How Rainwater Harvesting Can Reduce Water Scarcity in Cities?

Water scarcity is a problem that cities around the world are facing. The world is currently undergoing a smaller-scale replication of urbanization and population growth. In the majority of urban areas, it causes extreme scarcity, necessitating the need to regulate its usage, groundwater table depletion, and expensive water supply methods. The economical and sustainable way to end the situation is through rainwater harvesting (RWH). By collecting, storing, and using rainwater for domestic use, this strategy lessens reliance on conventional water supplies. In urban areas, rainwater harvesting can be used to improve environmental sustainability and lessen water scarcity. We will explain the importance of rainwater harvesting, its mechanism, and how it can be utilized to mitigate water scarcity in urban areas.

What is Rainwater Harvesting?

Rainwater collection is the practice of collecting rain from buildings, pavements, or open space and stored to be used afterwards. The collected water can be used for domestic, industrial, and agricultural activities, thus conserving municipal supplies of water.

There are two broad types of rainwater collection systems

• Roof-top Rain Water Harvesting: In this, rainwater harvested from rooftops using the assistance of pipes is reserved in reservoirs or tanks and sub-surface reservoirs. It is an uncomplicated and cheap technique of water preservation.
• Surface Run-off Harvesting: In this, collection of rainwater from streets, parks, etc. Collected water is allowed to seep into reservoirs, lakes, or recharging pit for replenishing the amount of groundwater.

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The city can control water resources and minimize the impact of drought following the installation of such systems.

How Rainwater Harvesting Relieves Water Shortages?

1: Lowers Groundwater Dependence

Groundwater is also being exploited by all the cities for regular water supply. Over-extraction, however, makes the same come into use and wells and borewells become dry. Rainwater harvesting replenishes the levels of groundwater by allowing rainwater to percolate into the ground. Thus, the water becomes available continuously without depleting underground resources of water.

2: Provides an Alternative Source of Water

Rainwater is also reusable and can be recirculated for all types of applications from drinking water (after being treated), irrigation, flushing, washing, to industrial application. Municipal authorities with rainwater collection decrease their call on traditional sources like rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers and thus supply a cleaner and greener supply.

3: Reduces Urban Flooding

Heavy rainfall in the city will certainly lead to waterlogging and flooding, resulting in interruption of normal life and infrastructure damage. Flooding is prevented through rainwater harvesting by diverting the excess rain into storage tanks or ground recharge. Roads are not flooded, and pipes are not clogged.

4: Enhances Water Quality and Supply

Rainwater is soft and is not contaminated with deadly poisonous agents like chlorine and fluoride that pollute urban supplies. Filtered rainwater is suitable for household use and consumption purposes and therefore reduces the quantum of treated public utility water to be consumed.

5: Fosters Self-Sufficiency in Water Supply

Rainwater harvesting enables school, industry, business, and residential to avail themselves of a source of supply of water. It prevents dependence on city supplies and ensures day-and-night water supply during drought or water scarcity.

6: Enhanced Agriculture and Urban Landscape

It is not possible for most of the cities to have gardens, parks, and farming because of the lack of access to a water point. Rainwater collection is an affordable and environmental-friendly process because it provides water that can be used for irrigation. It sustains plants, purifies the air, and increases the habitability of the city.

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Problems Faced in Utilization of Rainwater Harvesting

Even though rainwater harvesting is very long in its list of advantages, most of its disadvantages discourage it from being used on a large scale:

• Lack of Awareness: People are unaware of the benefit and importance of rainwater harvesting. Publicity and public awareness campaigns must be promoted to use it.
• High Initial Installation Price: It is its initial investment in capital form in rainwater harvesting installation, and that might not be appealing to individuals and organizations. Government incentives and subsidies can reduce them to smaller sizes.
• Space Constraint: Wherever human beings are congregated like in cities, there can be no enough space to put recharge pits and storage tanks. That can be overcome by out-of-the-box thinking like underground or roof-top storage.
• Maintenance Problems: Maintenance and cleaning of rainwater harvesting systems from time to time have to be performed to prevent contamination and for efficiency. It can cause water quality problems if not maintained.
• Regulatory Problems: There are certain locations that do not have proper regulations and policies for rainwater harvesting. Facilitation regulations must be developed by the governments and encouraged to install it at the city planning level.

Steps to Implement Rainwater Harvesting in Cities

To harness the maximum volume of rainwater harvesting and solve the water scarcity problem, the following must be undertaken by the cities:

Encourage Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting in Buildings

• Install rainwater harvesting systems in new buildings.
• Grant relief from taxation and compensation to families and organizations carrying out rainwater harvesting.

Make Investments in Public Rainwater Harvesting Infrastructure

• Provide rainwater harvesting tanks in public buildings such as schools, play centers, and parks.
• Build water percolation pits along highways and roads to recharge ground water.

Create Awareness and Establish Education

• Organize workshops and campaigns to enlighten citizens of the benefits of rainwater harvesting.
• Promote water conservation and investment in low-cost rainwater harvesting schemes.

Integrate Rainwater Harvesting in Urban Design

• Plan cities with smart drainage that collects rainwater instead of routing it into sewerage channels.
• Plan parks with integrated water-absorbing features, i.e., permeable pavements and rain gardens.

Technical Support and Funding

• Extend technical support to institutions and people who are ready to install rainwater harvesting schemes.
• Implement government policies and incentives to make rainwater harvesting cost-effective.

Conclusion

Rainwater harvesting is an inexpensive and easy way to solve urban water scarcity. Proper storage and harvesting of rainwater can enable cities to reduce their reliance on conventional sources of water, recharge groundwater reservoirs, manage floodwaters, and provide water in a sustainable manner to future generations.

Governments, business communities, and individuals must come together to incorporate rainwater harvesting into the city development. Through appropriate policies, awareness, and investment, cities can be made to self-sustain rainwater into a renewable resource, providing water and a healthy world for everyone.

Through rainwater harvesting, we can become part of making the water shortage an end and creating better and safer cities.

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