ARCHITECTURAL

SERVICES - I
TOPIC – RAIN WATER HARVESTING

SUBMITTED SUBMITTED
TO :- BY :-
SURBHI SRIVASTAVA
AR. VISHAL JAIN
MOHD IZHAR
 CONTENTS

THIS COURSE IS BUILT UP FROM 5 PARTS:

1. INTRODUCTION

2. USES, ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF RWH SYSTEM

3. SYSTEM COMPONENTS AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR

ROOF RWH SYSTEM
 INTRODUCTION

 Rainwater harvesting (RWH): technology used for collecting and storing rainwater
for human use from rooftops, land surfaces or rock catchments.

 One of the world’s most important ancient water supply techniques (practiced for
more than 4,000 years), is beginning to enjoy a resurgence in popularity.

 Rainwater is an important water source in many areas with significant rainfall but
lacking any kind of conventional, centralised supply system.
 Average Rainfall

Average Rainfall of Lucknow

The average annual temperature in Lucknow is 25.7

°C. Precipitation here averages 1001 mm.
 Sigiriya, Sri Lanka.
This reservoir cut into the rock was used centuries ago to hold harvested rainwater.
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. This reservoir cut into the rock was used centuries ago to hold harvested rainwater.
Cistern of the Maya people, called Chultun
Capacity: 45 000 Litres
Diameter: 5 m,
Catchment area: 150 m²
 Introduction (2)
 Rainwater is also a good option in areas where good quality fresh surface water or groundwater is
lacking.

 It could be used as a supplement to piped water supply e.g. for toilet flushing, washing and
garden spraying

 RWH is a decentralised, environmentally sound solution, which can avoid many environmental
problems often caused in centralised conventional large-scale water supply projects.

Types of Rainwater Harvesting Systems

1. Roof catchments
• Simple roofwater collection system for households
• Larger systems for educational institutions, stadiums, airports, and other facilities
• Roofwater collection systems for high-rise buildings in urbanised areas
2. Ground catchments (man-made)
3. Rock catchments (natural, impervious outcrops)
4. Collection of storm water in urbanized catchments for recharge
Typical Domestic Rainwater Harvesting System
Ground Catchment System
Ground Catchment System
Rock Catchment System
 Use of Harvested Rainwater
 Non-potable purposes (mainly in urban areas)
- Gardening
- Flushing
- Washing clothes/cars

 Potable purpose after ensuring quality (mainly in rural and peri-urban areas)

Small-scale rainwater harvesting systems and uses

 RWH in Urban Areas
 In view of increasing migration to urban area and the emergence of mega-cities in the next
millennium, it is imperative that water supply systems should be evolved to cater for such a
development.
 In areas with relatively high rainfall spread throughout the year, where other water resources are
scarce, RWH is an important option, for example parts of Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal
and Uganda.
 Installation RWH system is mandatory for the construction of buildings in some towns in India and
on the Virgin Islands, USA.
 Many government agencies and municipalities worldwide provide grants/subsidies and technical
know-how to promote RWH system.
 In case of roof catchment systems, there is sufficient flexibility to utilize systems that will be
adaptable to suit all socio-economic levels of population including the urban poor.
 Examples of typical options in urban area
- Rainwater use in households as a supplement
- Public institutions
- High rise building in high density urban areas
- Collection of rainwater in industrial areas
- Use of runoff in airports
- Collection of rainfall from public open spaces
for recharging
 Advantages of RWH

Rainwater is relatively clean and the quality is usually acceptable for many purposes with little or
even no treatment.
 System is independent and therefore suitable for scattered settlements.
 Local materials and craftsmanship can be used in construction of rainwater system.
 Ease in maintenance by the owner/user
 Provides a water supply buffer for use in times of emergency or breakdown of the public water supply
systems

Advantages of RWH in Urban Areas

 Flood control - by greatly reducing urban runoff;
· Stormwater drainage - by reducing the size and
scale of infrastructure requirements;
 Firefighting and disaster relief - by providing independent household reservoirs;
 Water conservation - as less water is required from other sources;
 Reduced groundwater exploitation and subsidence - as less groundwater is required;
 Limitations of RWH

 The initial cost (mainly of storage tank) may prevent a family from installing a RWH system.
 The water availability is limited by the rainfall intensity and available roof area.
 Mineral-free rainwater has a flat taste, which may not be liked by many.
 The poorerharvesting segment of the population may not have a roof suitable for rainwater.

 Domestic RWH will always remain a supplement and not a complete replacement for city-
level piped supply or supply from more ‘reliable’ sources.
 RWH System Components
 Catchment Area/Roof
- the surface upon which the rain falls
 Gutters and Downpipes
- the transport channels from catchment surface to storage
 Leaf Screens and Roofwashers
- the systems that remove contaminants and debris
 Cisterns or Storage Tanks
- where collected rainwater is stored
 Conveying
- the delivery system for the treated
rainwater, either by gravity or pump
 Water Treatment
18
- filters and equipment, and additives
to settle, filter, and disinfect
Design considerations for rooftop catchment systems (1)

 The material of the catchment surfaces must be non-toxic and not contain substances
which impair water quality.
 Roof surfaces should be smooth, hard and dense since they are easy to clean and are
less likely to be damaged and shed materials into water
 Precautions are required to prevent the entry of contaminants into the storage tanks.
- No overhanging tree should be left near the roof
- The nesting of the birds on the roof should be prevented
- A first flush bypass such as detachable downpipe should be installed
Design considerations for rooftop catchment systems (2)
 All gutter ends should be fitted with a wire mesh screen to keep out leaves, etc.
 The storage tank should have a tight-fitting roof that excludes light, a manhole
cover and a flushing pipe at the base of the tank.
 The design of the tank should allow for thorough scrubbing of the inner walls and
floor or tank bottom. A sloped bottom and a provision of a sump and a drain are
useful for collection and discharge of settled grit and sediment.
 Taps/faucets should be installed at 10 cm above the base of the tank as this allows
any derbis entering the tank to settle on the bottom where it remains undisturbed, will
not affect the quality of water.
Factors affecting RWH system design
 Rainfall quantity (mm/year)
 Rainfall pattern
 Collection surface area (m2)
 Runoff coefficient of collection (-)
 Storage capacity (m3)
 Daily consumption rate (liters/capita /day)
 Number of users
 Cost
 Alternative water sources
 Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting
 The technical feasibility of roof RWH as a primary source of water is determined by the potential
of a rainwater to meet the demand more effectively than other alternatives.
 Often the attraction of RWH may be as a supplementary water source to reduce the pressure on
a finite primary source or as a backup during the time of drought or breakdown.
 The total amount of water that is received in the form of rainfall over an area is called the
rainwater endowment of that area.
 The collection efficiency accounts for the fact that all the rainwater falling over an area cannot be
effectively harvested.

 The size of supply of rainwater depends on the amount of rainfall (R), the area of the catchment
(A) and its runoff coefficient (C).
 An estimate of mean annual runoff from a given catchment can be obtained using the equation:
S =R *A* C
Where S = Rainwater supply per annum
R = mean annual rainfall
A = Area of the catchment
C = Runoff coefficient
 The actual amount of rainwater supplied will ultimately depend on the volume of the storage tank
or reservoir.
Catchment Area Size
 The size of roof catchment is the projected area of the roof or the building’s footprint under the
roof.
 To calculate the catchment area (A), multiply the length (L) and width (B) of the guttered
area. It is not necessary to measure the sloping edge of the roof.
 Note that it does not matter whether the roof is flat or peaked. It is the “footprint” of the roof drip
line that matters.
Characteristics of Roof Types
Type Runoff Notes

coefficient
GI sheets > 0.9 Excellent quality water. Surface is smooth and high temperatures help to
sterilise bacteria
Tile 0.6 – 0.9 Good quality water from glazed tiles.
(glazed) Unglazed can harbour mould
Contamination can exist in tile joins
Asbestos 0.8 – 0.9 New sheets give good quality water
Sheets Slightly porous so reduced runoff coefficient and older roofs harbor moulds
and even moss
Organic 0.2 Poor quality water (>200 FC/100ml)
(Thatch) Little first flush effect; High turbidity due to dissolved organic material
which does not settle

Example 1:
For a building with a flat roof of size 10 m x 12 m in a city with the average annual rainfall of 800 mm
Roof Area (A) = 10 x 12 = 120 m2
Average annual rainfall (R) = 800 mm = 0.80 m
Total annual volume of rainfall over the roof
= A * R = 120 m2 x 0.80 m = 96 m3 = 96,000 litres
If 70% of the total rainfall is effectively harvested,
Volume of water harvested = 96,000 x 0.7 = 67,200 litres

Average water availability = 67,200 / 365 ~ 184 litres/ day

Storage System
 There are several options available for the storage of rainwater. A variety of materials and
different shapes of the vessels have been used.
 In general, there can be two basic types of storage system:
- Underground tank or storage vessel
- Ground tank or storage vessel
 The choice of the system will depend on several technical and economic considerations like,
space availability, materials and skill available, costs of buying a new tank or construction on site,
ground conditions, local traditions for water storage etc.

 The storage tank is the most expensive part of any RWH system and the most appropriate capacity
for any given locality is affected by its cost and amount of water it is able to supply.
 In general, larger tanks are required in area with marked wet and dry seasons, while relatively
small tanks may suffice in areas where rainfall is relatively evenly spread throughout the year.
 Field experiences show that a universal ideal tank design does not exist. Local materials, skills and
costs, personal preference and other external factors may favour one design over another.
Requirements for Storage System
 A solid secure cover to keep out insects, dirt and sunshine
 A coarse inlet filter to catch leaves etc.
 A overflow pipe
 A manhole, sump and drain for cleaning
 An extraction system that does not contaminate the water e.g. tap/pump
 A soak away to prevent split water forming puddles near the tank.
 Additionally features
- sediment trap or other foul flush mechanism
- device to inside water level in the tank
 Recharge pit

•In alluvial areas where permeable rocks are exposed on the land surface or
are located at very shallow depth, rain water harvesting can be done through
recharge pits.
•The technique is suitable for buildings having a roof area of 100 sq.m. These
are constructed for recharging the shallow aquifers.
•Recharge Pits may be of any shape and size. They are generally constructed
1 to 2 m. wide and 2 to 3 m deep. The pits are filled with boulders (5-20 cm),
gravels (5-10mm) and coarse sand (1.5- 2mm) 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 water 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.
•A mesh should be provided at the roof so that leaves or any other solid
waste / debris is prevented from entering the pit. A desilting /collection
chamber may also be provided at the ground to arrest the flow of finer particles
to the recharge pit
 Recharge trench
•Recharge trenches are suitable for buildings having roof area of 200-300 sq. m. and
where permeable strata is available at shallow depths.
•Trench may be 0.5 to 1 m wide, 1 to 1.5m. deep and 10 to 20 m. long depending upon
availability of water to be recharge.
•These are back filled with boulders (5-20cm), gravel (5-10 mm) and coarse sand (1.5-2
mm) 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 desilting/collection chamber may also be
provided on ground to arrest the flow of finer particles to the trench.
•By-pass arrangement is to 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
 Tube wells
•In areas where the shallow aquifers have dried up and existing tubewells are tapping
deeper aquifer, rain water harvesting through existing tubewell can be adopted to
recharge the deeper aquifers.
•PVC pipes of 10 cm dia are connected to roof drains to collect rainwater. The first roof
runoff is let off through the bottom of drainpipe. After closing the bottom pipe, the
rainwater of subsequent rain showers is taken through a T to an online PVC filter. The
filter may be provided before water enters the tubewells. The filter is 1 –1.2 m. in length
and is made up of PVC pipe. It’s diameter should vary depending on the area of roof, 15
cm 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 (6-10mm), middle chamber with pebbles (12-20 mm) and last chamber with bigger
pebbles (20-40 mm).
•. These collection chambers are interconnected as well as connected to the filter pit
through pipes having a slope of 1:15. 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 (0.30-0.50m) and may be
separated by screen.
 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.
•This techniques is ideally suited for area where permeable horizon is within 3m
below ground level.
•Recharge well of 100-300 diameter is constructed to a depth of at least 3 to 5 m
below the water level. Based on the lithology of the area, well assembly is
designed with slotted pipe against the shallow and deeper aquifer.
•A lateral trench of 1.5 to 3m width and 10 to 30 m length, depending upon the
availability of water is constructed with the recharge well in the centre
If the aquifer is available at greater depth say
more than 20 m, a shallow shaft of 2 to 5 m
diameter and 3-5 metres deep may be
constructed depending upon availability of runoff.
Inside the shaft a recharge well of 100-300 mm
dia is constructed for recharging the available
water to the deeper aquifers. At the bottom of the
shaft a filter media is provided to avoid choking of
recharge well
BY LAWS RELATED TO R.W.H

KERALA
 The Kerala Municipality Building Rules, 1999 were amended by a notification dated
 January 12, 2004 (Local Self Government Department Notification) issued by the
Government of Kerala to include rainwater harvesting structures in new constructions.
 Exemption from this can be granted for cases where water logging is common or in
areas with impermeable subsoil conditions to considerable depths.

NEW DELHI
 
Since June 2001, the Ministry of Urban Development has made rainwater harvesting
mandatory in all new buildings with a roof area of more than 100 sq. m. and in all plots with
an area of more than 1000 sq. m., that are being developed.
The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has made rainwater harvesting mandatory in
all institutions and residential colonies in notified areas (South and South-west Delhi and
adjoining areas like Faridabad, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad). This is also applicable to all the
buildings in notified areas that have tube wells. The deadline for this was for March 31, 2002.
CGWA has also banned drilling of tube wells in notified areas.
INDORE (MADHYA PRADESH)

Rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory in all new buildings with an area of
250 sq m or more.
A rebate of 6 per cent on property tax has been offered as an incentive for
implementing rainwater harvesting systems.
Department of Housing and Environment and Urban Administration and Development,
Government of Madhya Pradesh have issued Directives to Urban Local Bodies under
Government Order no. F 23 (107) 95 XXXII dated 7th July, 2004 for ensuring
installation of Rainwater Harvesting Structures

HYDERABAD (ANDHRA PRADESH)

Rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory in all new buildings with an area of
300 sq m or more irrespective of the roof area Tentative date for enforcing this
deadline was June 2001. Mandatory to provide RWH in all Group Housing and
Commercial Complexes Mandatory for all categories of buildings including
residential
TAMIL NADU

Notification to Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department dated October

2002 for Provision of Water Conservation Measures, Amendments to Chennai city
Corporation Building Rules, 1972 and Special Rules for the Multi storeyed and Public
Buildings, 1974, Tamil Nadu Municipal Corporation of Madurai, Madurai Municipal
Corporation Building (Water Conservation) Rules, 2002

RAJASTHAN
The State Government has made rainwater harvesting mandatory for all public
establishments and all properties in plots covering more than 500 sq m in urban
areas.  
MUMBAI

The State Government has made rainwater harvesting mandatory for all buildings that are
being constructed on plots that are more than 1,000 sq m in size. The deadline set for this
was October, 2002.
By 2007, the same provision became mandatory to buildings with plot area of 3,000 square
meters and above and now it is 5,000 square meters

GUJARAT
The state Roads and Buildings Department has made rainwater harvesting
mandatory for all government buildings.
Under the Gujarat Development Control Regulations, buildings with area between
500 and 1500 sq.m.; the owner or developer shall have to undertake Rainwater
Harvesting as per the Authority Specifications. For buildings with area between
1500 to 4000 sqm., owner/developer has to provide percolation wells with rain
water harvesting system @ one percolating well for every 4000 sqm or part thereof
of building unit.
RWH Brick Jars - Uganda Rainwater Harvesting - Kenya

Source: Rees and Whitehead (2000), DTU,

University of Warwick, UK
Source: John Gould (Waterlines, January 2000)
Ferro-cement jar for rainwater
collection - Uganda Rainwater Harvesting – Sri Lanka`

Source: DTU, University of Warwick

(September 2000)
Underground lime and bricks cistern