Rainwater Harvesting

Some Facts about Water

• Only 2.5% of the world’s water is freshwater and most of this are in the form of polar ice-caps.
• Water use has increased by 70% since 1970
• A recent report by Credit Suisse stated that by 2025 18 countries will experience water demand beyond
supply capabilities
• It takes up to 5000 lt of water to produce 1kg of rice.
• Every square mile of developed land causes 16 million gallons of rain water to directly enter the rivers
on a rainy day!
• Each person uses about 150 litres of water every day. About 60 litres of this is for toilet flushing
• Toilet flushing is the single largest user of household water, 30-40%, up to 90% for offices.

.ppt (2)
 Reasons of Shortage of Water
• Population increase
• Industrialization
• Urbanization
(a) Increase in per capita utilization
(b) Less peculation area
• In places where rain fed/ irrigation based crops are cultivated through ground water
• Decrease in surface area of Lakes, talab, tanks etc.
• Deforestation
• (i) Less precipitation
• (ii) Absence of Barriers
• (a) Rain drops checked by leaves of tree
• (b) Water slowly descends through twigs & trunk
• © Humus – acts as reservoir
• (d) Tiny creatures – helps percolation

1
 What is the solution ?
• Rain water is the ultimate source of fresh water
• Potential of rain to meet water demand is tremendous
• Rain water harvesting helps to overcome water scarcity
• To conserve ground water the aquifers must be recharged with rain
water
• Rain water harvesting is the ultimate answer

3
 Condensation

Let’s take a look at

Precipitation The Water Cycle
Evapotranspiration

Evaporation

Infiltration
Surface Runoff

Consumption Surface Water

Grou
ndw
ater

.ppt (6)
Sea water intrusion
 Condensation Rainfall Definitions

Intensity – Quantity per time of the

Precipitation rainfall event (mm/hour)
Duration – period of time for the
precipitation event
Average Annual and Monthly
Precipitation – Average rainfall
over one year period and monthly
intervals and usually based on 30
or more years of data
Consumption
Grou
ndwa
ter

.ppt (7) Surface Water

 What is Water harvesting??

• Water harvesting is the capture, diversion, and storage of water

obtained from different freshwater sources for plant irrigation,
domestic purposes, industrial purposes, groundwater recharge
and other uses.
 Rainwater harvesting [RWH]

• It is a type of water harvesting.

• It can be defined as the system of collection and concentration of rain

water and its run off and its productive use for :-

a) Irrigation of annual crops pastures and trees.

b) Domestic and livestock consumption.

c) Groundwater recharge.
 Need For Rainwater Harvesting
• Major parts of our country have been facing continuous failure of monsoon
and consequent deficit of rainfall over the last few years.
• Also, due to ever increasing population of India, the use of ground water
has increased drastically leading to constant depletion of ground water level
causing the wells and tube wells to dry up.
• In some places, excessive heat waves during summer create a situation
similar to drought.
• It is imperative to take adequate measures to meet the drinking water
needs of the people in the country besides irrigation and domestic needs.
• Out of 8760 hours in a year, most of the rain in India falls in just 100 hours.
 Improve
living
conditions.

Recharge Substitute
ground ground-
water. water.

Goals

Reduce
soil Reduce
erosion flood risk.
risk.
 Rainwater can be harvested in a variety of ways:

• Directly from roof tops and stored in tanks.

• Monsoon run off and water in swollen streams during the monsoon
and storing it in underground tanks.

• Water from flooded rivers can be stored in small ponds.

• Collection and transfer of rainwater into percolation tanks so as to

facilitate discharge into ground.
 Components of RWH

Catchment

Delivery

Storage
 Models of RWH
There are two main models of rainwater harvesting done in
India:-

• RURAL MODEL.
• URBAN MODEL.
 Rural model of RWH

• Rural areas generally use traditional methods of rainwater harvesting.

• Main motive of rainwater harvesting in these areas is to facilitate irrigation for

agriculture and use of water for domestic and drinking purposes.

• Nowadays practices are also been followed to as to recharge groundwater levels.

• Many of the traditional structures include Tankas, Nadis, Talabs, Bavdis, Rapats, Kuis,
Virdas, Kunds, Khadins, Johads etc.
 Bawodi Kunds
Traditional step wells are Covered underground tank,
called vavadi in Gujarat, or developed primarily for
baoris or bavadis in tackling drinking water
Rajasthan and northern problems.
India.
Khadin Bund
 Urban Model of RWH

• More modernized system of rainwater harvesting.

• The main components of the urban model are:-
a) Roof catchment
b) Gutters
c) Down pipe
d) First flush pipe
e) Filter unit
f) Storage tank
g) Collection pit.
 Advantages

• RWH provides a good supplement to other water sources thus relieving

pressure on other water sources.

• It can supply as a buffer and can be used in times of emergency or breakdown of

public water supply systems.

• Helps reduce the storm drainage load and flooding in the cities.

• It is a flexible technology and can be built to require meets of any range. Also
the construction, operation and maintenance is not very labour intensive in
most systems.
 Advantages

• Prevents water wastage by arresting run off as well as prevents soil erosion and
mitigates flood.
• Sustains and safeguards existing water table through recharge.
• Arrests sea-water intrusion and prevents salination of ground water.
• Rainwater harvesting can reduce salt accumulation in the soil which can be
harmful to root growth. When rainwater percolates into the soil, it forces the
salts down and away from the root zone area. This allows for greater root
growth and water uptake, which increases the drought tolerance of plants.
• Rain-water is a clean and pure source of drinking water which requires minimal
chemical treatment as the amount of pollutants are not much.
 Disadvantages

• In terms of complex constructions, there is a requirement for high costs,

trained professionals.
• Maintenance costs may add to the monetary burden.
• If not maintained properly then it can cause various problems in terms of
algal or bacterial growth.
• Tanks if not constructed properly might result in leakages and metal tanks
may also lead to problems such as corrosion harming the water quality.
• All these factors might prove harmful and result in various kinds of health
issues.
• The system is very much rainfall dependent and hence if there are
problems with the rainfall in the area, it may not be very effective.
 Future of Rainwater Harvesting

• Rainwater harvesting systems serve as an alternative decentralized water

source especially in the age when groundwater supplies are depleting and
municipal water infrastructures are facing high replacement costs.

• The use of decentralized rainwater harvesting systems is growing nationally and

internationally, especially in industrial countries like Asia, Europe and the US.
 RWH – Methodologies

• Roof Rain Water Harvesting

• Land based Rain Water Harvesting
• Watershed based Rain Water harvesting
• For Urban & Industrial Environment –
• Roof & Land based RWH
• Public, Private, Office & Industrial buildings
• Pavements, Lawns, Gardens & other open spaces
 RAIN WATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES :

There are two main techniques of rain water harvestings.

• Storage of rainwater on surface for future use.

• Recharge to ground water.

The storage of rain water on surface is a traditional techniques and structures

used were underground tanks, ponds, check dams, weirs etc
Recharge to ground water is a new concept of rain water harvesting and
the structures generally used are :-

Pits :- Recharge pits are constructed for recharging the shallow aquifer. These are
constructed 1 to 2 m, wide and to 3 m. deep which are back filled with boulders,
gravels, coarse sand.

Trenches:- These are constructed when the permeable stream is available at shallow
depth. Trench may be 0.5 to 1 m. wide, 1 to 1.5m. deep and 10 to 20 m. long
depending up availability of water. These are back filled with filter materials.

Dug wells:- Existing dug wells may be utilised as recharge structure and water should
pass through filter media before putting into dug well.
Hand pumps :- The existing hand pumps may be used for recharging the
shallow/deep aquifers, if the availability of water is limited. Water should pass
through filter media before diverting it into hand pumps.
Recharge wells :- Recharge wells of 100 to 300 mm. diameter are generally
constructed for recharging the deeper aquifers and water is passed through
filter media to avoid choking of recharge wells.

Recharge Shafts :- For recharging the shallow aquifer which are located below
clayey surface, recharge shafts of 0.5 to 3 m. diameter and 10 to 15 m. deep
are constructed and back filled with boulders, gravels & coarse sand.
Lateral shafts with bore wells :- For recharging the upper as well as deeper
aquifers lateral shafts of 1.5 to 2 m. wide & 10 to 30 m. long depending upon
availability of water with one or two bore wells are constructed. The lateral
shafts is back filled with boulders, gravels & coarse sand.
Spreading techniques :- When permeable strata starts from top
then this technique is used. Spread the water in streams / Nalas
by making check dams, nala bunds, cement plugs, gabion
structures or a percolation pond may be constructed.
 The roof catchment are selectively cleaner when compared to the
ground level catchment

• Losses from roof catchment are minimum

• Built & Maintained by local communities
• No Chemical contamination & only required filtration
• Available at door step with least cost
The typical roof top rain water harvesting system comprises

• Roof catchment
• Gutters
• Down pipe & first flushing pipe
• Filter Unit
• Storage Tank
Roof Catchment
The roof of the house is used as the catchment for collecting rain water. The style
construction and material of the roof effect its suitability as a catchment, Roofs
made of corrugated iron sheet , asbestos sheet, Tiles or Concrete can be utilized
for harvesting the rain water

Gutters
Gutters are channels fixed to the edges of roof all around to collect & transport
the rainwater from the roof. Gutters can be made in semi-circular and rectangular
shape with cement pipe, plain galvanized iron sheet, PVC pipes, bamboos etc. Use
of locally available material reduce the overall cost of the system.
Down Pipe
It is the pipe which carries the rainwater from the gutters to the filter & storage
tank. Down pipe is joined with the gutters at one end & the other end is connected
to the filter unit of the storage tank. PVC or GI pipe of 50mm to 75mm (2 to”) are
commonly used for down pipe. Bamboo can be also used wherever available and
possible

First Flush Pipe

Debris, dust & dirt collect on the roof during non rainy periods when the first rain
arrive. A first flush system arrangement is made to avoid the entering unwanted
material into the Filter media & storage tank. This is a simple manually operated
arrangement or semi-automatic system with a valve below the ‘T’ junction
Filter Unit
The filter unit is a container or chamber filled with filter media such as
coarse sand, charcoal, coconut fiber, pebbles & gravels to remove the debris
& dirt from water that enters the tank. The filter unit is placed over the
storage tank or separately. It may be of Ferro cement filter unit, Aluminum,
Cement rings or Plastic bucket etc.

Storage Tank
It is used to store the water that is collected from the roof through filter. For
small scale water storage plastic buckets, jerry cans, clay or cement jars,
ceramic jars, drums may be used. For larger quantities of water, the system
will require a bigger tank with cylindrical or rectangular or square in shape
constructed with Ferro cement or cement rings or plain cement concrete or
reinforced cement concrete or brick or stone etc. 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. A provision for keeping the vessel to collect the water is to be made.
USES OF ROOFTOP RWH

• Storage of direct use.

• Recharging groundwater aquifer.
• Recharging dug wells.
• Recharging pits.
• Recharging tube wells.
Surface runoff harvesting

• In this method of collecting rainwater for irrigation, water flowing along

the ground during the rains will be collected to a tank below the surface
if the ground
 Quality
•The concentration of contaminants is reduced significantly by diverting the initial flow of
runoff water to waste.
•Improved water quality can also be obtained by using a floating draw-off mechanism (rather
than from the base of the tank) and by using a series of tanks, with draw from the last in
series.
•The stored rainwater may need to be analyzed properly before use in a way appropriate to its
safety.
•The quality of collected rainwater is generally better than that of  surface water.
•Contamination is always possible by airborne dust and mists, bird feces, and other debris, so
some treatment is necessary, depending on how the water will be used.
 SYSTEM SETUP

• Rainwater
harvesting systems can be installed with minimal skills.
•The system should be sized to meet the water demand throughout the dry
season since it must be big enough to support daily water consumption.
•Specifically, the rainfall capturing area such as a building roof must be large
enough to maintain adequate flow.
•Likewise, the water storage tank should be large enough to contain the
captured water.
 New Approaches

• Instead of
using the roof for catchment, the RainSaucer, which looks like an upside down
umbrella, collects rain straight from the sky.
• This decreases the potential for contamination and makes potable water for
developing countries a potential application.
•Other applications of this free standing rainwater collection approach are
sustainable gardening and small plot farming.
•A Dutch invention called the Groasis Waterbox is also useful for growing
trees with harvested and stored dew and rainwater.
 History
• Around the third century
BC, the farming communities in Baluchistan (in present-dayPakistan, Afghanistan and Iran),
and Kutch(in present-day India) used rainwater harvesting for irrigation.
•In ancient Tamil Nadu (India), rainwater harvesting was done by Chola kings. 
•Rainwater from the Brihadeeswarar temple was collected in Sivaganga tank.During the later Chola
period, the Vīrānam tank was built (1011 to 1037 CE) in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu to store
water for drinking and irrigation purposes.
•Vīrānam is a 16-kilometre (9.9 mi) long tank with a storage capacity of 1,465,000,000 cubic feet
(41,500,000 m3).
•Rainwater harvesting was done in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
and Chhattisgarh in the olden days.
•Ratanpur, in the state of Chhattisgarh, had around 150 ponds.
•Most of the tanks or ponds were utilised in agriculture works.
 India
•In the state of Tamil Nadu, rainwater harvesting was made compulsory for every building
to avoid ground water depletion.
•It proved excellent results within five years, and every other state took it as role model.
Since its implementation, Chennai saw a 50 percent rise in water level in five years and the
water quality significantly improved.
•In Rajasthan, rainwater harvesting has traditionally been practiced by the people of
the Thar Desert.
• There are many ancient water harvesting systems in Rajasthan, which have now been
revived .
•At present, in Pune (in Maharashtra), rainwater harvesting is compulsory for any new
society to be registered.
 Not new to India

Rainwater storage reservoir at Dholavira (Rann of Kutch) – Harappan

civilization (2500-1900 BC)
Centuries old ‘Kul irrigation’ in the Western Himalayan mountainous
rain-shadow regions like Spiti valley

Glacier melt is diverted into the head of a ‘kul’ or a diversion channel

These ‘kuls’ channel the water over

many kilometers

They lead into a tank in the village from which water flow is regulated

Source: http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/methods/traditional/kuls.htm Accessed November 2008

 Inundation channel Bengal Flood plains

Floodwater entered the fields through the inundation canals

 The waters brought in rich silt and fish

 The fish fed on mosquito larva and helped check malaria in this region.
t
en
km
n
ba

Fields
Em

r
i ve
R Kan
a / Na
di

Fields
 Khadins of Jaisalmer
(harvesting structures for agricultural fields)

 Designed by the Paliwal Brahmins of Jaisalmer, in 15th century

 Similar system also practised in Ur (Iraq), the Negev desert, and in south west Colorado

 An embankment prevents water from flowing away. Collected water seeps into the soil.
This water saturates land, which is then used for growing crops
 Johads of Rajasthan
(provide water for domestic use)

Earthen or masonry rainwater harvesting structure, for providing water for domestic use to
the communities.

Photo by L R Burdak
 Tankas of Bikaner, Barmer, Phalodi - Rajasthan

Pipes from the rooftop lead

rainwater into the tanka
catchment

Note the slope provided for the rainwater

(palar pani) to flow into the tanka
 Tankas for storing drinking water
Thar desert region of Rajasthan (Barmer, Bikaner, Pallodi)

 Unique underground structures of

various shapes and sizes to collect rain
water for drinking purposes
 Sometimes used to store drinking water
brought from far off wells in case the
rainwater gets exhausted
 Constructed in court yards or in front of
houses and temples,
 Built both for individual households as
well as for village communities
 Tankas of Bikaner, Barmer, Phalodi - Rajasthan
 Main source of drinking water in these areas

 People protect and maintain them

 Just before the on-set of the monsoon, the catchment area of the Tanka is cleaned up to remove all possible
pollutants

 Human activity and grazing of cattle in the area is prohibited

 First spell of rain not collected

Thank You