Rainwater Harvesting
New: BWSSB notification being sent to individual households and commercial and other establishments in Bengaluru. The notification states that all sites greater than 60X40 ft should be implementing rainwater harvesting by May 27th 2010 . BWSSB warns that water supply and sewage connections are liable to be turned off if the above is not implemented. Click here to read the notification
Rainwater Harvesting is now compulsory in Bengaluru
Quoting from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Amendment Act (2009) "Within nine months from the date of commencement of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage (Amendment) Act, 2009, every owner or occupier of a building having a site area of 2400 square feet and above or every owner who propose to construct a building on a site area of 1200 square feet and above, shall provide for rainwater harvesting structure in such a manner, with such conditions as may be provided in the regulations, failing which the Board may cause such rain water harvesting structure and recover the cost from the owner or occupier, as the case may be, as arrears of land revenue" See the full notification – Click here
Details: As mentioned, all existing buildings having a site area of 2400 square feet need to implement RWH.
- All new constructions having a site area of 1200 sq feet or more need to implement RWH. This applies to all buildings including residential, non-residential, commercial, government.
- Roof based rainwater shall be harvested through a storage tank or recharged through an open well or a bore well in the building irrespective of the nature of sub-soil conditions.
- Land based rain water from the open spaces around the buildings/ gardens parks shall be harvested using appropriate ground water recharge structures depending on the nature of the sub-soil conditions.
- While designing the rainwater harvesting storage or recharge structures, a capacity of 20 litres or more per square meter of roof area will have to be planned for. Similarly a capacity of 10 litres or more for harvesting from land surfaces.
See the original guidelines from BWSSB - Click here
All properties falling under the purview of this law are required to comply by May 27th 2010. BWSSB 24 hour hotline number - 155313 Helpdesk for Rainwater harvesting – 23341652 / 23348848 / 23348849
The following list of rainwater harvesting service providers have been mentioned on the BWSSB website:
Mr. A.R. Shivakumar/ RWH Help Desk Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology Tel: 080-23341652, 23448848, 23348849 E-mail: ars@kscst.iisc.ernet.in Website: http://www.kscst.iisc.ernet.in/rwh.html
The Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation Tel: 080-25584402, 25584102 Email: aeebng1@ksphc.org Website: http://www.ksphc.org
Tata Energy Research Institute Tel: 080 – 25356590 Email: terisrc@teri.res.in Website: http://www.teriin.org
Biome Solutions/ Rain Water Club Tel: 080 – 23641690 Email: rainwaterclub@gmail.com Website: http://www.rainwaterclub.org, www.biome-solutions.com
BWSSB also has a list of plumbers qualified to do rainwater harvesting. Click here for this list
Consolidated list of rainwater harvesting contractors in Bangalore: India Water Portal does not vouch for the quality standards of the contractors mentioned in the list.
Some more individuals and organisations involved with rainwater harvesting in Bengaluru:
Mr. S.S. Ranganathan, Water Consultant Ph: 93437 34229
Rainwater Concepts http://www.rainwaterconcepts.co.in Ph: 9448379497
Farmland Rainwater Harvesting http://www.rainyfilters.com
Frequently asked Questions – Rainwater Harvesting
What is rainwater harvesting?
The rainfall on the terrace of houses or buildings and in the area around them usually flows off from the premises into external drains. Rainwater harvesting is the process where the flow of rainwater is diverted from the terrace or the ground towards a water storage tank within the premises, for example, a house, apartment block or a factory. Water from these tanks is then routed to the taps in the bathroom and the kitchen. Rainwater can be used after basic treatment for cleaning, washing, and for cooking as well as consumption.
Will I benefit from rainwater harvesting?
Yes, indeed you will benefit by harvesting rainwater as it provides a feasible and sustainable solution for irregular and inadequate water supply and water of poor quality. Your dependency on Municipality supplied water and water tankers will reduce significantly. You can regulate your access and usage of water as you have control over a captive water source. In the long run, rainwater harvesting will increase the underground water levels, making it possible for households across the country, living in mountainous terrains, coastal areas and deserts, to access good quality water for more months of the year. The following are the benefits of rainwater harvesting:
- Improves water supply
- Reduces dependency on water tankers
- Rainwater can be used for multiple purposes including washing, cooking and drinking
- Feasible in most geographical terrains including mountainous regions, coastal areas and deserts, and in areas with less rainfall.
- Reduces risks of water flooding
Can I recharge my borewell or traditional open well with rainwater harvesting?
Yes, you can recharge your borewell or traditional open well with rainwater harvesting. In fact, rainwater harvesting not only revives defunct tubewells and open water wells but also improves the quality of water. The replenished tubewells and open wells become the channels that carry rainwater to the ground water table and underground water reservoirs. More resources: Visit the Beginners Rainwater Harvesting section of India Water Portal for FAQs, calculators, technical details and photos about Rainwater Harvesting: http://www.indiawaterportal.org/channels/rainwater-harvesting/get-started
Short videos showing how to harvest rainwater and various places in the city where it is already implemented:
