RAIN WATER HARVESTING

Rainwater harvesting means capturing the rain where it falls

or capturing the runoff in farms, villages or towns and taking
measures to store that water and keep it clean. Rainwater
harvesting can be undertaken through a variety of ways:
• Capturing run-off from roof tops
• Capturing run-off from local catchments
• Capturing seasonal floodwater from local streams
• Conserving water through watershed management
Harvesting rainwater has several functions:
• Providing water to people and livestock
• Providing water for food and cash crops
• Increasing groundwater recharge
• Reducing storm water discharges, urban floods and overloading of
sewage treatment plants reducing seawater ingress in coastal areas
Some of the variables that determine the patterns of usage
for rainwater harvesting are:
• Total rainfall quantity
• Rainfall pattern
• Collection surface area
• Storage capacity
• Daily consumption rate and number of users
• User demands from men and women
• Socio-economic differences in demand
• Cost of the system (s)
• Alternative water sources
• Restricted use options
• Unplanned water use
• Intermittent use options
• Partial use of rainwater
• All water needs from harvested rainwater
Why Rain water be harvested ?

 To conserve & augment the storage of ground

water

 To reduce water table depletion

 To improve the quality of ground water

 To arrest sea water intrusion in coastal areas

 To avoid flood & water stagnation in urban areas

 To supplement drinking water

4
Small-scale rainwater harvesting systems and
uses

5
 Collection surface (catchment)
Roof of a house/dwelling
 For domestic rainwater harvesting the most common surface for collecting
water is the roof of the dwelling.
 Many other surfaces can be and are used.
 Reasonably pure rainwater can be collected from house roofs made of tiles,
slates, (corrugated) galvanised iron, aluminium or asbestos cement sheeting.
 Most thatched roofs are not suitable because the colouring from the organic
matter
Ground catchment
 used for collecting rainwater run-off.
 Part of the rainfall will be lost to wet the ground, or disappears through
evaporation.
 Laying tiles, concrete, asphalt, or plastic sheeting to form a smooth impervious
surface on the ground can reduce such losses considerably
 Harvesting ranges from 10% to 90% 18
Rock catchment
 Some places such as at the tops of bare hills
with rock outcrops or low lands are suitable to
form a ground catchment referred to as a rock
catchment
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

16
The typical roof top rain water
harvesting system comprises

 Roof catchment

 Gutters

 Down pipe & first flushing pipe

 Filter Unit

 Storage Tank

17
Transport of rainwater (Gutters)
(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.

 The roof guttering should slope evenly towards the

down-pipe (at 0.8-1% slope)

19
 Run--off coefficient
Run

 The run-off coefficient is the ratio of the volume of

rainwater that runs off a surface to the volume of
rainwater that falls on that surface (Gould and Nissen-
Petersen, 1999). This includes also losses from spillage in
the gutter system.
Table gives the ranges of run-
run-off coefficients for
roof and ground catchments.
catchments.
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 50 mm to 75mm are commonly used for
down pipe.

 Bamboo can be also used wherever available and

possible

20
First Flush Pipe

 Dust, dead leaves and bird droppings will accumulate on

the roof during dry periods.

 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

21
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.

22
 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 pipe fixtures at appropriate
places to draw the water to clean the tank & to dispose of extra
water.
 It is usually the biggest investment
23
Storage tanks are classified as
 (i) above-ground storage tanks and
 (ii) cisterns or underground storage vessels.
These facilities can vary in size from one cubic
metre to up to hundreds of cubic metres for
large projects
 Size of Storage Tank
The storage requirement will be determined by a number of
interrelated factors. They include:
• Local rainfall data and weather patterns
• Collection surface (roof or ground) or size of reservoir possible
in case of a subsurface dam
• Run-off coefficient (varies from 0.15-0.9 depending on collection
surface and slope)
• User numbers and consumption rates or water needs for other
uses including productive use
Example
Drinking water requirement for a household with 5 family
members, period 8 months & 6 liters per capita per day
= 5 persons x 8 months*30 days/month x 6 litres per.day =
7200 Liters
24
 Determination of the capacity of the storage
tank and the surface of the catchment

The required storage capacity depends on many factors,

including:
 domestic water demand and its seasonal variation;
availability of other (seasonal) water sources (and distance,
quantity and quality);

 characteristics of the dry season(s) (e.g. distinctive short

periods without any rain);

 rainfall characteristics (total rainfall and intensity); and

availability of catchment area, type of catchment and
roofing/surface material used.
The simplest method to calculate the required water volume
is to use the following formula:
 V = (t x n x q)
Where:
◦ V = volume of tank
◦ t = number of days in the dry period
◦ n = number of people using the tank
◦ q = total average consumption per capita per day (including for
productive use)
 To be on the safe side, a 20% increase of tank volume is
suggested.
 If there are no reliable monthly rainfall data, the tank volume
can be established by assuming that the tank will be full at the
start of the dry season and only has to satisfy the water needs
for the dry period.
The required roof catchment can be calculated from the
expected annual water demand to be met by rainwater

Annual consumption is Qa = n x q x 365

Required roof catchment is A = Qa/( Cr x p)
where:
Cr= run-off coefficient
p = annual precipitation
Annual rainfall (in mm) * roof area (in sq. m) * co-efficient of run
off for roof
From asbestos roof, water available from roof top 800mm * 20
m2 * 0.8=12800 Liters per annum
 Another simple method that can be used to estimate the most
appropriate storage tank capacity for maximising supply is
to represent roof run-off and daily water consumption
graphically.

This method will give a reasonable estimation of the storage requirement,

Storage capacity
 When using rainwater, it is important to recognize
that the rainfall is not constant through out the year;
therefore, planning the storage system with an adequate
capacity is required for constant use of rainwater, even during
the dry period.
 Knowledge of the rainfall quantity and seasonality, the
area of the catchment surface and volume of the storage tank,
and quantity and period of use required for water supply
purposes is critical.
 There are two commonly used method to estimate
storage requirements.

28
Storage capacity
Method 1 – Storage required for dry period
 A rough estimate of the maximum storage
requirement can be made based on the (i) per capita
consumption (ii) no of users and (iii) length of the longest dry
period

 For a household with a 5 people, assuming water use of 20

lpcd and if longest dry period is 30 days and rainwater is the
only water source, storage required = 5 x 20 x 30 = 3000 litres

29
Storage capacity
Method 1 – Storage required for dry period
 This simple method assumes sufficient rainfall and
catchment area which is adequate, and is therefore only
applicable in areas where this is the situation.
 It is a method for acquiring rough estimates of tank size.

30
Storage capacity
Method 2 – Based on rainfall and water demand pattern
 A better estimate of storage requirement can be made using
the mass curve technique based on rainfall and water demand
pattern.

 Cumulative rainfall runoff and cumulative water demand in

year is calculated and plotted on the same curve.
 The sum of the maximum differences, on the either side,
between the rainfall curve and water demand curve gives the size
of the storage required

31
Storage capacity
Example 2:
Calculate the size of the storage tank required for a school with 65
students and 5 staff, assuming average water consumption of 5
litres/day.
Roof area = 200 m2.
Assume runoff coefficient of 0.9.
The rainfall pattern in the area is given in the table below

Average daily demand = 70 x 5 = 350 litres

Yearly demand = 350 * 365 = 127750 litres = 127.75 m3 Average
monthly demand = 127.75/12 ~ 10.65 m3
32
Storage capacity calculations
(a) Rainfall pattern - 1
Month Rainfall
150
mm
Jan 120
Feb 90 100
Rainfall (mm)
Mar 70
Apr 120
May 40
50
June 50
July 45
Aug 15
0
Sep
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Oct 45
Month
Nov 70
Dec 45
33
Calculation of required storage capacity (1)
Month Rainfall Rainfall Water Cum. Rainfall Cum. Water Difference
harvested Demand harvested CH Demand CD CH - CD
mm m3 m3 m3 m3 m3
J 120 21.6 10.65 21.6 10.65 10.95
F 90 16.2 10.65 37.8 21.3 16.5
M 70 12.6 10.65 50.4 31.95 18.45
A 120 21.6 10.65 72 42.6 29.4
M 40 7.2 10.65 79.2 53.25 25.95
J 50 9 10.65 88.2 63.9 24.3
J 45 8.1 10.65 96.3 74.55 21.75
A 15 2.7 10.65 99 85.2 13.8
S 0 10.65 99 95.85 3.15
O 45 8.1 10.65 107.1 106.5 0.6
N 70 12.6 10.65 119.7 117.15 2.55
D 45 8.1 10.65 127.8 127.8 0

Required storage capacity = 29.4 m3 say 30 m3

34
Mass curve for calculation of required storage
capacity
Cum. Harvested Cum. Demand
140

120

100
Water (m3)

80

60

40

20

0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month

35
Mass curve for calculation of required storage
capacity
140
120 Harvested Water demand
Cumulative (m )
3

100
80
60
40
20
0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month

36
Storage capacity calculations
(b) Rainfall pattern - 2
Month Rainfall

mm 140
Jan 120
120
Feb 100
Mar 100 100
Rainfall (mm)

Apr 115 80
May 60
June
40
July
Aug 20
Sep 0
Oct 55 J F M A M J J A S O N D
Nov 100 Months
Dec 120
37
Calculation of required storage capacity (2)
Month Rainfall Rainfall Water Cum. Rainfall Cum. Water Difference
harvested Demand harvested CH Demand CD CH - CD
3 3 3 3 3
mm m m m m m
J 120 21.6 10.65 21.6 10.65 10.95
F 100 18 10.65 39.6 21.3 18.3
M 100 18 10.65 57.6 31.95 25.65
A 115 20.7 10.65 78.3 42.6 35.7
M 0 10.65 78.3 53.25 25.05
J 0 10.65 78.3 63.9 14.4
J 0 10.65 78.3 74.55 3.75
A 0 10.65 78.3 85.2 -6.9
S 0 0 10.65 78.3 95.85 -17.55
O 55 9.9 10.65 88.2 106.5 -18.3
N 100 18 10.65 106.2 117.15 -10.95
D 120 21.6 10.65 127.8 127.8 0

Required storage capacity = 35.7 + 18.3 = 54 m3

38
Thank You

37
USES, ADVANTAGES &
LIMITATIONS

40
 Advantages of RWH
 RWH systems provide water at or near the point where water is
needed or used.
 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

41
 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;
 Financial savings – where rainwater can be used in place of water
purchased from water vendors.

42
 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 poorer segment of the population may not have a roof
suitable for rainwater harvesting.

 Domestic RWH will always remain a supplement and not a

complete replacement for city-level piped supply or supply from
more ‘reliable’ sources.

43
Storage System
 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.

44
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 soakaway 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

45
46
47
48
RWH Brick Jars - Uganda

Source: Rees and Whitehead (2000), DTU, University of Warwick, UK

49
Rainwater Harvesting - Kenya

Source: John Gould (Waterlines, January 2000)

50
 Ferro-cement jar
for rainwater
collection - Uganda

Source: DTU, University of Warwick

(September 2000)

51
Underground lime and bricks cistern

52
Rainwater Harvesting – Sri Lanka

53
54
55
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/pdf/fs22.pdf
56
 A wooden water tank in Hawaii, USA

Source: Rainwater Harvesting And Utilisation. An Environmentally Sound Approach for Sustainable
Urban Water Management: An Introductory Guide for Decision-Makers. ITEC, UNEP, Japan

57
58 http://www.arcsa-usa.org/
59
Rainwater Tanks

Source: http://www.greenhouse.gov.au

60
Gutters
 Gutters are channels all around the edge of a sloping roof to
collect and transport rainwater to the storage tank.
 A carefully designed and constructed gutter system is
essential for any roof catchment system to operate
effectively.
 When the gutters are too small considerable quantities of
runoff may be lost due to overflow during storms.

 The size of the gutter should be according to the flow

during the highest intensity rain. It is advisable to make
them 10 to 15 per cent oversize.

61
Gutters (2)
 A general rule of thumb is that 1 cm2 of guttering is required for
every m2 of roof area.
 Gutters can be semi-circular or rectangular and could be
made using a variety of materials:
- Locally available material such as plain galvanised
iron sheet (20 to 22 gauge), folded to required
shapes.
- Semi-circular gutters of PVC material can be
readily prepared by cutting those pipes into two
equal semi-circular channels.
- Bamboo or betel trunks cut vertically in half.
- Wood or plastic

62
Gutters (3)
 Gutters need to be supported so they do not sag or fall off
when loaded with water.
 The way in which gutters are fixed depends on the
construction of the house;
- it is possible to fix iron or timber brackets into the
walls, but for houses having wider eaves, some
method of attachment to the rafters is necessary.

 A properly fitted and maintained gutter-downpipe system is

capable of diverting more than 80% of all runoff into the
storage tank, the remainder being lost through evaporation,
leakage, rain splash and overflow.

63
 Gutters - Shapes and Configurations

Gutter configurations

64
Gutters - Shapes and Configurations

65
Gutters and Hangers

66
Shade cloth guttering

Source: Peter Morgan (1998)

http://aquamor.tripod.com/RAINWATER.htm
67
Plastic sheet guttering

http://www.eng.warwick.ac.uk/DTU/pubs/wp/wp55/8gutter.html
68
69
Gutter sizing
Recommended gutter widths for use in humid tropics
Gutter width (mm) Roof area (m2) served by 1
gutter
55 13
60 17
65 21
70 25
75 29
80 34
85 40
90 46
95 54
100 66

Source: (Still and Thomas, 2002)

70
Gutter sizing
Optimum roof area drainable by square gutters (considering only
conveyance)
Square Slope (%)
gutters
0.5 1 2 4

Gutter Optimum roof area served by gutter (m2)

width
33 mm 10 14 20 28

50 mm 29 42 60 85

75 mm 88 125 177 250

100 mm 190 269 380 538

Source: (Still and Thomas, 2002)

71
Guttering for a 60 m2 roof
Square Square Half round 45o Triangle
0.5% slope 1% slope 1.0% slope 1.0% slope

Material use 214 189 150 175

(mm)

Gutter width 71 63 96 124

at top (mm)

Cross 47 39 36 38
sectional area
(cm2)

Source: http://www.eng.warwick.ac.uk/DTU/rwh

72
Guide to sizing of gutters and downpipes for
rainwater harvesting systems in tropical regions
Source: www.sopac.org

Roof area (m2) Gutter width Minimum diameter

served by one gutter (mm) of downpipe (mm)

17 60 40

25 70 50
34 80 50
46 90 63

66 100 63

128 125 75

208 150 90

73
First flush system (1)
 Debris, dirt, dust and droppings will collect on the roof of a
building or other collection area.
 When the first rains arrive, this unwanted matter will be
washed into the tank. This will cause contamination of the water
and the quality will be deteriorated.
 Many RWH systems therefore incorporate a system
for diverting this ‘first flush’ or ‘foul flush” water so
that it does not enter the storage tank.
 Several first flush system are in use. The simplest one is a
manually operated arrangement whereby the inlet pipe is
moved away from the tank inlet and then replaced again once
the initial first flush has been diverted.

74
First flush system (2)
 For an average roof catchment it is suggested that the first
20–25 L could be diverted or discarded.
 First flush devices should be regarded as an additional
barrier to reduce contamination and should not be used to
replace normal maintenance activities designed to keep roof
catchments reasonably clean.
 The inlet pipe to all rainwater tanks should be easily
detachable so that, when necessary, the tank can be bypassed.
Manual detachment could be used as an alternative to an
engineered first flush device, although the level of control will
not be as good.

75
First flush system (3)

Developed by Khon Kaen University, Thailand

76
First flush system (4)

77
First flush system (5)

78
First flush
system (6)

79
Device for separating rainwater from roof-
accumulated impurities

80
Roof catchment system with filter and storage
tank

81
Storage tank & first flush - Malaysia

82
QUALITY ASPECTS OF
RWH

83
 Quality of Rainwater (1)

 The quality of rainwater is relatively good but it is

not free from all impurities.
 Analysis of stored rainwater has shown some
bacteriological contamination.
 The rainwater is essentially lacking in minerals, the
presence of which is considered essential in appropriate
proportions.
 Cleanliness of roof and storage tank is critical in
maintaining good quality of rainwater.
 The storage tank requires cleaning and disinfection when
the tank is empty or at least once in a year.

84
 Quality of Rainwater (2)
 The extraction system (e.g. taps/faucets, pumps) must not
contaminate the stored water.
 The first run off from the roof should be discarded to prevent
entry of impurities from the roof.
 Some devices and good practices have been suggested to store
or divert the first foul flush away from the storage tank.
 In case of difficulties in the rejection of first flow, cleaning of
the roof and gutter at the beginning of the rainy season and their
regular maintenance are very important to ensure better quality
of rainwater.

85
 Quality of Rainwater - Bacteriological
 Dust from the soil, and droppings of birds and animals could be
the source of contamination by the bacteria.

 When first flush eliminating devices are absent, all the indicator
bacteria are generally present in water samples in numbers beyond
what is acceptable by any standards.

 Tree hanging in the vicinity, definitely enhances the possibility of

contamination due to increased access of the roof to birds and
animals. Also leaves contribute to organic loading of the water
samples, which in turn act as nutrient for bacterial growth.

86
 Disinfecting rainwater
• Rainwater is generally of very good chemical quality. However, it may
not meet WHO drinking water quality standards, specifically
microbiological quality standards, hence some disinfection is
recommended.
• Rainwater can be used for drinking, if it is clear, has no or very little
taste or smell and is from well maintained system.

• Disinfection can be done by:

• boiling the water in before consumption
• adding chlorine compounds/bleaching powder in required quantity to the
water stored in the tank
• using slow sand filtration
• solar disinfection (SODIS)

87
 Disinfecting rainwater (2)

 For disinfection using bleaching powder, the general

dosage recommended is 10 mg of bleaching powder
containing 25% of free chlorine per litre of water. This
meets the required standard of 2.5 mg of chlorine per litre
of water.

 After adding the bleaching powder, the water should be

stirred thoroughly for even distribution of the disinfectant agent.
The water should be kept without use for about 30 minutes
after adding bleaching powder.

88
 Operation and maintenance
 The simple operation and maintenance of RWH systems is
one of the most attractive aspects of the technology.
 The extent of maintenance required by a basic privately
owned household RWH system includes
- Regular cleaning of the roof tops and gutters
- Frequent cleaning of storage tanks
- Inspection of gutters and feeder pipes and valve
chambers to detect and repair leaks
 When ground catchment is used for collection and/or
ground tank is used for storage, proper fencing of both is
recommended to keep the children and animals away, thus avoiding
contamination and risks of falling into the tank.

89
90
One example of a flat screen over
the gutter to keep large debris out of
the tank.
A problem with gutter screens is that
they require a lot of maintenance to
keep leaves and debris from piling
up and blocking the screens.
Also, dirt on the leaves can still be
washed into the storage tank.

Source: Guidelines on Rainwater

Catchment Systems for Hawaii

91
Leaf Eater®/Leaf Beater®/Leaf Catcha®

Source: http://www.rainharvesting.com.au
92
 Tank desludging and cleaning (1)

 Accumulated sediments can be a source of chemical contamination

and off-tastes and odours. All tanks should be examined for
accumulation of sediments every 2–3 years.

 Sludge can be removed by siphoning without emptying the tank.

Sludge may also be pumped from the tank with minimum loss of water
by using a suitable motor-operated pump and attachments.

 Sludge can also be removed by draining and cleaning the tank. If

a drain plug is provided at the base of the tank, water can be run to
waste to discharge the sludge. Once the tank is empty, the remaining
sludge can be scooped up and removed through the access opening.

93
 Tank desludging and cleaning (2)

 It is important to check the structural condition of the tank before

choosing a method of cleaning.

 Cleaning should generally be limited to removing accumulated

sediments, leaf litter etc. Harsh (chemical) cleaning methods may
accelerate deterioration, for example, removing the protective layer on the
inside walls of a steel tank will lead to tank corrosion.

 After cleaning, it is recommended that the internal walls and floor of

the tank be rinsed with clean water. Rinse water and sediment should be run
to waste.

 Where cleaning necessitates entering the tank, take care to ensure

adequate ventilation is provided and an additional person is in attendance.

94
 The Thai Rainwater Jar Programme
 Nationwide rainwater harvesting programme which dramatically improved
the rural water supply coverage, especially in North eastern Thailand
• 10 million rainwater jars constructed in 5 years
(1985-1990).
 Factors favouring rapid development RWH programme
• a real felt need for water
• a preference for the taste of rainwater
• the availability of cheap cement and skilled artisans
• a pool of indigenous engineers, technicians and administrators
committed to rural development programme

95
 Thai Jar
Khon Kaen, Thailand

Source: http://www.ircsa.org 96
Rainwater Harvesting - Australia

More than one million people

in Australia rely on rainwater
as their primary source of
water supply

97
 Rainwater Harvesting - Australia
 In Australia the use of domestic rainwater tanks is an established
and relatively common practice, particularly in rural and remote areas.
 Between 1994 and 2001, 16% of Australian households used
rainwater tanks, with 13% of households using tanks as their main
source of drinking water.
 7% of the capital city households and 34% of non-capital city
households have rainwater tanks.
 In a 1996 South Australian survey, 28% of Adelaide households
used rainwater tanks as the primary source of drinking water
compared to 82% households in the rest of the State.
Source: Guidance on use of rainwater tank. En Health, Australian Government 2004

98
99
Rainwater
harvesting system,
in Patan,
Nepal

1 - Overhead tank
2 - Downtake PVC pipe from roof
3 - First phase storage drum
4 - Overflow goes into underwater
tank
5 - Pump to lift water to overhead
tank
6 - Sediment discharge tap
7 - 50,000 litre underground
ferrocement tank

Source: Nepali Times (16-22 August 2002) 100

Rainwater Harvesting in Tokyo

101
Rainwater Harvesting from Domed Stadium
in Japan

Source: Zaizen et al. (1999)

102
 Rainwater Harvesting from Domed Stadium
in Japan

_________________________________________________________
Stadium Tokyo Fukuoka Nagoya
_________________________________________________________
Catchment area
for storage (m2) 16,000 25,900 35,000

Capacity of
detention tank (m3) 1000 1800 1500

Utilization Flush toilets

Flush toilets, Flush toilets
watering plants watering plants
__________________________________________________________

Source: Zaizen et al. (1999)

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 Rainwater Harvesting at Changi Airport -
Singapore

 Rainfall from the runways and the surrounding green areas

is diverted to two impounding reservoirs.
 One of the reservoirs is designed to balance the flows during the
coincident high runoffs and incoming tides, and the other reservoir is
used to collect the runoff.
 The water is used primarily for non-potable functions such as
fire-fighting drills and toilet flushing.
 Such collected and treated water accounts for 28 to 33% of the
total water used, resulting in savings of approximately S$ 390,000
per annum.

104
 Rainwater Harvesting in Presidential Estate,
New Delhi, India

- About 7000 residing in the estate and about 3000 visitors every day.
There is also famous “The Mughal Garden”.
- Total water demand 2 million litres per day
- 30% of demand met by Groundwater wells in the estate and
groundwater level is going down rapidly)
105
Rainwater Harvesting in Presidential Estate,
New Delhi, India

 Rainwater from the northern side of the roof and paved

areas surrounding the presidential palace is diverted to an
underground storage tank of 100,000 litres capacity for low
quality use (5%).

 Overflow the rainwater storage tank is diverted to two dug

wells for recharging.

 Rainwater from southern side of the roof is diverted for

recharging a dry open well. Rainfall runoff from the staff
residential area is also diverted to dry wells.

 15 m deep recharge shafts have been constructed for

recharging.
106
 Water Supply at Millennium Dome, London

 Water Supply Plant, installed at the UK's Millennium Dome

can supply around 500 m3 per day of reclaimed water to flush all of
the toilets and urinals on the site.
 Water is reclaimed from greywater produced by the hand wash
basins, rainwater from the dome's roof, and groundwater from the
chalk aquifer which is located below the site.

107
 Water Supply at Millennium Dome, London

 Rainwater is collected from dome roof and adjacent areas

(100,000 m2)
 Size of collection tank is 800 m3
 Reed beds are used for treatment

108
 Socio-cultural Considerations (1)

 The success of any rain water harvesting system or programme

ultimately depends on the interest, enthusiasm and active
support of the user community for the technology.
 RWH system, even if technically appropriate and justified
based water resources condition, it is not likely to be
successful if it is socially unacceptable or inappropriate in
anyway.

 Local customs, perceptions and preferences must be

given high priority when considering the feasibility of the
technology and possible implementation strategies.

109
 Socio-cultural Considerations (2)

 It is always vital to be sensitive to local perceptions

regarding quality and suitability of rainwater.
 Although some people regard rainwater as sweet and tasty
(especially those used to drinking somewhat saline groundwater),
others consider it to be flat and tasteless (particularly when compared
to water with high mineral content).

 Local customs, perceptions and preferences must be

given high priority when considering the feasibility of the
technology and possible implementation strategies.

110
 Public Awareness and Demonstration

 Public awareness and education are essential in order to

improve acceptance of rainwater collection and utilisation.
 Efforts should be made to change public perception of
rainwater from being viewed as a nuisance to being viewed as an
asset.
 Demonstration projects are key for improving public
acceptance and assisting in the removal of institutional barriers.

 To promote rainwater utilisation, basic policies,

implementation strategies, technology development and
networking are required.

111
112
 Bibliography
 Rainwater Harvesting and Utilization. An Environmentally Sound
Approach for Sustainable Urban Water Management: An Introductory
Guide for Decision-Makers. IETC-UNEP, Japan.
 Rainwater catchment systems for Household Water Supply (1991).
Environmental Sanitation Reviews No No 32. ENSIC, Bangkok, Thailand.
 UNEP-IETC (1999) Proceedings of the International Symposium on
Efficient Water Use in Urban Areas - Innovative Ways of Finding Water for Cities. (8
to 10 June 1999), Kobe, Japan.
 Gould, J. and Nissen-Petersen, E. (1999) Rainwater Catchment Systems for
Domestic Supply. IT Publications, London

 Hasse, R. (1989) Rainwater Reservoirs- Above Ground Structures for

Roof Catchment. GTZ.
 NGO Forum and SDC (2001) Rain Water Harvesting System. NGO Forum
for Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation and SDC, Bangladesh.

113
 Web Resources on RWH
 International Rainwater Catchment Systems Association
http://www.eng.warwick.ac.uk/ircsa/
 American Rainwater Catchment Association
http://www.arcsa-usa.org/
 Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India
http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org
 Development Technology Unit, School of Engineering, University of
Warwick, UK
http://www.eng.warwick.ac.uk/DTU/rwh/index.html
 Chennai Metrowater, India
http://www.chennaimetrowater.com/rainwaterfaqs.htm
 Rainwater Partnership
http://www.rainwaterpartnership.org/
114
 Web Resources on RWH (2)
 Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum
http://www.rainwaterharvesting.com
 Intenational Rainwater Harvesting Alliance
http://www.irha-h2o.org/
 Greater Horn of Africa Rainwater Partnership (GHARP)
http://www.gharainwater.org/
 The Web of Rain
http://www.gdrc.org/uem/water/rainwater/rain-web.html

115
Thank You

37