A Comparative Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting System and Conventional Sources of Water

Abstract

Rainwater harvesting systems have been studied in different regions considering their performance, design, and life cycle analysis. However, their performance has not been compared with conventional water sources. The novelty of this study rests in examining the performance and potency of the rainwater harvesting system and the conventional sources of water for potable and non-potable demand. This study has two-fold objectives. Firstly, the challenges and sufficiency of existing water sources for potable and non-potable demand are examined by considering the water gallon delivery at the doorstep, government supply line, tanker-based supply, and extraction of water through bore wells. Secondly, the cost-effectiveness of several water sources is examined using four models. Each model combines water sources for potable and non-potable demand. A comparison is drawn between the cost-effectiveness of current practices and the rainwater harvesting system. The findings suggest that the rainwater harvesting system is more cost-effective than conventional water sources; however, it needs to be coupled with the government supply line to meet the non-potable water demand. On average, five other houses can be covered by the rainwater harvesting system. Implications are drawn to help governments and practitioners consider sustainable social well-being actions and promote rain harvesting through rebates.