MINI PTOJECT

DESIGN OF RAINFALL
HARVESTING SYSTEM FOR RED
PUMP COMMUNITY

A mini project submitted in partial fulfilment of

the requirement for the Award of Degree of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
BY
JOHN S KAMARA
REG #; 38074
SUPERVISOR:……………………..

DESIGN OF RAINWATER HARVESTING

SYSTEM IN RED PUMP COMMUNITY

MINI-PROJECT

JOHN S KAMARA
REGISTRATION 38074
 ABSTRACT
In recent time there has been low supply of pipe borne water at red pump community, which
had an adverse effect in the various housing or house hold. Fresh water is expected to become
increasingly scare as temperature and sea level rise due to global climate change. I believe now
is the time to start rethinking our behavior in terms of water use and start conserving water
even if it on a small scale. One of the best ways to conserve water at community level is to
construct or install small scale rainwater harvesting system. In a few months of apprentice
learning under the supervisions of an experience water engineer. A lot I have learnt, and few
observations was made and that is what I intend to be published in this project paper. It should
also be noted that the result published in these papers are not opinion but facts.

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 DECLARATION
I John Sorie Kamara declare that the information published in the paper are majority my work
and research on my attachment. And will not be submitted for this proposes.

This mini-project is a partial fulfillment for the award of a bachelor engineering.

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND

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Water is an important source for every living organism, human and plant need water for
survival. Water is a nature’s gift given to the mankind living on the earth. However, the
shortage of water supply had become a global issue. The enlargement of the population of the
worldwide had led to increase the water’s demand. In addition, developing country try to keep
pace with the rapid growth of the country’s economy and discharge chemical, solid, rubbish to
the river, squatter. Land development, slaughter houses, improperly dispose waste from animal
husbandries and firms had caused the water pollution problem. The additional of the chemical
such as chlorine for water treatment process will kill all the bacteria and micro-organisms
include the useful micro-organisms contain the water. To solve the problem of shortage of
water supply, water collected by a rainwater collection system is the best solution and
alternation for the region.

Rain water had become a main natural source of water supply in non-potable and portable
used. The non-potable rain water was generally used in washing floor, flushing toilet and
watering garden. The portable used of the rainwater was included cooking, drinking, washing
dish and bathing. The rain water could be collected from the roof and open area. The size of the
catchment of the rainwater collection system is depended of the roof area and the demand. For
large catchment, the collection of rainwater could be from the roof area educational
institutional, industrial and other whereas the collection of rainwater from the roof area of
houses and small size building was for small size system.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
In the construction of rainwater harvesting system regular maintenance is required. Requires
some technical skills for installation. Limited and no rainfall can limit the supply of rainwater.
If not installed correctly, it may attract mosquitoes and other waterborne diseases.

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 DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA
Red pump community is situated at the west end of Brookfield, Western Area, Freetown with
coordinate 8o 28’53’’N, 13o14’42’’W and spanning vast lands of hundreds of acres is one of the
main important communities in the country. Several housing and office structures were put up,
basically scattered across this vast land space, to provide for increasing population demand.

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Figure 1.1 View of the Community Area.

2.1 INTRODUCTION
Water plays a major role in laying the foundation for economic growth, not only by increasing
the assurance of supply, but also by improving water quality and therefore human health.
Although the water quality supply system has been improved, the demand is increase following
the growth of the population and development. The climate changed and causes dry period also
to be a factor in increasing the demand of water supply.

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Rainwater harvesting seems to be a beneficial method for minimizing water scarcity in
developing countries (Helm Reich and Horn, 2008). Clean rainwater collected not only solved
the water crisis problem but also reduce the water treatment cost. There are two categories of
storage reservoirs, surface or aboveground tanks (common for ground catchment system)
(Kahinda al.,2007). Seize of storage tank depends on the requirement but the local rainfall
characteristics throughout the dry season also affect the size required and the reliability of a
storage unit to supply water when needed (Guo and Baetz, 2007).

2.2 RAINWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM BASIC COMPONENT

A rainwater harvesting system comprises of components for transporting rainwater through

pipes or drains, filtration, and tanks for storage of harvested water. The common components of
a rainwater harvesting system are catchment surface, delivery system, and storage
reservoirs. Regular cleaning and inspection of the catchment area and gutter are important to

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ensure good water quality. To protect water quality, good system design, operation and
maintenance are essential. The first rains should flush away the dust, leaves etc. that lie on the
roof surface. In practice, preparation and cleaning of the roof surface before the first rains
hardly ever happens. To prevent these pollutants and contaminants from getting into the storage
tank, the first tank water containing the debris must therefore be diverted or flushed away.
Many RWH systems therefore incorporate a system to divert this, first flush” eater so that it
does not enter the tank. A coarse filter, preferably made up of nylon or a fine mesh, can also be
used to remove dirt and debris before the water enters the tank. Further treatment through
boiling, exposure to sunlight and chlorination can be undertaken if there are concerns about the
water quality.

Figure 2: Systematic diagram of the component of a Rainwater harvesting system

i. Catchment surface: surface that collect rain water such as roof top, the best
catchment system is hard, smooth surface. The amount of rainwater harvested
depended on the size of catchment surface, rain intensity and slope of the catchment
area, material of catchment. The catchment of a water harvesting system is the
surface that receives rainfall directly and drains the water to the system. Surface
water is however in most cases not suitable for drinking purposes since the water

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 quality is not good enough. Any roofing materials is acceptable for collecting water.
However, water to be used for drinking should not be collected from thatched roofs
or roofs covered with asphalt. Also lead should not be used in these systems.

ii. Gutter and downspouts: Rainwater falling from catchment surface will flow
through distribution systems that channel the water into container (collector). The
most common gutter and downspouts are half-round PVC, vinyl, pipe, seamless
aluminum, and galvanized steel. Seamless aluminum gutter has generally more
expensive due to its installed by professionals. The additional components include
the hardware, brackets, and straps to fasten the gutters and downspout to the fascia
and the wall. Gutters should be installed with slope towards the downspouts, to
encourage drainage away from the building wall, the outside face of the gutter
should be lower than the inside face. (Dr Krishna, 2005)

iii. Leaf screens: The screens remove the debris, dust, leaf from the captured rainwater.
The installation of a leaf screen to gutter can be effective in reducing routine
maintenance. Leaves from the captured by rainwater will desperately flow into the
tank. Leaf screens must be regularly cleaned to be effective. (Dr Krishna, 2005).

iv. Delivery system: Gravity-fed, piping and pump system. The delivery system from
the rooftop catchment usually consists of gutter hanging from the sides of the roof
sloping towards a downpipe and tank. This delivery system or guttering is used to
transport the rainwater from the roof to the storage reservoir. For the effective
operation of a rainwater harvesting system, a well-designed and carefully
constructed gutter system is crucial because the gettering is often the weakest link in
a rainwater harvesting system. As much as 90% downpipe system is properly fitted
and maintained. Common material for gutters and downpipes is metal and PVC.
With high intensity rains in the tropics, rainwater may shoot over the (conventional)
gutter, resulting in rainwater loss and low harvesting production; splash guards can
prevent this spillage. Conduits are pipelines or drains that carry rainwater from the

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 catchment or roof-top area to the harvesting system. Commonly available conduits
are made up of materials like polyvinylchloride (PVC) or galvanized iron (GI).

v. Storage tanks: There are two categories of storage reservoirs; surface tanks and
subsurface tanks. Surface tanks are most common for roof collection. Materials for
surface tanks include metal, wood, plastic, fiber glass, bricks, interlocking blocks,
compressed soil or rubble stone blocks, Ferro-cement and reinforced concrete. The
choice of materials depends on local availability and affordability. Surface tanks are
generally more expensive than underground tanks but also more durable. The
materials and design for the walls of subsurface tanks or cisterns must be able to
resist the soil and soil water pressures from outside when the tank is empty. Tree
roots can damage the structure below the ground. Careful location of the tank is
therefore important. Local materials such as wood, bamboo and basket work can be
used as alternatives to steel for reinforcing concrete tanks. A subsurface tank or
cistern requires a water lifting devices such as pump or bucket-rope system. Safe
water lifting devices and regular maintenance and cleaning are important for
prevention of contamination of the stored water.

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 Figure 3 Tank, Gutter, Delivery
system and Catchment.

2.3 QUALITY OF RAINWATER

2.3.1 Protecting Water Quality

In rural areas rainwater is generally unpolluted and pure before reaching the ground.
It is also in these rainwater from roof catchments is most commonly used for
drinking. Rainwater from well-maintained roof catchments is generally safe to drink
without treatment. Except in heavily urbanized and industrialized areas or regions
adjacent to active volcanoes, atmospheric rainwater is very pure, and any

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 contamination of the water usually occurs after contact with the catchment system.
Regular cleaning and inspection of the catchment area and gutter are important to
ensure good water quality. The first rains should be used to flush away the dust, bird
droppings, leaves etc. that lie on the roof surface. In practice, preparation and
cleaning of the roof surface before the first rains hardly ever happens. To prevent
these pollutants and contaminants from getting into the storage tank, the first
rainwater containing the debris must therefore be diverted or flushed away. May
RWH systems therefore incorporate a system to divert this ‘first-flush’ water so that
it does not enter the tank. A coarse filter, preferably made of nylon or a fine mesh,
can also be used to remove dirt and debris before the water enters the tanks. To
protect water quality, good system design, operation and maintenance are essentials.
Water quality will generally improve during storage, if light and living organisms
are excluded from the tank, organic content is limited, and fresh flows inflows do not
stir up any sediment.

2.3.2 filters
The quality of water can be much improved if debris is kept out of the system. To
accomplish this filter and separators can be added to a rainwater harvesting system at
the inlet, outlet or both. Filters simply catch the debris and allow all water to flow
through. The first line of defense is a coarse filter, which can be installed anywhere
from the gutter to the entrance to the tank. The most popular position for placing a
filter is in the gutter, at the beginning of the downpipe, in the downpipe and at the
entrance to the tank itself. Of these, the tank entrance is by far the most common in
very low-cost systems. Whatever location is chosen for the filter, there are several
criteria that should be met for good design: the filter should be easy to clean, it
should not get blocked easily (if at all), blockage should be obvious and easy to
rectify, and it should not provide an entrance for additional contamination of the
stored rainwater.

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 Figure 4 FILTER

2.3.3 FIRST-FLUSH

The primary purpose of a first-flush diverter is to take the first flow of rainwater
from the roof and divert it away from your storage reservoir. The first-flush of water
from the roof can contain bacteria. First-flush and filter system are not always
essential, but they can significantly improve the quality of roof run-off. If these
systems are poorly operated and maintained, they may result in loss of rainwater run-
off and even contaminate the water supply. There are several methods for separating
the first-flush: the fixed volume or automatic method, the manual method, the fixed
mass system and the safe rain system.

2.4 TREATMENT OF STORED WATER

Treatment of stored rainwater makes sense only if it is done properly. There are
several possible treatment methods, the most common being sand filters,
chlorination and boiling.
Sand filters: provide a cheap and simple method to purify water. Two filter types
can be used; a filter can be connected to the tank to filter all the water as it enters the
tank. Such a filter can provide 50 liters of water per day-enough for the drinking and

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 cooking needs of a small family. However, this filtering method is only suitable
where the inflow is slow. The second filtering type is a so-called point of use filter,
which unlike the first option is not located at the inflow point. Water for drinking
purpose is filtered through a portable sad filter.
The second type is highly recommended. In a sand filter, additional layers of gravel
and charcoal are also commonly used to further improve the filtering capacity and
thus the water quality. Sand filters do require careful operation and maintenance to
ensure they continue to work effectively.

Chlorination: Chlorination can be an effective way to purify the water. The chlorine
will, however, affect the taste of the water and over-application can cause health
problems. If you suspect the water in the tank is contaminated, adding calcium
hypochlorite or sodium hypochlorite should treat it. The initial dose should be 7g of
calcium hypochlorite or 40ml of sodium hypochlorite per 100 liters of water in the
tank. The water should be stirred and left to stand for 2s hours (no additional water
may enter the reservoir). To maintain a safe water supply after this initial dosage, 1g
of calcium hypochlorite or 4ml of sodium hypochlorite per 100 liters should be
added to the rainwater tank weekly and the mixture should be allowed to stand for at
least two hours before use.
Boiling: boiling water for two or three minutes normally ensures that it is free from
harmful bacteria or pathogens. However, boiling requires a lot of energy and in some
area, this might be a problem due to shortage of fuel or wood. Many people don not
like flat taste of boiled water and it takes time for it to cool down before you can
drink it.

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................1

DECLARATION...........................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................3

PROBLEM STATEMENT............................................................................................................4

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DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA.............................................................................................6

2.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................7

i. Catchment surface...............................................................................................................8

Gutter and downspouts:...........................................................................................................9

ii. Leaf screens.........................................................................................................................9

iii. Delivery system:..............................................................................................................9

iv. Storage tanks:................................................................................................................10

2.3.2 filters................................................................................................................................12

2.3.3 FIRST-FLUSH................................................................................................................13

2.5 HYDROLOGICAL ANALYSIS...........................................................................................15

2.6 RUNOFF COEFFICIENT.....................................................................................................16

TABLE 2: ACCUMULATED AVERAGE RAINFALL DATA........................................18

2.7 ESTIMATION OF WATER DEMANDED..........................................................................18

FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS.........................................................................................19

FOR HOUSEHOLD WORKERS............................................................................................19

CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................19

2.5 HYDROLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Based on experimental evidence, Mr. H. Darcy, a French scientist enunciated in 1865, a law
governing the rate of flow (i.e., the discharge) through the soils. According to him, this
discharge was directly proportional to head loss (H) and the area of cross-section (A) of the soil,
and inversely proportional to the length of the soil sample (L). In other words

H
Q∞ A
L

Where:

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Q=Runoff Here

H/L represent the head loss or hydraulic gradient (I)

K is the co-efficient of permeability

Hence, finally,

Q=K. I. A

Similarly, based on the above principle, water harvesting potential of the catchment area was
calculated. The total amount of water that is received from rainfall over an area is called the
rainwater legacy of that area. And the amount that can be effectively harvested is called the
water harvesting potential.

The formula for calculation for harvesting potential or volume of water received or runoff
produced or harvesting capacity is given as;

Harvesting potential or Volume of water Received (m3) =

Area of catchment (m2) X Amount of rainfall (mm) X Runoff coefficient.

2.6 RUNOFF COEFFICIENT

Runoff coefficient for any catchment is the ratio of the volume of water that runs off a surface
to the volume of rainfall that falls on the surface. Runoff coefficient accounts for losses due to
spillage, leakage, infiltration, catchment surface wetting and evaporation, which will all
contribute to reducing the amount of runoff. Runoff coefficient varies from 0.5 to 1.0. in present
problem statement, runoff coefficient is equal to 1 as the rooftop area is totally impervious. Eco
climatic condition (i.e., Rainfall quantity & Rainfall pattern) and the catchment characteristics
are most important factors affecting rainwater potential.

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 TYPE OF AREA RUNOFF COEFFICIENTS (K)
Residential 0.3-0.5
Forests 0.5-0.2
Commercial & industrial 0.9
Parks & Farms 0.05-0.3
Asphalt or concrete Paving 0.85
Road Surfaces 0.8-0.9

In designing a rainwater harvesting system it is difficult to obtain the amount of rainwater

collected without knowing the annual rainfall depth for that area, a rainfall data was collected
from the Meteorological Department in Freetown. But what we are interested in here is not the
rainfall depth but the average annual rainfall depth for the specific years we are dealing with. To
obtain this average depth we first of all sum up the total monthly rainfall for the various years
and record them, after we have done it for the ten years we consider, then we sum up all of them
and divide the answer by ten since we want to obtain the average annual rainfall for ten years,
we divided by ten because we are designing for ten-years rainfall. From the analysis the
explained in this paragraph, the average annual rainfall is shown in the table below

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TABLE 2: ACCUMULATED AVERAGE RAINFALL DATA
No. YEAR Accumulated Rainfall (mm)
1 2005 2121.2
2 2006 2499.3
3 2007 2111.5
4 2008 2428.6
5 2009 1065.9
6 2010 1627.3
7 2011 1463.9
8 2012 2130.6
9 2013 2337.3
10 2014 2253.3
11 2015 1471.3
average 1955.47

2.7 ESTIMATION OF WATER DEMANDED

In this study, the approach adopted for seasonal water demand takes a series of factors into
consideration. The simple estimation will be; the water use (in liters) multiplied by the number
of persons in the house and then multiplied by the number of days in a year.

Water demand= water use x number of person’s x 365days/yr.

on average, the number of children’s and parent within the household in red pump is estimated
to be around 12 people, these include:

Children= 8

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Parent= 2

House worker=2

FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS

From research and findings, a total of 40 liters of water is used by each children a day for
flushing and general cleaning purposes, so therefore

Water demand= water use x number of children x 365days/yr.

= 40 x 8 x 365

=1,16800 liters/yr.

FOR HOUSEHOLD WORKERS

This section of the cleaners, according to research a total of 80litres of water would be consume
by each of them a day for flushing, general cleaning, bathing etc.

Water demand= water use x number of household workers x 365days/yrs.

= 80 x 2 x 365

=5,8400 liters/yr.

The total water demand is 17,5200 liters/yr.

CONCLUSION
From the result obtain we can see that a huge amount of water can be collected within a year
and this can prevent water shortage within the community. Rainwater harvesting is a viable
option to supplement city water for various and important purposes. The overall efficiency of a
rainwater harvesting system is to supplement city water increases as the area increases. The
system would be highly effective in this community. Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable water
conservation measure. Harvested rainwater has the potential to supplement sources of water
supply for non-potable uses. The design and installation of an ongoing maintenance of rainwater
harvesting system is required to ensure optimum performance. The provision and siting of
storage for harvested rainwater will depend on site restrictions and capacity needs.

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Harvested rainwater provided sufficient water to replace all mains water used for toilet-flushing
in the house for the duration of the project.

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