Rainwater harvesting is not a new concept or technology. Its been around for a long time but the need for it is becoming ever more necessary. Kenya, being 80% Arid and Semi-arid land (Asal), need more people to take advantage of rainwater harvesting.

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) identified rainwater harvesting systems as an alternative water technology that is relevant to federal facilities, is commercially available, and may offer an opportunity to offset freshwater use.

Why harvest water?

In the household harvesting rainwater is low cost and reduces the water bill significantly. If the harvesting is away from industry, the water may be free of chemical contamination. In Kenya where food security is such a constant issue, it can provide some consistent supply of water.

Farmers can subsidize their farm expenditures leading to higher income. Free flowing water is collected, reducing soil erosion. Areas prone to flooding can benefit greatly by practicing largescale rainwater harvesting. Flooding is an issue in some areas in Kenya. Larger rainwater harvesting programs can alleviate some of the stress on the existing water systems. Dams can collect water to prevent floods

How to harvest rainwater.

The basic components needed to harvest rainwater are;

• A collection system
• Storage system
• Treatment system
• Delivery system

1. For most the collection system is their existing roof and gutter system that they route rainwater from.
2. Depending on the size and needs of the user there are various solutions. CESP Africa offers storage tanks ranging from 500Liters to 2.6 M Liters. From domestic tanks to commercial tanks suited for industry and farming. For larger storage solutions, a dam could hold water from rainwater harvesting.
3. The rainwater harvested may require treating. Depending on the collection area and intended use. If the rainwater is collected away from industry then treatment is less necessary. If it is only intended for farm or commercial use and not human consumption, then treatment isn’t necessary. But for those who require domestic or commercial filtration, CESP Africa has the right solution for you.
4. This is how you will access the water. You’ll need a pump, flowback prevention, level indicator etc. depending on your system and needs.

Conclusion

Climate change has made water security a real issue. We have the opportunity to put systems in place to combat that insecurity. Rainwater harvesting is a viable solution and with improvement in building technology it is more accessible to the general public.

The biological method of waste water treatment relies on carefully maintained bacterial ecosystem to break down all the waste contained in the black and brown water.  Leaving clean effluent as an end product. It is among the most common methods of waste water treatment.

This method actually mimics what would naturally happen in nature but at a much higher rate.

Stabilisation.

The first stage of the process is stabilisation. The waste water is passed through a filter to remove any large solids that may be suspended. It is then placed in a temporary storage tank. The flow of waste water is regulated from this tank allowing the control of the overall treatment process.

Anoxic chamber.

In the second stage, treatment of the waste water starts. Bacteria at this stage consumes the nitrogen content. Releasing ammonia and nitrate.               

This bacteria at this stage doesn’t use oxygen, hence the name.

Aerobic stage.

In this chamber the bulk of the bio digestion happens. In this chamber the bacteria is attached to bristle like structures that are hung within the chamber. The structures purpose is to increase the surface area for the bacteria to act on the waste.

Depending on the size and needs of the treatment plant, there may be blowers used at this stage. The blowers mix oxygen into the system ensuring the bacteria has adequate oxygen to digest all the waste in the system.

Sedimentation.

This stage is a physical process of separating the sludge from the treated effluent. The liquid component is kept in a compartment where the sludge sinks to the bottom. The liquid effluent fills the compartment and flows into the next stage.

Pretreatment

At this stage the chlorine is added to the effluent to treat the liquid.

Climate change

In the last 20 years the number of floods has gone up by 134% compared to the last two decades of the 20^th century. Droughts have become longer and happen more often. An increase of 29%. Why this, relatively, rapid change. The answer is simple and we’ve all heard it before.

The World Meteorological Organization picked 2021 to focus on water. The WMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to international cooperation and coordination on the state and behavior of the Earth’s atmosphere. Its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.

From all the information they gather it places them in a unique position of an accurate overview of the state of the earth’s climate.

Though one of the issues they face is an unwillingness of some of the stations to send in their information. Unfortunately including Kenya.

Because of this lack of information, only a small percentage of the population at risk receives early warnings of adverse weather conditions.

Only about 3% of total water sector ODA (Official Development Assistance) goes to water resources conservation, encompassing data collection; creation and sharing of water knowledge; conservation and rehabilitation of inland surface waters, ground water and coastal waters; and the prevention of water contamination.

The new normal

Nairobi and many other parts of the country have known water rationing since 2017.  Though it has been 4 years we still do not have a constant supply of water.

Though it is true that the country has been getting hotter and dryer over the past few years, it is more than just that. In 1990 ninety percent of urban dwellers had access to clean water, but the rapidly growing population took that number down to 50% in 2017. The population in Nairobi quadrupled yet the water system didn’t grow nearly as fast.

11 billion down the drain.

In 2020 over 11 billion shillings worth of water was lost throughout the nations water system. Leakages due to poor maintenance of existing infrastructure metering inaccuracies, unmetered consumption and theft by water cartels are the main reasons for this loss.

The Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) allocates 20% buffer as potential losses. Kenya’s water system loses 47% of all water injected into the system. The water lost would be enough to supply residential and industrial needs of Nairobi for 6 months.

Some of the counties, like Migori lose up to 77% of water put into the system. Marsabit loses 67%, Baringo loses 64%, Kwale -63%, Kirinyaga- 59% Etc.

With the global trend of increased water scarcity, Kenya has to come up with a solution and fast. Lest water assess become an issue in the future.

Is it still clean?

The declining infrastructure also means that the quality of water getting to homes has declined, from 96% in 2019 to 92% in 2020.

Drinking water quality has a direct impact on the health of consumers. It is a weighted composite indicator measuring compliance with residual chlorine standards (40 percent) and bacteriological standards (60 percent).

Not so simple.

The existing system needs fixing to handle supplying water to the current population, though there are many other factors that have led Kenya to its current situation. Climate change is the largest global threat when it comes to water.

Take care of your home.

Not only do you have to worry about supply you also have to think about the safety of the water your family is consuming. At the leas you need a tank for your home you also need filtration. That is where our domestic and office water filtration systems come in to ensure you have safe clean and safe water to drink.

At CESP Africa we offer a few solutions to match your needs: we offer an under-sink water filtration system, a stand alone water dispenser and a table top water filtration system.

Simply put Kenya is going through a drought, 2021 is much hotter and dryer than 2020. Most of the country has received less rain overall than expected. Some areas getting as little as 25% of the normal rainfall.

During the long rains in 2021, between March and May, lower rainfall was recorded throughout the country.

What the drought has done.

To get a good idea of what effect this really has we can look at a comparison of the overall plant condition comparing 2020 and 2021.

If that wasn’t enough the National Drought Management Authority predicts that the situation is only going to get worse for most of the country;  which is  80% Arid and Semi-arid land (ASAL).

On 8 September 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta officially declared drought in parts of Kenya a national disaster.

The drought’s effects can already be seen With Cattle that  retailed at  Ksh50,000 in 2020  selling for as low as 20,000ksh – 25,000ksh in 2021.

The water situation for cattle farmers is getting dire to the point the government is stepping in to buy between 5,000 and 10, 000 of the weaker cattle. Those harshly affected by the drought will be fed from this meat.

Water solutions

Among the recommendations to the government is to provide water infrastructure and water storage facilities. To allow Kenyans living in these ASAL keep the water they need available for drier times. Read More on bulk water storage.

Conservation of the available water could make all the difference in these trying times. We can prolong the time before the effects of the drought are fully felt by recycling the available water. Residential and commercial waste water treatment systems produce clean water that could be used for farming and landscaping. Conserving the little water we have as well as saving on cost of getting fresh water.