Rainwater Harvesting for Reconstruction
Practical Action
Brick Dome Water Tank
Another example of RWH technology installed by the CWSSP in Sri Lanka is the Brick Dome tank,
which was an underground cylindrical brick construction (in some respects actually a cistern)
used to store rainwater directed from the rooftop of a dwelling by U-section plastic guttering.
Water in the tank was accessed by a simple hand-pump, or by a bucket.
The tank was installed as an alternative to the occupants using a communal hand-pump per every
10 households. A full tank could supply the family during dry seasons, provided they managed
water use carefully.
The main issue with installation of this technology was the lack of compatibility with local
customs; the occupant family of the dwelling in this case had not used RWH before, and were
initially reluctant to do so. However, over an extended period of time the benefits were realised
and use of underwater brick dome tanks in conjunction with RWH increased.
For more details refer to the Practical Action technical brief Brick Dome Water Tank. There is also
a more general brief on the design and build of cisterns in Underground Rainwater Harvesting.
Figure 13: Section of Brick Dome water tank
Photo: Practical Action
Warwick University’s DTU has produced a technical guide on partially below-ground brick tanks,
available here.
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