The Rock catchment system is revolutionizing water entry in Makueni county in Kenya

In Makueni county, in dry southeastern Kenya, water may be very scarce. There’s little piped water and few dependable alternate options.

So in 2012, villagers resolved to deal with that downside by adopting the rock catchment system, a technique of harvesting rainwater from stone outcrops, that are large naturally occurring rocks standing tons of of ft above the bottom.

Villagers constructed a concrete wall across the rock to lure rainwater, with the monetary and technical help of a NGO referred to as Africa Sand Dam Basis.

They positioned huge stones to filter the water and a pipe to take the water right down to storage tanks.

The water collected from the rock catchment flows into the tanks by way of the pipe, after which to a water assortment level close by the place residents fetch it from faucets.

Jefferson Mutie, communication officer at Africa Sand Dam Basis, explains the way it works.

“A rock catchment is an easy know-how whereby concrete wall is constructed round a delegated rock, whereby it harvests rain water then all the best way to storage or the reservoirs, these are the rain water tanks.”

Joyce Mule used to stroll for about two hours to seek out water from her hilly and rocky village of Syumbe in Makueni county.

Mule involves the rock catchment to fetch water right here about 5 instances a day and takes round half an hour to get it dwelling.

“We used to have lots of water challenges right here. We used to stroll for lengthy distances, for about two hours, to get water. After we’d get to the nicely, we might discover many individuals having already arrived. We would wait for so long as half-hour to get one jerrican of water. We used to spend most of our days searching for water,” she says.

As we speak Mule is joyful as a result of the brand new supply of water is shut, constantly obtainable and the water is clear.

Because of this, her bushes are producing extra fruits and her cows are giving extra milk.

“We used to suppose these rocks have been nugatory, however now we see their advantages,” she says.

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