Dr. I Satyanarayana Raju, MTech, PhD, FIE.

,
Former CE & Member, Technical Advisory Council,WRD-AP
Millennium Development Goal 7: Ensure Environmental
Sustainability
C:
● More than 1100 million people the world over do not have
access to safe drinking water
● In India, only 42% have access to piped drinking water
● India is not likely to provide piped drinking water to all its
citizens by 2015 partly in view of acute scarcity of water
● Lowering ground water levels and worsening surface water
and ground water quality is a cause for concern
● Quantity of fresh water constitutes only 2.3% of total available
water and there are competing demands
● Out of this, available fresh water is only 0.97%
● India is already a water stressed country - per capita
availability of 1000 cum/yr as against the required 1700 cum/yr
for healthy living.
HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
A NOBLE GOAL A COMMON
RESPONSIBILITY
● Rainwater harvesting is the
accumulating and storing of
rainwater for reuse before it
reaches the aquifer.

● The principle of collecting

and using precipitation from
a catchments surface.
 WHAT IS RAIN WATER HARVESTING?

● The principle of collecting and using precipitation of water

from a catchment’s surface.
● An old technology is gaining popularity in a new way. Rain
water harvesting 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.
 Definition of Rain Water Harvesting:
● Rain water harvesting is one of the most effective
methods of water management and water
conservation.
● It is the term used to indicate the collection and
storage of rain water used for human, animals and
plant needs.
● It involves collection and storage of rain water at
surface or in sub-surface aquifer, before it is lost
as surface run off.
● The augmented resource can be harvested in the
time of need.
● Surface water is inadequate to meet our demand and we
have to depend on ground water.
● To arrest ground water decline and augment ground water
table
● To beneficiate water quality in aquifers
● To conserve surface water runoff during monsoon
● To reduce soil erosion.
● Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rain water into
the sub-soil has decreased drastically and recharging of
ground water has diminished.
● To inculcate a culture of water conservation
● Conservation of every drop of water and preservation of its quality
assumes great significance

● The drop you save will quench the thirst of an unknown human being or
another living being.

● It is all the more essential to conserve every drop of water through wise
water management viz.,

●Rain Water Harvesting

●Ground Water Recharging and
●Grey Water Recycling

- to achieve water security,

- environmental sustainability ,and
-provision of safe and adequate drinking water to millions, for their
health and India’s GNP.
 ATTRIBUTES OF GROUND WATER
● There is more ground water than surface water.
● Ground water is less expensive and economic
resource.
● Ground water is sustainable and reliable source
of water supply.
● Ground water is relatively less vulnerable to
pollution.
● Ground water is usually of high bacteriological
purity & free of pathogenic organisms
● Ground water needs little treatment before use.
● Ground water has no turbidity and colour.
 ATTRIBUTES OF GROUND WATER...
● Ground water has distinct health advantage as
an alternative for lower sanitary quality surface
water.
● Ground water is usually universally available.
● Ground water resource can be instantly
developed and used.
● There is no conveyance losses in ground water
based supplies.
● Ground water has low vulnerability to drought.
● Ground water is key to life in arid and semi-arid
regions.
● Ground water is source of dry weather flow in
rivers and streams.
● Total annual rainfall in India: 400 million
hectare-meters (area x height)
● India’s area: 239 million hectares
● If evenly spread, average height: 1.28 M
● Actual distribution:
● Highly skewed area-wise
● Thar desert receives less than 200mm annually,
while Cherrapunji receives 11,400mm
● But almost every part of India receives at least
100mm annually
● Key: Even 100mm annual rainfall sufficient if
harvested properly and where it falls
ANCIENT RWH STRUCTURES

14
● BAWODI:
● Traditional step wells are
called vavadi in Gujarat, or
baoris or bavadis in Rajasthan
and northern India.

● They were secular structures

from which everyone could
draw water.

● Most of them are defunct

today.
A johad is a
crescent-shaped bund
which is built across a
sloping catchment to
capture the surface
water before it runs off.

Water accumulating in
the johad percolates in
the soil to augment the
groundwater. The
groundwater then can
be used when there is
no rainfall.
● Covered underground tank, developed
primarily for tackling drinking water
problems.

● Usually constructed with local

materials or cement, kunds were more
prevalent in regions where
groundwater is saline.

● Before the onset of rains every year,

meticulous care was taken to clean up
the catchment of the kunds.

● Cattle grazing and entry with shoes

into the catchment area of the kunds
was strictly prohibited.

● The proximity of a kund to the house

or village saved time and effort in
searching for drinking water.
● Broadly there are two ways of
harvesting rainwater:-

(i) Surface runoff

harvesting.

(ii) Roof top rainwater

harvesting
● Roof top rainwater harvesting.

● Surface runoff harvesting .

● CATCHMENT

● COUNDITS

● FILTERS

● STORAGE FACILITY
● Storage of direct use

● Recharging ground water aquifer

- Recharging dug wells
- Recharging pits
- Recharging tube well
● Harvesting of surface runoff and
storage of the same into
reservoirs such as water pans
makes it available for use when
required.

● In this method of collecting

rainwater for irrigation, water
flowing along the ground during
the rains will be collected to a
tank below the surface of the
ground..
● Domestic Use

● Agricultural Use

● Increase groundwater supplies

● Impacts on downstream flows.
● Reduce soil erosion.
● Increase the crop production.
● Increase infiltration and groundwater recharge.
● Improve food & economic security.
● It uses local construction materials and labor.
● Sources of energy are not needed to operate the
systems.
● The owner/user can easily maintain the systems.
● The water is convenient and accessible; valuable time
and effort are saved in collecting and/or hauling
water.
● It provides a supply of water to meet future
agricultural needs.
A COMMON RESPONSIBILITY
27
 VILLAGE PONDS

28
 COMMUNITY POND

29
30
ROOF TOP HARVESTING AND DIRECT USAGE

31
32
33
● Storage of Direct use.

● Recharging ground water aquifers

35
RWH IN HOUSES

36
 RWH STRUCTURES

37
RWH IN URBAN AREAS
Diagram of Rain Water Harvest Pit

39
● Roof or terraces used for harvesting should be clean, free from dust, algae
plants etc.
● Roof should not be painted since most paints contain toxic substances and
may peel off.
● Do not store chemicals, rusting iron, manure or detergent on the roof.
● Nesting of birds on the roof should be prevented.
● Terraces should not be used for toilets either by human beings or by pets.
● Provide gratings at mouth of each drainpipe on terraces to trap leaves
debris and floating materials.
● Provision of first rain separator should be made to flush off first rains.
● Do not use polluted water to recharge ground water.
● Ground water should only be recharged by rainwater.
● Before recharging, suitable arrangements of filtering should be provided.
● Filter media should be cleaned before every monsoon season.
● During rainy season, the whole system (roof catchment, pipes, screens, first
flush, filters, tanks) should be checked before and after each rain and
preferably cleaned after every dry period exceeding a month.
● At the end of the dry season and just before the first shower of rain is
anticipated, the storage tank should be scrubbed and flushed off all
sediments and debris.
41
➢ Storage of rain water 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 strand 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.
● Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting through Recharge Trench: Recharge trenches are suitable
for buildings having roof area of 200-300 sq m and where permeable strata are available at shallow
depths.
● Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting through Existing Tubewells : In areas where the shallow
aquifers have dried up and existing tubewells are tapping deeper aquifer, roof top rain water
harvesting through existing tubewell can be adopted to recharge the deeper aquifers.
● Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting through Trench with Recharge Well: In areas where the
surface soil is impervious and large quantities of roof water or surface runoff is available within a
very short period of heavy rainfall, the use of trench/pits is made to store the water in a filter
media and subsequently recharge to ground water through specially constructed recharge wells.
● 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
 ● Methods of Water harvesting:
● It is simple to collect rainwater from building roofs and numerous other sources. As
long as you are ready and equipped with a couple of different items you have all
that it takes to begin rainwater harvesting and enjoying naturally delicious, clean
and useful water. Rainwater harvesting systems can be purchased complete from
various home improvement stores. The cost of these systems will vary.

● Rainwater barrels: Barrel installation is the cheapest and easiest way to start
harvesting rainwater in your home. A barrel is simply installed underneath the
downspout of the guttering so that rain falling on the roof is funneled into the
barrel. Usually, the container will consist of a spigot under it to enable you draw
water and irrigate your garden.
Better Barrels are advantageous because they can effortlessly be sourced whether
recycled or new. If you opt for the recycled barrel, make a point to know exactly
what the barrel was used for in order to be sure that no chemical residues remain
inside. If you reside in a mosquito infested area, make sure to include a lid for your
barrel to mitigate the possibility of mosquitoes breeding in your barrel.
When winter month knocks, it is advisable to disconnect your barrel to prevent
freezing and cracking. The major disadvantage to rain water barrels is that they
have limited capacity; meaning prolonged rains would result in flooding. The
barrels are easy to use and readily available for purchase at many locations, all at
reasonable prices still; a hose can be connected to the spigot or to a drip irrigation
system.
● Dry system-
This is a well-known method of rainwater harvesting. It’s basically an
improvement to the rain water barrel technique in terms of size. A larger
water storage container is situated just a few steps from the property. This
container provides a much larger storage capacity compared to the barrel. The
gutter is then diverted to channel water into the tank. It’s also easy to
implement and relatively cheap. The name “dry” comes from the fact that the
collection pipe dries up after any rainy day because it’s meant to empty into
the top of tank. The dry system is ideal for areas with huge storms.

● Wet system -
The wet system is the exact opposite of the dry system. This is because the
collection pipes are ever full of water since they are located underground.
Here, numerous collection pipes are connected to multiple downspouts on the
building and channeled to empty into the storage tank underground. When
there is no rain, the level stays constant, and the pipes are always full. Due to
the ever availability of water inside the pipes, it is recommended that they be
watertight to mitigate the possibility of leaking into the soil. The underground
piping makes it relatively expensive to install compared to the dry and wet
systems
● Green roof -
This method of rainwater harvesting literally cuts out the middleman.
Instead of directing rainwater for storage in the tank and then channel it to
the garden; you could install a green roof on your house to enable plants use
the water instantly. But you have to lay down a lining for your roof’s
protection and include a drainage system to take care of the runoffs.
Installing garden beds with plants that require low maintenance is the
surefire way of maximizing your plot’s productive space and leveraging the
rainwater where it falls. Also, installing a green roof will add insulation to
your house and cushion your roof from damage.

If you prefer you can create your own barrels for rainwater harvesting, Just
a few components like Catchment area, conveyance system, first rain
separator, filter unit, storage, delivery system, usage, recharge and supplies
are needed to create your own barrel.

You will need to follow the instructions included with your rainwater
harvesting kit to set things up and begin collection of the rainwater. For a DIY
job, there are many resources available to you on the internet at no charge.
You can definitely take advantage of the information whenever you need to
and create your own rainwater harvesting system.
 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
● Road top collection of rainwater
● Induced recharge from surface water bodies.
URBAN RWH – CHENNAI CITY

49
RWH IN URBAN AREAS
 For a building with a flat terrace area of 100 sq.m.,

➢ Average annual rainfall = 1,200 mm = 1.2 m.

➢ Total volume of water which falls on this area during a year

= 100 sq.m. x 1.20 m
= 120 m3 = 120 x 1000
= 120,000 litres.

➢ Assuming that 60% of this water can be harvested

effectively, the volume harvested in a year
= 60/100 x 120,000 litres
= 72,000 litres
or 72,000 litres /365 = 197 litres /day per house
● 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.
● Improvement in infiltration and
reduction in run-off.

● Improvement in groundwater
levels and yields.

● Reduces strain on / Municipal /

Municipal Corporation water
supply

● Improvement in groundwater
quality
WATER BUDGETING
 ARTIFICIAL 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.
HARVESTING RAIN WATER,
HARNESSING LIFE !

A NOBLE GOAL

A COMMON RESPONSIBILITY
● In view of the acute scarcity of water, the above
organizations have made RWH mandatory in their
municipal and metro water board bylaws

● To encourage RWH, they have offered incentives to

the citizens

● They are also offering technical advice for RWH and

implementation support
● HMWSSB’s tentative calculations suggest that, if 100 mm (4”)
water during monsoon gets absorbed into ground, the rise in
ground water is likely to be ~40 mm on the entire area of Hyd.,
equivalent to ~25 MCUM or 25000 ML.

● During the 100 rainy days, about 250 ML water is available to

citizens outside HMWSSB system, i.e., 250 / 1500 = 16% of
HMWSSB supply.

● To this extent, surface water drawal from Krishna system will be

reduced saving 250000 x 24 = Rs.6 cr./day or 600 cr. in 100 days.

● The water saved can be utilized to supply to peripheral unserved

areas, or for irrigation raising food production.

● This saving is in addition to the improved GWT by 40 mm.

● By harvesting rain water from open spaces, flooding of low lying
areas can be reduced or avoided
● The design of RWH will depend upon your specific
needs of a Householder-
● Is it for your drinking water / kitchen use?
● Is it for your Household garden use?
● Is it for recharging of your open well/bore well?
● Is it for multiple uses combining the above?
● Is it for community purpose (institutional user)?
● Collection – through a PVC down pipe
● On line filtration (case specific)
– thro’ a PVC drum filter
● Storage (case specific)
● underground tank and overhead tank (sintex)
● Harvesting structure (case specific)
● using local material
● Usage
● Household use / community /institutional use
● Depending on topography, select a place where rain water
runoff is collected
● Assess the storm water runoff considering the area of open
space and characteristics of land – open / paved / with tree
cover etc.
● Construct a RWH structure at the lowest place duly
designed and using local materials as far as possible
● The water coming out of the RWH structure can be
connected to an open well or a bore well to recharge the
same
● It can also be collected in a underground tank, duly filtered,
pumped to an overhead tank for use as drinking water for a
municipal school/ institution after chlorination
● Collect rain water from roof top through 100/125 mm
(4”) dia PVC pipes (Rs.400/m). Provide a screen at the
entry of water into the PVC down pipe.

● The roof top rain water an be filtered on line through a

drum filter (PVC) and collected into an underground
tank.

● This water can be pumped to overhead tank and used

for drinking and other uses after chlorination.

● Excess water from the underground tank can be let

into an open well for use, or into a bore well for
recharging ground water through a RWH pit
● The rain fall in AP ranges between about 700 mm to 1200
mm per annum across the districts
● Assuming an average of 800 mm/annum, over a roof area
of 100 sq. m., the rainfall will be around 80,000 litres
/annum
● Assuming that 70% can be harvested, about 55,000
litres/annum can be harvested
● For a 100 sq. m. roof area, a RWH pit of 6 cum volume is
usually necessary. But to limit the cost, lesser dimensions
seem to have been taken for type designs by HMWSSB.
HMWSSB
 Rain Water Harvesting Structure Type Design No.1(Size : 1.5m x 1.5m x 2.0m) for Ground Water Recharge

Cost details for construction of Rain Water Harvesting Structure

4.5 cu.m Excavation in Hard Gravelly and all available soils Rs. 418-50 cum Rs. 118.00

2.25 cu.m 65 mm metal Rs. 284-40 cum Rs. 640.00

1.25 cu.m 20 mm metal Rs. 626-40 cum Rs. 783.00

0.67
cu.m Coarse sand Rs. 332-00 cum Rs. 224.00
5

0.24 cu.m CRS masonry in 1:6 prop. Rs. 1375-25 cum Rs. 330.00

3x2
Labour charges for filling and spreading metal and sand and excavation of
Rs. 87.00 Rs. 522.00
trench for PVC RW pipe (2 MM and 1WM for two days)

4.5 cu.m Carting of excavated earth fpr a lead of 8 km. Rs. 88-00 cum Rs. 396.00

L.S. LS for incidental charges and other expenditure. LS Rs. 400.00

3,413.00

Add sales tax @4% and rounding(GST @ 18%) Rs. 87.00

NOTE:1. Cost of rain water pipe from roof and fixing will be extra. 2. The unit rates to
be adopted for the current year based on market rates for the local materials used. Total Rs. 3,500.00
HMWSSB
 Rain Water Harvesting Structure Type Design No.2 & 3
(Size : 1.0m x 1.0m x 1.5m) for Ground Water Recharge

Type Design No.2 is proposed for Medium sized households and Type Design No.3 around bore well
Cost details for construction of Rain Water Harvesting Structure

1.5 cu.m Excavation in Hard Gravelly and all available soils Rs. 418-50 cum Rs. 63.00

0.75 cu.m 65 mm metal Rs. 284-40 cum Rs. 213.00

0.37
cu.m 20 mm metal Rs. 626-40 cum Rs. 235.00
5

0.22
cu.m Coarse sand Rs. 332-00 cum Rs. 75.00
5

0.16 cu.m CRS masonry in 1:6 prop. Rs. 1375-25 cum Rs. 220.00

2x2
Labour charges for filling and spreading metal and sand and excavation of
Rs. 87.00 Rs. 348.00
trench for PVC RW pipe (1 MM and 1WM for two days)

1.5 cu.m Carting of excavated earth fpr a lead of 8 km. Rs. 88-00 cum Rs. 132.00

L.S. LS for incidential charges and other expenditure. LS Rs. 300.00

HMWSSB 1,586.00

Add sales tax @4% and rounding (now 18% GST) Rs. 64.00

NOTE: 1. COST OF RAIN WATER PIPE FROM ROOF AND FIXING WILL BE EXTRA.
2. The unit rates to be updated for the current year based on market rates for local materials used. Total Rs. 1,650.00
HMWSSB
 UTILISATION OF RAIN WATER AND RECHARGING OF GROUND WATER THROUGH BORE WELL
IN CASE OF MULTISTORIED COMPLEXES

The residents of Multistoried Complexes can safely utilize Rain Water for their Domestic requirements by way
of filtering it and collecting into their sump and also can recharge their bore wells.

Quantity of rain water that can be collected from roof top from 2 cm rain fall per day for domestic usage.

Quantity in Size of the Rate of Time takes

Roof top area in Liters Filter unit
cum. unit filtration for discharge
sqm.
- Small Type Design 0.5m dia, 1.2m
1 cum 1,000 20 lpm. 50 min.
Households No.1 ht.
- 100 Sqm. 2 cum 2,000
Type Design 1.0m dia, 1.2m
- 150 Sqm 3 cum 3,000 80 lpm. 25 to 50 min.
No.2 ht.
- 200 Sqm 4 cum 4,000
- 500 Sqm 10 cum 10,000 Type Design 1.2m dia, 1.2m
113 lpm. 90 to 180 min.
- 1000 Sqm 20 cum 20,000 No.3 ht.

HMWSSB
 Construction of Filtration unit - As per diagram annexed cost for construction of filtration unit.

Type 1 (in
Type 2 (in Rs.) Type 3 (in Rs.)
Description Rs.)

- Laying CC bed in 1:2:4 prop. For the size

300 600 700
shown in the diagram.
- RCC rings 4 Nos. as per diagram 400 600 750
- Crushed 40mm metal (30cm thick)
- Crushed 20mm metal (15cm thick)
- Grit (Batana) 15cm thick 400 800 1,000

- Coarse sand (size 0.72mm to 1.0mm)

45cm thick.
- PVC 3" dia perforated pipe of hole size
0.6mm, 10cm c/c to be placed inside
100 200 250
the unit for collection of water and 1" dia
and 1' pipe for backwash pumping.
- 3" dia PVC rain water carrying pipe upto
filteration unit and to sump and as well as
connecting to borewell casing pipe as per
1,000 1,000 1,000
site condition including labour charges and
fixing charges etc., (Approximately for One
floor).
- Other incidental charges and
300 300 300
transportation etc.
Grand Total Rs. 2,500 3,500 4,000

NOTE: 1. Cost of rain water pipe from roof and fixing will be extra.
2. The unit rates to be updated for the current year based on market rates for local materials used.
HMWSSB
Simple system—roof catchment, gutters,
and bermed landscape holding area.
● The underground tank (case specific) with cover slab may be of
5000 lit. (Rs.5/lit.) capacity, using 2nd class brickwork in CM 1:5
plastered in CM 1:4 with concrete bed in CC 1:2:4.

● The overhead tank can be of sintex / other polypropylene tank of

min. 1000 lit. (Rs.6/litre) capacity with overflow pipe
arrangements.

● It may be utilized for drinking / kitchen purpose after

chlorination to achieve a chlorine residual of 0.3 ppm.

● Where harvested water is used only for gardening or for ground

water recharging, no online filtration or chlorination is necessary
● Dig a pit 1m long and 1m wide, 1.5 deep for a 100 sq. m roof area
for a permeable soil like coarse gravel or sand
● Fill it up for 50% depth with 40–65 mm metal, 25% with 20-40
mm metal and 15% with coarse sand. Keep the top 10% depth of
pit empty.
● Use local materials - pebbles, brick bats etc. Reduce cost
● Raise with brick sidewalls by 0.20m to prevent dirt entry.
● Provide splash pad at top of pit 500x500x60 mm under the pipe
with CC 1:2:4 to prevent splashing of rain water when it enters
the pit
● For other soils like silt / silty clay, the depth may be increased
gradually up to 2m
● Keep the top 10% of pit empty and raise brick side walls for 0.15
m to channelize incoming water
● The water harvested would be adequate for about 100 days in a
year at the rate of 80 to 100 lit./capita/day
● Do not collect water for drinking from recently
painted roofs, timber roofs preserved with
chemicals, roofs coated with lead-based paints or
tar-based coatings.
● Regularly clean your roof and gutter to remove
leaves, animal or bird remains, dust and other
debris. Install simple screens between your roof
and the water tank.
● The first rainfall after a dry period collects
contaminants on your roof. Installing diversion
system prevents this water from entering your
water tank.
● The design of RWHS would be case specific depending on
the specific functional needs of the consumer
● RWH structures may not be functional in clayey soils
● In that case, the roof top rain water may be passed thro’
online filters & collected in underground tank, pumped to
overhead tank and utilized for drinking/ kitchen purpose
after chlorinating. No Ground Water recharge
● Seal your water tank so that insects, small animals, birds
and sunlight can not enter (also helps to minimize the
growth of algae)
● Ensure that your domestic drinking water plumbing is
completely separate from all other pipe systems on your
property and that all pipe joints are properly sealed
● Any system needs proper O&M to be sustainable
● The roof need to be cleaned of rubbish and leaves etc.
● The grating also needs to be cleaned periodically to ensure
smooth inflow of rain water into the PVC pipe
● The online filter at the base of rain water down pipe needs to
be cleaned of silt deposit periodically to be functional.
● A bypass valve for overflow / heavy rain is needed to enable
excess water to flow into the sump directly.
● The pump set needs to be properly maintained properly to
ensure its proper functioning
● The RWH pit needs to be cleaned of the top layer of sand
periodically to ensure proper clean up and infiltration
● Regularly maintain your water tank and clean out
accumulated sludge from the floor.
● The total cost of the RWH structure is likely to be about
0.5% of the cost of the house
● The exact cost may be worked out on case by case basis
● It will depend on the specific functional needs, ground
conditions and existing infrastructure
● Cost of sump, rain water down pipe may be already covered
in the cost of original building
● Hence the extra cost may be for PVC drum filter, RWH pit,
valve/s for silt trapping / bypass, extra piping to connect to
RWH pit / open well or bore well etc.
● Construct a RWH structure in your courtyard
● Periodically maintain it properly without choking.
● Utilize it to conserve water, for safe drinking water,
recharging the ground and the bore wells
● Encourage your friends and relatives also to construct
RWH
● Use mug in place of running tap; bucket, mug and
cloth (for cleaning car and house) in place of hose pipe
fed by motor
● Arrest leaks completely in each of your household taps
WE ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO
SAVE OUR EARTH PLANET !

HOW CAN WE CONTRIBUTE?

MILLION STEPS FOR WATER
 What really the COMMUNITY can contribute ?

● Self awareness about water

resources and its conservation
& management
● Afforestation activities
● Rain Water Harvesting
● Environmental information &
education
● Prevention & control of water
pollution
● Recycle of waste water
 A small body of determined
spirits fired by an unquenchable
faith in their mission can alter the
course of history

Mahatma Gandhi
Let us all join together and solve our water
problem in the coming years in order to make
the development of our India sustainable !
 Conclusions:
● Rainwater harvesting is something that thousands of families across
the world participate in, and you could be the next to enjoy the
multitude of benefits offered with rainwater harvesting. It is an easy,
simple and worthwhile process, so it is only in your best interest to
take a look at rainwater harvesting and its benefits to your home.
You may discover many surprises and things that you did not know
along the way.
● In rain water harvesting systems, the Demand to Supply ratio (D/S)
-identifying the ideal building design (supply) and functions
(demand) in regard to the environmental performance of rain water
harvesting is by way of toilet flushing. As a result, the supply of rain
water not only saves the potable water but also saves the storm
water entering the combined sewer net work( there by requiring
treatment), the savings in environmental emissions were higher if
the buildings are connected to combined sewer network compared
separate ones.
WATER IS LIFE ! LET US CONSERVE IT !

THANK YOU, Dr.I S N Raju,M Tech,PhD,FIE