MAHARASHTRA STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

VIVEKANAND EDUCATION SOCIETY POLYTECHNIC

MICRO PROJECT
Academic year
2020-2021

Rainwater Harvesting

Program: Computer Technology Program code:CO5I

Course: Environmental Studies Course code: 22447

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 MAHARASHTRA STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Certificate

This is to certify that Mr. /Ms. Jyoti Kolhe , Shubham Jadhav , Gaurav Thombare .

Roll No. 73, 74, 75 of 5thSemester of Diploma in Computer Technology of Institute,

VES POLYTECHNIC (Code: 0004) has completed the Micro Project satisfactorily in

Subject – Environmental Studies(22447) for the academic year 2020- 2021 as prescribed

in the curriculum

Place: Chembur, Mumbai. Enrollment No: 1900040170,

1900040171,

1900040172.

Date: / /2020 Exam Seat No:

………………………….

Subject Teacher Head of the Department Principal

Seal of
Institution

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 INDEX

Academic year: 2019-20 Name of the faculty: Mr. DileepKumar.Nitture

Program code: CM5I Course & course code: EST (22447)

Name of the Candidate: Jyoti Kolhe , Shubham Jadhav , Gaurav Thombare .

Roll No. 73, 74, 75 . Enrollment No. :1900040170, 1900040171,

1900040172.

Sr.No Content Page No.

1 Project Proposal 4

2 Action plan 6

3 Resource required 6

4 Introduction 7

5 Actual Procedure 10

6 Output 12

7 Skill developed 15

8 Evaluation sheet 18

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 Annexure – I

Micro-Project Proposal

Rainwater Harvesting

1.0 Aim/Benefits of the Micro-Project

This Micro-Project aims at
1. To arrest ground water decline and augment ground water table.
2. To improve water quality in aquifiers.
3. To conserve surface water runoff during monsoon.
4. To inculate a culture of water conservation.
5. To reduce soil erosion.

2.0 Course Outcomes Addressed

a) Develop public awareness about environment. [✔]
b) Select alternative energy resources for Engineering practice. [ ]
c) Conserve Ecosystem and Biodiversity. [ ]
d) Apply techniques to reduce Environmental pollution. [✔ ]
e) Manage social issues and Environmental ethics as lifelong learning. [✔ ]

3.0 Proposed Methodology

Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human
interaction with the environment in the interests of solving complex problems. Environmental studies
brings together the principles of the physical sciences, commerce/economics and social sciences so as
to solve contemporary environmental problems. It is a broad field of study that includes the natural
environment, the built environment, and the sets of relationships between them. The field encompasses
study in basic principles of ecology and environmental science, as well as associated subjects such as
ethics, geography, anthropology, policy, politics, urban planning, law, economics, philosophy,
sociology and social justice, planning, pollution control and natural resource management.There are
also many degree programs in Environmental Studies including the Master of Environmental Studies
and the Bachelor of Environmental Studies.

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Rainwater harvesting (RWH) system is a technology that focuses on sustainability and support the
sustainable environment development. The implementation of RWH systems provides many
environment and financial benefits. Some of the environment benefits of RWH system are the
reduction of surface runoff, reduce the burden of soil aquifer, and provide the availability of clean
water. This study analyzed the RWH system implementation benefits both in environment and
financial side. The financial benefits of RWH system implementation are calculated based on a
number of rainwater that can be used to replace the need for clean water. The environment benefits
defined by the reduced of main water tap use and the reduced of generated roof runoff volume. This
study used a simple RWH system that use the roof as a catchment area, the pipeline as a distribution
system, and tank as the storage system. The water use is for domestic potable and nonpotable for a
household with up to four occupants in Bandung.

Water harvesting is the activity of direct collection of rainwater, which can be stored for direct use or
can be recharged into the groundwater. Water harvesting is the collection of runoff for productive
purposes.

This study used a simple RWH system. The storage tank capacity is an important component because
it determines the overall system performance and cost. The tank's performance is influenced by the
characteristics of the catchment area, rainfall, and water demand required .

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2.0 Action Plan

SR. Details of activity Planned Planned Name of Responsible

No. Start date Finish date Team Members

1 Choose Problem Statement All Team Members

2 Finalization of project Title and All Team Members

Scope

3 Project Definition All Team Members

4 Study and analyze the application All Team Members

5 Requirement Engineering All Team Members

6 Output All Team Members

7 Report writing All Team Members

8 Demonstration of project and final All Team Members

submission

3.0 Resources Required

Sr.No. Equipment Name with Broad Specification Remark   (  if any)

1 Hardware: Personal Computer (i3-i5),RAM minimum 2GB

2 Operating System: Windows 7/ LINUX

3 Software Tools: Microsoft PowerPoint

Names of Team Members with Roll Nos.

1. Jyoti Kolhe (73)
2. Shubham Jadhav (74)
3. Gaurav Thombare (75)

Mr. DileepKumar Nitture

Name and Signature of Course Teacher

Annexure – II

Micro-Project Report

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 Rainwater Harvesting
1.0 Rationale
Rainwater harvesting involves the collection and storage of rainwater into the natural
reservoirs or artificial reservoirs in order to prevent the surface water runoff. Rainwater
harvesting is a process of collecting and storing rain water for using it as a backup supply of
fresh water to meet everyday domestic and agricultural requirements, especially when water
becomes scarcely available. There are several methods by which we can collect rainwater
flowing from our roof tops, ditches, gardens, fields, forests and other locations. Rain water
harvesting is a technique used for collecting and storing rainwater by using various means in
different resources for the future use purpose (like cultivation, etc). Rain water can be collected
into the natural reservoirs or tanks. Rooftop harvesting is also a method to collect rainwater. It
is of big importance to the people living in the less rainfall areas. They can continue seasonal
crop harvesting using collected rain water even in the lack of regular water supply.

2.0 Aim/Benefits of the Micro-Project

This Micro-Project aims at

1. To arrest ground water decline and augment ground water table.

2. To improve water quality in aquifiers.
3. To conserve surface water runoff during monsoon.
4. To inculate a culture of water conservation.
5. To reduce soil erosion.

3.0 Course Outcomes Addressed

a) Develop public awareness about environment. [✔]
b) Select alternative energy resources for Engineering practice. [ ]
c) Conserve Ecosystem and Biodiversity. [ ]
d) Apply techniques to reduce Environmental pollution. [✔]
e) Manage social issues and Environmental ethics as lifelong learning. [✔ ]

4.0 Literature Review

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 As the world population increases, the demand increases for quality drinking water. Surface and
groundwater resources are being utilized faster than they can be recharged. Rainwater harvesting is an
old practice that is being adopted by many nations as a viable decentralized water source. Individual
rainwater harvesting systems are one of the many tools to meeting the growing water demand.
Rainwater harvesting is an environmentally sound solution to address issues brought forth by large
projects utilizing centralized water management approaches. Population growth all over the world is
causing similar problems and concerns of how to supply quality water to all. As land pressure rises,
cities are growing vertical and in countryside more forest areas are encroached and being used for
agriculture. In India the small farmers depend on Monsoon where rainfall is from June to October and
much of the precious water is soon lost as surface runoff. While irrigation may be the most obvious
response to drought, it has proved costly and can only benefit a fortunate few. There is now increasing
interest in the low cost alternative-generally referred to as 'Rain Water Harvesting' (RWH).

Rainwater harvesting is the method by which rainwater that falls upon a roof surface is collected and
routed to a storage facility for later use. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are a compilation of
many components and processes, including (but not limited to) a catchment surface, conveyance
system, pre-storage filtration, storage container, pump, post-storage filtration/treatment and post-
storage distribution system. For the majority of systems, precipitation falls onto the roof, is collected
via gutters, and conveyed to the storage container by a pipe network. Pre-storage filtration is often
utilized to prevent sediment, leaves and debris from entering the storage container. A piping network
then conveys the water to the storage container. A first flush diverter may be incorporated into the
conveyance piping to divert the dirtiest of the runoff water (usually the first 1-3mm) away from the
storage container, thereby preserving the quality of water collected for later use . From the storage
container, the water either drains via gravity or is pumped to the point(s) of use. Poststorage treatment
is sometimes included in the RWH system, depending upon the quality of harvested water and the
quality needed for designated uses.

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is far from a novel practice, as its use has been documented in ancient
Greek and Roman civilizations (Phoca and Valavanis 1999; Crasta et al. 1982). Traditionally
implemented in regions with limited access to water resources, RWH was commonplace in India,
Jordan and other parts of Asia, Italy, South America and portions of Africa from the Middle Ages
through the late 1900s (Radhakrishna 2003; Abdulla and Al-Shareef 2009; Gianighian 1996; Lee et al.

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2000). The 20th and 21st centuries have brought population growth, climate change and increasing
water supply shortages to many areas, including Australia, Germany, China and the United States
(Coombes and Barry 2007; Hermann and Hasse 1997; Zhang et al. 2009a; Mendez et al. 2011); thus,
RWH systems have grown in popularity and quantity in recent years as an alternative water supply in
these regions.

Water Quality Aspects of Rainwater Harvesting :

The need for conserving public potable water supplies continues to increase throughout the world and
RWH is a valuable tool that may be used to fulfill this need; however, the lack of knowledge regarding
the quality of harvested rainwater has prevented widespread use of this practice. This section presents
a review on the origin, transport and fate of potential RWH contaminants, including sediment,
nutrients, heavy metals and other chemicals, and the implications these pollutants and processes have
on the use of RWH as a supplemental water source.

As more research has become available, it has become apparent that the quality of harvested rainwater
is determined by the environment in which a given system is located and the materials used to
construct said system (Abbasi and Abbasi 2011; Lee et al. 2010). As a result, it is imperative that
designers and users of RWH systems understand the potential contaminants associated with their use

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and how these contaminants interact with each other and their environment, as these interactions will
often dictate the necessary design, treatment and maintenance protocols to ensure harvested rainwater
does not present a safety hazard to those using it (Magyar et al. 2007). It is anticipated that this
compilation of literature and data may be useful to RWH system designers and users in identifying
potential sources of contamination and incorporating the elements needed for a given system to
improve the quality of harvested water to an acceptable level.

RAIN WATER HARVESTING STUDIES IN INDIA:

Deepak Khare et al (2004) have reviewed the impact assessment of RWH on ground water quality at
Indore and Dewas, India. The impact assessment of roof top improve the quality and quantity of
Ground Water. The roof top rainwater was used to put into the ground using sand filter as pretreatment
system. This lead to a reduction in the concentration of pollutants in ground water which indicated the
effectiveness of increased recharge of aquifer by roof top rain water. He observes that in certain areas,
the amount of total and faecal coliform were observed high in harvested tube well water than normal
tube well water. The reason of this increases was poor cleanliness of roof top and poor efficiency of
filter for bacterial removal. The author concludes that quality mounting of rainwater harvesting is an
essential prerequisite before using it for ground water recharge.

Venkateswara Rao (1996) in his article has reviewed the importance of artificial recharge of rainfall
water for Hyderabad city water supply. Rainfall water from the roof tops of the buildings recharged
through specially designed recharge pits in order to augment the ground water resource in the city.
This Water meets almost 80% of domestic water requirements, storm runoff from the public places
like roads, parks play grounds etc., is recharged through naturally existing tank within the city by not
allowing municipal sewage and industrial effluents in these tanks. He finally suggests that, wherever
natural tanks are not existing, community recharge pits are to be constructed at hydro geologically
suitable location.

Hazra (1997) in his overview of crop yield performance in Tejpura watershed reported that, due to soil
and water conservation works and water storage structures, the wells which earlier used to fetch water
for about 1-2 hours, fetched water for more than 8-10 hours due to the increased ground water table by
10 to 23 feet after the construction of water storage structures.

5.0 Actual Procedure Followed.

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 Rooftop rainwater harvesting systems can vary from a simple gutter to rain barrel to a more
complex integrated system with above ground or underground water tanks of various sizes and
configurations. The rainwater harvesting steps below provide excellent advice.

1. Ensure that the roof surface is suitable for collecting quality rainwater.

Colorbond® and Zincalume® steel sheets, well fired glazed tiles, concrete/cement tiles, clay tiles and
composite tiles are popular choices for rainwater collection. If water is intended for drinking-: (a)
contact the manufacturer to confirm whether the roofing material is suitable for potable water
collection, and obtain a certificate of classification, (b) ensure all pipes and fittings used within the
system are also approved, and (c) check local Council requirements.

2. Ensure roof gutters are installed to the appropriate  standards and building codes with the regulation
fall to the outlets

Gutters that pond water create a potential mosquito breeding habitat and can be an incubator for
bacteria. Gutters must be installed with a fall of no less than 1:500 for eaves gutters (unless fixed to
metal fascias), and 1:100 for box gutters.

3. Install a fire proof gutter mesh system to prevent leaves and debris from blocking gutters

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Screening material MUST be fire proof and allow maximum sunlight into the roof gutter system.
Screening material must NOT be too fine or create a shade house for spiders. [Fit gutter system in
accordance with the International Plumbing Code and Australian Standards]

4. Fit rain heads to downpipes to divert leaves and debris

Rain heads direct leaves and larger debris out of the flow of the water. The type of rain head that is
required depends on the type of system.  Multiple screen rain heads are best. “Wet” systems require
rain heads to be fitted with screens that are mosquito proof (<1mm apertures). Rain heads that screen
the larger material onto the ground are better than “junk basket” types.

5. Fit insect proof screens to all pipes that hold water (“wet” systems) and all pipes and openings
to/from your tank

Mosquitoes spread diseases at an alarming rate and breed in water. Ensure multiple screen rain heads
are installed at the entry point of gutter downpipes. Fit insect proof flap valves or screens to the end of
the pipe system at the entry to the rainwater tank, and to the overflow from the tank. The should be
vented so as to allow a flow of air/oxygen over the surface of the water thus improving its aerobic
content. This also prevents a vacuum when large quantities of water are quickly drawn off from the
tank. Flap valves should have double seals, be self-cleaning, and have a flap that cannot be over
rotated and left open.

6. Fit appropriately sized first flush water diverter/s

This is a critical factor in achieving good quality water. First Flush water diverters prevent the first,
most contaminated rainwater from entering the tank.

The recommended volume to be diverted is based on an assessment of (1) roof area, and (2) a
pollution factor (between 0.5L to 2L of water per m2 of roof area). The volume, type of downpipe
system, and site characteristics will determine the type of water diverter required. Water diverters with
a variable volume chamber are better than “fixed volume” diverters, because they can be customized
to the specific requirements of each site. For best results with a “wet” system, the volume held in the
pipes should be added to the roof diversion quantity.

Select an appropriate water tank, tank ‘top-up’ and pump system.

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7. Choose a water tank.

Consider annual rainfall, roof catchment area and water usage when determining its size.

8. Utilise a dual water supply system (if required)

To automatically ‘top-up’ the tank with the mains water when tank water levels fall to a designated
minimum level.

9. Select a pump system (if required)

To distribute water for use inside or outside the home.

10. Ensure the system is maintained

This is one of the most important factors in ensuring good quality water. All components, including
gutters, rain heads, water diverters and water tanks, should be serviced regularly. Consideration should
be given to registering your rain harvesting system with the local Council.

6.0 Output

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7.0 Skill Developed / learning out of this Micro-Project
The following skills were developed while performing and developing this Micro Project:
1. Designing:- Designing of micro project with minimum required resources and at low cost
2. Teamwork:- Learned to work in a team and boost individual confidence
3. Time management:- Timely completion of micro project as scheduled
4. Problem solving:- Develop good problem-solving habits
5. Technical writing:- Preparing a report of the proposed plan and final report

8.0 Application of this Micro-Project

1. Agriculture

Regarding Urban agriculture, rainwater harvesting in urban areas reduces the impact of runoff and
flooding. The mixture of urban ‘green’ rooftops with rainwater catchments is found to scale back
building temperatures by quite 1.3 degrees Celsius.Rainwater harvesting with urban agriculture would
be a viable thanking to helping meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for cleaner
and sustainable cities, health and wellbeing, and food and water security. The technology is out there;
however, it must be remodelled to use water more efficiently, especially in an urban setting. Kenya has
already been successfully harvesting rainwater for bogs, laundry, and irrigation, and areas in Australia
used to harvest rainwater for cooking and drinking.Studies by Stout et al. researching the feasibility in
India found RWH was most beneficial used for little scale irrigation, which provides income with the
sales of produce, and overflow used for groundwater recharge

2. Domestic Use

In China, Argentina, and Brazil, people use rooftop rainwater harvesting to supply beverage, domestic
Water, Water for livestock, Water for little irrigation, and how to replenish groundwater levels.Gansu
in China and semiarid northeast Brazil have the most essential rooftop rainwater harvesting projects
happening. The rural population of Thailand, about 40%, utilises rainwater harvesting. The Govt.
promoted heavy rainwater harvesting within the 1950s. Within the 1990s, after government funding
for the gathering tanks ran out, the private sector stepped in and provided several million tanks to non-
public households, many of which still be used today this is often one among the most critical samples
of self-supply of water worldwide. Rainwater harvesting is mandatory for brand spanking new homes
inbuilt New Mexico state capital Santa Fe, New Mexico. Texas offers a nuisance tax exemption for the

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acquisition of rainwater harvesting equipment. In the UK, we often find water butts in domestic
gardens and on allotments to gather rainwater, which is then won’t to water the garden.

3. Industry Use

Frankfurt Airport has the most critical rainwater harvesting system in Germany. The system helps save
approximately 1 million cubic meters of water per annum. The value of the system was 1.5 million dm
in 1993.This technique collects water from roofs of the new terminal which has a neighbourhood of
26,800 square meters. It receives the water within the basement of the airport in six tanks with a
storage capacity of 100 cubic meters. We primarily use the water for bathroom flushing, watering
plants, and cleaning the air con system. 

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 Annexure – III

Suggested Rubric for Assessment of Micro-Project

Sr. Characteristic to Poor Average Good Excellent
No. be assessed ( Marks 1 - 3 ) ( Marks 4 - 5 ) ( Marks 6 - 8 ) ( Marks 9- 10 )

Relevance to the Relate to very Related to Take care of at-least Take care of more
1
course few LOs some LOs one CO than one CO
Literature Not more than At-least 5
About 10 relevant
review two sources relevant At –least 7 relevant
2 sources, most
/information very old sources, at least sources, most latest
latest
collection reference 2 latest
Completion of the
Completed Completed 50 Completed 60 to Completed more
3 Target as per
less than 50% to 60% 80% than 80 %
project proposal
Sufficient and
appropriate Sufficient and
Data neither Enough data
Analysis of Data enough data appropriate enough
organized nor collected and
4 and generated but data generated
presented well sufficient and
representation not organized which is organized
presenting data.
and not and but not used.
presented well.
Well assembled
Just assembled Well assembled and
with proper
Quality of Incomplete and some code functioning parts.
functioning parts..
5 Prototype/Model Programming is not But no creativity in
Creativity in
code functioning design and use of
design and use of
well. graphics function
graphics function
Nearly
Very short,
sufficient and Detailed, correct and
Details about Very detailed,
correct details clear description of
methods, and correct, clear
Report about methods, methods and
6 conclusions description of
Preparation and conclusion. Conclusions.
omitted, some methods, and
but clarity is Sufficient Graphic
details are conclusions.
not there in Description.
wrong
presentation.
Major Includes major
information is information but Includes major Well organized,
Presentation of not included, not well information and includes major
7
the micro project information is organized and well organized but information ,well
not well not presented not presented well presented
organized. well
Replied to
Could not
considerable
reply to Replied properly to Replied most of
number of
8 Defense considerable considerable number the questions
questions but
number of of question. properly
not very
question.
properly

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 Annexure – IV

Micro Project Evaluation Sheet

Name of Student: Jyoti Kolhe , Shubham Jadhav Enrollment No: 1900040170, 1800040171
Gaurav Thombare 1800040172.
Name of Program: Computer Technology Semester: Fifth
Course Title: Environmental Studies Course Code:22447

Title of the Micro-Project: Rainwater Harvesting

Cos addressed by Micro Project: (Tick appropriate COs)

A: Develop public awareness about environment. [✔ ]
B: Select alternative energy resources for Engineering practice [ ]
C: Conserve Ecosystem and Biodiversity. [ ]
D: Apply techniques to reduce Environmental pollution. [✔ ]
E: Manage social issues and Environmental ethics as lifelong learning. [✔ ]

Sr.
Characteristic to be
No Poor Average Good Excellent
assessed ( Marks1-3 )
Sub Total
. (Marks 4-5 ) (Marks 6-8) ( Marks9-10)

(A) Process and Product Assessment (Convert Above Total marks out of 6 Marks)
1 Relevance to the course

2 Information Collection

Completion of the Target as

3
per project proposal

Analysis of Data and

4
representation

5 Quality of Prototype/Model

6 Report Preparation

(B) Individual Presentation / Viva (Convert above total marks out of 4 marks)

7 Presentation

8 Defense

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 Process and Product Assessment (6 Individual Presentation / Viva (4 Total Marks
Roll No.
Marks) Marks) 10

73

74

75

Comments/Suggestions about team work/leadership/inter-personal communication (if any)

The project was implemented with good leadership & teamwork with active co-operation of all
the team members. Everyone contributed equally and met with good outcome. Hence, overall
project was done with harmony with good team spirit.

Name and designation of the Teacher: Mr. DileepKumar Nitture (Lecturer)

Dated Signature: ________________

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