Rainwater harvesting systems provide a source of clean water that comes from the sky and has a positive impact on the environment Rainwater harvesting is collecting rainfall and storing it to meet the water needs (Gelt, 2005). This type of water collecting system has been growing widely throughout the United States and other countries were they may not have a continue flow of water for their needs Harvesting rainwater for residential homes has given families to not depend on wells and municipal water systems from their town, giving the families an alternative or supplemental water source that is free of charge to use.
Rainwater collection has a long history of it being used, tracing all the way back to ancient times about 3,000 years ago (Administrator, 2005). The need for water is a basic human essential for living life, without it, no civilization could have survived During these times the simplest item such as banana leafs would be used to collect the water, channeling it into a coconut (Administrator, 2005). Leading up to the Roman Empire, which used rainwater harvesting creating a giant underground cistern in today’s Istanbul called Yerebatan Sarayi, the Sunken Palace (Administrator, 2005). It was used to collect water from the city above in an underground vault that can be navigated by boat The Roman Empire City relied on the rain, giving the people their source of water to live everyday depending on collecting system
The most common used is a rooftop rainwater harvesting system, uses six components to make up the system consisting of catchment area, coarse mesh, gutters, storage tank, conduits, and water treatment (Beers, 2011). Metal roofing is preferred material to be used, but clay, slate, and asphalt shingles can be...
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...dministrator (2005, September 8). The History of Rainwater Collection. Rainwater harvesting Guide. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.rain-barrel.net/rainwater- collection.html
Beers, S. K. (2011, January 25). Sourcing Water from the Sky. Environmental desgin & Construction. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.edcmag.com/Articles/ Feature_Article/
Gelt, J. (2005, October 15). Home Use of Graywater, Rainwater Conserves Water-and May Save Money. University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://cals.arizona.edu/AZWATER/arroyo/071rain.html
May, C. W., Horner, R. R., Karr, J. R., & Welch, E. B. Effects of urbanization on small streams in the Puget Sound lowland ecoregion. Watershed Protection Techniques 2. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/98_proceedings/pdfs/ la_may.pdf
Drip irrigation, xeriscape, desalination, water recycling, personal water conservation, and the change of household appliances are all techniques that would have a positive effect on California’s drought. Because of the constantly growing population, the demand for water is constantly growing. To make sure that this water crisis doesn’t become vital, Californian’s should think it is their duty to help improve the situation. These improvements can be made in farmers, landscapers, and the everyday citizen. Everyone should do their part in employing these techniques, whether they take the simple approach of shortened shower times or a costly approach, and re-design their outdoor spaces to be xeriscaped and use drip systems. California’s water is precious, and it is the duty of California Citizens implement solutions to bust the water drought.
Increase in water consumption is a topic usually discussed inasmuch as this problem affects many cities. Phoenix is located in the State of Arizona, with around 540 square miles. Moreover, according to official site of City of Phoenix, the city ranks as one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation with approximately 1.4 million people. The city of Phoenix, although it is being in an arid area, has a per capita consumption lower than expected. The consumption of water is essential for life; however, what have to be analyzed is the withdrawal of water; furthermore, the capacity of regeneration of water resources mainly for future generations, which is the concept of sustainability. There are many aspects that would influence the consumption of water; however, each city has its own particularities. Although, Phoenix when analyzed as totality does not have an excessive consumption; it is a peculiar city and if an analysis is done in small scale, such as neighborhood, it is possible to identify the major consumer of water. “Determinants of residential water demand reflect both indoor and outdoor use and including size of the houses, if the houses have swimming pools, lot size, and the prevalence of gardens and vegetation that require water.” (Elizabeth A. Wentz & Patricia Gober, 2007). In addition, according to Phoenix City, since 1881, when the city was officially incorporated, until today’s date, the city of Phoenix has been improving its own capacity to provide water for the population. Phoenix can reach 2.2 million people by the 2030 (Census Boreau, 2010). A challenge for the future is to find new resources to provide water for the population even in severe drought.
As Jensen points out, farming and industry accounts for the vast majority of total water usage in the world (477). The increasingly scarce resource is a necessary ingredient when growing food. Technology continuously improves to make it easier for farmers to grow crops while using less water. Scientists at the University of Georgia utilize what they term “variable rate irrigation” to let farmers automate the current systems of irrigation to water only the crops that need it (Gies). This is an example of retrofitting current farms, but there is a new way of farming coming to cities that reuses practically all of its water and stakes claim much less acreage in the process. The future of agriculture belongs to vertical and urban farming. These types of farms reduce the use of water, chemicals (such as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides), soil and space (The Economist). These farms are so cutting edge that they are mostly in the experimental stages. Firms like Famgro farms are testing “stackable” farming systems that can scale with demand, even further reducing waste. Famgro’s stackable farms are ideal for cityscapes where land is at a premium; furthermore, reaping the added benefit of being in close proximity to the customers that they serve. Customers will enjoy high quality, fresh produce at only a slightly
Over the past fifty years, the U.S. population has doubled in size. During this time, total water usage per person has almost tripled. Since the end of World War II, there has been a steady increase of people moving out of rural areas and into cities. As a result, the domestic self-supplied population has greatly decreased and the need for public-water supply systems has intensified. These factors, in conjunction with certain economic trends, precipitation, and global climate changes, pose difficult challenges in the years to come.
Water is the precious resource that has been a driving factor of progess in the past and the determining factor of development in the future. Ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome, and China understood that water is not simply a valuable resource that is crucial to survival and is the very essence of life, but also an important prerequisite for further development. Many of these ancient civilizations flourished as a direct result of their close proximity to rivers and other water sources. The growth of these cities created a major problem in water delivery as these societies expanded deeper inland. The need for such delivery has sparked the development of these ancient civilizations technologically, economically, politically, and legally.
Irrigated agriculture represents the bulk of demand for water resources worldwide and accounts for 85% of water withdrawals in the MENA region. This water used for irrigation is water that could be used in other ways, including domestic and manufacturing use. In the MENA region, having such a huge portion of their freshwater withdrawals used in the agriculture process is a main factor causing the very low per capita water quantity of <1000 cubic metres per year. Due to its poverty and less developed economic status, the MENA region lacks efficient agricultural technology which would see a decrease in water wasted in the process and an increase in water leftover for human use, therefore a greater quantity of water available per capita. MENA’s average water use efficiency in irrigation is only 50 to 60 percent, compared to best-practice examples of above 80 percent efficiency under similar climatic conditions in Australia and Southwest USA. Because agriculture is necessary to sustain populations the main solution to decrease both water use and water wastage in this sector is to increase efficiency of irrigation by creating new technologies to replace current inefficient ones, especially in countries with water
Although the drought is not the only factor in the lowering of California’s water supply, it is difficult to maintain water levels in reservoirs without watering coming in to the state. California does not need a quick-fix way of getting water to the state to help with the issue of the water supply, as this does not address both the root cause of the drought nor does it solve the problem of the water shortage in the long run. In order to address the drought and find a solution, state officials, as well as the residents of California, need to understand and become knowledgeable about why there is a drought to begin with. There are measures and an executive order that have been put into place by state officials and local authorities; however, these measures only address the solution of conserving water, not replenishing it. A solution to the California drought can be grey water recycling. Grey water recycling can also deal with the root of the drought problem: climate
Using storm water efficiently by collecting it and using it on gardens and setting up hydroelectric facilities to use the water and turn it into electricity.
Green roof are defined as roofs that support vegetation, covering either full or partial of live plant material. At present, cities are now considering extensive planting as a mean of improving of air quality. Green roof can also be a good material tool in the environment. Most of the time, people would be confused to identify the green roof with rooftop garden, although the benefit of green roof and rooftop garden are quite similar but there are significantly differences between the two. Green roof is always put up with layered system unlike rooftop garden that has characterized by built-in planting areas for food production and can occupy a small proportion of roofs, but in other places, they made green roof as there garden. Through vegetation
Rainwater harvesting provides an independent water supply during regional water restrictions and in developed countries is often used to supplement the main supply. In times of harsh weather such as droughts and floods, it provides a fresh supply of clean water as well as in cases of mitigate flooding occurring...
Spring and summer often bring rain showers. Your gutters need to be in good condition to handle the falling water.
Use a container to collect rain water for use in your garden. Nothing beats natural rain water when it comes to nourishing your garden and bringing it to life.
Tam. V, Tamb. L and S.X. Zengc. (2009). Cost effectiveness and tradeoff on the use of rainwater tank: An empirical study in Australian residential decision-making. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 54 (1), p178-186.
Rain is a part of the water cycle, which provides us with fresh water and can act as a cleanser in nature. Fresh water is essential to human beings as it is a necessity for us to live and survive. Our bodies are mainly composed of water, so rain can give us a fundamental component of life to sustain ourselves.
Asano, T., Burton, F., Leverenz, H., Tsuchihashi, R., Tchobanoglous, G. (2007). Water Reuse: Issues, Technologies, and Applications. New York: McGraw-Hill