Harvesting water helps farmers save a lot of money that would otherwise have been spent on piped water for domestic use.
Here is how to harvest rainwater;
The tank should be close to the area of cultivation to ensure ease of irrigation.
The tank should not be close to the house or paths /roadways as children and even negligent adults can fall in. Construct a fence around the tank.
The opening of the tank should be in the direction of the flow of rainfall.
It is not advisable to obstruct patterns of natural flow of water as there is a possibility of mud and other waste getting into the tank. (The mud filters function only when the water flows directly through them).
Clear the selected land thoroughly. Flattening the land is important for ease of taking measurements.
Determine the quantity of water required for irrigation purposes
The tank should not be more than 1.75 m in depth to withstand the pressure of the water. Low depth makes cleaning and use of the tank easier.
The tank should have a slope of about one foot from the periphery to the middle of the tank. This helps absorb the water pressure.
Various waste items are present in flowing water. Mud, sand and gravel deposits in the tank will lessen the quantity of water that can be stored in the tank. Therefore mud- filters are used as a simple method of reducing the flow of waste items into the tank. This system can last for as many as 10 years or more.
