A

SEMINAR ON
“Rain Water Harvesting”
In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
(Civil engineering)

BY
RAJESH SAH
11169130

Submitted to
Dr. Vanita Aggarwal
HOD & Professor Civil Engineering Department
MAHARISHI MARKANDESHWAR ENGINEERING
COLLEGE
MAHARISHI MARKANDESHWAR (DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY),
(Accredited by NAAC with GRADE ‘A’)
Mullana, Ambala-133207, HARYANA

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I thank our seminar guide Dr. Vanita Aggarwal Head of Civil Engineering
Department, MMDU, for this proper guidance, and valuable suggestions. I am
indebted to other faculty members of Civil Engineering Department for giving me
an opportunity to learn and present the seminar. If not the above mentioned people
my seminar would never have been completed successfully.
I once again extend my sincere thanks to all of them.

Rajesh sah
11169130
B-tech civil 8th SEM

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 Table of content
Contents page no.
Acknowledgement……………………………………… I
Table of content………………………………………… II
Certificate …………………………………………….... III
Declaration……………………………………………... IV
Abstract ……………………………………………….... V
Introduction ……………………………………………. 1
Objectives………………………………………………. 4
Method of rain water harvesting……………………….. 5
Components of roof top rwh…………………………… 8
Uses of rain water……………………………………… 14
Current status of rwh in India………………………….. 15
Advantages…………………………………………….. 19
Disadvantages………………………………………….. 20
Conclusion……………………………………………... 21
References…………………………………………….... 22

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 CERTIFICATE

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

This is to certify that the seminar entitled “Rain Water Harvesting” which is
being submitted by Rajesh sah in partial fulfillment of the degree of
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING OF
MAHARISHI MARKENDESHWAR (DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY)
MULLANA, AMBALA is authentic record of our work carried during a period
from December 2019 to April 2020 under the guidance of DR. VANITA
AGARWAL.

This is certify that this report has not been submitted earlier for the award of any
degree and the above statement made by the candidate is correct to the best of my
knowledge.

DR.VANITA AGGARWAL
Head OF Department
Civil Engineering Department
MMEC, MULLANA

III
 Declaration

I hereby certify that the seminar work which is been presented in the project
entitled “Rain Water Harvesting” in partial fulfillment of the requirement for
the award of B.Tech. degree in civil engineering during session 2019-2020 at
Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be university), Mullana is an
authentic record of my own work carried our during the period from December
2019 to April 2020 under the supervision of Dr. Vanita Agarwal, Head of
Department , civil engineering department.

The matter embodied in the project has not been submitted to any other
university/institute for the award of any degree or diploma.

Date:

This is to certify that the above statement made is correct to the best of my
knowledge.

Rajesh sah DR. Vanita Agarwal

11169130 (Head of Department)
CED, Mullana

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 Abstract
Rainwater Harvesting is the accumulating and storing, of rainwater for reuse, before it reaches
the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock water for irrigation,
as well as other typical uses given to water. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses, tents
and local institutions, can make an important contribution to the availability of drinking water.

Water collected from the ground, sometimes from areas which are especially prepared for this
purpose, is called Storm water harvesting. In some cases, rainwater may be the only available,
or economical, water source. Rainwater harvesting systems can be simple to construct from
inexpensive local materials, and are potentially successful in most habitable locations.

Roof rainwater can be of good quality and may not require treatment before consumption.
Although some rooftop materials may produce rainwater that is harmful to human health, it can
be useful in flushing toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden and washing cars; these uses
alone halve the amount of water used by a typical home. Household rainfall catchment systems
are appropriate in areas with an average rainfall greater than 200 mm (7.9 in) per year, and no
other accessible water sources (Skinner and Cotton, 1992). Overflow from rainwater harvesting
tank systems can be used to refill aquifers in a process called groundwater recharge, though this
is a related process, it must not be confused with Rainwater harvesting

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Introduction
Harvesting Rainwater for saving drinking water has gained enormously in significance as
modern water saving sanitary technique.
This can be used for private and public buildings as well as for many industrial areas.
Due to the storage (retention) and the usage of rainwater the water flowing off housing estates
in both reduced and delayed

Importance of Water

Water is one of the most vital natural resources for all life on Earth. The availability and quality
of water always have played an important part in determining not only where people can live,
but also their quality of life. Even though there always has been plenty of fresh water on Earth,
water has not always been available when and where it is needed, nor is it always of suitable
quality for all uses. Water must be considered as a finite resource that has limits and boundaries
to its availability and suitability for use. The balance between supply and demand for water is
a delicate one. The availability of usable water has and will continue to dictate where and to
what extent development will occur. Water must be in sufficient supply for an area to develop,
and an area cannot continue to develop if water demand far outstrips available supply. Further,
a water supply will be called upon to meet an array of off stream uses (in which the water is
withdrawn from the source) in addition to in stream uses (in which the water remains in place).
Figure below represents the demands on water as a tug-of-war among the various off stream
and in stream uses. Traditionally, water management in the United States focused on expanding
or manipulating the country's supplies of fresh water to meet the needs of users. Several large
dams were built during the early twentieth century to increase the supply of fresh water for any
given time and place. This era of building large dams has passed. In the twenty-first century,
the finite water supply and established infrastructure require that demand be managed more
effectively within the available sustainable supply. Water-use information can be used to

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evaluate the impacts of population growth and the effectiveness of alternative water
management policies, regulations, and conservation activities.

Fig 1. 1 A display of importance of water

With two third of the earth's surface covered by water and the human body consisting of 75
percent of it, it is evidently clear that water is one of the prime elements responsible for life on
earth. Water circulates through the land just as it does through the human body, transporting,
dissolving, and replenishing nutrients and organic matter, while carrying away waste material.
Further in the body, it regulates the activities of fluids, tissues, cells, lymph, blood and glandular
secretions. Water has been used since antiquity as a symbol by which to express devotion and
purity. Some cultures, like the ancient Greeks, went as far as to worship gods who were thought
to live in and command the waters. Whole cities have been built by considering the location
and availability of pure drinking water. The place of gathering was around the wells, which is
perhaps the following trend in building fountains in the middle of piazzas. One issue that urban
India faces continuously is the water crisis. They get most of their water supply from rivers and
lakes. As the local footprints dry out due to mismanagement and overuse, the search for another
resource turns even more distant. The situation has an ironical turn. At one side the cities are
facing severe water crisis and on the other hand they are flooded with rainwater, which is the
most common source of fresh water in the monsoon. The neglected harvesting systems have

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simply worsened the situations. Today, the hunt for a water source and its sustainability is a big
concern. One of the solutions for water crisis is capturing of this abundant rainwater through
rainwater harvesting.

What is rain water harvesting?

• Rainwater harvesting is a technology used for collecting and storing rainwater from
rooftops, the land surface or rock catchment using simple techniques such as jars and
pots as well as more complex techniques such as underground check dams.
• Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and deposition of rainwater for reuse on –site,
rather than allowing it to runoff.

Why is this required?

• Surface water is inadequate to meet our demand and we have to depend on ground water.
• Environmental Changes.
• To arrest ground water decline and augment ground water table
• To beneficiate water quality in aquifers
• To conserve surface water runoff during monsoon
• To reduce soil erosion
• Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rain water into the sub-soil has decreased
drastically and recharging of ground water has diminished etc.
• Bangalore gets most of its drinking water from a distance of 95 kms. and a depth of 500
mts.

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Objectives of Rainwater Harvesting

• To meet the increasing demand of water.

• To reduce the run-off which chokes the drains?
• To avoid the flooding of roads.
• To raise the underground water table.
• To reduce groundwater pollution.
• To reduce soils erosion.
• Supplement domestic water needs.

Benefits of rainwater harvesting in urban India

 The cost incurred to recharge the groundwater is lower than maintaining surface
reserves.
 The aquifers can be used for distribution of water to nearby places, thus shortening the
distance the water is transported and minimizing water loss.
 The land is not occupied for storage purpose nor does the population need to be moved
from one place to another.
 Groundwater has minimum scope for evaporation or pollution which means more
reliable water for daily consumption.
 Rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge also minimizes the chances of flood
like situations and water logging at various locations.
 Water logging and flood lead to soil erosion, which can be checked with rainwater
harvesting.
 Groundwater recharge with the help of rainwater harvesting can also help to curb
drought like situations.
 These are just few reasons for opting for rainwater harvesting. They are also simple to
apply and can be carried at both large and residential levels thus involving everyone for
their contribution towards saving the nature and our generations.

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Methods of Rainwater Harvesting

Broadly there are two ways of harvesting rainwater.

1. Roof top rainwater harvesting.
2. Surface runoff harvesting.

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Surface Runoff Harvesting

• Harvesting of surface runoff and storage of the same into reservoirs such as water pans
makes it available for use when required.
• 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 of the ground.

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Roof top Rainwater Harvesting

• It is a system of catching rainwater where it falls. In rooftop harvesting, the roof

becomes the catchments, and the rainwater is collected from the roof of the
house/building. It can either be stored in a tank or diverted to artificial recharge system.
• This method is less expensive and very effective and if implemented properly helps in
augmenting the ground water level of the area.

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Components of the roof top RWH.

1. CATCHMENT
2. COUNDUITS
3. FILTERS
4. STORAGE FACILITY

Sub Component
1. Catchment
2. Transportation
3. First flush
4. Storage system
5. Delivery system
6. Filter system

1. Catchment
 The surface that receives rainfall directly is the catchment of rainwater harvesting
system. It may be terrace, courtyard, or paved or unpaved open ground.

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  The terrace may be flat RCC/stone roof or sloping roof. Therefore the catchment is the
area, which actually contributes rainwater to the harvesting system.

2. Transportation
 Rainwater from rooftop should be carried through down take water pipes or drains to
storage/harvesting system.
 Water pipes should be UV resistant (ISI HDPE/PVC pipes) of required capacity.
 Water from sloping roofs could be caught through gutters and down take pipe.

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 3. 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.

4. Storage system
 All collected rain water are store in tank or barrels used.

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5. Filtration system
 Filtration are used for treatment of water to effectively remove turbidity, color and
microorganisms. After first flushing of rainfall, water should pass through filters.
There are different types of filters in practices, such as-:
 Sand gravel filter
 Charcoal filter
 PVC-pipe filter

Sand gravel filter

 These are commonly used filters, constructed by brick masonry and filleted by
pebbles, gravel, and sand as shown in figure. Each layer should be separated by wire
wash.

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Charcoal filter
• Charcoal filter can be made in-situ or in a drum. Pebbles, gravel, sand and charcoal as
shown in the figure should be fill the drum or chamber. Each layer should be separated
by wire mesh. Thin layer of charcoal is used to absorb odor if any.

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PVC-PIPE FILETR
• This filter can be made by PVC pipe of 1 to 1.20 m length; diameter of pipe depends on
the area of roof. Six inches dia. Pipe is enough for 1500 sq. ft. roof and 8 inches dia.
Pipe should be used for roofs more than 1500 sq. ft. pipe is divided into three
compartments by wire wash.

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Uses of rain water
• Domestic Use
• Agricultural Use
• Industrial and Commercial use
• Increase groundwater supplies

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Current status in India and other countries
 Canada
 A number of Canadians have started implementing rainwater harvesting systems for use
in storm water reduction, irrigation, laundry, and lavatory plumbing. Substantial reform
to Canadian law since the mid-2000s has increased the use of this technology in
agricultural, industrial, and residential use, but ambiguity remains amongst legislation
in many provinces. Bylaws and local municipal codes often regulate rainwater
harvesting.
 India
 Tamil Nadu was the first state to make rainwater harvesting compulsory for every
building to avoid groundwater depletion. The scheme was launched in 2001 and has
been implemented in all rural areas of Tamil Nadu. Posters all over Tamil Nadu
including rural areas create awareness about harvesting rainwater TN Gov. Site. It gave
excellent results within five years, and slowly every state took it as a role model. Since
its implementation, Chennai had a 50% rise in water level in five years and the water
quality significantly improved.[8]
 Karnataka: In Bangalore, adoption of rainwater harvesting is mandatory for every owner
or the occupier of a building having the site area measuring 60 ft. (18.3 m) × 40 ft.
(12.2 m) and above and for newly constructed building measuring 30 ft. (9.1 m) × 40 ft.
(12.2 m) and above dimensions. In this regard, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage
Board has initiated and constructed “Rain Water Harvesting Theme Park” in the name
of Sir M. Visvesvaraya in 1.2 acres (4,900 m2) of land situated at Jayanagar, Bangalore.
In this park, 26 different type of rainwater harvesting models are demonstrated along
with the water conservation tips. The auditorium on the first floor is set up with a "green"
air conditioning system and will be used to arrange the meeting and showing of a video
clip about the rainwater harvesting to students and general public. [9] An attempt has been
made at the Department of Chemical Engineering, IISc, Bangalore to harvest rainwater
using upper surface of a solar still, which was used for water distillation[10]
 In Rajasthan, rainwater harvesting has traditionally been practised by the people of the
Thar Desert. Many ancient water harvesting systems in Rajasthan have now been

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 revived.[11] Water harvesting systems are widely used in other areas of Rajasthan, as
well, for example the chauka system from the Jaipur district.[12]
 Maharashtra: At present, in Pune, rainwater harvesting is compulsory for any new
housing society to be registered.
 In Mumbai, Maharashtra, rainwater harvesting is not mandatory. The Mumbai City
council is planning to make rainwater harvesting mandatory for large societies. [13]

Israel
The Southwest Centre for the Study of Hospital and Healthcare Systems in cooperation with
Rotary International is sponsoring a rainwater harvesting model program across the country.
The first rainwater catchment system was installed at an elementary school in Lod, Israel.
The project is looking to expand to Haifa in its third phase. The Southwest Centre has also
partnered with the Water Resources Action Project of Washington, DC, which currently has
rainwater harvesting projects in the West Bank. Rainwater harvesting systems are being
installed in local schools for the purpose of educating schoolchildren about water
conservation principles and bridging divides between people of different religious and
ethnic backgrounds, all while addressing the water scarcity issue that the Middle East
faces.[14]
 New Zealand
Although New Zealand has plentiful rainfall in the West and South, for much of the country,
rainwater harvesting is the normal practice for most rural housing and is encouraged by
most councils.[15]
 Sri Lanka
Rainwater harvesting has been a popular method of obtaining water for agriculture and for
drinking purposes in rural homes. The legislation to promote rainwater harvesting was
enacted through the Urban Development Authority (Amendment) Act, No. 36 of 2007.[16]
Lanka rainwater harvesting forum [17] is leading the Sri Lanka's initiative.

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 South Africa
The South African Water Research Commission has supported research into rainwater
harvesting. Reports on this research are available on their "Knowledge Hub". [18] Studies in
arid, semiarid, and humid regions have confirmed that techniques such as mulching, pitting,
ridging, and modified run-on plots are effective for small-scale crop production.[19] Hydro
fracturing has regularly been used to improve the performance of water boreholes. From
1990 to 1992, 170 boreholes had been hydro fractured.[20]
 United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, water butts are often found in domestic gardens and on allotments
to collect rainwater, which is then used to water the garden. However, the British
government's Code for Sustainable Homes encouraged fitting large underground tanks to
newly built homes to collect rainwater for flushing toilets, watering, and washing. Ideal
designs had the potential to reduce demand on mains water supply by half. The code was
revoked in 2015.
 Other countries
 In China, Argentina, and Brazil, rooftop rainwater harvesting is being used for livestock,
water for small irrigation, and a way to replenish groundwater levels. Gansu province in
China and semiarid northeast Brazil have the largest rooftop rainwater harvesting projects
going on.
 Thailand has the largest fraction of the population in the rural area relying on rainwater
harvesting (currently around 40%).[21] Rainwater harvesting was promoted heavily by the
government in the 1980s. In the 1990s, after government funding for the collection tanks
ran out, the private sector stepped in and provided several million tanks to private
households, many of which continue to be used. [22] This is one of the largest examples of
self-supply of water worldwide.
 In Bermuda, the law requires all new construction to include rainwater harvesting adequate
for the residents.[23]
 The U.S. Virgin Islands has a similar law.
 In Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, the houses of the Diola-people are frequently equipped with
homebrew rainwater harvesters made from local, organic materials.

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 In the Irrawaddy Delta of Myanmar, the groundwater is saline and communities rely on
mud-lined rainwater ponds to meet their drinking water needs throughout the dry season.
Some of these ponds are centuries old and are treated with great reverence and respect.
 In the United States, until 2009 in Colorado, water rights laws almost completely restricted
rainwater harvesting; a property owner who captured rainwater was deemed to be stealing
it from those who have rights to take water from the watershed. Now, residential well
owners who meet certain criteria may obtain a permit to install a rooftop precipitation
collection system (SB 09-080).[24] Up to 10 large scale pilot studies may also be permitted
(HB 09-1129).[25] The main factor in persuading the Colorado Legislature to change the law
was a 2007 study that found that in an average year, 97% of the precipitation that fell in
Douglas County, in the southern suburbs of Denver, never reached a stream—it was used
by plants or evaporated on the ground. Rainwater catchment is mandatory for new dwellings
in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[26] Texas offers a sales tax exemption on the purchase of rainwater
harvesting equipment. Both Texas[27] and Ohio allow the practice even for potable purposes.
Oklahoma passed the Water for 2060 Act in 2012, to promote pilot projects for rainwater
and greater use among other water-saving techniques.[28]
 In Beijing, some housing societies are now adding rainwater in their main water sources
after proper treatment.
 In Ireland, Professor Michael McGinley established a project to design a rainwater
harvesting prototype in the bio systems design challenge module at University College
Dublin.

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Advantages of rain water harvesting

1. To meet the ever increasing demand for water. Water harvesting to recharge the groundwater
enhances the availability of groundwater at specific place and time and thus assures a
continuous and reliable access to groundwater.

2. To reduce the runoff which chokes storm drains and to avoid flooding of roads.

3. To reduce groundwater pollution and to improve the quality of groundwater through dilution
when recharged to groundwater thereby providing high quality water, soft and low in
minerals.

4. Provides self-sufficiency to your water supply and to supplement domestic water requirement
during summer and drought conditions.

5. It reduces the rate of power consumption for pumping of groundwater. For every 1 m rise in
water level, there is a saving of 0.4 KWH of electricity.

6. Reduces soil erosion in urban areas

7. The rooftop rainwater harvesting is less expensive, easy to construct, operate and maintain.

8. In saline or coastal areas, rainwater provides good quality water and when recharged to
ground water, it reduces salinity and helps in maintaining balance between the fresh-saline
water interfaces

9. In Islands, due to limited extent of fresh water aquifers, rainwater harvesting is the most
preferred source of water for domestic use.

10. In desert, where rainfall is low, rainwater harvesting has been providing relief to people.

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Disadvantages
• Unpredictable Rainfall

• Initial High Cost

• Regular Maintenance

• Certain Roof Types may Seep Chemicals or Animal Droppings

• Storage Limits

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Conclusion
1. Wasting water has become a significant environmental problem, both at consumer and
industrial level hence it has become important for individual and business a like to fine out
way to reduces the wastage of water and conserve it
2. Rainwater harvesting is a viable water conservation measure that has the potential to accord
to the sustainability of raw water sources and to the viability of water treatment plants
3. There are lots of ways that we can conserve water at our home, industries and agricultural
field
4. There is need to be ample aid in the forms of grants or other schemes from the government
to promote installation of rainwater harvesting system in India
5. The potential benefits of rainwater harvesting are not widely apprehended and this should
be address through educational awareness programmes
6. In the same way we cannot produce water, but save it and protect for future
7. Use total length of rainwater pipes in 639m
8. The average rainfall is 633.3mm and out of 102 years 48 years are above the average and
54 are below the average. Major no o years are less than average which is point of concern
specially for the agricultural based state Haryana
9. Total no of pipes is 30
10. Maximum discharge from all building is 0.0061963m3/sec
11. Total volume of excavation is 350.57m3

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References
• "Rainwater Harvesting for Livestock". www.ntotank.com. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
• ^ Rural Water Supply Network. "Rural Water Supply Network Self-supply
site". www.rural-water-supply.net/en/self-supply. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
• ^ Jump up to:a b c d Mays, Larry; Antoniou, George & Angelakis, Andreas
(2013). "History of water cisterns: Legacies and lessons" (PDF). Water. 5 (4): 1916–
1940. doi:10.3390/w5041916.
• ^ "Rain water Harvesting". Tamil Nadu State Government, India. Retrieved 23
January2012.
• ^ "Believes in past, lives in future". The Hindu. India. 17 July 2010.
• ^ "Rare Chola inscription found near Big Temple". The Hindu. India. 24 August 2003.
• ^ Kamash, Zena (2010). Archaeologies of Water in the Roman Near East. Gorgias
Press.
• ^ "Water Supply Systems: Cisterns, Reservoirs, Aqueducts | Roman Building
Technology and Architecture, University of California Santa Barbara". ArchServe.
Retrieved 2018-04-13.

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