Stormwater harvesting affects urban water cycles by altering the way rainwater moves through the environment. In natural settings, rainfall is mostly absorbed into the ground, replenishing groundwater and slowly feeding into streams. In cities impervious surfaces like roads and rooftops prevent this infiltration, leading to increased runoff that often carries pollutants and causes flooding.
Stormwater harvesting captures this runoff and stores it for later use, which reduces the volume of water entering storm drains and surface waterways. This helps restore a more balanced flow in the urban water cycle by slowing down and reusing rainwater instead of letting it rush away. It also reduces demand on municipal water supplies, conserving treated water for uses where it’s truly needed.
