COMPOSITES HELP HARVEST RAINWATER
India's water crisis has been in the making for a long time. Further, the forecast of a below normal monsoon has brought the focus on the shocking state of water resources in the country. According to Skymet Weather, in 2017, Monsoon is likely to remain below normal at 95% (with an error margin of +/-5%) of the long period average (LPA) of 887 mm for the four-month period from June to September. In India, the per capita availability of fresh water has declined sharply from 3,000 cubic metres to 1,123 cubic metres over the past 50 years compared to the global average of 6,000 cubic metres. Low rainfall and drying ground water levels are the main challenges to maintain sufficient water supply. According to projections by the UN, by 2050, India's urban population is expected to rise to 50% of the total population. Demand for electricity will grow assorted by then which will put pressure on water supply as thermal power plants are highly water-intensive. All this would further deteriorate demand-supply mismatch. Considering increasing population and acute burden on water supply, the Government of India has decided to make rainwater harvesting compulsory in urban areas. Rainwater harvesting is the sustainable way of water conservation. Such water can be used throughout the year for all basic needs after filtration and UV disinfection. Composite products are well-accepted in rainwater harvesting system. Unique features such as low water absorption property, durability, strong, lightweight, and rapid assembly and disassembly make composite materials preferred solutions for rainwater collection and harvesting. Composite shingles, composite piping systems and composite tanks are the proven application areas of composite products in roof rainwater collection and harvesting. References: