An Evaluation Indicator of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Northern Taiwan

Abstract

Rainwater harvesting systems have been widely accepted as solutions to alleviate the problems of water shortages. The main purpose of this study is to establish a rainwater utilization indicator system to analyze regional rainfall characteristics, and to extract representative variables and weights, as well as develop a formula for an indicator. Then, acquired scores will show the potentials for discrepancies between different rainwater harvesting systems. This study has also compared the scores and long-term simulated water-savings percentages and constructed an effectiveness evaluation formula for rainwater harvesting systems. Eventually, according to the score range, the potentials have been clustered for the establishment of rainwater harvesting systems. Through this indicator system, weight in the scoring formula indicates the inter-relationship of the variables of a rainwater harvesting system and designers can review the system′s design to adjust the parameters for the optimal system. For future reference, the clustering of rainwater utilization potential reflects the potential for the establishment of rainwater harvesting systems in different districts. The proposed rainwater indicator system should be used for reviewing proposals and according to the potential, an optimal design and regulations can be chosen for the most suitable utilization and peak effectiveness of a rainwater harvesting system.