From Rainwater Harvesting to Rainwater Management Systems

This keynote extended abstract investigates the recent shift in the drivers, objectives and application of rainwater harvesting. A review of historical rainwater harvesting technologies was undertaken and the context set for rainwater to be valued as an alternative water resource in specific circumstances. Recent research and exemplars were reviewed which suggest that the widespread use of the term rainwater harvesting, no longer captures the nuanced applications of rainwater capture and control technologies. A conceptual model was presented which sees rainwater management systems used as a term to cover installations and associated technologies and practices where rainwater harvesting features are also used to manage stormwater discharges. Global exemplars were identified where active/smart rainwater management systems have been successfully deployed to achieve wide ranging benefits. To evidence the broader benefits of rainwater management systems, a supply-demand analysis was used to investigate three different rainwater management types for a household in Palermo, Sicily. The abstract concludes with reflections on the future of rainwater management systems and the opportunities they could pose to increase urban resilience to threats such as water shortages, extreme hot weather, stormwater flooding, sewerage overflows, and a changing climate.