A handbook on Rainwater Harvesting

Let’s Catch the Rain

Where it falls
By
Rtn. Anil Kumar Sharma
M.Sc, Geology, (Specialisation in Hydrogeology)
P.G.Dip. in Ecology & Environment
Email- akscbsa@gmail.com
Mobile- 9471579161,7008400921
 CONTENTS
Sl. No. Particulars Page No.
1. What is rainwater harvesting? 1
2. Need for Rainwater harvesting 1
3. Benefits of Rainwater harvesting 1-2
4. Disadvantages of Rainwater Harvesting 2
5. Methods & Techniques of Rainwater Harvesting 2
6. Roof top rainwater Harvesting 3
7. Advantages of Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting 3
8. Parameters to be considered in Roof Top rain 4
water harvesting

8.1 Mean Annual Rainfall and Rainfall Pattern 4

8.2 Run-off coefficient or Collection Coefficient 4
9. How to calculate Quantity of rain water harvested? 5
10. Components of Roof Top Rainwater Harvesting System 5-6
10.1 Catchments 6
10.2 Coarse mesh 6
10.3 Gutters 7
10.4 Pipes / Conduits 7
10.5 First Flush 8
10.6 Filter 8-9
10.7 Storage of rain water 9-11
11 Treatment of Rainwater 11
12 Roof Top Rain water harvesting for 12
Ground water recharge
12.1 Ground water recharge through open wells 12
12.2 Ground water recharge through bore wells 13
12.3 Ground water recharge through recharge pits 13-14
(For roof and open area)
12.4 Ground water recharge through Recharge Trench 14-15
12.5 Ground water recharge through existing Tube wells 15-16
12.6 Recharge Wells 16-17

12.6.1 Construction of recharge well 17-18

13 Soak way or Recharge Shafts 18
14 Settlement Tank 19
15 Rainwater Harvesting in Rural Areas 19
15.1 Rain water harvesting through Gully Plug 19
15.2 Rain water harvesting through Contour Bund 20
15.3 Rain water harvesting through Gabion Structure 20-21
15.4 Rain water harvesting through Percolation Tank 21-22
15.4 Rain water harvesting through Check Dams/Cement 22
Plug/Nala Bunds
15.5 Rain water harvesting through Recharge Shafts 22-23
15.6 Rain water harvesting through Dug well Recharge 24
16 Do's and Don'ts of RWH system 24-25
17 Rainwater Harvesting from Roads 25
18 Harvest rainwater through walk paths 25
19 Rain Water Harvesting from Parks and Open Spaces 26-27
20 Needs to conserve fresh water 27
21 Benefits of water conservation 27-28
22 Tips for conserving water indoors 28
23 Tips for conserving water outdoors 28-29
24 Tips for conserving water at public places 29
25 Tips to conserve water by society 29
26 Tips to conserve water in agriculture fields 30
27 Tips to conserve water in industries 30-31
28 Some other Ground water Recharge Structures by
diverting the surface runoff during the monsoon 32
29 By constructing Filtration Pit near hand borewells 32
30 By constructing trenches in vacant passages of 33
buildings, housing complexes, gardens etc.

1 Table-1. Runoff coefficient for various types of catchments 4

2 Table-2. Standards of pipes 7
What is rainwater harvesting?
Rainwater harvesting in its simple term is just collecting the rain water where it falls.
Rainwater harvesting is the simple process or technology used to conserve rainwater
by collecting, storing, conveying and purifying of Rainwater that runs off from
rooftops, parks, roads, open grounds, etc. for later use. Rainwater infiltration is
another aspect of rainwater harvesting playing an important role in storm water
management and in the replenishment of the groundwater levels.
Rainwater harvesting has been practiced for over 4,000 years throughout the world,
traditionally in arid and semi-arid areas, and has provided drinking water, domestic
water and water for livestock and small irrigation.
Need for Rainwater harvesting
Demand for fresh water is ever increasing while the potential sources remain the
same. Rainwater is the primary source of water as the rain is the first form of water
in the hydrological cycle. Rivers, lakes and ground water are all secondary sources
of water and currently they meet 70 to 80 % of our water needs.
➢ To overcome the inadequacy of waters to meet our demands.
➢ To arrest decline in ground water levels.
➢ To enhance availability of ground water at specific place and time and utilize
rain water for sustainable development.
➢ To increase infiltration of rain water in the subsoil which has decreased
drastically in urban areas due to paving of open areas?
➢ To improve ground water quality by dilution.
➢ T0 increase agriculture production.
➢ To improve ecology of the area by increase in vegetation cover, etc.
Benefits of Rainwater harvesting
The benefits of rainwater harvesting system are listed below.
➢ Less cost.
➢ Helps in reducing the water bill.
➢ Decreases the demand for water.
➢ Promotes both water and energy conservation.
➢ Improves the quality and quantity of groundwater.
➢ Does not require a filtration system for landscape irrigation.
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 ➢ It reduces soil erosion, stormwater runoff, flooding, and pollution of surface
water with fertilizers, pesticides, metals and other sediments.
➢ Cost of recharge to sub-surface reservoir is lower than surface reservoir.
➢ The aquifer serves as distribution system also.
➢ No land is wasted for storage purpose and no population displacement is
involved.
➢ Ground water is not directly exposed to evaporation and pollution.
➢ Storing water under ground is environment friendly.
➢ It increases the productivity of aquifer
➢ Effects rise in ground water levels.
Disadvantages of Rainwater Harvesting
➢ Regular Maintenance is required.
➢ Requires some technical skills for installation.
➢ Limited and no rainfall can limit the supply of Rainwater.
➢ If not installed correctly, it may attract mosquitoes and other waterborne
diseases.
➢ One of the significant drawbacks of the rainwater harvesting system is storage
limits.
Methods & Techniques of Rainwater Harvesting:
The practice of collecting rainwater from rainfall events can be classified into two
broad categories:
1. Land-based and
2. Roof-based.

1. Land-based rainwater harvesting is the process when runoff from land

surfaces is collected in furrow dikes, ponds, tanks and reservoirs.
2. Roof-based rainwater harvesting refers to collecting rainwater from roof
surfaces which usually provides a much cleaner source of water that can be
also used for drinking.
Here, in present context, Roof Top Rainwater Harvesting is discussed in details
seeing the present requirement of the time.

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Roof top rainwater Harvesting
Root top rainwater collection is one of the solutions for solving or reducing the
problem of water availability, where there is inadequate ground water supply and
surface sources are either lacking or insignificant.
In this system, rainwater falling on roofs of houses is collected through a system of
pipes and semi - circular channels of galvanized iron or PVC and stored in tanks
suitably located on the ground or underground for direct use or for recharging ground
water aquifers.
Urban housing complexes/residential buildings and institutional buildings have
large roof area and are amendable for rainwater harvesting.
Advantages of Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting
➢ One of the appropriate options for augmenting ground water recharge/storage
in urban areas
➢ In rural areas also, roof top rainwater harvesting can supplement the domestic
requirements.
➢ Rainwater runoff, which otherwise flows through sewers and storm drains and
is wasted, can be harvested and utilized.
➢ Helps in reducing the frequent drainage congestion in urban areas where fast
rate of urbanization has reduced availability of open surfaces.
➢ Recharging of aquifers with harvested water improves the quality of ground
water through dilution.
➢ The harnessed rainwater can be utilized when needed at the time and place of
scarcity.
➢ The structures required for harvesting are simple, economical and Eco-
friendly.
➢ In coastal areas over extraction of ground water leads to saline water ingress.
Therefore, recharging of ground water aquifer in such areas helps to control
saline water ingress.
➢ Storing of harvested water underground through aquifer recharge, wherever
feasible, is advantageous as such storage is not exposed to evaporation and
pollution.
➢ Aquifers serve as a distribution system as well supplying water when required.

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Parameters to be considered in Roof Top rain water harvesting
One who wish to do rain water harvesting must take into consideration the following
critical parameters.
Mean Annual Rainfall and Rainfall Pattern
The Quantity of rainfall received during a year (mm/year) and its distribution over
the year (rainfall pattern) must be considered while devising a rain water harvesting
system. Generally, the mean annual rainfall is used for rain water harvesting
calculations.
Run-off coefficient or Collection Coefficient
Run-off is the water that flows away from a catchment after falling on its surface in
the form of rain. Runoff depends upon the area and type of the catchment over which
it falls as well as surface features. For example, normal concrete roof has highest run
off value than the area with heavy vegetation. The amount of rainfall contributing to
the runoff of a given area must be known for runoff estimation. The runoff
coefficient (C) is the value that represents the ratio of runoff to rainfall. Runoff
coefficients for different types of catchments are presented below in table.
Table-1. Runoff coefficient for various types of catchments
Type of Catchment Runoff Coefficients (C)
Roof Catchments
Tiles 0.8-0.9
Corrugated metal sheets 0.7-0.9
Organic (Thatched roof) 0.2
Ground surface coverings
Concrete 0.6-0.8
Brick pavement 0.5-0.6
Untreated ground catchments
Soil on slopes less than 10 percent 0.0-0.3
Rocky natural catchments 0.2-0.5

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Source: Pacey, Arnold and Cullis, Adrian 1989, Rainwater Harvesting: The
collection of rainfall and runoff in rural areas, Intermediate Technology
Publications, London.
How to calculate Quantity of rain water harvested?
The quantity of rain water harvested can be calculated using the following formula
Q= A x C x P x 1000
Where, Q is the quantity of rainwater harvested in litres,
A = Area in sq. meter, and
C = is the run off coefficient (decide the run off coefficient according to the type of
roof from the above table 1)
P = Mean annual rainfall
1000 = Conversion factor to convert m3 into litres
Example:
For a building with a flat roof of size 10 m x 12 m (120 sq. meter) in a city with the
average annual rainfall of 800 mm (0.80 m) with a concrete roof having a run off
coefficient 0.6, the quantity of rainwater that can be harvested in a year is
Q = 120 sq. meter (A) x 0.80 m (P) x 0.6 (C) x1000 = 57600 litres / year
Quantity of water available per day = 57699/365 = 157.8 litres/day
Components Of Roof Top Rainwater Harvesting System
The common components of Roof Top Rainwater Harvesting System are:
1. Catchments
2. Coarse mesh
3. Gutters
4. Conduits
5. First flush
6. Filters
7. Storage tanks, and

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8. Recharge structures

1. Catchments- The surface that receives rainfall directly is the catchment of

rainwater harvesting system. In roof top rainwater harvesting system roof / terrace
of the building is the only catchment area which may be a flat RCC/stone roof or
sloping roof. The roofing should be of galvanized iron sheets (G.I.), aluminum, clay
tiles, asbestos or concrete. For buildings, roofs made of RCC and corrugated sheets
can be used as catchments.
In case of thatched - roof, it should be covered with waterproof LDPE sheeting. The
roof should be smooth, made of non-toxic material sufficiently large to fill the tank
with the available rainfall conditions. Existing roofs of houses and public buildings
can also be used for a roof top catchment system. In some cases, enlarged or
additional roofed structures can be built.
2.Coarse mesh- Course mesh is made of a network of wire used to prevent the entry
of such debris into the drain pipe from the catchment. It is generally placed on the
outlet point of RCC floor of the buildings.

Coarse Mesh – It prevents the passage of debris, provided in the roof.

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3. Gutters- Gutters are shallow troughs fixed on the edges of sloped roofs all around
to collect and transport the rain water from the roof to the storage tank. It is fixed
with a gentle slope towards down-pipe, which is meant for free flow of water to the
storage tank. This may be semi-circular or rectangular made up of G.I. sheet, PVC
pipes, wood, bamboo or any other locally available material. The downpipe used
should be at least 100 mm diameter and be provided with a 20-mesh wire screen at
the inlet to prevent dry leaves and other debris from entering it. Covering the gutter
with leaf catcher mesh is essential to prevent entry of leaves and other debris into
gutter.
Gutters need to be protected so that when filled with water, they don’t sag or fall off.
The manner in which gutters are mounted depends on the structure of the house; iron
or timber brackets may be fastened into the walls, but some form of attachment to
the rafters is required for houses with wider eaves.
4.Pipes / Conduits- The conduits and Pipes transport the rainwater collected form
the catchment to the harvesting system, using gravity. PVC pipes are commonly used
as they are economical and durable. The pipes provided are of 90-120 mm diameter,
however for major RWH systems the National Building Code 2005 (SP-7) has
specified the ideal diameter of the pipe to be used in the following table-
Table: 2 Standards of pipes.
Diameter Average rate of rainfall in mm/h
Of pipe
(mm)
50 mm/hr 75 mm/hr 100 125 150 200
mm/hr mm/hr mm/hr mm/hr
50 13.4 8.9 6.6 5.3 4.4 3.3
65 24.1 16.0 12.0 9.6 8.0 6.0
75 40.8 27.0 20.4 16.3 13.6 10.2
100 85.4 57.0 42.7 34.2 28.5 21.3
125 - - 80.5 64.3 53.5 40.0
150 - - - - 83.6 62.7

Fixing of drain pipes

Whatever may be the type of roof the drain pipes preferably PVC pipes should be
connected to the gutter in case of sloped roofs or to the outlet pipe in case of flat

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RCC roofs. A fine mesh can be used as a filter at the connection point of drain pipe
and the gutter/outlet pipe.
Interconnect all the drain pipes horizontally.
5. First Flush - First flush is a device used to flush off the water received in first
shower. The first shower of rains needs to be flushed-off to avoid contaminating
storable/rechargeable water by the probable contaminants of the atmosphere and the
catchment roof. It will also help in cleaning of silt and other material deposited on
roof during dry seasons Provisions of first rain separator should be made at outlet of
each drainpipe.

6. Filter - Filters are used for treatment of water to effectively remove turbidity,
colour and microorganisms. After first flushing of rainfall, water should pass
through filters or directly stored in tank and filter before use. A gravel, sand and
‘netlon’ mesh, Pressure filter is designed and placed on top of the storage tank or
near the tank depending upon the use.
A filter unit is a chamber filled with filter media such as fibre, coarse sand and gravel
layers to remove sediment and soil from water until it reaches the storage tank or
recharges structure. For additional filtration Charcoal may be added.
There are different types of filters –
A. Charcoal Water Filter- A simple charcoal filter can be made in a plastic drum
or an earthen pot. The filter is made up of layers of gravel, sand and charcoal, all of
which are easily and cheaply available. The charcoal needs to be periodically
replaced, usually once a year, before the rainy season. It needs to be replaced more
often, depending on the quantity and quality of water collected form the catchment.

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B. Sand Filters- The major filtering media is sand. Sand filters are easy and
inexpensive to construct and maintain. These filters are used for treatment of water
to effectively remove turbidity (suspended particles like silt and clay), colour and
microorganisms.
In a simple sand filter that can be constructed domestically, the top layer comprises
coarse sand followed by a 5-10 mm layer of gravel followed by another 5-25 cm
layer of gravel and boulders.
Each layer should be separated by wire mesh. In larger sand filters, the enclosing
chamber is made of RCC or masonry. There is provision for overflow and a splash
plate. The filtering media consists of 20cm sand, 20cm gravel (8-10mm), 30cm sand,
40cm of gravel (8-10mm) – from top to bottom in this order.

7. Storage of rain water- Storage tanks are constructed to store the water that is
collected from the roof through filter. The shape of the storage tanks may be circular,
rectangular or square based on the space and need. The size and shape of the storage
tanks depends on the quantity of rainwater harvested or the need of the family or
community.
Storage tank can be constructed underground or above ground. The underground
tank may be of masonry or R.C.C. structure suitably lined with water proofing
materials. When the tank is constructed underground, at least 30 cm of the tank
should remain above ground. The surface tank may be of G.I. Sheet, R.C.C.,

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Plastic/HDP or Ferrocement Tank placed at elevation on a raised platform. The
storage tank is provided with a cover on the top to avoid the contamination of water
from external sources. The storage tank is provided with pipe fixtures at appropriate
places to draw the water to clean the tank & to dispose of extra water.

Storage Tank
CALCULATION OF SIZE OF STORAGE TANKS
The size/capacity of the storage tank can hence be calculated based on number of
users, non-rainy days and catchment area. The volume of tank may be determined
from the following equation.
V=txnxq
Where V - Volume of tank, litres,
t - Length of dry season (days),
n - Number of people using the tank,
q - Consumption, litres per day.
For example, if the length of dry season is 200 days, no. of persons in the house is 6
and the average consumption litres / day/person is 10 litres, the volume of tank must
be
V= 200 x 6 x 10= 12000 litres. To store 12000 litres of water (12 cubic meter, a tank
size of 3 x 2 x 2 (Length x Breath x Height in meters) is needed.
➢ Readymade PVC storage tanks available in different capacities or RCC tanks
can be used.

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 ➢ For larger buildings like schools/apartments, underground storage tanks with
higher capacity can be constructed with reinforced concrete with appropriate
provisions for pumping out water.
➢ Take care that the storage tank is not close to a source of contamination, such
as a septic tank and that it is at a lower level than the roof to ensure it fills
completely.
➢ Also ensure that storage tanks are accessible for cleaning.
➢ Surplus spill over water from the sump/storage tank must be connected to a
recharge pit/ existing open well/bore well or to the recharge well.
Treatment of Rainwater
The chemical treatment of stored rainwater is to ensure that it is not re-contaminated.
The most common types of treatment are –
I. Chlorination: Chlorination can be carried out by using bleaching water and/or
chlorine tablets, both of which are readily available commercially. A single
0.5g ‘halazone/chlorine’ tablet is sufficient to disinfect about 20 litres of
water. Bleaching powder has multiple applications, it can also be used to
disinfect other parts of the RWH system, and it is generally available in
powdered form.
II. Boiling: Boiling is a very effective method of purification and very simple to
carry out. Boiling water for 10 to 20 minutes is enough to remove all
biological contaminants and it also removes hardness of water. But this is
suitable for small scale RWH systems only as a large amount of water needs
a larger amount of fuel for boiling.
III. Direct sunlight: This can also be used to kill many of the harmful bacteria in
water by exposing it in clear glass or plastic bottles for several hours to the
UV radiation which is a part of sunlight. The water must be clear form
turbidity and clear weather are the prerequisites for this type of treatment.
Most of the microorganisms are killed by the effect of UV rays and the heat
generated due to exposure to sunlight.

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Roof Top Rain water harvesting for Ground water recharge
Rain water harvesting for ground water recharge can be done through existing open
wells, bore wells or recharge pits.
1. Ground water recharge through open wells
➢ Dry/operational/abandoned open dug wells if exist in the area may be
utilized as recharge structures after cleaning and desilting the same.
➢ Suitable for rain water harvested in roof tops of higher capacity viz.,
more than 100 square meters.
➢ Rain water collected from roof through coarse mesh, and drain pipe
after first flush may be sent through filter as shown in figure,
➢ Filter bed size minimum 2' x 2' x 3',
➢ Fill up the filter in the order of 40 mm stone - 1', 20 mm stone - 1' sand
at top 1' (when Brick bat is used, it must be well burnt),
➢ Close the filter with pre cast concrete slab.
➢ Recharge water is guided through a pipe from desilting/filter chamber
to the bottom of the well or below the water level to avoid scouring of
bottom and entrapment of air bubbles in the aquifer.
➢ Periodic chlorination should be done for controlling the bacteriological
contamination in operational dug well.
➢ Wire mesh filter should be provided just before the inlet to avoid entry
of any foreign material, tree leaves, etc. in to the dug well.

Figure- Recharge through open wells

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 2. Ground water recharge through bore wells
➢ Abandoned/existing bore wells may be used as recharge structures.
➢ Rain water collected from roof through coarse mesh, and drain pipe
after first flush may be sent through filter as shown in figure,
➢ Filter bed size minimum 2' x 2'x 3’,
➢ Fill up the filter in the order of 40 mm stone - 1', 20 mm stone- 1' sand
at top 1' (when Brick bat is used, it must be well burnt).
➢ Close the filter with pre cast concrete slab.
➢ Connect the filter and bore well.
➢ Wire mesh filter should be provided just before the inlet to avoid entry
of any foreign material, tree leaves, etc., in to the system.

Figure - Filtration Tank Recharging to Bore Well

3. Ground water recharge through recharge pits (for roof and open area)
In the absence of sump, open well and bore well the rainwater may be recharged
through percolation pits and the bottom of pit should be in the sandy formation.
This is suitable where permeable strata are available at shallow depth and the
buildings having roof top area up to 100 Square meter
➢ Recharge pits may be of any shape and size and are generally constructed 1m
to 2 m wide and 2 to 3 m deep.
➢ Recharge pits are backfilled with boulders (5-20 cm), gravels (5-10 mm), and
coarse sand (1.5-2 mm) in graded form - boulders at the bottom, gravels in
between and coarse sand at the top so that the silt content that will come with
runoff will be deposited on the top of the coarse sand layer and can easily be
removed. For smaller roof area, pit may be filled with broken bricks/cobbles.

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➢ A mesh should be provided at the roof so that leaves or any other solid
waste/debris are prevented from entering the pit and a desilting/ collection
chamber may also be provided at the ground to arrest the flow of finer particles
to the recharge pit.
➢ The top layer of sand should be cleaned periodically to maintain the recharge
rate.
➢ Number of recharge pits can be decided based on the catchment area @ One
pit for 300 square feet catchment.
➢ Instead of recharge pits, recharge trenches (recharge pits constructed
lengthwise) of size- 3'- 5' length, 1'-3' breadth- 3'-4.5' deep can also be
constructed if more open space is available.

Figure- Recharge pit

4. Ground water recharge through Recharge Trench
➢ Recharge trenches are suitable for buildings having roof area of 200-
300sq.m. And where permeable strata are available at shallow depths.
➢ Trench may be 0.5 to 1m wide, 1 to 1.5m. deep and 10-20m. long
depending upon availability of water to be recharge.
➢ These are back filled with boulders (5-20cm), gravel (5-10mm) and
coarse sand (1.5-2mm) in graded form – boulders at the bottom, gravel
in between and coarse sand at the top so that the silt content that will
come with runoff will be coarse sand at the top of the sand layer and
can easily be removed.
➢ A mesh should be provided at the roof so that leaves or any other solid
waste/debris is prevented from entering the trenches and a
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 desilting/collecting chamber may also be provided on ground to arrest
the flow of finer particles to the trench.
➢ By-pass arrangement be provided before the collection chamber to
reject the first showers.
➢ The top layer of sand should be cleaned periodically to maintain the
recharge rate.

Figure- Recharging to Trenches

5. Ground water recharge through existing Tube wells
➢ In areas where the shallow aquifers have dried up and existing tube
wells are tapping deeper aquifer, roof top rain water harvesting through
existing tube well can be adopted to recharge the deeper aquifers.
➢ Abandoned tube wells may also be used as recharge structures. The
abandoned tube well should be properly developed before use as
recharge structure.
➢ PVC pipes of 10 cm dia. are connected to roof drains to collect rain
water. The first roof runoff is let off through the bottom of drain pipe.
➢ After closing the bottom pipe, the rainwater of subsequent rain showers
is taken through a T to online PVC filter. The filter may be provided
before water enters the tube wells.
➢ The filter is 1-1.2 m. in length and is made up of PVC pipe. Its diameter
should vary depending on the area of roof, 15cm if roof area is less than
150 sq.m and 20 cm if the roof area is more. The filter is provided with
a reducer of 6.25 cm on both the sides.
➢ Filter is divided into three chambers by PVC screens so that filter
material is not mixed up. The first chamber is filled up with gravel (6-

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 10mm), middle chamber with pebbles (12-20mm) and last chamber
with bigger pebbles (20-40mm).
➢ If the roof area is more, a filter pit may be provided.
➢ Rainwater from roofs is taken to collecting/desilting chambers located
on ground. These collection chambers are interconnected as well as
connected to the filter pit through pipes having a slop of 1:15
➢ A connecting pipe with recharge well is provided at the bottom of the
pit for recharging of filtered water through well.
➢ Wire mesh filter should be provided just before the inlet to avoid entry
of any foreign material, tree leaves, etc., in to the system.
➢ the filter pit may vary in shape and size depending upon available
runoff and are back-filled with graded material, boulder at the bottom,
gravel in the middle and sand at the top with varying thickness (0.30-
0.50 m) and may be separated by screen. The pit is divided into two
chambers, filter material in one chamber and other chamber is kept
empty to accommodate excess filtered water and to monitor the quality
of filtered water.

6. Recharge Wells
➢ In areas where the aquifers are overlain by a considerable thickness of
impervious formation, a new recharge tube well can be constructed for
recharging the harvested rainwater.
➢ It is used for recharging single/multiple aquifers.
➢ A settlement-cum-storage tank is constructed near the tube well for
settlement of silt particles and storage of excess water.

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 ➢ Roof top water is diverted to the settlement tank through pipes.
➢ Clear water of storage tank is diverted to the recharge tube well for
recharge.
➢ It is suitable for recharging roof top rainwater of big buildings/blocks.
➢ If runoff availability is less, then online filter may be used in the pipe
line connecting roof water with recharge well.

Construction of recharge well

These are drilled by deploying the appropriate rig unit or by hand boring as per the
site conditions and depth of the tube wells.
A well assembly of pipes with diameters varying from 100 to 250 mm may be
lowered throughout the depth.
Both M.S. and PVC pipes can be used. PVC pipes are rigid, light pipes in 6 or 9 m
lengths available in all diameters. The main advantage of PVC pipes is their
resistance to corrosion and slots of the pipes will not close with time. As the slotted
pipes in recharge wells are in fluctuation zones of water levels, slots of M.S. pipes
may become closed due to rusting. The main drawback of PVC pipes is that, these
pipes cannot be used in large diameter recharge wells. M.S. Pipes may be coated
with bituminous coating to avoid rusting.
After excavation of the recharge trench/shaft or filtration chamber is over, pipes
should be rechecked and cleaned with wire brush. Depth sounding of recharge wells
should be taken with tape to make sure that no silt or soil has gone into the recharge

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wells during the excavation of trench/shaft. Width of slots in recharge well should
be in accordance with the aquifer system encountered. Slotted pipes should be placed
against the aquifer or dried-up aquifers encountered in the recharge wells. A slotted
pipe at the top of the recharge well will need to be placed to permit the entry of
clean/clear water into the recharge well.
The annular space around the well assembly may be shrouded with appropriate size
of gravel. The gravel should be washed so that it is silt-free. The recharge tube well
should be developed by low-capacity air compressor or by bailing method as
required. The well may also be cleaned and developed by pouring the water from
outside if required. The water levels of the tube well should be recorded and the well
covered with cap with a provision to monitor the well in future. A vent pipe of about
one inch diameter is also recommended which can act as escape for gases and for
measuring the water levels. Once the recharge trench or shaft is constructed around
the recharge tube well, recharge wells may be developed with hand bailers to avoid
the disturbance of filter media.
Soak way or Recharge Shafts
Soak away, or recharge shafts are provided where the upper layer of soil is alluvial
or less porous. These are the bored hole of 30 cm dia. up to 10 to 15 m deep,
depending on the depth of the pervious layer. Bore should be lined with
slotted/perforated PVC/MS pipe to prevent the collapse of the vertical sides.
At the top of the soakaway, the required size sump is constructed to retain runoff
before the filters through the soakaway. Sump should be filled with filter media. A
schematic diagram of the recharge shaft is shown in Fig.

Schematic Diagram of Recharge shaft

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Settlement Tank
Settlement tanks are used to extract silt and other impurities that collect from
rainwater. A settlement tank is like an ordinary storage container that has supplies
for inflow (to bring water from the catchment), outflow (to take water to the recharge
well) and flood.
A settlement tank may have an unpaved bottom surface that enables the percolation
of standing water into the soil.
The recharge rate, particularly of borewells, may not match the rainfall rate in the
event of excess rainfall. In such cases the desilting chamber retains the excess water
until the recharge system soaks it up. Therefore the chamber of settlement serves as
a buffer in the system.
Any reservoir, (masonry or concrete underground tanks, old unused tanks, pre-made
PVC tanks or ferrocement tanks) with sufficient storage space can be used as a
settling tank.
Rainwater Harvesting in Rural Areas
In rural areas, rain water harvesting is taken up considering watershed as a unit.
Surface spreading techniques are common since space for such systems is available
in plenty and quantity of recharged water is also large. Following techniques may be
adopted to save water going waste through slopes, rivers, rivulets and nala.
Rain water harvesting through Gully Plug
➢ Gully plugs are built using local stones, clay and bushes across small gullies
and streams running down the hill slopes carrying drainage to tiny catchments
during rainy season.
➢ Gully plugs help in conservation of soil and moisture.
➢ The sites for gully plugs may be chosen whenever there is a local break in
slope to permit accumulation of adequate water behind the bunds.

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Rain water harvesting through Contour Bund
➢ Contour bunds are effective methods to conserve soil moisture in watershed
for long duration.
➢ These are suitable in low rain fall areas where monsoon run off can be
impounded by constructing bunds on the sloping ground all along the contour
of equal elevation.
➢ Flowing water is intercepted before it attains the erosive velocity by keeping
suitable spacing between bunds.
➢ Spacing between two contours bunds depends on the slope the area as the
permeability of the soil. Lesser the permeability of soil, the close should be
spacing of bunds.
➢ Contour bunding is suitable on lands with moderate slopes without involving
terracing.

Rain water harvesting through Gabion Structure

➢ This is a kind of check dam commonly constructed across small streams to
conserve stream flows with practically no submergence beyond stream
course.
➢ A small bund across the stream is made by putting locally available boulders
in a mesh of steel wires and anchored to the stream banks.
➢ The height of such structures is around 0.5m and is normally used in the
streams with width of less than 10m.
➢ The excess water over flows this structure storing some water to serve as
source of recharge. The silt content of stream water in due course is deposited
in the interstices of the boulders in due course and with growth of vegetation,
the bund becomes quite impermeable and helps in retaining surface water run
off for sufficient time after rains to recharge the ground water body.

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Rain water harvesting through Percolation Tank
➢ Percolation tank is an artificially created surface water body, submerging in
its reservoir a highly permeable land that surface run off is made to percolate
and recharge the ground water storage.
➢ Percolation tank should be constructed preferably on second to third order
steams, located on highly fractured and weathered rocks, which have lateral
continuity downstream.
➢ The recharge area downstream should have sufficient number of wells and
cultivable land to benefit from the augmented ground water.
➢ The recharge area downstream should be governed by percolation capacity of
strata in the tank bed. Normally percolation tanks are designed for storage
capacity of 0.1 to 0.5 MCM. It is necessary to design the tank to provide a
ponded water column generally between 3 & 4.5m.
➢ The percolation tanks are mostly earthen dams with masonry structure only
for spillway. The purpose of the percolation tanks is to recharge the ground
water storage and hence seepage below the seat of the bed is permissible. For
dams up to 4.5m height, cut off trenches are not necessary and keying and
benching between the dam seat and the natural ground is sufficient.

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Rain water harvesting through Check Dams/Cement Plug/Nala Bunds
➢ Check dams are constructed across small streams having gentle slope. The site
selected should have sufficient thickness of permeable bed or weathered
formation to facilitate recharge of stored water within short span of time.
➢ The water stored in these structures is mostly confined to stream course and
the height is normally less than 2m and excess water is allowed to flow over
the wall. In order to avoid scouring from excess run off, water cushions are
provided at downstream side.
➢ To harness the maximum run off in the stream, series of such check dams can
be constructed to have recharge on regional scale.
➢ Clay filled cement bags arranged as a wall is also being successfully used as
a barrier across small nala. At places, trench is excavated across the nala and
asbestos sheets are put on two sides. The space between the rows of asbestos
sheets across the nala is backfilled with clay. Thus a low cost check dam is
created. On the upstream side clay filled cement bags can be stacked in a slope
to provide stability to the structure.

Rain water harvesting through Recharge Shafts

➢ This is the most efficient and cost-effective technique to recharge unconfined
aquifer overlain by poorly permeable strata.

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 ➢ Recharge shaft may be dug manually if the strata are of non-caving nature.
The diameter of shaft is normally more than 2m.
➢ The shaft should end in more permeable strata below the top impermeable
strata. It may not touch water table.
➢ The unlined shaft should be backfilled, initially with boulders/ cobbles
followed by gravel and coarse sand.
➢ In case of lined shaft, the recharge water may be fed through a smaller
conductor pipe reaching up to the filter pack.
➢ These recharge structures are very useful for village ponds where shallow clay
layer impedes the infiltration of water to the aquifer.
➢ It is seen that in rainy season village tanks are fully filled up but water from
these tanks does not percolate down due to siltation and tube well and dug
wells located nearby remains dried up. The water from village tanks gets
evaporated and is not available for the beneficial use.
➢ By constructing recharge shaft tanks, surplus water can be recharged to
ground water. Recharge shafts of 0.5 to 3m. diameter and 10 to 15m.deep are
constructed depending upon availability of quantum of water. The top of shaft
is kept above the tank bed level preferably at half of full supply level. These
are back filled with boulders, gravels and coarse sand.
➢ In upper portion of 1 or 2m depth, the brick masonry work is carried out for
the stability of the structure.
➢ Through this technique all the accumulated water in village tank above 50%
full supply level would be recharged to ground water. Sufficient water will
continue to remain in tank for domestic use after recharge.

Rain water harvesting through Dug well Recharge

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 ➢ Existing and abandoned dug wells may be utilized as recharge structure after
cleaning and desilting the same.
➢ The recharge water is guided through a pipe from desilting chamber to the
bottom of well or below the water level to avoid scouring of bottom and
entrapment of air bubbles in the aquifer.
➢ Recharge water should be silt free and for removing the silt contents, the
runoff water should pass either through a desilting chamber or filter chamber.
➢ Periodic chlorination should be done for controlling the bacteriological
contaminations.

Do's and Don'ts of RWH system

The following precautions must be taken to ensure that the RWH system operates at
maximum efficiency:
➢ The catchment area, i.e., the roof/trace used for harvesting should be clean,
free from dust, organic matter such as vegetation etc. and should not have any
obstructions to the flow of the rainwater They should be properly cleaned
before the monsoons. This increases the service life of the filter media used in
the different components of the RWH.
➢ Provide gratings at mouth of each drainpipe on terraces to trap leaves debris
and floating materials, as theses may damage the filter media
➢ Provision of first rain separator should be made to flush off the first rains, due
to the potential risk of acid rains and presence of contaminants form the
roof/terrace.

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 ➢ Polluted water, such as the water containing soap and other cleaning products,
should not be used to recharge ground water. Ground water should only be
recharged by rainwater.
➢ Before recharging, it should be made sure that all the components of the RWH
are in working order and there are no obstructions and waste material in the
storage and settlement tanks. 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.
Rainwater Harvesting from Roads
In the recent past, rapid growth in the urban areas has led to asphalted roads and
stone slabs or pavers for footpaths and this has led to less open area. Consequent to
this, the rainwater run-off has increased, and ground water recharge has declined.
Harvest rainwater through walk paths.
It is estimated that a kilometer of walk path with porous pavements has a potential
to harvest 30 lakh liters of rainwater per year.
Porous foot paths are cheaper to build and easy to maintain compared to
conventional foot paths.
As the roads are built sloped towards the sides, rainwater falling on the road is guided
to the side drains. When it rains, water flows from the apex to the sides and collects
in the sidewalk area and subsequently flows to the storm water drains.
To increase ground water recharge by percolation and decrease the flooding of storm
water drains, an infiltration trench could be built by the side of the drain all along
the road, wherever possible. The infiltration trench can be 2 feet wide and 2 feet
deep and filled with pebbles or aggregates with a top layer of coarse river sand.
As the rainwater from the road flows into the infiltration trench, water percolates
into the ground. During heavy rainfall, excess water spills over to the storm water
drains. The infiltration trenches store water temporarily during rainfall and later for
infiltration. These infiltration trenches may be exposed as walk ways or paved with

25
inter-locking pavers, specially designed with gaps in between for water to flow into
the infiltration trenches.

Rain Water Harvesting from Parks and Open Spaces

Rain Water harvesting can also be started in parks and open spaces by applying
micro-watershed management methods that allow rainwater infiltration and
percolation into the ground. The runoff has to be minimized by providing adequate
number of percolation pits and dispersion trenches. In large parks, storage of
rainwater in small ponds is also possible since the ponds can be integrated with the
landscape of the park.
Recharge of pits or trenches
Ground water recharge in parks can be enhanced by a simple technique of providing
recharge pits or a trench.
➢ Width of pit: 1.2 to 1.5 m. Depth: 2.5 to 3.0 m.
➢ Material: 40-60 mm coarse gravel followed by 20 mm aggregates and 2 mm
sand. Pits are conveniently made at suitable low-level micro-watershed
locations as collection centers of surface runoff.
➢ A splash pad is provided on top of the sand layer to cut off the velocity of
entry of water to the pit.
➢ The number of such pits is based on the park area and the small rivulets
dissecting the landscapes into micro-watersheds.
Creation of water harvesting ponds in concave depression and low-lying areas.
➢ Allowing groundwater recharge by the creation of seepage pits.
➢ Allowing surface runoff to enter into existing wells or artificial water bodies.

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Natural flow of water
➢ Surface runoff water should be trapped in ponds, tanks and lakes when
available, so that it can be used for maintenance during dry periods.
➢ This practice is similar to dry land technology of agricultural belts.
➢ Low-lying areas and drainage channels are earmarked and convenient micro-
watersheds are prepared.
➢ Water harvesting is followed based on natural flow and surface accumulation
of the runoff water.
➢ Water follows the lowest contour gradient available for that area.
➢ These structures not only provide water for the park, but also increase
groundwater recharge.
➢ Providing a bore well in these areas will enhance the availability of water in
its vicinity.
Rainwater run-off from open space and paved areas can be stored in underground
sumps by filtering through sand-bed filters and guiding the filtered water through
channels.
NEEDS TO CONSERVE FRESH WATER.
➢ Water is finite source and cannot be replaced/duplicated and produced on
commercial scale.
➢ Only 2.7% of the water on earth is fresh.
➢ Depletion of water resources degrades natural environment and no living
being can survive without them.
➢ It plays unique role in traditional and modern economy and is mandatory in
all daily course of mankind including drinking, domestic, agriculture and
industry.
➢ Clean and fresh water is unique commodity, therefore be valued and
safeguarded.
➢ Conservation of water helps in preventing pollution of surface and
groundwater resources.
➢ Water conservation practices can reduce water consumption by as much as
one third.
Benefits of water conservation.
➢ Water efficiency measures can reduce water and sewer costs by up to 30%.
➢ Energy savings by using less energy for pumping and treating water.

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 ➢ Financial savings to the user from decreased water use.
➢ Various environmental benefits i.e. increased water available to local streams,
wetlands, stabilized ground water levels, protection from pollution etc.
➢ Reduces requirement of large reservoirs and dams.
➢ Reduces necessity of regulation on abstraction of ground water.
Tips for conserving water indoors.
➢ Verify your home is leak free.
➢ Repair dripping taps by replacing washers.
➢ Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily.
➢ Use water efficient flushes, plumbing fixtures having sensors, low flow faucet
aerators which require minimum water.
➢ Turn off water while brushing teeth.
➢ For shaving, use mug rather than using running water.
➢ Close faucets while soaping and rinsing clothes.
➢ Keep overflow valve in the overhead tanks so as not to waste water.
➢ Use waste water of cloth cleaning to clean the floor.
➢ Use waste water in flush.
➢ Don’t use running water for releasing ice from tray.
➢ Don’t use extra detergent in washing clothes.
➢ Don’t use running water while hand-washing clothes.
➢ Operate automatic washing machine when it is fully loaded.
➢ Don’t use shower/big bath tubs in bathrooms.
➢ While going outdoor, turn off the main valve of water.
➢ Develop habit of monitoring water meters.
Tips for conserving water outdoors.
➢ Minimize grass lawns in your yard because less grass means less water
demand.
➢ Don’t over water your lawns, a good rain eliminates the need for watering for
more than a week.
➢ Water the lawns during early morning hours when temperature and wind
speeds are the lowest this reduces losses from evaporation.
➢ Try to use waste of dish washing/cloth cleaning the floor.
➢ Check leak in hose, pipes etc.
➢ Use sprinkle/drip irrigation systems.
➢ Don’t allow water to flow into gutter.

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 ➢ Don’t wash floors with a hose. use a broom.
➢ Avoid excessive use of fertilizer in your lawn. the application of fertilizer
increases the need for water.
➢ Plant native and/or drought tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees.
Once established, they do not need to be watered as frequently and they
usually will survive a dry period without any watering.
➢ Group plants together based on similar water needs.
Tips for conserving water at public places.
➢ Inform local bodies of leaks in water supply system.
➢ Close public taps after use.
➢ Close running taps opened by others.
➢ Paste water saving instructions at public places.
➢ Don’t use excessive water at public conveniences.
➢ Don’t let water run at public toilets.
➢ Use only as much as water required.
➢ Encourage users to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and provide
incentives if possible.
➢ Check for leakages in water supply systems and attend to leakage complaints
immediately.
➢ Encourage residents to adopt water conservation and roof top rain water
harvesting systems.
➢ Adopt water efficient flushes at public conveniences.
➢ Use treated effluent water for horticulture purposes.
Tips to conserve water by society.
➢ Be and encourage others to be part of water conscious community.
➢ Encourage your neighbors and friends to install and use high efficiency
plumbing fixtures and exhort them to water saving habits.
➢ Encourage for adopting roof top rain water harvesting.
➢ Encourage for plantation/afforestation in the area.
➢ Encourage school system to help develop and promote a water conservation
ethics among children.
➢ Support projects that will lead to conservation of fresh water and reuse of
waste water for various purposes.
➢ Encourage social groups engaged in water conservation program.

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Tips to conserve water in agriculture fields.
➢ learn to compute water requirements of crops and apply as much water as
needed, do not irrigate randomly rather follow a proper schedule.
➢ Schedule water application rates with growth of crops.
➢ Choose irrigation system best suited to crops, soil and climate.
➢ Provide a good maintenance to irrigation system.
➢ Use sensors to indicate irrigation time.
➢ Recycle tail end water for irrigation.
➢ Level the land properly.
➢ Check joints, couplings properly for leaks.
➢ Canals should be lined and ensure canals are free from seepages.
➢ Use clean water with drip and sprinklers.
➢ Don’t let the weeds grow and eat away water.
➢ Don’t breach canals.
➢ Don’t consider water only as a priceless resource rather think if no water than
what and how?
Tips to conserve water in industries.
➢ Perform water audit to benchmark unit wise water use.
➢ Modernize processes to reduce water requirements.
➢ Recycling water with a re-circulating cooling system can greatly reduce water
use by using the same water to perform several cooling operations.
➢ Use high pressure washing systems to reduce waste water generation.
➢ Three cooling water conservation approaches are- evaporative cooling,
ozonation and air heat exchange, the ozonation cooling water approach can
result in fivefold reduction n blow down when compared to traditional
chemical treatment and should be considered as an option of increasing water
savings in a cooling tower.
➢ The use of de-ionized water in rinsing can be reduced without affecting
production quality, by eliminating some plenum flushes, converting from a
continuous flow to an intermittent flow system and improving control on the
use.
➢ The re-use of de-ionized water may also be considered for other uses because
it may still be better than supplied municipal water.
➢ The waste water should be considered for gardening etc.

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➢ Proper processing of effluents by industrial units to adhere to the norms for
disposal to avoid pollution.
➢ Consider segregating waste water streams according to the level of
contamination, waste water segregation can reduce the use of treatment
chemicals, facilitate material recovery and allow greater use of water.
➢ Tips recommended for outdoor and indoor water conservation may also be
applied.

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Some other Ground water Recharge Structures by diverting the surface runoff
during the monsoon period;

By constructing Filtration Pit near hand borewells

By constructing trenches in vacant passages of buildings, housing complexes,

gardens etc.

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References:
Guide on Artificial Recharge to Groundwater, Central Ground water Board, Ministry
of Water Resources, New Delhi, year 2000.
Select Case Studies on Rainwater Harvesting and Artificial Recharge, Central
Ground water Board, Ministry of Water Resources, New Delhi, May-2011.
Rain water Harvesting Techniques to Augment Ground Water, Ministry of Water
Resources, Central Ground water Board, Faridabad

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