Rainwater harvesting (RWH): a supplement to domestic water supply in Mvog-Betsi, Yaoundé-Cameroon

Abstract

Abstract This research is aimed at assessing the possibility of using a rainwater harvesting (RWH) system to supplement domestic water supply in the Mvog-Betsi neighbourhood of Yaoundé. The research made use of a 63-year long data series on the amount of rainfall available in the study area, an analysis of rainwater quality and an estimate of the population's monthly water demand in relation to the monthly harvestable rainwater supply. Rainwater supply for the months of September, October and November is 53.05 m3 which is considerably greater than the households' water demand of 25.56 m3 during the long dry season. This led to the design of a 27 m3 ferrocement tank as minimum storage requirement. Furthermore, a rainwater quality analysis showed that all tested parameters conform to water quality standards except for microbiological quality. The rainwater needs to be disinfected before consumption as potable water. Finally, cost estimates for installing RWH systems for low ($419), medium ($549) and high standard ($668) habitations were calculated. RWH can effectively serve as a water supply supplement in the Mvog-Betsi neighbourhood.