systems or water catchment water harvesting systems are intended to collect water from rain for use. Its domestic application consists of systems in the ceiling of the house where they catch the water and then is drained through ducts and then stored in a tank or cistern. Simple manufacturing systems exist that do not require the participation of experts and used locally available material. The collected rainwater can used for showers, sinks and toilets, even combining the system with filters can also be used for human consumption.
The use of water harvesting systems are of great importance to meet an unmet demand for drinking water and irrigation on appeal, especially in those communities that do not have adequate availability of groundwater or surface water sources to meet their main needs.
The following is a description of the ingredients of a catchment system rainwater:
a. Canals and pipelines
They are aimed at the collection and conveyance of rainwater from the roof. The materials to be used vary from bamboo, aluminum or PVC. In the latter case you can use prefabricated PVC channel 4''with an average length of 9 m (1.5 set). Material selection will depend on local availability.
B. Channel Output Filter
filter channel output consists of a small device made in either aluminum or ferrocement. The filter is installed at the entrance to the storage tank, and functions to clean the water collected from the impurities that I can drag from the roof such as leaves, soil etc.
c. storage cistern or tank
water and filtered after it is collected is deposited in a cistern or tank. There are several types of tanks that can be used, their selection will depend on locally available materials and conditions of the place. Here are some types:
d. air tank
Once the water storage tank is installed air to the water supply system works by gravity and does not require electricity to function. The air tank can be made with the same materials as the storage tank. The selection of materials depend local availability.
e. pumping and piping driving air tank
The water stored in the tank then pumped to the air tank. For the above options are energy from alternative sources. For example, solar pumps are available in specialized marketing firms. Handpumps are also optimum performance and which can be produced locally as the pump Honduflexi. Another interesting option is the pumps operating by wind using a mill.
an additional filter is installed at the exit of the air tank. This filter is intended to give a treat water before use. Commercial options are very practical for installation and maintenance.
Generally speaking, rain water harvesting is considered as a convenient alternative and appropriate when precipitation has more than 600mm annually. and there is availability of areas for recruitment, these areas are high (and ceilings) or ground level.
complement these conditions is the place with population statistics and precipitation, same to be broken so as to allow a clearer view of demand and eventual water supply.
In designing solutions involving rainwater harvesting, need to be considered as parameters
1. Endowment: Established from the water uses that seek to cover.
2. Catchment Area: Applicable to roof surfaces that may assist in the collection.
3. Channeling: What gets water drawn and then to withhold or remove entrained solids larger, can carry the storage structure.
4. Filtering: It helps to remove heavy solids.
5. Storage: It becomes the protagonist structure being part of the response capacity in the dry season.
6. Distribution: It allows access to water harvested and stored for daily use in family chores.
Water Catchment Systems in Honduras
in the region, these systems for domestic use and irrigation has been widely disseminated in countries of Central and South America, in our country, experiences can be found in the departments of Choluteca, Valle and El Paraiso.
institutions in the field of governmental organizations that have developed experience in this activity have been identified as follows: Honduran Association Administration Boards Water and Sanitation (AHJASA), Water For People, Human Development Centre (CDH), World Neighbors , Action Aid / English International Cooperation Agency (AECI), Water Resources Department (DGRH) / Ministry of Natural Resources (SERNA), the Honduran Social Investment Fund (FHIS), Project of the European Union FORCUENCAS and GTZ, among others.
One expert organizations in the design and installation of collection systems and water purification is the Center for Teaching and Learning for Sustainable Agriculture (CEAS). CEAS is a sustainable farm and training center Santos Mata Family who have experience of over fifteen years training farmers, farm families, university students, schoolchildren, staff of NGOs and international people using participatory methods and techniques for learning by doing under human farming approach.
CEAS has designed and implemented a system for rainwater harvesting domestic use ferrocement tank.
The system of rainwater harvesting of CEAS is complemented by an easy to manufacture biological filter that purifies the water so that it is fit for human consumption.
CEAS Contact: René Santos Aguilar, Director
Community of El Socorro, at kilometer 124, on the road north 9 km Siguatepeque. PO Box No. 115, Siguatepeque, Honduras.
Telephone: (504) 3377-6606 and 9962-2246.
Email: rene@ceaso.org , negrita_voz@yahoo.com
Website
www.ceaso.org
Another interesting option for pumping water from the storage tank to the elevated tank is the use of pumps that work by wind. In that sense there is a valuable experience for Vocational Education Center Evangelical and Reformed "Dr. Ned Van Steenwyk "or its acronym (Cevêr). The Cevêr is an institution created nonprofit for the purpose of providing technical education to poor young people so they can improve their living conditions. The Cevêr workspaces are: Woodworking, Welding, Industrial Mechanics, Automotive Mechanics and Industrial Dressmaking.
The Cevêr during the period from 1980 to 1985 developed a work experience in several municipalities in the department of Yoro, Honduras in the field of windmills.
This type of pumping water in a mechanical way is to use a piston pump, which causes the pipe submerged suction and expulsion to a storage tank, as shown in schematic form in Fig.
is necessary to achieve this goal, connect the pump to a specially designed device or gear. The Cevêr has the knowledge and experience to develop this technology.
Cevêr Contact: Angel House, Director
Cevêr Buildings input, Yoro, Yoro, Honduras.
Phone: (504) 671-2315 and 671-3033.
Email: cevernvs@yahoo.com
