The impact of roof type covering on the quality of rain water harvest

Abstract

With the increasing urbanization in Africa which has led to increase of urban dwellers thus limiting access of safe water supply. However much the government in Uganda has tried to solve his through a statutory company (National and Sewage Corporation) through providing safe tape water 31% of the Uganda population are living under the poverty line to afford paying to this a safe water. These people have then resorted to using/ harvesting rainwater for rooftop run off which is free of charge. However, these people have not taken into consideration the type of roof covering they harvest this rainwater from without knowledge that the roof type covering has an impact on the quality of harvested water. Thus this report represents the research on the right roof type covering to use in harvesting rainwater. The aim of the research was to investigating the impact of roof type covering on the quality of rain water harvest. Rainwater was harvested from different roof type coverings for example; Asbestos, galvanized, tiles and also from direct rainfall. These waters were then taken to the laboratory, tests of parameters like E.C, color, turbidity, pH, zinc contents, iron contents and present coliforms were done. A comparison of water collected from asbestos, galvanized and tiles roof type covering with rainwater collected directly was then made. This report recommends the use of clay tiles roof type covering due to the fact that it sheds off rainwater of a better quality compared to the other roof type coverings.