Description of Challenge
Harvesting rain water may reduce flooding - most water will be collected and there is no wastage underground, or saturation of the underground water supply. Collected water can be used as a water resource for other areas with less humidity (hills, rocky/sandy areas) through the use of taps and pipelines. Also, water can be conserved for later periods of drought and/or famine.
Solution
Rain water is harvested using big tanks that are set up near buildings and houses. The buildings have roof caters (half pipes) that collect the water falling on the roof. Trough a pipeline the water can be collected into the tank.
The tank may have a tap at the bottom to collect the water into buckets, basins and jerrycans.
Another way is to dig constructions of big trenches into the ground, collecting the water into a pond or pool during rainy seasons.
IMPORTANT: If using a tank, make sure it is closed and dark inside (cover it). This prevents algae from growing in the water and prevents mosquitoes from laying eggs in the stagnant water. See link for more info.
If using trenches leading to open surface water, make sure the water’s ecosystem is vibrant and healthy, to prevent it to become a breading ground for mosquitoes and other parasites. See the solution on mosquito containment in stagnant water for more information.
