Rainwater Harvesting as a Drinking Water Option for Mexico City

Mireya Ímaz Gispert, María Aurora Armienta Hernández, Enrique Lomnitz Climent and María Fernanda Torregrosa Flores
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Mireya Ímaz Gispert: Programa Universitario de Estrategias para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito de la Investigación Científica s/n Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico
María Aurora Armienta Hernández: Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito de la Investigación Científica s/n Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico
Enrique Lomnitz Climent: Enrique Lomnitz Climent, Isla Urbana, Epsilon 130, Col. Romero de Terreros, Coyoacán 04310, México
María Fernanda Torregrosa Flores: Programa Universitario de Estrategias para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito de la Investigación Científica s/n Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: rainwater harvesting system; water quality; sustainability; megacity; heavy metals; contamination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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