Harvesting rain for toilets, roads and even drinking

Straight from the gutter: Iqmal Fajri Danial collecting water from his rain catchment tank as part of the Taman Perwira, Gombak, community project called ‘Garden 8’. The rainwater is used to water the plants in the back alley garden and also for other purposes. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Harvesting rainwater is a breeze. It’s as easy as just placing pails outside one’s home when it pours. But there’s more that can be done. Developed countries have used this seemingly straightforward harvesting on a large scale to cope with the increasing demands of their population.

In Japan, rainwater is used not only for flushing toilets but also to clean roads.