Rainwater Harvesting as a Drinking Water Option for Mexico City
2018
Gispert, Mireya Ímaz | Hernández, María Aurora Armienta | Climent, Enrique Lomnitz | Flores, María Fernanda Torregrosa
Mexico City is one of the most water-stressed cities in the world; poor quality water occurs in several parts of the City. The use of rainwater harvesting (RWH) as a source of drinking water is gaining acceptance in several contexts, but the quality of the water obtained through these systems has not been sufficiently studied. This manuscript presents the results of water quality tests from samples taken in each component of an RWH system, installed by Isla Urbana at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), southern Mexico City. The RWH system culminates with a drinking fountain which supplies water for the students, and other members of the university community. Samples were retrieved from August 2014 to November 2015, approximately once per month. Results showed that with an adequate operation of the RWH system the major ions, fluoride, zinc, arsenic, lead, iron, copper, chromium, aluminum, nitrate, and total coliforms comply with national standards and international guidelines for drinking water. Thus, RWH constitutes a viable option for providing good quality water in a megacity that will become increasingly water-stressed due to climate change.
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