Abstract:
Rainwater harvesting is being gradually valued as a result of the increased need for
water conservation and the search for more sustainable solutions in the use of resources.
This practice has several environmental and economic benefits, namely avoiding the use
of drinking water in non-potable uses and reducing the production of stormwater runoff.
Despite the existing consensus regarding the acknowledgment of the value associated
with the use of rainwater, several barriers have limited the generalization of its
application. Technical standardization can play an important role in eliminating
technical barriers to the circulation and trade of products and services by unifying
procedures and criteria. Standardization is a framework of agreements aiming that the
processes associated with the creation of a product or the performance of a service are
accomplished within a set of guidelines. Its goal is to voluntary define the level of
quality safety that should be recognized and approved in a given field.
The European standard EN 16941-1:2018 ""On-site non-potable water systems - Part 1:
Systems for the use of rainwater"", published in January 2018, can help to build
confidence in the quality and safety of rainwater harvesting. This standard specifies the
requirements and gives recommendations for the design, sizing, installation,
identification, commissioning and maintenance of rainwater harvesting systems for the
use of rainwater on-site as non-potable water. The rainwater harvesting systems are
described through four main functional elements: collection, treatment, storage, and
distribution. This communication presents the EN 16941-1:2018, focusing on general
aspects of interest that may promote its use.