rainwater harvesting in grenada
TRANSCRIPT
Running head: RAINWATER HARVESTING IN GRENADA
Resident Perspectives on Rainwater Harvesting in Grenada
Brian Neff Shelly Rodrego
Muge Akpinar-Elci St. George’s University
Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine True Blue Grenada
Email: [email protected]
Abstract: Rainwater harvesting has historically been
relatively basic but widespread throughout the
Caribbean. ‘Best practices’ of rainwater harvesting
currently is being promoted in Grenada, though
adoption is lacking. Past works have focused on the
usefulness of the best practices model, not on the
factors that facilitate and restrict residential adoption.
This study focuses on residential perspectives toward
water needs and rainwater harvesting to determine
the factors that influence residential adoption of both
basic and best practices rainwater harvesting. Surveys
were conducted in a community identified in
previous work as a target community for rainwater
harvesting investment. Results revealed six key
factors that influence residential adoption and
indicated that the adoption of best practices in the
study area is unlikely.
Resident Perspectives on Rainwater Harvesting in
Grenada
Rainwater harvesting has been practiced for
thousands of years and remains an important source
of water for much of the Caribbean. Methods used to
harvest rainwater in the Caribbean are highly
variable. In one of the most basic forms, rainwater
harvesting involves capturing rainwater runoff from a
rooftop in a bucket or barrel. More elaborate, ‘best
practices’ methods incorporate specialized structures
including, but not limited to, first flush diverters,
filters or screens to prevent organic matter from
entering the storage tank or cistern, and post-storage
filtration (Caribbean Environmental Health Institute
2009; Caribbean Environmental Health Institute and
United Nations Environment Programme 2009;
Caribbean Environmental Health Institute 2006).
The Caribbean small island developing state of
Grenada is located at the southern end of the West
Indies archipelago (see Figure 1) and consists of the
main island, named Grenada, and two smaller islands
with modest populations, Carriacou and Petit
Martinique. The current study focuses solely on the
main island of Grenada and does not consider the two
smaller islands. The island of Grenada covers an area
of 311 km2 and is mountainous, rising to a maximum
elevation of 840 m (2,756 ft) and characterized by
sharp peaks and jagged ridges (Parsram 2010). The
island supports a population of approximately
100,000 people (Government of Grenada 2011).
INSERT FIGURE 1 NEAR HERE
Due to Grenada’s mountainous terrain and location in
the path of the northeast trade winds, the island
experiences a large amount of adiabatic precipitation
and features a tropical rainforest running the length
of the island at higher elevations. Annual average
precipitation ranges from slightly over 1,000 mm at
the northeastern and southwestern coasts to 4,000
mm in the tropical forest interior. Of special
significance, the island experiences a dry season from
January through May. Interannual variability in the
severity of this dry season is high and sensitive to the
effects of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (Parsram
2010).
The water authority on Grenada maintains a water
supply system that delivers piped water to 96.5% of
urban residents on the island (Kairi Consultants
2008). The water supply network is constructed to
capture water from streams at high elevations, divert
the water to a water treatment plant, and then
distribute the water to the population, largely by
gravity. Due to the mountainous and rugged relief of
the island, centralized storage, treatment, and
distribution of piped water is not possible. The water
authority maintains a network of 23 surface-water
supply catchments and nearly as many water
treatment plants scattered throughout the island.
Water supply is augmented by eight well fields
around the island.
Water supply to residents occasionally is interrupted,
referred to locally as a “water cut-off,” for at least
three reasons. First, many of the water treatment
plants on Grenada lack the capacity to process turbid
water, which is common following large rainfall
events. In these cases the water treatment plants will
simply close. Storage capacity is limited due to the
relief of the island and residents are either cut off
until the water clears or they receive turbid water.
This type of water cutoff generally lasts a day or less.
Second, dry season drought conditions often restrict
stream flow and less water is available for diversion
to water treatment plants. When water demand
outstrips water supply, the water authority rations
water until conditions change. This type of water
cutoff generally lasts between hours to two days, but
can be much longer in some cases. Due to both types
of water cutoffs, many residents store piped water, or
harvest and store rainwater for use during water
rationing. Third, natural disasters also threaten water
supplies in Grenada. According to Peters (2010),
water supply was interrupted following hurricanes
Ivan in 2004 and Emily in 2005, causing hardship for
many citizens.
All three types of water supply interruptions may
be exacerbated in coming years by climate change
and can plausibly be alleviated by residential
rainwater harvesting, leading some authors to
point to rainwater harvesting as an important
adaptation strategy (Pandey, Gupta, and Anderson
2003). Confirming the value of rainwater
harvesting in Grenada, Peters (2010) documented
that hardships from water supply interruption in
Grenada following Hurricanes Ivan and Emily
were reduced for residents that practiced rainwater
harvesting.
Previous literature estimated that 66% of households
on mainland Grenada currently practice rainwater
harvesting (Caribbean Environmental Health Institute
2006, p. 15). However, the rainwater harvesting
systems utilized tend to be relatively basic. A typical
system includes gutters on the edge of a rooftop that
funnel rainwater to a repurposed plastic 55 gallon
shipping barrel.
In contrast to the typically basic approach to
rainwater harvesting in Grenada, the so-called
‘best practices’ model of rainwater harvesting
currently is being promoted in many parts of the
Caribbean (Caribbean Environmental Health
Institute 2009; Caribbean Environmental Health
Institute and United Nations Environment
Programme 2009). This model is a relatively
elaborate approach to harvesting rainwater and
supplies potable water suitable for all needs
directly into the home. Costs of fitting homes with
this technology are estimated by the Caribbean
Environmental Health Institute (2009) to range
from $556US - $4,037US for homes ranging from
one to eight persons, respectively. This estimate is
consistent with quotes from Grenadian
contractors, who approximate typical costs to be
around $2,000 - $3,000US (Alfonso Daniels, pers.
comm., 2011), and costs documented for
installations on other Caribbean islands
(Caribbean Environmental Health Institute and
United Nations Environment Programme 2009).
As part of ongoing research to establish ways to
enhance resident resilience to water shortages, the
current project was designed to establish what factors
facilitate or obstruct resident decisions to adopt
rainwater harvesting. This study is interested in the
adoption of traditional, basic forms of rainwater
harvesting as well as the best practices model.
Method
Participants: 89 long-term residents of Grenada who
self-identified as a head of a household in Pomme
Rose, St. David participated in the current study. This
sample size captures approximately half of the total
heads of household in the community. The average
home size was 3.6 persons (2.2 adults and 1.4
children per home), and the average household
income of participants was $3,125US per year,
marginally higher than the poverty line of $2,030US
and vulnerability line of $2,704US defined by the
2008 Country Poverty Assessment for Grenada (Kairi
Consultants 2008). The community has
approximately 170-190 homes, based on the author’s
interpretation of Google Earth aerial images, eight
site visits, and consultation with residents and nearby
business owners. The community of Pomme Rose
was selected because it is specifically identified in
the National Rainwater Harvesting Programme for
Grenada (Caribbean Environmental Health Institute
2006) as a “target community for rainwater
harvesting investment” (p. 59). Additionally, it was
judged to be similar to other target communities
during three field visits conducted by the author prior
to the current study. Finally, participants were judged
by the surveyor to be intellectually capable of
understanding the informed consent process and
survey questions.
Measures
Two surveys were developed by the author for use in
the study. The first survey was administered to
residents who currently collect rainwater in any way
(see Appendix 1). 44 participants completed this
“rainwater harvesters survey”. The second survey
was administered to residents who currently do not
collect rainwater (see Appendix 2). 45 respondents
completed this “non-rainwater harvesters survey”.
The rationale for conducting separate surveys was to
capture both the factors affecting the decision to
practice rainwater harvesting in general, as well as
the factors that affect decisions on adopting the best
practices model.
Procedure
Every home in the Pomme Rose community was
canvassed three times during three separate field
visits conducted in June and September 2011 and
February 2012. All surveys were administered
verbally to participants. Surveying was done with the
aid of public health graduate students at St. George’s
University, who were trained and supervised by the
author. All respondents provided verbal informed
consent prior to answering the survey questions
anonymously and no payments were made to
respondents. The Institutional Review Board of St.
George’s University on Grenada reviewed and
approved the current project (approval number
11020).
Results and Discussion
Current rainwater harvesting practices
Approximately half (49.4%) of respondents reported
practiced rainwater harvesting, somewhat less than
found in a previous study that found 66% of homes in
all of Grenada practice rainwater harvesting
(Caribbean Environmental Health Institute 2006).
The rainwater harvesting practices reported by survey
respondents were relatively simple, typically
involving collecting runoff from a rooftop using a
gutter and a single rain barrel or bucket. 88% of
rainwater harvesters used a single rain barrel, usually
a repurposed plastic 55 gallon shipping barrel, or
buckets to store rainwater. 97% of rainwater
harvesting homes did not plumb rainwater into the
dwelling and the one instance of plumbing rainwater
into the home was an opportunistic diversion of
rainwater from the home’s roof to a tank originally
installed to store piped water.
Most people who collect rainwater were
knowledgeable about how to clean their rainwater
harvesting systems and reported doing so
periodically. 70% of rainwater harvesters reported
knowing how to clean their systems, 54% of
rainwater collectors indicated cleaning their systems
at least once per year and 74% reported cleaning their
systems at least every 5 years. Of those who ‘never’
clean their rainwater harvesting systems, 88% did not
perceive any need to do so.
Almost no examples of any element of a best
practices model were reported or observed (table 1).
No first flush diverters, screened overflow pipes,
purification devices, or sanitary means of removing
water from the storage tank were observed. Only
38% of rainwater harvesters reported covering their
water storage tank or cistern in any way, 16% with a
secure cover and 22% with cloth or a screen. One
home (3%) reported routing rainwater from the roof
to a storage vessel via a closed pipe.
INSERT TABLE 1 NEAR HERE: RAINWATER
HARVESTING COMPONENTS
Survey results also reveal that many residents drink
rainwater, often untreated (figure 2). 65% of survey
respondents who harvest rainwater report drinking it
at least sometimes and 50% drink it untreated at least
sometimes. Interestingly, 30% of all rainwater
harvesters never treat rainwater before drinking it.
When considered across the entire population, these
figures translate to 32% of the total population
drinking rainwater (treated or not) at least sometimes
and 25% of the total population drinking it untreated
at least sometimes. 15% of the total population
reported drinking untreated rainwater regularly. The
public health consequence of drinking rain water
remains unclear. Intuitively it seems that pathogens
exist in rainwater and drinking it untreated should
increase disease prevalence. However,
documentation of negative effects in studies remains
inconsistent. Peters (2006) reports that waterborne
disease related to rainwater is nearly unknown among
residents of Carriacou and Petit Martinique, two
outlying islands of Grenada that rely on rainwater for
100% of their water supply.
FIGURE 2 NEAR HERE: DRINKING RAINWATER
Factors Affecting Rainwater Harvesting Practices
Survey results revealed five factors that affect
adoption of rainwater harvesting in the target
community (table 2). Two of these factors affect the
motivation of residents to collect rainwater and three
factors affect their ability to do so. All of these
factors were worded in such a way that relatively
high values facilitate adoption of rainwater
harvesting and relatively low values serve to restrict
adoption of rainwater harvesting.
INSERT TABLE 2 NEAR HERE: SUMMARY OF
FACTORS
Perceived need.
In the study case, the need to collect rainwater was
driven by the presence of water cutoffs. Piped water
supply to the community of Pomme Rose was
characterized as being relatively good, but with
frequent water cutoffs or supply of water with
unsuitably high sediment content for many residents.
Households that collected rainwater were nearly
twice as likely (80%) to have experienced water
cutoffs than households that do not collect rainwater
(42%), a statistically significant difference (χ² =
9.820, p = 0.002).
One important factor with regard to the perceived
need for harvesting rainwater is the presence of other
options for storing water to use during cutoffs.
Overall, 61% of all respondents (both rainwater
harvesters and non-rainwater harvesters) reported
experiencing some type of water cut off. Not
coincidentally, 61% of all survey respondents
reported storing piped water to help cope with water
cutoffs. Of this group, 44.4% did not store water
from any other source and 55.6% did store water
from at least one other source, usually rainwater. This
is interpreted to mean that in the presence of water
cutoffs residents will store water from one or more
sources, primarily piped water but also rainwater in
many instances.
Financial incentives.
Approximately half (55.6%) of the respondents who
reported storing piped water also practiced rainwater
harvesting, often as a means to save money on water
bills. Nearly 20% of residents that collect rainwater
cited the low cost of rainwater as a primary factor in
their decision to do so. Many residents report storing
piped water inside the home for high quality needs
such as drinking, while using rainwater for low-
quality/high-volume water needs such as washing
clothes. Figure 3 illustrates that 22%-44% of
residents prefer using rainwater over all other sources
for low-quality water needs such as washing dishes,
clothes, and watering plants.
FIGURE 3 NEAR HERE: WATER SOURCE FIRST
CHOICE
Convenience.
The first factor that affects the ability of residents to
collect and store rainwater is convenience. Table 1
and the associated discussion above describe the very
simple rainwater harvesting practices observed in this
study. In nearly all cases, rainwater-harvesting setups
were makeshift and consisted of materials available
nearby and free. Examples include buckets and
repurposed plastic shipping barrels used for water
storage and scrap pieces of cloth laid across the tops
of tanks to serve as a filter and prevent mosquito
infestation of stored water. Materials that need to be
sourced from afar are conspicuous in their absence,
with the exception of gutters, which are present on
65% of homes that collect rainwater. Less than 5% of
homes that practice rainwater harvesting had tanks
specifically designed for storing water.
Financial Cost.
The second factor that affects the ability of residents
to collect rainwater is financial cost. Households that
collected rainwater appeared to be wealthier than
residents who do not collect rainwater (table 3).
Statistical analysis of the differences between the
rainwater harvesters and those who do not practice
rainwater harvesting were impeded by very low
response rates to income and education questions and
a high rate of inconclusive observations of home
construction by surveyors. Nevertheless, the mean
annual household income of those who collect
rainwater was 65% higher than households who did
not collect rainwater. Rainwater harvesters were also
60% more likely to live in concrete walled homes and
were somewhat better educated than non-rainwater
harvesters. Taken together, these indicators may
illustrate an importance of possessing some basic
level of wealth to access rainwater harvesting
supplies. For example, it may be that wealthier
residents are more likely to receive shipping barrels
from foreign friends and relatives. While wealth may
modestly affect adoption of basic rainwater
harvesting, it likely serves to make the ‘best
practices’ model completely inaccessible to most or
all residents in the study area. The validity of this
factor should be verified in follow-up studies.
TABLE 3 NEAR HERE: MEASURES OF WEALTH
Knowledge.
A third factor that affects resident ability is
knowledge and familiarity with rainwater harvesting
systems. Basic forms of rainwater harvesting have a
long history in Grenada and are widespread. 83% of
people who collect rainwater have been using their
present systems for over five years and less than 5%
of people who do not collect rainwater cite a lack of
knowledge as a reason. However, knowledge of the
best practices model appeared to be lacking in the
study community. No examples of best practices
were observed on homes in the study community
during any of the field visits. Additionally,
respondents who practice rainwater harvesting were
asked how they would improve their current system
if they could do so in any way. The most common
responses were to install gutters (23% of responses),
increase storage capacity (18%), and to add a screen
or cloth to an existing rain barrel to prevent mosquito
infestation (15%). No responses indicated a desire
for typical best practices components such as a first
flush diverter or a pump and only one respondent
(3%) indicated a desire to plumb rainwater into the
home. It is apparent that even if other factors were
favorable for adoption of best practices, the lack of
knowledge of the best practices model would restrict
adoption.
Implications
The results of this study have significant implications
for future rainwater harvesting promotion in Grenada.
First, I conclude that the possibility of residential
adoption of the best practices model of rainwater
harvesting in the target community is remote. All five
of the factors identified that affect the decision to
practice rainwater harvesting are unfavorable to the
best practices model in the study community (table
2). In particular, residents in this community are
unable to afford best practices systems that cost
thousands of dollars, especially when piped water is
supplied intermittently and can be stored more easily
and cheaply.
Results also indicate a limited but significant
potential to promote basic forms of rainwater
harvesting in the target community, particularly if
collecting rainwater can be made more convenient
and inexpensive for residents. If this holds true for
other parts of Grenada, the significance could be
profound. Many parts of Grenada experience dry
season piped water shortages and rationing. Often,
the dry season demand outstrips dry season supply by
a relatively small margin. Promoting basic rainwater
harvesting to expand the effective water supply could
be far less expensive than expanding capacity at the
water authority level. In addition, getting residents to
reduce their demand for piped water may be easier by
promoting basic rainwater harvesting than by
promoting water conservation.
These conclusions are consistent with criteria for
promoting rainwater harvesting presented by the
United Nations Environment Programme (1999) and
conversations between the author and persons in the
local water authority (Al Neptune, personal
communication, 2011). A contribution of this study is
to establish data that verify these criteria while
providing a detailed picture of the local setting.
Limitations
This study is limited in a number of important ways.
First, Grenada is remarkably diverse, both in terms of
water supply and social dynamics. It is possible the
results would be different in other towns. Second,
this study utilized surveys. This method may be
adequate to gauge how and why residents practice
rainwater harvesting, but it does a poor job of
capturing the best water shortage coping strategy to
promote. Third, the subjects of this study are
residents and results reflect the biases and limitations
of the resident perspective. Other groups of people,
notably the local water authority and regional
rainwater harvesting promoters, are likely to have
valuable input on the matter. Future research could
utilize other methods, such as focus groups or
interviews, and target the views of other stakeholders
to provide a more comprehensive picture of the
situation. This would provide a more solid basis for
charting a future course to assist residents cope with
intermittent piped water supply.
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the gracious assistance of
many important people with this study, including:
Christopher Cox, Caribbean
Environmental Health Institute (CEHI),
Alphonsus Daniel of Daniel and Daniel
Engineering,
Al Neptune, National Water &
Sewerage Authority (NAWASA),
Jennifer Durst and students at St.
George’s University.
References
Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (2006).
National Rainwater Harvesting Programme
for Grenada. Ministry of Health, Social
Security, Environment and Ecclesiastical
Affairs, Grenada.
Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (2009).
Rainwater Catch it while you can: A
Handbook for Rainwater Harvesting for the
Caribbean.
Caribbean Environmental Health Institute & United
Nations Environment Programme (2009).
Field Report On Best Practices for
Improving Water Quality in Rainwater
Harvesting Systems under the project
Promoting Rainwater Harvesting in the
Caribbean Region - Phase 2.
Government of Grenada (2011). Grenada strategic
program for climate resilience (SPCR). pp.
112.
Kairi Consultants. 2008. Country Poverty
Assessment: Grenada, Carriacou and Petit
Martinique. Tunapuna, Trinidad and
Tobago, West Indies: Government of
Grenada.
Pandey, D. N., Gupta, A. K., & Anderson, D. M.
(2003). Rainwater harvesting as an
adaptation to climate change. Current
Science, 85(1), 46-59.
Parsram, K. (2010). Grenada Water Resources 2010:
Centro del Agua para America Latina y el
Caribe.
Peters, E. (2006). Rainwater potential for domestic
water supply in Grenada. Water
Management, 159(3), 147-153.
Peters, E. (2010). Impact of hurricane Ivan on
Grenada water supply. Water Management,
163(2), 57-64.
United Nations Environment Programme (1999).
Sourcebook of Alternative Technologies for
Freshwater Augmentation in Latin America
and the Caribbean: The Stationery Office.
Appendix 1
Survey given at homes that do not collect rainwater (page 1 of 1).
1a
1b
2a
3a
If you DO store water to use in the dry season, how large are your storage tank(s) or your cistern(s)? (total)
During the driest part of the dry season, how many consecutive days is your home without piped water?
12
13
Other: _________________________________________________________ Home not plumbed for rainwater
4
Do you store other water such as piped or trucked water? (a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r
2b We store
piped water
Do not know how Can not afford it Issues with
rainwater safety
If you do NOT store water to use in the dry season, why not?
Can not
afford tank
No place
to put tank 3b
Piped water is
present all the time
3c
Survey Finished
Researcher Name: Finish Time: _____________
5What is your home
built from?
(a) boards, (b) concreteWhat is your household income? (EC dol lars )
Monthly ___________ or Yearly ____________
(c) other ___________ What is the highest level of education you
have attained?
a. No supply interruptions
b. 1-3 days consecutive
c. 4-6 days consecutive
d. 7-9 days consecutive
e. 10-12 days consecutive
f. 13-15 days consecutive
g. 16-18 days consecutive
h. 19-21 days consecutive
i . 22-24 days consecutive
j. 25-27 days consecutive
k. 28-30 days consecutive
Other Reason: ____________________________________________________________________________
Note to researcher: ci rcle a l l that apply, but
don't show the l i s t to the respondant
I'm not sure
100 gallons
200 gallons
300 gallons
400 gallons
500 gallons
600 gallons
700 gallons
800 gallons
900 gallons
1,000 gallons
1,100 gallons
1,200 gallons
1,300 gallons
1,400 gallons
1,500 gallons
1,600 gallons
1,700 gallons
1,800 gallons
1,900 gallons
2,000 gallons
2,100 gallons
2,200 gallons
2,300 gallons
2,400 g or more
Do you collect rainwater? Yes r No r If yes, go to the "rainwater harvesters" survey
Why don't you collect rainwater? (Note to researcher: circle all that apply, but do not read them the list)
Piped water is present
all the time No Reason
How many people, adults and children/youth under 18, l ive in your home? ____ Adults ______ Youth _____ Total
Date __________ Better Rainwater Harvesting Questionnaire Start time ______________
Are you a head of household? (one of the people who are primarily ‘in charge’ in your home)
Yes r No r
Questionaire ID#
_________________
Appendix 2
Survey given at homes that do collect rainwater (page 1 of 2)
1a
1b
2a
(1) Piped
into
dwelling
(2) Piped
into yard
(4)
Hauling
Truck
(5)
Standpipe
(6)
Neighbor
(7)Rain-
water
(8) Bottled
water
(9) Surface
water
(8) Other,
specify:
a Drinking
b Cooking
c
Bathing /
personal
hygiene
dWashing
dishes
eWashing
clothes
fWatering
lawn/garden
gToilet
flushing
h
Other
(please
specify)
4b Your drinking water (from any source)?
Do you treat rainwater before drinking it? 4d Rainwater that you use for drinking?
(a) boil; (b) Chlorine; (c) UV light; (d) Traditional Filter (eg cloth)
(e) store-bought fi lter (eg Brita); (f) do not treat; (g) Other (specify)
5a
5c
5d
(1) I’m unsure or only partially sure how my system works
5bDo you clean the parts of your RWH system?
(a) Regularly (1x/yr) r (b) Occasionally (1x/2-5 yr) r (c) Never r (d) Not sure r
If not, why not?
Note to researcher: Do not show them
the list, but let them draw or explain
what is on their system and interpret
their words for the system components.(2) Gutters
(3) Closed pipe connecting gutter to cistern or water tank
(4) Screen or mesh cloth to prevent large particles,
mosquitoes and leaves from entering cistern or tank
(5) Screened overflow pipe to prevent mosquito entry &
breeding
(6) Secure cover on cistern or tank to keep out insects &
other vermin, dirt and sunshine
(7) First flush diverter
(a) Regularly r (b) Occasionally r (c) Never r (d) Not sure rWould you clean the system if you knew how?
5e
Do you know how to clean the parts of your RWH system? Yes r No r Not sure r
(a) Always r (b) Sometimes r
Would you clean the system if you could do it yourself or afford to hire someone else to do it?
(8) Extra tank to let sediment settle out before sending
water to cistern or main tank
(9) Plumbing from tank or cistern into house
(10) Pump
(11) Access cover to clean tank or cistern
(12) A way to get water out of the tank without
contaminating it (i .e. A Pump or valve)
(13) Other (l ist or describe)
Better Rainwater Harvesting QuestionnaireDate __________
Are you a head of household? (one of the people who are primarily ‘in charge’ in your home)
Yes r No r
Questionaire ID#
_________________
4b & 4d: How do you most frequently treat...
Do you collect rainwater? Yes r No r
Start time ______________
What is the main source of water for the following uses? (Mark all that apply with an A)
What is the source of water when the main source is unavailable? (Mark all that apply with a B)
3
If no, go to the "non rainwater harvesters" survey
How many people, adults and children/youth under 18, l ive in your home? ____ Adults ______ Youth _____ Total
4c
4a(a) Always r (b) Sometimes r (c) Never r
Do you treat your drinking water before use?
6
(a) Regularly r (b) Occasionally r (c) Never r (d) I don't drink RW r
Please describe the parts on your rainwater collection system
(You may draw a picture of your system if it helps)
Supply for when piped
water is unavailable
2b
(c) Never r (d) I don't drink RW r
Tastes better than other sources Environmental reasons
Higher quality than piped water Cost Convenience Other (list):
If yes, why do you collect rainwater? (Note to researcher: circle all that apply, but do not read them the list)
Appendix 2 (continued)
Survey given at homes that do collect rainwater (page 2 of 2)
7a
9a
9b If you don't store piped water, why not?
9c At most, how many consecutive days is your piped water cut off?
How large are your storage tank(s) or your cistern(s)? (total)
12
13
Have you modified your RWH in
the last 5 years?
(a) Yes r
(b) No r
(c) Not sure r
e. 10-12 days in a row
f. 13-15 days in a row
g. 16-18 days in a row
h. 19-21 days in a row
i . 22-24 days in a row
j. 25-27 days in a row
k. 28-30 days in a row
Is your home plumbed to use piped water?
(a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r9e
a. No piped water cut offs
b. 1-3 days in a row
c. 4-6 days in a row
d. 7-9 days in a row
7b Why or why not? (Or I have no particular reason)
10
I'm not sure
100 gallons
200 gallons
300 gallons
400 gallons
500 gallons
600 gallons
700 gallons
800 gallons
900 gallons
(a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r
Is your home plumbed to use rainwater? 9f
Do you store piped water and rainwater in
separate tanks/cisterns?
(a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r
1,000 gallons
1,100 gallons
1,200 gallons
1,300 gallons
1,400 gallons
1,500 gallons
1,600 gallons
1,700 gallons
1,800 gallons
1,900 gallons
2,000 gallons
2,100 gallons
2,200 gallons
2,300 gallons
2,400 g or more
Researcher Name:
Survey Finished
(1) I'm unsure how I would improve my RWH system
(2) Gutters
(3) Closed pipe connecting gutter to cistern or water tank
(4) Screen or mesh cloth to prevent large particles,
mosquitoes and leaves from entering cistern or tank
(5) Screened overflow pipe to prevent mosquito entry &
breeding
(6) Secure cover on cistern or tank to keep out insects &
other vermin, dirt and sunshine
(7) First flush diverter
(8) Extra tank to let sediment settle out before sending
water to cistern or main tank
(9) Plumbing from tank or cistern into house
(10) Pump
(11) Access cover to clean tank or cistern
(12) A way to get water out of the tank without
contaminating it (i .e. A Pump or valve)
(13) Other (l ist or describe)
8
Note to researcher: ci rcle a l l that apply, but
don't show the l i s t to the respondant
If you could improve your RWH system in any way,
how would you improve it?
Do you also store piped water? (a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r
Finish Time ___________
(a ) boards , (b) concrete
(c) other ___________
What i s your household income? (EC dol lars )
Monthly ___________ or Yearly ____________
What i s the highest level of education you
have atta ined?
11What i s your home
bui l t from?
9d
Better Rainwater Harvesting Questionnaire Page 2
Table 1
Components of Rainwater Harvesting Systems.
Rainwater Harvesting Component Proportion of Systems
Gutters 65%
Screen or mesh cloth to prevent mosquitoes and large particles from
entering cistern/tank 22%
Secure cover on cistern/tank 16%
Plumbing from tank/cistern to house 3%
Closed pipe connecting gutter to cistern/tank
3%
Screened overflow pipe to prevent mosquito entry and breeding
0%
First flush diverter 0%
Extra tank to let sediment settle out 0%
Pump 0%
Access cover to clean tank/cistern 0%
A sanitary way to remove water from the tank (a pump or valve)
0%
Table 2
Factors Facilitating and Restricting Adoption of Rainwater Harvesting. Relatively high values
facilitate adoption of rainwater harvesting and relatively low values serve to restrict adoption
of rainwater harvesting
Basic
rainwater harvesting Best practices
rainwater harvesting
Factors that affect motivation
Perceived need
Moderate Low
Financial incentives
Low Low
Factors that affect ability
Convenience
Moderate Low
Financial cost
Moderate Low
Knowledge
High Low
Table 3
Measures of Resident Wealth.
Measures of Wealth Households that Harvest
Rainwater
Households that Do Not Harvest Rainwater
Statistical Significance
Proportion of homes constructed with concrete walls
42% 25% No
Annual household income $3,791 US $2,475 US No
Proportion of households with one or more members with at least a secondary education
42% 35% No
Figure Captions
Figure 1. Map of Grenada. Adapted from images in “The World Factbook,” by the US Central
Intelligence Agency, accessed on 15 March 2012 at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-
world-factbook/geos/gj.html.
Figure 2. Responses to the question, “Do you treat rainwater before drinking it?” All 4 options,
including “I do not drink rainwater” were read to the subjects prior to their response.
Figure 3. Preferred water source by use. No residents reported using water from a tanker truck,
stand pipe, or neighbor.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Always15%
Sometimes 20%
Never 30%
I don't drink rainwater
35%
Figure 3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Drinking Cooking Bathing / personal hygiene
Washing dishes
Washing clothes
Watering lawn/garden
Toilet flushing
Pe
rce
nta
ge o
f H
om
es
Preferred Source of Water by Use
Piped into dwelling
Piped into yard
Rain-water
Surface water (spring)
Bottled water