MASTER THESIS: Improving Water Management Through Rainwater Harvesting, Flood Mitigation, and Greywater Use at Tumaini Open School in Tanzania

Master Thesis by Emma Green Blomroos and Emil Tengmer. Emma and Emil were visiting Tumaini from mid-February till the end of April.  Tumaini school is for young women, 55 students & 5 teachers and includes a farming area for both crops and animals.

Challenges for rural areas in Tanzania

Access to safe and reliable water remains a challenge in many rural areas in Tanzania,  where the seasonal variations lead to problems with both water scarcity and flood risks.  One site facing water management challenges is Tumaini Open School, located in a  rural area in Tabora, Tanzania. 

What have we been doing

This study investigates the potential of improving water  management at the school through rainwater harvesting (RWH), flood mitigation, and  greywater reuse. 

Fieldwork including collection of GPS data, water sampling, soil  infiltration testing, and general site observations was conducted during a ten week visit  to the site. The GPS data and the measured soil infiltration was used in flood simulations performed in Scalgo Live, while the water samples were analysed for pH, turbidity, and  conductivity. 

Rain Water Harvesting

The results showed that harvesting rainwater from the roofs of the school building and  storing it in a 60 000 L tank could cover a substantial part of the water demanded for  irrigation and construction purposes.

Tank placed on the southern side which gives a sufficient distance to septic tanks and graves. But there is a problem with roof height differences.

Soil erosion on the roads

To ease the problem with soil erosion on the roads  due to heavy rainfall, simulations proved constructing swales alongside these roads was an efficient mitigation measure. 

Greywater management

For greywater management, two low-cost filtration  methods, layered filtration barrels and elevated plant filtration beds, are suggested for  on-site treatment of greywater to enable greywater reuse for non-potable purposes at  the site. 

Conclusion and what to do next

Although the suggested interventions were not implemented on the site in the study, the findings still provide valuable insights for EWB to start and project. 

The proposed solutions can be used to enhance water  sustainability at Tumaini Open School and offer guidance on how to address water related challenges in other rural communities. 

Implementation

EWB will start the work to implement the given solution primarily for the water tank. 

Interested?

Contact susanne.hurtig@ewb-swe.org