CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND Rainwater harvesting system (RWHS) is a direct collection of

As for the rest of the country no state specifically prohibits the collection of water runoff from your roof, but the wording is again vague in some cases, and there are certain regulations in place. You can collect in barrels in most instances for your own use, and in some states people are encouraged to do so.

A rain garden is a depressed area of land that collects and filters water runoff (EPA). The runoff collected in a rain garden comes from building roofs, streets, sidewalks, and other areas of the landscape that are paved over (Rain Garden Alliance) (EPA). Water collects in the shallow depression, soaks into the ground and is filtered through the vegetation, it is then returned to the water cycle (EPA). Rain gardens are a sustainable way to manage and relieve storm water systems during a rain event (Rain Garden

India is a developing country. The illiteracy rate there is comparatively high. Also water has been a main concern there. Even though the rate of urbanization in India is among the lowest in the world, the nation has more than 250 million city-dwellers. Experts predict that this number will rise even further, and by 2020, about 50 per cent of India's population will be living in cities. This is going to put further pressure on the already strained centralized water supply systems of urban areas. (http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/Crisis/Urbanwater-scenario.htm) According to Central Public Health Engineering Organization (CPHEEO) estimates, as on 31 March 2000, 88 per cent of urban population has access to a potable water supply. But this supply is highly erratic and unreliable. Transmission and distribution networks are old and poorly maintained, and generally not trustworthy. The proper conservation of the water is one of the crises that need to be solved immediately else serious consequences may follow. Rain water harvesting in this prospect seems a very

Refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.

We can give any room in your home a green remodel. Green remodeling means conserving resources, and being energy efficient. We do this by reusing or repurposing materials instead of buying everything new. We also ensure that the room is as energy efficient as possible, and most importantly of all, we ensure the environment is healthy. During a green remodel, harmful chemicals are kept out, alternative, healthier methods are used. To learn more about this type or remodeling and all of our other services visit out website at

Green buildings could become one of the main factors to preserve our rapidly decaying environment. There is no easy way to define a green building, but a green building is essentially a structure that amplifies the positives and mitigates the negatives throughout the entire life cycle of the building (Kriss, 2014). There are many definitions for a green building, but all of them include the planning, designing, constructing, and operating of the building while taking into huge considerations of the energy use, water use, indoor air environment, materials used and the effect it has on the site the green building is being built on. The first green buildings dates back to as far as the 1970’s, when solar panels went from experiments to reality. Green buildings were not as popular as they are today due to their extremely high pricing. With technology rapidly growing, solar panels are becoming cheaper and cheaper, making the transition to creating green buildings more affordable. This is the primary reason for the increased growth of green buildings today. A modern company that is paving the way to the growth of green buildings named LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, focuses primarily on new and effective ideas for environmentally friendly buildings projects. With more than 60,000 commercial projects worldwide and 1.7 million square feet being certified every day, LEED is one of the leading groups for promoting green buildings. LEED has popularized the entire

The book's selection of outstanding, best quality work provides several examples for homeowners with a discerning sense of style and environmental responsibility. The spectrum of featured projects has a range between energy efficient restoration and the construction of intelligent extensions to the planning and building of new low-energy or passive homes. The book introduces not only the current building forms and materials but also case studies examining the best division of space, architectural planning, and the use of innovative technologies to control and improve heating and air conditioning. Therefore, Building Better provides a striking overview of the topic of sustainable building, and insightful information on details from technical data to blueprints. In the book, both homeowners and architects have their motivations, ideas, desires, and real experiences. Against this background, Building Better is both an inspirational and a practical guide for everyone who thinks that the sustainability not as limiting, but rather as a creative opportunity. As such, it is an essential reference for everyone who wants to build a

In a typical Stormwater Harvesting scheme, there are several stages that are critical to the process. Unlike basic “Rainwater Harvesting”, which simply involves collecting the water runoffs from roofs, Stormwater Harvesting incorporates several common elements across the varying methods which include the collection (harvesting) of runoff water from drains, treatment, storage and distribution into urban areas [1].

Based on studies, the sustainability of using green roofs rely on the fact that they involve a reduction in heating and cooling loads. Especially for houses that have air conditioners, green roofs help in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are usually associated with air conditioning. Because of the normal warm weather in Melbourne, homeowners have air conditioners as their key sources of energy consumption. Same goes for the commercial sector. And because much of this energy is supplied through electricity, homes and commercial spaces serve as major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. It is because of this knowledge that homeowners nowadays have begun exploring other technologies that offer ways to reduce HVAC loads in their homes. One of the best options is the use of green

Colorado is one of the very last states restricting the harvesting of rain water. The state of Washington has an incentive program, a 10% fee reduction for any business willing to change their system to adapt to water harvesting, instead of water through the county. A bill was introduced here in Colorado to allow for water harvesting on a low scale (55 gallon barrel) last year, which failed. However, the similar bill has been reintroduced again this year and residents are hopeful it will

In Chicago in 2009, there were over 2,220 rain barrels/downspout disconnections. This the calculated would lead to over 8,281,000 gallons of stormwater were diverted from combined system annually. This means that the city of Chicago was able to use these very simple and inexpensive stormwater mitigation methods to greatly reduce the amount of stormwater that the city was producing. Rain barrels and cisterns are a stormwater prevention system that the property owners in the metro can and already have started to incorporate into their properties.

In today’s world, the scarcity of water due to global warming and climate changes is a major problem. This cannot be reduced just by introducing water restrictions, it is necessary to collect and store water in order to use them during droughts and situations where the supply of water is limited. For this purpose, many cities have decided to build rainwater harvesting tanks in order to collect and store rainwater for future use.

provide and expand the coverage of clean and treated water in order to enhance a good quality of life in rural areas. Systems such as gravity flow, tube well and rainwater harvesting were also implemented.

The interior spaces are thermally controlled using the excess heat from electrical systems and natural light is able to reach 90 percent of the space. The natural ventilation system uses computerized air-circulators and is complemented by automated light controls designed to respond to exterior lighting

In this part, government attitude and policies are focused on, as well as advanced technologies are considered. Finally, this paper also turn to highlight the relevant field in China and what availability would suit for China, especially focus on what recommendations be suggested to local authorities in order to guide the whole society to aware the importance of green building and accelerate the development of this industry.