Auto Drivers Knowledge on Rainwater harvesting

We were on busy schedule with meetings in Kochi, after the meetings it was lunch time and  we were near to Kalamassery, Kochi. We had our lunch there in a restaurant and decided to move to MG road were we have some other discussion before our return train at 5pm.

We walked to the nearest auto stand and sit on a diesel auto rickshaw which was driven by a elder man who looks like in his 60's.

We were talking each other on different things and become silent after sometime. Then one of our team member asked the driver pointing to the multi-storey building, 'What happens to the rain water flowing out of those high raised buildings'

Driver just looked back and said "it will flow down through the storm water pipes "

I asked back "then what happens to it"

He answered without thinking "water will flow through the canals nearby and some parts of it may flood around there "

My colleague again  "then  what happens to the canal water "

"It will go to stream nearby then to the more bigger stream" he answered straight.

I asked to the driver "at last where it will reach "

"At last it will go to rivers  or the backwater and from there to the sea "he stopped like  in half way 

We smiled each other to start our discussion about rainwater harvesting.

But suddenly he came back in a teacher's voice "do you know one thing, if you collect one full day rain water  from your home's roof, you can use it for one  week."

We were excited  to hear those words  from a common man like him.Yes,  his rough calculation is almost correct to our standards and measurements.

He said he was a technician in a tyre company in Kochi and now retired. He can't simply sit at home, that's why he is driving rickshaw and also an income.We discussed about rainwater harvesting and he heard everything and blessed us for the initiatives for saving water.

ACT WISY Modern Rain Water Harvesting Systems - Project at Kerala University, Karyavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Mathrubhumi News program on Rain water Harvesting

ACT WISY Modern Rain Water Harvesting Systems "Out of the Box " Program on Mathrubhumi Channel. 

A great milestone in to rainwater harvesting systems

Story Behind Rainwater Harvesting

Why and How?

I started my career in India with local traders of food after my graduation. It was the best time of my life which I had enjoyed and worked. That was in 2001. We never had water scarcity in my best memories. We had different options of water. Two open well and a small private pond helped us to run through the year. In 2003 I left to Abu Dhabi and started living there in Middle East.

The life there, I seldom had opportunity to look into water related issues even though Middle East is not water blessed. I learned that they had developed desalination plants or alternative sources of water for their needs. In fact I am not that much sure about this statement. Mostly we used to get the Govt supply of water and pay for the usage and the sewage as well. It cost me like 300 or 400 AED per month. Sometime later when I hired Arab owned villa, I got water free of cost. Because water for the nationals is free of cost.

In 2013 April I left middle east and was planning to settle in India, specifically at my home town, not exactly, but mostly here in my home town. It was the summer and I found myself that both of the open wells were dry and even the pond water can’t be used as well. We too started the waiting for tanker supply of water by the Govt as aid for the summer. This pushed me to think about the water shortage of my fellow humans those who don’t have not even a public supply of water or open well at home.

In June, exactly the day of school reopening, I don’t know how it is exactly the day of school reopening, the rain started as monsoon. Even I forget that we had faced a water shortage during the summer. So it is. But I was sure that the summer ahead would be more problematic than the last year.

Mean time I started my plans for settling down in India as of my wish. This pushed me to various options of business and I started traveling to get the best products to be traded in India. I had been China, Sri Lanka and Dubai with the same intention. Attended many fairs, visited manufacturing units, companies, discussed about products. Later in October 2013, I was in Dubai for the BIG 5 show, where I met WISY ( Winkler Systeme) and I learned about the emerging technologies of RWH.

It was quite interesting to learn about the new technology as I had always kept a passion to learn new products, concepts and ideas. I just recollect, whole of my life I had never worked with any competitive products from the previous job. Being into sales and marketing I myself felt against the ethics to do so.

So, I started learning the new technology of RWH, it was Ms. Petra Beck and Ms. Regina who started teaching me the need of RWH. They strongly said me; it is the need of the hour. And it will be the business of the future. I too, started looking and thinking in the same direction.

Where ever I discussed I was welcomed with the technology and in due course I myself was confident upon discussion on RWH. Meantime in January 2014, we launched our systems to India at New Delhi during a trade fair. The response was immaculate and huge. Even then, business was not there.

Still we(India) are looking towards the change to happen with the proper guidelines and systems of RWH through which humans can be self depend and sustained on their water needs, irrespective of seasons.
 

Author:Anzar AzadManaging Director, ACT-WISY.

Fine Filtration

What is Pre-filtration in Rainwater Harvesting Systems?

Pre-filtration or Fine filtration is the first steps in an effective rainwater harvesting systems. Pre-filtration means the filtration of harvested rainwater from the catchment area before it undergoes the storage.  Many of the systems perform the fine filtration after the storage within the storage tank. This leads to lot of drawbacks and caters the poor or bad quality of water.

ACT WISY introduces the pre-filtration before the storage and performs fine filtration very effectively and efficiently. The harvested rain water from the roof area may have some debris like leaves, mosses and tiny particles which are adhere with the roof surface. Before storage, should have to pre-filter the rainwater from this debris. Otherwise, it causes severe health hazards.

By ACT WISY rainwater harvesting Systems, the rainwater coming from the roof through the downpipe / downspout is drawn sideward through the vertically orientated stainless steel filter insert by adhesion forces and natural flow of water. Filtered water falls into the collecting space and is fed via the outlet connection to the storage tank. The remaining water along with leaves, insects, etc. is washed through the uniquely constructed vertical filter by self-cleaning action.

ACT WISY have two types of fine filters.

1. 1Downpipe filter collectors (Downpipe Garden collector filter- GRS & Filter Collector- FS).
2. Vortex Fine Filter (WFF 100, WFF 150 & WFF 300).

Both filters have self cleaning capability to separate the suspended solids from rainwater. Also performs oxygenation along with the fine filtration.

FEATURES OF ACT WISY RAINWATER HARVESTING FILTRATION SYSTEMS

FEATURES OF ACT-WISY RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS

•  No/low maintenance.
• Follows the DIN standards and guidelines.
• Automatic separation of suspended solids from rainwater.
•  Oxygenation of the rainwater at different stages.
• High water collection efficiency.
• Eco friendly.
• High durability and reliability.
• Maintaining the water quality for longer duration up to 8 months.
• No clogging of filter element, which results in high efficiency, high water yield and good cleaning performance.
• Long life, 100 % recyclable materials.
• Perform water conservation along with water in-filtration.
• Drainage safety.
• Stainless steel filter element has to be cleaned 1 to 4 times in a year either by dishwasher or by hand.
• Stable construction even if the installation is underground.

Advantages Of Rainwater

               

Advantages Of Rainwater

Rainwater is the ultimate source of freshwater.

• Local and decentralized availability with little demand for Infrastructure and Rainfall is independent from political and financial situations.

• Decentralized Rainwater collection reduces fast water runoff and can be used for groundwater table maintenance by water infiltration.

• Ability of collecting rain makes independent from weather extremes and cause reduction of flooding.

• Rainwater is free of minerals and makes irrigated soil stays fertile.

• Filtered rainwater finds wider applications in domestic household purposes including cleaning, gardening, toilet flushing, bathing / drinking (recommended after processing).

• Industries which includes textile industry, hospitals, cleaning industry, stadiums, swimming pools, water sports, shopping malls / multiplexes, public toilets, airports, metros, office buildings etc.

• At least half of the total needs for water can be satisfied by the FILTERED HARVESTED RAINWATER.

          ACT-WISY introducing innovative ideas for harvesting rainwater in effective way. The highly
          efficient German engineered filter can easily perform the filtration and store the water for                     longer duration.

what is rain water harvesting ?

1. Rainwater harvesting is a technique used for collecting, storing, and using rainwater for landscape irrigation and other uses. The rainwater is collected from various hard surfaces such as roof tops and/or other types of man made above ground hard surfaces.

Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and deposition of rainwater for reuse on-site, rather than allowing it to runoff. Uses include water for garden, water for livestock, water for irrigation, water for domestic use with proper treatment, and indoor heating for houses etc. In many places the water collected is just redirected to a deep pit with percolation. The harvested water can be used as drinking water as well as for storage and other purpose like irrigation.

Rainwater Harvesting Basic Components

Rainwater systems come in all shapes and sizes, from simple catchment system under a downspout to large above and/or underground cisterns with complex filtration systems that can store thousands of gallons of water. Most rainwater collection systems are comprised of the following basic components:

• Catchment surface - rooftop or other raised solid surface. The best catchment systems have hard, smooth surfaces such as metal roofs or concrete areas. The amount of water harvested depends on the quantity of rainfall, and the size of the surface and the slope of the catchment area.
• Gutters and downspouts - also known as distribution systems that channel the water from the catchment area to a holding container such as a barrel, cistern, planted area, etc.
• Filters - a Filter that removes or catches debris

• First Flush - a device that diverts the "first flush" of rain before it enters the storage tank. Most rainwater suppliers recommend that the "first flush" of water is diverted to an outside area of the storage system, since the catchment surface may accumulate bird droppings, debris and other pollution.
  
  (Act-Wisy filters are equipped with this feature and German made filters are now available in India through Act-Wisy )

• Storage tanks - In general, the storage tank is the most expensive component of a rainwater harvesting system. There are numerous types and styles of storage tanks available. Storage can be above-ground or underground. Storage containers can be made from galvanized steel, wood, concrete, clay, plastic, fiberglass, polyethylene, masonry, etc. Examples of above-ground storage include; cisterns, barrels, tanks, garbage cans, above ground swimming pools, etc. Storage tank prices vary based on different variables such as size, material and complexity. To inhibit the growth of algae, storage tanks should be opaque and preferably placed away from direct sunlight. The tanks should also be placed close to the areas of use and supply line to reduce the distance over which the water is delivered. Also consider placing the storage at an elevated area to take advantage of gravity flow. The tank should always be placed on a stable and level area to prevent it from leaning and possibly collapsing.
• Delivery systems - gravity-fed or pumped to the landscape or other end use areas.

Rain Water Harvesting Systems and India

Down pipe and first flush arrangement


This is an arrangement to prevent the dust and other unwanted materials that may be seen on the roof, from reaching the storage tank


(Act-Wisy filters are equipped with this feature and German made filters are now available in India through Act-Wisy )

Filter unit

The rainwater collected from the roof should be allowed to reach the storage tank only through a filtering mechanism.

FEATURES: ACY WISY Rainwater harvesting filters

• Garden Collector Downpipe Filter
• Collects more than 90 % of rainwater from the roof and feeds it to the rainwater barrel.
• Compact design for simple installation in round vertical rainwater downpipes.
• Eliminates all kind of debris with filter insert.
• Functions as security overflow.
• Top quality in stainless-steel, easy installed.
• Full cross-section of downpipe maintained.
• Nil/ low maintenance.
• High quality units with a proven track record for reliability and efficiency.
• Corrosion and frost proof.
• Filter inserts extremely low maintenance, dishwasher safe.
• Available in various sizes to suit most round pipes.

Storage tank

Mainly three types of storage tanks are constructed for roof water harvesting. They are above ground, underground or sub surface tanks.

Contour bunding

Contour bunding is the farming practice of ploughing and/or planting across a slope following its elevation contour lines. These contour lines create a water break which reduces the formation of rills and gullies during times of heavy water run-off; which is a major cause of soil erosion. The water break also allows more time for the water to settle into the soil.


Bench terraces


Bench terraces are a series of level or virtually level strips running across the slope at vertical intervals, supported by steep banks or risers.


Check dam


A check dam is a small, often temporary, dam constructed across a swale, drainage ditch, or waterway to counteract erosion by reducing water flow velocity. Check dams themselves are not a type of new technology; rather, they are an ancient technique dating all the way back to the second century A.D. Check dams are typically, not always, implemented as a system, consisting of several check dams situated at regular intervals across the area of interest.