Water consists of almost 70% of the entire earth’s mass, out of which only 10% is available in the form of potable water. With the changing climatic pattern and the man-made calamities, there is a major water crisis in many places around the globe. This has led to a never before water conservation awareness and actions. With the availability of different ways of water conservation, rain water conservation is gaining impetus, as a natural method of saving the water for future uses.
What Is Rain Water Harvesting?
Rain water harvesting is a technique or strategy for the collection of rainwater and storing it in the right way for future use. Water is collectible from various surfaces and sources. Commonly, the water is usually collected from rooftops and other hard surfaces such as ponds and small over ground tanks. Of late, rainwater harvesting is being considered as a very reliable way to conserve water. Although this technique has been in practice since ancient times, new methodologies inducted over time to store water. It plays a vital role in reducing the use of potable water and increase mankind’s reliability on rainwater.
Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting:
Rain water harvesting is vividly believed to improve the water conservation in rural areas more than urban areas, which is so no true. Collectively, the efficiency of rain water harvesting is equal in both the areas and should be practiced widely. Following are some advantages for residential and commercial areas alike.
- Easy to Maintain:
Rain water harvesting is a very efficient way of conserving water. The preparatory model for rain water conservation is easy and economical too. It is very easy to maintain and take care of the equipments, with minimum efforts, without burning a hole in the pocket. - Reducing Water Bills:
Water that has been stored from harvesting water, can be used for several non-drinking purposes like bathing, sanitation and watering plants. It will immediately reduce one’s utility bills. It is ideal for both commercial and residential properties. - Suitable for Irrigation:
Most of the building rooftops provide the necessary platform for collecting water. Rainwater usually free from harmful chemicals, is however not viable for potable purposes, but is ideal for irrigation purposes. - Reduced Demand for Ground Water:
Another important advantage is that it reduces the demand for potable water. It is important especially in areas with low water levels or drought-stricken areas.
Techniques of Rainwater Harvesting: The collection of rainwater can be done in various methods depending on a few factors. A few common methods include the following:
- Rain Barrels:
It is the most easiest and affordable methods of rainwater harvesting, especially at home. It is a method in which barrels or water tanks are installed below the downspouts of the rooftops’ guttering system. The tank can be connected to provide backup water to the current plumbing system in situation of water shortage or even in case of a fire emergency. It can also be attached to a pipe for drip irrigation purposes. Barrels and tanks are an ideal storage equipment, since it can store significant amounts of water at a given point of time. - Dry System:
It is similar to the barrel system. However, with the dry system, a larger storage container is used, which is usually a few meters away from the residential or commercial property. The gutter is redesigned in such a way so that water is diverted to the large storage tank, making it a quick and economic method to implement. - Wet System:
Here, the collection pipes will always have water in them, as opposed to the dry system. It is because they will be situated underground and not above the ground, as noted in other methods. In this system, many collection pipes are connected to the downspouts of a building and funneled into a storage tank, which is also underground. The pipes need to be secure and well maintained with proofing, to ensure there is no leakage or seepage of water into the soil. - Green Roof:
This method of harvesting does use the storage tanks. The water is channeled straight to the garden, instead of storing the water in a reservoir. The process requires the installation of a drainage system on a building’s roof straight to the backyard. Although portrayed as expensive, it is a very low maintenance method and is an upcoming favourite among residential complexes. Rain water harvesting is a critical step on both residential and commercial levels. The process of saving rain water is really easy and should be thoroughly practiced to conserve or precious non-renewable source and provide a better future for the generations to come.
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