Problems and countermeasures on the safety of rainwater harvesting for drinking in China

• Published in: MATEC Web of Conferences Vol. 68; p. 14006
• Main Authors: Liu, Laisheng, Liu, Linghua, Wu, Leixiang, Wu, Jiapeng, Huo, Weijie
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Les Ulis EDP Sciences 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Accumulation; Drinking water; Pollution sources; Project management; Rain water; Rainwater recovery systems; Water conservation; Water pollution; Water quality; China
• ISSN: 2261-236X; 2274-7214; 2261-236X
• DOI: 10.1051/matecconf/20166814006

China is increasingly confronted with serious water shortages, so rainwater harvesting and utilization have gradually received attention with advantages such as accessibility, simple operation and low cost. The harvested rainwater can be used for drinking, irrigation, municipal greening, etc., and when applied for drinking, the demand for water quality is highest. Most existing researches have put their focus on improving the accumulation of rainwater, but there is a lack of in-depth studies on how to enhance the quality of rainwater. Based on the above considerations, this paper, by summing up the situation of rainwater harvesting and utilization in China, has systematically analyzed the system components of rainwater harvesting for drinking, i.e., the consisting units of rainwater harvesting, delivering, processing and accumulating. It also explains the sources of rainwater pollution and how to deal with it. Considering that the water harvesting system can make a contribution to the society and public welfare, this paper proposes a framework of participatory management for projects of rainwater harvesting for drinking.