Sustainability

Creating and measuring long-term impact

Rainwater Harvesting is by its nature a sustainable means to obtain a safe, reliable and affordable source of drinking water. The CIC system is gravity fed, no pumps required to deliver water as in a well. In the village of Makali where Bank On Rain installed another school system there were 6 inoperative wells, most out of commission due to missing pump parts or a worn washer in the lower unit. Maintenance of a RWH system consists of keeping the debris filters clean, monitoring the water levels in the tanks and keeping the gutters in good repair. No special equipment or parts are required and potential problems can be identified by a quick visual inspection of the system.

One of the unexpected challenges we have experienced in introducing RWH systems to schools has been doubt on the part of teachers and principals that clean, safe drinking water can be collected from metal roofing with obvious rust. With over 3 meters of rainfall, the school roof is very well washed and the captured water shows no discoloration nor metallic taste, but this has to be demonstrated to overcome long-standing opinions. Years of being told by NGO's and government health officers that surface water is not clean and that well water was the safest source may have contributed to misconceptions about rainwater harvesting. If the water is collected directly from a roof of proper materials (metal, tile) and stored in a clean, covered and screened container, there is little chance that human pathogens are present. Bird droppings, leaves and other organic material that may fall on a roof surface are generally of small amount and are exposed to massive UV disinfection (the principle behind the solar disinfection of water placed in the sun in clear plastic bottles). In regions of high rainfall like Sierra Leone there is little opportunity for surface water to be filtered as it rapidly sinks to the water table through porous soils. The 2012 cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone was due to ingestion of contaminated water drawn from wells.

Other Issues

Unusual and unexpected issues faced during project execution

The CIC School is located on a well traveled track ("upper pipeline"), so many people pass by the school. The water tanks are located on the opposite side of the school from the track and are not visible from any of the surrounding houses. This somewhat hidden location may make the tanks susceptible to vandalism or persons not associated with the school obtaining water. The tank volume was calculated to provide drinking water for the students and teachers, but cannot sustain use by the community. After school hours the buildings are not occupied and we supplied locking water taps to discourage unauthorized use, but we do not know how effective this may be. During the rainy season the tanks could likely provide water to many more users, but making the water last through the dry months for 400 users leaves not leeway for any waste or stealing of water. We have asked that the school staff monitor the water levels closely so that any unusual drop can be investigated.

Learnings

Knowledge of project and process for sharing

Due to the scheduled expiration of Eric's Peace Corps contract (mid August), Bank On Rain decided to build the ISSB tanks and install the RWH system at the CIC School in July, the height of the rainy season. The Upper Pipeline "road" leading up the ridge to the school becomes a track negotiable only by foot or motorcycle during the rainy season. The main road at the base of the ridge is about 3 km from the school and this required some creative transport to deliver construction materials to the site. Had we done this project in September or October logistics would have been much easier. Working in the rain required freshly plastered tanks to be covered with tarps to prevent the cement from washing away before it could dry. The concrete lids constructed to cover the tanks required several weeks to cure thoroughly, but on the positive side, we didn't have to haul water to the site to mix cement and mortar.

Impact

People Impacted: 400

People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 400

The CIC Primary School is situated near the top of a ridge with no ready source of drinking water. The students and teachers bring drinking water and water for cooking meals from home each day. Since this locale has more than 3 meters annual precipitation, this school is a good candidate for rainwater harvesting (RWH) as a source for safe water. It was decided to construct water storage tanks using Interlocking Stabilized Soil Blocks (ISSB), a low cost material made with a hand press designed specifically for on-site manufacture. One concern about the school site was that stored water might be diverted by persons other than students and staff, and sizing of the tanks was based upon supplying water through the dry season for just the 400 students and staff.

School Children Getting Water: 400

The project was formulated to provide a year-round source of safe drinking water for only the 400 students and staff.

People Getting Sanitation: 400

Our partner in Sierra Leone, Safer Future Youth Development Program (SFYDP) has developed a program termed Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) which we consider a neccessary precursor to providing safe drinking water in underserved schools and communities. Without education in basic sanitation and health, the benefits of a safe drinking water supply may be a largely wasted effort. Safer Future have successfully implemented the CLTS program in villages and schools throughout Sierra Leone. We have used their trained facilitators and community organizers to provide the sanitation and health education as a vital component of the RWH systems we design for schools.

For this project the CLTS program will be presented to the 20 staff and 400 students at the CIC School. Safer Future has provided this program at the Barina Agricultural Secondary School in Makali in conjunction with the RWH system installed in 2011. Learning the the relationship of hand washing and health is manditory if the full benefits of safe drinking water are to be gained through RWH systems.

People Getting Other Benefits: 430

In selecting schools as the sites to construct these systems it is the intent of Bank On Rain that they serve as demonstrations that rainwater can be an affordable, dependable and safe source of water in Sierra Leone. It is hoped that the success of the school systems will encourage others to construct RWH systems for homes and businesses as an inexpensive alternative to wells. The recent cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone is thought to have been from contaminated well water, often assumed to be safe, but in areas of high precipitation the soils may not sufficiently filter surface water as it percolates to the water table. RWH systems may be a better choice in terms of both cost and safety.