Rahul Pillai
Independent Researcher
India
Abstract
This manuscript presents a comprehensive engineering study on the design of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems for urban buildings, focusing exclusively on technologies and practices available up to the end of 2015. The objectives are to analyze system components, illustrate their application through case studies, outline a rigorous methodology for system sizing and performance assessment, and present results demonstrating potential water savings and reliability improvements. Three urban building case studies are examined, highlighting variations in roof area, rainfall patterns, and demand profiles. The methodology integrates hydrologic calculations, storage optimization, and cost–benefit considerations using established engineering formulas and software tools prevalent before 2016. Results indicate that well-designed RWH systems can supply 30–60 percent of nonpotable water demands, reduce urban runoff, and mitigate stormwater management burdens. Conclusions emphasize best practices for system integration in dense urban settings, recommend design guidelines aligned with prevailing codes, and identify research gaps for future enhancement. This work serves as a reference for engineers and stakeholders aiming to implement RWH systems within the technological context of 2015.
Keywords
rainwater harvesting, urban buildings, storage optimization, hydrologic analysis, nonpotable reuse
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