Qualitative evaluation of harvested rainwater samples from the residents of DHARWAD and Hubballi cities, DHARWAD, KARNATAKA

Background: Rain water harvesting (RWH) is a technology that can be used for collecting and storing rainwater from rooftops, open land surfaces using simple storage utensils such as tanks, pits and cistern. Harvested rainwater is a renewable source of clean water that is ideal for multiple uses. Objectives: The present research was conducted with the objective of exploring the purpose for adoption of rain water harvesting system, to assess the physical and chemical characteristics of harvested rainwater samples and assess the impact of usage of harvested rainwater for drinking and cooking purpose. Methods: The study was conducted in urban areas of Dharwad and Hubballi cities, in Dharwad district of Karnataka state. Purposive Random Sampling technique was adopted to choose 60 adopters of rainwater harvesting system, 30 each from Dharwad and Hubballi cities. The harvested rainwater samples were collected during the January month of 2017 so that all seasonal and non-seasonal rains of the year 2016.The rainwater samples were subjected to analysis and checked against drinking water standards prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS 10500/1991). Results: The results of the study revealed that majority of the rain water harvesting systems were constructed during 2010-12, costed less than Rs. 20,000/- for construction. It was found that only 5 residents adopted rooftop rainwater harvesting system and use harvested rainwater for domestic purposes. Majority of the residents had borewell recharge system. The adopter cleaned the rain water harvesting system whenever it was dirty and had no filtration system. Conclusion: The physical and chemical parameters of harvested rainwater qualified to the BIS drinking water criterions. The regular maintenance of rain water harvesting system was found to be necessary for ensuring quality of harvested rainwater and life span of the system.