Seminar Report on

Seminar Report on
RAIN WATER PRESERVATION FOR
RAIN WATER PRESERVATION FOR
DRINKING
DRINKING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I convey my deep indebness and gratitude to Shri
Karunamoy Ghosh, Shri Krishna Das Shit & Shri Sougata
Das for completing my seminar paper.
I am also thankful to the stafs of the library and
oner of the cyber caf!"
#y sincere thanks to all of them once again.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
The rainwater catchment system is based on
collection of rainwater and gravity flow pressure
principles. Rainwater runs off the roof of the house
into rain gutters. The gutters channel the water and
empty it into a standpipe. When the standpipe has
reached its capacity of 150 gal, the overflow runs
through a pipe and empties into a 900 gal drum. Two 00 gal barrels collect the
overflow from the 900 gal drum and any other overflow drains to the public sewer
system. !pigots are built into the bottom of the standpipe and the 900 gal drum. The
pressure of the water in the standpipe and the drum pushes the water out when the
spigots are opened.
ROOF TOP RWH
Rainwater "arvesting #RW"$ from roofs is a simple low cost techni%ue that has been
practiced for hundreds of years in the desert areas of &ndia. 'or over two decades,
the (arefoot )ollege has provided drin*ing water in remote rural schools in 15 states
for about + million people by collecting rainwater from rooftops of the schools and
storing it in underground tan*s. (arefoot )ollege regards RW" is not only an
alternative, but often as the only viable solution.
Rooftop Rainwater "arvesting is recogni,ed as not only a simple and low cost
traditional techni%ue but as a permanent sweet drin*ing water source for school
children in the rural areas. &n remote villages where access to drin*ing water is a
ma-or problem, RW" structures serves two purposes.
a source of potable water, especially during the dry season #/0 5 months$
year0round water provision to improve hygiene, e.g. low0flush public toilets.
1pplying local techni%ues, particularly in rural areas, directly benefits vulnerable
groups in the society in several ways, such as.
1 direct effect of providing water in schools is evident in an increased
attendance of children, particularly girls. Water scarcity and tre**ing long
distances for collecting water, specially during dry periods increases the
burden on women and girls, as a result education of the girl child is neglected.
)ollecting water for domestic use is usually the responsibility of women and
girls. The hours they spend fetching water is time that is not available for
childcare, productive activities and schooling.
2ore children can concentrate on reading and writing in schools instead of
spending hours fetching water.
The availability of fresh drin*ing water and water for sanitation also reduces
the incidence of waterborne diseases.
)onnecting rainwater harvesting structures to primary schools and other
community places has an immediate capacity building effect and can be
lin*ed to environmental education programmes and education for improved
hygiene and nutrition.
(y utilising other small0scale water harvesting systems in combination with
rooftop water harvesting, irrigation water for vegetable gardens can also be
nurtured.
1ccess to safe drin*ing water in remote rural areas also enhances food
security, nutrition, health and hygiene
Rainwater Harvesting Through
Ground water Recharge
)ommunity
3iped Water
!upply
)onstruction
of Tan*s
45cavation of
6illage 3onds
# Nadis $
7nused
dug wells
connected
by pipes
to rooftops
1. Total 8o. of !ystems 1 591 ++ /1
+. !torage )apacity in
:itres
0 + 2illion 5+5 2illion 15 2illion
. :ocation. 0 0 0 0
Rural !chools 0 /5; 0 +
)ommunity<Training
)enters
0 11 0 1;
Total 8o. of 6illages 1 9+ villages 19 +9
!tates.
Ra-asthan 1 //+ tan*s 19 +9
=thers 0 1+9 tan*s 0 0
/. 4mployment
>enerated for :ocal
3eople
+? 15,000 5,000 50
5. )ommunity
)ontribution
Rs 0 per
family<month
10@ of total
cost
+ days free
labour per
month<labourer
0
?. 8o. of users 15,000
3eople
50,000
3eople
1,+5,000
3eople<)attle
/,500
3eople
&n addition to this, the (arefoot )ollege felt that wor*ing at the community level to
resolve problems by using indigenous institutions and *nowledge creates other
positive outcome such as employment generation, participation and empowerment,
capacity building of local organi,ations and communities, decentrali,ed low0cost
solutions and transparency and accountability.

Rain Water Harvesting ( RWH) Proect !or "choo#
&n +00, a pilot pro-ect to harvest rainwater in 100 rural schools across 1 states was
sanctioned by the 2inistry of Water Resources, >overnment of &ndia. This was the
first time that an activity of this nature had been approved by the 2inistry. The pro-ect
was underta*en through +0 village )ommunity (ased =rgani,ations #)(=s$.
The aim of the pro-ect was to provide ade%uate water for drin*ing and sanitation by
collecting rainwater from the roof tops of school buildings and storing this in
underground water tan*s. The RW" structures offer permanent rainwater storage of
one million liters for drin*ing and sanitation.
The target group for the pro-ect were marginali,ed families including women and
children who had to wal* up to 10 *m to collect water for their daily needs. This was
particularly true for the children who often had to forego school in order to collect
water.
RAINWATER HARVESTING TANK IN SCHOOL
=ver the last two decades, the (arefoot )ollege has developed the e5perience of
collecting rainwater from //+ schools<community centre buildings for 0,000 children
in Ra-asthan and 1+9 schools in 1 other states. The RW" structures were
constructed by the local (arefoot 4ngineers in 9+ villages in the country. The cost
of material and labour for construction of a RW" with a toilet in schools is Rs + per
litre. &t is also a maintenance free technology and a sustainable water source in the
long0term.
The rural poor communities have addressed their own water needs by applying
traditional *nowledge, s*ills and using locally available raw materials to construct the
rainwater harvesting tan*s in schools and other community centers in the desert
area of Ra-asthan and in the "imalayan states.
The pro-ect successfully improved the %uantity and %uality of the collected rainwater
by applying the principles of ecological engineering to traditional rainwater harvesting
techni%ues. 1dditionally, it developed innovative filtration systems to reduce
sedimentation #from collected water$ and mitigate contamination #from stored water$.
The Process o! Construction o! RWH
Why are underground tan*s built for rainwater storageA
=nly an underground tan* built in lime or local material can *eep rainwater
fresh till the ne5t rainy season.
This is a natural water storage device 0 providing warm water in winter and
cold in summer.
7nderground tan*s are more durable and maintenance free unli*e the above
ground level tan*.
!election of schools
2a*e a list of schools<community centers where drin*ing water is a problem due to.
low seasonal rainfall in tropical ,ones
high salinity in ground water
high grade to5ic mineral contamination
lac* of surface water source 0 pond, river, tan*s
bacterial presence in the e5isting surface water sources
Water Resource 2apping
1 water resource mapping #basic information of rainfall, e5isting water
sources in the village$ survey should be carried out in the beginning of the
pro-ect
)ollect general infor0mation of all types of e5isting water sources #wells, hand
pumps, piped water supply, ponds, rivers, streams, broo*s etc.$ in a village
and its maintenance pattern
!easonal availability of drin*ing water from all the sources, %uality of water, an
appro5imate idea of the community demand for drin*ing water #total
population$ to be collected for generating reports on water resources
!urvey can be conducted by village people<teachers< students, community
contribution< demand etc.
>eneral &nformation
1vailable area of rooftops of school<community building #in s% mt. <ft.$
>eneral gradient< trend of rooftop #flat cement concrete roof and galvani,ed
tin roof$
Type of vegetation around the building<area
1verage annual rainfall data
Brainage pattern of rooftop through drain pipes up to ground or open flow
for direct runoff of rainwater.
Types of soil
=n the basis of the hardness of soil, generally soft and hard formations of soil
are determined. The soil categories vary from sandy soil, clay mi5ed with lime
*an*ers
2uram #white limes with small si,e gravel$
)onglomeration of all
"ard roc*s #sedimentary<metamorphic$
Weathered formation of hard roc*
:ocation of Tan*
Tan* should be close to the main building with an easy access for school
children.
The distance of tan* from the building depends upon the area. to 5 feet in
hard subsurface in soft formation, distance should be more #10 ft.$
2inimum length of pipes should be used to avoid chances of bloc*age. :arge
diameter pipes #at least / inches$ are suggested to connect rooftop to tan*.
&f subsurface is hard, do not try to dig a pit too deep. 1 tan* can be raised
1<rd above the ground surface and +<rd in the ground
2aterial for )onstruction
:ocal building material #bric*s< stones$
:ime<cement
Water proofing powder #gypsum$
)oarse sand
Roofing material #'erro cement<sandstone slabs$ depends upon area.
Transportation.
The shape of the tank depends upon the soil type. The basic traditional designs are
rectangular and cylindrical (round). A rectangular tank is good for hard rock area.
The technique is simple: Dig a pit and cover it ith a roof made of local stones. The
rooftop tank can be used for holding classes in inter or as a stage for the school.
Ca$acit%& '( cu)ic *eters
The cylindrical design is particularly suitable for the desert area.
The knowledge of traditional and inexpensive construction technique of water
structures is with the village community of the Thar Desert. It is incredible but
true that local village masons and architects can construct cylindrical tanks
and deep wells of upto 100 mts deep using locally available material. These
cylindrical tanks are a challenge to build even for trained civil engineers.
Ca$acit%& +,-. cu)ic *eters
"%ste* Con!iguration
To configure our system we used the garage<shop roof, which measures
/+C5/;C, pitched at about 1 to +, as our collector. Buring a light rainfall we can collect
/00 gallons in a day. Buring heavy rains we can collect 1500 gallons in a few hours.
=ur rule of thumb calculation for s%uare footage vs. amount collected is about /00
gallons of water per 1D rainfall, on our +55/0 foot garage roof

Puri!ication "%ste*
This system, which cost less than
$1,500, consists of the following
components:
A 1500 gallon plastic cistern,
approximate cost: $500. Our
tank was mae !y "nyer
#nustries. $ontact local
agriculture or farm stores for
!est prices. Or check yellow page listings for tanks. %ere is a link to an Oregon
ealer.
A 1&' horsepower shallow(well pump to pressuri)e the water to !etween '0 an *0 psi
+pressure is a,usta!le-, approximate cost: $'50. # utili)e a .acu))i !ran pump.
/lastic +outoor /0$ an inoor $/0$- piping to connect to the househol col
water system.
Two particulate filters in series, rate at '0 an 5 micron particle si)e, approximate
cost: $'0 each1 replacea!le filter cartriges cost $*(5 each.
An ultra2iolet light sterili)er capa!le of sterili)ing water at 10 gallons per minute.
This appliance was recently appro2e for use in Oregon. # use the /34A +1(500(
'6'(/34A, 0alencia, $alifornia- moel 30'0(1, cost approximately $*50. 3ses
a!out 70 watts. 8luorescent ultra2iolet light rate at 6900 hours, a!out one year of
continuous use. 4eplacement cost of fluorescent tu!e: a!out $50.
"creen co2ering the cistern to pre2ent entry of mos:uitoes an to catch any large
particles that make it past the gutter screening.
A roof(washer which wastes the first ;.5 gallons of capture water which has
<washe< the roof. Once the roof washer has fille, the rest of the water flows to the
cistern. "ee !elow for etails.
A '0 gallon water !utyl ru!!er iaphragm pressure storage tank, approximate cost:
$150.
A reuce pressure !ackflow pre2ention e2ice. This was re:uire !y the city to
pre2ent flow of rainwater into the pu!lic system. $ost: $1'0. This woul not !e
necessary if we use rainwater exclusi2ely. %owe2er, Oregon has 2ery ry summers
an our cistern is exhauste !y .uly. =e currently epen on city water uring the
summer. The city re:uires annual inspection of these e2ices, costing a!out $*0. +"ee
photo !elow.-
A +optional- water meter to measure rainwater output, approximate cost: $75.
>aintenance consists of keeping gutters an cistern screen clean. 8ilters an ultra(2iolet lamp
will nee perioic replacement. The tank is thoroughly cleane annually in the summer when
it empties. ?ackflow pre2ention e2ice re:uires annual inspection. /u!lic health authorities
recommen perioic testing of water for fecal coliform !acteria, as for any pri2ate water
system. "e2eral recent tests showe none. The insie components of our system, picture
here, take up a!out 9 s:uare feet of floor space.
At the current time we continue to use the pu!lic water supply only for summertime water
an occasional rinking an cooking. #n fact, uring the rainy season, which lasts from a!out
"eptem!er to .une, our only connection to the pu!lic utility is one faucet at the kitchen sink
which uses less than one gallon per ay, which got us into hot water with the city water
!ureau.
#n my research on rainwater catchment systems the !est single reference # ha2e come across
for etaile esign guielines is the Texas =ater @e2elopment ?oarAs Texas Guide to
Rainwater Harvesting.
Roofwashers. A simple prototype is shown in the TB. #t consists of a length of pipe for
storage of the initial flush of water with a trickle 2al2e +hose !i! ,ust slightly opene- an
clean out 2al2e at the !ottom. Only when the this pipe fills is water then allowe to continue
into the cistern. #tAs 2ery simple, no mo2ing parts. The only thing # woul change is to ha2e a
narrow section or trap configuration at the top to reuce mixing of the flush water with the
still arri2ing +clean- water. Cet another metho to ai this is to a a lightweight +like
styrofoam- !all that woul seal the intake when the roof washer fills. This simple esign is
2ery inexpensi2e, easy to rain or clean manually, an works 2ery well. The TB suggests one
gallon of washer capacity for each 100 s:uare feet of roof. "o make your roof washer pipe
length long enough. 8or our moel we use '0 feet of *< A?". =e mae it in the shape of a
giant 3 to get this length. 4emem!er, 2olume e:uals length times area. Area e:uals pi times
raius s:uare +in our case * inches internal iameter, or .'5 foot- an one cu!ic foot e:uals
;.5 gallons. To a2oi long lengths of roofwasher pipe, it makes sense to use larger iameters.
/ortlanAs chief resiential plum!ing inspector commente that our use of A?" inAt
conform to coe as plastic may e2entually ecay in sunlight. Therefore, you shoul use
copper, iron, or other sunlight(resistant materials to !e
completely correct. Or simply paint any plastic parts to
protect them from the effects of sun light.
Rainbarrels. A rainwater har2esting system can !e as
simple as a !arrel connecte to a ownspout. $heck the
4ain!arrel Tutorial for tips on how to put together a
system for as little as $15('0. Another great link is the
4ain ?arrel Buie. One of our neigh!ors has connecte
his rain !arrel to his !asement washing machine an
gets 2irtually all his launry water from this super(soft
source for a miniscule in2estment.
One nota!le a2antage of rainwater is its softness. 4ainfall in the /ortlan area contains
a!out 5 mg&liter of issol2e minerals. $ompare this with some har grounwater which
excees 500 mg&liter. /ortlan city water, which has an exceptionally pure source, is rate at
1' mg&liter.
Accoring to two officials in Alaska an %awaii with whom # ha2e communicate, there is a
long esta!lishe traition of rainwater collection in some parts of their states. Accoring to
"ource!ook %ar2este 4ainwater, in some areas of the $ari!!ean, new houses are re:uire to
ha2e rainwater capture systems. %awaii apparently is currently e2eloping +or has alreay
e2elope- guielines. #n Oregon, there is no regulation of water :uality for ini2iual
resiences (( this is left up to the homeowner. The only regulations # ha2e come across
relating to rainwater har2esting are from Ohio, whose @epartment of %ealth Aministrati2e
$oe regulates pri2ate water systems. Dote, in particular, 4ules *;01('5(06 $ontinuous
isinfection an *;01('5(1* $onstruction an surface esign of cisterns, haule water storage
tanks, an roof washers.
CONC/U"ION&
=ater conser2ation measures ha2e assume enormous importance owing to a heightene
water eman an an increasing water scarcity1 an rainwater har2esting has !een esta!lishe
as the most economical an feasi!le option for water conser2ation an freshwater source
generation. "ince its inception, the inustrial premises has emonstrate great farsighteness
in water conser2ation measures, an the existing check ams are a great example of this. The
premises has !een a!le to e2elop a storage capacity of more than 700 million litres an plans
to increase it !y another 100 million litres. =ith ifferent utili)ation schemes of har2este
water, it is a!le to utili)e more than ''5 million litres of water annually, for its inustrial an
non(pota!le applications. This is not only helping to sa2e the water !ill, !ut also helping the
municipal authorities to i2ert supply to more scarce sectors. #t can !e sai that with all the
4=% measures that the inustrial premises has implemente, it may ser2e as a 2ery goo role
moel of macroscopic rainwater
Re!erence&
1. Te!as "uide to #ainater $arvesting.
+. Warwic* #)oventry, 7nited Eingdom$ 7niversityCs Bevelopment
Technology 7nit Roofwater "arvesting 3rogramme.
. Water "arvesting !ystems Traditional !ystems.htm
/. The (rethren of )isterns by Robert (ryce
5. The 'amily )istern. ,000 Fears of "ousehold Water )ollection
in Gordan
?. =ne World. Rainwater "arvesting
9. )ity of 1ustinCs >reen (uilder "ome 3age
includes useful )apacity >uidelines
;. )ity of 1ustin H500 rebate program for installing a Rainwater
"arvesting !ystem