Sri Lanka; Domestic Rainwater Harvesting as a Water Supply Option in Sri Lanka

Domestic Rainwater Harvesting as a Water Supply Option in Sri Lanka

Tanuja Ariyananda

Abstract: Domestic rainwater harvesting has been revived in Sri Lanka since 1995 with the Community Water Supply and
Sanitation Project. Since then, through the efforts of the Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum (LRWHF, an NGO set up to pro-
mote rainwater harvesting for domestic need), the technology and the concept has been spread to other parts of the country.
At present there are over 31,000 domestic rainwater systems in the country. Rainwater harvesting has been successfully
legalized in Sri Lanka.
Key words: Rainwater harvesting, water quality, Sri Lanka, technology, policy

Introduction two main monsoons are the northeast monsoon from

R ain is the primary source of water in Sri Lanka. Situated
in the tropics, Sri Lanka receives an average rainfall
of 1800mm with a range of 900mm in the Northwest and
October to March and the southwest monsoon from April
to September. Though earlier these were the conventionally
accepted monsoon periods, presently much of this pattern
Southeast of the country and 5080mm in the Southwest of the has changed due to global weather changes, causing more
country (Figure 1). Based on these average statistics, several variability and unpredictability.
research studies have identified Sri Lanka as a country with Depending on the weather pattern, the country has
either little or no water scarcity, or moderate water scarcity two seasons, basically classified according to cultivation
purposes:
(1) The Maha season is the wet season starting from
October to March, and
(2) the Yala season is the dry season from April to
September.
Accordingly, the rainfall pattern divides the country
into two climatic zones―the wet zone and the dry zone. The
wet zone receives an average annual rainfall of 2350mm

Figure 1. Rain Fall Zones of Sri Lanka (adapted from Chandrapala 1996)

conditions (Amarasinghe et al 1999). These observations are
based on aggregated statistics presented at the national level. Figure 2: Distribution of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Sri Lanka
Aggregated statistics at national level, however, are often
misleading for countries with large regional variations in distributed in the two seasons and the dry zone receives
rainfall. These studies have ignored the spatial and temporal 1450mm of annual rainfall (Ibid 1999). In the dry zone more
variations in water availability and demand. than two thirds of the rainfall is received during the Maha
Sri Lanka experiences high seasonal and spatial variations season, and more than 70% of the rain is received from
in rainfall due to the bi-monsoonal climatic pattern. The October to December. This indicates the large variations

HYDRO NEPAL ISSUE NO. 6 JANUARY, 2010 27

in rainfall which leads to spatial and seasonal variation in Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum (LRWHF), which is an
water supply. NGO actively engaged in promoting rainwater harvesting in
As a result of this large variation in the dry zone, the dry the country. LRWHF promoted the technology and the concept
season experiences water scarcity, the dug wells and tube to other parts of the country through demonstration projects,
wells dry up, and some people have to travel a distance publication in media, workshops, awareness programs
exceeding four kilometers to fetch water. In the wet zone, and training. As a result, in 1998, following a request from
although the precipitation is generally high, unfavorable the President of Sri Lanka, the National Water Supply and
topography results in water having to be hauled up steep Drainage Board constructed 73 rainwater harvesting systems
hills. Though the collection distance is less than two in Yatinuwara in Kandy district (Ranatunga 2000). Today there
kilometers, the time spent on collecting water is high, are more than 23 institutions and organization implementing
as they have to climb the hills number of occasions. The rainwater projects and there are more than 31,000 systems
coastal areas also experience water shortages due to saline constructed throughout the country (Figure 2).
intrusion into wells; this situation is exacerbated after the
tsunami of 2004, which contaminated 40,000 wells along Rainwater Harvesting Policy and Legislation
the coastal line of Sri Lanka. In 2005 the government of Sri Lanka, realizing the
importance of rainwater harvesting as a solution to overcome
Domestic Water Supply Situation in Sri Lanka the water scarcity in the country, passed a national policy
The growing population and development activities such as on rainwater harvesting. The policy objective is aimed at
rapid urbanization, industrialization and agricultural activities encouraging communities to control water near its source
create tremendous pressure on available water resources. by harvesting rainwater.
Groundwater is increasingly tapped for agricultural and other The policy was followed by necessary legislation which
commercial purposes and thereby the over exploitation causes was gazetted on April 17, 2009, to amend the Urban
saline intrusion. Dumping of industrial and other wastage into Development Authority By-Laws on drainage, which makes
water bodies pollutes the water and further limits the supply. rainwater harvesting mandatory in certain categories of
Therefore, the current per capita water availability of 2400 new buildings in areas under municipal and urban council
m3 will be end up with 1800m3/capita in year 2025, which jurisdiction.
is just above the water scarcity threshold of 1700 m3/capita
(Amarasinghe et al 1999). Technology Improvement
According to the 2009 draft Drinking Water Policy for The CWSS Project designed five cubic meter volume tanks,
Sri Lanka the current drinking water supply coverage in Sri taking into account the size of the catchment, frequency
Lanka is estimated to be 78 percent. Out of this 35% of the and intensity of rain fall in the project area and domestic
population enjoys piped water supply service. The remaining consumption. On the basis that, a family of five should
43% relies on sources such as dug wells, tube wells, have a minimum of 20 liters per day for a period of 50 days
springs and rainwater harvesting Therefore, the relevant (maximum dry period in the two project districts). Thus 5 x
authorities face serious setbacks in meeting the Millennium 20 x 50 = 5000 liters, or five cubic meters (5 m3). Following
Development Goal of Water for All by 2025, and supplying some trials, two options were offered: an underground brick
adequate quality water becomes a real challenge to policy tank modeled after the Chinese biogas digester and a free
makers and other stakeholders. Considering alternative and standing Ferro cement tank (Figure 3).
feasible water sources has become an important factor to The 5 m3 capacity was designed mainly for wet zone
meet present and as well as the future demand. localities, where the CWSS Project was operating. Later,
when the technology was spread to other drier parts of the
Uptake of Rainwater Harvesting country, the capacity of the tanks was increased to 7.5 m3 for
Sri Lanka has used rainwater for both domestic and households and 10 m3 and above for institutional usage.
agricultural use for many centuries. Traditionally, rainwater The LRWHF in collaborative research program with
is collected for domestic use from tree trunks using banana Warwick University of UK designed Ferro cement partial
or coconut leafs, and from rooftops into barrels, domestic underground structures of 10-50 m3 capacity (Martinson et
containers and small brick tanks. In recent years there has al 2002)
been revival of rainwater harvesting and much research has
been conducted to improve the technology. In 1995, the Rainwater Quality
Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSSP), Rainwater is one of the purest sources of water available,
initiated by the government of Sri Lanka with the World as it does not come into contact with many of the pollutants
Bank funds, introduced rainwater harvesting as a water often discharged into local surface waters. It comes free and
supply option in two districts: Badulla and Matara (Heijnen can be used to supply both potable (drinkable) water and
and Mansur 1998). This project initiated the emergence of the non-potable water.

28 HYDRO NEPAL ISSUE NO. 6 JANUARY, 2010

Studies of water quality of the collected rainwater from 90% of the beneficiaries use rainwater for drinking.
various project sites in several districts reveal following
results: Social Aspects
● The pH was high in the new rainwater tanks due to The most significant impact of the rainwater harvesting
cement dissolving. This improved after the tanks were system in Sri Lanka is the ensured supply of water in
washed and flushed several times. the homestead. Domestic rainwater harvesting system
● WHO recommended standards on conductivity of increased the use of water per capita from 28 lpcd (liters per
drinking water were maintained in all the rainwater capita per day) in non-beneficiary households to 43 lpcd in
harvesting tanks. beneficiary households (Ariyabandu 1999). The harvested
● WHO recommended standards on the total hardness of rainwater that is stored in the tanks also acts as a source of
drinking water were maintained for all rainwater tanks. water for small-scale home gardens. It also has introduced
● All rainwater harvesting tanks passed the WHO water conservation practices with use of drip irrigation
recommendation on turbidity for drinking water. and water management systems. Mushroom cultivation,
● Over 40% of the tested rainwater tanks recorded no poultry and goat rearing and running of boutiques are
Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is the WHO recommended some of the economic activities that households are able to
value for drinking water. In more than 55% of the rainwater engage in as a result of having a rainwater harvesting tank.
tanks, the E. coli levels are less than 10 in 100 ml of water, Increased use of water for toilet and washing purposes is
WHO low risk value (Ariyananda 2003). seen in beneficiary, and households will indirectly achieve
● Having a simple charcoal and gravel filter and first flush improvement in personal health.
Social aspects too have been
improved in the beneficiary
households, mainly from
saved time on fetching water.
Households were found to save
30% of their time on fetching water
after establishing a rainwater
tank. The time saved is spent
with family members especially
Ferro cement above ground Brick under ground tank Partial under ground Ferro cement with the children, to help in their
tank tank schoolwork. They are also better
Figure 3: Different Types of Rainwater Harvesting Tanks able to cook and serve meals on
systems reduces the contamination levels in the tanks time. When a visitor comes home they do not worry about
markedly (Ariyabandu 1999). water, even to prepare a cup of tea. It also facilitates them
● E. coli levels in the tanks receiving rainwater from G.I. to participate in community activities like attending in
roofs are less than from other roofs due to heating of the village meeting, shramadana (shared labor activities), and
G.I. roofs, which results in killing the E.coli on the roof other social functions like weddings and religious events.
(Vasudevan et al 2001) As a result, the strength of the village community is also
● Mosquito breeding is reported in some tanks. If the tank increased due to their commitments in the above activities.
is tightly sealed, however, it serves both in preventing Most of the rainwater beneficiaries try to manage with the
the breeding of mosquito larvae and the growth of available water and thereby household water management
algae, and thereby improves the quality of the harvested skills are also improved. Beneficiaries living in hilly areas
rainwater. have less strain on their back from climbing and carrying
Earlier studies have shown on an average only 10- water long distances. In certain areas, the incidents of
15 % of beneficiaries use rainwater for drinking purposes snakebites and harassment have come to an end as the
(Ariyabandu 1999). One of the reasons for the non- women are no longer forced to fetch water at night. The
acceptability of rainwater for drinking purposes was the beneficiaries also try to increase community economics by
peoples’ perception of quality (Ariyananda 2000). The improving their systems using locally available materials.
presence of leafs and other materials including mosquito The strong community contribution makes them more
larvae and other insects, and rodents, as well as water color independent and gives more value to the concept of domestic
and taste are the major parameters they use to perceive rainwater harvesting. Project planning and implementation
quality. Improvement in technology and more effective through community-based organization has brought about
awareness has brought about an increase in use of rainwater strengthening of local organizations and skill development
for drinking. Recent studies on the third ADB-funded Water of these organizations. The skills and livelihoods of local
Supply and Sanitation Project have shown that up to 80- masons have also increased.

HYDRO NEPAL ISSUE NO. 6 JANUARY, 2010 29

Conclusions Rainwater Harvesting in Sri Lanka, ● President (2008-
Rainwater harvesting has brought much relief to rural 11) of the International Rainwater Catchments Systems
people of Sri Lanka during times of drought, water scarcity Association (IRCSA), and ● Secretary General (2003-08)
and recently to those affected by the devastating tsunami of and Director of the Women’s Program (2001-03).
2004. Rainwater harvesting in urban areas has improved Corresponding address: tanuja@sltnet.lk / Website: www.
many functions: lankarainwater.org
● supplementing piped water for non-drinking purposes
thus conserving piped water, References
● reducing cost of water treatment, Amarasinghe, U. A., L. Mutuwattaand R. Sakthivadivel,
● reducing energy cost of pumping, 1999, Water Scarcity Variations within a Country: A Case Study
● reducing water bills, and of Sri Lanka, IWMI Research Report 32, Colombo, Sri Lanka:
● reducing flooding in certain cities. International Water Management Institute.
Rainwater collection in commercial and public buildings Ariyabandu, R. de S., 1999, ‘Development of rainwater
has particular advantages resulting from large roof areas. harvesting for domestic water use in Rural Sri Lanka’, Asia-Pacific
As with any new technological intervention, rainwater Journal of Rural Development v.9, n.1.
harvesting also needs changes in the public and community Ariyabandu, R. de S., T. Ariyananda and D. Hapugoda, 2000,
attitudes, perceptions and behaviors if the new technique is ‘Water resources and development of RWH in Sri Lanka’, Waterline
to be successful in terms of social, economic, cultural and v.3 (January).
environmental factors. Ariyananda, T.N., 2000, ‘Quality of collected rainwater from
One of the major disadvantages of roof rainwater Sri Lanka’, a paper presented at the 26th WEDC Conference,
harvesting technology is that it requires a higher capital Dhaka, Bangladesh.
investment initially for the construction of storage cisterns Ariyananda, T.N., 2003, ‘Health risk due to drinking domestic
and other supplementary components. The cost is much roof water harvested’, a paper submitted to the Eleventh IRCSA
higher when the rainfall is low and there is a longer dry Conference, August 2003, Mexico.
period, which results in the need for a larger cistern to Chandrapala, L., 1996, ‘Long term trends of rainfall and
ensure water security. temperature in Sri Lanka’, in Y.P. Abrol, S. Gadgil and G.B. Pant,
The success of any technological intervention also eds., Climate Variability and Agriculture, New Delhi: Narosa
depends on its cost and affordability by users. Therefore, Publishing House.
the use of an appropriate tank size and use of less and Gould, J. and E.N. Petersen, 1999, Rainwater Catchment
cheaper materials, less labor and simple construction aids Systems for Domestic Supply: Design, Construction and
are important factors to reduce the cost of construction. In Implementation’, London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
this regard, some supportive mechanisms such as loans and Heijnen, H. and U. Mansur, 1998, Rainwater Harvesting in the
subsidies can be effectively used to promote the technology Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project, Proceeding of
among poor families. In the past, the use of subsides has the Symposium on Rainwater Harvesting for Water Security, v.2,
shown positive results in introducing rainwater harvesting Colombo: OUR Engineering Technology Open University.
systems among rural poor (Gould and Petersen 1999). Kandy Declaration 2006, Sri Lanka; URL: www.lankarainwater.
Rainwater harvesting as a domestic water supply has org/rwhsl/joint_decalration_kandy_2006.pdf.
similar potential in other countries within the region. This Martinson, D., N. Ranatunaga and A. Gunaratna, 2002,
was recognized during a recent International Workshop on ‘Reducing rainwater harvesting system costs’, a paper presented at
Rainwater Harvesting held in Kandy, Sri Lanka in 2006, the 28th WEDC Conference, Kolkata, India.
where five SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional MDWS, 2005, National Rainwater Harvesting Policy and
Cooperation) ministers signed a declaration to promote this Strategy, Colombo: Sri Lanka Ministry of Urban Development and
concept in their countries. It was further emphasized during Water Supply.
the SAARC Summit held in Colombo, in 2008 (SAARC Ranatunge, N.U.K., 2000, ‘Rainwater harvesting program
Declaration 2008). in Tismada and Yatigammana village in Yatinuwara Divisional
-- Secretary area in Kandy District’, a paper presented at the Civil
Tanuja Ariyananda is a hydro-biologist with a PhD Engineering Society Day 1999/2000 Annual Seminar, Sri Lanka.
degree in Environmental Science from the University SAARC Declaration Colombo 2008, South Asian Association
of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and an MSc in Aquatic Resource for Regional Cooperation; URL: www.news.lk/index.
Management from King’s College, London. Among Dr php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6621&Itemid=44.
Ariyananda’s many professional activities are these: Vasudevan, P., M. Tandon, C. Krishnan and T. Thomas,
● Director of the Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum 2001, ‘Bacteriological quality of water in DRWH’, Proceedings of
since its inception in 1996, ● Member of the Ministerial Workshop on Rainwater Harvesting, Delhi: Indian Institute of
Committee for Developing Policy and Strategy for Technology (IIT). w

30 HYDRO NEPAL ISSUE NO. 6 JANUARY, 2010

Sri Lanka; Domestic Rainwater Harvesting as a Water Supply Option in Sri Lanka

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