Rainwater harvesting is the practice of collecting rainwater for later use. This practice has long been abandoned (for fear of pollutants in the rainwater) in favor of indoor plumbing. However, recent developments in rainwater harvesting technology have made the practice once again safer for people to practice by using filtration chambers underground in lieu of the potentially pest-infested cisterns of long ago.
Rainwater harvesting systems can now be applied for residential reuse. The water chambers are built underground, and the enormous plastic pipes gather rainwater as it seeps into the earth, filtering potentially dangerous chemicals like those from pesticides and animal droppings. The water that flows into these chambers is channeled into the home water supply system. This water is safe for domestic consumption. Homeowners are likely to use this water to water the plants, clean the house and floors, and for car washing.
Larger rainwater harvesting systems can also be applied for commercial reuse. Rainwater harvesting systems are good for chemical processing plants where water is essential, and therefore valuable and expensive. The commercial reuse of rainwater harvesting systems saves on expenses the way residential rainwater harvesting reduces utility bills.
Some people might be concerned that the water chambers do not gather as much rainwater as it should because there is space between the chambers and under them. The good news is that this matter is dealt with using plastic or bentonite sheet pond liners. Bentonite is a claylike material that can absorb water and retain it. This way, less water is left to just seep into the ground only to evaporate.
Stormwater BMPs or Best Management Practices have made water conveyance both possible and convenient for commercial and domestic purposes. Apart from just collecting water, the water can be transferred across some distances via pipes and chambers. The volume of water that can be contained and conveyed in these chambers makes it convenient for channeling massive amounts of water at a time, and quickly.
The chambers themselves are made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a thermoplastic made from petroleum. Stormwater BMP is designed to let the chambers gather water efficiently while filtering out pollutants. These pollutants include chemicals found in animal droppings, phosphorus from pesticides, and nitrogen.
This advanced filtration and conveyance system has made quite a difference in terms of promoting water quality by using sediment traps to keep sand and silt from getting into the water. These traps are where the sediments go, so the water is left uncontaminated. Stormwater BMPs use these traps to reduce pollution and make sure that all the collected water is safe for human use. For more information, see UNEP.org.
Rainwater harvesting systems can now be applied for residential reuse. The water chambers are built underground, and the enormous plastic pipes gather rainwater as it seeps into the earth, filtering potentially dangerous chemicals like those from pesticides and animal droppings. The water that flows into these chambers is channeled into the home water supply system. This water is safe for domestic consumption. Homeowners are likely to use this water to water the plants, clean the house and floors, and for car washing.
Larger rainwater harvesting systems can also be applied for commercial reuse. Rainwater harvesting systems are good for chemical processing plants where water is essential, and therefore valuable and expensive. The commercial reuse of rainwater harvesting systems saves on expenses the way residential rainwater harvesting reduces utility bills.
Some people might be concerned that the water chambers do not gather as much rainwater as it should because there is space between the chambers and under them. The good news is that this matter is dealt with using plastic or bentonite sheet pond liners. Bentonite is a claylike material that can absorb water and retain it. This way, less water is left to just seep into the ground only to evaporate.
Stormwater BMPs or Best Management Practices have made water conveyance both possible and convenient for commercial and domestic purposes. Apart from just collecting water, the water can be transferred across some distances via pipes and chambers. The volume of water that can be contained and conveyed in these chambers makes it convenient for channeling massive amounts of water at a time, and quickly.
The chambers themselves are made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a thermoplastic made from petroleum. Stormwater BMP is designed to let the chambers gather water efficiently while filtering out pollutants. These pollutants include chemicals found in animal droppings, phosphorus from pesticides, and nitrogen.
This advanced filtration and conveyance system has made quite a difference in terms of promoting water quality by using sediment traps to keep sand and silt from getting into the water. These traps are where the sediments go, so the water is left uncontaminated. Stormwater BMPs use these traps to reduce pollution and make sure that all the collected water is safe for human use. For more information, see UNEP.org.