Summary Reader Response - Draft 2

The article by Maxwell-Gaines (2004), “Rainwater harvesting 101”, shares more information about rainwater harvesting with the readers. The process of collecting and storing rain from a building or other impermeable surface to reuse as opposed to allowing it to run off is known as rain harvesting. Rainwater harvesting is one of the earliest and most straightforward methods of supplying water to a home on one's own and it has been practiced for thousands of years by many countries. Rainwater was traditionally harvested from a roof. Nowadays, it can be collected with rain barrels or connecting downspouts from different gutters to the collection pipes. The entire house or business can then be supplied with water using the rainwater that has been collected. Rainwater harvesting is a method to green homes and reduces environmental impact and the collected water can be used anywhere we use tap water. According to Maxwell-Gaines (2004), he believes that rainwater harvesting is a viable technology in an urban setting. Although there are some limitations to the technology such as the unpredictability of weather, they are outweighed by its benefits. As a result, more individuals should start adopting rainwater harvesting because it is an advantageous technology to conserve the environment and acquire free water for irrigation.

A great way to reduce the carbon footprint and protect the environment is to utilize the harvested rainwater in non-potable water use. Using perfectly clean potable water to wash cars and flush toilets is a very unsustainable practice and goes against good practices in terms of eco-friendliness (Tanks, 2015). Water is primarily used for non-drinking activities such as general washing and flushing the toilet which requires a lot of water. Utilizing rainwater that has been collected can help save water, which is needed for almost all cleaning tasks. In order to boost water resource efficiency in public housing, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) introduced the rainwater harvesting system which was successfully piloted using Membrane Technology at their Centre of Building Research. The new system reduces potable water usage for block washing at void decks, refuse chutes, and corridors and saves up to 850m3 of potable water annually for block washing (HDB, 2018).

Harvested rainwater is also excellent for irrigation. The collected water is free from many chemicals such as ammonia, fluoride, or chlorine that are found in groundwater which makes it a great alternative for agricultural purposes. Additionally, it also reduces flooding in low-lying areas, soil erosion, and contamination of pesticides and fertilizers on surface water from rainwater run-off leading to cleaner lakes and ponds (Tanks, 2015). Large-scale rainwater harvesting can be implemented for landscapes in parks, schools, commercial sites, and apartment complexes. Smaller rainwater harvesting systems can supply irrigation water in residential landscapes (Woodson, 2014). Since irrigation requires a large amount of water, these are some approaches that can be implemented to supply harvested rainwater for landscape irrigation. For example in Singapore, Parkway Parade has a rainwater harvesting system to boost water efficiency and the collected rainwater is used for irrigation and flushing (Public Utilities Board, 2018). The mall collected an estimated of 867m3 rainwater per year (Parkway Parade, n.d.).

Although rainwater harvesting has many benefits, there are drawbacks as well, like the unpredictability of the weather. It can be challenging to predict precipitation, and in some cases, little or no precipitation can limit the supply of water. If rain is unpredictable, the usage of a rainwater harvesting system can be critical to capture the rain where it does not fall (Kukreja, 2013). Due to the instability of supply, it is not advisable to rely solely on rainwater harvesting alone for all the water needs in areas with little rainfall. Rainfall being unpredictable also implies that it is impossible to accurately design a rainwater harvesting system to function efficiently in all conceivable future scenarios (Mebunii, 2022).

Even though water makes up nearly three-fourths of our planet, not all of it is suitable for use. Only a small portion of the water in the oceans and seas can be used for other purposes. This causes a constant lack of water that is suitable for use in homes and businesses or drinking (Kukreja, 2013).

Singapore is also regarded as one of the most water-stressed countries in the world due to a lack of natural water bodies and insufficient areas for water storage. For Singaporeans, a lack of water security is nothing new. With Singapore receiving plenty of rain each year, businesses should be leveraging the environment to collect water more sustainably (Cheng & Lee, 2022). Homeowners can also start practicing rainwater harvesting since rain is cost-free, as simple as collecting rain in a rain barrel and there are numerous advantages to it. 

References:

Cheng, & Lee. (2022, July 1). Water Conservation – Rainwater Harvesting in Singapore | Ecoflow. Ecoflow.

https://www.ecoflow.sg/water-conservation-rwhs

Housing & Development Board. (2018, April 18). HDB | Water Conservation. HDB | Water Conservation.

https://www.hdb.gov.sg/about-us/our-role/smart-and-sustainable-living/hdb-greenprint/water

Kukreja. (2013, June 10). Advantages and Disadvantages of Rainwater Harvesting. Conserve Energy Future.

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages_disadvantages_rainwater_harvesting.php

Maxwell-Gaines, C. (2004, April 3). Rainwater Harvesting 101 | Your How-To Collect Rainwater Guide. Innovative Water Solutions LLC.

https://www.watercache.com/education/rainwater-harvesting-101

Mebunii, C. E. (2022, October 19). 5 Disadvantages of Rainwater Harvesting Explained. Felsics.com.

https://www.felsics.com/5-disadvantages-of-rainwater-harvesting-explained/

Parkway Parade. (n.d.). Sustainability | Parkway Parade. Sustainability | Parkway Parade. 

https://www.parkwayparade.com.sg/sustainability/

Public Utilities Board. (2018). Best practice guide in water efficiency. PUB.

https://www.pub.gov.sg/Documents/PUB_Water_Efficiency_Guidebook.pdf

Tanks, C. (2015, July 23). The Advantages of Harvesting Rainwater - Carlow Concrete Tanks. Carlow Concrete Tanks.

https://www.carlowtanks.ie/the-advantages-of-harvesting-rainwater/

Woodson, D. (2014). Rainwater Harvesting for Irrigation.

https://www.irrigation.org/IA/FileUploads/IA/Resources/TechnicalPapers/2014/RainwaterHarvestingForIrrigation.pdf


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