Rainwater Harvesting: A Step-by-Step Guide to Conserve Water

Did you know? According to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment, India receives enough annual rainfall to meet the drinking water needs of over 1.3 billion people — if rainwater harvesting is implemented effectively. Yet, we allow most of it to drain away. This stark reality compels us to reimagine how we build our homes, campuses, and cities.

At Auroma Architecture, Architect Trupti Doshi brings over two decades of experience in sustainable water design — not just as a necessity, but as a sacred design principle. Whether through the Sharanam Convention Centre or Auroma French Villaments, water wisdom has always been woven into every vault, garden, and channel we create.

Why Rainwater Harvesting Matters Today

We live in a time where water scarcity affects more than 600 million people in India. Monsoons are irregular. Borewells run dry. Urban floods alternate with drought. Yet, the answer often lies above — in the skies. The benefits of rainwater harvesting go far beyond water supply. It rejuvenates aquifers, reduces flooding, saves energy, and revives ecosystems. It makes buildings intelligent and alive.

But the magic doesn’t happen on its own. It begins with thoughtful design, contextual planning, and age-old wisdom adapted through modern science — exactly what Architect Trupti Doshi specializes in.

Understanding the Basics of Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting and storing rainwater for reuse, rather than allowing it to run off. In sustainable architecture, it becomes a design mandate — shaping roof forms, courtyard levels, storage tanks, and even landscape patterns.

Two Main Categories:

1. Surface runoff harvesting: Collects rainwater from surfaces like roads and gardens into percolation pits or recharge wells.
   

2. Rooftop water collection: Channels rainwater from rooftops into rainwater storage systems or directly into groundwater through filters and recharge pits.

   
   

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Rainwater Harvesting

Step 1: Calculate Rainfall and Catchment Area

Begin with your site’s annual average rainfall (in mm) and the total catchment area (typically your rooftop or terrace). Multiply them and apply a runoff coefficient (generally 0.8 for smooth rooftops) to estimate the total harvestable volume.

Step 2: Identify Collection Points

At Auroma, we design roofs with purpose. Slopes are not just structural necessities but guides that direct rainwater toward specific drainpipes fitted with filters. These become your collection points for rooftop water collection.

Step 3: Choose the Right Storage and Recharge Method

• For reuse: Store in tanks made from natural materials like ferrocement, stabilized earth, or even reclaimed fly ash bricks.
  

• For recharge: Use percolation pits, bore recharge shafts, or trench systems integrated into your landscape.

  
  

Step 4: Install First-Flush Devices and Filters

First-flush devices ensure that initial contaminants from the roof (bird droppings, dust) do not enter the system. Filters made from sand, charcoal, and gravel purify water naturally.

Step 5: Plan Overflow and Maintenance

Overflow water should be directed into a garden or soak pit — never the drain. Architect Trupti Doshi’s designs at Sharanam and other campuses demonstrate this beautifully through natural earth slopes and bioswales. Regular cleaning before monsoon ensures system longevity.

Innovative Methods of Rainwater Harvesting

There’s no one-size-fits-all. Here are some contextual methods of rainwater harvesting we’ve successfully used at Auroma:

1. Underground Recharge Trenches

Ideal for large campuses. These trenches allow slow percolation into deep aquifers. At the Sharanam Convention Centre, we built a rainwater-fed pond to recharge the water table, while also creating a habitat for birds and butterflies.

2. Permeable Courtyards and Pathways

Using natural stone, lime-based binders, and gravel beds, we transform everyday spaces into rain-absorbing surfaces that replenish the earth below.

3. Roof-integrated Filters and Tanks

Seen in projects like Auroma French Villaments, water is collected from every rooftop, passed through concealed filters, and stored in decentralized tanks beneath verandahs or utility shafts.

4. Landscape-integrated Systems

We embed bioswales, planter channels, and earthen bunds that slow, store, and spread water. In fact, the landscape itself becomes a living water sponge — a poetic blend of function and form.

Choosing the Right Rainwater Storage Systems

Rainwater storage systems should reflect your usage, climate, and architectural language. At Auroma, we design these as invisible yet integral parts of the built environment.

Types of Storage:

• Above-ground tanks: Easy to inspect and maintain. Can be aesthetic, if integrated with landscape or built as sculptural forms.
  

• Underground tanks: Ideal for space-saving. Must be properly ventilated and filtered to avoid stagnation.
  

• Modular storage: Multiple smaller tanks distributed across the site for decentralized collection.

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The Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting

There’s a reason why every one of our projects—from educational campuses to luxury eco-resorts—features rainwater harvesting as a core principle. The benefits of rainwater harvesting are multi-layered:

• Water security: Reduce dependency on municipal and borewell sources.
  

• Energy savings: Harvested rainwater requires no pumping, reducing electricity usage.
  

• Soil health: Recharging groundwater improves soil moisture and fertility.
  

• Climate resilience: Mitigates floods and droughts by regulating water flow.
  

• Cost-effective: Lower water bills and long-term maintenance costs.

  
  

Auroma Architecture: Crafting Buildings That Store the Sky

At Auroma Architecture, Architect Trupti Doshi doesn’t just install rainwater harvesting systems — she orchestrates entire buildings around water. For her, water isn’t just a resource. It is life, memory, and heritage.

Whether it's the vaulted meditation hall that breathes coolness from stored water, or schools where children learn the water cycle by observing real-time usage and collection — our work brings learning, sustainability, and beauty into one integrated experience.

Book a Consultation With Architect Trupti Doshi

Are you building a home, school, community, or spiritual space? Let us guide your journey into water-wise, soul-deep architecture. To book a consultation with Architect Trupti Doshi, simply fill out the form at https://www.auromaarchitecture.com/contact-us. Our team will be delighted to assist you and schedule an appointment that begins your transformation.

To Summarize: Buildings That Quench the Earth

The future of architecture is not just green. It is regenerative. Buildings must not only shelter life — they must sustain it. And that begins with water. With rainwater harvesting as a foundation, we can create structures that breathe, drink, and give back.

We are not just conserving water. We are preserving our future. One drop, one roof, one story at a time.