Rainwater harvesting potential assessment for non-potable use in urban areas

Abstract

Water is an important natural resource which could be utilized for different purposes. Now a day’s water became a scarce resource which needs be conserved. One of the most effective ways to conserve water at urban areas is installing a rainwater harvesting system for the strain of the shower, laundry, plant growth, and construction requirement. This study aimed to determine the rainwater harvesting potential and analyse the importance of a rainwater harvesting system for non-potable use in urban areas. The evaluation of rainwater harvesting was done through surveying and analysis of roof catchment, channel networks, and rainfall data. The assessment of rainwater potential was followed by quantifying the runoff volume and characterization of the rainwater harvesting system components. The investment required for rainwater harvesting within the study site was very small, since it only requires the development primary and secondary sedimentation tanks, and pump cost for lifting the water from the tank to the distribution system. The results of this study indicated that installing a rainwater harvesting system is economical to handle the water scarcity problem within the university. In Debre Tabor University, the available water to be collected from 13 dormitory buildings and also the open area was about 41,511 m3. This revealed that there's an enormous amount of water which is sufficient enough to fulfil the demand for non-potable uses. Hence, the adoption of rainwater harvesting system in urban areas is appropriate method and plays an excellent role in resolving water scarcity problem.