RAINWATER
HARVESTING
STORAGE



RAINWATER MANAGEMENT

RAINWATER HARVESTING

RAINWATER TANKS

RAINWATER CATCHMENT

SWALES

PERMACULTURE

BERMS

RAINWATER HARVESTING LINKS



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SECTION 1



RAINWATER
MANAGEMENT



Rain is a vital resource that fills our rivers
and replenishes our surface and groundwater
supply. Unfortunately, concrete and other
impervious surfaces that make up much of today’s
(sub)urban landscape interfere with the hydrologic
cycle and prevent the natural infiltration process
from occurring.

Many cities are also plagued with an aging
infrastructure and leaky pipes. Municipalities
can lose as much as 40 percent of treated water
due to faulty pipes and other equipment.


Rainwater management
http://www.appropedia.org/Original:Rainwater_management



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SECTION 2



RAINWATER
HARVESTING



Rainwater harvesting is the gathering, or
accumulating and storing, of rainwater.

Traditionally, rainwater harvesting has been
practised in arid and semi-arid areas, and
has provided drinking water, domestic water,
water for livestock, water for small irrigation
and a way to replenish ground water levels.



Advantages in urban areas:

Rainwater harvesting in urban areas can have
manifold reasons. To provide supplemental water
for the city's requirement, to increase soil
moisture levels for urban greenery, to increase
the ground water table through artificial recharge,
to mitigate urban flooding and to improve the
quality of groundwater are some of the reasons why
rainwater harvesting can be adopted in cities.

In urban areas of the developed world, at a household
level, harvested rainwater can be used for flushing
toilets and washing laundry. Indeed in hard water
areas it is superior to mains water for this.

It can also be used for showering or bathing. It may
require treatment prior to use for drinking.


Rainwater harvesting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_harvesting



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SECTION 3



RAINWATER
TANTS



A rainwater tank (also known as a rain barrel in
North America or a water butt in the UK) is a
water tank which is used to collect and store rain
water runoff, typically from rooftops via rain
gutters.

Rainwater tanks are installed to make use of soft
rain water for home use, reduce mains water use,
and aid self-sufficiency.

In arid climates, rain barrels are often used to
store water during the rainy season for use during
dryer periods. Tanks can also be used for retention
of stormwater.


Rainwater tank
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_tank



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SECTION 4



RAINWATER
CATCHMENT



The rainwater cistern is historically an
underground basin of water, but it can also
be an above ground barrel or tank.

Much like an artificial well, cisterns are used
to make sure that water is not contaminated nor
suffers from evaporation. Probably the most
effective but overlooked form of rainwater storage
in the modern era rainwater cisterns are practical
and can be aesthetically concealed below ground,
behind fencing or trellis.

Good materials for cisterns include plastic liners
or membrane material in wood frames, ceramic,
fiberglass, “food grade” plastic and poly-tanks,
as well as other potable liquid materials.

The two main reasons why people use cisterns are either
for the sake of survival in a place where the only
potable water is rainwater, or ecological awareness in
search of sustainability.


RAIN BARREL
http://www.rain-barrel.net/rainwater-catchment.html



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SECTION 5



WHAT'S
A
SWALE?



Swales are simply shallow, low depressions
in the ground designed to encourage the
accumulation of rain during storms and hold
it for a few hours or days to let it
infiltrate into the soil.

Swales ideally are tree-lined and store water
for the immediate landscape as well as help
cleanse the water as it percolates down.

Swales can be installed separately or as part
of a larger water rain catchment system with
rain gardens, cisterns and other water
conservation measures.

Swales are one of the cheapest and easiest
water storage methods and can be installed
almost anywhere. If properly built they
greatly reduce storm runoff; thereby reducing
the impact of storms on local storm runoff
systems.

But more importantly they catch and preserve
fresh rain where it can be used by your shrubs
and trees. Swales are an easy solution that
can be effective in homes, commercial buildings
and along street mediums in place of curbs.



CONSIDERATIONS



Key elements to consider when building a swale include:

· Swales are not intended to move water but to hold water
for soil absorption.

· The width of the swale should be covered by the crown of
the mature surrounding trees.

· Soil in the swale should not be compacted or sealed but
should be loose to encourage absorption.

Surprisingly one tree can reduce stormwater runoff by 4,000
gallons a year thus greatly reducing the need to build costly
water treatment plants. So swales lined with native trees are
an extremely-cost effective, and often overlooked low-tech,
water conservation technique.

Swales with the proper plants and trees help manage runoff and
make water healthy for people, nature and fish.

Swales are a low-cost win-win solution.


Bill Mollison
http://www.harvesth2o.com/swales.shtml



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SECTION 5A



PERMACULTURE



The word permaculture, coined by Australians
Bill Mollison and David Holmgren during the
1970s, is a portmanteau of permanent
agriculture as well as permanent culture.

Through a series of publications, Mollison,
Holmgren and their associates documented an
approach to designing human settlements, in
particular the development of perennial
agricultural systems that mimic the structure
and interrelationship found in natural
ecologies.

Permaculture design principles extend from the
position that "The only ethical decision is to
take responsibility for our own existence and
that of our children" (Mollison, 1990).


Permaculture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture



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SECTION 6



WHAT'S
A
BERM?



Berms are raised beds that can be used
to direct water to swales. They are the
equivalent of the slope in road used to
push water off the middle of the road
toward the curbs.

Ideally, berms and swales should be designed
into the landscape where there is any noticeable
slope to slow and capture runoff. They can be
part of the site plan for an individual home or
integrated into the design of an entire multi-unit
complex or subdivision development.

It is best when designing the home landscape to
preserve low-lying areas such as wetlands and swales.
These low-lying areas retain storm water, provide
water quality filtration and may allow for some
infiltration to replenish groundwater supplies.



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SECTION 7



RAINWATER
HARVESTING
LINKS



Be Waterwise.com
http://www.bewaterwise.com/

CLEAN AIR GARDENING
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/

COMPOSTERS
http://www.composters.com/

Compost Guide
http://www.compostguide.com/

Dancing Rabbit
http://www.dancingrabbit.org/

THE FARM
http://www.thefarm.org/

GARDEN FROG
http://www.gardenfrog.com/

GREEN BUILDER
http://www.greenbuilder.com/

Harvest H2O.com
http://www.harvesth2o.com/

The International Rainwater Cchment Systems Association (IRCatSA)
http://www.ircsa.org/

Organic Gardening Tips
http://www.organicgardentips.com/

Rain Barrel Guide
http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/

Rainwater Harvesting Guide
http://www.rain-barrel.net/

Federal Register guidelines of Water
http://www.fda.gov/

waterwise
http://www.waterwise.org/



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