Rainwater in municipal water supply systems
(a review)

Summary

In countries that suffer from the scarcity of water resources rainwater has been an alternative water supply source for many years. At present rainwater collection, purification and use for domestic purposes (in toilets, laundry washers), for irrigation and landscape improvement, and also for drinking water supply is carried up to the state-of-the art. Herewith coping with the water resources scarcity is not the sole reason that stimulates the development of rainwater collection and use systems. In many countries well off for water resources the systems of rainwater collection and use are considered as the processes that provide for the sustainable operation of the municipal sewerage by reducing and equalizing the frequency, peaks and volumes of storm water entering it. Branching and increasing the capacity of storm water sewers by the use of rainwater retention tanks provide for the reduction of the storm sewer loading and anthropogenic impact on the water bodies that receive effluents. This approach within the frames of the water industry development concept based on the decentralized processing of different wastewater types is on a par with the schemes of grey and black wastewater treatment and reuse.

Ключевые слова

rain water , collection system , chemical pollution , microbiological pollution , public water supply , storm sewer