Rainwater: A Potential Alternative Source for Scarce Safe Drinking and Arsenic Contaminated Water in Bangladesh

Abstract

Although Bangladesh receives plenty of rainwater during its monsoon, both rural and urban areas suffer from shortages of safe drinking water during dry season. Arsenic contamination of ground water affects many rural areas, whilst some urban areas including the capital, Dhaka City, lack sufficient potable ground water to meet the demand. To cope with the problem, this research explore: the feasibility of harvesting rainwater during monsoon as a source of quality safe drinking water in Dhaka City. A questionnaire survey was conducted about potable water shortage in four slums of Dhaka City. Rainwater was collected using a non-toxic waterproof cloth as a catchment during monsoon and stored in a ferro-cement storage tank with an initial flushing device attached at the inlet of the tank. Different important physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters were tested throughout the storage period of 4 months. The efficiency of the rainwater harvesting system increased from 51% to 80% before and after installing the system. The test results were compared with the Bangladesh water quality standards. The tests have revealed slightly higher pH value (8.1 to 8.3) and enormity of color beyond the acceptable range. Although 3988 M.M. Islam et al.the presence of total coliform was detected after three months, traditional filtering of that stored rainwater showed a promising solution to mitigate potable water shortages in Bangladesh.

Community Perception and Adaptation to Safe Drinking Water Scarcity: Salinity, Arsenic, and Drought Risks in Coastal Bangladesh

“…Arsenic contamination, groundwater depletion, flooding, drought, and salinity are major difficulties for the rural people to get safe drinking water from both surface and groundwater sources (Abedin et al 2013). The development of a dependable water supply system in the coastal areas of Bangladesh is inadequate due to unavailability of freshwater aquifers at suitable depths (Kamruzzaman and Ahmed 2006;Islam et al 2010). There are certain areas in the coastal districts where both shallow and deep tube wells are off use due to high salinity and natural arsenic in the groundwater.…”

Framework for Assessing the Rainwater Harvesting Potential of Residential Buildings at a National Level as an Alternative Water Resource for Domestic Water Supply in Taiwan

“…Rainwater harvesting systems can be easily implemented at the home, commercial, and community levels [4,5]. The application of rainwater harvesting in both rural and urban areas of developing countries is well documented [6][7][8].…”

Modeling integrated urban water systems in developing countries: case study of Port Vila, Vanuatu

“…Rainwater storage and capture in the wet tropics, and indeed, in all contexts, present an opportunity to increase the efficacy of rainwater utilization for either domestic use or urban agriculture (Thomas 1998;Mwenge Kahinda and Taigbenu 2011;Islam et al 2010;Srinivasan et al 2010). …”