DEVELOPMENT
REPORT - May 12, 2003: Water Storage Systems
By Jill Moss
This is the VOA Special English Development
Report.
Each year, millions of people in Bangladesh
drink ground water that has been polluted by naturally high levels of
arsenic poison. Finding safe drinking water in that country can be a
problem. However, International Development Enterprises has a low-cost
answer. This non-governmental organization has developed technology
to harvest rainwater.
People around the world have been harvesting
rainwater for centuries. It is a safe, dependable source of drinking
water. Unlike ground water, rainwater contains no minerals or salts
and is free of chemical treatments. Best of all, it is free.
The rainwater harvesting system created by International
Development Enterprises uses pipes to collect water from the tops of
buildings. The pipes stretch from the buildings to a two-meter tall
storage tank made of metal. At the top of the tank is a "first-flush"
device made of wire screen. This barrier prevents dirt and leaves in
the water from falling inside the tank.
A fitted cover sits over the "first-flush"
device. It protects the water inside the tank from evaporating. The
cover also prevents mosquito insects from laying eggs in the water.
Inside the tank is a low cost plastic bag that
collects the water. The bag sits inside another plastic bag similar
to those used to hold grains. The two bags are supported inside the
metal tank. In all, the water storage system can hold up to three-thousand-five-hundred
liters of water. International Development Enterprises says the inner
bags may need to be replaced every two to three years. However, if the
bags are not damaged by sunlight, they could last even longer.
International Development Enterprises says the
water harvesting system should be built on a raised structure to prevent
insects from eating into it at the bottom. The total cost to build this
rainwater harvesting system is about forty dollars. However, International
Development Enterprises expects the price to drop over time. The group
says one tank can provide a family of five with enough rainwater to
survive a five-month dry season. International Development Enterprises
has more information at its Web site, w-w-w-dot-i-d-e-o-r-g-dot-o-r-g
(www.ideorg.org).
This VOA Special English Development Report
was written by Jill Moss.
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