Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer.

It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can make an important contribution to the availability of drinking water.

Benefits of Using Rain Water Harvesting Rainwater is free; the only cost is for collection and use. It lessens demand on the municipal water supply. It saves money on utility bills. It makes efficient use of a valuable resource. It diminishes flooding, erosion, and the flow to storm water drains. It reduces the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers and pesticides from rainwater run-off resulting in cleaner lakes, rivers, oceans and other receivers of storm water. It can be used to recharge ground water. It is good for irrigation and plants thrive because stored rain water is free from pollutants as well as salts, minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants. It is good for laundry use as rain water is soft and lowers the need for detergents. It adds life to equipment dependent on water to operate, as rain water does not produce corrosion or scale like hard water. It can help achieve LEED Green Building Rating Credit.

In India, rain water harvesting was first introduced by Andhra Pradesh ex-Chief Minister N.
Chandrababu Naidu. He made a rule that every house which is going to be built in cities of that state must have a percolation pit/rainwater harvesting system. This rule increased the ground water level in good phase. After his term as Chief Minister, the next leaders neglected this system.

In the state of Tamil Nadu, rainwater harvesting was made compulsory for every building to avoid ground water depletion. It proved excellent results within five years, and every other state took it as role model. Since its implementation, Chennai saw a 50 percent rise in water level in five years and the water quality significantly improved. In Rajasthan, rainwater harvesting has traditionally been practiced by the people of the Thar Desert. There are many ancient water harvesting systems in Rajasthan, which have now been revived. At present, in Pune (in Maharashtra), rainwater harvesting is compulsory for any new society to be registered.

Maintenance
Before collecting water the roof, gutters and tank should be cleaned Let the first 2-3 rains flow out through the first flush system Remember to clean the tank once in a year Replace the filtering agents every year Keep the tank and surroundings clean and hygienic Apply white cement on the tank every year Make sure that sunlight does not pass through the manhole to prevent algae growth Remember to preserve water and use it judiciously.

Source: www.waterpurificationindia.com
a. Unit cost of construction activities. Item
Excavation in soils Excavation in rock Brickwork with cement mortar (1:6) Plain cement concrete (1:3:6)

Unit
cu. m. cu. m. cu. m. cu. m.

Rate (Rs.)
90.00 150.00 1400.00 1500.00 4700.00 165.00 275.00 180.00

Reinforced cement concrete (1:2:4) cu. m. cu. m. 4700.00Including steel bars, shuttering etc. PVC piping for 110 - 200 mm diameter rainwater pipes mm diameter Metre metre

Making borehole in metre 165.00Soft soil metre (with 150 mm diameter PVC casing)

b. Ferro cement tanks with skeletal cage Capacity of rooftop water harvesting system in litres 5,000
Total cost 12,430 in rupees

6,000
12,975

7,000
13,970

9,000
14,380

10,000
15,800

Source: Action for food Production and United Nations Children's Fund, Rooftop rainwater harvesting systems

c.

Plastic

tanks:

Available as finished products in various capacities. The cost of these tanks ranges from Rs 2/litre to

about Rs 3.5/litre. Other brands available in the market

Brand name
Hindustan, Jindal Storex, Ganga 1.80 2.75

Unit cost (Rs. Per litre)