Sources of Pollution in Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Systems and Their Control

Abstract

Contrary to the popular perception that rainwater harvested from rooftops is nearly as clean as pure water, a number of contaminants can be present in such a water—this is borne out by numerous studies reviewed by the authors. Once this fact is acknowledged, it is possible to control the water quality and to bring it within acceptable levels with simple and inexpensive devices. The authors address these issues. Besides reviewing the status of the quality of harvested rainwater, they trace the pathways by which pollutants can enter in a rainwater harvest. In this backdrop the authors discuss the strategies to manage the water quality at preharvest as well as postharvest stages.

KEYWORDS:

• microbiological contamination
• pollutants
• rainwater harvesting
• rooftop harvest
• treatment
• water quality