RainWater Harvesting
at Free-Standing Drive-Thru
Vinay Halambi
General Manager, Construction
McDonald’s India, Hardcastle Restaurants Private Ltd.
Opportunity Water scarcity is a major problem in many cities
and states across India. There is increasing demand for water
resources for development purposes, which compete with the
need to maintain healthy ecosystems. As a result, the allocation
of water resources presents a challenge.
Ecosystem services suffer when rain and groundwater become
scarce due to changes from wet to dry seasons or during
seasonal droughts. As the leading quick-service restaurant
(QSR) brand in India, McDonald’s India continuously looks at
methods to reduce its environmental footprint and implement
improved business practices.
Solution McDonald’s India directs the flow of rainwater into the
stormwater drain at restaurant sites, where the water converges
and drains into a sedimentation or settling tank with a bar screen.
Collected water from the settling tank is routed to recharge pits
filled with alternating layers of gravel, sand and rocks of various
sizes that act as a natural filter before the water drains into the
water table.
Results It is estimated that McDonald’s India recharges
approximately 106,400 liters of water per year, based on a recharge
efficiency of 50 percent of the rainwater landing on a roof area
measuring approximately 190 square meters (2,000 square feet)