The Worth of Water: Designing Climate Resilient Rainwater Harvesting Systems

By Liam McCarton, Sean O'Hogain and Anna Reid

There is no more fundamental substance to life on earth than water. Three quarter of the Earth’s surface is covered by either saltwater or freshwater, yet millions face a daily struggle to access enough water for survival. The effects of ongoing climate change have expanded the water crisis to areas previously considered water secure. This book addresses the role rainwater harvesting (rwh) can play in developing a resilient water infrastructure that will prove adaptive to climate change. The book features three sections.The first section presents the concepts underpinning a new approach to water infrastructure. The term “the worth of water” was developed to reflect the importance of the social life of water. This encompasses all human relationships with water including the social, cultural, hydrological, political, economic, technical and spiritual. A technology portfolio showcasing the worth of water from the Qanats of the ancient world to the modern Rain Cities is presented. Other concepts discussed include the circular economy of water and the concept of multiple waters for multiple users of multiple qualities.  Water and its properties are a function of its peculiar molecular structure and this is illustrated in the book. Rainwater harvesting is considered by the authors as containing an inherent treatment train which functions as a complex water treatment system providing physical, chemical and biological removal mechanisms. Part two presents a new design methodology together with design templates and worked examples for the hydraulic and economic analysis of rwh systems. A state-of-the-art literature review of the potential health implications of utilizing rwh is also presented. The final section of the book discusses how rwh can play a vital role in contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and to living within the Planetary Boundaries.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Springer
• Release date: Nov 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9783030506056

Book preview

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021

L. McCarton et al.The Worth of Waterhttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50605-6_1

1. The Worth of Water

Liam McCarton¹ , Sean O’Hogain¹ and Anna Reid¹

(1)

School of Civil and Structural Engineering, Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Keywords

Linear Economy of WaterCircular Economy of WaterMultiple WatersFit for PurposeWorth of Water

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1.1 Introduction

The way we view water has changed over the last decade of the twentieth century and the first decades of the twenty-first century. Previously water was subject to a linear form of treatment where it was abstracted, treated before use to drinking water (potable) standards, used and treated again before finally being discharged back to the environment through ground or surface water. Water Engineering involved the identification and evaluation of raw water sources, with a view to using a water source that required minimal treatment to remove natural pollutants such as nitrates . This raw water was then impounded, sometimes in reservoirs or dams. Quality issues arose in depth of draw off, as spring and autumn turnovers in the impounded water gave rise to chemicals being dissolved in the water and requiring treatment. All impounded water was then treated in water treatment plants to potable water quality