Treatment Techniques in Water Harvesting

This chapter focuses on the current primary chemical and physical treatment methods utilized for harvested rainwater and reviews the potential of biological methods as treatment. The quality of harvested rainwater may be significantly improved if contaminants present on the roof-catchment area are prevented from entering the storage tank. Sedimentation may occur inside the rainwater harvesting tank, thereby decreasing water turbidity and potentially also improving the microbial and chemical quality of the harvested rainwater. Chemical disinfection is widely used during the final stages of water treatment, before drinking water is distributed to consumers, and has been employed in the treatment of harvested rainwater to improve its microbiological quality. The physical disinfection of water sources not only refers to the physical removal of microbial contaminants by filtration systems but also to the application of physical stressors that may be detrimental to microorganisms.