A Detail on Artificial Lake Development and Its Use

An artificial lake is a man-made body of freshwater on a location where a natural lake may not occur. The process is carried out with human intervention and secures freshwater in an area, especially where water is not in abundance. This ensures a natural storage of water. Artificial lakes are generally constructed to allow the people and surroundings to secure an access to freshwater without having to face undue hardship. 

The size of artificial lakes may vary from one location to another depending upon natural conditions. The geographical and physical characteristics play an important role in the creation of such man-made lakes. A lake can be constructed to be more effective and beneficial in an area which does not see much water flow throughout the year. This method of preservation of freshwater not only boosts the amenities of people but also helps in the beautification of the surrounding. 

Natural elements like water and rocks enhance the beauty of an area. It is thus a wonderful idea to enhance the beauty of a surrounding with the creation of a man-made lake. This can also serve multiple purposes at the same time. 

One of the most important aspects is the preservation of groundwater supply. The lake can serve as a reservoir of water and helps in greater biodiversity. The natural effects can be seen in the blooming of life and greenery. It is evidently successful with farmers and other people coming up with an increased number of livestock. It also helps with improved irrigation process and gives a better produce every season. Such a lake comes handy when water is needed but geographical factors affect this supply. Freshwater lakes can also increase chances of fishing. It can be combined with shrubs and small plants for a picturesque view as well. 

Construction of a lake requires precaution than merely digging a hole in the ground. It must be ensured that water is retained and it does not soak through the soil. There are thus additions of one or several layers of clay to prevent the seeping of water to the ground below it. The addition of a synthetic layer is also preferred lately. Once done, there must also be scopes of filtration of the water body and controlling of the temperature, if required. 

However, when planning for the construction of an artificial lake, there are several factors that must be kept in mind. One of these is the source of water for the lake. The source of water for filling the lake can be vital in areas where there may be deficiency of natural water. In this situation, rain water can prove to be a good source. Rain water harvesting can come into play for such lakes. This water can be preserved for the time when there would be no rain at all. 

In addition to this, run-off of lake water is also an important aspect. A good channeling system prevents the lake from flooding and ensures the health of the lake. This proves beneficiary both for livestock and agriculture.

What Are Roof Top Gardens and How They Benefit the Environment?

Rooftop gardens, till some years back have only been known to enhance the aesthetics of the buildings. The concept of these gardens are however very old and dates back as early as mature days of Babylonia. 2700 years old, hanging gardens of Babylonia are excellent examples of roof top gardens. However, till global warming became a worldly affair and people became conscious about how they could reduce negative impacts on environment, these gardens were not popular as a method to sooth the environment.

The rooftop gardens as the name suggests are small trees and shrubs planted above the soil level. It can be either in a terrace or the roof. There are various types of roof top gardens basis their access. If it is accessible then it is known as intensive and if it is not accessible easily then it is known as extensive garden. Special type of porous layer and surfaces are used to install these green areas. Generally, a typical polypropylene-based cellular drainage system is also used ensuring the watering of plants does not hamper the roof and also the water does not go waste.

These gardens whether intensive or extensive are a great way to improve the look of the building. And along with improving the aesthetics these gardens are also benefit the environment in more than one ways. Some of the ways in which these gardens benefit the environment are as follows.

Reduces Heat: Yes! Every bit of vegetation contributes in its own significant ways to alleviate the urban heat. It is widely known that temperature in societies or urban living centers are more than that around the fringes of the city or the urban space. In a way, if you maintain a roof top garden, it reduces the heat of the surrounding and reduces the temperature considerably.

Air Quality: Whether it is shrubs, bushes or small plants, all of them act as air purification channel and therefore a rooftop garden significantly helps in reducing the level of carbon content from the air. It also blocks other types of pollutant contained in the air and purifies the air in a general sense. Though a single rooftop garden could not contribute considerably, but if the society or an urban living space has significant number of rooftop gardens then the air quality does improve considerably.

Stormwater management: At the time of rain, rooftop gardens enjoy their share of rainfall and since they are modeled over a porous structure and have an advanced drainage system attached; therefore, the storm water can be easily collected and managed as a larger part of rain water harvesting. These gardens thereby help collect and store rain water through storm water management procedures.

Energy Savings: As per studies conducted in Tokyo, it has been found that if an urban space or a society has got considerable number of rooftop gardens then these gardens help reduce the temperature of the surroundings. This in turn implies less usage of air conditioners and fans to keep the internal temperature of the buildings to the desired level. And hence, rooftop gardens are also helpful in saving energy and the environment.

How We Can Manage Storm Water and Use It for Our Daily Needs

The landscape especially in urban area is predominantly impervious and do not allow rain water to seep into the soil level. Buildings, roads, parking areas, pavements and other such structures cover the soil level with layers of concrete making them unable to absorb storm water. This also leads to excessive soil erosion in case of urban flooding. Sewage system gets choked as flash flooding occurs in urban regions. Moreover, apart from losses due to these, the greatest loss is that of wastage of water. In some of the regions where clean drinking water is scares, storm water can fill in the requirement but it is not possible unless it is managed properly and channelized for daily needs.

Among several ways that are normally used to manage storm water, the best and most economic way is that of rain water harvesting. Storm water, is accumulated precipitation during the rainfall, which does not find any ground suitable to seep in. In case of urban area, the total surface area that contribute to storm water is very large and thus the amount of storm water is also too much. All these water, either go into the drain and get wasted or flows out of the urban region and end up unutilized. Then to use this water it is required that either urban area is designed in a way that rain water finds soil surface to seep in or the rain water is directly collected and used as required.

The former method is costly and more often than not, it is also quite impractical. The reason being, it is not possible to remodel an already existing urban space. Even if it is envisioned, the cost of the same will run into unimaginable figures. However, for a limited space, such as societies, specific building and other such area, measures such as use of grassed swales, bioretention cells and green parking design could be used effectively and economically. But for the larger scenario, the best method is to use rain water harvesting.

In this method, the rain water is collected as it precipitates on impervious surfaces. The collected water is channelized to a storage tank. It is then filtered and treated, if required, and then supplied back to for usage. Moreover, another added advantage is that the whole setup is highly economical and lasts for years without involving any major maintenance cost. The system of rain water harvesting can be installed anywhere as most of its mechanism can be fitted underground. Even the storage tanks can be well placed below the ground; thereby, not hindering the aesthetics of the place.

Large playgrounds, community space, parks, even pavement areas can be suitably used for the purpose of water storage through rain water harvesting. Moreover, this system is also used successfully in rural area that has got short supply of ground water. In such areas, the system of rain water harvesting is installed beneath the barren land and rain water is collected in the tanks. The water, is then utilized for irrigation and thus do not require filtering or any sort of treatment. This saves a lot of cost to the farmers and also provides them with a reliable source of water for irrigation.

Rain Water Harvesting Boon for Drought affected areas of India

Today, there  is no dearth  of well-designed, smart and affordable rainwater harvesting systems which are easy to install, manage and maintain. With negligible operating costs and convenient ways of providing water at various points of consumption, these systems are becoming increasing popular in all parts of the world. In this case, rainwater is collected from the catchment of the roof or other areas and is used for applications like laundry, toilet flushing, site irrigation, custodial uses, bathing water purposes and so forth. 

In general, rain water harvesting is done by using existing structures like the roof. Along with very negligible environmental impacts, this form of gathering water boasts of several other benefits too. Read on for a deeper insight into the world of harvesting rainwater and the ways in which it is bringing about positive improvements in the lives of many.

Cost Effective 

Rainwater is free. Here, the only cost involved is that for its collection and use. As it lessens the demand placed on the municipal water supply, it leads to great savings on utility bills too.

Diminishes Erosion and Flooding

Collection of excessive rainwater diminishes flooding, flow to water drains and erosion. It also leads to lesser contamination of land water by fertilizers, sediments and pesticides from polluted rainwater run-off—therefore resulting in cleaner rivers, oceans, lakes and other recipients of storm water.

Recharging of Ground Water and other Benefits

This harvesting system proves to be very useful for recharging ground water. Stored rain water does not contain pollutants, man-made contaminants, minerals or any other kind of chemical salts and is a good resource for irrigation and leads to healthier outputs. Rainwater is soft in  nature , good for laundry and lowers the need for extra detergents. As it does not lead to corrosion or scaling like hard water, it adds a lot more years of life to equipments that require regular water supply for their functioning.

Total Control over Deficit of Water Supply

 

With population figures booming like never before and more areas reeling under the bad effects of urbanism, there is an increase in pressure on the available resources of water, globally. Most homes are devoid of 24/7 supply of drinking water and they have to depend on rationed amounts of water–for commercial and domestic purposes alike.
Under the circumstances, rainwater, which is oft considered as the purest kind of water on Earth, comes to the rescue and helps you get greater control over the water supply. Ideal for areas with rigid water restrictions and depleting sources of ground water, this environmentally responsible and socially acceptable way of accumulating water is promoting self-sufficiency  and helping water conservation—and in a big way!


More Benefits…..

Along with helping people get a ready supply of water for their day-to-day chores and other specific activities , rain water harvesting is also beneficial for:
   •    Reducing storm water runoff from businesses and homes alike;
   •    Creating backup sources for municipal water, wells and emergencies;
   •    Better landscaping of gardens and lawns with non-chlorinated water, and so forth.
So, what are you waiting for? Install the best rainwater harvesting system for your immediate requirements and get rid of your water related woes, today.