Title: RAINWATER HARVESTING AS AN ALTERNATIVE/SUPPLEMENTARY WATER SOURCE

By Project Professional Ghana

Full: Chapter 1-5

In Africa, most communities rely on natural water resources such as “rivers, streams, lakes, wells and springs were capable of providing a safe and adequate water supply for all social and economic activities” (Pedley et. al, 2011). Most of the time, these water sources are heavily polluted especially from “human activities such as agriculture and mining” (Hashemi, 2012). In Ghana, many communities in the Yilo Krobo municipality “do not have adequate access to potable water, the availability of a clean, safe and secure water source has been and will always be a concern for the human population”. Despite all efforts made by the “government to mitigate the inadequacies in the water supply system, the reality is that many people in Yilo Krobodo not have water running through their taps”. The water supply in most communities in Yilo Krobo is inadequate despite all efforts made by governmental and non-governmental organizations. This study assesses rainwater harvesting as a supplement or alternative source of water.
To achieve the objective of the study, convenient sampling was used to select 44 rural households in the Asaman communities at the Yilo Krobo Municipality. The main data collection instrument used was the questionnaire. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 26) software and presented using percentages, frequencies and tables. The findings of the study revealed the rainwater being harvested in the Asaman community of the Yilo Krobo Municipality are between 91-120 L storage capacities which most households use 31-50 L/day for preparing food, bathing, laundry, sanitary and other personal purposes (For example, washing the car, watering flowers, etc). The study recommends that the Municipal authority and other stakeholders like the Ghana Water Company need to train households on how to use improved traditional skills and materials to increase the water holding capacity of their RWH system and improve the water quality.