Credits: Biovision-Infonet The required storage capacity of a water reservoir depends on: The daily required volumes and quality of water measured in litres. The length of the dry seasons during which these volumes and quality of water are required. Example on water demand for a homestead: While the number of days in a dry season can be […]
Category Archives: Rainwater Harvesting
Gutters
Credits: Biovision-Infonet Many rainwater harvesting installations do not perform as well as expected because of unsatisfactory gutters. It is therefore important to give careful attention to the materials used, the way the gutters are fabricated and the way they are installed. Ways of fabricating and installing low-cost gutters are described below. Semi-circular gutters The best […]
Evaporation, Seepage and Leakage
Credits: Biovision-Infonet Almost every type of storage reservoir loses some of its stored water to evaporation, seepage or leakage. Evaporation losses Open water reservoirs, such as; tanks without roofs, ponds, earth dams and rock catchment dams, lose water due to evaporation. In hot and windy climates the evaporation rate may be over 3 mm per day which is […]
Catchment Areas
Credits: Biovision-Infonet Run-off from catchment areas Although regions with low and erratic rainfalls appear to be unsuitable for rainwater harvesting, it has been proved many times that rainwater harvesting is the most viable water supply system in arid and semi-desert regions. Rainwater harvesting in dry regions is viable when the following aspects are considered and […]
Rainfall
Credits: Biovision-Infonet Although it is known that clouds can be seeded with chemicals to produce rains, the practice is expensive and unsustainable. It should therefore be realized that rainfall varies from region to region and from one year to another beyond peoples’ manipulation and interference. All fresh water comes from rains, including water in deep […]
The Water Cycle
Credits: Biovision-Infonet Every living creature and vegetation must have water in order to survive. Only 3% of all water on Earth is fresh water and 68% of the water is frozen ice on the North and South Poles. All humans and most animals as well as nearly all vegetation can only survive on fresh water […]
Rainwater Harvesting
Credits: Biovision-Infonet Introduction Rainwater running off land surfaces can be harvested, stored and utilized using a technique called rainwater harvesting instead of being wasted in rivers, lakes and the sea. Rainwater harvesting consists of 5 components: Rainfall Catchment areas, also called watersheds, onto which the rainwater falls. Gutters, or conveying channels, to bring rainwater from a catchment […]