Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / In many areas of India, increasing groundwater use has led to depleted aquifers. Rainwater harvesting (RWH), the small scale collection and storage of runoff to augment groundwater stores, is seen as a solution to the deepening groundwater crisis in India. However while the social and economic gains of RWH have been highlighted, there has not yet been a thorough attempt to evaluate the impacts of RWH on larger catchment hydrological balances. The thesis here will endeavour to address this research gap through a case study of the 476 km2 ungauged semi-arid Arvari River catchment in the state of Rajasthan. Over 366 RWH structures have been built in this catchment since 1985 by the community and the local non-government organisation (NGO), Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS). The local effects of RWH structures and general catchment characteristics were determined through field investigations during the monsoon seasons of 2007 and 2008. The analysis described large variability in both climatic patterns and recharge estimates. Potential recharge estimates from seven RWH storages, of three different sizes and in six landscape positions, were calculated using the water balance method, which were compared with recharge estimates from water level rises in twenty-nine dug wells using the water table fluctuation method. The average daily potential recharge from RWH structures is between 12 – 52 mm/day, while recharge reaching the groundwater was between 3 – 7 mm/day. The large difference between recharge estimates could be explained through soil storage, and a large lateral transmissivity in the aquifer. Approximately 7% of rainfall is recharged by RWH in the catchment, which is similar in both the comparatively wet and dry years of the field analysis. This is because the capacity of an individual structure to induce recharge is related to structure size and capacity, catchment runoff characteristics and underlying geology. Due to the large annual fluctuations in groundwater levels, the field study results suggest that RWH has a large impact on the groundwater supply, and that there is a large lateral flow of groundwater in the area. The results inferred from the field analysis were then applied to a conceptual water balance model to study catchment-scale impacts of RWH. An existing model was not used because of the paucity of data, and the need to incorporate an effective representation of RWH function and impact. The model works on a daily time step and is divided into subbasins. Within the subbasin hydrological response units (HRUs) describe the different land use/soil combinations associated with the Arvari River catchment, including irrigated agriculture. Sustainability indices, related to water from groundwater and rainfall for irrigated agriculture demand, were used to compare scenarios of management simulated in the conceptual model. The analysis shows that as RWH area increases, it reaches a limiting capacity from where developing additional RWH area does not increase the benefit to groundwater stores, but substantially reduces streamflow. This limiting capacity was also seen at the local-scale, where cumulative potential recharge from an individual RWH structure reaches a maximum daily recharge rate. These results could have important implications for RWH development, but require further research. The analysis highlighted the important link between irrigation area and RWH area. If the irrigation area is increased at the optimal level of RWH, where the sustainability indices were greatest, the resilience of the system actually decreased. Nevertheless RWH in a system increased the overall sustainability of the water demand for irrigated agriculture, compared to a system without RWH. Also RWH provided a slight buffer in the groundwater store when drought occurred. While RWH addresses the supply-side issues of groundwater operation, the institutions that form rules for groundwater use must also be considered, because of the link between irrigation area and RWH. The Arvari River Parliament, the community-based group in the case study area, was examined according to Ostrom’s factors for collective action. It was found that the major limitation for the effectiveness of this group was the minimal information available about the aquifer characteristics.

Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / In many areas of India, increasing groundwater use has led to depleted aquifers. Rainwater harvesting (RWH), the small scale collection and storage of runoff to augment groundwater stores, is seen as a solution to the deepening groundwater crisis in India. However while the social and economic gains of RWH have been highlighted, there has not yet been a thorough attempt to evaluate the impacts of RWH on larger catchment hydrological balances. The thesis here will endeavour to address this research gap through a case study of the 476 km2 ungauged semi-arid Arvari River catchment in the state of Rajasthan. Over 366 RWH structures have been built in this catchment since 1985 by the community and the local non-government organisation (NGO), Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS). The local effects of RWH structures and general catchment characteristics were determined through field investigations during the monsoon seasons of 2007 and 2008. The analysis described large variability in both climatic patterns and recharge estimates. Potential recharge estimates from seven RWH storages, of three different sizes and in six landscape positions, were calculated using the water balance method, which were compared with recharge estimates from water level rises in twenty-nine dug wells using the water table fluctuation method. The average daily potential recharge from RWH structures is between 12 – 52 mm/day, while recharge reaching the groundwater was between 3 – 7 mm/day. The large difference between recharge estimates could be explained through soil storage, and a large lateral transmissivity in the aquifer. Approximately 7% of rainfall is recharged by RWH in the catchment, which is similar in both the comparatively wet and dry years of the field analysis. This is because the capacity of an individual structure to induce recharge is related to structure size and capacity, catchment runoff characteristics and underlying geology. Due to the large annual fluctuations in groundwater levels, the field study results suggest that RWH has a large impact on the groundwater supply, and that there is a large lateral flow of groundwater in the area. The results inferred from the field analysis were then applied to a conceptual water balance model to study catchment-scale impacts of RWH. An existing model was not used because of the paucity of data, and the need to incorporate an effective representation of RWH function and impact. The model works on a daily time step and is divided into subbasins. Within the subbasin hydrological response units (HRUs) describe the different land use/soil combinations associated with the Arvari River catchment, including irrigated agriculture. Sustainability indices, related to water from groundwater and rainfall for irrigated agriculture demand, were used to compare scenarios of management simulated in the conceptual model. The analysis shows that as RWH area increases, it reaches a limiting capacity from where developing additional RWH area does not increase the benefit to groundwater stores, but substantially reduces streamflow. This limiting capacity was also seen at the local-scale, where cumulative potential recharge from an individual RWH structure reaches a maximum daily recharge rate. These results could have important implications for RWH development, but require further research. The analysis highlighted the important link between irrigation area and RWH area. If the irrigation area is increased at the optimal level of RWH, where the sustainability indices were greatest, the resilience of the system actually decreased. Nevertheless RWH in a system increased the overall sustainability of the water demand for irrigated agriculture, compared to a system without RWH. Also RWH provided a slight buffer in the groundwater store when drought occurred. While RWH addresses the supply-side issues of groundwater operation, the institutions that form rules for groundwater use must also be considered, because of the link between irrigation area and RWH. The Arvari River Parliament, the community-based group in the case study area, was examined according to Ostrom’s factors for collective action. It was found that the major limitation for the effectiveness of this group was the minimal information available about the aquifer characteristics.

Para superar o problema de disponibilidade de água e preservar os recursos hídricos, têm sido buscadas fontes alternativas de água para as atividades humanas. Dentre as soluções encontradas está a captação da água de chuva. Esta técnica é possível através da captação da precipitação em áreas impermeáveis e de seu armazenamento em reservatórios para viabilizar seu uso. Como o reservatório é, em geral, a parte mais dispendiosa para a implantação desse tipo de sistema, é necessário avaliar qual método de dimensionamento é o mais adequado. Para tanto, este trabalho analisou os métodos de dimensionamento de reservatórios para sistemas de captação de água de chuva sugeridos pela Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT), apresentados na norma NBR 15527/07. A partir dos resultados obtidos, foi constatado que o Método Simulação Mensal se destaca por resultar em volumes de reservatórios com garantias de abastecimento elevadas e com capacidades não exageradas. Este método de dimensionamento foi utilizado para desenvolver uma ferramenta eletrônica no Excel®, a fim de auxiliar a tomada de decisão em relação ao pré-dimensionamento de cisternas, localizadas no estado de São Paulo. A ferramenta, denominada SIMCAP, traz como resultados informações técnicas relativas ao volume de reservatório sugerido pelo usuário e a economia resultante da implantação do sistema. Para tanto, a ferramenta necessita que sejam preenchidas as informações sobre a localização, a categoria da edificação e a parcela do consumo a ser abastecido pela captação da água pluvial. A SIMCAP foi testada em estudos de caso com diferentes cenários de consumo de água para uma mesma edificação. Com isso, foi possível concluir que a ferramenta disponibiliza resultados relevantes à tomada de decisão por facilitar a estimativa dos benefícios econômicos e por apresentar a garantia de abastecimento do reservatório analisado. / To overcome the problem of availability of water and to preserve the water resources, there have been sought alternative sources of water for human activities. Among the solutions founded is rainwater harvesting. This technique is based on capturing rainfall in impermeable areas and storing it in reservoirs to enable its use. As the reservoir is usually the most expensive part of the rainwater harvesting system it is necessary to evaluate which method for tank sizing is the most appropriate. Therefore, this paper analyzed the tank sizing methods for rainwater harvesting systems suggested by the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas - ABNT), regulated by NBR 15527/07. From the results obtained, the Simulation Monthly Method stands out since it results in volumes of reservoirs with high supply reliability and non exaggerated capabilities. This method of design was used to develop an electronic tool in Excel®, to assist decision-making in relation to presizing tanks, located in the state of São Paulo. The tool, named SIMCAP, brings as results technical information about the volume of reservoir suggested by the user and the savings results from its implementation. Therefore, this tool requires the information regarding the location of this system, the category of the building and the water consumption to be supplied with rainwater. The SIMCAP was tested in case studies with different scenarios of water consumption for the same building. In conclusion, the tool results are relevant for decision making by facilitating the estimation of the economic benefits and by providing the reliability of supply of the evaluated reservoir.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The National Water Act of 1998 provides the policy framework for stakeholder participation and the engagement of stakeholders closest to the resource on which they depend to be involved in developing and managing their water resources. Rainwater harvesting presents a viable option for securing water availability in order to increase food production and cash returns from food in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality which is one of the poorest districts in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The study focuses on rural youth (between the ages 18-35 years) in two villages of the Ehlanzeni District, Luphisi and Dwaleni, and seeks to assess the relationship between youth capabilities and food security. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods but with more emphasis on the quantitative data, with qualitative data providing anecdotal evidence to back up the findings. The qualitative data was collected from focus group discussions and the quantitative data was based on a baseline survey within the context of an Integrated Rain Water Harvesting Project implemented by a local NGO. The data drew on indicators in the questionnaire that were to do with social capital and empowerment. The indicators tapped into attributes/capabilities like trust, social cohesion and inclusion and sociability and examined these within the context of Amartya Sen's Capability Approach, to consider whether and in what ways these attributes relate to food security. The results show that there are youth have high levels of certain attributes/capabilities such as trust, social cohesion and inclusion, collective action and co-operation, self-esteem, and meaning. The findings also show that in other dimensions there are less opportunities and that, in particular, access to networks, access to knowledge and information and sociability are lacking among youth. Low levels of adherence to networks, lack of access to knowledge and information and poor sociability show that there are inadequate opportunities for youth to engage with issues around food and water security. The Chi-square test was used to investigate the relationship between youth capabilities and food security and at p<0.05 results showed that there was no relationship between youth capabilities and food security in Dwaleni. There were only three capabilities which showed any significant statistical relationship between youth capabilities and food security in Luphisi namely; collective action and co-operation, social cohesion and self-esteem. The study recommends that networking opportunities and access to information relating to food and water security should be improved. The thesis claims that there are adequate opportunities to build on existing capabilities such as self-esteem, trust and social cohesion that are not being maximized and that youth are not being adequately engaged in water resources management. / Water Research Commission

There is a strong interest in rainwater harvesting (RWH) solutions as the global demand for water increases and water sources face contamination and depletion. Despite the extensive research conducted on the impact of RWH on watersheds, there is significant research to be completed to determine the relationship between the collection tank volume, roof size, and water demand satisfied by the RWH system. This thesis aims to further the understanding of the behaviour of RWH systems through a quantitative assessment of the water provided by these systems. Calculating the reliability of RWH systems in various Canadian regions allows for an evaluation of the capacity of RWH in meeting various residential water needs in Canada’s diverse climates. The results are obtained through hourly continuous simulation to provide the most accurate results and are presented in a user-friendly format through simple equations and graphs. RWH modeling through analytical equations do not require long-term historical data and are easier to use than conducting computer-aided continuous simulations. A better understating of the analytical equations’ application is developed through a comparison between the analytical and continuous simulations methods. The comparison is held for different regions within Canada, and the analysis confirms a lack of accuracy for the analytical method in some climatic conditions. Daily continuous simulations conduced for Ugandan and Canadian regions provide a perspective on the feasibility of RWH systems to meet the human right to drinking water in the two countries. A comparison of the reliability of RWH tanks in Ugandan and Canadian regions is conducted to provide insight into the impact of rainfall patterns on the reliability of RWH systems. The evaluation of RWH performance in the RRM context in Canada and Uganda is aimed to address the lack of adequate water sources in rural, remote, and otherwise marginalized (RRM) communities globally. Examining the most accurate and appropriate modeling tools and assessing the actual yield of RWH systems provides information critical to water-sensitive communities and provides a foundation for future research to further explore the most effective application of RWH in urban and water-sensitive communities. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

In a society where people are always making plans and running in-between places, uncontrollable scenarios, such as rain, can be read as mere obstacles to the much acclaimed ‘routine’. With a strong appreciation for unexpected events, I instead want to propose a solution to make people approach rain in a more curious way, building for it a celebrative setting. A path of analysis, research, and experimental testing led to the design of a possible transformation of a rainwater harvesting system into a lighting installation. Considering the current climate change conditions, and the severe drought situations in some areas, rain has to be interpreted today not just as a poetic phenomenon, but also as a necessary and primary resource.  In TOTEN, daylight and artificial light are combined in a dynamic storyline, with the goal to emphasize the presence or the lack of rain and to make people gain insight about the rainfall trend. While an optical illusion and colors are asked to achieve a communicative and attractive condition, the structure wants to be clean and easily affordable. Reminiscent of a totemic sculpture, TOTEN appears, in the results, as a symbolic place where light and water use their liquid shapes to tell stories.

The thesis address the field of stormwater management. With a changing climate, the field of stormwater management much like many other fields will need to incorporate sustainable development if overall sustainability is to be reached. The aim of the thesis is to evaluate the current method for dealing with stormwater in Sweden, mainly in urban areas, and point to issues at hand and identified ways of addressing them. The concept of Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is assessed. A comparison of results from several case studies from around the world show that there are several aspects of high importance for the viability of such technology. Among others price for municipal water, ability to lower costs due to smart planning ahead of installing, inclusion of environmental aspects and impacts on society such as reduced load on water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, reduced pollution load and greenhouse gas emissions (mainly due to less water treated at wastewater treatment facilities). The main conclusion from comparing and compiling results were that the viability of RWH from an economic standpoint is questionable. Although if including all identified gains for the municipality including stormwater management benefits and indirect gains due to reduced load and taking all aspects of importance into consideration there is potential for such technology even in a country like Sweden with good water supply and infrastructure in place. This thesis is of importance since it brings RWH technology into the light as a potential sustainability measure in Sweden. It evaluates the important parameters for the technology to be viable as indicated by case studies and literature within the field. / Detta examensarbete behandlar hållbar dagvattenhantering och specifikt tekniken Rainwater harvesting. Nuvarande centrala system för att förse Stockholm med färskvatten samt hantera bildat dagvatten utvärderas i en litteraturstudie. Även identifierade metoder för att hantera dagvattnet i linje med hållbarhetsmål beskrivs. Tekniken Rainwater harvesting beskrivs, dess historia samt implementering i moderna sammanhang framställs. Flertalet fallstudier där tekniken beskrivs analyseras och jämförs. Detta examensarbete är av vikt eftersom det tar upp tekniken RWH i relation till Sverige som potentiellt lokalt system för att uppnå hållbarhet. Det utvärderar viktiga parametrar för att tekniken ska anses försvarbar vilka indikeras av flertalet fallstudier samt litteratur. Dagens system för hantering av dagvatten i Stockholm består till allra största grad av det centrala avloppssystemet bestående av kombinerat samt duplikat avloppsnät. Detta har likt många centrala infrastruktursystem nackdelen att det är kostsamt och besvärligt att uppdatera och stärka, men dessutom flertalet nackdelar relaterade till miljöpåverkan och hög belastning på reningsverk. Rainwater harvesting är en teknik med lång historia som i moderna samhällen implementeras i syfte att minska vattenanvändningen samt belastningen på centralt dagvattensystem. Blandade ekonomiska resultat har observerats, sannolikt på grund av varierande analysmetoder och varierande inkludering av viktiga parametrar i bedömningar. Miljönyttan är till viss del tydlig, dock i många fall ej medtagen i beräkningar och utvärderingar. Analys av fallstudier påvisar hög potential för tekniken vid smart implementering men att det även finns goda exempel på system som resulterat i mycket dåliga ekonomiska resultat. Flertalet viktiga aspekter att ta hänsyn till för att uppnå försvarbara resultat har identifierats och beskrivits. Huvudslutsatsen är att Rainwater harvesting i och med sin potential att nå eller jobba mot definierade mål för dagvattenhantering och hållbar utveckling bör has med i åtanke som potentiellt lokalt system i Sverige kommande år.

The photometric pararosaniline (pRA) method for determination of S(IV) has been adapted to flow injection sample processing (FIA). Prominent features of the method include a limit of detection of 0.010 ppm of dissolved sulfur dioxide and a sampling rate of 20 per hour. The concentration range investigated was 0.010 to 0.200 ppm S02. Sequential samples were collected from two rainstorms and SO2 concentrations were measured for 19 samples. The suppression of interference by Cr(III), Mn(II), and Fe(III) using 1,2-cyclohexylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid (CDTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was investigated. A comparison of the adapted FIA method and its parent manual method has shown the FIA method to have the advantages of increased sample throughput, decreased reagent consumption, and increased precision.

This thesis on Low Impact Development (LID) Practices provides design guidelines and principles for three important LID practices: green roofs, rainwater harvesting and bioswales. The most important component of the thesis is the qualitative analysis of various case studies based on the LID objectives drawn from the literature review for each LID practice. Through the course of my research, I found that there was no one single source which provided information on the design guidelines accompanied by case examples which could help the designer with built examples where the LID practices have been executed. Therefore, developing this thesis document which provided all this information started as my masters thesis project. The document is designed to be used by people with a variety of expertise like landscape architects, landscape contractors, engineers and clients. The manual is organized into five chapters. The manual details the process of stormwater management and then gradually leads to the evolution of Low Impact Development Practices and detailing out three important LID practices: green roofs, rainwater harvesting, vegetated swales and briefly about infiltration systems. The LID principles outlined in this manual were developed over the last few years to address runoff issues associated with the new residential, commercial and industrial suburban developments. Information to develop this manual has been drawn from numerous sources like the Low Impact Design Strategies developed by the Prince George's County, Maryland, US EPA, Low Impact Development urban design tools and numerous other research papers. It is my hope that the manual will provide adequate information to its users by not only providing design guidelines but also provide built examples through the case studies. / Master of Landscape Architecture

This thesis deals with the comparison of rainwater and its subsequent use. Especially, it compares the rainwater from the classical and green roofs. The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part deals with roofs in general, it focuses mostly on green roofs and green roofs in Norway. It also deals with precipitation and the use of rainwater. In the second part there is a brief introduction of organization called „Open Garden“. Susequently, this art is focused on the analysis of samples and their subsequent coparison in the framework of classic and green roofs. The second part is also focused on the comparison of water quality during the time.