Nipun, M W H; Ashik-Ur-Rahman, M; Rikta, S Y; Parven, A and Pal, I (2024) Rooftop rainwater harvesting for sustainable water usage in residential buildings for climate resilient city building: Case study of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 15(1), pp. 80-100. ISSN 1759-5916
Abstract
Purpose: The effects of population growth in the developing world and climate change have increased the stress on available water resources. The majority of Rajshahi city, Bangladesh, is facilitated with groundwater withdrawal. As Bangladesh is a country of monsoon climate, reserved rainwater can be contributed as an alternative to extracted groundwater. This study aims to develop a framework for rooftop rainwater harvesting (RRWH) for domestic purposes and estimate the appropriate size of the storage tanks and their costs required to fulfill the annual drinking and cooking water demands through RRWH in Rajshahi city of Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 100 single-story residential dwellings with varying rooftop areas were surveyed for the projection of RRWH potential. The relationship between the size and cost of a water tank and the rooftop areas of different houses is expressed using a general mathematical equation. Cost estimates for the proposed RRWH system for all houses have been completed, and a cost model illustrating the relationship between rooftop or catchment area and associated cost of RRWH system has been developed. Findings: This study reveals that a maximum of 110.75 m3/year rainwater can be collected from a 100 m2 rooftop area of Rajshahi city. Moreover, this study finds that such harvesting of rainwater can reduce municipal water supply to the extent of almost 75%. Water samples collected from rooftops also revealed that if germs were removed through bacteria treatment, the collected rainwater potentially can be used for drinking and cooking purposes. Originality/value: The novelty of this study is that it focused mainly on how significant RRWH can be to meet people’s daily required amount of water for household purpose and ascertain the cost reduction using the RWH method. This paper also is unique as it assessed the volume of the storage tank that is sufficient to distribute the necessary amount of water for drinking and cooking purpose as a sustainable alternative source in the dry season.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | alternative source; climate change; resilient city; RRWH; sustainability; water efficiency |
| Index terms: | water resource, case study, residential building, efficiency, resilient city, estimate, cost estimate, Bangladesh, household, groundwater, water supply, climate change, cost reduction, rainwater, cost model, population, methodology |
| Subjects: | infrastructure and transport systems, environmental engineering, demography, water management, Geography, research methods, economics, performance management, financial and cost management, sustainability and resilience, climate science, data collection methods, construction type |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Cost Management, Construction Technology, Sustainability, Quality Management, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here