What is the best way to get potable water in the jungle.....let it fall from the sky.
In the tropics there are only 2 seasons - rainy and dry. In Panamá, there are 9 months of rainy season (April - December) and 3 months of dry season (January - March). According to
ETESA, the Darién has an annual rainfall of 190.1mm (this seems low to me, however!). With an adequate zinc roof, a good size tank, and a small amount of PVC, rainwater could provide potable water needs for people in my community.
People do already utilize rainwater, just not in the best way. All the houses keep their tanks on the ground outside their house (sometimes without a cover - making a convenient bath tank for roosters), and cross contaminate their rainwater by scooping out of tank. Women still have to spend time carrying water in an out of the house (even though it is closer than the river). Taking a look at their household practices, I saw room for improvement.
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| Tank on elevated platform connected to a zinc sheet |
I built an example system for myself that would deliver piped rain water connected to a faucet in my kitchen. The materials required are many that they already have, or can easily buy. The system needs, at least 1 zinc sheet, a tank, various PVC accessories, and wood. Along with some friends in the community, they helped me build an elevated platform for the tank. Since I have a
penca, or thatched roof, I built fixed a zinc sheet on the platform. I connected the PVC between the zinc and the tank to collect the rainwater, and then connected the tank to a faucet in my house. The system provides me with...
RUNNING POTABLE WATER!
Liquid Gold.
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| Piping up the shower with Mele |
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| My rain water pluma! |
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| My rain water bath! |
