Assessment on the Efficiency of Rainwater

Harvesting System as an Alternative

Water Source in Manila City

By

Jiena Marie M. Mariano

Zaira Mayee E. Pelayo

Patricia Anne C. Ponce

A Thesis Proposal submitted to the School of Civil, Environmental, and Geological

Engineering in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Mapua University

May 2020
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter I .................................................................................................................................. 1
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................... 1
1.2. Objectives ............................................................................................................... 2
1.3. Scope and Limitations ........................................................................................... 3
1.4. Significance of the Study ....................................................................................... 3
Chapter II ................................................................................................................................ 5
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES ................................................. 5
2.1. Sustainability of a Rainwater Harvesting System ............................................... 5
2.2. Assessment on a Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting System ................................... 7
2.3. Rainwater Harvesting in Urban Areas ............................................................... 11
2.4. Applications of Rainwater Harvesting in Manila .............................................. 14
2.5. Filtration Processes of a Harvested Rainwater ................................................. 17
2.6. Can Rainwater Harvesting Transform Cities into Wise Cities? ...................... 20
2.7. Reduce or Eliminate Your Water Bill with a Rainwater Harvesting System . 22
2.8. Is Rainwater Harvesting a Good Investment? ................................................... 22
Chapter III ............................................................................................................................. 24
METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................ 24
3.1. Methodology Framework .................................................................................... 24
3.2. Efficiency of RWHS in Manila City ................................................................... 25
3.3 Research Setting ................................................................................................... 25
3.4. Review of Related Literatures ............................................................................. 26
3.5. Collection of data ................................................................................................. 27
3.6. Analysis of Data ................................................................................................... 28
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 30

 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Date of Storm vs Dissolved oxygen ........................................................ 8

Figure 2: Scenario Description for Barcelona Neighborhoods …............................ 1
Figure 3: Exergy Analysis for Barcelona Neighborhoods …................................... 12
Figure 4: Rainwater Harvesting through Swale Systems …..................................... 14
Figure 5: Schematic diagram of the ease material slow sand filters
test framework …...................................................................................................... 17
Figure 6: Comparison of the Filter Mediums (FMs) per Slow
Sand Filter Channel .................................................................................................. 18
Figure 7: Log total coliform accumulated vs Turbidity of the
water as time passes ................................................................................................. 19
Figure 8: Treatment Process of the coliforms (by chlorination)
in the storage tank as time passes ............................................................................. 20
Figure 9: Methodology of Framework ..................................................................... 24
Figure 10: Conceptual Framework ........................................................................... 25
Figure 11: Data Analysis Process............................................................................. 28
 Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Manila, having the second largest population in the Philippines, experiences an

insufficient supply of water. It is one of the cities that are currently experiencing water

supply reduction by the authorities to ensure that water supply from dams would be

available for a longer period of time. According to Manila Water (2019), the Dam can

no longer keep up with the demand, as it has gone up to an average of 1,740 MLD,

higher than the company’s Angat Dam allocation of 1,600 MLD. It is one of the most

important issues faced by people today because water is an endless necessity. People

should not overlook the problems regarding water supply just because there is still water

available for now.

According to A. B. Inocencio, J. E. Padilla, and E. P. Javier published in 1999,

only a small fraction of water consumption is used for drinking and for sustaining

human life. Large fraction of it is used for convenience, comfort, and aesthetics. It is

contradicting to the fact that even though water is a necessity for life, a great proportion

of it is used for irrigation only. The concern for determining the efficiency of rainwater

harvesting system comes about in the light of the current scarcity of water especially in

urban areas. The researchers of this study wanted to determine the efficiency of

rainwater harvesting system as an alternative water source for non-potable use. The

researchers believe that despite various water treatments, which could somehow solve

water scarcity, relying solely on these cannot guarantee lifetime supply of water. With

the rainwater harvesting system, one can have an abundant source of water.

1.1. Statement of the Problem

1

 Manila is currently experiencing a water shortage especially during the dry

season because this is the time when water is needed the most. In order to cope up with

the expected demand during the summer, water rationing is implemented, and it

consequently affects the properties within the city. The purpose of this study is to

answer the following questions:

1. Will the water demand in Manila be lessened if a rain water harvesting system

is installed?

2. Will the water consumption costs be lessened if a rain water harvesting system

is installed?

1.2. Objectives

1.2.1. Main Objective

To be able to determine if installation of a System of Rainwater

Harvesting facilities would be an efficient alternative water source in the City

of Manila.

1.2.2. Specific Objectives

(1) To determine the effect of having a rainwater harvesting system to the

annual average water consumption in Metro Manila;

(2) To calculate potential net savings on expenses for water utilities considering

the entailed installation and maintenance cost of having an operational

Rainwater Harvesting System; and

(3) To provide a solution to the flooding in Manila City due to rainwater’s

excess surface runoff.

2

1.3. Scope and Limitations

This study focuses on determining the efficiency of having a Rainwater

Harvesting System in the city of Manila and does not cover the other parts of the

National Capital Region. The location of the study is only limited to Manila City

because of the current water shortage in the city. The annual precipitation data from the

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Association

(PAGASA), the total roof area from Google Earth on certain districts in Manila, and

the computed cost analysis will be our main basis in determining whether the

implementation of the system would be effective and sufficient to be an alternative

water source in the city. Other external factors not covered in this research is beyond

the scope of the study.

The study only focuses on using rainwater harvesting system as an alternative

water source and that the building it will be installed in will not fully rely on it as its

main supply of water.

1.4. Significance of the Study

Due to the intermittent water supply because of the shortage, having an

alternative water source is important since water is one of our basic needs. This study

aims to determine if a RWHS would be sufficient as an alternative supply and if it

would lessen the water consumption and costs by utilizing the harvested rainwater

instead of letting it go to waste. The researchers believe that: collecting rainwater during

the rainy season would be an advantage because a building would always be prepared

in case of an unexpected water interruption.

3

 This study also aims to promote the benefits of rainwater harvesting. The

researches wanted to conduct this study so that if implemented, it would somehow

become a contribution for the conservation of water in the city. On a larger scale, if

every building in Manila would implement rainwater harvesting it may also be a factor

to lessen the flooding in the area.

Meanwhile, other researchers and other entities in the academic field can have

this thesis as reference in further study related to RWHS.

4

 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the following literature and studies that are found relevant

by the researchers. These are related to the multiple studies about rainwater harvesting

systems. These literature and studies are presented to support the present study. Also,

this chapter will allow researchers to fully understand and determine the efficiency of

a Rain Water Harvesting System in the City of Manila.

2.1. Sustainability of a Rainwater Harvesting System

Water is a necessity. It is essential for a lot of human activities that require and

depend on water supplies. In this day and age, water cannot keep up with the demand.

It is understandable that water supply will decrease because there will be increasing

demand for water due to the growing world population. This article ensures the

sustainability of rainwater harvesting systems and that it is effective and economical.

The researchers in this study assessed water-quality parameters to prove that collected

rainwater can be of great use. Also, to suggest that a rainwater harvesting system can

be a potential source of water supply. The area focused in this article is the city of Dhaka

in Bangladesh. It is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh and according to this

article, a densely populated city with an area of 1425 km2.

According to Sadia Raman, et al. published in 2014, a rainwater harvesting

system could be the most sustainable method or solution that can be added in the urban

water management system. Having a rainwater harvesting system, people can have an

abundant resource of water. This article showed various advantages or benefits of using

5

the rainwater harvesting system. First of all, it can be a great solution during a period

of water supply. It is a simple technique of collecting rain water.

2.1.1. Rainwater for Sustainable Urban Water Use

This study is focused on Southeast Asia and Japan. Due to the several

problems occurring in Tokyo, like the drying up of water and worsening of

ecosystem, they see sustainability of water as a requirement. The experiences

and existing water practices in Tokyo served as an additional measure to

consider towards achieving sustainable water use in cities in Asian countries.

Rainwater harvesting systems were introduced in the frontier region,

specifically in the Sumida ward. They employed the system in two sport

stadiums and in the Sumida Ward office building which used large-scale of

rainwater harvesting system. Results show that using such system met 20-60%

of their water demand. The rainwater stored in tanks were used for emergency

cases. Also, using the rainwater made the citizens aware of the benefits of

sustainable urban water use. Just like in other countries, Tokyo also practice

reusing wastewater in various purposes. Some of these are for toilet flushing,

washing and water-cooling.

It is unavoidable that as urbanization happens, the nature of water cycle

changes. That is why the researcher in this study has taken various measures to

meet the increasing demand of water. As a result, the use of rainwater and

reusing of wastewater are possible alternative ways towards sustainable water

use. Also, rainwater harvesting served as a model example and may be used in

mega cities without destroying natural resources. This article also showed

various benefits of using a Rainwater Harvesting System. Rainwater Harvesting

6

 System can be a great solution during a crisis period of water supply. It is a

simple technique of collecting natural rain water. Using this, people can reduce

the consumption of water in the municipal water supply or other main source of

water. Rainwater Harvesting System can also be used in times of emergency

like extinguishing fire. In terms of expenses, the installation and initial cost is

low. In the long run, people can save a lot of money from not paying the water

bills.

2.2. Assessment on a Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting System

Rooftop water harvesting is of high need for drylands for it assists individuals

with adapting to water deficiencies during dry season conditions. It is gaining interest

not only in arid and semi-arid counties, but also in humid countries, where it reduces

water bills and assists flood attenuation. The particular destinations of this examination

were to: explore the current utilization of rooftop water harvesting among the number

of inhabitants in Northern Jordan, investigate factors influencing the present patterns in

rainwater harvesting reception, and to give starter gauge to the tank volume and lessen

the expense of establishment. The researchers conducted a survey and a questionnaire

was sent to individuals for their sentiments on water quality, what gathered water is

utilized for and how the volume and sort of water tank is chosen. The survey

additionally requests data on the purposes behind relinquishing rainwater harvesting

and for data on what help individuals would need to introduce rainwater harvesting.

The poll uncovered that 46% of individuals don’t have rooftop water harvesting

generally on account of the significant expenses of capacity tanks. About 80% of the

individuals studied picked a subjective volume for the tank dependent on the proposal

of a building contractor.

7

 Rainwater quality assessment was also performed by taking samples from a 200

m2 rooftop. Water tests were taken from a container put on the rooftop of a chosen

house; all the water from a given tempest was gathered. Along these lines, for these

examples, the nature of gathered water isn’t influenced by rooftop cleanness or

reservoir stockpiling. The study found that 82% of reacting families gather water from

the rooftop only, and that 94% of families clean the housetop and water tank in any

event at least once or twice a year. About 62% of the families don’t utilize disinfectants

to treat the gathered water. The remaining 38% of the families use a disinfectant, for

example chlorine tablets disintegrated straightforwardly inside the capacity tank.

A few water quality parameters were estimated in water gathered in a container

set on a rooftop. Dissolve oxygen values speak to that immersion condition of water

and shifter marginally somewhere in the range of 9 and 10 mg/l; the recorded qualities

approve the measurement procedure and hardware utilized in this research.

Figure 1. Date of Storm vs Dissolved oxygen. M.Abu-Zreig, F.Ababneh, F.Abdullah

(2019) Assessment of Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting in Northern Jordan.

8

 The roofing materials influence overflow water quality and that the water

quality from rooftop overflow was consistently lower than that got from precipitation

gathered in a basin. In Manila, people worry that storing water may give reproducing

grounds to mosquito hatchlings or kiti-kiti, with all the diseases such as dengue and

malaria that mosquitoes bring. To address this, rooftops and capacity tanks ought to be

cleaned routinely not just to prevent water contamination during runoff and storage, but

also to save water quality at an adequate level for local use.

Determining the smallest volume of a capacity tank is exceptionally critical in

empowering the utilization of rainwater harvesting; the capacity tank cost is the single

greatest factor preventing individuals from utilizing rainwater harvesting. The

contractors are the one in-charge in choosing the tank volume to fit in the existing home

plan which costs exceed the annual income of a typical 4-member family. Hence, in

spite of the requirement for water and the significant expense of purchasing water from

private sources, some families have not introduced rainwater tanks in their homes,

despite the fact that rainwater harvesting could diminish their water costs. The work

introduced in this study can help families and contractors decide the tank volume on a

logically based strategy, subsequently diminishing the expense of tank establishments

and empowering the utilization of rainwater harvesting.

Metro Manila can use the rooftop rainwater harvesting system to limit the water

demand being drawn out from Angat Dam also, it implied significant savings in water

costs. Water stockpiles may fluctuate from a little tank to an enormous cistern tank

depending upon the primary purpose of the consumer or on where they can save money.

9

2.2.1. A GIS Based Analysis for Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting

There are two methods of harvesting rainwater: Surface runoff

harvesting and roof top rainwater harvesting. Rooftop rainwater harvesting is a

method in which the rain water is collected from catchments embedded in the

roof and is then stored into collection tanks. The water collected would be used

for direct consumption and may also be used in recharging groundwater through

simple filtration devices. In order to analyze the rooftop rainwater harvesting,

this study used Quantum GIS (QGIS) and Google Earth.

The complete residential area information can be obtained through

digitization using Google Earth. The information gathered from Google Earth

will be used to determine the amount of rooftop rainwater that could be gathered

from the buildings and then estimate the volume of water it may store in its

tanks. This study also showed the cost and rainfall ratio based on the expenses

on rainwater rooftop harvesting.

The study was conducted in India which has a population of more than

a billion. Like the Philippines, the country already needs to conserve water to

minimize the shortage of water in drought. The study aimed to implement ideas

that would help in preserving the water; in this case rooftop rainwater

harvesting. The final points of this study are that: reservoirs can be constructed

with basis to the amount of water collected, the basins should be considered as

a single unit for water utilization and lastly that rainwater is of great importance

especially in areas where the amount is rainfall is high and there is no harvesting

system constructed.

10

2.3. Rainwater Harvesting in Urban Areas

2.3.1. Environmental and Economic Performance of a Rainwater Harvesting

System in an Urban Area

Even though rainwater harvesting system is a traditional method used to

lessen the water demand, it is still not widely applied. The idea of it has been

neglected despite its various benefits because of the different factors to be

considered when installing it. As an individual, they are not aware of the

importance and efficiency of it unless they experience water shortage on their

own.

The researcher conducted this study to assess the environmental and

economic performance, resource use efficiency and the productive efficiency of

the rainwater harvesting system. According to Maria Violeta Vargas Parra

published in 2015, a rainwater harvesting system can help urban communities

to satisfy their water needs and be an alternative to current innovative water

treatments. It is because, despite the existence of various water treatments, it is

unsustainable. The researcher first quantified the resource consumption and the

environmental impacts related to rainwater harvesting system in urban areas and

then studied the various framework for domestic water use considering two

different climatic conditions. This study is based on 7 Barcelona neighborhoods

and multiple methodologies were applied.

Using the Exergy analysis, results show that the resource consumption

in the construction stage of rainwater harvesting system demands most

resources rather than the use stage. Pipes and accessories and construction

services are the inputs with high resource consumers.

11

 Figure 2. Scenario Description for Barcelona Neighborhoods. Maria Violeta Vargas
Parra. (2015). Optimizing Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Urban Areas.

Figure 3. Exergy Analysis for Barcelona Neighborhoods. Maria Violeta Vargas Parra.
(2015). Optimizing Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Urban Areas.

It has been shown in the following data that the neighborhood 1, given

the highest neighborhood area, has the most exergy consumption. It affects both

the construction and use stage. The scenario given is based on the water demand

and available rainfall per neighborhood. Overall, the neighborhood 7 has the

lowest resource consumption of rainwater supplied. It shows that the scenario

12

 in neighborhood 7, given 307 buildings, 11, 062 households and 5,000 m3 of

storage tank, is the most efficient scenario that can satisfy half of the water

demand.

Using the Life Cycle Assessment, the environmental impacts of

rainwater harvesting system was identified. Results show that environmental

impacts were inversely proportional to the increase of water supply. The

researcher’s hypothesis is based on the fact that rainwater is considered to be a

hard water. According to United States Geological Survey (USGS) Water

Science School, hard water has a relatively high amount of calcium. When soaps

or detergents react with calcium, it can form a soap scum or a film like residue.

For instance, when one uses hard water, it requires more soap or detergent to

make something clean. Rainwater is naturally soft (Water Filter Mag, 2020). It

is usually softer than the groundwater and even the tap water. Because of this,

it requires less detergent or any softener. This study shows that rainwater can

be a substitute for tap water which contains high level of water hardness. Using

the rainwater harvesting system, one can prevent using laundry additives. Less

consumption of laundry additives resulted in more improved economic and

environmental performances especially in areas with water that is utilized for

laundry.

2.3.2. Rainwater Harvesting Through Swales

When it rains, rain water flows over grass, pavements and even concrete

gardens. If accumulated all at the same time, this will overflow the drainages

and may result to flood in the area. In order to avoid the overflow of drainage

systems during a downpour, a swale system is proposed.

13

 Figure 4. Rainwater Harvesting through Swale Systems. Philippine Green Building
Initiative. Amado de Jesus, 2019. http://greenbuilding.ph/rainwater-harvesting-through-
swales/

A swale system is composed of a gently sloping channel that will

redirect the water to the sides of a road or building for it to be collected. The

water would then be kept in a storage area for about 2 days before it is released

for distribution to waterways then to different parts of the city.

Implementation of this system would decelerate the flow of runoff

through the sewers and would also promote infiltration if the rain water is

passing through a layer of rocks and sand. If built in the outermost layer of soil,

it will trap pollutants specially since the City of Manila is very polluted and

would result to an increase in the quality of water.

2.4. Applications of Rainwater Harvesting in Manila

2.4.1. Requirement of rainwater catchment facilities in new Metro Manila

projects

With the current issue of water shortage in Metro Manila, the

government already proposed three separate bills under the Rain Water Facility

14

 Act. The three House bills require every new institutional, commercial, and

residential development project in Metro Manila to implement constructing a

rainwater harvesting facility that would collect water intended for non-potable

use. This only proves that at the time, Angat Dam alone would not suffice for

the demand for water supply specially during the summer and that other

measures for a different source of water is needed.

The approval of the committee regarding the requirements came shortly

after the briefing of the BGC commercial operations head about how the storm

drain facility underneath the Padre Burgos Circle is effective. The underground

drainage detention structure in BGC can store 22M liters of water. Singson, a

real estate developer, urged the BGC management to try to introduce new

technology that would put the harvested water for utilization. “If this is

implemented properly and supervised well, I believe the rainwater harvest

facility will serve as a good mitigating factor not only against flooding during

the rainy season and source of water during the summer season,” (Lopez, 2019)

2.4.2. Analysis on the Potentiality of Domestic Rainwater Harvesting in Metro

Manila

Philippines is known for its copious water assets, for example,

precipitation, where it has a mean yearly rainfall range from 965 to 4100 mm.

This study analyzed the possibility of the rainwater harvesting on local locations

in Metro Manila. The researcher used the water balance method-spreadsheet

based with input parameters including day by day precipitation, catchment

region, runoff coefficient, populace and the water demand. The water balance

can be computes using the equation:

15

 Water Balance = Inflow – Outflow

The day by day water balance was resolved wherein both the inflow and

the outpouring were processed consistently ussing the daily rainfall gathered

from PAGASA. The daily inflow was determined using:

Inflow(m3) = Rainfall(m)×Catchment Area(m2)×Runoff Coefficient

The outflow was determined using the everyday water request

Outflow = Water Demand(m3)
= Population(capita) × ave.no.of flushes (flush / day*Capita) ×
flushing demand (m3 / flush)

The overflow volume was the measure of water that cannot be collected

due to insufficient volume space of the capacity. It was determined using the

difference between the water balance and the storage size. Moreover, the

overflow volume was utilized to figure out which size of rainwater storage was

progressively fitting for the study area.

Overflow Volume = Water Balance(m3) - Size of the storage(m3)

Through this, the researchers were able to conclude that rainwater

harvesting system is applicable in residential areas in Metro Manila. The

utilization of balance method allows the researchers to determine the amount of

rainfall that can be gathered is sufficient to supply non-potable consumptions

for the daily demands of the residences.

16

2.5. Filtration Processes of a Harvested Rainwater

2.5.1. Purification of harvested rainwater using Slow Sand Filters (SSF) with low-

cost materials (LCM); Bacterial community structure and purifying effect

Slow sand channels (SSFs) have been appeared to viably improve water

quality. Reaped downpour water is frequently of low quality because of the

collection of anthropogenic pollutants from the air or downpour gathering

surface. The point of the current investigation was to obtain low-cost materials

(LCMs) as filter mediums (FMs) to productively purify gathered rainwater and

to record the connection between bacterial network structure and water

purification. The red clay was blended with squashed limestone and squashed

brick, individually. The blends or brick powder were utilized as the filter media

for SSFs. Laboratory column tests were led related to the checking of

representative water quality parameters (COD, NH4 +, CFU and total

coliforms) to evaluate the presentation of low-cost material slow sand channels

(LCM-SSFs), including the time required for biofilm development.

Figure 5. Schematic diagram of the ease material slow sand filters test framework.

17

 SSF1 was loaded up with quartz sands, a customary SSFs SSF2 was

loaded up with a blend of squashed limestone and red clay. SSF3 was loaded up

with a blend of crushed brick and red clay. SSF4 and SSF5 were loaded up with

brick powder, SSF4 was a presentation set, while others were lucifungal sets.

Figure 6. Comparison of the Filter Mediums (FMs) per Slow Sand Filter Channel.

The SEM-EDS results demonstrated that red clay had a more

noteworthy surface area-to-volume proportion than different LCMs since it

contained inexhaustible pores which can give a more prominent surface

harshness than squashed limestone and squashed brick. Consequently, red clay

could fill in as a fantastic adsorbing material that additionally bolsters microbial

development. The outcomes showed that LCM-SSFs perform well in

decontaminating harvested rainwater, and are of unrivaled monetary advantage.

LCMs had a more grounded absorptivity that quartz sand, which improved the

purification of collected water before the biofilms developed, and abbreviate the

time required for biofilm development.

The researcher showed that LCM could essentially improve the

performance and lessen the expense of SSFs. It gave a detailed portrayal of the

18

 bacterial network structure and purifying effect of LCM-SSFs, which gave a

framework to future microbial research of SSFs in gathered water refinement.

To be able to use the water collected for non-potable utilization in Metro

Manila, the water ought to be exposed to basic water treatments to expel

inorganic contaminants by utilizing filtration media, for example, sand

filtration.

2.5.2. Rainwater Harvesting and primary treatment for non-potable use

The researchers in this study proposes that rainwater is cleaner because

it consists of less pollutants than the surface or groundwater. On the other hand,

the water would be stored in a Rain Water Harvesting system and there is a

possibility that the storage tank would accumulate bacteria. In order to prevent

this, disinfection may be used for it would eliminate the existence of the bacteria

and its possibility to multiply.

The study included monitoring the collected rain water over time and

testing whether bacteria will be formed. The results of the experiment show that:

Figure 7. Log total coliform accumulated vs Turbidity of the water as time passes. S.
Richards, R. Helliwell, P. Jamwal, et al. (2019). Rainwater Harvesting and primary
treatment for non-potable use.

The number of coliforms accumulate and increase as time passes. This

would mean that the harvested water needs to be well maintained if it were to

19

 be stored for a long time. In order to improve the water quality for non-potable

use of the collected water, chlorine is applied. Chlorination is the most common

form of disinfection and is also cost-efficient compared to other methods.

Figure 8. Treatment Process of the coliforms (by chlorination) in the storage tank as
time passes. S. Richards, R. Helliwell, P. Jamwal, et al. (2019). Rainwater Harvesting
and primary treatment for non-potable use.

With chlorination, we can see that the quantity of coliform was reduced

to 0 and only resurfaced weeks after post-treatment. This study concludes that

storing rain water for a long time would require frequent maintenance of the

tank so the water would stay with an acceptable value of residual chlorine for

non-potable water.

2.6. Can Rainwater Harvesting Transform Cities into Wise Cities?

Rainwater harvesting is nothing new. In fact, this procedure has been utilized

for many years in many parts of the planet to catch and store water in for human use.

Developing water shortage, rapid urbanization, climate change, and increased water

demand, are once again making this old innovation a reasonable alternative for urban

communities. There are some reasons why rainwater harvesting is neglected in the

modern era such as seasonal variability in precipitation, expenses of storage, treatment

of water systems, as well as policy and institutional hindrances. For urban communities

20

to turn out to be really water-wise, the long-term advantages of utilizing alternative

water sources, for example, rainwater is vital. Water-wise community is the initial

requirement for a water-wise city, to comprehend the advantages of such systems.

Singapore is a city-state with limited water assets. Collecting rainwater was a

natural extension of previous system to lessen, reuse and recharge water sources.

Roughly 86% of its population lives in high-rise buildings, so rooftop water harvesting

system has been introduced to expand the utilization of water and act as a catchment.

The rainwater is gathered in tanks and utilized for toilet flushing, to lessen water

consumption, save on energy, and decrease different expenses within the building.

In Hanoi, Vietnam, without channeled water supply, the main choice for

drinking water is to utilize rainwater because they have no piped water supply, arsenic

contaminates the groundwater, water in rivers are polluted, and bottled water is

excessively costly. Public schools and hospitals with rainwater harvesting system, are

successfully providing drinking water to residents.

Shenzhen in China is reacting to its urban water scarcity crisis by adopting the

Sponge City concept. The city aims to turn into a water supply catchment, expanding

its utilization of invisible water or water held in soil dampness, living plants and the

atmosphere. This has started with the implementation of policies and guidelines for

rainfall infiltration, maintenance and storage in new construction projects. Expanding

urban green spaces, Sponge City ideas are immeasurably significant strategies to plan

for the future.

Adapting a new paradigm that considers rainwater as a fundamental water asset

within the whole water cycle in a city can contribute to future solutions to transform

cities into wise-cities. By doing so, it can align stakeholders to a water-wise community.

21

2.7. Reduce or Eliminate Your Water Bill with a Rainwater Harvesting
System

People have been harvesting rainwater for thousands of years, (Carlson, 2018).

Notwithstanding having the ability to lower, or even eliminate your water service

charge, rainwater harvesting offers numerous additional benefits such as eliminating

the requirement for a huge scope and expensive distribution system, provides water

when different sources are inaccessible, diminishes flow to storm sewers and the risk

of flooding, and assists utilities with lessening peak demands during summer season. It

was done by checking first the local building and plumbing codes that administer

rainwater harvesting because some cities with large scale rainwater harvesting system

is prohibited. Next is to determine how much water can be collected by seeing how

much you get a year from a Climate Data in your country. Make certain an authorized

contractor for much else complex so that local building and plumbing codes are

followed. You’ll additionally have the option to get a precise quote then afterward

calculate to what extent a system would take to pay for itself. It is suggested for every

family to consider rainwater harvesting, regardless whether just at a fundamental level.

If a household can collect a few gallons in a rain event, that could be store enough for

considerable length of time between rain events. Some people are passionate about it

and helps preserving finite resource.

2.8. Is Rainwater Harvesting a Good Investment?

Indeed, rainwater harvesting system can convey a good rate of return on

investment. In certain areas of the world, getting rainwater for family use is the only

solution that is cost-effective. Harvesting rainwater is a smart economic and

environmental choice in areas where no municipal water is available. Moreover,

22

rainwater harvesting systems would be able to make good financial sense for property

holders in areas where water rate is high. Increase in water rates are expected to

continue that is why harvesting rainwater will make a great economic impact. Expanded

costs will spike more conservation, yet it will likewise make the choice of rainwater

harvesting increasingly reasonable for people. To determine if a rainwater harvesting

system make a good financial sense is to know how soon it will pay for itself. So,

computing the Payback Period is a method used to assess the investment of a rainwater

harvesting system, given local water rates:

Payback Period = Amount to be Invested / Estimated Annual Savings

Next is to decide if that length of time for the investment to pay for itself is

worthy compared with different investment you could make. Sometimes, investing on

a money-saving device may give a better return for you venture. The investment funds

will keep on mounting for the rainwater harvesting system’s lifetime and the savings

regularly increases as the water rates rise.

23

 Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

The aim of this study is to prove the efficiency of a rainwater harvesting system

in Manila. To accomplish this, the researchers will use comparative data analysis in

order to formulate a conclusion. The researchers will also be able to give

recommendations based from data analysis that will be produced.

3.1. Methodology Framework

How can you say that a Rainwater Harvesting System would be

efficient in Manila?

Review of Related Literatures

Collection of Data

Analysis of Data

Interpretation of Results

Conclusions and Recommendations

Figure 9. Methodology Framework.

24

3.2. Efficiency of RWHS in Manila City

How can you say that a Rainwater Harvesting System would be efficient in

Manila?

Capability

Efficiency of RWHS in
Manila City Economic Efficiency

Sustainability

Figure 10. Conceptual Framework

The capability of a RWHS to provide and store water, the economic efficiency

and the sustainability of the system are the key points needed to show the efficiency of

a rainwater harvesting system in Manila. These parameters would be compared to know

whether there would be a significant difference when a RWHS is installed.

3.3 Research Setting

The study is undertaken in Quiapo, Intramuros and Binondo, all of which are

located in Manila City. Quiapo is the “old downtown of Manila” and is located at the

very center of it. It contains 16 barangays and has a population of 28, 478 as of 2015.

Intramuros, also known as the walled city, has a population of 5, 935. On the other

25

hand, Binondo has a population of 18, 040. Each area has 4 to 5 members of

household on average. The three district areas of Manila had already experienced

water reduction in the past by the community’s water supply. The researchers chose

Manila because this is the main city of the Philippines and a large number of people

were affected by water scarcity. Among the main cities of ASEAN countries,

comparison shows that Manila has the worst record of water availability. With the

growing population in the city, it is essential to find an alternative water source. It is

because relying on a single water source, Angat Dam, will not guarantee enough

supply of water.

3.4 Review of Related Literatures

The researchers gathered and analyzed multiple literatures to support the study.

Given this, the researchers obtained a better understanding about the efficiency of

rainwater harvesting system in Manila. The gathered related literatures are from various

places, may it be international or local, in which the researchers found worth

considering. Many people claim that a rainwater harvesting system is beneficial, but it

is still not widely applied especially in cities which is an intense resource consumer.

The researchers claim that a rainwater harvesting system in cities could be a multi-

beneficial plan in solving the water shortage in Manila. These literatures are related to

the construction of rainwater harvesting system in different countries, optimizing a

rainwater harvesting system, the evaluation of the performance of it, whether if it can

reduce other costs within a building or not.

26

3.5 Collection of data

In this method, data would be gathered from a government agency that

is pertinent to the precipitation and water supply data. The estimations for the other data

needed would be computed by the researchers.

3.5.1 Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services

Administration (PAGASA)

PAGASA, an agency connected to the Department of Science and

Technology (DOST) and is under its Scientific and Technical Services

Institutes, is responsible in providing weather forecast and advisories, flood

warnings, and other specialized information. The researchers will request for

the yearly rainfall data within 3-5 years in order to show the validity of the

results in Manila City. This will be presented to prove that all data obtained are

reliable and not fabricated by the researchers.

3.5.2 Google Earth

Google Earth is a program that visualizes the earth based on satellite

imaging in 3D. Google Earth and Google Maps are similar, they both provide

interactive maps and top view of images (that can also be viewed at different

angles). By using this program, we will be able to map the roof areas in the three

districts to QGIS manually. This would allow us to compute for the total roof

areas to be used as catchments in the city.

27

3.6 Analysis of Data

Figure 11. Data Analysis Process

The researchers will study 3 district areas in Manila City namely, Quiapo,

Intramuros and Binondo. Certain information about these areas like the annual rainfall,

water supply and demand will be collected. The annual rainfall will be obtained in the

rainfall station of Manila which is the Port Area. Using Google Earth, the roof area of

28

all establishments like schools, houses and restaurants will be calculated. With this, the

researchers will be able to obtain the area where the rainwater can be harvested. Using

the Quantum GIS (QGIS), the roof area can be digitized so that the total area of

rainwater catchments will be properly assessed. The researchers will be able to obtain

the amount of rainwater that can be harvested using the equation:

V = Total Roof Area x Average Rainfall x Roof Coefficient

Based on the computed volume of rainwater harvested, the tank capacity can be

estimated. The water available from the roofs will serve as the water supply for the

structure. Given this, the researchers will evaluate if the water supply from the rainwater

harvesting system exceeds the consumption of water given by the city. If it does, the

researchers can say that rainwater harvesting system is efficient. The researchers will

also estimate the cost of materials in installing and maintaining the rainwater harvesting

system. The resulting cost will be compared to the annual cost of water consumption in

the 3 district areas. The results obtained in using this method will serve as our basis on

whether it is efficient or not.

Using the data obtained from PAGASA and other values that are computed, the

researchers will formulate modelled graphs that will show the comparison of the

following:

(1) Average water supply and the amount of water that can be collected in the

catchment,

(2) Amount of rainfall runoff vs amount of water that can be collected in the

catchment;

(3) Cost analysis after installing the RWHS and optimized storage tanks

29

 REFERENCES

[1] M.Abu-Zreig, F.Ababneh, F.Abdullah (2019) Assessment of Rooftop Rainwater

Harvesting in Northern Jordan

[2] SadiaRahman, M.T.R.Khan, ShatirahAkib, NazliBinCheDin, S.K.Biswas,

andS.M.Shirazi. (2014). Sustainability of Rainwater Harvesting System in

terms of Water Quality.

[3] Maria Violeta Vargas Parra. (2015). Optimizing Rainwater Harvesting Systems in

Urban Areas.

[4] Y.Zhao, X.Wang, C.Liu, et al. (2019). Purification of harvested rainwater using

slow sand filters with low-cost materials; Bacterial community structure and

purifying effect

[5] Ben Rosario. (2019). Bill proposes to require rainwater catchment facilities in New

Metro Manila projects

[6] Amado de Jesus. (2016). Rainwater Harvesting through Swales

[7] Hardness of Water. Retrieved from https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-

science-school/science/hardness-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-

science_center_objects.

[8] Hard Water Vs. Soft Water – What's the Difference? (2020, February). Retrieved

from https://www.waterfiltermag.com/hard-water-vs-soft-water/.

[9] S. Richards, R. Helliwell, P. Jamwal, et al. (2019). Rainwater Harvesting and

primary treatment for non-potable use.

[10] 3 bills to save rainwater saved from last congress. 2019. Retrieved from

http://tempo.com.ph/2019/10/02/3-bills-to-save-rainwater-saved-from-last-

congress/

30

[11] M.L.Felix, M.Maniquiz, S.Seo, L.H.Kim, S.Jeong. (2011) Analysis on the

potentiality of Domestic Rainwater Harvesting in Metro Manila

[12] Furumai, Hiroaki. (2008). Rainwater and reclaimed wastewater for sustainable

urban water use.

[13] Ahmad Ghorbani, Alireza Amirteimoori and Houshang Dehghanzadeh, 2010. A

Comparison of DEA, DFA and SFA Methods using Data from Caspian Cattle

Feedlot Farms. Journal of Applied Sciences, 10: 1455- 1460.

[14] M. Balbin (2020) Angat dam water supply insufficient to irrigate Bulacan Farms.

[15] "OUR CONCESSIONAIRES”. (2016). Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage

System. Retrieved from: http://mwss.gov.ph/about/our-concessionaires/

[16] About Us. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services

Association. Retrieved from: http://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/about-us

[17] Mooyoung Han, Lisa Andrews. (2017, March). Can rainwater harvesting

transform cities into water-wise cities? Retrieved from: https://iwa-

network.org/can-rainwater-harvesting-transform-cities-into-water-wise-cities/

[18] Reduce or eliminate your water bill with a rainwater harvesting system. (2018).

Retrieved from: https://www.ul.com/news/reduce-or-eliminate-your-water-

bill-rainwater-harvesting-system

[19] John Hammerstrom, Doug Pushard (2016). Is Rainwater Harvesting a Good

Investment? Retrieved from:

http://www.harvesth2o.com/Is_RWH_a_good_investment.shtml

[20] G. Dadhich, P. Mathur (2016). A GIS based Analysis for Rooftop Rain Water

Harvesting.

31

[21] Inocencio ,Arlene B., Padilla, Jose E., Javier, Esmyra P. (1999). Determination

of Basic Household Water Requirements.

[22] Manila: Population Density and Population of Areas. (2001).

http://www.demographia.com/db-manila-area.htm

[23] Elad Segev. 2010. Google’s Global Mapping.

32