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METHODS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING

MethodsofRainwaterHarvesting
Broadlytherearetwowaysof
harvestingrainwater.
(i)Surfacerunoffharvesting
(ii)Rooftoprainwaterharvesting
Variousmethodsofrainwater
harvestingaredescribedinthis
section.
1.Surfacerunoffharvesting
Inurbanarearainwaterflowsawayassurfacerunoff.Thisrunoffcouldbecaughtand
usedforrechargingaquifersbyadoptingappropriatemethods.
2.RoofToprainwaterharvesting
Itisasystemofcatchingrainwaterwhereitfalls.Inrooftopharvesting,theroof
becomesthecatchments,andtherainwateriscollectedfromtheroofofthe
house/building.Itcaneitherbestoredinatankordivertedtoartificialrecharge
system.Thismethodislessexpensiveandveryeffectiveandifimplementedproperly
helpsinaugmentingthegroundwaterlevelofthearea.

2.1Componentsoftherooftoprainwaterharvesting
Theillustrativedesignofthebasiccomponentsofrooftoprainwaterharvestingsystem
isgiveninthetypicalschematicdiagramshowninFig1.

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Fig1:ComponentsofRainwaterharvesting
Thesystemmainlyconstitutesoffollowingsubcomponents:
Catchments
Transportation
Firstflush
Filter
Catchments

Thesurfacethatreceivesrainfalldirectlyisthecatchmentofrainwaterharvesting
system.Itmaybeterrace,courtyard,orpavedorunpavedopenground.Theterrace
maybeflatRCC/stonerooforslopingroof.Thereforethecatchmentisthearea,which
actuallycontributesrainwatertotheharvestingsystem.
Transportation
Rainwaterfromrooftopshouldbecarriedthroughdowntakewaterpipesordrainsto
storage/harvestingsystem.WaterpipesshouldbeUVresistant(ISIHDPE/PVCpipes)
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ofrequiredcapacity.Waterfromslopingroofscouldbecaughtthroughguttersand
downtakepipe.Atterraces,mouthoftheeachdrainshouldhavewiremeshtorestrict
floatingmaterial.
FirstFlush
Firstflushisadeviceusedtoflushoffthewaterreceivedinfirstshower.Thefirst
showerofrainsneedstobeflushedofftoavoidcontaminatingstorable/rechargeable
waterbytheprobablecontaminantsoftheatmosphereandthecatchmentroof.Itwill
alsohelpincleaningofsiltandothermaterialdepositedonroofduringdryseasons
Provisionsoffirstrainseparatorshouldbemadeatoutletofeachdrainpipe.
Filter
ThereisalwayssomeskepticismregardingRoofTopRainwaterHarvestingsincedoubts
areraisedthatrainwatermaycontaminategroundwater.Thereisremotepossibilityof
thisfearcomingtrueifproperfiltermechanismisnotadopted.Secondlyallcaremust
betakentoseethatundergroundsewerdrainsarenotpuncturedandnoleakageis
takingplaceinclosevicinity.Filtersareusedfrotreatmentofwatertoeffectively
removeturbidity,colourandmicroorganisms.Afterfirstflushingofrainfall,water
shouldpassthroughfilters.Agravel,sandandnetlonmeshfilterisdesignedand
placedontopofthestoragetank.Thisfilterisveryimportantinkeepingtherainwater
inthestoragetank
clean.Itremovessilt,dust,leavesandotherorganicmatterfromenteringthestorage
tank.Thefiltermediashouldbecleaneddailyaftereveryrainfallevent.Cloggedfilters
preventrainwaterfromeasilyenteringthestoragetankandthefiltermayoverflow.
Thesandorgravelmediashouldbetakenoutandwashedbeforeitisreplacedinthe
filter.
AtypicalphotographoffilterisshowninFig2.

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Fig2:Photographoftypicalfilter
Therearedifferenttypesoffiltersinpractice,butbasicfunctionistopurifywater.
Differenttypesoffiltersaredescribedinthissection.

a)SandGravelFilter
Thesearecommonlyusedfilters,constructedbybrickmasonryandfilletedbypebbles,
gravel,andsandasshowninthefigure.Eachlayershouldbeseparatedbywiremesh.
AtypicalfigureofSandGravelFilterisshowninFig3.

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Fig3:SandGravelFilter
CharcoalFilter
Charcoalfiltercanbemadeinsituorinadrum.Pebbles,gravel,sandandcharcoalas
showninthefigureshouldfillthedrumorchamber.Eachlayershouldbeseparatedby
wiremesh.Thinlayerofcharcoalisusedtoabsorbodorifany.Aschematicdiagramof
CharcoalfilterisindicatedinFig4.

Fig4:CharcoalFilter
PVCPipefilter
ThisfiltercanbemadebyPVCpipeof1to1.20mlengthDiameterofpipedepends
ontheareaofroof.Sixinchesdia.pipeisenoughfora1500Sq.Ft.roofand8inches
dia.pipeshouldbeusedforroofsmorethen1500Sq.Ft.Pipeisdividedintothree
compartmentsbywiremesh.Eachcomponentshouldbefilledwithgravelandsand
alternativelyasshowninthefigure.Alayerofcharcoalcouldalsobeinsertedbetween
twolayers.Bothendsoffiltershouldhavereduceofrequiredsizetoconnectinletand
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outlet.Thisfiltercouldbeplacedhorizontallyorverticallyinthesystem.Aschematic
pipefilterisshowninFig5.

Fig5:PVCPipefilter
SpongeFilter
ItisasimplefiltermadefromPVCdrumhavingalayerofspongeinthemiddleof
drum.Itistheeasiestandcheapestformfilter,suitableforresidentialunits.Atypical
figureofspongefilterisshowninFig6.

Fig6:SpongeFilter
2.2Methodsofrooftoprainwaterharvesting
Variousmethodsofusingrooftoprainwaterharvestingareillustratedinthissection.
a)StorageofDirectUse

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Inthismethodrainwatercollectedfromtheroofofthebuildingisdivertedtoastorage
tank.Thestoragetankhastobedesignedaccordingtothewaterrequirements,rainfall
andcatchmentavailability.Eachdrainpipeshouldhavemeshfilteratmouthandfirst
flushdevicefollowedbyfiltrationsystembeforeconnectingtothestoragetank.Itis
advisablethateachtankshouldhaveexcesswateroverflowsystem.
Excesswatercouldbedivertedtorechargesystem.Waterfromstoragetankcanbe
usedforsecondarypurposessuchaswashingandgardeningetc.Thisisthemostcost
effectivewayofrainwaterharvesting.Themainadvantageofcollectingandusingthe
rainwaterduringrainyseasonisnotonlytosavewaterfromconventionalsources,but
alsotosaveenergyincurredontransportationanddistributionofwateratthe
doorstep.Thisalsoconservesgroundwater,ifitisbeingextractedtomeetthedemand
whenrainsareon.AtypicalfigofstoragetankisshowninFig7.

Fig7:Astoragetankonaplatformpaintedwhite
b)Recharginggroundwateraquifers
Groundwateraquiferscanberechargedbyvariouskindsofstructurestoensure
percolationofrainwaterinthegroundinsteadofdrainingawayfromthesurface.
Commonlyusedrechargingmethodsare:
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a)Rechargingofborewells
b)Rechargingofdugwells.
c)Rechargepits
d)RechargeTrenches
e)SoakwaysorRechargeShafts
f)PercolationTanks
c)Rechargingofborewells
Rainwatercollectedfromrooftopofthebuildingisdivertedthroughdrainpipesto
settlementorfiltrationtank.Aftersettlementfilteredwaterisdivertedtoborewellsto
rechargedeepaquifers.Abandonedborewellscanalsobeusedforrecharge.
Optimumcapacityofsettlementtank/filtrationtankcanbedesignedonthebasisof
areaofcatchement,intensityofrainfallandrechargerate.Whilerecharging,entryof
floatingmatterandsiltshouldberestrictedbecauseitmayclogtherechargestructure.
Firstoneortwoshowershouldbeflushedoutthroughrainseparatortoavoid
contamination.Aschematicdiagramoffiltrationtankrechargingtoborewellis
indicatedinFig8.

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Fig8:Filtrationtankrechargingtoborewell

d)Rechargepits
Rechargepitsaresmallpitsofanyshaperectangular,squareorcircular,contracted
withbrickorstonemasonrywallwithweepholeatregularintervals.Topofpitcanbe
coveredwithperforatedcovers.Bottomofpitshouldbefilledwithfiltermedia.
Thecapacityofthepitcanbedesignedonthebasisofcatchmentarea,rainfall
intensityandrechargerateofsoil.Usuallythedimensionsofthepitmaybeof1to2
mwidthand2to3mdeepdependingonthedepthofperviousstrata.Thesepitsare
suitableforrechargingofshallowaquifers,andsmallhouses.Aschematicdiagramof
rechargepitisshowninFig9.

Fig9:Rechargepit
e)SoakwayorRechargeshafts

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Soakawayorrechargeshaftsareprovidedwhereupperlayerofsoilisalluvialorless
pervious.Theseareboredholeof30cmdia.upto10to15mdeep,dependingon
depthofperviouslayer.Boreshouldbelinedwithslotted/perforatedPVC/MSpipeto
preventcollapseoftheverticalsides.Atthetopofsoakawayrequiredsizesumpis
constructedtoretainrunoffbeforethefiltersthroughsoakaway.Sumpshouldbefilled
withfiltermedia.AschematicdiagramofrechargeshaftisshowninFig10.

Fig10:SchematicDiagramofRechargeshaft
f)Rechargingofdugwells
Dugwellcanbeusedasrechargestructure.Rainwaterfromtherooftopisdivertedto
dugwellsafterpassingitthroughfiltrationbed.Cleaninganddesaltingofdugwell
shouldbedoneregularlytoenhancetherechargerate.Thefiltrationmethodsuggested
forborewellrechargingcouldbeused.Aschematicdiagramofrechargingintodugwell
isindicatedinFig11shownbelow.

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Fig11:Schematicdiagramofrechargingtodugwell

g)Rechargetrenches
Rechargetrenchinprovidedwhereupperimperviouslayerofsoilisshallow.Itisa
trenchexcavatedonthegroundandrefilledwithporousmedialikepebbles,boulderor
brickbats.itisusuallymadeforharvestingthesurfacerunoff.Borewellscanalsobe
providedinsidethetrenchasrechargeshaftstoenhancepercolation.Thelengthofthe
trenchisdecidedaspertheamountofrunoffexpected.Thismethodissuitablefor
smallhouses,playgrounds,parksandroadsidedrains.Therechargetrenchcanbeof
size0.50to1.0mwideand1.0to1.5mdeep.Aschematicdiagramofrechargingto
trenchesisshowninFigbelow12.

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Fig12:Rechargingtotrenches.

h)Percolationtank
Percolationtanksareartificiallycreatedsurfacewaterbodies,submergingalandarea
withadequatepermeabilitytofacilitatesufficientpercolationtorechargetheground
water.Thesecanbebuiltinbigcampuseswherelandisavailableandtopographyis
suitable.
Surfacerunoffandrooftopwatercanbedivertedtothistank.Wateraccumulatingin
thetankpercolatesinthesolidtoaugmentthegroundwater.Thestoredwatercanbe
useddirectlyforgardeningandrawuse.Percolationtanksshouldbebuiltingardens,
openspacesandroadsidegreenbeltsofurbanarea.

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Related Topics

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