Let’s harvest water!

2 A rock catchment is another method for harvesting surface

runoff. It can be made wherever there are large rock outcrops.
When rainwater falls on rock most runs off the rock. The rock
catchment system catches and stores runoff water.
The catchment area and reservoir must be
cleaned and cracks repaired every season.

I
n the arid lands of Africa, a lot of rainwater is lost as it falls and flows
The rock surface from which water is
away. We can harvest a great deal of this water and store it to use when collected is the catchment area. The size
we need it. The 2 main ways of harvesting rainwater are collecting it from Vegetation growing on the
of the area, the slope and the average
rock is cleared and cracks
roofs and collecting surface runoff—the water that flows off land when it are filled up to stop water
rainfall are used to work out the
expected volume of runoff water. This
rains. sinking in.
sum decides the size of the reservoir*.

Harvesting surface runoff

There are many ways to harvest rainwater on the land. Building a runoff
The reservoir—water storage place—can be
a tank or a dam. A dam, built across a
natural dip or hollow in the rock, is better
harvesting system is a community project. The community must decide who will Have you noticed the puddles that for large catchment areas. A closed brick
own and operate the water source, what method to use and who will build it. form next to roads after even a brief or ferrocement tank is smaller but prevents
shower of rain? That is surface water being lost through evaporation.
runoff from the road.

These are 2 commin methods.

1 One way to collect surface runoff is to build a water pan, a pond

400–1,000 m³ dug in the ground to collect runoff from fields,
roads or luggas (dongas). A small one can be made bigger if needed.

Make the water pan in a natural dent or depression or in a small

valley where there is heavy soil, like clay—sandy soil won’t trap water.
Gutters made of flat stones and
cement surround the catchment area.
The gutters catch the runoff water
and channel it to the tank or dam.They
must have an upward slope (gradient)
An aqueduct is a channel that
leads water to a lower level
across a gap. If a tank is used,
an aqueduct leads water from
the gutters to the tank.
of at least 3 cm for every 100 cm.

A low wall to carry overflow

A shallow channel to direct water
to the pan. It must start at the
highest point, in this case where
the land meets the road. Plants
growing here help to trap soil.
Silt traps in the inlet channel catch
silt (soil and
other matter) water from
to the sides of the pan.
Some of the soil dug out of
the pan is used to make
spillways on either side of
the inflow channel.
A fence around the
pan keeps livestock
Trees reduce evaporation by
screening the pan from hot,
dry winds and providing shade
to keep the water cool. Keeping water clean
Even when we have a source of clean water, we
need to keep it clean when
collecting and storing it.
• Always use a container
that is clean inside and
Most of the soil dug out of the pan is used to make out
the wall or embankment. The wall and bottom are • Do not touch the
lined with clay or thick plastic sheeting. To make
the wall strong the soil is compacted (pressed
water with dirty hands
down), stones are put on the sides and grasses and A rock catchment • Do not let things fall
shrubs are planted on the wall.
in Kajiado collects into the water
enough water to feed • Keep the storage
a dam and storage container covered
tanks.
• If the container does
not have a tap, use a
clean ladle or scoop

carried in the
inlet water to
pan
out and keeps small for taking water from it
runoff water water children safe.
so less gets
silt
to the pan. More information
Free handbooks on various harvesting methods can be downloaded from
Water flows from the pan to a trough in a
pipe laid through the wall. Troughs can be www.waterforaridlands.com. The Pace Project (www.paceproject.net)
A school roofwater harvesting system. Water
made from old tyres or drums cut in half. and www.rainwaterharvesting.org have lots of information on ways to
from the roof is channelled through gutters to a
storage tank. harvest water.