Leapfrogging current approaches: Rooftop Rainwater Collection
Project Description
With persistent
incidents of high intensity and unpredictable rainstorms, and resulting floods
and erosion, there is need to appropriately harvest and store some of the 1500-2000mm
annual rainfall. This will support the
clean domestic water needs of the Uzinomi community who currently source their
drinking water from a remote polluted puddle along with other benefits.
However, major
constraints that affect the immediate take-up of rooftop rain water harvesting (RWH)
in Uzinomi and elsewhere are the ‘excessive’ cost RWH components and systems,
as well as the absence of a supply chain for delivering them to households (HH).
These constraints hamper the ability of most households from going beyond current
opportunistic rainwater harvesting and reasonably reduce the amount of
accumulating runoffs in the area.
The project will
support 1,000 HHs yearly to sufficiently harvest and safely store rain water, vital
in meeting their domestic needs as well as retarding the huge amount of runoff
generated after every rainfall incidence. By supporting HHs, we aim to
facilitate easy adoption of sustainable rain water harvesting and its multiple
benefits such as drinking, sanitation, cooking, laundry, home gardening, brick-making,
horticulture, car washing and the environmental gains of runoff control etc.
To realize this, the
project will set up a local manufacturing and assembly plant for RWH system
components and generate jobs for about 20 rainwater installers who shall be
responsible for marketing and installation of the systems for HHs. Assuming a
rainfall collection efficiency of 80 percent, ‘hard-roofed’ houses measuring up
to 610 m2 will successfully yield up to 3785 litres or 1000 gallons
of water. This offers a substantial amount of water sufficient to impact on
runoff and make for a reliable and economic source of water even during
short-term drought.
