Rainwater Harvesting for Reconstruction
Practical Action
Practical Action’s reconstruction work in Sri
Lanka following the December 2004 tsunami saw
the inclusion of RWH technologies with several
dwellings. An example of this is shown in this
picture here:
More information on the post-tsunami work in Sri
Lanka can be found here.
Figure 9: Owner-built RWH storage in post-
tsunami Sri Lanka
Photo: Practical Action
Case Studies - Domestic
Cement Mortar Jar
This cement jar is relatively simple to construct and has
been implemented in several places in Asia and Africa. The
construction process consists of a template ‘bag’ made from
hessian sacking or similar material, which is placed on a
concrete base and filled with sand to fill out the shape.
Once full, cement mortar is plastered on, and once set the
jar is emptied and the bag removed from inside. The inner
walls can then be smoothed and strengthened with more
mortar and cement slurry. The jar requires a 2 week cure
time before it is ready to use.
The jar uses cheap materials that are readily available in
many places, and can be scaled to any size. However,
construction requires greater craftsmanship as size
increases, along with decreased mobility. The jar could
easily be fed by guttering, but it is difficult to incorporate a
spigot or other access valve into the design. However, in the
absence of more sophisticated storage facilities it can be a
cheap and effective method.
See the Practical Action technical brief Cement
Mortar Jar for details and further reading.
Figure 10: Cement Mortar Jar in Tanzania
Photo: Practical Action
DRIP Project in Uganda
The DRIP project was formed by a small team of volunteers from near Liverpool in the UK. It was
started in Uganda in response to increasingly unpredictable rainfall, which was making it more
difficult for farmers to grow crops, and food supplies were therefore running low. A cheap and
effective method of rainwater harvesting from thatched grass roofs was developed to allow farmers
to take advantage of infrequent, heavy rainfalls, securing a water supply that could be used during
dry months.
Water collected by the roof was diverted through metal guttering into a 1500L storage tank
constructed with local bricks and cement render. Water stored in the tank was limited to irrigation
purposes, specifically the local gardens to improve food production. A corrugated iron cover was
fitted to the tank to prevent debris and insects from entering the water, and to prevent
mosquitoes from breeding in there.
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