builders Kerala has taken the initiative to ensure that they install rain water harvesting system in all their apartments. The water thus saved can be put to use in a number of ways like drinking, irrigation, increasing ground water recharge etc. The rain water harvesting system comprises of a number of components at various stages of transporting rainwater through pipes or drains, filtration and storage in tanks for reuse or recharge.
The surface which directly receives the rainfall and provides water to the system is called the catchment of a water harvesting system. Paved areas like a terrace or courtyard of a building and unpaved areas like lawn or open ground are examples. To prevent the passage of debris a coarse mesh is placed at the roof.
Gutters are channels all around the edge of a sloping roof to collect and transport the rainwater to a storage tank. Depending on the flow during the highest intensity rain the size of the gutter should be designed. They should be properly supported so that they do not fall off when loaded with water.
The pipe lines or drains that carry rain water from the catchment or rooftop area to the harvesting system are called conduits. Conduits can be made of materials like polyvinyl chloride or galvanized iron.
A valve called first flush is provided that ensures that the runoff from the first spell of rain is flushed out and does not enter the system. This is done to avoid the large amount of pollutants from the air and catchment area from entering the storage.
Filter is used to remove the suspended pollutants from the collected rainwater. It is filled with layers of fiber, coarse sand and gravel.
The surface which directly receives the rainfall and provides water to the system is called the catchment of a water harvesting system. Paved areas like a terrace or courtyard of a building and unpaved areas like lawn or open ground are examples. To prevent the passage of debris a coarse mesh is placed at the roof.
Gutters are channels all around the edge of a sloping roof to collect and transport the rainwater to a storage tank. Depending on the flow during the highest intensity rain the size of the gutter should be designed. They should be properly supported so that they do not fall off when loaded with water.
The pipe lines or drains that carry rain water from the catchment or rooftop area to the harvesting system are called conduits. Conduits can be made of materials like polyvinyl chloride or galvanized iron.
A valve called first flush is provided that ensures that the runoff from the first spell of rain is flushed out and does not enter the system. This is done to avoid the large amount of pollutants from the air and catchment area from entering the storage.
Filter is used to remove the suspended pollutants from the collected rainwater. It is filled with layers of fiber, coarse sand and gravel.
