What Is a Reservoir?
A reservoir is a structure or container used to store rainwater or other fluids. Broadly, reservoirs are categorized into storage and infiltration facilities. Storage facilities are further divided into off-site and on-site storage based on their capacity to collect rainwater. Infiltration facilities, on the other hand, are designed to efficiently allow rainwater to seep into the ground.
Off-site storage systems collect and store rainwater after it flows into rivers or waterways, helping to mitigate stormwater runoff. On-site storage aims to capture and store rainwater where it falls, minimizing its transfer as much as possible.
These facilities vary in structure and usage type and may be used in combination depending on the reason for the water collection.
Uses of Reservoirs
Storage facilities are categorized by their structural types, with their applications differing based on maintenance requirements and other factors. Off-site storage includes dams, moats, and underground structures. Dams are typically employed in gently sloping terrain around 1000 feet altitude, where valleys are contained by fill or concrete dams. Moat-style reservoirs are used on flat land to store rainwater, maintaining a water level lower than the surrounding ground. Underground methods involve storing rainwater in subterranean reservoirs or pipes within basements of buildings, rainwater harvesting companies, and sewage facilities.
On-site storage, conversely, may take the form of small embankments, shallow trenches, underground space storage, or void storage. Small embankments or trenches are typically situated in areas like apartment complex grounds, parks, or schoolyards, serving dual purposes. Underground void storage is often constructed in basements of buildings or parks, and employs materials like plastic or crushed stone, particularly in areas where above-ground storage is impractical.
Principle of Reservoirs
Reservoirs, both large and small, serve a variety of functions. Off-site storage includes detention basins, multipurpose detention basins, and flood control green spaces, all designed to alleviate pressure on rivers by temporarily holding stormwater, river water, and waterway flows.
Other off-site storage types include disaster prevention regulation ponds, rainwater harvesting facilities, sewage stormwater adjustment ponds, and ponds related to large-scale residential land development. On-site storage encompasses watershed storage, public facility storage, housing complex storage, and single-family home storage. These structures function as water retention and conservation facilities, helping infiltrate rainwater into the ground and store it temporarily to reduce riverine stress.