Dear Balbir, I have been ...
Published by Sarah den Haring, Founder/Director at GreenWater Environmental Water & Sanitation Solutions
Dear Balbir,
I have been doing some similar projects in Kenya and this may help. We built artificial catchments using MDPE (on low value land) which channel rainwater into a lined reservoir. The catchment has a very high recovery rate and is effective even in ASAL areas due to their size (we are using approx 1500m2). The reservoirs have an average capacity of 250m3 are about 3m deep (depending on soil type and depth to bedrock) and are covered with shade netting on a frame to reduce evaporation and contamination. They are also fenced (as is the catchment) to prevent access by children and animals. We use a hand powered pump (moneymaker) to remove water directly to fields or into storage tanks.
The size of the catchment and storage are dependent on the local rainfall patterns and daily irrigation requirement. We have used figures of 4-8m3/acre/day for a drip irrigation system but this is quite variable depending on plant type and stage of growth.
I would happy to run your figures through a simple program I have developed. You are welcome to contact me for more advice. You can see photos of the system on
https://www.facebook.com/pg/GreenWater-193329114107387/photos/?tab=album&album_id=734108900029403
Kind regards,
Sarah