Rainwater cisterns and barrels: a sustainable solution for urban water management
Sustainable management of stormwater in urban environments is an increasing challenge. The frequency of droughts and sudden downpours has created a need for solutions that can both alleviate water scarcity and prevent flooding. Rainwater harvesting cisterns and barrels are an effective way of ensuring that rainwater is not wasted but used in everyday life.
The urban use of cisterns and barrels is particularly important, as the possibility of natural water leakage is minimised due to the concrete surfaces. However, rainwater harvesting systems make it easy to store water collected from roofs and use it later for irrigation, cleaning or even flushing toilets. This is not only an environmentally friendly solution, it also offers the possibility to reduce water bills.
Modern urban rainwater harvesters are now available in a compact, aesthetically pleasing design, making them easy to integrate into any yard or patio environment. From simple barrels to larger underground cisterns, there are many types available to suit different needs.
As well as providing economic benefits, rainwater harvesting also helps to relieve the pressure on urban sewer systems, especially during periods of heavy rainfall. Support programmes by local authorities and communities are making the purchase and installation of equipment increasingly accessible to urban populations.
Hegyvidék: Rainwater collection in Diana street
The municipality of Hegyvidék is at the forefront of developing a timely strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change. One of the most important of these is to reduce the destructive impact of rainfall from the mountain and to use the captured rainwater efficiently during the drought period. Rainwater harvesting barrels have been provided to the public for years. The new construction project that has just started j rainwater harvesting cisterns were installed at the intersection of Diana S [...]
The Urban Rain in Lyon: Local regulatory environment, strategy development and institutional functioning
In the framework of the Urban Rain project, representatives of the partner municipalities took part in a study visit to Lyon from 8 to 11 September 2024. In contrast to previous study visits, the main focus was on the local regulatory environment, strategy development and institutional functioning of two institutions - the Agence de l'Eau Rhone Méditerranée Corse (Rhone-Mediterranée-Corsica Water Authority) and the Métropole de Lyon (Lyon Métropole). We also visited two good examples of water m [...]
What has just happened foreshadows the future: how to protect against flash floods in cities?
In recent weeks, Budapest and several areas of Hungary have been hit by severe flooding due to sudden rainfall. The capital has been particularly affected, with flash floods causing serious problems in several districts. Due to the flooding, a third level of flood protection has been declared, the lower embankment has been closed, traffic has to be reorganised in several places, the HÉV, metro line 2 and several tram lines are affected. But why is all this happening? A little meteorology We al [...]
The designer who turns cities into sponges
Kongjian Yu pioneered the concept of China's "sponge city" - less concrete and more green space, harnessing rainwater instead of fighting it. The good example is being followed by many metropolises around the world. Yu was recently awarded the Oberlander Prize of the Cultural Landscape Foundation for his work on sponge cities. Is your city prepared for the effects of climate change? The classic method of treating stormwater by draining it out of the city as quickly as possible through sewe [...]
What makes a city a “sponge”? – Kiállítás és beszélgetés a következő 50 évről
Most of our buildings are designed for 50 years. Today, when we start designing a building, a district or an infrastructure, the question is whether the structure can withstand natural and social challenges that may not yet be felt. Will it still be possible to work with the same tools in 2074 as our colleagues did in 1974? "The Next 50 Years" is a series of exhibitions showcasing architectural practices that address the question of how the practice of architecture or urbanism will evolve in th [...]
Lessons from Vienna in rainwater management
Under the LIFE Urban Rainfall project, led by the Municipality of Hegyvidék, Budapest is working hard to develop a new, modern and comprehensive rainfall strategy, which it hopes will serve as a long-term guide to managing rainwater and turning the city into a sponge city. What is a sponge city? It is a fair question. On the one hand, the concept of a sponge city is a response to the problems caused by extreme rainfall due to climate change, and on the other hand, it is a modern reinterpretati [...]
