JOIN USSarah Thomas gives us a lowdown on how important it is to have a rainwater harvesting system in our homes.
Did you know that a 500 sq ft house could collect nearly 50,000 litres of water per year, spread over eight months and 60 rainy days? That amount of water is enough to sustain us for a year. Unfortunately, this is the amount of water that is wasted in homes that do not have rainwater harvesting systems.
“Rainwater harvesting quite simply is the collection and storage of rainwater. It can be used to recharge ground water or for household purposes,” said Shankar Rao, CEO of Refurb India, an associate of Refurb-Global, USA, which specialises in activities related to water handling and energy fields.
The water can be directed from rooftops to a recharge pit which will replenish the groundwater and cause an increase in the water table. It also reduces water clogging and improves the quality of ground water.
Multipurpose
S Vishwanath, a worker on sustainable water management, provides several tutorials and awareness videos on his YouTube channel, ‘Zenrainman’, on rainwater harvesting. He states that rain water is soft water. If you keep your rooftop clean and filter the rain water thoroughly, it can be used for drinking and cooking too.
“Most often, people fear acid rains and contaminated rainwater which is pure ignorance because rainwater is extremely pure. The contamination happens on the rooftop and can be used for drinking only if filtered well. Acid rains do exist but there are no acid rains in Bangalore. It is neither present in most cities and towns in Karnataka,” he added.
Throwing more light on the lesser known benefits of rainwater harvesting, he states, “If you use the collected rainwater for bathing, you would be using very little soap and shampoo as it would produce a quick lather and is extremely good for the hair and skin.”
In places where the groundwater is contaminated, as in most villages of Karnataka, Vishwanath advises that rainwater could be the best alternative. There is a huge hue and cry over the water shortage problems in urban areas.
Most often, people resort to expensive tankers that solve the issue at hand. But the greater issue remains unresolved and setting up rainwater harvesting catchments can be the best, most simple and inexpensive solution for clean water.
Shankar provides simple ways of setting up a catchment. If you are a ‘do-it-yourself’ person, you could set one up on your own. If not, there is nothing to worry about as plumbers can help you out. There are service providers as well that you could contact. The setting up phase is low-cost and uncomplicated.
Susan Saji, a resident of Hennur and a garden lover, has been practising rainwater harvesting for a while now. Sharing the delights of owning a system, she says, “I use the rainwater to water my plants. That way, I save on water and a high water bill as well. The water thus collected can be used for several purposes, but I prefer to use it for irrigation.”
Water is a necessity and lots of urban areas face water shortage. The growing population, exhausted groundwater levels and increasing demands only add to the woe. With our present consumption levels, there seems to be no hope, hence installing a rainwater catchment is a must. There are several other advantages to it too.
Save water, save energy
“Bangalore receives water from a distance of 120 km. This water is pumped. Here, there is energy required in the pumping, piping, filtering and distribution of water. When you have rainwater harvesting systems, you save this amount of energy. By saving water, indirectly you save energy,” informed Shankar.
Bangalore has a vast catchment area of more than 700 sq km which can theoretically yield 420 million cubic metres of water per year at 60 cm rainfall per year. If used, this would reduce a lot of burden on the city.
It is a must for every urban home to install a rooftop rainwater harvesting system. If you do not have a rainwater harvesting system yet, it’s best to get one done now and make yourself water-rich.
You could create a rain garden and use the conserved water in cleaning, laundry, watering garden, and in fact every day to day activity involving water. This way, you would be doing yourself and the mother eartth a favour. Start conserving water today, and live a smart life.