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    Rain Harvesting Guidebook

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    RAINWATER HARVESTING GUIDEBOOK PLANNING AND DESIGN PREFACE ” Rainwater technology presents a new business field for manufacturers, suppliers, designers, planners and other users. The Government of Malaysia has instilled this program as one of focal activity and policy for the nation to achieve better quality of life and at the same time brings the nation forward towards sustainable development. In supporting this national vision, and to provide reference for the various practitioners in this field, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has taken this vital step to publish this guidebook. It is hope that this guidebook will help our noble intention of achieving three percent of national water supply by stormwater utilization and reuse technique for all major towns by 2020. ‘This guidebook highlights the principles and technologies that can be used to harness the hhuge untapped potential of sainwater for professionals. The content herewith is of an inestimable value to the architects, civil engineers, developers and other users to explore this new field in Malaysia. DID hopes the vatious case studies, design examples and posters provided with this guidebook shall be of invaluable guideline for practitioners and serves as a standard reference for rainwater harvesting system in Malaysia. DID would like to express our appreciation for the support provided by Perunding Azman, Ooi and Rao Sdn Bhd, Hashim Design, others Government Agencies and NGOs in materializing this guidebook. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 Introduction. General Principles... f Environmental Advantages... Qualitative Advantages CHAPTER 2 Rainwater Harvesting System ‘Water and Environmental Management Quantity Control Consideration. Quality Control Consideration CHAPTER 3 Rainwater Harvesting System for Landscape. General Principles... 7 Rainwater Harvesting System Components. Simple Rainwater Harvesting System. Complex Rainwater Harvesting System Roof Garden..... Typical Rooftop Garden. Roof Garden Soil Profile. System Maintenance... CHAPTER Rainwater Harvesting System for Building General Principles : Rooftop Catchment Collection System Conveyance System. Storage Tanks....... CHAPTER 5 Plumbing for Rainwater Harvesting System Plumbing Guideline, : Plumbing Water Closet Cisterns. CHAPTER 6 Pump and Filter for Rainwater Harvesting System General Principles ioseseseire i : Reciprocating Pumps... Centrifugal Pumps....... Venical Submersible Pumps. Fully Submersible Pump: Jet Pumps... . Rainwater Pump... Rainwater Filtets. Bovwaaa CHAPTER Design Case Study. Rainwater Tank, Pipe Sizing for Rainwater Installation. Effective Length of Pipe. Pipe Sizing Example... REFERENCE, APPENDIX Design Criteria - Minimum Standard Thu Pejabat JPS Kuala Lumpur ii 35 35 35 37 39 a CHAPTER 1 “Introduction Background Urban Stormwater Management Manual of Malaysia, 2000 (MSMA - Chapter 23) has mentioned the provision for rainwater harvesting system integration with on site detention tank. This Guidebook covers the design of rainwater harvesting system for non — potable water supply for Malaysian applications. General Principles Rainwater Harvesting is the technique of capturing the rainfall with particular emphasis on residential and commercial applications. ‘The planning and development of rainwater harvesting system should be executed by following the principles and guidelines recommended by the authority and professionals. This is to ensure that the system complies with the safety, water quality and construction standard. ‘The rainwater harvesting system is a supplementary source of water supply for household, commercial, landscape, livestock, and agriculture. ‘The product of the rainwater harvesting system may be used either as a drinking water or for non-drinking purposes. However, the used of rainwater harvesting system for source of drinking water and other direct human purposes require a long-term commitment in term of operation and maintenance. ‘This is to ensure that the system is continuously operating in safe condition. ‘The non-drinking purpose of rainwater harvesting system may include landscape irrigation and for toilet flushing. ‘The system should be designed and developed with innovative approaches for effective and affordability. The complexity of the rainwater harvesting system is closely related to the function and needs of the owner. Rainwater harvesting system provides a source of soft, high quality water and the system can range in size from a simple water tank to a complicated designed and built system, ‘The rainwater harvesting system is inherently simple in design and easy to maintain, This system should be planned and design to be assembled with readily available materials by the owner or builder with a basic understanding of plumbing and construction skills. Environmental Advantages “The interest on rainwater harvesting system has gained considerable attention in many countries throughout the world. ‘This is attributed to the escalating environmental and economic costs of providing centralized water systems, In developed countries, the majority of the populations receive water via main network and disposal of wastewater via pipe sewerage system. These systems require tremendous amount of investment by both public and private sectors. They have been linked to increase water demand, resources not located in areas of high demand and increase surface water runoff volumes and discharge rates due to urbanization, ‘The sustainable strategy which is based on the decentralised technologies such as the use of green roofs and stormwater facilities such as fon site detentions may result in partial retention and reduction in peak How discharge of the drainage system; yet at a macto scale conserves energy. ‘The system which collects rainwater from roofs can be used for non-portable applications potentially reducing the utilization of portable water. The application ‘of rainwater utilization for flushing and garden watering will include the benefits of conservation of water resources, relief of demand on public water supplies and potential attenuation of peak runoff into the stormwater drainage system. Rainwater harvesting may reduce the land erosion and flooding caused by runoff from impervious cover such as pavement and roofs. "This can be attributed to the some proportion of rainfall being captured and stored. "The normal behavior of stormwater runoff which picks up contaminants and degrades the waterways and receiving waterbody is bypassed by capturing the rainfall at source for productive uses. This is an effective measure to reduce the degradation of water quality in waterway and receiving waterbody. Qualitative Advantages The rainwater captured at source is considered as one of the purest water sources available, Rainwater quality always exceeds the surface water and comparable to that of ground water. ‘The harvested rainwater does not come in contact with soil and rocks where it can dissolve salts and mineral which is harmful for portable and non-portable uses and at the same time not exposed to various pollutants that often transported with surface water into the river. ‘The rainwater quality can be influenced by geographic location and economic activity in the area, The city dominated by heavy industry of localized industrial emissions may affect rainwater purity. Rainwater falling in rural and non industrialised area can be supetior to that in area dominated by heavy industrial and agricultural activities. It is essential that the rainwater harvesting system is planned, designed and constructed conforming to this guideline to ensure the discharged of the polluted first flush is taken care of. Rainwater is soft water compared to typical municipal tap water and not utilizing it as a supplementary water supply is a total waste of natural resources. CHAPTER 2 Rainwater Harvesting System Water and Environmental Management ‘The country is subjected to continuous growth of population, expansion in urbanization, industtialization and irrigated agticulture. This phenomenon is imposing growing demand and pressure on water resources while contributing to water pollution, ‘A new development of water resources such as new water supply scheme results in rising costs and significant impact to the cavitonment. The potential problems include deforestation, rise in sea level, decreasing crop yields, water conflicts, increase severity/frequency of tropical storms and declining fish population. ‘An integrated approach is essential to pursue a more effective water management. A multifunctional approach that can be adapted widening the scope of water quantity and quality controls in urban drainage system and integrating it with the rainwater harvesting system for non-consumptive uses. ‘The increase demand for clean water supply is on the rise in parallel with the economic growth of the country. The practicable limit of surface water resources development has alteady been reached in region of high demand. Current approaches towards water management in cities are supply driven, where a new resource will be developed to ‘manage a water shortage. As there will be an ever increasing demand, there is a possibility that the major cities will face a water crisis situation. Hence, water demand management that focuses on conservation measures utilizing demand driven approaches will make better use of our limited potential water supply. Water demand management that secks to maximize the usage of water also conserves water and thus limits the needs for ‘new water supply schemes. ‘An approach of rainwater _ harvesting collected from the roof of a building provides the practical and effective utilization of rainwater. This is appropriate as more than 30% of domestic water use does not require treated water quality. Quantity Control Consideration ‘The rainwater harvesting system should be integrated with on-site detention facilities to serve a minor storm event, On-site detention storage-cum-rainwater harvesting system may be provided as above-ground storages, below-ground storages, or a combination of both, ‘The main advantages of above-ground storages are, they can generally easily incorporated into the site by slight modification to the design and arc relatively inexpensive compared to below ground storages. Landscape areas such as lawns and garden beds, impervious area such as car patks, driveways, paved storage yards, and other paved surfaces offer a wide range of possibilities for providing surface storage for on-site detention-cum-tainwater harvesting storage and can enhance the aesthetic of a site The below-ground storagescan be concealed and occupy less physical space as illustrated in Figure 2.1 Roof drainage system: Figure 2.1 Typical On-Site Detention Storages Stormwater can be detained on flat roof provided that adequate protection against Icakage is provided in the structural design of the building. This type of storage has limited application in residential areas and is more suited to commercial and industrial buildings where flat roof are more common as shown in Figure 2.2. Figure 2.2 Typical Rainwater Harvesting for Multi-Storey Building, Figure 2.3 Typical Multi-Purpose Surface Tank Surface tanks are normally provided on residential, commercial or industrial lots for rainwater harvesting system. ‘These tanks collect rainwater from the rooftop of the building and store it for intended domestic use, Surface tanks may be integrated as on- site detention and rainwater harvesting as illustrated in Figure 2.3. ‘Typical below-ground storage tanks ate either circular or rectangular in plan and/or cross section (Figure 2.4) ces aa orn gate Figure 24 ‘Typical Below-Ground Storage Tank A pipe package is a below-ground rainwater storage consisting of one or more parallel rows of butied pipes connected by a common inlet and outlet chamber (Figure 2.5). ‘The size of a pipe-package is determined by the storage volume requirements and the physical availability of space on the site. ‘The pipe package shall be installed using minimum 900mm diameter pipe size to facilitate inspection and maintenance. Pipes should be laid at a minimum. longitudinal grade of 2% to avoid standing pockets of water which can occur due to lack of precision during construction. Figure 25 Typical layout of Pipe Package Storage. Designers have the option to combine either above or underground system as illustrated in Figure 2.6. Figure 2.6 Typical of Above and Below-Ground Storage Quality Control Consideration ‘The planning and design of rainwater harvesting system not only provide the water for various intended uses but it can also provide the stormwater quality control aspect in urban stormwater management ie. first flush system, thus capable of providing a clean, safe and reliable water source. First flush system remove and wash accumulated contaminants such as bacteria, molds, protozoa and heavy metals eg; lead and arsenic. For portable usage, filtration and disinfection systems are required. For non portable usage, the first flush system is sufficient, CHAPTER 3 Rainwater Harvesting System for Landseape and Green Areas General Principle ‘The rainwater harvesting is an effective water conservation tool which reduces the usage of treated water for landscape irrigation, ‘The benefit of in-situ rainwater harvesting — includes, iinimizing the amount of money spent on water; reducing off-site flooding and erosion by holding rainwater on the site. Rainwater is a clean and salt-free source of water for plants and can reduce salt accumulation in the soil which can be harmful to root growth. Some of the collected rainwater percolates into the soil, forcing away salt from the root zone. This allows for greater root growth and water uptake, which increases the drought tolerance of plants. Typical rainwater harvesting systems have three components: a collection area, a conveyance system, and a storage area. Rainwater harvesting is the collection, diversion and storage of rainwater for plant irrigation and other uses. It is appropriate for large scale landscapes such as parks, school, commercial sites, parking lots, and apartment complexes and also. small scale residential landscape. System design ranges from simple to complex. A simple system may comprise in-situ rainwater harvesting constructed from topographically low depression area to collect rainfall which can be utilized particularly for agricultural and domestic purposes. ‘Topographic depression is suitable for collection and storage areas of rainwater. The ideal storage area consists of impermeable, underlain by clay soils that posses low infiltration capacity. A complex rainwater harvesting system for landscape that utilize storage may include roof of a building, conveyance systems, storage, and distribution system, to control the flow of water. Rainwater Harvesting System Components A rainwater harvesting system essentially has three components: the supply (rainfall), the demand (andscape water requirement) and the system that moves the water to the plants. Storage is additional clement which is optional that offers the facility to use the collected rainwater at other times. Rainwater runoff which flow over a catchment area such as roof can be harvested and used immediately to water plants or can be stored for later use, ‘The amount of runoff depends primarily on the characteristic of rainfall namely the intensity and the duration. The intensity of rainfall varies spatially and generally higher altitude normally records more rainfall depth compared to lower ground. Thunderstorm with convective cells generates high intensity rainfall which occur in shorter duration compared to longer duration event and relatively low intensity associated with frontal rainfall activity ‘The impervious catchment area such as the roof, generates runoff immediately for harvesting, ‘The occurrence of surface runoff on pervious catchment area will be delayed and this is affected by several factors such as land cover, type of soil and antecedent moisture condition. In principle the runoff forms when the soil is saturated or the rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity of the soil. Antecedent moisture represents the wetness of the soil; surface runoff occurs much faster on wet soil where the antecedence moisture condition is higher. ‘The planning for a healthy landscape should be based on various factors:such as plant water requirement, plant selection and native plant species. The type of plant selected, their age and size, and plants spacing affect the water requirement to maintain a healthy landscape,, A region where water is scarce or it is desirable to minimize the water used for landscape requirement, it is best to select plants with low water requirements and control planting to reduce overall water need. Native plants should be included in the landscape planning as much as possible, as they are well adapted to seasonal and local condition andl making them good choices for landscape planting. It is preferable to combine the landscape system to integrate with bio-retention, rain garden or any suitable types of stormwater facilites. The requirement for water collection and distribution system depends on the rainwater harvesting system which ranges from simple to complex. A simple system may utilize depression concave ground as landscape holding areas (Figure 3.1) which collects the rainwater from surrounding catchment area. A catchment area is any area from which water can be harvested. ‘The best catchments have hard, smooth surfaces, such as concrete or metal roofing material. The amount of water harvested depends on the size, surface texture, and slope of the catchment area. Slope Figure 3.2 Parking Lot Curb Cut out Directing Water into Planted Area, ‘The distribution system connects the catchment area to the landscape holding area. Distribution directs water flow which ranges from simple to sophisticated system. ‘The rainwater from the roof flows into the gutters and downspouts direct roof water to a holding area, and gently sloped sidewalk distributes water to a planted area. ‘The gravity flow from a hillside provides a perfect condition for moving water from a catchment area toa holding area Conveyance such as channels, ditches, pipes and swales all can be part of a distribution system. Elaborate open channel distribution systems may require gates and diverters to control and direct water from one area to another. Standard pipe or perforated pipes, and drip isrigation systems can be designed to distribute water. Curb cutouts can channel street or parking lot water to planted areas Figure 3.2). In certain condition where gravity flow is not possible, a small pump may be required to move the water. Landscape holding areas are designed to store water in the soil for direct use by plants. Concave depression planted with grass or plants serve as landscape holding areas, containing the water, increasing water penetration, and reducing flooding. Depressed area can be excavated, and extra soil can be used as berms. ‘The provision of berm or soil terracing on flat soil can also hold water. One holding area or a series ‘of holding areas can be designed to fill and overflow into adjacent holding areas via spillway and overflow channel. Soil erosion can be a problem with fast flowing water over the soil surface. Excessive erosion can be mitigated using spillway and basins, for instance the crescent-shaped berms constructed around the base of the plant on the dowe-hill side (Figure 3.3) are useful on slopes for slowing and holding water. Gabions ate widely used to contain water and reduce erosion (Figure 3.4), gure 3.3 Crescent-Shaped (Berm) Landscaped holding Arcas on a Slope Figure 3.4 Typical Gabion Across Stream Bed Simple Rainwater Harvesting System ‘The simple water harvesting system is designed to meet the existing site and the intended use of the collected rainwater. In a simple system the collected rainwater is used immediately in-situ. A simple system usually consists of a catchment area and conveyance as a mean of distribution, which operates by gravity. The rainwater is deposited in a landscape holding area, a concave area ot planted arca with edges to retain water whete it can be used immediately by the plants, ‘The simple system is designed by utilizing the natural characteristic of the landscape area. It is essential to locate the existing drainage pattern and to identify the low points and high points by observing the landscape during the rainfall event. Existing drainage pattern and gravity flow can be utilized to move water from catchment area to planted areas. A simple system may capture rainwater collected ‘on the roofs, paved areas or the soil surface. An example of a simple roof cdllection system is water dripping from the edge of the roof to a planted area or diversion channel directly below igure 3.5). Gravity moves the water to where it can be used. In some cases, small containers are used to hold water for later usage. ‘The rainwater harvested from the roof may include the extended downpipes (Figure 3.6 & 3.7) t6 reach planted area or the provision of a path, drainage, or hose to the water where it is needed. It is essential to utilize the existing slope paving to catch water and redistribute it to planted areas, For a new construction, the placement and slope of a new paving can be designed to increase runoff, ‘The slope of the sidewalks, terraces, or driveways shall be two percent (2%) towards planting areas and utilize the runoff for irrigation. Figure 3.5 Simple Systems — Roof Catchment, Channel and Planted Landscape Holding Area Figure 3.6 Simple Systems — Roof Catchment, Gutters, Downpipes and Landscape Holding Area Figure 3.7 Simple Systems — Roof Catchment, Gutters, Downpipes and Soakaway Pit It is recommended to locate and identify the existing landscape depressions that can hold water while additional new depression can be created at the location of new plants. The creation of new holding depression area around the existing plants shall be carried out by consteueting berm avoiding digging that will possibly damage the roots of the plants. Holding areas around existing plants should extend beyond the drip line (Figure 3.8) to accommodate and encourage extensive root systems, A well developed root system produces a drought resistant plant as the roots have a larger area to search for watet. Several holding areas for either newly developed or existing landscape can be connected via spillvays and channels to distribute water throughout the site. Matera i 1 ip tne ‘gure 3.8 Tree Drip Line and Basin Edge Complex R: water Harvesting System ‘The rainwater harvesting system is unable to provide a completely dependable source of inrigation water as it is dependent on the weather, ‘Therefore, to get the maximum benefit from rainwater harvesting, some storage can be built into the water harvesting system to provide water between rainfall events. Heavy rainfall events can produce more water than is needed by a landscape during that rainfall Once the root zone of the plant has been thoroughly wetted, the rainwater begins to move below the root zone. In this condition the plant is well irrigated. The surface runoff forms as.the soil is saturated. The saturation point and the onset of surface runoff is dependent on the texture and condition of the soil, for instance, sandy soil has more infiltration capacity than clayey soil and thus the formation of surface runoff on clayey soil is much faster. The amount of rainwater harvested and the water needed for landscape irrigation should be in balance. Storage capacity plays a big role in the harvesting system by making rainwater available in the dry season when the plants need it. Rainfall harvesting systems that utilize storage result in large water savings, but require higher construction costs. These are..more complex systems which are mote appropriate for larger facilities and are required to be professionally constructed and maintained. 4 Components of complex systems that utilize storage include catchment areas, conveyance systems, storage, and distribution systems, to control the flow and distribution of water (Figure 39, 3.10 & 3.11). The amount of water or yield that the catchment area will generate depends on the size of the catchment atea and its surface texture. Concrete, asphalt, or brick paving and smooth surface roofing materials provide high yields, Bare soil surfaces provide harvest of medium yield, with compacted clayey soils yielding the most. Planted areas, such as grass or groundcover areas, offer the lowest yields as the plants hold the water longer allowing it to infiltrate into the soil. “eta ial Figure 3.9: Complex Rainfall Harvesting System for Landscape Irrigation Figure 3.10 Complex Rainwater Harvesting System for Landscape 10 Conveyance systems direct the water from the catchment atca to the storage tank. Rainwater harvested from the roof catchment system, the gutter and downpipes are conveyance. Gutters and downpipes are cither concealed inside the walls of buildings or attached to the exterior of buildings. Proper sizing of gutters is important to collect as much rainfall as possible. the means of ‘The rainwater collected from the catchment area is filtered before directed to the storage tank. The rainwater should be filtered to remove particles and debris before it can be stored. The degree of filtration is dependent on the size of the distribution pipes, for example drip systems may requite more and finer filter than water distributed from a hose. Filter can be in-line or a leaf screen can be placed over the gutter at the top of the downpipes. The common practice is to divert the first flush of the collected rainwater in order to eliminate debris and particles from the harvested water, Storage allows full utilization of harvested rainwater by making water available later when it is needed, Storage can be underground or aboveground and matetial can be made of high density polyethylene, fiberglass reinforced plastic, reinforced concrete or metal. Underground tanks are mote expensive as it involves excavation, ‘The use of underground tank involves pumping, out the water for distribution and this adds another extra cost to the system. Figure 3.12 shows an example of underground modular storage tank made from polypropylenes modular cell and wrapped in impermeable geotextile. ‘The water flows into the tank via directly connected inlet pipe and the water is pumped out for distribution. Irrigation "it eystem” storm en —Pumg for irrigation purpose Waterproof membrane Figure 3.12: Typical Underground Modular Storage Tank with Distribution System ‘An example of underground modular storage tank which operates in-situ is shown in Figure 3.13 and Figure 3.14, The tank is constructed using modular cell wrapped in permeable geotextile to allow the water to enter and leave the tank. This type of tank is relatively cheaper because it is not necessary to use filter and pump. The rainwater enters into the tank and it infiltrates through the sand layer installed between the soffit of the tank and the top soil However, the tank has limited capacity in storing, the water for usage at a later time when the need arises. ‘This tank is notmally designed to function as an on-site detention where the storage should be emptied in a specified duration normally in the order of 24 hours. frounding F ree arin tant " water? wrapped in ercolating geolextite Figure 3.13 Typical Underground Modular Storage Tank for In-Sita 12 1 -€eotogle: tank 2-Sane 3-Grass Figure 3.14 Typical Installation of Modular Tanks ‘Neat Roots System Figute 3.15: Typical Underground Rock Fill Storage Tank ‘The underground rock fill tank (Figure 3.15) can also be used for rainwater harvesting system as an alternative to modular tank. The tank is constructed by excavating the desired size and filled it with the rock enclosed/wrapped with impermeable geotextile. The actual storage of the tank is determined by the void of the rock fill tank, Figure 3.16 : Typical Rainwater Harvesting System using Modular Tank ‘The above ground tanks which can be used for rainwater harvesting system include plastic drum, steel drum, barrels, tanks, cisterns, fiberglass tanks, or reinforced concrete storage tanks. ‘The aboveground storage can be designed into the landscape by placing it in an unobtrusive place or hiding it with a structure, screen or plants, In all cases, storage should be located close to the area of use and placed at an elevated level to take advantage of the gravity flow. ‘The use of several smaller cisterns (Figure 3.18) is more useful and flexible because they are easier to handle and camouflage. In the case that, the landseape area is extensive, several tanks can be connected to increase storage capacity. An alternative holding area consists of concave depression area can be used to retain excess rainwater during all storage tan is fal. Green roof aN Bue Figure 3.17: Typical Integrated Stormwater ‘Management System ‘The integrated stormwater management system is designed as a multi component of a sustainable water cyclic management system (Figure 3.16 & 3.17). Rainwater is collected, purified, stored and reused. Water can be directed into the tank by infiltration through the soil or filtered from a various sources, ftom roofs, landscape ateas or streets, Clean water is collected and made available for reuse within the storage area in the tank modules. ‘This type of system is applicable for ittigation of commercial and domestic landscaping, domestic reuse for tojlet flushing and washing machine use. use Figure 3.18: Typical Roof Catchment with Multiple Storage Tanks Connected with Landscape Holding area ‘The distribution system directs the water from the Storage containers to landscape areas. ‘The distribution device can be a hose, constructed channels, pipes, perforated pipes, or manual drip system, Gates and diverters can be used to control flow rate and flow direction. A manual valve or motorized ball valve located near the bottom of the storage tank can assist irrigation. An on-line electrical pump can be used to provide sufficient Pressure such as to distribute the water through ‘an automatic dip irrigation system, vores ean if © t b Roof Garden Roof Gardens are essential elements in water ‘management and it is one of the best hydrological solutions to city floods, and reduces global warming. Roof gardens solve all the above problems by their capacity to absorb and retain water, thus acting as a natural filter and water storage area. Consequently, they act as thermal regulators and air purifiers. In major cities, roofs may cover up to 80% of the surface of the city and ate an important factor in stormwater and air management. As soon as rainwater (which is the purest form of water on the planet), touches an impermeable roof it becomes contaminated by organic matters, bacteria and heavy metals. ‘The roof catchment in a city is so immense that it creates contaminated water accumulation right through the city, cteating floods and might become a health issue. A roof garden is a form of vegetation growing on substrata with an impermeable underneath platform layer (Figure 3.19, 3.20, 3.21 & 3.22). ‘The roof garden can be designed at all levels either as an intensive or extensive green area. It can be the roof of any buildings, car park or any other structures. These roof gardens can fulfill a ‘major recreational function for residents. ‘The roof garden plants relevant to the function and local environment must be selected. The green spaces when integrated in combination with certain building elements: flower tubs, ponds, ornamental vases, tile patterns, benches will have a high decorative value. Such gardens require more intensive maintenance, particularly when lawns are included. Many varieties of plants can be used for roof gardens, ‘The most important issue is placing the right plant in the right place, taking into account the specific circumstances of the climate and the fact that these plants only have a limited ground layers. Trees must be "anchored" in a specific way and pruning must be regularly carried out to ensure the tree growth shall not exceed 6m. Figure 3.19 : Typical Section through a Garden above Cat Park Figure 3.20 Typical Section of the Roof Garden Some roof gardens will only be intended as decoration, not for walking. Planting of these gardens can be more extensive. They must harmonize with the surroundings and be easy to maintain, For example, colorful flowerbeds would be out of place demand intensive maintenance. and Specialists making plant selections should take into consideration wind tunnels created by narrow passages between buildings, air contamination, building reflections of sunlight, heat trap at the base of buildings and excessive shade in high density building areas. A very low moisture level will cause certain problems, Duting continuous dry periods, the plants can be damaged from lack of water and high temperatures, however, automatic irrigation systems combined with suitable soil can maintain moisture content in the garden, ‘The draining system must be designed for a maximum rainfall depth of 40mm. The roof garden must be able to infiltrate water quickly; hence the horizontal water draining capacity is extremely important. Furthermore, in certain dry periods the draining cell layer can be used as a water reservoir for the plants, provided we use water stored in the soil above the cell, while the cell has only air, aerating underneath the soil layer. The-use of drainage cell allows aetation of the foot zone, ‘avoiding stagnation and soil acidity (Figure 3.23, 3.24 & 3.25). Figute 3.22: Typical Roof Garden for Pitch Roof ‘Typical Rooftop Garden Installation Detail Lightweight garden on metal 100f igi apts tisnm Sil 608 doula varied (tan nar ene 208 reaped compet ester Waterproof menor iis tet suneg—— Carden tte neigh apne sitgimd Lightweight garden on mininum soil depts Sol 10% seute nasnag ‘ae = Figure 321: Typical Lightweight Roof Garden System 15 aude Hakata Gurdon total velght erpen Taigins Figure 3.23: Typical Rooftop Garden Installation-Detail Figure 3.25 Roof Garden Designs Roof Garden Soil Profile ‘alma Brg oem encencr Figure3.24 Roof Garden Soil 16 System Maintenance The development of _ landscape harvesting system is an on-going process that can be improved and expanded over time. ‘The effectiveness of landscape rainwater hatvesting system should be observed during rainfall events. ‘This is to ensure that movement of runoff; the holding areas are operating according to the plan Additional holding depression areas where water can be harvested and channeled can be added to improve the system, rainwater Landscape rainwater harvesting should be inspected before and after rainy season to keep the system operating at optimum performance, ‘The landscape rainwater harvesting system should be maintained for optimum operation. ‘The holding areas should be inspected before and after rain events to ensure it is free from debris. The gutters and downpipes should be inspected free from debris and blockages. The deposition of debris from the bottom of storage tank should be flushed and removed, Filter and drip filter should be maintained and cleaned regularly to avoid blockage. The landscape areas including holding depression areas and distribution channel .should be controlled and prevented from erosion. Eroded surface such as holding area, distribution channel or landscape area should be repaired and replanted with suitable replacement plants. CHAPTER 4 Rainwater Harvesting System for Buildin ‘eneral Principle The application of rainwater harvesting system for building can provide a possible way on the utilization of rainwater as valuable water resources. Rainwater harvesting via rooftop catchment is necessary in areas having significant rainfall and can be a viable alternative to the centralized water supply system A rainwater harvesting system consists of three basic elements: a rooftop collection area; a conveyance system, and storage facilities (Figure 4.1, 4.2.& 4.3), The collection area of a rainwater harvesting system for a building in most cases a roof of a house or building. The effective roof area and the material used in consteucting the roof influence the efficiency of collection and the water quality A conveyance system usually consists of gutters or pipes that deliver rainwater falling on the rooftop to cisterns or other storage vessels, Both drainpipes should be constructed of chemically inert materials such as wood, plastic, aluminum, or fiberglass, in order to avoid adverse effects on water quality and roof surfaces ‘The harvested water is stored in a storage tank or cistern, which should be constructed of an inert material. Reinforced concrete, fiberglass, or stainless steel is suitable materials. Storage tanks may be constructed as part of the building, or may be built as a separate unit located some distance away from the building, ‘The construction of a rooftop collection system is relatively simple with a minimum cost. The technology is flexible and the systems can be built to meet almost any requirements. ‘The system consists of residential housing ean start with a single small tank and add more when the opportunity and need arise. “y

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