Faced with the growing challenges of climate change, water scarcity, and aquifer overexploitation, rainwater harvesting and storage is becoming an essential strategy in the design of sustainable water projects. Water basins are emerging as a practical, low-cost, and high-impact alternative that allows natural runoff to be harnessed for various productive and environmental uses.

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What's a water basin? 

Water basins—also known as reservoirs, dams, ponds, or tanks—are hydraulic infrastructures that capture and store water. They consist of a natural or excavated depression over the land; it is designed to collect rainwater and superficial runoff.

These structures are part of a strategy of sustainable management of the hydric resource, because they allow to leverage rainwater in zones where access to superficial or underground sources is limited. Its design must consider technical requirements as the capture basin, the required storage volume, the kind of soil, the pending, and the specific needs of use.

Benefits of using water basins for hydric management

Water basins offer multiple advantages, from an environmental level to an economic and social level. The following are some of their main benefits:

Efficient water capture

They allow collecting long volumes of rainwater; otherwise, without this system, water would be lost because of the superficial runoffs or uncontrolled infiltration. This capture can be leveraged even in zones with seasonal or irregular precipitations, as long as the capturing area and the required volume are calculated properly based on the water demand. 

Reduces the underground water sources dependence 

By partially or wholly substituting the use of well water, water basins decrease the aquifers' exploitation, reducing the risk of exhausting the source, land subsidence, and deterioration of the water quality by saline intrusion or crossed pollution.

Strategic reserves for low water season

Water basins or reservoirs work as reserve deposits that guarantee the continuity of productive activities (agriculture, cattle raising, or aquaculture) on dry periods, incrementing the resilience to climate variability. 

Reduction of urban floods

Water basins also have a critical function as a rainwater regulation infrastructure, usually on urban or suburban zones that are prepense to saturation on the drainage system. 

• By capturing runoff during heavy rain events, they reduce the flow peaks that arrive to the collectors. 
• They mitigate flooding and floods in low zones or zones without a lot of infrastructure.
• They work as green alternatives against more expensive concrete projects, offering landscaping integration, natural recharging, and lower environmental impact.

Management of micro-basins and soil protection

Temporary water retention helps to decrease erosion caused by runoffs; it reduces the superficial flow speed and favors the sediments' settlement. This improves the storage water quality and contributes to agriculture and forest soil conservation. 

Geographic and climate adaptability 

Water-capturing basins can be installed in mountain regions, valleys, arid regions, or tropical regions, as long as the design criteria is adapted to the site’s conditions: Pending, soil kind, rain regimen, vegetable covert, among others. 

Specific applications for water basins

Agricultural

• Catering to technical irrigation systems 
• Efficient use of the resource on temporary crops, hillside, or dry lands. 

For example, just one water basin of 540 ft per 540 ft and 22 ft deep can store up to 5 million liters of rain in its season. This quantity allows covering up to 85% of the annual irrigation needs of an avocado hectare if advanced irrigation techniques are applied.

Cattle Raising 

• Permanent supply of water for the cattle, especially in regions without hydraulic infrastructure. 
• Possibility of installing automated, or manual drinking water fountains connected to the reservoir.

Aquaculture 

• Installation of extensive psi-culture or aquaculture on lined water basins, with temperature and nutrients control.

Aquifers recharge 

• Design of basins without waterproofing on zones with adequate soils to favor slow infiltration into phreatic layers.

Prevention of forestal fires 

• Strategic water reserves to fight rural fires, supply of motor bombs, or aerial recharge. 

Green and urban infrastructure 

• Integration in urban plans for rainwater capture, generation of microclimates, recuperation of natural spaces, and hydraulic damping zones. 

In conclusion, water basins are a strategic tool talking about modern hydraulic management. Its design and implementation allow not only to store rainwater in a safe and sustainable way but also to reduce the pressure over traditional sources, improve hydric safety in rural and urban communities, and prevent negative impacts such as erosion or floods. Its versatility, low cost, and adaptability to different geographic contexts make them a key solution when facing climate change and the variability of the rain.

Furthermore, to guarantee an efficient and long-lasting functioning, it is essential that these structures are adequate to the dimensions, constructed with ideal materials, and supervised by experts in hydraulic systems. 

At SAI, we develop and install technical solutions for capturing, conduction, storage, and control of rainwater. We adapt every project to the specific characteristics of the land, climate, and final use, incorporating technologies like geomembranes, stormwater drainage, and regulation structures. 

If your objective is to take advantage of the rainwater, prevent floods, or reinforce the hydric infrastructure of your community or business, at SAI we have the experience and resources to make it possible. 

Contact us and make the rain a strategic resource with solutions tailored to your needs.