Rainwater Harvesting Guide

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Rainwater Harvesting Technologies and

Calculations of the Potential
BY
Engr. Z. A Soomro
Regional Director
Regional Office, PCRWR
LAHORE
April 07, 2012

Rainwater Harvesting - Definition

Accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches
the aquifer.
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.

RAINWATER HARVESTING DOMESTIC MODEL

RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM

Rainwater
harvesting
systems can be simple to
construct from inexpensive
local materials, and are
potentially successful in
most habitable location.
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. In some cases,
rainwater may be the only
available, or economical,
water source.

ROOF RAINWATER HARVESTING - QUALITY

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 faces. 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 have 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 (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.

RAINWATER
HARVESTING
TYPES
RAINWATER HARVESTING
There are several types
of systems to harvest
rainwater, ranging from
very
simple
home
systems to complex
industrial systems. The
rate at which water can
be collected from either
system is dependent on
the plan area of the
system, its efficiency,
and the intensity of
rainfall (i.e. annual
precipitation (mm per
annum) x square meter
of catchment area =
liters per annum yield)

RAINWATER HARVESTING FOR AQUIFER RECHARGE

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. The
subsurface dike has been demonstrated to be a feasible
method for conserving and exploiting the groundwater
resources of the Kerala State of India. The dike is now the
largest rainwater harvesting system in that region.

AQUIFER RECHARGE - MODEL

AQUIFER RECHARGE - MODEL

R.W.H - FACTORS INFLUENCING
A. Rainfall
i) Quantity: Rainfall is the most unpredictable variable in the
calculation and hence, to determine the potential rainwater
supply for a given catchment, reliable rainfall data are required,
preferably for a period of at least 10 years. Also, it would be far
better to use rainfall data from the nearest station with
comparable conditions.
ii) Pattern: The number of annual rainy days also influences the
need and design for rainwater harvesting. The fewer the annual
rainy days or longer the dry period, more the need for rainwater
collection in a region. However, if the dry period is too long, big
storage tanks would be needed to store rainwater. Hence in such
regions, it is more feasible to use rainwater to recharge
groundwater aquifers rather than for storage.

R.W.H - FACTORS INFLUENCING
B. Catchment area Characteristics

Runoff depends upon the area and type of the
catchment over which it falls as well as surface
features. All calculations relating to the performance
of rainwater catchment systems involve the use of
runoff coefficient to account; losses due to spillage,
leakage, infiltration, catchment surface wetting and
evaporation, which will all contribute to reducing the
amount of runoff.
Runoff coefficient for any catchment is the ratio of
the volume of water that runs off a surface to the
volume of rainfall that falls on the surface.
(C = V1/V2)

RUNOFF
COEFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
CATCHMENT SURFACES
Type of Catchment
Coefficients
Roof Catchments
Tiles
Corrugated metal sheets
0.8 0.9
0.7 0.9
Groundwater Surface Coverings

Concrete
Brick Pavement
0.6 0.8
0.5 0.6
Untreated Ground Catchments

Soil on slopes less than 10 per cent
Rocky natural catchment
0.0 0.3
0.2 0.5
Source: Pacey, Arnold and Cullis, Adrain 1989, Rainwater Harvesting: The
collection of rainfall and runoff in rural areas, intermediate Technology
Publications, London
Based on the above factors the water harvesting potential of a site could be
estimated using the formula given below.
Water harvesting Potential = Rainfall (mm) x Area of Catchment x Runoff Coefficient

WHY RAINWATER HARVESTING?
The earth is known as the Blue Planet for a reason, its no surprise that
water is a dominant part of our everyday lives. The worlds current
challenge is to improve the planets water quality and then maintain clean
and healthy water that supports all life forms in our diverse environment
RAINWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM MAKES DOLLARS AND SENSE
Reduce water bills including city storm sewer charge

Alleviate demand on municipal systems
Avoid strict watering schedules
BETTER FOR YOUR LANDSCAPE THAN MUNCIPALLY TREATED WATER
Rainwater is extremely rich in nutrients

Using rainwater to irrigate will reduce fertilizer use
No chemicals have been added to rainwater
TMwww.technocomsolutions.com
Please
purchase full version from
THE
RAINXCHANGE
SYSTEM IS REVOLUTIONAY
The aquascape RainXchangeTM Harvesting Systems are a revolutionary

design that combines a recirculating decorative water feature with a subsurface rainwater harvesting collection system.
Clean, Filtered Water Collection & Storage - while you enjoy the benefits
of a decorative water feature, the RainXchangeTM Rainwater Harvesting
System filters the stored water to prevent stagnation and growth of
unhealthy bacteria
The RainXchangeTM Rainwater Harvesting System reveals only a beautiful water
feature that integrates easily into existing landscape.
Collecting and storing the water underground - maintains the integrity and beauty
of your home
Wildlife Habitat Because the water stored in the RainXchangeTM System is
constantly moving and being aerated, it becomes a sanctuary for wildlife.
Water Feature Lifestyle Enhanced landscaping, improves property value and
water features provide soothing sights and sounds that help you relax and destress in todays busy world.
Environmental Conservation Capturing rainwater to operate the water feature
create true self-sustainability, drastically reducing the need for chemically treated
traditional water sources.

DID YOU KNOW ?
1 Inch of rainfall on a 2,000 sq. ft. residential roof generates 1,250

gallons of water that can be reused
That same roof in a region receiving 30 inches of annual rainfall
generates 41,000 gallons of reusable water.
The average US household with a 10,000 square foot lot uses 5,000
gallons of water weekly for landscape irrigation
Running a sprinkler for 2 hours can use up to 500 gallons of water
The RainXchangeTM allows you to collect thousands of gallons of
water anywhere, even in the Desert

Innovative Water Technologies Rainwater Harvesting

For centuries, people have relied on rainwater harvesting to
supply water for household, landscape, livestock, and
agricultural uses. Before the advent of large centralized water
supply systems, rainwater was collected from roofs and stored
on site in tanks known as cisterns. With the development of
large, reliable water treatment and distribution systems and
more affordable well drilling equipment, rain harvesting was all
but forgotten, even though it offered a source of pure, soft, low
sodium water.
A renewed interest in this time honored approaches of
collecting water has emerged in Texas and elsewhere because
of escalating environmental and economic costs of providing
water by centralied water systems or by well drilling. The health
benefits of rainwater and potential cost savings associated with
rainwater collection systems have further spurred this interest.

POTENTIAL OF ROOFTOP WATER AVAILABILITY IN NATIONAL

CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI
Roof Area in Sq.m
Annual Rainfall
(liters)
Quantity of Rainfall
available for
harvesting.
50
30,550
18,330
100
61,100
36,660
500
305,500
183,300
1000
610,000
366,600

Thank You
18

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Rainwater Harvesting Guide

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You are using demo version

Please purchase full version from www.technocomsolutions.com

Rainwater Harvesting Technologies and

You are using demo version

Rainwater Harvesting - Definition

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RAINWATER HARVESTING DOMESTIC MODEL

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RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM

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ROOF RAINWATER HARVESTING - QUALITY

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RAINWATER HARVESTING FOR AQUIFER RECHARGE

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R.W.H - FACTORS INFLUENCING

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R.W.H - FACTORS INFLUENCING

B. Catchment area Characteristics

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Groundwater Surface Coverings

Untreated Ground Catchments

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WHY RAINWATER HARVESTING?

Reduce water bills including city storm sewer charge

Rainwater is extremely rich in nutrients

You are using demo version

The aquascape RainXchangeTM Harvesting Systems are a revolutionary

You are using demo version

DID YOU KNOW ?

1 Inch of rainfall on a 2,000 sq. ft. residential roof generates 1,250

You are using demo version

Innovative Water Technologies Rainwater Harvesting

You are using demo version

POTENTIAL OF ROOFTOP WATER AVAILABILITY IN NATIONAL

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