Rainwater Harvesting
What is RWH?
Rain water harvesting is collection and storage of rain water that runs off from roof tops, parks, roads, open grounds, etc. This water run off can be either stored or recharged into the ground water. A rainwater harvesting systems consists of the following components:
- catchment from where water is captured and stored or recharged,
- conveyance system that carries the water harvested from the catchment to the storage/recharge zone,
- first flush that is used to flush out the first spell of rain,
- filter used to remove pollutants,
- storage tanks and/or various recharge structures.
Why do RWH?
Rain may soon be the only source of clean water. Rainwater harvesting systems use the principle of conserving rainwater where it falls and have the following benefits:
- Helps meet ever increasing demand of water. Read more about Cygnus Microsystems, Hyderabad case study...
- Improves quality and quantity of groundwater. Read more about Chintamani Vidyapith, Puri case study...
- Reduces flooding. Read more about Karnataka Bank branch in Kuvempu Nagar, Mysore case study...
Where?
Individual homes – Ruchi Singhal case study
Colonies – Defence Colony case study
Apartments – Surya Vihar case study
Institutions – Ford Foundation case study
Schools/colleges/universities – Jamia Hamdard University case study
Clubs – Deccan Gymkhana club case study
Hospitals – Spinal Injury Center case study
Industries – Hero Honda case study
Slums – Naka Gate Slum, Bhubaneshwar case study
Everywhere……the potential for rainwater harvesting is huge
How?
Setting up a rainwater harvesting is not difficult but requires some sort of understanding of hydrology and architecture and as a result most people find it too complicated to do it themselves. In order to make it simple and convenient for everyone to set up a rainwater harvesting system suitable for their needs, we have prepared a set of guidelines which will help you to set up your own rainwater harvesting system quickly and efficiently.
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