rates.
• First-flush diversion to remove debris and initial contaminants.
• Pre-filtration at inlets to reduce sediment loading.
• Buried and above-grade cisterns with hurricane-resistant anchoring.
• Level monitoring connected to The Vault for real-time status.

Captured rainwater is allocated for irrigation, flushing, cleaning, and—in properly treated pathways— for potable or near-potable applications as required.

Potable Water Storage & Distribution

Potable water is stored in dedicated, food-grade tanks with tightly controlled treatment and monitoring:

• Redundant storage capacity sized for multi-day autonomy at full occupancy.
• Elevation and pressure management using a combination of gravity and pump systems.
• Multi-stage filtration (sediment, carbon, UV or chlorination as appropriate).
• Distribution loops to Village 5, CRC, The Vault, housing, kitchen, stables, and medical spaces.
• Sampling points for ongoing water quality verification.

The goal is simple: even if island supply is unstable, campus taps and fixtures continue to deliver safe water.

Critical Water Loads in Disaster Mode

In emergency conditions, the water system enforces a priority structure mirroring the power microgrid:

• Tier 1: Drinking water, kitchen, medical stabilization, and critical sanitation.
• Tier 2: Shelter hygiene (CRC showers and restrooms) and essential cleaning.
• Tier 3: Livestock and equine therapy water, limited irrigation for food security.
• Tier 4: Non-essential uses, deferred or shut off in extended crisis.

This ensures that health and life-safety functions are supported first and kept online the longest.

Wastewater Treatment & Reuse

The campus is designed with a modern wastewater system that can integrate with public infrastructure where available but is not dependent on it for survival. The approach incorporates:

• Segregated blackwater and greywater streams where practical.
• On-site treatment capacity sized for full-occupancy conditions.
• Effluent quality controls to meet or exceed regulatory discharge standards.
• Potential reuse of treated greywater for irrigation and non-potable functions.

Wastewater infrastructure is concentrated in a location that also supports agricultural and stables operations, enabling efficient reuse and minimizing environmental impact.

Stormwater Management & Flood Resilience

Tropical storms and hurricanes can produce extreme rainfall and runoff. The campus grading and drainage plan is designed to protect buildings and infrastructure while reducing erosion and downstream impacts:

• Graded site topography that channels water away from structures.
• Swales, bioswales, and retention areas to slow and infiltrate stormwater.
• Heavy-duty drainage inlets and culverts at key low points.
• Permeable surfaces where feasible to reduce runoff volume.
• Protection of ELZ and access routes to maintain usability after storms.

Stormwater design is tightly integrated with building placement, circulation paths, and the location of critical infrastructure zones.

Integration with Agriculture & Stables

The water system is not only about survival; it also supports the campus as a socio-economic and therapeutic engine. Key integration points include:

• Irrigation of greenhouses and orchards using rainwater and treated non-potable sources.
• Water supply for stables and equine therapy with priority protections in disaster-mode.
• Reuse of treated wastewater (where safe and compliant) to support agricultural operations.
• Shared pumping and storage infrastructure that links water, agriculture, and animal care.

This closed-loop approach supports food security, animal welfare, and therapeutic programming.

Monitoring, Controls & The Vault

The Vault serves as the monitoring and control hub for key water and wastewater components:

• Tank level monitoring for cisterns and potable storage.
• Pump status and alarms for critical lift stations and booster pumps.
• Flow and pressure data for main distribution lines.
• Quality sensors where deployed for key points in the system.

When combined with the microgrid, this monitoring allows the campus to balance power and water usage in a coordinated way, especially during extended emergency operations.

Public Health, Hygiene & Shelter Operations

During major events, the campus may shelter hundreds of people across Village 5 and the CRC. The water and wastewater systems are sized and configured to:

• Provide sufficient drinking water for residents, staff, and evacuees.
• Maintain sanitation and hygiene at safe, dignified levels.
• Support continuous kitchen operations for mass feeding.
• Enable post-disaster cleanup and disease-prevention measures.

This is essential not only for physical health but also for maintaining morale and psychological stability in prolonged crisis conditions.

Regulatory & Environmental Considerations

The water and wastewater systems are designed to align with U.S. Virgin Islands regulations and broader environmental standards, including:

• Appropriate permitting for wells, cisterns, and wastewater systems.
• Compliance with discharge standards and setback requirements.
• Stormwater design consistent with erosion and runoff guidelines.
• Protection of local watersheds and sensitive areas.

By design, the campus aims to improve resilience without creating new environmental burdens.

Water Systems as a Core Pillar of the $130M (Phase 1) Campus

From rainwater harvesting and potable storage to wastewater treatment and stormwater management, the water systems are central to the campus mission. They enable long-duration sheltering, daily operations, agricultural productivity, animal care, and community support—even when the surrounding infrastructure is damaged or offline.

In short, the water system is one of the key reasons the STX Resilience Campus can operate as a genuine resilience hub, a humanitarian asset, and a long-term regional anchor for St. Croix.