WATER CAPTURING
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owadays we mainly depend on secondary sources of water like dams, lakes, groundwater or rivers whilst the primary water source is rainfall. Water harvesting is the capturing of rain water, where it falls, runs-off, catchment etc. It is direct rainfall collection, this water can be stored for later use and recharged into groundwater again. Traditionally this involves harvesting the rain from a roof, the rain will collect in gutters that channel the water in downspouts and then into some storage facility or tank. In essence, water harvesting means we recognize the rain’s value and try to utilize it when it falls. The purity of the water carefully collected from the roof is one of its most amazing attribute; if properly collected, it ranks up there with distilled water for the absence of impurities.
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Rainwater collection systems can be as simple as collecting rain in a barrel or as elaborate as harvesting rainwater into large cisterns to supply your entire household demand. Rainwater harvesting is becoming a viable way of supplying households and businesses with water. The green building movement has also resulted in the continued rise of rainwater harvesting. Many rainwater harvesting systems have a way of discarding the first run of water from the roof to avoid twigs, leaves or bird droppings from contaminating the collected water in a cistern. Preventing this debris will also ensure that pumps won’t clog or contaminate the water. Benefits of rainwater harvesting Rainwater is a relatively clean and absolutely free source of water. You will have total control of your water supply. Rainwater is great for plants and landscaping as it is not chlorinated. It can be an excellent backup source of water for emergencies. It uses simple techniques that are easy to maintain and inexpensive. The system can easily be retrofitted onto an existing building or installed on a new building. Less harm to the environment.
