Harvesting and Potable Use of Rooftop Rain Water to Tackle Imminent Drinking Water Crisis in Coastal Gujarat, India

Abstract

Rooftop water harvesting is an ideal technique to collect and store rainwater for drinking purposes. However, with time, in spite of all precautions, there is a possibility of development of microbes in stored water, making it unsafe for drinking. An attempt was made at Navsari Agricultural University, Gujarat to design the rooftop water harvesting system in such a way that stored water meets the annual water demand maintaining the quality of water at minimum cost. The water harvesting system was constructed at six locations and water quality in the storage tanks was monitored at regular intervals. Physical, chemical and bacterial quality of harvested rainwater was evaluated in laboratory and the water was found to be of excellent quality. However, microbial growth was found to be present at few places over the time. Laboratory study was undertaken to find economical solution to remove microbes from the stored water before consumption using copper vessel, silver strip of 30 cm × 10 cm × 0.03 cm size, commercially available cloth filter, earthen pot, and control (without any treatment). The results revealed that copper vessel showed maximum inhibitory effect on coliform as well as total bacterial count when water was stored for 12 h and 24 h. Though, there was a slight increase in copper residue, but it remained within the permissible limits. Therefore, vessel made up of copper could safely be used for antimicrobial treatment to purify the drinking water. The methodology could be useful to meet the precariously deteriorating potable water situation in rural areas especially for the poor people of developing economies.

Assessment of roof water harvesting potential of Navsari city of Gujarat State, India by Remote sensing and Geographic information system (GIS)

“…Also, if the drinking water supply by the rainwater harvesting structure is sufficient, then the supplementary water can be used for domestic purposes. The only cost-effective solution to minimize the demand-supply gap by augmenting the existing water supply seems to be rainwater harvesting (Shrivastava et al, 2019). Roof water harvesting is a process of collecting runoff occurring due to rainfall from the impermeable terrace on top of the house and conserving it in a tank (Durodoloet al, 2020).…”

“…Roof water harvesting is a proven approach towards conserving water effectively and economically. Roof water harvesting should be recommended for potable water requirements in areas suffering from water scarcity after monsoon and if reliable measures are taken, water quality remains acceptable (Shrivastava et al, 2019). The roof water harvesting method has been used since ancient times for providing water for drinking during water shortage.…”

Small‐scale experimental study on the optimisation of a rooftop rainwater energy harvester using electromagnetic generators in light rains

“…The availability of water resources in several regions such as India 1 and Jordan 2 is significantly affected by climate change, the rapid development of urban areas, and the population growth in recent decades. A rainwater harvesting system can provide an alternative sustainable water resource 3 .…”