Q: You have good information but could you please avail us with information about rain water harvesting in rural primary schools or perhaps could you please contact me about safe rain water harvsting in primary schools? (anonymous user)
Answer: of all the documents available I would like to provide you with some practical documents to start with:
Factsheet on domestic rainwater harvesting (2003) written by our colleague Jo Smet. It’s a 4-pager with nice illustrations and provides a good introduction to the topic. You can find the document in IRC’s digital library: http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/125290
Smart Water Harvesting Solutions (2008). This booklet describes 17 water harvesting techniques; creative solutions in situations where ‘there seems to be no water’. Examples from all over the world are included. Each case provides a short description of the technique, applying conditions, advantages, considerations, costs and references.
Roofwater harvesting: a handbook for practitioners (2007), available in IRC’s digital library at http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/155697
This handbook has been written to assist NGO and government staff responsible for implementing domestic roofwater harvesting systems or programmes. It is also meant to serve as a source of material for rainwater harvesting associations preparing national design guidelines in local languages. Finally, it could be used by individual householders or masons literate in English to design single roofwater harvesting systems.
There is a lot more on rainwater harvesting, see for example our Q&A on rainwater harvesting. Much of this information is also of use for schools.
Please keep in mind however that for larger roofs, as is often the case for schools, problems may occur in a non-technical aspect: the management of the collected rainwater. It is sometimes difficult to achieve a fair distribution, and collecting sufficient funds for operation and maintenance may also be an issue.
