Rainwater harvesting

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 given to water. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses, tents and local institutions, can make an important contribution to the availability of drinking water.It can supplement the sub soil water level and decrease urban greenery. . In some cases, rainwater may be the only available, or economical, water source. Rainwater harvesting systems can be simple to construct from inexpensive local materials, and are potentially successful in most habitable locations. Roof rainwater can't be of good quality and may require treatment before consumption. As rainwater rushes from your roof it may carry pollutants in it such as the tiniest bit of mercury from coal burning buildings to bird feces. Although some rooftop materials may produce rainwater that is harmful to human health, it can be useful in flushing toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden and washing cars; these uses alone halve the amount of water used by a typical home.. Overflow from rainwater harvesting tank systems can be used to refill aquifers in a process called groundwater recharge, though this is a related process, it must not be confused with Rainwater harvesting. There are a number of types of systems to harvest rainwater ranging from very simple to the complex industrial systems. The rate at which water can be collected from either system is dependent on the plan area of the system, its efficiency, and the intensity of rainfall (i.e. annual precipitation (mm per annum) x square meter of catchment area = litres per annum yield) ... a 200 square meter roof catchment catching 1,000mm PA yields 200 kLPA. Basic configuration Rainwater harvesting systems channel rainwater that falls on to a roof into storage via a system of gutters and pipes. The first flush of rainwater after a dry season should be allowed to run to waste as it will be contaminated with dust, bird droppings etc. Roof gutters should have enough, and large enough to carry peak flows. Storage tanks should be covered to prevent mosquito breeding and to reduce evaporation losses, contamination and algal growth. Rainwater harvesting systems require regular maintenance and cleaning to keep the system hygienic. Groundwater recharge Rainwater may also be used for groundwater recharge, where the runoff on the ground is collected and allowed to be absorbed, adding to the groundwater. Quality As rainwater may be contaminated due to pollutants like microscopic germs etc., it is often not

considered suitable for drinking without treatment. However, there are many examples of rainwater being used for all purposes including drinking following suitable treatment. Rainwater harvested from roofs can contain human, animal and bird faeces, mosses and lichens, windblown dust, particulates from urban pollution, pesticides. 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;[2] the concentration of these and other contaminants are reduced significantly by diverting the initial flow of water to waste as described above. The water may need to be analysed properly, and used in a way appropriate to its safety. In Brazil alum and chlorine is added to disinfect water before consumption.[citation needed] So-called "appropriate technology" methods, such as solar water disinfection, provide low-cost disinfection options for treatment of stored rainwater for drinking. [edit]System sizing It is important that the system is sized to meet the water demand throughout the dry season. Generally speaking, the size of the storage tank should be big enough to meet the daily water requirement throughout the dry season. In addition, the size of the catchment area or roof should be large enough to fill the tank.. WATER CONSERVATION & RAIN WATER HARVESTING FOR BRIHANMUMBAI Brihan Mumbai - A special city Brihan Mumbai consists of old Island City of Mumbai & its suburbs. The island city comprises of original seven Islands & reclaimed areas in between these islands & along the coasts. The suburban area is formed of old villages & their reclaimed extensions. The city & suburbs together admeasure appx. 437.74 Sq. Km. City is having a resident population of @ 12 millions and supports daily commuting Population of 20 lakhs. Every day @ 350 new families enter into the city. There are 2,51,212 assessed properties in Mumbai. Approx. 55 % of Mumbais population stays in slums.. Water Supply of Mumbai. The responsibility of water supply & sanitation is fully borne by Municipal Corporation of Brihanmumbai. Earlier City had many Wells & Tanks. Water Stress The present water demand of Mumbai is 3400 MLD against supply of 2900 MLD. Adopting alternate sources. Creating new impoundage and water supply networks, extracting more & more ground water, recycling waste water, desalination in case of coastal areas and water shed development with rain water harvesting are various alternate sources that can be developed to meet the growing water demand. For Mumbai proposal of creating new impoundage at Middle Vaitarna is being planned to augment the water supply but other alternatives also need to be explored. Advantages & Disadvantages of each alternative:Rain Water Harvesting :- It is the simplest, indigenous technology being practiced in India for

centuries. The concept involves collection of rain water by individual plot owner, either in artificial tanks and / or in natural reservoir i.e. aquifers. It helps Self Sufficiency. Raises Ground water Table. Improves Quality of Ground Water. Reduces Soil Erosion. Any body can do it. It is less expensive and easy to maintain & most important is that it prevents Sea Water Ingression. The only disadvantage is it requires periodic / pre-monsoon maintenance and involvement of user for monitoring. Hence Mumbai Municipal Corporation has made Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) mandatory to the properties having plot area more than 1000 sq. mts. coming for development after 1st oct. 2002. The condition is also being extended for the properties, which started development earlier, but are being completed now. This condition will also be made applicable to existing buildings in near future. Recycling has been made compulsory for buildings having centralized (water cooled) A.C. plants. Henceforth M.C.G.M. would grant residential water connections at 90 lpcd i.e. no municipal water for flushing requirement. The properties are expected to generate the flushing water either by RWH or by recycling. Rain water harvesting Methods. Following techniques are used for Urban rain water harvesting. I. Storage in artificial above or underground tanks. II. Recharging aquifer directly through existing dug up wells & bore wells. III. Recharging aquifer by percolation / soakage into the ground. IV. Pumping (putting under pressure) rainwater into the soil to prevent sea water ingress. Who can harvest rain water ? Rainwater harvesting is for any person. He / She can be planning to build a house or who is in the process of building a house on an independent plot. Persons with already built houses can also harvest rainwater by retrofitting necessary for rain water harvesting. Persons in apartments can also harvest rainwater, but a community approach may be required in such cases. In individual / row houses, it is possible to store roof top rain water without much work / extra cost. Industries and factories can easily harvest rainwater, since large roof areas are usually available in such constructions. People who are purchasing water from private water tankers can harvest rainwater to lessen their financial outflow. Corporations, Government Organisations, Technical institutes can take up RWH to meet certain % of their demand & be trend setters. Why RWH is required in Mumbai ? To meet todays as well as future demands. It is observed that some of the wells especially bore wells, which had sweet water initially turn saline after use for some time. This is because of fall in the level of fresh water, due to excessive drawing. The fresh water barrier which restricts sea water from coming into the land is disturbed. Fresh water level is lowered than the sea water level & sea water rushes into the land. The sea water now comes in contact with the pile foundations which can endanger structures in future. By harvesting rain water we can maintain this barrier & prevent sea water ingression. Rain Water Harvesting Potential of Mumbai : This broadly works out as under:Area of Mumbai @ 437 Sq.Kmts. Annual Avg. Rainfall @ 2000 mm Total rain water falling over Mumbai = 437 x 1000000 x 2000 lit. = 874000000000 lit. = 874000 million litre = 2394. 52 mld Present water supply = 2900 mld Even if we assume 70% of the area to be developed, 50% of it to be roofed and we collect 70% of the water falling over it, the quantity of rain water that can be harvested works out to 589.34 MLD.

Use of Harvested Rain water: Rain water is purest form of water available on earth. It gets contaminated during its travel through the atmosphere (Air Pollution ) and on the surface (land Contamination). It is soft, low in salt contents, impurities. Therefore, it is easily possible to use rainwater for gardening, car washing, washing clothes, floors, bathing, toilet-flushing, house swabbing and such other domestic and all nonpotable purposes including fire fighting and beautification. One can even use the harvested rainwater for all potable purposes including drinking and cooking after proper purification Whether it is really possible to harvest rain water in Mumbai? Warning. It is necessary to ensure that the ground water is not contaminated by mixing of sewage / sullage or any other impurities e.g. chemical / biological etc. So there should not be any leakages in the premises, where RWH system is to be installed. Societies should maintain their premises clean. Terraces should be cleaned prior to monsoon & be kept locked during monsoon. Pets should not be permitted there. Similarly street flood water in monsoon is contaminated. So it also should not be mixed with RWH system. Please note that mistake made by one person directly charging the aquifer, can affect number of persons at a time & there is no easy solution to clean the contaminated ground water. Harvesting rain... but is it really as simple as that? Find out for yourself. What is rainwater harvesting? It simply means catching and holding rain where it falls and using it. You can store it in tanks or you can use it to recharge groundwater. See how people harvest rain.

Harvesting System Broadly rainwater can be harvested for two purposes Storing rainwater for ready use in containers above or below ground Charged into the soil for withdrawal later (groundwater recha

From where to harvest rain Rainwater harvesting can be harvested from the following surfaces Rooftops: If buildings with impervious roofs are already in place, the catchment area is effectively available free of charge and they provide a supply at the point of consumption. Paved and unpaved areas i.e., landscapes, open fields, parks, stormwater drains, roads and pavements and other open areas can be effectively used to harvest the runoff. The main advantage in using ground as collecting surface is that water can be collected from a larger area. This is particularly advantageous in areas of low rainfall. Waterbodies: The potential of lakes, tanks and ponds to store rainwater is immense. The harvested rainwater can not only be used to meet water requirements of the city, it also recharges groundwater aquifers. Stormwater drains: Most of the residential colonies have proper network of stormwater drains. If maintained neatly, these offer a simple and cost effective means for harvesting rainwater. Whether to store rainwater or use it for recharge: The decision whether to store or recharge water depends on the rainfall pattern and the potential to do so, in a particular region. The sub-surface geology also plays an important role in making this decision. For example, Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat where the total annual rainfall occurs during 3 or 4 months, are examples of places where groundwater recharge is usually practiced. In places like Kerala, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Bangalore where rain falls throughout the year barring a few dry periods, one can depend on a small sized tank for storing rainwater, since the period between two spells of rain is short. Wherever sub-strata is impermeable recharging will not be feasible. Hence, it would be ideal to opt for storage.

Source: A Water Harvesting Manual For Urban Areas

RAIN WATER HARVESTING AND ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE TO GROUND WATER WHAT IS RAIN WATER HARVESTING :

The principle of collecting and using precipitation from a catchments surface. An old technology is gaining popularity in a new way. Rain water harvesting is enjoying a renaissance of sorts in the world, but it traces its history to biblical times. Extensive rain water harvesting apparatus existed 4000 years ago in the Palestine and Greece. In ancient Rome, residences were built with individual cisterns and paved courtyards to capture rain water to augment water from city's aqueducts. As early as the third millennium BC, farming communities in Baluchistan and Kutch impounded rain water and used it for irrigation dams. ARTIFICAL RECHARGE TO GROUND WATER : Artificial recharge to ground water is a process by which the ground water reservoir is augmented at a rate exceeding that obtaining under natural conditions or replenishment. Any man-made scheme or facility that adds water to an aquifer may be considered to be an artificial recharge system. WHY RAIN WATER HARVESTING : Rain water harvesting is essential because :Surface water is inadequate to meet our demand and we have to depend on ground water. Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rain water into the sub-soil has decreased drastically and recharging of ground water has diminished. As you read this guide, seriously consider conserving water by harvesting and managing this natural resource by artificially recharging the system. The examples covering several dozen installations successfully operating in India constructed and maintained by CGWB, provide an excellent snapshot of current systems. RAIN WATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES : There are two main techniques of rain water harvestings. Storage of rainwater on surface for future use. Recharge to ground water. The storage of rain water on surface is a traditional techniques and structures used were underground tanks, ponds, check dams, weirs etc. Recharge to ground water is a new concept of rain water harvesting and the structures generally used are :-

Pits :- Recharge pits are constructed for recharging the shallow aquifer. These are constructed 1 to 2 m, wide and to 3 m. deep which are back filled with boulders, gravels, coarse sand. Trenches:- These are constructed when the permeable stram is available at shallow depth. Trench may be 0.5 to 1 m. wide, 1 to 1.5m. deep and 10 to 20 m. long depending up availability of water. These are back filled with filter. materials. Dug wells:- Existing dug wells may be utilised as recharge structure and water should pass through filter media before putting into dug well. Hand pumps :- The existing hand pumps may be used for recharging the shallow/deep aquifers, if the availability of water is limited. Water should pass through filter media before diverting it into hand pumps. Recharge wells :- Recharge wells of 100 to 300 mm. diameter are generally constructed for recharging the deeper aquifers and water is passed through filter media to avoid choking of recharge wells. Recharge Shafts :- For recharging the shallow aquifer which are located below clayey surface, recharge shafts of 0.5 to 3 m. diameter and 10 to 15 m. deep are constructed and back filled with boulders, gravels & coarse sand. Lateral shafts with bore wells :- For recharging the upper as well as deeper aquifers lateral shafts of 1.5 to 2 m. wide & 10 to 30 m. long depending upon availability of water with one or two bore wells are constructed. The lateral shafts is back filled with boulders, gravels & coarse sand. Spreading techniques :- When permeable strata starts from top then this technique is used. Spread the water in streams/Nalas by making check dams, nala bunds, cement plugs, gabion structures or a percolation pond may be constructed. DIVERSION OF RUN OFF INTO EXISTING SURFACE WATER BODIES Construction activity in and around the city is resulting in the drying up of

water bodies and reclamation of these tanks for conversion into plots for houses. Free flow of storm run off into these tanks and water bodies must be ensured. The storm run off may be diverted into the nearest tanks or depression, which will create additional recharge. Urbanisation effects on Groundwater Hydrology : Increase in water demand More dependence on ground water use Over exploitation of ground water Increase in run-off, decline in well yields and fall in water levels Reduction in open soil surface area Reduction in infiltration and deterioration in water quality Methods of artificial recharge in urban areas : Water spreading Recharge through pits, trenches, wells, shafts Rooftop collection of rainwater Roadtop collection of rainwater Induced recharge from surface water bodies. Computation of artificial recharge from Roof top rainwater collection : Factors taken for computation : Roof top area 100 sq.m. for individual house and 500 sq.m. for multi-storied building. Average annual monsoon rainfall - 780 mm. Effective annual rainfall contributing to recharge 70% - 550 mm. Individual H Roof top area Total quantity available forrecharge per annum 100 sq. m. 55 cu. m Multistoried 500 sq. m. 275 cu. m.

Water available for 5 member Family

100 days

500 days

Benefits of Artificial Recharge in Urban Areas : Improvement in infiltration and reduction in run-off. Improvement in groundwater levels and yields. Reduces strain on Special Village Panchayats/ Municipal / Municipal Corporation water supply Improvement in groundwater quality Estimated quantity of additional recharge from 100 sq. m. roof top area is 55.000 liters.

A NOBLE GOAL - A COMMON RESPONSIBILITY Ground water exploitation is inevitable is Urban areas. But the groundwater potential is getting reduced due to urbanisation resulting in over exploitation. Hence, a strategy to implement the groundwater recharge, in a major way need to be launched with concerted efforts by various Governmental and Non-Governmental Agencies and Public at large to build up the water table and make the groundwater resource, a reliable and sustainable source for supplementing water supply needs of the urban dwellers.

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Harvest rainwater, hit the roof!

Sudeshna Chatterjee, TNN Jun 18, 2011, 10.58pm IST THANE: Heard of rooftop rainwater harvesting? The next time you visit Kachrali Lake, take a cautious walk around the temple to understand one of the easiest and oldest ways of harvesting rainwater. The rain water being pure can directly be stored for drinking purposes as is being done at Karnataka. About 23,683 schools in Karnataka through the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj system, have undertaken rooftop rainwater harvesting technique with storage tanks to address the issue of scarcity of drinking water. But at Kachrali Lake, the issue is more to ensure steady flow of water. "For continuous flow of water round the year, it is important to maintain the water table of the surrounding area and hence rooftop rainwater harvesting technique with percolation well is introduced

here as it is the easiest to construct and most economic in terms of both construction and maintenance costs. That 90 per cent of lakes in Thane inevitably have a temple to it therefore only helps in the process," observes architect and town planner Pallavi Latkar. Along with her team, Latkar gave shape to this ongoing Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) project. "This is a pilot project and there are plans afoot to introduce rooftop rainwater harvesting system at the TMC building itself," informs public relation officer, TMC, Sandeep Malvi. Ads by Google Rainwater HarvestingWe Save Rain Water & Mother Earth Call @ 9741127421 for Consultation.www.nesaraconstructions.com So, one might wonder how does a rooftop rainwater harvesting system operates? (See sketch). "The PVC pipes are firmly fixed horizontally to the sides of the temple. The rain water from the roof gets collected here. Then through another set of pipes placed vertically, the collected water goes to the percolation well located close by," explains a team member of Latkar, Sachin Waghmare. While water management has been practiced by the Indians over the ages, even during the time of Harappan civilization and much later as seen in the rainwater harvesting structures in low rainfall areas in Rajasthan and percolation tanks and ponds in southern India, today the need to implement techniques of rainwater harvesting with percolation wells has become all the more necessary. With excessive extraction of water through bore wells, the level of the water is declining at an alarming rate across the country in the urban areas. Percolation well is a long-standing and economic solution to ensure stable water table," informs Latkar. It is a soak-pit, dug at shallow levels, with a brick wall and comprises of sand, different sizes of pebbles and perforated pipes. The well is closed from the top and opens at the bottom. Unlike storage tanks, the rain water so harvested from roof tops of buildings and run through percolation wells assures stable level of water table of the surrounding area throughout the year. Which means, the water bodies in the adjoining areas will always be replenished to some extent throughout the year, goes the explanation. Some amount of water gets wasted when people are drinking water or when any of the taps are left half closed or not functioning etc. Every drop counts. So, there is a pipe connected with the fountain to make this wasted water flow into the percolation well," points out Waghmare. The entire technique, costing about Rs 35,000, is in place and running at the Kachrali Lake. An attractive informative signage is expected to be put up soon. "

Benefits of Using Rainwater 1. It is free; the only cost is for collection and use. 2. It lessens demand on the municipal water supply. 3. It saves money on utility bills. 4. It makes efficient use of a valuable resource. 5. It diminishes flooding, erosion, and the flow to stormwater drains. 6. 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 stormwater. 7. It can be used to recharge groundwater. 8. It is good for irrigation and plants thrive because stored rainwater is free from pollutants as well as salts, minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants. 9. It is good for laundry use as rainwater is soft and lowers the need for detergents.

10. It adds life to equipment dependent on water to operate, as rainwater does not produce corrosion or scale like hard water.

NEED FOR RAIN-WATER HARVESTING Major parts of our country have been facing continuous failure of monsoon and consequent deficit of rainfall over the last few years. Also, due to ever increasing population of India, the use of ground water has increased drastically leading to constant depletion of ground water level causing the wells and tube- wells to dry up. In some places, excessive heat waves during summer create a situation similar to drought. It is imperative to take adequate measures to meet the drinking water needs of the people in the country besides irrigation and domestic needs. Out of 8760 hours in a year, most of the rain in India falls in just 100 hours.