Engineers Without Borders 

Lafayette College, Easton, PA


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Rainwater Collection

Abstract
Rainwater catchment was evaluated as an alternative to the centralized water
distribution system in La Fortuna. A feasible rainwater catchment system would
need to provide 20 liters of water per person per day (L/person/day), as per
the World Health Organization. To facilitate the evaluation, home roofs were
categorized by size as small, medium, and large. None of the small roofs can
provide 20 L/person/day. The typical medium roof can provide this amount for
only 2 months of the year, and the typical large roof can provide this amount
for 10 months of the year. Since rainwater catchment cannot provide enough
water all year long, it is not a feasible alternative for individual homes in
La Fortuna. It could become a feasible alternative if it were used in
conjunction with the construction of three community buildings with 2200 ft2
roofs. Regardless of whether or not rainwater catchment systems are
implemented in La Fortuna, the methodology and system design can be easily
applied to other villages.

:: Appendix 1 (Downloadable PDF)

:: Appendix 2 (Downloadable PDF)

:: Appendix 3 (Downloadable PDF)

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