Making every drop count at the campus greenhouse

A new rainwater harvesting system is coming to George Mason University’s Presidents Park Greenhouse, thanks to a donation from the Society for a Secure and Sustainable Water Future, a nonprofit organization based in James City County, Virginia, and dedicated to advancing long-term water sustainability through practical solutions, sound policy, and public education. 

The Presidents Park Greenhouse, located on the Fairfax Campus, is managed by University Sustainability's Greenhouse and Gardens program. Alexander Jarvis, a graduate student in George Mason’s MS in Environmental Science and Policy Program, founded the nonprofit and runs it with his parents, Leslie and Tyrone Jarvis.

“The project is intended to help demonstrate practical sustainability implementation while contributing to broader conversations surrounding resilience, infrastructure demand, and future environmental planning,” said Jarvis.

The rainwater harvesting system will collect, store, and filter rooftop runoff through a solar-powered pumping system. The nonpotable water will be used to water the nonedible plants at the greenhouse and will be transported to other campus gardens during drought. The Jarvis family is completing the installation themselves in coordination with Facilities and Campus Operations staff.

The amount of rainwater recovered by the system will vary, depending on rainfall amounts, but George Mason students or staff could collect data on the system in the future.

In addition to the donation from Jarvis’s nonprofit, the project received approximately $2,000 from the Patriot Green Fund, an sustainability fund that George Mason’s Facilities and Campus Operations unit administers to support sustainable infrastructure improvements and student research projects on campus.

The Presidents Park Greenhouse, which uses hydroponics and aquaponics to grow produce, has other sustainable features. With support from student researchers and the Patriot Green Fund, a solar array was installed last year to offset the energy consumption for the equipment and temperature controls in the greenhouse. 

The rainwater harvesting system further advances the greenhouse as a model for sustainable agriculture and infrastructure.

“This project brings together sustainability, education, and community partnership in a meaningful way,” said Christine Powell, project manager in Facilities and Campus Operations. “This installation will serve as a living demonstration of how rainwater can be captured, treated, and reused, providing educational value for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.”