Maybe not all of them feel, but the clean water crisis has become a problem that is quite confusing. In fact, some cases occur at the foot of the mountain which should be rich with springs and infiltration wells. Human interdependence with water has experienced an escalating escalation. Not to mention human consumptive patterns that no longer maintain the preservation of clean water.
This article is intended so that you can better understand how to use water properly. Not only limited to science, but hopefully it can reach the stage of awareness and participate in implementing it.
Rainwater Shelter
At present, there is an ironic phenomenon. In some areas with high rainfall, rain water just wasted. In fact, not a few areas are experiencing flooding due to this rain. As a result, the supply of clean water is scarce because the benefits of infiltration wells have been contaminated with water from the floods that hit whereas in other regions, with low rainfall, there is drought and lack of water. From these two cases we can see that rain can actually be used as a source of water because the source is renewable and never runs out. Not to mention the benefits of rainwater itself which we sometimes ignore.
Benefits of Rainwater Storage
We have previously discussed that water reservoirs are divided into 2 types; natural and artificial water storage. Each of these types of water reservoirs has different benefits. In the type of water storage in larger quantities such as lakes, or reservoirs, people can use it for the welfare of more people as well. The functions of the lake and the benefits of other water reservoirs that we can obtain are as follows:
- Making fishponds and cultivating fish. This not only improves the economic level of the surrounding community but also improves the quality of community nutrition if the fish produced by the pond are also used for consumption.
- Irrigation by storing rainwater when the rainy season arrives. The water can be used for irrigation of paddy fields and fields in the dry season so that rural communities do not have excessive dependence on fluctuating river water. This also prevents crop losses for rural communities.
- Hydroelectric Power Plant, in some reservoirs with high water level, the community or the government uses it to become a hydropower plant. This is more economical than oil, coal or even natural gas power plants. An example of a reservoir used for hydropower is the Jati Luhur reservoir.
- Preventing floods, in areas with high rainfall, lakes and reservoirs can accommodate the rainwater so that it does not directly flow into residential areas.
- Clean water reserves, when floods occur or long droughts, SPAH can be used as a reserve of clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing.
- Farming, water is the main requirement not only for humans but also for other living things such as animals and plants. Previously it was discussed the function of water storage for irrigating paddy fields and plants. In addition, water from the shelter can be used for raising livestock.
- Commercial, in large quantities, when the water collected is abundant. Water can be used for commercial purposes. For example, to be resold to refill water, etc.
- Savings in water use, Availability of fresh water from the total amount of water on the Earth is only around 2.4%. Even though the total amount of seawater is more than the land, to process it into clean water requires a considerable cost. With water storage, we can save on the use of groundwater. It also serves to prevent global water scarcity which is estimated to occur in 2025 according to United Nation data.
Rainwater Shelter System
Rainwater storage system is an integrated technology that is used for shelter and utilization of rainwater for daily needs. The rainwater storage system itself consists of a building such as a mini reservoir and an artificial well, both of which are connected by a hose to drain rainwater from the reservoir to the well. Inside the well, natural filters are provided which consist of a composition of rocks, gravel, sand, coconut fibers, and others. This natural filter serves to filter rainwater so it can be used for drinking or cooking.
In some rural areas, it still uses a simpler rainwater collection system. Rain water that falls on the roof of the house will flow towards the collecting channel (gutters) made of metal (Galvanized Iron Pipe), PVC, or other material that is quite strong. This gutter is directed towards a shelter such as a tub or tank that has a water tap that is used as an outlet when water will be used for daily needs.
Types of Rainwater Shelter
Rainwater Shelter or commonly abbreviated as PAH is a system that allows us to take advantage of the rain that we previously collected in a shelter that is integrated with filters and artificial wells so that the function of rainwater can be more optimized. There are several types of water reservoirs that we can use, from the types of shelter that are naturally created by nature, to those made by humans.