![]()
Siya Trivedi
Independent Researcher
India
Abstract
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is an effective sustainable technique to conserve water resources, especially in urban areas facing water scarcity. This study focuses on the design of a rainwater harvesting system for urban buildings, incorporating key engineering considerations such as catchment area, storage capacity, filtration, and distribution. Furthermore, a detailed Return on Investment (ROI) analysis is conducted to evaluate the economic feasibility of implementing RWH systems in urban settings. The study uses rainfall data, consumption patterns, and system cost to compute water savings and financial benefits. Results indicate that RWH systems not only reduce dependency on municipal water but also offer attractive payback periods for urban buildings. The paper concludes with recommendations for optimizing design parameters and expanding RWH adoption for sustainable urban water management.
Keywords Rainwater Harvesting, Urban Buildings, System Design, Return on Investment, Water Conservation, Sustainable Engineering
REFERENCES
- Matos, C., Bentes, I., Santos, C., Imteaz, M., & Pereira, S. (2015). Economic analysis of a rainwater harvesting system in a commercial building. Water Resources Management, 29(11), 3971–3986. repec.org
- Amos, C., Rahman, A., & Mwangi Gathenya, J. (2016). Economic analysis and feasibility of rainwater harvesting systems in urban and peri-urban environments: A review of the global situation with a special focus on Australia and Kenya. Water, 8(4), 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/w8040149 com
- Severis, G., Mousavi, S., & Rivera, J. (2019). Economic analysis and risk-based assessment of the financial viability of domestic rainwater harvesting systems. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 150, 104407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104407 ws
- Ariyananda, T. (2007). Rainwater harvesting for urban buildings in Sri Lanka. In Subtropical Green Building International Conference (pp. 1–10). Taipei, Taiwan. net
- Hlan, R., & Downham, D. (2018). A review on harvesting and harnessing rainwater: an alternative water resource for domestic water supply in urban areas. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 211, 2951–2962. com
- Matos, C., & Imteaz, M. (2018). Performance of small- and large-scale rainwater harvesting systems in urban environments: payback period and ROI analysis. Science of the Total Environment, 645, 1208–1217. com
- Kaushal, A., & Sharma, B. R. (2015). Reliability and economic analysis of urban rainwater harvesting in a monsoon-driven region. Desalination, 365, 23–30. com
- Texas Water Development Board. (2005). Rainwater Harvesting: Guidelines for Design and Construction (Report No. 347). Austin, TX: TWDB.
- Cabell Brand Centre. (2008). Virginia Rainwater Harvesting Manual. Charlottesville, VA: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2006). Rainwater Collection Systems: Analysis of Cost and Performance (NREL/SR-550-36392). Golden, CO: NREL.