ASSIGNMENT

BUILDING SERVICES-III
AR 407

SUBMITTED BY:
MOHD ABUZAR QURESHI
B. ARCH 4TH YR (DAY)
+91-9560133504
abuzarqureshi111@gmail.com
What is rain water harvesting? Write in brief about the various benefits of rain
water harvesting. Also write in brief about the various types of rain water
harvesting.

Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the process of collection of rainwater from
surfaces on which rain falls, filtering it and storing it for multiple uses.
Rainwater harvesting puts the supply of water back to normal levels. It is
the collection and storage of water from surfaces that rain has fallen upon.

Rainwater harvesting is an innovative technique utilized to harvest

rainwater from roofs and other above surfaces to be stored for later use.
Rain harvested water can be used for garden and crop irrigation, watering
livestock, laundry, and flushing toilets. However, you cannot use harvested
rainwater for showering, bathroom sink or kitchen use because it’s not really fit for consumption.

In a normal scenario the rainwater is collected from roof

buildings and then stored inside of a special tank.
Rainwater harvesting systems are designed after
assessing site conditions that include rainfall pattern,
incident rainfall, subsurface strata and their storage
characteristics. Rainwater harvesting is popular all across
the world, although in countries that are very dry, such as
Australia, it is even more popular.

 Catchment – Used to collect and store the

captured Rainwater.
 Conveyance system – It is used to transport the
harvested water from the catchment to the
recharge zone.
 Flush – It is used to flush out the first spell of rain.
 Filter – Used for filtering the collected Rainwater and remove pollutants.
 Tanks and the recharge structures – Used to store the filtered water which is ready to use.

BENEFITS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING

THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

 Rainwater harvesting can reduce stormwater runoff from a property.

 By reducing stormwater runoff, rainwater harvesting can reduce a storm’s peak flow volume
and velocity in local creeks, streams, and rivers, thereby reducing the potential for
streambank erosion.
 It is an excellent source of water for plants and landscape irrigation since it has no chemicals
such as fluoride and chloramines (chlorine).
THE WATER CONSERVATION BENEFITS

 The rainwater that falls on your roof and property is essentially free. All it takes is a method
to harvest it into a tank or cistern for later use.
 Rainwater harvesting helps utilities reduce peak demands during summer months, saving
treated water for more important and appropriate water uses.
 While rainwater can be a perfect primary water source for many uses and situations, it is also
a great backup water supply for emergency situations.
 Rainwater, when collected, can be used for several non-drinking functions including flushing
toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden, washing cars, etc.

THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS

 Collecting and using rainwater to replace municipal water use reduces your water bill.
 the practice of rainwater harvesting can reduce water demand and thus allow municipalities
to provide potable water service at a lower cost.
 Rainwater stored onsite in a rainwater harvesting system can be available for wildfires and
help protect the house and property. Insurance companies can offer discounts for storing
water onsite for fire protection.

THE ANCILLARY BENEFITS

 Rainwater can be used for irrigation use, indoor non-potable water use, and/or potable water
supply.
 If used as a potable water source, the zero hardness of rainwater provides many advantages.
 Rainwater from a potable rainwater harvesting system that has been properly filtered and
disinfected is some of the best tasting water available. It doesn’t have the many chemicals
that municipally treated water has such as fluoride or chloramines (chlorine).

Types of Rain Water Harvesting

Broadly there are two ways harvesting rainwater.
 Surface Runoff Harvesting.
 Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting.

Surface Runoff Harvesting

Surface runoff rainwater harvesting is a method of collecting rainwater flowing along the
ground during the rains that will be collected to a tank below the surface of the ground for irrigation
and other purposes. In the urban area, rainwater flows away as surface runoff. This runoff could be
caught and used for recharging aquifers by adopting appropriate methods.
During the storage of rainwater, it is important to incorporate efficient and effective water
conservation methods i.e. by reducing evaporation. It is very easy to adopt technology and very
profitable if used accordingly. The main objective of the surface runoff rainwater harvesting method
is to meet the ever-increasing demand of water, to reduce water pollution, soil erosion , and flooding
of roads.
Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting
Rooftop rainwater harvesting is a method of collecting rainwater where it falls and in which
rainwater is captured from the roof catchments of domestic houses or commercial buildings and
stored in the tanks. Harvested rainwater can either be stored in a tank or diverted to an artificial
recharge system to meet the household/commercial needs through storage in tanks. This method is
simple, eco-friendly, less expensive, and truly effective. Roof-top rainwater harvesting method
(RRH) involves diverting and recharging (or) storing rainwater that falls on the roof of a
house/building. The main objective of rooftop rainwater harvesting is to make water available for
future use, to improve the quality of groundwater, etc.