RAINWATER water that is falling or has fallen as rain, and is soft, containing relatively little soluble mineral matter

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. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can make an important contribution to the availability of drinking water. It can supplement the subsoil water level and increase urban greenery. Water collected from the ground, sometimes from areas that are especially prepared for this purpose, is called Stormwater harvesting. 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; 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. aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. Rainwater harvesting systems channel rainwater from a roof into storage via an arrangement of gutters and pipes. The first flush of rainwater after a dry season should be allowed to run to waste, as it will be contaminated with dust, bird droppings etc. Roof gutters should be large enough to carry peak flows. Storage tanks should be covered to prevent mosquito breeding and to reduce evaporation losses,

contamination and algal growth.

A subsurface dike is built in an aquifer to obstruct the natural flow of groundwater, thereby raising the groundwater level and increasing the amount of water stored in the aquifer.

Advantages in urban areas

Rainwater harvesting can ensure an independent water supply during water restrictions, though somewhat dependent on end-use and maintenance, usually of acceptable quality for household needs and renewable at acceptable volumes, despite forecasted climate change (CSIRO, 2003). It produces beneficial externalities by reducing peak storm water runoff and processing costs. In municipalities with combined sewer systems, reducing storm runoff is especially important, because excess runoff during heavy storms leads to the discharge of raw sewage from outfalls when treatment plant capacity cannot handle the combined flow. Rainwater harvesting systems are simple to install and operate. Running costs are negligible, and they provide water at the point of consumption. Rainwater harvesting in urban communities has been made possible by various companies. Their tanks provide an attractive yet effective solution to rainwater catchment.

Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a hydrologic process where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. This process usually occurs in the vadose zone below plant roots and is often expressed as a flux to the water table surface