RAINWATER HARVESTING

Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and storage of rainwater for reuse on-site, rather than
allowing it to run off. Rainwater can be collected from riversor roofs, and in many places, the
water collected is redirected to a deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), a reservoir with percolation, or
collected from dew or fog with nets or other tools.

History of rain water harvesting

Ancient times

The construction and use of cisterns to store rainwater can be traced back to the Neolithic Age,
when waterproof lime plaster cisterns were built in the floors of houses in village locations of the
Levant, a large area in Southwest Asia, south of the Taurus Mountains, bound by the
Mediterranean Sea in the west, the Arabian Desert in the south, and Mesopotamia in the east. By
the late 4000 BC, cisterns were essential elements of emerging water management techniques used
in dry-land farming

Current uses

IndiaEdit

Tamil Nadu was the first state to make rainwater harvesting compulsory for every building to
avoid groundwater depletion. The scheme was launched in 2001 and has been implemented in all
rural areas of Tamil Nadu. Posters all over Tamil Nadu including rural areas create awareness
about harvesting rainwater TN Govt site. It gave excellent results within five years, and slowly
every state took it as a role model. Since its implementation, Chennai had a 50% rise in water
level in five years and the water quality significantly improved.[9]

In Rajasthan, rainwater harvesting has traditionally been practised by the people of the Thar
Desert. Many ancient water harvesting systems in Rajasthan have now been revived.[12] Water
harvesting systems are widely used in other areas of Rajasthan, as well, for example the chauka
system from the Jaipur district.[13]

In Mumbai, Maharashtra, rainwater harvesting is being considered as a good solution to solve the
water crisis.
The Mumbai City council is planning to make rainwater harvesting mandatory for large societies

Sri LankaEdit

Rainwater harvesting has been a popular method of obtaining water for agriculture and for
drinking purposes in rural homes.

United KingdomEdit

Main article: Rainwater harvesting in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, water butts are often found in domestic gardens and on allotments to
collect rainwater, which is then used to water the garden. However, the British government's Code
For Sustainable Homes encouraged fitting large underground tanks to newly built homes to collect
rainwater for flushing toilets, watering, and washing

Thailand has the largest fraction of the population in the rural area relying on rainwater harvesting
(currently around 40%).[22] Rainwater harvesting was promoted heavily by the government in the
1980s. In the 1990s, after government funding for the collection tanks ran out, the private sector
stepped in and provided several million tanks to private households, many of which continue to be
used.[23] This is one of the largest examples of self-supply of water worldwide.

In Beijing, some housing societies are now adding rainwater in their main water sources after
proper treatment.

New approachesEdit

Presentation of RainSaucer system to students at orphanage in Guatemala

A Dutch invention called the Groasis Waterboxx is also useful for growing trees with harvested
and stored dew and rainwater.

Generally, check dams are constructed across the streams to enhance the percolation of surface
water into the subsoil strata. The water percolation in the water-impounded area of the check dams
can be enhanced artificially manyfold by loosening the subsoil strata and overburden using ANFO
explosives as used in open cast mining. Thus, local aquifers can be recharged quickly using the
available surface water fully for use in the dry season.

Rainwater harvesting by solar power panelsEdit

Good quality water resource, closer to populated areas, is becoming scarce and costly for the
consumers. In addition to solar and wind energy, rain water is major renewable resource of any
land. Vast area is being covered by solar PV panels every year in all parts of the world. Solar
panels can also be used for harvesting most of the rain water falling on them and drinking quality
water, free from bacteria and suspended matter, can be generated by simple filtration and
disinfection processes as rain water is very low in salinity.[37][38][39]

AdvantagesEdit

Rainwater harvesting provides the independent water supply during regional water restrictions,
and in developed countries, is often used to supplement the main supply. It provides water when a
drought occurs, can help mitigate flooding of low-lying areas, and reduces demand on wells which
may enable groundwater levels to be sustained. It also helps in the availability of potable water, as
rainwater is substantially free of salinity and other salts. Applications of rainwater harvesting in
urban water system provides a substantial benefit for both water supply and wastewater
subsystems by reducing the need for clean water in water distribution systems, less generated
stormwater in sewer systems,[40] and a reduction in stormwater runoff polluting freshwater
bodies.

Supplemental in droughtEdit
When drought occurs, rainwater harvested in past months can be used. If rain is unpredictable, the
use of a rainwater harvesting system can be critical to capturing the rain when it does fall. Many
countries, especially those with arid environments, use rainwater harvesting as a cheap and
reliable source of clean water. To enhance irrigation in arid environments, ridges of soil are
constructed to trap and prevent rainwater from running down hills and slopes. Even in periods of
low rainfall, enough water is collected for crops to grow.

System setupEdit

Rainwater harvesting systems can range in complexity, from systems that can be installed with
minimal skills, to automated systems that require advanced setup and installation. The basic
rainwater harvesting system is more of a plumbing job than a technical job, as all the outlets from
the building's terrace are connected through a pipe to an underground tank that stores water.

Systems are ideally sized to meet the water demand throughout the dry season, since it must be big
enough to support daily water consumption. Specifically, the rainfall capturing area such as a
building roof must be large enough to maintain adequate flow of water. The water storage tank
size should be large enough to contain the captured water.

Applications of rainwater harvestingEdit

AgricultureEdit

Missions to six Caribbean countries have shown that the capture and storage of rainwater runoff
for later use is able to significantly reduce the risk of losing some or all of the year's harvest
because of soil or water scarcity. In addition, the risks associated with flooding and soil erosion
during high rainfall seasons would decrease. Small farmers, especially those farming on hillsides,
could benefit the most from rainwater harvesting because they are able to capture runoff and
decrease the effects of soil erosion.[44]

Many countries, especially those with arid environments, use rainwater harvesting as a cheap and
reliable source of clean water.[45] To enhance irrigation in arid environments, ridges of soil are
constructed to trap and prevent rainwater from running down hills and slopes. Even in periods of
low rainfall, enough water is collected for crops to grow.[46] Water can be collected from roofs,
dams and ponds can be constructed to hold large quantities of rainwater so that even on days when
little to no rainfall occurs, enough is available to irrigate crops.[46]

Domestic useEdit

In China, Argentina, and Brazil, rooftop rainwater harvesting is used to provide drinking water,
domestic water, water for livestock, water for small irrigation, and a way to replenish groundwater
levels. Gansu province in China and semiarid northeast Brazil have the largest rooftop rainwater
harvesting projects going [Link] 40% of Thailand's rural population utilizes rainwater
harvesting.[47]Rainwater harvesting was promoted heavily by the government in the 1980s. In the
1990s, after government funding for the collection tanks ran out, the private sector stepped in and
provided several million tanks to private households, many of which continue to be used today.
[48] This is one of the largest examples of self-supply of water [Link] harvesting is
mandatory for new homes built in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[49]Texas offers a sales tax exemption
for the purchase of rainwater harvesting equipment.[50]

Quality

While rainwater itself is a clean source of water, often better than groundwater or water from
rivers or lakes,[56] the process of collection and storage often leaves the water polluted and non-
potable. Rainwater harvested from roofs can contain human, animal and bird feces, mosses and
lichens, windblown dust, particulates from urban pollution, pesticides, and inorganic ions from the
sea (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4), and dissolved gases (CO2, NOx, SOx). High levels of pesticide
have been found in rainwater in Europe with the highest concentrations occurring in the first rain
immediately after a dry spell. Prefiltration is a common practice used in the industry to keep the
system healthy and ensure that the water entering the tank is free of large sediments.

Conceptually, a water supply system should match the quality of water with the end use. However,
in most of the developed world, high-quality potable water is used for all end uses. This approach
wastes money and energy and imposes unnecessary impacts to the environment. Supplying
rainwater that has gone through preliminary filtration measures for nonpotable water uses, such as
toilet flushing, irrigation and laundry, may be a significant part of a sustainable water management
strategy.