Assessment of rainwater harvesting system through continuous simulation with sub-daily data

Abstract

A rainwater harvesting system, designed for non-potable water uses, can be helpful for runoff generation control. To evaluate this, sub-daily time steps for monitoring and continuous simulations are important tools. Therefore, this paper shows a performance assessment of a rainwater harvesting system for both roof runoff control (maximum flow rate and drained volume) and to meet water demand, from data obtained in a monitoring apparatus and also from continuous simulation using 1-minute time steps data. The model SWMM was calibrated and validated for both a roof and a monitoring apparatus during the monitored period 2018-2019. Thereafter, continuous simulations were accomplished using rainfall, evaporation, and demand time series. For this stage, data satisfied nearly seven years (2014-2020) containing one-minute time step values. Results have shown the control is influenced by the combined action of the first-flush diverter and rainfall regime and was shown to be greater at maximum flow rate than volume.