RAINWATER HARVESTING

Tauseef Ahmed
I Semester MTech Environmental Engineering VNIT

Contents

1. Introduction 2. Need of rainwater harvesting 3. Advantages and disadvantages 4. Principle of rainwater harvesting 5. Components of rainwater harvesting 6. Design a. Amount of required and available rainwater b. Design of Catchment Area c. Design of Conveyance system d. Design of Storage Tank e. Quality of water 7. Maintenance 8. Cost and economic efficiency 9. References

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Introduction
Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UN-Water). The world's six billion people are using 54 percent of all the accessible freshwater contained in rivers, lakes and underground aquifers (WWAP). As many communities all over the world are approaching the limits of their traditional water resources, rainwater harvesting has emerged as a valuable alternative or supplementary source. Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It is a simple low-cost technique that requires minimum expertise or knowledge and offers many benefits. Rainwater may be harvested from roofs as well as surface runoff. Surface water is, however, in most cases not suitable for drinking purposes since the water quality is not good enough. Much of the municipal water that has been purified to drinking water standards is used for tasks such as house cleaning, flushing toilets, gardening and washing clothes or cars when drinking water quality for these tasks is not required. Water collected from rainwater harvesting proves to be a good choice for carrying out these activities.

Need of Rainwater Harvesting

1. Increasing demand Due to growth in population, urbanization and industrialization, the demand of water is increasing leading to dropping of water tables. Rainwater harvesting along with the existing sources of water can supplement the increasing demand of water.

Source: Endangered Global Water Supply and Food Production 2. Variable nature of water availability As the quality and quantity of water derived from sources like lakes, rivers and ground keep fluctuating, the collected water can help to bridge the gap between demand and supply during such periods. 3. Pollution of existing sources Water supplies are susceptible to be polluted by municipal and industrial wastes, or harmful chemicals like arsenic and fluoride. Rainwater is safe from such pollution. 4. No need of conveyance In regions where proper water supply system is not available, water has to be procured from long distances manually. In rainwater harvesting, water is collected where it has to be used.

Advantages and Disadvantages of RWHS Advantages

Easy to construct A Rainwater harvesting system has simple construction. With sufficient training and support, RWH systems can be installed by individuals of a household too. Independent source The system is controlled solely by the household where it is installed. Hence individuals are no longer dependent on centralized water supply system. No impact on environment Rainwater is a renewable resource and no damage is done to the environment Flexible The RWH system is flexible so that it can be adapted to locally available materials and circumstances

Disadvantages
Fluctuation in rainfall In periods of dry spells, collection of water is not possible which can lead to problems. High initial cost One of the major disadvantages of rainwater harvesting system is its high investment cost incurred during its construction. The cost can be reduced considerably by using locally available materials. Susceptible to airborne pollution Rainwater quality may be affected by air pollution, organic matter, and dirt. Maintenance Regular inspection, cleaning and repairs are necessary for proper functioning of the system

Principle of rainwater harvesting

The aim of rainwater harvesting is to concentrate runoff and collect it to be used for future use. The harvesting process is very straightforward, involving channeling the water from the drain-pipes to a storage tank, filtering it along the way. Rainwater captured from roof catchments is the easiest and most common method used to harvest rainwater. It is however not the only harvesting method. Rainwater can be collected from paved surfaces like stone or concrete courtyards and parking lots, or from unpaved surfaces like lawns or open ground. The storage tanks can be above ground, but for best water-quality under-ground storage is recommended. Once stored, a suitable control system is then used supply the water to the desired service using a durable electric pump.

Components of rainwater harvesting system

There are six basic components of a rainwater harvesting system. 1. Catchment area: the surface upon which the rain falls. It may be roof or impervious pavement and may include landscape areas. 2. Conveyance: channels, gutters or pipes that transport the water from catchment area to storage. 3. Roof washing: the systems that filter and remove contaminants and debris. This includes first flush devices. 4. Storage: cisterns or tanks where collected rain water is stored. 5. Distribution: system that delivers the rainwater either by gravity or pump 6. Purification: includes filtering, distillation and disinfection of collected water. Required only for potable water.

Design
Amount of required and available rainwater
The first step in designing the rainwater harvesting system is to determine the annual demand of water. Demand = Water use x household members x 365 The amount of available rainwater depends on the amount of rainfall, catchment area and its runoff coefficient. The run-off coefficient (RC) takes into account any losses due to evaporation, leakage, overflow and transportation. For a well constructed roof catchment system it is 0.9. An impermeable roof will yield a high run-off. An estimate of the approximate, mean annual run-off from a given catchment can be obtained using the following equation: S=RAC Where: S = Mean annual rainwater supply (m3) R = Mean annual rainfall (m) A = Catchment area (m2) C = Run-off coefficient

Domestic water demand includes all water used in and around the home for the following essential purposes: drinking, food preparation and cooking, personal hygiene, toilet flushing (if used), washing clothes and cleaning, washing pots and pans, small vegetable gardens, and other economic and productive uses (the latter only when sufficient rainwater is available).

 Design of Catchment Area:

The roof proves to be an ideal catchment area for rainwater harvesting. Depending upon the type of structure, the roof may be of different materials like galvanized corrugated iron sheets, aluminum sheets, tiles or cement concrete. The efficiency of the catchment area is largely dependent upon the runoff coefficient of the surface. Runoff coefficient = Volume water running off a surface Volume of water falling on the surface Type Galvanised iron sheets Tiles (glazed) Aluminium sheets Flat cement roof Organic(e.g. thatched) Run-off coefficient >0.9 0.6-0.9 0.8-0.9 0.6-0.7 0.2

The amount of available rainwater depends on the amount of rainfall, the area of the catchment, and its run-off coefficient. For a roof or sloping catchment it is the horizontal plan area which should be measured.

 Design of Conveyance system:

The rainwater from catchment area is transported to storage tank with the help of a guttering system. Gutters may be of PVC pipes or galvanized metal. Gutters are usually available in three shapes Rounded Square Trapezoidal V-shaped

Important considerations for designing gutter/downpipe systems: 1 cm2 gutter cross section per 1 m2 roof surface. Aluminium or galvanised metal are recommended for gutters because of their strength and resistance to sunlight. Gutters should slope towards the storage tanks. Increasing the slope from 1:100 to 3:100 increases the potential water flow by 10 20%. A well-designed gutter system can increase the longevity of a house. Foundations will retain their strength and the walls will stay dry.

Sizing of rainwater pipe for roof drainage : Pipe Diameter (mm) 50 65 75 100 125 150 50 13.4 24.1 40.8 85.4 Average rate of rainfall in mm/h 75 8.9 16.0 27.0 57.0 100 6.6 12.0 20.4 42.7 80.5 125 5.3 9.6 16.3 34.2 64.3 150 4.4 8.0 13.6 28.5 53.5 83.6 200 3.3 6.0 10.2 21.3 40.0 62.7

Source: National Building Code

 Design of Storage Tank

I. Demand side approach:

The tank is designed to meet the necessary water demand throughout the dry season. This approach however is applicable to regions where a definite dry period is observed. Demand = Per capita water demand (lpcd) x Household Members x 365 Required storage capacity = Monthly demand x no. of dry months

II.

Supply side approach:

It is a graphical method of determining the capacity of storage tank, particularly suitable for regions with uneven distribution of rainfall over the year. There are three basic steps to be followed: 1. Plot a bar graph for mean monthly roof run-off for a specific house or building in a specific location. Add a line for the demand per month. Consider a scenario with following parameters: Roof area = 100m2 Runoff coefficient = 0.9 Members = 5 Average consumption = 20 lpcd Water demand = 20 x 5 x 365 = 36500 litres per year = 3500 litres per month

The graph of mean monthly runoff is:

2. Plot a cumulative roof run-off graph, by summing the monthly run-off totals.

(Cumulative monthly roof run-off)

3. Add a dotted line showing cumulative water use (water withdrawn or water demand).

(Cumulative monthly roof run-off including a residual storage of 5 m3 and cumulative water use. Estimation of storage )

The capacity of tank can be estimated by identifying the greatest difference between cumulative water use and cumulative monthly roof runoff. In this case, the greatest water requirement of about 20m3 occurs in the month of March. Hence, all this water will have to be stored to cover the shortfall during the dry period.

Quality of water
It is extremely important to maintain the rainwater harvesting systems regularly for high quality performance. Following aspects should be taken care of: 1. Just before the arrival of monsoon, the rooftop/catchmet area has to be cleaned properly. 2. The roof outlet on the terrace should be covered with a mesh to prevent entry of leafs or other solid waste into the system. 3. The filter materials have to be either replaced or washed properly before the monsoon. 4. The diversion valve has to be opened for the first 5 to 10 minutes of rain to dispose off the polluted first flush. 5. All polluted water should be taken away from the recharge structures. 6. The depth of bores (of recharge structures) shall be finalised depending on the actual site condition

First Flush:
The first rain drains the dust, bird droppings, leaves, etc. which are found on the roof surface. To prevent these pollutants from entering the storage tank, the first rainwater containing the debris should be diverted or flushed. Automatic devices that prevent the first 20-25 litres of runoff from being collected in the storage tank are recommended. Screens to retain larger debris such as leaves can be installed in the down-pipe or at the tank inlet. The same applies to the collection of rain runoff from a hard ground surface. In this case, simple gravel-sand filters can be installed at the entrance of the storage tank to filter the first rain.

Maintenance
Timely maintenance of RWH systems is necessary to ensure proper functioning of the setup and good quality of water. Following maintenance activities should be regularly carried out: Roof: 1. Wash off roof with water when dust/dirt accumulates diverting runoff way from tank inlet. 2. Fix damage to roof (broken tiles, cracked water-proofing etc.) 3. Paint if rust is present using lead-free paint

Gutter and downpipes: 1. Clean and wash out bird droppings, leaves etc., with water 2. Check and repair gutters and downtake pipes 3. Repair leaks at elbows

Tank: 1. Clean periodically and check for leaks. 2. Ensure lid is sturdy and secure 3. Ensure there are no gaps where insects can enter or exit

Cost and Economic Efficiency

Rainwater harvesting methods are site specific and hence it is difficult to give a generalised cost. But first of all, the major components of a rainwater harvesting system - rain and catchment area - are available free of cost. Typically, installing a water harvesting system in a building would cost between Rs 2,000 to 30,000 for buildings of about 300 sq. m. The associated costs of a rainwater harvesting system are for installation, operation and maintenance. Of the costs for installation, the storage tank represents the largest investment which can vary between 30 and 45% of the total cost of the system dependent on system size. A pump, a pressure controller and fittings in addition to plumbers labor represent other major costs of the investment.

Valid data on the economic efficiency of rainwater harvesting systems is not possible. Dependent on the regional conditions (water and wastewater prices, available subsidies), the amortization period may vary between 10 and 20 years. However, it should be taken into consideration that for the major investment (storage and pipe work) a period of use of several decades is expected.

References
Quality of stored water rainwaterharvesting.org Water use statistics - unwater.org Rainwater Harvesting System Design- lowenergyhouse.com Rainwater harvesting for domestic use - Janette Worm, Tim van Hattum Design for Water: Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater Catchment, and Alternate Water Reuse - Heather Kinkade-Levario