RAIN WATER HARVESTING
NAME:HIRJA MEGHA
[Link]
CLASS:10th
SOME INFORMATION
●
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage
of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is
collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a tank,
cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), aquifer, or a
reservoir with percolation, so that it seeps down and
restores the ground water. Rainwater harvesting differs
from stormwater harvesting as the runoff is typically
collected from roofs and other area surfaces for storage
and subsequent [Link] uses include watering gardens,
livestock,irrigation, domestic use with proper treatment,
and domestic heating. The harvested water can also be
committed to longer-term storage or groundwater
recharge.
DOMESTIC USE
●
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.
●
Kenya has already been successfully harvesting rainwater
for toilets, laundry, and irrigation. Since the establishment
of the country's 2016 Water Act, Kenya has prioritized the
regulation of their agriculture [Link], areas
in Australia use harvested rainwater for cooking and
[Link] done by Stout et al researching the
feasibility in India found RWH was most beneficial used
for small-scale irrigation, which provides income with the
sales of produce, and overflow used for groundwater
recharge.
AGRICULTURE
●
In regards to urban agriculture, rainwater harvesting in
urban areas reduces the impact of runoff and flooding.
The combination of urban 'green' rooftops with rainwater
catchments have been found to reduce building
temperatures by more than 1.3 degrees Celsius.
Rainwater harvesting in conjunction with urban agriculture
would be a viable way to help meet the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals for cleaner and
sustainable cities, health and wellbeing, and food and
water security (Sustainable Development Goal 6). The
technology is available, however, it needs to be
remodeled in order to use water more efficiently,
especially in an urban setting.
INDUSTRY
●
Frankfurt airport has the biggest rainwater harvesting system in
Germany. The system helps save approximately 1 million cubic
meters of water per year. The cost of the system was 1.5 million dm
(US$63,000) in 1993. This system collects water from the roofs of the
new terminal which has an area of 26,800 square meters. The water
is collected in the basement of the airport in six tanks with a storage
capacity of 100 cubic meters. The water is mainly used for toilet
flushing, watering plants and cleaning the air conditioning system.[14]
●
Rainwater harvesting was adopted at The Velodrome – The London
Olympic Park – in order to increase the sustainability of the facility. A
73% decrease in potable water demand by the park was estimated.
Despite this, it was deemed that rainwater harvesting was a less
efficient use of financial resources to increase sustainability than the
park's blackwater recycling program.[15]
TECHNOLOGIES
●
Traditionally, stormwater management using detention basins served
a single purpose. However, optimized real-time control lets this
infrastructure double as a source of rainwater harvesting without
compromising the existing detention [Link] has been used in
the EPA headquarters to evacuate stored water prior to storm events,
thus reducing wet weather flow while ensuring water availability for
later reuse. This has the benefit of increasing water quality released
and decreasing the volume of water released during combined sewer
overflow events.
●
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 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.
SYSTEM SETUP
●
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. There
are common components that are installed in such
systems, such as pre-filters (see e.g. vortex filter),
drains/gutters, storage containers, and depending on
whether the system is pressurized, also pumps, and
treatment devices such as UV lights, chlorination devices
and post-filtration equipment.
RAINWATER HARVESTING BY
SOLAR POWER PANELS
●
Good quality water resource, closer to populated areas, is
becoming scarce and costly for the consumers. In addition to
solar and wind energy, rainwater is major renewable resource
of any land. Vast areas are 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 rainwater falling on them and
drinking quality water, free from bacteria and suspended
matter, can be generated by simple filtration and disinfection
processes as rainwater is very low in [Link] of
rainwater for value-added products like bottled drinking water,
makes solar PV power plants profitable even in high rainfall/
cloudy areas by the augmented income from value-added
drinking water generation. Recently cost-effective rainwater
collection in the already dug wells found to be highly effective
in bringing groundwater level up in India.
●
Rainwater harvesting provides the independent water supply during
regional water restrictions, and in developed countries, it is often
used to supplement the main [Link] 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. Rainwater harvesting increases the availability of water
during dry seasons by increasing the levels of dried borewells and
[Link] water supply is readily available for various purposes
thus reducing dependence on underground water. It improves the
quality of ground by diluting salinity. It does not cause pollution and is
environmentally friendly. It is cost-effective and easily affordable. 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,and a reduction in stormwater runoff
polluting freshwater bodies.