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Rain Water Harvesting A Common Responsibility

Shashidhara.R.Hosamani Soumya.S.Bankapur 4th Sem Civil Branch S.G.B.I.T College Belgaum

Rain Water Harvesting A Common Responsibility

Rain Water Harvesting A Common Responsibility


ABSTRACT
Water is as important for survival of human being as much as food, air etc, but hardly any attention is paid for its economical use and conservation of this precious resource. The rapid growth in population together with the extension of irrigated agriculture and industrial development, are putting stress on the ground water table. The ground water table is going down abnormally and if the problem is not given a serious look, then the future generations may have to face severe crisis of water. Rains are the main source of water and if rain water is harvested, the scarcity of water can be eliminated altogether. The Rainwater harvesting is the simple collection or storing of water through scientific techniques from the areas where the rain falls. It involves utilization of rain water for the domestic or the agricultural purpose. It is especially beneficial in the areas, which faces the scarcity of water. The paper aims towards the development of the framework of rain water harvesting for domestic and agriculture purpose. This paper discuss about the components and techniques of rainwater harvesting system. It also includes the information about the rain water harvesting project carried out in Karnataka.

in its management of water resources. The demand for water is already outstripping the supply. Majority of the population in the cities today are groundwater dependent. In spite of the municipal water supply, it is not surprising to find people using private tube wells to supplement their daily water needs. As a result, the groundwater table is falling at an alarming rate.[2] In many places the quality of groundwater is not good. In such places rainwater harvesting may provide lifeline for survival.[1]

RAIN WATER HARVESTING:


The human civilization, entirely depend upon rivers, lakes and ground water to fulfill their water demands. However rain is the ultimate source that feeds all these sources. The implication of rainwater harvesting is to make optimum use of rainwater at the place where it falls i.e. to conserve it without allowing it to drain away.[1] Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting and storing rain water in a scientific and controlled manner for its future use. Rainwater harvesting is a simple, technically feasible, economically affordable and an environment friendly option.

INTRODUCTION
Water is the most common or major substance on the earth, covering more than 70% of its surface. Out of the total volume of water available on the surface of the earth, only 2 percent (over 28,000,000 km ) is fresh water. The fresh water is used for the purpose of human use, industries and agriculture. In India, the water availability per capita is declining. The per capita availability of water at the national level is reduced from about 5,177 m in the year 1951 to the present level of 1,869 m . The prominent reasons behind are the increasing demand for water due to the increasing population and extensive use of water by agricultural sector, which continues to be the single largest consumer of water.[1] The reality of water crisis cannot be ignored. India has been notorious of being poor
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Figure 1: Rain Water Harvesting Rainwater harvesting can be harvested from the following surfaces: Rooftops Paved and unpaved areas Water bodies Storm water drains

Rain Water Harvesting A Common Responsibility


the large coefficient of runoff generated from them and there are less chances of contamination of water. 2. Delivery system: Conveyance system basically includes rain gutters and down pipes which collects the rain water from catchment to the storage tank. These rain gutters are usually built during the time of construction. They need to be designed appropriately as to avoid the loss of water during the conveyance process. 3. Storage: The most important part of the rain water harvesting is the storage system. The storage system is designed according to the amount of water that is to be stored. The design and site (location) of the storage or the recharge system should be properly chosen. The areas which receive the rainfall frequently, there a simple storage system could be constructed, to meet the daily water requirements. Otherwise the areas which receive the lesser rainfall, there the storage systems are quite essential. Rain barrels, underground or open slumps are mostly used to collect rain water. Neither makes sure that the storage system is properly sealed and does nor leak. Use Chlorine from time to time to keep the water clean. RAINWATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES: There are two main techniques of Rainwater harv esting: a) Storage of rain water on surface for future use. b) Recharge of ground water. The storage of rainwater on surface is a traditional technique and structure used in underground tanks, ponds, check dams, weirs etc. Figure 2: Components of RWH System Recharge of ground water is a new concept of Rainwater harvesting and the structures generally used are: Pits Recharge: Pits are constructed for recharging the shallow aquifers. Trenches: These are constructed when the preamble strata is available at shallow depths.

Rainwater harvesting systems can be simple to construct from inexpensive local materials, and are potentially successful in most habitable locations. Roof rainwater may not be potable and may require treatment before consumption. As rainwater rushes from your roof it may carry pollutants, such as mercury from coal burning buildings, or bird faeces. Although some rooftop materials may produce rainwater that would be harmful to human health as drinking water, it can be useful in flushing toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden, and washing cars.

NEED FOR RAINWATER HARVESTING:


As water is becoming scarce, it is the need of the day to attain self-sufficiency to fulfill the water needs. As urban water supply system is under tremendous pressure for supplying water to an ever increasing population. Groundwater is getting depleted and polluted due to excessive use. To improve the water quality in aquifers. To improve the vegetation cover. To raise the water levels in wells and bore wells that is drying up.

COMPONENTS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING:

1. Catchment surface: Any surface or the paved areas can be treated as catchment. Even the footpaths and roads can act as the catchment, as these areas to receive the direct rainfall. Rooftops are the best among them because of
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Rain Water Harvesting A Common Responsibility


Dug wells: Existing dug wells may well be utilized as recharge structure and water should pass through filter media before puttin g into dug well. Hand Pumps: The existing hand pumps may be used for recharging the shallow / deep aquifers, if the availability of water is limited. Water should pass through filter media before diverting it into hand pumps. Roofs should be uncluttered & should be easy to clean by sweeping & swopping if necessary. It is important to keep the roof are clean so as to ensure that the rainwater collected is free from dust and bacterial contamination.

DESIGNING OF ROOFTOP RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM FOR HOUSES:

Step 3: Down take pipes 90mm dia. PVC pipes resistant to UV rays appear to be the best option for down water pipes. Of course, this depends upon the roof area to be drained. The number of down take pipes that will be required depends upon the area to be drained. About 3 to 4 down water pipes seem sufficient for 1000 to 1200 sft area. These can be connected to each other either to form one or two outlets to lead to the storage system. Step 4: Filter It is important to filter the water before it enters the storage tank so as to remove the dirt and other particles. Filtering can be as basic as a floor trap placed before the water enters the down water pipe or a piece of sponge placed at the inlet of the down water pipe. However, a PVC bucket with gravel, sand & charcoal is a good filter before rainwater is stored. Step 5: First flush diverter The first rain that falls after a long dry spell usually carries down with it a lot of dirt, dust, and debris that would have collected over the roof. It also dissolves many air pollutants on its way down. It is, therefore, a safe practice to divert the first run-off away from the storage tank for which a first-flush diverter is used. After the first-flush, water that is collected is cleaner. Step 6: Storage/Recharge Rainwater that is harvested can either be stored or can be used to recharge the groundwater. The ideal system would a combination of both a storage tank, with an overflow pipe connected to a recharge well.
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Figure 3: Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting

Step 1: Calculate the quantity of water


Calculate the rooftop area both the flat as well as the sloped areas. The area should be in m2. Calculate the total amount of water that can be harvested. Water harvested (l) = catchment area (m2) * runoff coefficient (0.8) * annual rainfall (mm) Runoff coefficient is the natural loss of water when flowing on a surface. For a Concrete surface, the coefficient is 0.8.

Step 2: Designing the roof area A flat roof can be gently sloped to drain water towards the down take pipes. Sloping roofs should have a gutter of PVC or zinc sheet to collect water & channel it to the down water pipe system.
Dept of Civil engineering, SGBIT Belgaum

Rain Water Harvesting A Common Responsibility A storage tank could be: A roof-level storage tank Ground level drum or masonry tank Below the ground sump
An RWH manual called Amruthavarshini (A guide for rainwater harvesting) has been published by The Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) with all the details for effective implementation of the programmed. KSCST has taken RWH projects from Vidhana So udha to a rural village house. Upon successful im plementation of the planned activities, Karnataka State will be the first state in the country to have RWH system installed and working to harvest rainwater for drinking water needs in every other village of Karnataka.

RAINWATER HARVESTING KARNATAKA:

PROJECT

IN

Figure 4: RWH in Village School Many villages in Karnataka do not have potable water supply. Hence Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) has been proposed as an ideal sustainable solution. The Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) has undertaken steps to promote implement and create awareness on sustainable water harvesting and groundwater recharge concepts. The Government of Karnataka through the Rural Development and Panchayath Raj department has launched a rooftop rainwater harvesting programmed for 23,683 schools all across the state were identified in the first phase to provide drinking water through rooftop rainwater harvesting using a very simple but rugged system.

ADVANTAGES OF RWH: Environment friendly and easy approach for water requirements RWH is the ideal solution for all water requirements. Increase in ground water level. Mitigates the effects of drought. Reduces the runoff, which otherwise flood storm water drains. Reduces flooding of roads and low-lying areas. Reduced soil erosion. Improves the ground water quality, since rainwater is largely free from minerals, bacteria and other contaminants. Low cost and easy to maintain. Reduces water and electricity bills. DISADVANTAGES OF RWH: The success of rainfall harvesting depends upon the frequency and amount of rainfall; therefore, it is not a dependable water source in times of dry weather or prolonged drought. Leakage from cisterns can cause the deterioration of load bearing slopes. Cisterns and storage tanks can be unsafe for small children if proper access protection is not provided. Possible contamination of water may result from animal wastes and vegetable matter. Rainfall harvesting systems increase construction costs and may have an adverse effect on home ownership. Systems may add 30% to 40% to the cost of a building.

Figure 5: Sand Bed Filter over Rain Water Storage tank


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Rain Water Harvesting A Common Responsibility


Rainfall harvesting systems may reduce revenues to public utilities. 9. Arun Kumar Dwivedi and Sudhir Singh Bhadau ria, Domestic Rooftop Water Harvesting- A Case Study, Asian Research Publishing Network, Vol. 4, No. 6, August 2009. 10. Rain water harvesting and utilization Blue Drop Series Book 2: Beneficiaries & Capacity Builders.

CONCLUSION: Rain is the first form of water that we know and hence is a primary source of water for us. Rivers, lakes and ground water are all secondary sources of water. In the present times, we depend entirely on such secondary sources of water and the primary source has been neglected to a great extent. So its our common responsibility to implement and spread awareness about the importance of rain water harvesting. A planned approach is hence needed in order to fully utilize the potential of rainwater to adequately meet our water requirements. Hence, an equal and positive thrust is needed in developing and encouraging both the types of water harvesting systems. We have to catch water in every possible way and every possible place it falls.

References:
1. Patricia H. Waterfall, Rainwater Harvesting- For Landscape Use, Second Edition, October 2004 Revised 2006. 2. Janette Worm and Tim van Hattum, Rainwater Harvesting for Domestic Use, ICCO and AID Environment, Publishers, First edition 2006. 3. R. Shivakumar, Worlds largest rainwater harvesting project in Karnataka, Current Science, 162 Vol. 92, No. 2, 25 January 2007.

4. http://www.aboutrainwaterharvesting.com/ 5. http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/urban/Co mponents.html 6. http://www.ecoindia.com/education/rainwaterharvesting.html 7. http://www.tn.gov.in/dtp/rainwater.html 8. http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/

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