Raindrop Newsletter April 1990 v3 Rainwater Harvesting Bulletin

8/9/2019 Raindrop Newsletter April 1990 v3 Rainwater Harvesting Bulletin

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RAINDROPRainwater Harvesting Bulletin

April 1990 Vol.3Report On RWH Project in Togo ; ^ vby Louis O'Brien

so distant that in the dry season this arduous, daily taskbegan before sunrise and ended lon g after dark.The survey on which this article is based revealed twoimportant results of RWH installations in the projectvillagesimprovements in wom en's liv es and family health.These topics are highlighted b elow , follow ed by a fullerdescription of project results.WOMEN'S LIVES IMPROV E

The project had a major, positive impact on wo men.More freedom from the task o f water-carrying raised theirstatus and gave them time to do a variety of other productivetasks, such as caring for their children, going to the dispensary, and engaging in income-producing activities like gardening and marketing.HEALTH IMPROVES

Health recordsfromgovernment dispensaries show ed atwo-thirds drop in diarrheal disease betwe en January 1987and January 1990 in the project villag es. A similar drop inthe prevalence of guinea worm disease was also reported,although this was not readily documented, because thedisease is treated in the home and not reported to dispensaries.PROJECT BACKGROUND

The object of RW SSP, initiated in 1980 , was to supplypotable water, health education, and related communityorganization to 860 villages in the central (Plateaux) andnorthern (Savannah) re gions of Togo. Project construction ofrainwater harvesting systems ended almost three years ago,in August 1 987, and the 11 recipient villages have sincereceived no further RWH assistance.By the project's end, construction totaled 230 cisternsand 55 open-walled hangars, which serve as rainwatercollection surfaces. A standardized rainwater harvestingsystem was adopted to use project resources efficiently and

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The RWSS P funded 250 cisterns.The opportunity to visit a project after it is completed isunfortunately rare. The author, a previous staff mem ber ofthe USAID-Junded Togo Rural Water Supply and SanitationProject (RW SSP), undertook a survey of11 rural villages

three years after rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems wereconstructed Questionnaires were administered to the villagecomm ittees, wom en, heads of families, and communitydevelopmen t agents responsible for RW H.In 12 percent of central and northern Tog olese com munities where RWSSP attempted to drill wells, groundwatertables were insufficient and well holes dry. If additionalwater sources were to be developed for these villag es,rainwater harvesting was the onl y viable option. In som evillages women had to carry water from groundwater sources

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rFROM THE EDITOR'S DESKRe-evaluating the C osts of RWH

Cost ana lyses for development aid investments in RWH systems typicallycompare RWH costs w ith those from other locations where pump-equipped wellsprovide adequate, year-round water resources. This direct comparison maymisrepresent and exclude critical cost and benefit considerations for RWH .Where no other potable water source is available or viable, augmentingcritically limited water supplies can have unique and immense benefits. In areaswhere the ground water table is Calling, the cost o f depleting th is invaluableresource must not be ignored.Planners and policy makers urgently need to take a broader, longer rangelook at determining water supply options, by considering the costs and benefits invillages where only distant water sources are viable or where RWH is the onlyviable option to augment existing water supplies.For example, this issue's feature article on RWH in Togo describes villageswhere w ell drilling is fruitless. With no other water source available, villagewomen walk 10-15km per day to supply all water needs for their families.Togalese villages benefiting from U SAID-funded cistern construction are notviable locations for well d rilling. Making a simple comparison of RWH costswith those for drilled w ells is not logical or appropriate. So although RWH c onstruction c osts are higher per person served, the project chose RWH in dryvillages.

On a broader and long-range scale, economic and political valuations forwater supply options must take into account that ever-increasing water wellpumping is depleting regional water tables. This is already common in large landareas. For example, across sub-Saharan Africa, water tables are dropping severalmeters per decade, forcing villagers to dig old w ells deeper and abandon drywells. Along the Southwest coastal region of the US A, w ater tables have dropped1-2 meters per year. In Beijing, China, where there are similar rates of water tabledepletion, a third of the city's we lls have gon e dry. It is increasingly apparentthat reliance on underground water supplies without considering long-term cost isunwise.

Drilling new and deeper water we lls to meet expanding needs is not anoption in many regions. The w orld's underground water supplies are limited, notinfinite. The expanded and cumulative use of this finite resource is costly in botheconom ic and environmental terms.For centuries, RWH has been a viable source of water. Now , and even morein years to com e, RW H has vast potential to ea se water shortages in rural, peri-urban, and urban areas.

C.J. LindbladEditorC J. Lindblad has worked in rural development extension an d trainingfor the past 17 years

NETWORKMEMBERSHIP UPDATE

ASIA/NEAR EAST116 AFRICA

NORTH AMERICA82

EUROPE3 8

LATIN AMERICA63

MEMBERS HIP DIS TRIBUTIONSource: RAINCOLL Database

There are currently 411 RH1CNetwork members, including individuals, institutions, and organizations from87 countries worldwide. This represents a 30% membership increase, with12S new members and 10 additionalcountries over the past six months.Members are involved in a rangeof RWH activities, from grass-rootsproject implementation to university-based research. Membership is open toany individual or organization involvedin rainwater harvesting, and there are

no dues or fees.

\ < mWATER AND SANITATIONFOR HEALTH PROJECT

For additional information about activities andreport* tughEghied in thil b lue , contact WASHOperations Center, Room 1001,161 1 North KentStreet, Arlington. VA 2 2209 USA.Water and Sanitation for Health Project, ContractNo.5973-7-00-8081,PiojectNa836^1249.Spon-sored by theOffice of Health, Bureau of Scienceand Techn ology, U .S. A gency for InternationalDevelopment, Washington, D.C. 20523.

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TECHNOLOGY NEWSHow Large Should a Fam ily Cistern Be?by C. J.Lindblad

At first glance, it might seem that acistern needs to be large enough tostore all the rainfall collected during theyear. However, the family will u sewaterfromthe cistern throughout theyear, reducing the required cisternvolume. Standardized calculations usedto determine the optimal capacity of acistern correlate the average monthlyrainfall, roof size, and family waterconsumption needs.Ideally , a family rainwaterharvesting (RW H) system provides allof the water needed for drinking,cooking, washing, etc. Typicallythough, several factors limit thepotential volume o f water from RW H.The unalterable limitations are theannual rainfall and the dry seasonduration. Less fixed variables are thearea of the roof(s) or other rainwatercollection surfaces and maximumcistern capacity, but their cost is also acritical limiting factor.

Health specialists have determinedthat 5 liters of potable water per day areneeded to satisfy the minimum dailyrequirements for each person. No tethat 5 liters is the water needed fordrinking only. Total water needs for anindividual are SO liters per day or more.In practice, most families using RW Hwould prefer to have the co llection areaand cistern be as large as possible.How ever, even with project assistance,few families can afford to build theoptimal size cistem(s) at the out set

Larger cisterns typically c ost moreper volume due to the more sturdyconstruction required a s water pressureincreases with water volume. This is acritical variable. Field trials are beingconducted in many locations around theworld to develop and evaluate variouslow co st cistern designs.

A basic starting point for calculating cistern size is to evaluate theamount of rain which can be harvested.

from the available roof or collectionarea. This is done be multiplying thecatchment area by the annual rainfall.Clear ly, the larger the surface areacovered by roof, the greater the amountof rainwater that can be harvested.Catchment surface is arrived at bymeasuring the dimensions of theground surface covered by the roof.The roof surface is not m easured, sowhether the roof is a flat slopingsurface or has two or four slopes is notimportant to the calculation. The figurebelow depicts the difference in generalvs . roof surface area.Annual and monthly rainfall ratesare usually available from the localmeteorological station, airport, oruniversity. Rainfall patterns vary fromyear to year, so experts advise thatRWH calculations be based on thelowes t rainfall in eight or nine of thepast ten years.DAILY AND MONTHLY WATERNEEDS

To determine the minimum dailypotable water needs for a family, the

number of persons is multiplied by theamount of water to be supplied per day.At the optimal minimum of 5 liters perday, a family of 10 would need 5 0 litersper day. Mon thly water needed is thatamount multiplied by 3 0 day s, or SOliters x 30 days 150 0 liters per month.CATCHMENT AREA RWHPOTENTIAL

To determine the monthly rainwater harvesting potential of a collection surface, m ultiply the ground areacovered by the roof (width x length) bythe probable monthly rainfall figuresreferred to above. If there are dryseason months when les s than 1500liters will be collec ted, the cumulativetotal water deficit is on e way ofdefining optimal minimum cistern size.For example, if during May throughAugust there is no rainfall, the cisternneeds to store at least four m onthswater supply, or 6,000 liters, to supplythe family 1500 liters per month.

Use These ~" $> ^Measurements ^ f

Roof Catchment Areal a r ' . M f V i ' ^ r -J O Bex 531 S - J , 25 09 AD THfc t-iAUUfcfd l . i-3 70 30 68 9 BC

Pa.-, -y ~V 35 R99 6^3 AF (CO 0 E r.O :

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HELP RHIC EXPANDTHE NETWORKYou can help expand the Network bysubmitting the names and addresses o fother individuals or organizations whomay wish to be n ominated as Networkmembers to RHIC. Thanks forhelping!Since the first issue of RA IND RO P inlate 1988, the RHIC Network hasgrown rapidly from 231 members in 25countries to its present 411 members inover 87 countries!! This demonstrates astrong interest in rainwater harvestingand indicates that people in developin gcountries all over the globe want information on the su bject

One important aspect of Networkgrowth is that with each new member,the RHIC information base exp ands.By filling out a standard Network q uestionnaire, new members supply RHICwith basic information on their RWHactivities and system design s, reports,information nee ds, and innovations.The broader the RHIC Networkbeco me s, the more information andexperience there will be to offerNetwork members.RAINCOL L Is Yours To UseNetwork members' nam es, addresses,and RWH activities are recorded in theRAINCOLL data base and can be accessed by name, organization, country,RWH activity, or report issued.Ac cess to its publications and databaseis available to any member.Would you like to know whereNetwork m embers are constructingferro-cement cisterns or compare fieldexperiences with or visit other RWHprojects in countries nearby? Forinformation, contact Dan C ampb ell,RHIC librarian, and be a s specific aspossible about the information you areseeking.WASH/RHICRoom 10011611 North KentArlington, VA 22 209 U SA

NETWORK MEMBER PERSPECTIVEGuest EditorialImportance of Project Supervisionby Ron Goodden

Providing rural or urban dwellerswith the m aterials and know-h ow toproduce their own rainwater-catchmenttanks is a proven way to increase theurgently lacking supplies of safe drinking water. Supporting such projectscan add m eaningfully to pub lic healthand quality of life, by providing an alternative to distant or polluted watersources.However, the actual impact of aproject is often dependent upon thesupervision m ajor donor agen cies areprepared to exercise in the implementation stage. It is a fact of life in most developing countries that the actions ofpublic officialsincluding those involved in developmentare notusually subject to the pu blic scrutinyand accountability m ore common in thedeveloped world.Program managers must be carefulto recognize the danger of malpractice

and corruption, anticipate problems,and take common sense steps to helpprotect program resources.For instance, rather than relyingsolely o n formal inspections of projectsites and progress reports from local officials, managers can create opportunities in project monitoring for private,one-on-one conversations with villagers, to make sure that villagers' perspectives are in accord w ith the officialreports.Given the chance, village house

wi ve s can be remarkably unabashedsources of information about what isreally going on in a village. Arevillagers actually re ceiving p rojectmaterials in both the quantity andquality specified? Inferior or inadequate supplies will translate intoreduced project output. Are villagersbeing pressured into paying for things

that are supposed to be fre e? Allowinglocal officials to successfully collect"donations''fromproject beneficiariesfor use in unspecified "future development projects" is simply imprudentIn addition , program m anagersshould be well informed about the fieldactivities of other donors who arefunding projects in their area. In caseswhere m ore than one donor is funding

water tank construction, each should beaware of the others' projects includingwhat resources are being supplied, forwhat purpose, and in which v illages.Subsequent project delays and changesshould be com municated to all, witheach donor organization making a pointof knowing exactly which finishedproducts were produced by whichdonor.Marking finished water tanks is aneffective method of letting villagersknow the source of development

funding. Spray paint and stencils cut toreproduce the donor agen cy's log o orname accom plish this nicely, and maybe don e to add to the aesthetics of thefinished tank. If done promptly enough,individually m arking comp leted tanksalso m akes it more difficult for officialsto indulge in irregular practices ormisrepresentation.Strategies designed to protectprogram resources m ay, of course,arouse bureaucratic resistance, but theexperienced manager may be able to

integrate better measures of accountability. The se will ultimately benefitvillagers and donors alike.Ron G oodden is a US-basedconsultant who has spent ten years inAsia, most recently administering ruraldevelopment projects for the U nitedNations.



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Togo Report. ,frompage 1quickly, since RWSSP had only 21months funding remaining when theRWH component wa s designed and 16months w hen construction began.Given this rigorous time constraint andthe goal of serving 24 priority villag es(although 11 were eventually served),post-project replicability of the systemwas n ot the highest priority. V illageselection criteria included population,distance to water sources, comm unityorganization, and prevalence of guineaworm disease.

Several RWH system s were testedbefore an adaptation o f a cemen t brickgrain bin, d eveloped in neighboringBenin, was found to be structurallyviable, least expensive, and conduciveto being produced on a large scale.This 600 0 liter cistern cost CFA 90.000(US $30 0) per unit Considering annuallocal rainfall and assuming effectivewater rationing, the cistern provides upto 3S-SS liters daily. This is enoughdrinking water for the standard optimum five liters per day per person for 7to 12 persons, the average size of aTog olese family. Variations dependon regional rainfall patterns.FEW VIABLE ROOFS FOR RW H

Early RWSSP village surveysshowed few communities had adequateroofs for this scale of RW H. Roo fswere either thatch, too low to theground for the standard cistern heightof 2.S m eters, or not sturdy enough toattach effective gutters. To resolve thisproblem, a sturdy but simple open-airaluminum-roofed shed was designed.Known locally as a hangar, its dimensions are Sm x 10m , and it costCFA270,000($900).The complete rain water harvesting

system consisted of a hangar and fourcisterns capable of providing enoughdrinking water for 28 to 44 people.Although the hangars were criticizedfor adding to the cost and complexityof project activ ities, their constructionwas justified to permit a standardizedcistern size and to speed the construction process. Due to time and resourceconstraints, construction went onsimultaneously in all 11 v illages. The

necessary coordination was exhaustiveand apparently effective.To protect water quality, a foul-flush system for each cistern was addedto the standard desig n. Participatingvillagers also received training in theimportance and methods of annualcistern disinfection.Exclusive of the village contribution of labor and local materials andproject-provided skilled labor, the totalcos t for the four cistern and hangarsystem came to CFA 630.000 or $2,200,

Only half of the cisterns had functioning foul-flush systems. Th ose in usewere almost all in goo d repair, howeverin the Plateau region, villagers chosenot to use the foul-flush system andblocked the mechanism open.WATER RATIONING PROBLEMS

RW SSP village agents went togreat lengths to inform villagers aboutthe importance of using the cistern onlyfor drinking water and how to ration

Some villages adapted R WH hangars for schools, markets, and cotton storage.or about CFA 15.750 ($53) per person.This compares with costs from othervillages where deep-well hand-pumpsystems cost CFA14.000 ($4 7) perperson served, at the rate of 2 50 peopleper well. A well with an operationalhand-pump can provide significantlymore water per person, but wells w eresimply not an option in these villages.SYSTEMS STILL IN USE

Only on e cistern was not beingused, resulting in a 99% rate of RW Hsystems still operating after three years.Remarkably, 84% of the cisterns werestill in excellent condition. Non e hadproblems that could n ot be repaired bythe villagers. In contrast, about 40% ofthe RW SSP hand-pumps were brokenand the wells unused

water effectively. Several unforeseenfactors affected water rationing practices. In most com munities, villagers donot us e their cisterns year-round as theproject had assum ed.Rea sons for disregarding theseinstructions seem to be varied. In somevillages new settlers were accommodated from the limited cistern water.This is in keeping with the tradition ofsharing with those in need, but itfurther taxed the ciste rns' capacity andled many people in the villages toconclude that RWH was not a goodwater supply. In at least two v illages,men reportedly used cistern water forbathing.

The survey showed that during therainy seaso n, fam ilies tend to rely ontraditional water sources that are closecontinued on page 6RAINDROP/April 1990/Page 5


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NFTWORK PRIORITYFoul-Flush Mechanisms

The first water to run off the roofafter rain begin s to fall i s called the foulflush. This rainwater wash es w ith it thedust, leave s, bird droppings, etc. thathave accumulated on the roof since thelast rain. A foul-flush system chan nelsoff the first SO liters or so o f dirtywater, so it d oes n ot enter the cistern.This reduces the possibility of contamination and fouling the drinking waterquality. The addition of a foul-flushmechanism to a rainwater harvestingsystem may significantly improve thepotability of rainwater harvested fromroof surfaces.RHIC is launching an informationsearch focusing on flush mechanismsbeing developed and used around theworld. One innovative foul-flushmechanism designed and used in Togowas featured in the first issue ofRA IND RO P. RHIC wants to learn ofother foul-flush systems that have beenuser-tested, especially those that arelow cost and mechanically simple.

Because the RHIC Networkreaches more than 87 countries, new sof proven te chnologies can spread farand wide. As an example of thedemand for RWH information from theRHIC database, after the recenthurricane in the Virgin Islands, RHICreceived an urgent request from thelocal office of the U.S. EnvironmentalProject Age ncy for information on thedesign of foul-flush mechanisms.Unfortunately, there is little publishedinformation on user-tested foul-flushmechanisms, and RHIC could onlymake a limited response to this requestThe RHIC network can surely add tothe available information on thissubject

Whether you are developing aninnovative foul-flush system , or using along-tested system, please send RHICinformation on its design, constructionmaterials, and how m any examp les arealready in use. If a photograph ordrawing is available, send it too.

Togo Report., from page 5by and in relative abundance. Cisternwater is conserved until nearby watersources become scarce. When cisternwater is used until that supply isexha usted Thereafter, women returnto carrying all of their family's water.The sources are then at their lowestebb, making the collection processextremely time consuming.

On ce empty, the cisterns remainempty and unused for two or moremonths of the dry season. N ot surprisingly, all v illages responded that thecisterns are too small and they wantmore and larger models.The major result of these practicesis that the family loses the year-roundhealth benefits of using the cisternwater for drinking. Also , wom en haulmore water from distant or meagersources late in the dry season when thecisterns are empty.

SOME EXPAND RWH CAPACITYSince the end of RW SSP, familiesin six villages increased their RWH byusing barrels and clay jars. In onevillage some fam ilies had contractedwith a local mason to construct a lowcost 1000 liter cistern. This partiallyunderground cistern is made withmolded mud wa lls reinforced only w itha layer of cement on the interior. It wasnot clear if this model had been usedand tested elsewhere. They had not yetbeen filled to capacity, so their durability remains to be seen .

HANGARS HAVE BENEFITSThere was almost n o projectinvolvement in determining how thehangars would be used , except todesignate the village com mittee asresponsible for that decision. T hesurvey found that just over half ofhangars are not used. In some cases,villagers were not certain that thedecision regarding hangar use w astheirs to make. Other villages reportedthat they did not yet have the resourcesto put the hangars to use as they wouldlike.Those villages that did adapt the

hangars to other uses benefited significantly. One village uses the hangars fora n ew weekly market that also servesseveral neighboring villages. Someexpanded village schoo ls, and severaluse the hangars to store the cottonharvest Others use their hangars forreligious gatherings and meeting halls.In almost half the villages, the hangarconstructions significantly benefitvillages, contributing to the localecono my , increasing local services, andadding to villagers' overall sense ofcommunity and pride.WOM EN LI KE RWH

W ome n's appreciation of the newcisterns and o f RWH is not surprising,since they often spent six to nine hoursper day collecting water. Nearly allwomen reported direct improvementsin their lives and the health of theirfamilies.

The v illagers, especially thewom en, clearly agreed that before theRWH cisterns were built women wereview ed as water carriers, and theircontribution to family and villageprosperity was not considered co nsequential. W omen had little time to carefor children, contribute to field work,cook, or do any of those tasks fromwhich village women derive self-satisfaction and the respect of others.Several men mentioned that priorto the RWH cisterns, it was difficult orimpossible to find a woman willing tomarry som eone from their village,because the prospect of spending six tonine hours a day fetching water is notappealing. "Now, howe ver, women areno longer afraid of marrying men fromour village."

Louis O'Brien recently returnedfrom Togo where he lived for fiveyears, serving on two USAID-financedhealth sector projects. He now worksfo r the Development AssistanceCorporation based in Washington, D.C



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iti.

Local Networking inKara, Togoby Louis O'Brien

Exchanging information and ideas is a key ingredient ineffective development programs especially, where similaractivities are happening in several areas. Typically though,long distances and difficult communications constrain theflow of information. Often g ood ideas get lost andA small but vital organization in northern Togo isbridging the information gap for rural development activitiesin the country, and RWH technologies are a primary focus oftheir activities. The Appropriate Tech nology Centerprovides linkage between various To golese techniciansinvolved in program design, technology design, and village-based development work. The C enter demonstrates effectivetechnologies and provides relevant training, promotes theexchange of ideas and knowled ge among projects, and sharesrelevant research from other countries.

Founded in 1986 by the Government of Tog o, withcollaboration between UN ICEF and the U. S. Peace Corps,this Center hasestablished itself na tionally and inter-regiona lly as a clearing house for innovative technologiesand as a facilitator and base for the organization of trainingsessions and extension camp aigns. The Center is staffed by aTog olese director and a Peace Corps volunteer who serves asinformation coordinator. A small group of support personnelassists in construction of demonstration models and serves astraining support staff.The Center has responded torequestsfor RWH technical assistance and information from such organizations asUNIC EF, World Neighbors, and Peace Corps. It is also incommunication with development organizations from severalcountries to exchange documents and publications for andfrom its library.In addition to its R WH interest, the Center also promotes improved clay cooking stove s, hand-dug we lls,reforestation, and solar energy. For each of these technologies, the Center's support activities include the collectionand dissemination of field-derived andresearch nformation,demonstration m odels and trials, and training for such groupsas rural development agents, Peace Corps volunteers, andschool teachers.Training junior and high school teachers has beenemphasized, with the intent of integrating the philosophy ofappropriate technology into the secondary school curricula.Center personnel also work with farmers, artisans, andwom en's groups. Trainees learn theory as w ell as practice.Everyone w ho studies RWH learns both how to calculatewater consumption n eeds and how to build a cistern andhang gutters.Currently the Center dem onstrates and promotes threecistern m odels. One is based on the design o f a traditional

spherical grain bin made with molded clay walls. Once thetraditional bin is built on a concrete base , the interior is ferrc-cemented,resulting n a 3,500 liter cistern at a materials cos tof about CFA37.500 (US$125). The oldest model has beenin use for four years and has needed no repair.The gutter system developed for this model c ollectswater from a straw roof, which is widely used in Togo,especially in the northern regions. This could be an important innovation in an area where a major problem for RWHis finding an appropriate rain catchment area.Another cistern model has a capacity o f 6 00 0 liters andis m ade from clay bricks with a ferro-cemented interior. It isstill undergoing testing, but the initial results seem positive.It is also low cost (US$12 5) and easy to construct TheCenter's 12,800 liter model is built underground. It is acement lined spherical pit w ith a dome-shaped concretecover. The local soil structure is stable and the pit is alsolayered initially with a compacted clay. This experimentalconstruction technique using no metal re-enforcement hasbeen in use for three years without need for repair. Totalmaterials cost was CFA 172.000 (U S$240).FUTURE ACTIVITIES

Though the Center's financingremainsan eve r presentconstraint, its future seems bright. In 1989, more than 4,000visitors wereregisteredat the Center. With a strong commitment from the Government of To go and the support ofseveral international agencies, the Center will continue toprosper.Within the national framework, the Center hopes tocontinue involving governmental and private agencies. Thiswill b e accomplished by promoting its various activitiesfurther dissemination of information and strengthening linksamong the Center, school teachers, and rural developmentagents. The Center also has more than 100 slides depictingthe construction stages of a number of other appropriatetechnolog ies. In addition the Center is completing a slideshow to be reproduced and made available, along withmodest projection equipment, in each of To go's five regions.On an international le ve l, the Center is interested inincreasing ties w ith other agencies and projects, and infurther d evelop ing a library of technical and organizationalinformation. Li rainwater harvesting, the Center would liketo obtain more information about low cost family-sizecisterns, use of local materials for concrete reinforcem ent,and straw ro of rain catchment techniques.Any ideas from RAINDROP readers would be mostwelcome. Also, ifreadersare interested in obtaining furtherinformation about the Center and its activities, they can writeto the following address:Centre de la Technologic ApproprieeB P . 2 7 8Kara, TOGO

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NETWORK NEWS

IRCSA Update:The International Rainwater CatchmentSystems Association (IRCSA) wasformed during the recent 4th International C onference on Rainwater Catchment System s held in M anila. A draftof the constitution and bylaws has beenforwarded to members of the International Organizing C omm ittee forreview . Onc e the constitution is formally accepted, the IRCSA ExecutiveBoard will start the formal membershipdrive and identify an initial site for theheadquarters.Ne w members of the IRCSA ExecutiveBoard include:John E. GouldSecretary General85 Thanington RoadCanterbury, Kent, C TI 3A UUnited K ingdomDr. Adhityan AppanRegional Director of South AsiaSchool of Civil & Structural EngineeringNanyang Technological InstituteNanyang Road 22 63SingaporeCraig H amerRegional Director of North AmericaW ASH Deputy Project Director1611 N. Kent Street Rm .1002Arlington, Virginia, 22209 US AErik Nissen-PetersenRegional Director of AfricaASAL ConsultantsP.O. Box 14333Nairobi, Kenya

IRC Update:IRC International W ater and SanitationCenter in the Netherlands, has justcompleted a review of w ater harvestingexperiences in Botswana, Kenya, Mali,Tanzania, and Tog o.

This review focuses on traditionaland newly introduced RWH system s ineach country, including developm ent,promotion, and construction a ctivities.It examines socio-economic conditions,intervention strategies, and prospectsfor wider RWH usage in the 1990s.Availability of the com pletedreview will be annouced in RA INDR OP and in the IRC Newsletter.For further information, con tactIRCP.O. Box 931902509 AD The HagueThe NetherlandsPhone: 31-70-3814911Fax: 31-70-3814034

UPCOMING EVENTSThe 5th International Conference onRain Water Cisten System s(ICORWCS) will be held in TaiwanAugust 4- 9,1 99 1. Its theme will be"Rain Water Catchment For FutureGenerations." Papers must b e subm itted by January 31 ,19 91 . Contact:Professor Show-Chyuan ChuDept of River and Harbor EngineeringNational Taiwan O cean University,Keelung, Taiwan 2 0224Republic of ChinaFAX: 866-32-620724.The 4th International Symp osium onFerrocement will be h eld in Havana,Cuba in October 19 91. It will b esponsored by the International Coordinating Com mittee on Ferrocement(ICCF) and the Cuban NationalEngineers (UNA ICQ . Contact:UNAICCHumboldt No. 104Esquina a InfantaVedado, Havana CUB A

RESOURCESRAINWATER QUALITYRH1C has compiled a bibliography of 12reports that pertain to rainwater qua lity.Contact RHIC to request a copy.FERROCEMENTA Ferrocement Tank Construction Manual is available in Spanish, published bythe University of Valle, Colombia.Cistern models are low cost, and themanual includes construction methods.For information, write:Mr. Peter G ondrieConvenio Colombo H olandesApartado Aereo 056896Bogota, D.E. ColumbiaAppropriate Technology Information(ATT) promotes RWH and springprotection. Ferrocement water tanksprove to be the cheapest and sturdieststorage technology. Training materialsincluding videos on ferrocement construction, a newsletter, and variouspublications, available at c os tFor information, write:ATI, P.O. Box 11070, Dorspmit 3206Pietermaritzburg, Natal, Republic ofSouth Africa.

LETTERSDear RHIC,I am very happy to note the birth of theRainwater Harvesting Network. This isa very positive step to promote know ledge of rainwater harvesting, a subjectwhich m ust be a rural developmen tpriority in many countries of the world.My association with rainwater harvesting goe s back to 1985 as a part of ateam that studied rainwater harvestingfeasibility in Western Sudan. Sincethen, I have been inv olved in thedevelopment o f a rainwater harvestingstrategy for that drought-stricken area. Ilook forward to receiving future issuesof RAINDROP.Yours sincerely,Anura WidanapathiranaConsultant, Sri Lanka



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RAINDROP SURVEYPlease take a little tim e to answer the following questions and mail your response toRHIC at the address below. The R AINCOLL database seeks information on ke yissues in RWH from around the world. Your response w ill be useful to other Networkmembers who are working in similar circumstances and w ho face similar problems.Please use additional space i f necessary, and add any additional com ments.

l l l l l tt \ ' i \ A . : \ > \

FOUL-FLUSH SYSTEMSFoul-flush (orfirst-flush)systems divert from the cistern thefirstseveral liters of water that fall on the roof.Thisfirstrainwater may not be suitable for drinking, due to accumulated dirt, leaves, etc., on the roof.1. What foul-flush system s, if any, are used in your area? Please include a brief description ordrawing o f the mechanism, information on its operation, cost, etc.

2. How many local RW H cisterns are equipped with foul-flush systems?

WATER RATIONING WITH RWHRWH often provides only a supplement to the family's water needs. When this is the case, water must alsobe transported from traditional water sourceswells, streams, lakes, or springsthroughout much or all ofthe year. Especially in areas where there is a long dry seasoa rationing is very important if safe drinkingwater is to be available throughout the year.1. In your area or region, how is stored rainwater used? (Drinking, cookin g, w ashing ?)

2. W ho controls RWH use and rationing?

3. D o local R WH cisterns run out of water each year before the rains begin? Ho w m anywe eks or months are the cisterns usually em pty?

Send your responses to :Dan CampbellWASH/RHICRoom 10011611 North KentArlington, VA 22209 USA

Raindrop Newsletter April 1990 v3 Rainwater Harvesting Bulletin

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Transcript of Raindrop Newsletter April 1990 v3 Rainwater Harvesting Bulletin