In Singapore rainy season is the time of either stay at home,day and night may become depressing unless you are in peace with yourself and know how to keep yourself happy and busy doing something loving and useful with the resources you got. In Gamu Isabela mostly an agriculture country No rain means no fruits, no rice, no harvest of any kind it a serious business when come to rain. In the Philippines part of the year is almost only sunny - the remaining part is sometimes mostly rain, storm and dark clouds, depending on where in the Philippine islands you are during rainy season especially in Luzon area I never came across any rainwater harvesting project. In Singapore, which has limited land resources and a rising demand for water, is on the lookout for alternative sources and innovative methods of harvesting water. Almost 86% of Singapore’s population lives in high-rise buildings. A light roofing is placed on the roofs to act as catchment. Collected roof water is kept in separate cisterns on the roofs for non-potable uses. A recent study of an urban residential area of about 742 ha used a model to determine the optimal storage volume of the rooftop cisterns, taking into consideration non-potable water demand and actual rainfall at 15-minute intervals. They did a study demonstrated an effective saving of 4% of the water used, the volume of which did not have to be pumped from the ground floor. As a result of savings in terms of water, energy costs, and deferred capital, the cost of collected roof water was calculated to be S$0.96 against the previous cost of S$1.17 per cubic meter. A marginally larger rainwater harvesting and utilisation system exists in the Changi Airport. Rainfall from the runways and the surrounding green areas is diverted to two impounding reservoirs. One of the reservoirs is designed to balance the flows during the coincident high runoffs and incoming tides, and the other reservoir is used to collect the runoff. The water is used primarily for non-potable functions such fire-fighting drills and toilet flushing. Such collected and treated water accounts for 28 to 33% of the total water used, resulting in savings of approximately S$ 390,000 per annum. Henceforth,I asked around was that such project until one of my net friend send me this article regarding rain harvesting project in Capiz Province. Maybe I should start one for our restaurant rainwater harvesting project.
Capiz Province, the Philippines
In the Philippines, a rainwater harvesting programme was initiated in 1989 in Capiz Province with the assistance of the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC). About 500 rainwater storage tanks were constructed made of wire-framed ferro-cement, with capacities varying from 2 to 10 m3. The construction of the tanks involved building a frame of steel reinforcing bars (rebar) and wire mesh on a sturdy reinforced concrete foundation. The tanks were then plastered both inside and outside, thereby reducing their susceptibility to corrosion relative to metal storage tanks.
The rainwater harvesting programme in Capiz Province was implemented as part of an income generation initiative. Under this arrangement, loans were provided to fund the capital cost of the tanks and related agricultural operations. Loans of US$200, repayable over a three-year period, covered not only the cost of the tank but also one or more income generating activities such as the purchase and rearing of pigs, costing around US$25 each. Mature pigs can sell for up to US$90 each, providing an income opportunity for generating that could provide sufficient income to repay the loan. This type of innovative mechanism for financing rural water supplies can help avoid the requirement for water resources development subsidies.
