Rainwater harvesting has been practiced in some form or another in our country for centuries. Over the years its popularity declined after the advent of large centralized water supply systems, particularly in cities that provide reliable and abundant water. However, the dwindling water supplies along with growing environmental concerns have led to an increase in rainwater harvesting in recent times.
With funding from the local water resource development board, the institute conducted an in-depth study. The results showed that, of the commonly used roofing materials tested, metal, concrete & tile roofs produce the highest harvested rainwater quality for indoor domestic use. The study also showed that rainwater from asphalt fiberglass shingle roofs and increasingly popular "green" roofs contain high levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Although other potential pollutants can be significantly lower on green roofs, the high DOCs are significant where these roofs would be used for potable rainwater collection.
Water with DOC is not necessarily dangerous on its own, but experts feel that when it's mixed with chlorine, a common product used to disinfect water, it may cause some negative effects.
Though rainwater collected from concrete and tile roofs performed better than others in the study, experts say that rainwater harvested from any roofs would still have to be treated if the homeowners wanted to meet safe drinking water standards.
Experts also noted that homeowners who already have installed a rainwater system are probably not going to change their roofing material based on the study, but it will help them to make informed decisions.
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