An assessment of the quality and use of rainwater as the basis for sustainable water management in suburban areas

Abstract

A common economic use of rainwater is the basis for strategies that will allow the water sector to adapt to progressive climate change. Rainwater is a basic part of water resources that ensures the renewal of the surface and groundwater, therefore they should be protected against pollution and be managed and used in places of rainfall. This is particularly true for heavily urbanized, agricultural and industrial areas. Stormwater collection and storage systems have been introduced in many countries [1]. The water obtained in this way is a valuable source of fresh water, thanks to which it is possible to reduce the demand for tap water by almost 60% or use it during periods of drought [1,2]. The idea of the sustainable management of water resources and the increasing ecological consciousness of society have allowed installations for the collection and use of rainwater in residential houses and public buildings to become an increasingly popular phenomenon [3,4]. The research and assessment of rainwater quality is a guarantee of safety for its users. The article presents the results of research on the physical and chemical quality of rainwater collected directly from precipitation. Samples for research were collected in a suburban area during March-November 2015. The pH, turbidity, permanganate index, OWO, nitrogen compounds, phosphates, oxygen content, acidity, basicity, conductivity, hardness, and heavy metals content were determined. The obtained results were the basis for indicating the possibility of using rainwater for various economic purposes.

An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Two Rainwater Harvesting Systems Located in Central Eastern Europe

“…In addition, rainwater is usually considered to be of fairly good quality, especially for non-potable uses. However, their quality depends on many factors, including air quality, type of catchment management, type of roof coverage, and its decline [43][44][45][46]. In the case of using rainwater for non-potable uses (toilet flushing, garden watering), it is usually sufficient to use a filter to pre-treat them.…”

Physical, Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Dew and Rainwater during the Dry Season of Tropical Islands

“…In addition, in contrast to rainwater, which rapidly runs off the substrate, dew has time to dissolve the aerosols falling on the condensing substrate for a whole night. values in the range 41-62 μS.cm −1 for dew in Poland; Zdeb et al [45] found ECs in the interval 40-150 μS.cm −1 in Poland on a non-industrialized suburban area. However, some of us have observed in Mirleft/Morocco and Gujarat/India, quite high ECs (respectively, 725 μS.cm −1 and 930 μS.cm −1 for dew) due to the high amount of aerosols in the vicinity of both sites [46,47].…”

Centralized or Decentralized Rainwater Harvesting Systems: A Case Study

“…When considering alternative water sources, special attention is paid to rainwater, which in most cases is characterized by a low degree of pollution which does not require advanced purification processes [18,19]. However, its quality depends on many factors, including air quality, the type of catchment management, the type of roof coverage and its decline [20][21][22]. Rainwater is an important alternative to tap water.…”