Validation of a prototype of rainwater harvesting system for domestic use and human consumption

Abstract

People of rural communities have issues to supply themselves with water of good quality. The dispersion of houses complicates the supply of drinking water and, when this is achieved, poor infrastructure management does not allow users to have water on a constant basis. Irregular topography is another problem that makes it impossible to install infrastructure to supply all homes. Because of this, other forms of supply should be sought, such as rainwater harvesting. The quality of rainwater is acceptable for domestic and agricultural use, but not for consumption. The objective of this research was to validate a prototype rainwater collection system developed in the Laboratorio de Tecnologías Hídricas Innovadoras of the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo. The validation was focused on three aspects: the design of the system, the use of ferrocement as a construction material for the tank and a teamwork scheme between the university and the users. The results showed that the design was adequate to provide water for two purposes: domestic use in the home and human consumption. The use of ferrocement worked in accordance with the expected in terms of material strength and good performance. The scheme of teamwork at the beginning caused disappointment in the users, because they expected to receive the support without making any type of contribution. When realizing that the work involved training, expectation was generated and the scheme was successful. The immediate benefit and direct participation in the construction resulted in the rapid adoption of the technology.