Water Harvesting Tank Part II - Q&As

After posting my last entry, I received a number of great questions. I think this is a reflection of my poor writing skills so let me make a second attempt to provide better details.

Q1: What's the point of creating this water tank if it'll be easily contaminated and breed mosquitoes? Isn't this just a "quick fix" that will later cause more problems?
A1: Because the completed water tanks are sealed by the heavy plastic, nothing will go in or out except through the wooden door / latch. (See the last picture from the previous posting). Contamination will only occur if users leave the door open and unattended for an extended period of time.

Q2: You are proposing that rain water is used for consumption. Rain water is not clean in most places. Won't that make people sick too?
A2: Other than rain, rural villagers only have distant, contaminated wells as an alternative source. These wells get contaminated because they are uncovered, pollution, other contaminants like animal / human feces enter the well. Also the government even advises those who have access to tap water to boil it before drinking.

On the other hand rain water is quite safe compared to the alternatives. Rain water is mostly used for washing, irrigation, and animals. In fact, rain water can be boiled and safely consumed afterwards. 

Q3: Are you trying to build a water tank for each household so that each family has close access to water?
A3: We have built water tanks for communities as well as individual households. If there is a cluster of houses in an area, we will build a tank for the community. If the family lives in a remote area, we will build one for the family.

Q4: Who gets the first water tank? I'm guessing that there is a huge demand?
A4: REAP and our FSD team will give priority to households that have a large number of children (ex: 5+ kids) or a family with a single parent. Other factors like distance to the nearest source of water will be used as a criteria.

Q5: How long does it take to fill up the tank?
A5: Uganda has two periods of rainy season per given year. During the three months of heavy rain, rain will fall copiously and heavily for few hours, sometimes days at a time. Although exact time can't be given, there is abundant rain during this time to fill up the tank.

Q6: What's the lifespan of the tank? Can it be used year after year?
A6: With the straw mat on top to protect the plastic, water tank can last up to three years before upkeep is needed. So the water tanks can be used year after year. Only part that requires replacement is the plastic covering the tank. In the future, we may explore ways to extend the life of the plastic or replace it with another material altogether. 

Thanks again and please let me know if there are more questions.

Water Harvesting Tank Project

Continuing on from my last post, inhabitants who live in rural areas spend a bulk of their time securing a source of water even in a country like Uganda where rain can be plentiful. Some of the consequences are: loss of producitivity/income, illiteracy for children who often walk miles to retrieve water, and diseases from drinking contaminated water.

I had an opportunity to participate in building a water harvesting tank few weeks back. We visited a rural area about 35 KM from Masaka.

To build a tank, a hole is dug that's around 10x10 and this effort takes around 4 to 6 hours for two people.

Once the hole has been dug, few more materials are required.

• cement and bricks for the perimeter
• tarpauline for the pit
• plastic sheet for cover and seal water from contamination
• nails
• wooden planks for cover

Speaking of wooden planks, I was able to capture a photo of ladies from the village carving the trees for us here.

Next, we placed the tarpaulin inside the pit and used the planks and nails to fix the tarp in place. We also nailed a wooden box with a door so that water can be accessible and protected from contamination. Afterwards, planks were place in a grid pattern to create a frame for the plastic cover.

Next, we placed the plastic cover on top of the planks and began laying the bricks around the perimeter.

Once the bricks are in place, we use the cement to fill the gaps.

Once the perimeter has been cemented and filled, it's almost done... You can see that the thick plastic seals the water from the outside - doing so the contaminants won't pollute the reservoir. In this picture, he went inside to to clean.

Finally, we took a straw mat and overlaid it on top of the plastic for extra protection. Here is what the door looks like after our work was completed.

When the rains come, a drainage pipe (not shown) connected to the roof will be placed in the water tank; the rain will be "harvested" for later use.

 Altogether, this took a day (minus the time for digging the ditch) at a total cost of $200 USD.

 What does this mean for the family? This particular tank will supply a family of four for three months (coincidentally the length of dry season in Uganda). Meaning...

• No lost productivity
• No sickness
• No illiteracy

Our team is currently looking to build more tanks. Please let me know if you are interested in helping us out! (Email me at felixjpark@gmail.com)