Economic Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting in Houses in Blumenau, Brazil

This paper aims to analyse the economic feasibility of using rainwater for non-potable purposes in single-family houses in Blumenau, Brazil. A house was used as a case study to estimate the water end-uses and water consumption. Then, the daily water consumption and water end-uses for non-potable purposes were estimated. Different roof areas, number of residents, daily per capita water consumption and rainwater demand were also considered. The rainwater tank capacities and the potential for potable water savings were estimated using computer simulations. Finally, an economic feasibility analysis was carried out. The potential for potable water savings ranged from 18.76% to 58.06%, and the rainwater harvesting system was found to be economically feasible for most scenarios.