permaculture

98 Facilitator’s Handbook for Permaculture Workshops

Creative thinking : Managing and storing drinking water

Method : Participatory and work group brainstorms

Tools : Black/white board, large sheet of paper, markers

References : PC Book MOD 3 – Houses, Water, and Waste Management

Objective : Participants identify local solutions for storing drinking water

Step 1

Using something similar to the table below, the facilitator can ask the participants to

identify various sources of water in the community (table 1a), and methods that are used

for storing drinking water (table 2a) in the community.

Then, ask the participants to suggest and write on the board different potential problems

that can arise from these collection points and storage methods. The facilitator can help

to fill out these answers if necessary.

The answers listed below are only supplied as guidelines for the facilitator for

prompting for ideas and discussions should the participants need help.

Sources Potential problems How drinking water is stored

River Pollution

Settling tank, dosing siphon, screening, vertical cell

filtration with media gravel/sand, wet land plant,

aeration, fish pond (biological indicator), disinfection

with UV or boiled

Well Human waste, gray water Filtration with media gravel/sand, wet land plant, disinfection with UV or boiled

Pumped Human waste, gray water Filtration with media gravel/sand, wet land plant, disinfection with UV or boiled

Spring Fertilizer, erosion, logging Settling tank, disinfection with UV or boiled

Rain water Insects Water tank, disinfection with UV or boiled

Sea water Salty With distillation system

Table 1a. Water sources and problems Table 1b. Solutions for sources

Sources Potential problems How drinking water is stored

Wastewater Human waste, gray water, animal waste

Settling tank, dosing siphon, screening, vertical cell

filtration with media gravel/sand, wet land plant,

aeration, fish pond (biological indicator), disinfection

with UV or boiled

Table 2a. Water storage and problems Table 2a. Solutions for storage

EXERCISE

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