With the rate at which global warming is picking up, there will come a time when some places on the earth will be covered with water while other places will face drought conditions. Wouldn’t it be better if we could preserve something that may or may not be available in abundance in the future? Rainwater harvesting is one such way to collect, store, and use it for future irrigation purposes. This practice, one of many practices dubbed “green roofing” by the folks at Peter Smith roofing, is increasing in popularity.
Major Purpose of Rainwater harvesting:
- To meet the accelerating demands of water
- To prevent floods
- To minimize runoff loss
- Improvement in the water table by storing groundwater
- To supply the stored ground water during lean seasons
Preserving rainwater is beneficial for both irrigation and domestic purposes. The best part of rainwater is it is negligibly contaminated. It is free of dissolved minerals and salts, and is the most reliable source for household usage.
Methods that help in harvesting rainwater:
- Water reservoirs placed below or above the ground level.
- Rainwater can be stored in dug wells, pits, trenches or lagoons.
- Checking and maintaining the level of water in the dams constructed on rivers can also be a source of harvesting rainwater.
Surfaces through which rainwater can be harvested:
Unpaved and paved areas:
Open fields, stormwater drains, pavement, landscaping, and parks are some of the open areas that can be used to harvest rainwater most efficiently. The ground surfaces offer the maximum benefits to storing the water as you can collect it from a huge area. This is beneficial in areas that receive scant rainfall.
Bodies of Water:
Tanks, ponds, and lakes have immense potential to conserve rainwater. They not only serve and fulfill the needs of the city or the town but also contribute in recharging the groundwater aquifers.
Rooftops:
If you have a roof, it is easy to install catchment areas. A rooftop rainwater harvest catchment system is constituted by the following components:
- Area where water is collected
- Conveyance system
- Filtration process
- Storage
- Recharge
The area where water is collected is mostly the roof of the building. The area of the roof and the materials used for building determine how much water can be collected.
A conveyance system consists of the pipelines or the gutters that act as the path for transferring the water collected on the roof to the storage tanks.
It is necessary that the drainage pipes or the gutters are made up of materials that are chemically inert like fiberglass, aluminum or wood. These materials prevent any chemical contamination in your water as it passes through the pipes.
The water storage system should also be made up of inert materials. Stainless steel or concrete are the best materials for this purpose.
Rainwater harvesting is going viral. But, before you think of implementing it at your place, ensure that the storage system is out from the reach of pets and children. If they are in reach, there is the chance that they might fall into the storage containers accidentally.
