Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting System

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Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Sky are the five basic elements of life. Water is the most important elements and no human being can survive without it. People are always complaining about Shortage of water in summer. In monsoon the flood caused on the roads and overflowing drains that has them cribbing. All that overload water goes waste. System of collection rainwater and conserving for future needs has traditionally been practiced in India. In this article there are benefits of rain water harvesting.

Rainwater harvesting is the compilation and storage of rain water that falls upon the roof and using it as a free resource. It can be used in residential, commercial and industrial projects where pure water is desired. Nowadays shortage of good quality water has become a major problem. Rain water harvesting is necessary because surface water is insufficient and we have to depend on ground water, to preserve surface water runoff during monsoon, ground water recharging of has diminished due to rapid urbanization and to reduce soil erosion. There are two types of harvesting Systems which collect roof runoff for household use and Systems which use in field or adjoining catchment to provide supplemental irrigation for agriculture.

The traditional techniques to store rain water are underground tanks, ponds, check dams, weirs etc. Recharge to ground water is a new concept of rain water harvesting and the structures generally used are Pits, Trenches, Dug wells, Hand pumps, Recharge wells, Recharge Shafts, Lateral shafts with bore wells and Spreading techniques.

Benefits of rain water harvesting system:

• Rainwater is a comparatively clean and totally free source of water.
• Rainwater is improved for scenery plants and gardens because it is not chlorinated.
• It can supplement other sources of water supply such as groundwater or municipal water connections.
• It lower the water supply cost.
• It can provide an excellent back-up source of water for emergencies.
• It is socially acceptable and environmentally responsible.
• It uses simple technologies that are inexpensive and easy to maintain.
• Reduced flood flows and topsoil loss.
• It is free; the only cost is for collection and use.
• It reduces the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers and pesticides from rainwater run-off resulting in cleaner lakes, rivers, oceans and other receivers of storm water.
• It is used in those areas which face insufficient water resources.
• It is good for laundry use as rainwater is soft and lowers the need for detergents.
• It can be used to recharge groundwater.
• It minimizes the runoff which blocks the storm water drains.

Rainwater harvesting is suitable for places where:

• Water is too hard or rich in minerals.
• Ground water is insufficient.
• Ground water is impure.
• Population density is low.
• Terrain is rugged or mountainous.
• Electricity & water prices are rising.
• Seismic & flooding events are common.
• Conservation is an objective.
• The aquifer is at risk of saltwater intrusion.

Uses of collected rain water:

• Hand water the lawn and garden.
• Toilet flush.
• Washing clothes, vehicles and pets.
• Refill swimming pool.
• Replace the use of tap water with rainwater to wash your driveways and sidewalks.
• Use it for all potable needs when properly filtered and disinfected.
• Use it for industrial processes instead of municipally treated water.
• Connect rainwater collection system to irrigation system.

Video of Rainwater Harvesting from YouTube.