RAINWATER HARVESTING

DESIGNING AND SIZING RAINWATER TANKS

 ACTIVE RAINWATER HARVESTING

FROM THE ROOF WATER GOES THROUGH GUTTERS THEN ENTERS THE RAINWATER
& DOWNSPOUTS TANK FOR STORAGE AND LATER
USE
 SIMPLE RAINWATER HARVESTING

SWITCH
BETWEEN
WATER MAIN
AND
RAINWATER
FROM WATER
MAIN
 SIZING RAINWATER TANKS

COMPUTE THE AREA OF THE FORMULA FOR TANK CAPACITY IS USE RAINWATER TANKS OR
ROOF PORTION LEADING TO THE 500L PER 15 SQM OF ROOF AREA BARRELS CLOSE TO THE
WATER TANK (FOR RESIDENTIAL, METRO CEBU) COMPUTED CAPACITY
 SAMPLE COMPUTATION
EXAMPLE 1 : GABLE ROOF
FIRST OF ALL, NOT ALL OF THE ROOF SURFACE SHOULD
DRAIN INTO THE RAINWATER TANK (BUT YOU CAN IF YOU
WANT TO) BUT ONLY A PORTION OF IT. SO FOR THIS
9m EXAMPLE, I ONLY WANT HALF OF THE GABLE ROOF TO BE
USED IN RAINWATER HARVESTING. THAT’S THE ROOF AREA I
NEED TO COMPUTE.
4m
GABLE ROOFS ARE RECTANGULAR
4m A = 9m x 4m IN PLAN SO TO GET THE AREA
A = 36m2 SIMPLY MULTIPLY THE LENGTH &
WIDTH
FORMULA:
ROOF AREA
L= x 500L
15m2
36m2
L= x 500L
15m2
THIS IS THE REQUIRED RAINWATER
L = 1200 LITERS TANK CAPACITY FOR THE GIVEN ROOF
The black arrows merely indicate the direction of drainage flow.
 SAMPLE COMPUTATION
EXAMPLE 2 : HIP ROOF
AGAIN, NOT ALL OF THE ROOF SURFACE SHOULD DRAIN
INTO THE RAINWATER TANK BUT ONLY A PORTION OF IT.
SO FOR THIS EXAMPLE, I ONLY WANT THE ROOF PORTION
HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE TO BE USED FOR RAINWATER
HARVESTING. THAT’S THE ROOF AREA I NEED TO COMPUTE.
THE REST OF THE ROOF AREA CAN DRAIN DIRECTLY INTO
THE STORM DRAIN.
THE SHAPE OF THE ROOF
3+9 PORTION IS A TRAPEZOID. THE
A= X 4
2 FORMULA FOR COMPUTING THE
A = 24m2 AREA OF A TRAPEZOID IS:
FORMULA: a+b
A= xh
2
ROOF AREA
L= x 500L
15m2
24m2
L= x 500L
15m2
THIS IS THE REQUIRED RAINWATER
L = 800 LITERS TANK CAPACITY FOR THE GIVEN ROOF
The black arrows merely indicate the direction of drainage flow.
IN SUMMARY:
1.) DECIDE HOW MUCH OF THE ROOF WILL YOU ALLOCATE
FOR RAINWATER HARVESTING. IT CAN EITHER BE THE
WHOLE ROOF OR ONLY A PORTION OF IT. ROOF SURFACES
NOT USED FOR HARVESTING CAN DRAIN DIRECTLY INTO
THE STORM DRAIN.

2.) IDENTIFY THE ROOF SHAPE AND COMPUTE FOR THE

AREA. IF IT’S RECTANGULAR IN SHAPE USE THE FORMULA
FOR RECTANGLES; IF IT’S TRIANGULAR, USE THE FORMULA
FOR TRIANGLES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

3.) COMPUTE FOR THE NEEDED CAPACITY IN LITERS AS

SHOWN IN THE SAMPLE PROBLEMS.

4.) BUY OR CONSTRUCT RAINWATER TANKS OR BARRELS

CLOSEST TO THE COMPUTED CAPACITY.