The various processes of a factory or industry make a generous use of water resource. Industrial and other public or private commercial buildings reports an excessive use of water and this makes the installation of of rainwater harvesting system, to store water for longer period of time and use it in a effective manner. As there are many advantages of rain water harvesting system which leads to its implementation. For an example, water bill is a huge expense for any industry and it leads difficult to cut-back the usage of water.

So, therefore, it’s result into the installing a Rainwater Harvesting System which leads to 80% direct cost saving on lengthy water bills. Rain water harvesting system gives the guarantee of fresh water and then this leads to the cut down of carbon foot print by saving the freshwater processing. Water recycling systems installed in industries and offices also get benefited by a rainwater harvesting system, as they will receive better quality, thereby increasing their shelf life. Harvested rainwater is naturally soft and is found in its purest form.

This leaves your storage tanks with high-quality water, having a minimal requirement for filtration. The harvested water can also provide an essential basis of water security (potable uses) during low rainfall years. In the new model, recharge wells are sunk to a depth, lower than groundwater table. With it forms the desired freshwater pocket by pushing away and replacing the existing saline groundwater.

In short, rainwater harvesting is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a tank, cistern, deep pit, aquifer, or a reservoir with percolation, so that it seeps down and restores the ground water.

Unpredictable Rainfall

All places do not receive the same amount of rainfall. It is also difficult to predict rainfall. Therefore it is not advisable to depend on rainwater alone for all your water needs in areas where there is limited rainfall. If your rainwater harvesting system has a blockage, it can affect the flow of water to your home. There might be leaves or other debris stuck in the tank, which you will need to remove. You should also check the filter, to ensure that this isn’t full of debris. Some ancient rainwater harvesting methods followed in India include madakas, ahar pynes, surangas, tankas and many more. This water conservation method can be easily practiced in individual homes, apartments, parks, offices and temples too, across the world.

Rainwater Harvesting System in India

Water has been harvested in India since antiquity, with our ancestors perfecting the art of water management. Many water harvesting structures and water conveyance systems specific to the eco-regions and culture has been developed.They harvested the rain drop directly. From rooftops, they collected water and stored it in tanks built in their courtyards. From open community lands, they collected the rain and stored it in artificial wells. They harvested monsoon runoff by capturing water from swollen streams during the monsoon season and stored it various forms of water bodies.

Advantages: Along with being an effective method of recycling resources, rainwater harvesting is beneficial for providing water supply in areas facing scarcity thereof and replenishing the deficit groundwater levels in others. It is responsible for lessening the load on primary water sources, adding fresh and potable water availability for the masses. In the urban areas, it is shown to be beneficial by increasing the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants since the need for clean water is compensated by the harvested rainwater, to a great extent. The system’s installation is easy to handle and maintain by laymen, and the entire process decreases the dependence on groundwater, thereby preventing excessive depletion.

With countless predictions that most major cities around the world are on the brink of running out or exhausting their groundwater supplies in the near future, it is extremely important to look beyond the conventional sources of sustenance and look towards adopting and adapting the non-conventional, renewable sources, essential for our survival. Rainwater is a renewable source prevalent in areas with little to no rainfall, and the gathered water can be put to uses like irrigation and other domestic chores like toilet flushing, washing, etc.

It needs to be purified further in order to make it fit for drinking since rainwater collected from rooftops may contain animal and bird feces, dust particles and other particulate matter, and gases like Nitric and Sulphur oxide. which require elaborate purification setups, which are difficult to install, operate and maintain at the domestic level.

As for the legal enforcement of the rules and regulations for Rainwater Harvesting, all these rules and regulations aim towards one primary objective: to save water- which is the primary essence of life. Formulated by the respective local authorities in the districts, the major impediment in the effective implementation is the lack of information and mismanagement by the authorities themselves. The residential associations contend that instead of every house having a separate rainwater harvesting set up, the authorities should focus on encouraging community rainwater harvesting and that the construction of storage pits to store the
water in already existing buildings may lead to seepage and weakening of the foundations.

About Chokhavatia Associates

Chokhavatia Associates have put up more than 40 years of experience with a global client base. Our services in the environmental sector include the concept of commissioning Wastewater Treatment Plants for the industries and Sewage Treatment Plant, Effluent Treatment Plant, Operation and maintenance contracts of sewage/wastewater treatment plants, and supervision including turnkey installation of the complete plant, environmental impact assessment studies, and design of water supply and sewerage systems for the Townships, Environmental Management Planning, and design of disposal structures. The services in the structural sector are for the structural design of treatment units and overhead tanks, the designing of intake wells and their construction and supervision, design of bridges, culverts, and ports.