Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1996

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Geography

Major Professor

Carol P. Harden

Committee Members

Lydia Pulsipher, John Rehder

Abstract

A group of about 60 arid islands in the East Caribbean make up the St. Vincent Grenadines. The absence of perennial surface water and fresh ground water has led residents of the St. Vincent Grenadines to depend on the collection and storage of rain (rain water harvesting) as the sole source of potable water. My study is a follow-up evaluation of the effectiveness of a small, low-cost, self-help development project, administered by the Caribbean Conference of Churches and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Christian Council, that assisted 50 needy households in building ferrocement water tanks at their homes in Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau and Union in 1985. Overall, the ferrocement water tank project was effective in attaining its original goals. The water supply situation for most of the households that received tanks under this project has improved. Problems with the quality of completed tanks, sporadic inconsistent maintenance and misunderstandings regarding the criteria used to select tank recipients and of the project scope emphasize the need for close monitoring during and following project implementation, and the importance of comprehensive community participation and training. I evaluated the present condition and operability of the original ferrocement tanks and found several with problems attributable to improper construction techniques. Tank mortar made with water or sand containing sodium chloride, insufficient cement in the mix or shoddy workmanship may be responsible for the poor quality and condition of several tanks. However, with proper attention to construction details, ferrocement tanks provide an economical method of supplying household water storage for dry Caribbean islands and the ferrocement technology is readily adaptable to self-help projects. The extent to which people replicated the ferrocement tanks was quantified. The design has been replicated in the St. Vincent Grenadines, albeit not to the extend hoped for by the administrating organizations. Nonetheless, this may be taken as evidence of the acceptance and transferability of the technology. To evaluate the storage capacity needed to supply sufficient household water supply, a tank water balance proved to be a useful tool. Results of my evaluation of system size relative to existing rainfall data and household water use reiterates the need to size rain water tanks, within financial constraints, to those two conditions. A critical lesson learned from the use of the tank water balance is the need to provide gutters on all possible roof slopes in order to maximize water yield.

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