An examination of factors affecting sustainability of domestic rainwater harvesting systems in a rural, semi-arid region of Mexico

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1388-1397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena E. Neibaur ◽  
Elizabeth P. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
World Health ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Technical Feasibility ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Semi Arid

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is increasingly utilized today by populations to alleviate water supply issues, particularly in rural, dry environments. Limited research has considered, simultaneously, the numerous factors that contribute to sustainability – for example, social acceptance, water quality, and maintenance needs – of RWH. This research aimed to improve the understanding of factors influencing the sustainability of rainwater harvesting systems for domestic use (DRWHS) through examination of social, water quality, and technical feasibility components. We conducted 50 household surveys and 17 rainwater quality analyses in San Jose Xacxamayo, a rural, semi-arid community in Puebla, Mexico. Results showed that DRWHS are socially accepted primarily because of the presence of existing local skills and knowledge, as well as critical need for water. Results from most of the water quality parameters measured were within World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for human consumption, with the exception of pH, total coliform, and heterotrophic plate count, which required water treatment prior to consumption. Technical feasibility was the main barrier to the sustainability of DRWHS; highly seasonal rainfall and small roof sizes (averaging 70 m2) resulted in households unable to meet annual water needs. Increasing roof sizes and providing water treatment could ensure DRWHS sustainability in the studied community.

scholarly journals A Detailed Assessment of Groundwater Quality in the Kabul Basin, Afghanistan, and Suitability for Future Development

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussain Ali Jawadi ◽  
Jay Sagin ◽  
Daniel D. Snow
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Physicochemical Analysis ◽  
World Health ◽  
Total Hardness ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Water Type ◽  
Dissolved Solids ◽  
Health Organization

Kabul is one of the most populated cities in Afghanistan and providing resources to support this population in an arid climate presents a serious environmental challenge. The current study evaluated the quality of local Kabul Basin groundwater to determine its suitability water for drinking and irrigation purposes now and into the future. This aim was aided through groundwater parameter assessment as well as determination of Water Quality Index (WQI) developed from 15 observation points near the city. The results of our physicochemical analysis illustrate that groundwater in the majority of areas of the Kabul Basin is not generally suitable for human consumption, and in some cases the concentrations of many contaminants are higher than accepted health standards or water quality benchmarks. The aquifer underlies an arid landscape, and because of this 85% of the samples tested are very hard while just over 13% are classified as hard. Groundwater in the Kabul Basin is typically high in calcium and magnesium and overall classified as a calcium bicarbonate water type. Overall, more than 60% of the analyzed samples had concentrations higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of total dissolved solids (TDS), 10% in total hardness (TH), about 30% in turbidity and more than 90% in magnesium. The results show that based on WQI, without treatment, roughly 5% of groundwater in the studied area is unsuitable for human consumption, while 13.3% is very poor and 40% is poor quality water. Approximately 40% of the assessed groundwater has good quality and could be used as drinking water for future development. Groundwater in some areas shows evidence of pollution and high dissolved solids content, rendering these sources unsuitable for either drinking or irrigation purposes.

scholarly journals Phytoplankton community: indicator of water quality in the Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves Reservoir and Pataxó Channel, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

2009 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
NT. Chellappa ◽  
FRA. Câmara ◽  
O. Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Toxic Cyanobacteria ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Density Values ◽  
Quantitative Analyses ◽  
Qualitative Similarity

The current study analysed spatial-temporal modifications of the phytoplankton community and water quality, during dry and wet seasons. The phytoplankton community was studied in three areas: Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves Reservoir (ARG), which is an important public use reservoir in RN, Pataxó Channel (PC-before water treatment), Itajá, RN, and after the water treatment (WTP). Water samples from the reservoir were collected during both dry (January, February and November, 2006) and wet seasons (March to June, 2006). Quali-quantitative analyses of phytoplankton were carried out. Results indicated a qualitative similarity of the phytoplankton community in the three areas. However, significant differences were registered in these areas in relation to species relative abundance, with dominance of potentially toxic cyanobacteria, such as Planktothrix agardhii Gomont (dry season) and Microcystis aeruginosa Kutz (wet season). Ecological indexes obtained higher values before water treatment. Nevertheless, densities of cyanobacteria (organisms/mL) gradually reduced in the waters of the reservoir and of the Pataxó Channel before and after water treatment. After the treatment, density values of cyanobacteria were adequate for human consumption, according to the values established by the Health Ministry.

scholarly journals Water quality management for domestic rainwater harvesting systems in Fiji

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Kohlitz ◽  
M. D. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Limited Government ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Harvesting Systems

Health risks from drinking rainwater are relatively small in the developing world context, but action is needed to ensure water safety. Water safety plans (WSPs) use an approach to manage water quality that has shown signs of success with public and communal water supplies, but relatively little research has been done to investigate the application of WSPs to self-supply systems. The aim of this paper is to investigate the primary issues surrounding appropriate water quality management of domestic rainwater harvesting (DRWH) systems in Fiji and consider how the principles of WSPs can be applied in this context. A qualitative research design was followed, utilising semi-structured interviews with 34 rural households and six key informants, sanitary inspections of DRWH systems and thematic data analysis. A number of challenges, including limited government resources and the limited knowledge and casual attitudes of rural rainwater consumers, constrain the practicality of adopting conventional WSPs at the household level, but steps for improvement can be taken.

scholarly journals Design and management of rainwater harvesting systems to control water quality for potable purposes in Cu Khe, Vietnam

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 452-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonghwan Kim ◽  
Anh Dzung Dao ◽  
Mikyeong Kim ◽  
Viet-Anh Nguyen ◽  
Mooyoung Han
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Control Water

scholarly journals Bacteriological and Physicochemical Assessment of Water Quality of the Public Swimming Pools in Klang Valley Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Naim Rosli
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Physicochemical Parameters ◽  
National Standard ◽  
World Health ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Total Bacterial Count ◽  
Swimming Pools

Abstract Background: Water is essential for life and it been used for various activities such as drinking, bathing, and recreational purposes and also one of the modes of the transmission of the disease.Objective: The objective of this study to assess the presence of bacteriological and physicochemical quality of swimming pools’ water in Lembah Klang, Malaysia.Methodology: Seven water samples collected from outdoor and indoor swimming pools (hotel, apartment, and public swimming pool) in Lembah Klang, Malaysia. Water samples were collected in sterile bottles (30 ml). Physicochemical parameters were determined using water quality testing kit pH & chlorine apparatuses. The water sample was cultured and incubated. The presence of bacteria was counted by the total bacterial count method.Result: The ranges of mean values of the various chlorine level parameters of the selected water samples investigated for the apartment, hotel, and municipal were, 0.56±1.01, 0.77±0.95, and 1.19±0.91. All the physicochemical parameters except conductivity values were within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) standards 2006 and American National Standard for Water Quality in Public Pools and Spas (ANSI/APSP) 2015. The mean, standard plate count of water samples from the selected apartment, hotel, and municipal’s swimming pools were, 28407.14±28469.05, 8192.86±10556.36, and 3257.14±6250.17which above the WHO Guideline limit, thus signifying contamination.Conclusion: The study recommends improvement in the personal hygiene of swimmers, adequate cleansing of the pools, and enforcement of standards by the government.

Life cycle assessment of rainwater harvesting systems for Brazilian semi‐arid households

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-330
Author(s):  
Thiago Barbosa de Jesus ◽  
Alice Costa Kiperstok ◽  
Eduardo Borges Cohim
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Semi Arid

Analysis of Fiber Filter Media after 6 Years of Use as a First Flush Filter

2011 ◽  
Vol 695 ◽  
pp. 93-96
Author(s):  
Ree Ho Kim ◽  
Jung Hun Lee ◽  
Sang Ho Lee ◽  
Hana Kim
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Ion Exchange ◽  
New Media ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
First Flush ◽  
Filter Media ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Fiber Filter

Pollutants in rainwater often cause problems such as non-point source pollutant and deterioration of collected water quality in rainwater harvesting systems. Fiber filter media have been developed to resolve these problems by removing pollutants in rainwater by filtration and ion-exchange mechanisms. They have been also successfully applied for the treatment of first-flush rainwater. However, little information is available on the long-term efficiency and the lifetime of the fiber filter media. In this study, new and used fiber filter media were compared in terms of their filterability and ion-exchange capability. The used filter media samples were taken from a first flush filter in a rainwater harvesting system located in an elementary school in Kyonggi-Do. They were used from 2005 to 2010 without any replacement or cleaning. Water quality parameters of an inflow and outflow in the first flush filter were analyzed to quantify the on-site treatment efficiency of the used media. It was shown that the turbidity was removed by approximately 60% and COD was partly removed. The removal efficiency of particles by the used media was similar to that by the new media. Nevertheless, the removal efficiencies of nitrogen and phosphorous by the used media were substantially reduced when compared with the new media. This suggests that the fiber filter media should be periodically replaced to maintain high removals of nutrients. On the other hand, they can be used for more than 6 years if their primary purpose is to removal particles.

scholarly journals Assessment of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Poor Rural Communities: A Case Study from Yatta Area, Palestine

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nibal Al-Batsh ◽  
Issam Al-Khatib ◽  
Subha Ghannam ◽  
Fathi Anayah ◽  
Shehdeh Jodeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
World Health ◽  
Water Network ◽  
Catchment Areas ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
One Year ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

Yatta is a town located nine kilometers south of Hebron city in the West Bank of Palestine. The town houses over 100,000 people of which 49% are females and has a population that doubles every 15 years. Yatta has been connected to a water network since 1974 serving nearly 85% of its households. The water network is old and inadequate to meet the needs of the population. Water supply made available to the area is limited, estimated at 20 L/capita/day. Residents are thus forced to rely on water vendors who supply water that is 400% more expensive with a lower quality compared to municipal water. Therefore, rainwater harvesting is a common practice in the area, with the majority of households owning at least one cistern. Rainwater harvesting is of great socio-economic importance in areas where water sources are scarce and/or polluted. In this research, the quality of harvested rainwater used for drinking and domestic purposes in Yatta was assessed throughout one year. A total of 100 samples were collected from cisterns with an average capacity of 69 m3, which are adjacent to cement-roof catchment areas of 145 m2 average surface area. Samples were analyzed for a number of parameters including temperature, pH, alkalinity, hardness, turbidity, total dissolved solids, NO3, NH4, chloride and salinity. Results showed that most of the rainwater samples were within World Health Organization (WHO) and Environment Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for chemical parameters. Microbiological contents such as total Coliforms and faecal Coliforms bacteria were tested. The research also addressed the impact of rainwater harvesting systems on different socio-economic attributes of the local community through a questionnaire that had been filled out before any sample was collected.

Impact of rainwater harvesting systems on nutrient and sediment concentrations in roof runoff

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 220-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy M. DeBusk ◽  
William F. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Pollutant Removal ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Roof Runoff ◽  
Phosphorus Species ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Physical And Chemical

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems have the unique ability to contribute to stormwater management goals via mitigation of runoff volumes and peak flow rates. Additionally, collecting and storing runoff via RWH systems can potentially provide water quality benefits due to physical and chemical processes that occur within the storage tank. This study quantified the water quality improvement provided by storing rooftop runoff via RWH systems at four sites in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Roof runoff and extraction spigot samples were analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS), nitrogen species and total phosphorus. Roof concentrations were significantly greater than spigot concentrations for all constituents except TSS, indicating the ability of RWH systems to significantly lower nutrient concentrations of incoming roof runoff. Lack of significant TSS reduction was likely attributable to low, ‘irreducible’ concentrations of TSS in the roof runoff. The use of additional filtration components prior to the extraction spigot could aid in lowering spigot TSS concentrations. The findings presented herein contend that stormwater benefits associated with RWH are not only limited to hydrologic mitigation, but also include reductions in concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus species. Thus, it is recommended that pollutant removal credit be assigned to these systems when used as stormwater control measures.

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