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COMPONENTS OF A RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM

Transporting rainwater through pipes or drains, filtering, and storage in tanks for reuse or recharge are all components of a rainwater harvesting system. These stages are depicted with the common components of a rainwater collection system.

Catchments

The catchment of a water harvesting system is the surface that absorbs rainwater directly and supplies water to the system.

Coarse mesh

at the roof to prevent the passage of debris

Gutters

Channels all around the edge of a sloping roof to collect and transport rainwater to the storage tank. Gutters can be semi-circular or rectangular and could be made using:

• Rainwater is collected and transported to a storage tank by channels that run all the way around the edge of a sloping roof. Gutters can be semi-circular or rectangular, and they can be manufactured from locally accessible materials such basic galvanised iron sheet (20 to 22 gauge), folded to the desired shape. PVC semi-circular gutters can be quickly made by cutting the pipes into two equal semi-circular channels.

Conduits

Conduits are pipes or drains that transport rainwater from a catchment or rooftop to a rainwater harvesting system. Conduits can be made of any readily available material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or galvanised iron (GI).

Filter

The filter is used to remove suspended pollutants from rainwater collected over roof. A filter unit is a chamber filled with filtering media such as fibre, coarse sand and gravel layers to remove debris and dirt from water before it enters the storage tank or recharge structure. Charcoal can be added for additional filtration

Storage facility

There are various options available for the construction of these tanks with respect to the shape, size and the material of construction.

Recharge structures

Rainwater may be charged into the groundwater aquifers through any suitable structures like dugwells, borewells, recharge trenches and recharge pits. Various recharge structures are possible - some which promote the percolation of water through soil strata at shallower depth (e.g., recharge trenches, permeable pavements) whereas others conduct water to greater depths from where it joins the groundwater (e.g. recharge wells). At many locations, existing structures like wells, pits and tanks can be modified as recharge structures, eliminating the need to construct any structures afresh