Efficiency of rural reservoirs in the storage and use of rainwater

Abstract

Brazil has the largest water reserve in the world, but several factors generate its poor distribution, resulting in water scarcity in parts of the semi-arid regions of the Northeast and Minas Gerais, where millions of inhabitants live with drought. The "Water for All" program was successful in combating the drought, providing access to water for millions of low-income families through the construction of cisterns for various purposes, such as human consumption and agricultural family production in small units. It is the result of a simple and low-cost technology, where rainwater is collected from the roof through gutters and stored in cisterns built with cement boards, allowing a family of up to five people to have water for consumption for up to 8 months, the possibility of contamination of these reservoirs is very high, which can  generate numerous health problems for users. Thus, this study aims to analyze some rural reservoirs, verifying their use, water supply through the calculation of the yield of their contribution area and their accumulation capacity, possible physical and  structural problems or arising from contaminating sources in their area of capture and risks to the health of users, helping to study and implement alternatives to improve water storage and use conditions, as well as alleviate the effects of drought.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/tfisdwv1-150