Running head: RAINWATER HARVESTING IN GRENADA

Resident Perspectives on Rainwater Harvesting in Grenada

Brian Neff Shelly Rodrego

Muge Akpinar-Elci St. George’s University

Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine True Blue Grenada

Email: Bmail3@gmail.com

Abstract: Rainwater harvesting has historically been

relatively basic but widespread throughout the

Caribbean. ‘Best practices’ of rainwater harvesting

currently is being promoted in Grenada, though

adoption is lacking. Past works have focused on the

usefulness of the best practices model, not on the

factors that facilitate and restrict residential adoption.

This study focuses on residential perspectives toward

water needs and rainwater harvesting to determine

the factors that influence residential adoption of both

basic and best practices rainwater harvesting. Surveys

were conducted in a community identified in

previous work as a target community for rainwater

harvesting investment. Results revealed six key

factors that influence residential adoption and

indicated that the adoption of best practices in the

study area is unlikely.

Resident Perspectives on Rainwater Harvesting in

Grenada

Rainwater harvesting has been practiced for

thousands of years and remains an important source

of water for much of the Caribbean. Methods used to

harvest rainwater in the Caribbean are highly

variable. In one of the most basic forms, rainwater

harvesting involves capturing rainwater runoff from a

rooftop in a bucket or barrel. More elaborate, ‘best

practices’ methods incorporate specialized structures

including, but not limited to, first flush diverters,

filters or screens to prevent organic matter from

entering the storage tank or cistern, and post-storage

filtration (Caribbean Environmental Health Institute

2009; Caribbean Environmental Health Institute and

United Nations Environment Programme 2009;

Caribbean Environmental Health Institute 2006).

The Caribbean small island developing state of

Grenada is located at the southern end of the West

Indies archipelago (see Figure 1) and consists of the

main island, named Grenada, and two smaller islands

with modest populations, Carriacou and Petit

Martinique. The current study focuses solely on the

main island of Grenada and does not consider the two

smaller islands. The island of Grenada covers an area

of 311 km2 and is mountainous, rising to a maximum

elevation of 840 m (2,756 ft) and characterized by

sharp peaks and jagged ridges (Parsram 2010). The

island supports a population of approximately

100,000 people (Government of Grenada 2011).

INSERT FIGURE 1 NEAR HERE

Due to Grenada’s mountainous terrain and location in

the path of the northeast trade winds, the island

experiences a large amount of adiabatic precipitation

and features a tropical rainforest running the length

of the island at higher elevations. Annual average

precipitation ranges from slightly over 1,000 mm at

the northeastern and southwestern coasts to 4,000

mm in the tropical forest interior. Of special

significance, the island experiences a dry season from

January through May. Interannual variability in the

severity of this dry season is high and sensitive to the

effects of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (Parsram

2010).

The water authority on Grenada maintains a water

supply system that delivers piped water to 96.5% of

urban residents on the island (Kairi Consultants

2008). The water supply network is constructed to

capture water from streams at high elevations, divert

the water to a water treatment plant, and then

distribute the water to the population, largely by

gravity. Due to the mountainous and rugged relief of

the island, centralized storage, treatment, and

distribution of piped water is not possible. The water

authority maintains a network of 23 surface-water

supply catchments and nearly as many water

treatment plants scattered throughout the island.

Water supply is augmented by eight well fields

around the island.

Water supply to residents occasionally is interrupted,

referred to locally as a “water cut-off,” for at least

three reasons. First, many of the water treatment

plants on Grenada lack the capacity to process turbid

water, which is common following large rainfall

events. In these cases the water treatment plants will

simply close. Storage capacity is limited due to the

relief of the island and residents are either cut off

until the water clears or they receive turbid water.

This type of water cutoff generally lasts a day or less.

Second, dry season drought conditions often restrict

stream flow and less water is available for diversion

to water treatment plants. When water demand

outstrips water supply, the water authority rations

water until conditions change. This type of water

cutoff generally lasts between hours to two days, but

can be much longer in some cases. Due to both types

of water cutoffs, many residents store piped water, or

harvest and store rainwater for use during water

rationing. Third, natural disasters also threaten water

supplies in Grenada. According to Peters (2010),

water supply was interrupted following hurricanes

Ivan in 2004 and Emily in 2005, causing hardship for

many citizens.

All three types of water supply interruptions may

be exacerbated in coming years by climate change

and can plausibly be alleviated by residential

rainwater harvesting, leading some authors to

point to rainwater harvesting as an important

adaptation strategy (Pandey, Gupta, and Anderson

2003). Confirming the value of rainwater

harvesting in Grenada, Peters (2010) documented

that hardships from water supply interruption in

Grenada following Hurricanes Ivan and Emily

were reduced for residents that practiced rainwater

harvesting.

Previous literature estimated that 66% of households

on mainland Grenada currently practice rainwater

harvesting (Caribbean Environmental Health Institute

2006, p. 15). However, the rainwater harvesting

systems utilized tend to be relatively basic. A typical

system includes gutters on the edge of a rooftop that

funnel rainwater to a repurposed plastic 55 gallon

shipping barrel.

In contrast to the typically basic approach to

rainwater harvesting in Grenada, the so-called

‘best practices’ model of rainwater harvesting

currently is being promoted in many parts of the

Caribbean (Caribbean Environmental Health

Institute 2009; Caribbean Environmental Health

Institute and United Nations Environment

Programme 2009). This model is a relatively

elaborate approach to harvesting rainwater and

supplies potable water suitable for all needs

directly into the home. Costs of fitting homes with

this technology are estimated by the Caribbean

Environmental Health Institute (2009) to range

from $556US - $4,037US for homes ranging from

one to eight persons, respectively. This estimate is

consistent with quotes from Grenadian

contractors, who approximate typical costs to be

around $2,000 - $3,000US (Alfonso Daniels, pers.

comm., 2011), and costs documented for

installations on other Caribbean islands

(Caribbean Environmental Health Institute and

United Nations Environment Programme 2009).

As part of ongoing research to establish ways to

enhance resident resilience to water shortages, the

current project was designed to establish what factors

facilitate or obstruct resident decisions to adopt

rainwater harvesting. This study is interested in the

adoption of traditional, basic forms of rainwater

harvesting as well as the best practices model.

Method

Participants: 89 long-term residents of Grenada who

self-identified as a head of a household in Pomme

Rose, St. David participated in the current study. This

sample size captures approximately half of the total

heads of household in the community. The average

home size was 3.6 persons (2.2 adults and 1.4

children per home), and the average household

income of participants was $3,125US per year,

marginally higher than the poverty line of $2,030US

and vulnerability line of $2,704US defined by the

2008 Country Poverty Assessment for Grenada (Kairi

Consultants 2008). The community has

approximately 170-190 homes, based on the author’s

interpretation of Google Earth aerial images, eight

site visits, and consultation with residents and nearby

business owners. The community of Pomme Rose

was selected because it is specifically identified in

the National Rainwater Harvesting Programme for

Grenada (Caribbean Environmental Health Institute

2006) as a “target community for rainwater

harvesting investment” (p. 59). Additionally, it was

judged to be similar to other target communities

during three field visits conducted by the author prior

to the current study. Finally, participants were judged

by the surveyor to be intellectually capable of

understanding the informed consent process and

survey questions.

Measures

Two surveys were developed by the author for use in

the study. The first survey was administered to

residents who currently collect rainwater in any way

(see Appendix 1). 44 participants completed this

“rainwater harvesters survey”. The second survey

was administered to residents who currently do not

collect rainwater (see Appendix 2). 45 respondents

completed this “non-rainwater harvesters survey”.

The rationale for conducting separate surveys was to

capture both the factors affecting the decision to

practice rainwater harvesting in general, as well as

the factors that affect decisions on adopting the best

practices model.

Procedure

Every home in the Pomme Rose community was

canvassed three times during three separate field

visits conducted in June and September 2011 and

February 2012. All surveys were administered

verbally to participants. Surveying was done with the

aid of public health graduate students at St. George’s

University, who were trained and supervised by the

author. All respondents provided verbal informed

consent prior to answering the survey questions

anonymously and no payments were made to

respondents. The Institutional Review Board of St.

George’s University on Grenada reviewed and

approved the current project (approval number

11020).

Results and Discussion

Current rainwater harvesting practices

Approximately half (49.4%) of respondents reported

practiced rainwater harvesting, somewhat less than

found in a previous study that found 66% of homes in

all of Grenada practice rainwater harvesting

(Caribbean Environmental Health Institute 2006).

The rainwater harvesting practices reported by survey

respondents were relatively simple, typically

involving collecting runoff from a rooftop using a

gutter and a single rain barrel or bucket. 88% of

rainwater harvesters used a single rain barrel, usually

a repurposed plastic 55 gallon shipping barrel, or

buckets to store rainwater. 97% of rainwater

harvesting homes did not plumb rainwater into the

dwelling and the one instance of plumbing rainwater

into the home was an opportunistic diversion of

rainwater from the home’s roof to a tank originally

installed to store piped water.

Most people who collect rainwater were

knowledgeable about how to clean their rainwater

harvesting systems and reported doing so

periodically. 70% of rainwater harvesters reported

knowing how to clean their systems, 54% of

rainwater collectors indicated cleaning their systems

at least once per year and 74% reported cleaning their

systems at least every 5 years. Of those who ‘never’

clean their rainwater harvesting systems, 88% did not

perceive any need to do so.

Almost no examples of any element of a best

practices model were reported or observed (table 1).

No first flush diverters, screened overflow pipes,

purification devices, or sanitary means of removing

water from the storage tank were observed. Only

38% of rainwater harvesters reported covering their

water storage tank or cistern in any way, 16% with a

secure cover and 22% with cloth or a screen. One

home (3%) reported routing rainwater from the roof

to a storage vessel via a closed pipe.

INSERT TABLE 1 NEAR HERE: RAINWATER

HARVESTING COMPONENTS

Survey results also reveal that many residents drink

rainwater, often untreated (figure 2). 65% of survey

respondents who harvest rainwater report drinking it

at least sometimes and 50% drink it untreated at least

sometimes. Interestingly, 30% of all rainwater

harvesters never treat rainwater before drinking it.

When considered across the entire population, these

figures translate to 32% of the total population

drinking rainwater (treated or not) at least sometimes

and 25% of the total population drinking it untreated

at least sometimes. 15% of the total population

reported drinking untreated rainwater regularly. The

public health consequence of drinking rain water

remains unclear. Intuitively it seems that pathogens

exist in rainwater and drinking it untreated should

increase disease prevalence. However,

documentation of negative effects in studies remains

inconsistent. Peters (2006) reports that waterborne

disease related to rainwater is nearly unknown among

residents of Carriacou and Petit Martinique, two

outlying islands of Grenada that rely on rainwater for

100% of their water supply.

FIGURE 2 NEAR HERE: DRINKING RAINWATER

Factors Affecting Rainwater Harvesting Practices

Survey results revealed five factors that affect

adoption of rainwater harvesting in the target

community (table 2). Two of these factors affect the

motivation of residents to collect rainwater and three

factors affect their ability to do so. All of these

factors were worded in such a way that relatively

high values facilitate adoption of rainwater

harvesting and relatively low values serve to restrict

adoption of rainwater harvesting.

INSERT TABLE 2 NEAR HERE: SUMMARY OF

FACTORS

Perceived need.

In the study case, the need to collect rainwater was

driven by the presence of water cutoffs. Piped water

supply to the community of Pomme Rose was

characterized as being relatively good, but with

frequent water cutoffs or supply of water with

unsuitably high sediment content for many residents.

Households that collected rainwater were nearly

twice as likely (80%) to have experienced water

cutoffs than households that do not collect rainwater

(42%), a statistically significant difference (χ² =

9.820, p = 0.002).

One important factor with regard to the perceived

need for harvesting rainwater is the presence of other

options for storing water to use during cutoffs.

Overall, 61% of all respondents (both rainwater

harvesters and non-rainwater harvesters) reported

experiencing some type of water cut off. Not

coincidentally, 61% of all survey respondents

reported storing piped water to help cope with water

cutoffs. Of this group, 44.4% did not store water

from any other source and 55.6% did store water

from at least one other source, usually rainwater. This

is interpreted to mean that in the presence of water

cutoffs residents will store water from one or more

sources, primarily piped water but also rainwater in

many instances.

Financial incentives.

Approximately half (55.6%) of the respondents who

reported storing piped water also practiced rainwater

harvesting, often as a means to save money on water

bills. Nearly 20% of residents that collect rainwater

cited the low cost of rainwater as a primary factor in

their decision to do so. Many residents report storing

piped water inside the home for high quality needs

such as drinking, while using rainwater for low-

quality/high-volume water needs such as washing

clothes. Figure 3 illustrates that 22%-44% of

residents prefer using rainwater over all other sources

for low-quality water needs such as washing dishes,

clothes, and watering plants.

FIGURE 3 NEAR HERE: WATER SOURCE FIRST

CHOICE

Convenience.

The first factor that affects the ability of residents to

collect and store rainwater is convenience. Table 1

and the associated discussion above describe the very

simple rainwater harvesting practices observed in this

study. In nearly all cases, rainwater-harvesting setups

were makeshift and consisted of materials available

nearby and free. Examples include buckets and

repurposed plastic shipping barrels used for water

storage and scrap pieces of cloth laid across the tops

of tanks to serve as a filter and prevent mosquito

infestation of stored water. Materials that need to be

sourced from afar are conspicuous in their absence,

with the exception of gutters, which are present on

65% of homes that collect rainwater. Less than 5% of

homes that practice rainwater harvesting had tanks

specifically designed for storing water.

Financial Cost.

The second factor that affects the ability of residents

to collect rainwater is financial cost. Households that

collected rainwater appeared to be wealthier than

residents who do not collect rainwater (table 3).

Statistical analysis of the differences between the

rainwater harvesters and those who do not practice

rainwater harvesting were impeded by very low

response rates to income and education questions and

a high rate of inconclusive observations of home

construction by surveyors. Nevertheless, the mean

annual household income of those who collect

rainwater was 65% higher than households who did

not collect rainwater. Rainwater harvesters were also

60% more likely to live in concrete walled homes and

were somewhat better educated than non-rainwater

harvesters. Taken together, these indicators may

illustrate an importance of possessing some basic

level of wealth to access rainwater harvesting

supplies. For example, it may be that wealthier

residents are more likely to receive shipping barrels

from foreign friends and relatives. While wealth may

modestly affect adoption of basic rainwater

harvesting, it likely serves to make the ‘best

practices’ model completely inaccessible to most or

all residents in the study area. The validity of this

factor should be verified in follow-up studies.

TABLE 3 NEAR HERE: MEASURES OF WEALTH

Knowledge.

A third factor that affects resident ability is

knowledge and familiarity with rainwater harvesting

systems. Basic forms of rainwater harvesting have a

long history in Grenada and are widespread. 83% of

people who collect rainwater have been using their

present systems for over five years and less than 5%

of people who do not collect rainwater cite a lack of

knowledge as a reason. However, knowledge of the

best practices model appeared to be lacking in the

study community. No examples of best practices

were observed on homes in the study community

during any of the field visits. Additionally,

respondents who practice rainwater harvesting were

asked how they would improve their current system

if they could do so in any way. The most common

responses were to install gutters (23% of responses),

increase storage capacity (18%), and to add a screen

or cloth to an existing rain barrel to prevent mosquito

infestation (15%). No responses indicated a desire

for typical best practices components such as a first

flush diverter or a pump and only one respondent

(3%) indicated a desire to plumb rainwater into the

home. It is apparent that even if other factors were

favorable for adoption of best practices, the lack of

knowledge of the best practices model would restrict

adoption.

Implications

The results of this study have significant implications

for future rainwater harvesting promotion in Grenada.

First, I conclude that the possibility of residential

adoption of the best practices model of rainwater

harvesting in the target community is remote. All five

of the factors identified that affect the decision to

practice rainwater harvesting are unfavorable to the

best practices model in the study community (table

2). In particular, residents in this community are

unable to afford best practices systems that cost

thousands of dollars, especially when piped water is

supplied intermittently and can be stored more easily

and cheaply.

Results also indicate a limited but significant

potential to promote basic forms of rainwater

harvesting in the target community, particularly if

collecting rainwater can be made more convenient

and inexpensive for residents. If this holds true for

other parts of Grenada, the significance could be

profound. Many parts of Grenada experience dry

season piped water shortages and rationing. Often,

the dry season demand outstrips dry season supply by

a relatively small margin. Promoting basic rainwater

harvesting to expand the effective water supply could

be far less expensive than expanding capacity at the

water authority level. In addition, getting residents to

reduce their demand for piped water may be easier by

promoting basic rainwater harvesting than by

promoting water conservation.

These conclusions are consistent with criteria for

promoting rainwater harvesting presented by the

United Nations Environment Programme (1999) and

conversations between the author and persons in the

local water authority (Al Neptune, personal

communication, 2011). A contribution of this study is

to establish data that verify these criteria while

providing a detailed picture of the local setting.

Limitations

This study is limited in a number of important ways.

First, Grenada is remarkably diverse, both in terms of

water supply and social dynamics. It is possible the

results would be different in other towns. Second,

this study utilized surveys. This method may be

adequate to gauge how and why residents practice

rainwater harvesting, but it does a poor job of

capturing the best water shortage coping strategy to

promote. Third, the subjects of this study are

residents and results reflect the biases and limitations

of the resident perspective. Other groups of people,

notably the local water authority and regional

rainwater harvesting promoters, are likely to have

valuable input on the matter. Future research could

utilize other methods, such as focus groups or

interviews, and target the views of other stakeholders

to provide a more comprehensive picture of the

situation. This would provide a more solid basis for

charting a future course to assist residents cope with

intermittent piped water supply.

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the gracious assistance of

many important people with this study, including:

Christopher Cox, Caribbean

Environmental Health Institute (CEHI),

Alphonsus Daniel of Daniel and Daniel

Engineering,

Al Neptune, National Water &

Sewerage Authority (NAWASA),

Jennifer Durst and students at St.

George’s University.

References

Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (2006).

National Rainwater Harvesting Programme

for Grenada. Ministry of Health, Social

Security, Environment and Ecclesiastical

Affairs, Grenada.

Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (2009).

Rainwater Catch it while you can: A

Handbook for Rainwater Harvesting for the

Caribbean.

Caribbean Environmental Health Institute & United

Nations Environment Programme (2009).

Field Report On Best Practices for

Improving Water Quality in Rainwater

Harvesting Systems under the project

Promoting Rainwater Harvesting in the

Caribbean Region - Phase 2.

Government of Grenada (2011). Grenada strategic

program for climate resilience (SPCR). pp.

112.

Kairi Consultants. 2008. Country Poverty

Assessment: Grenada, Carriacou and Petit

Martinique. Tunapuna, Trinidad and

Tobago, West Indies: Government of

Grenada.

Pandey, D. N., Gupta, A. K., & Anderson, D. M.

(2003). Rainwater harvesting as an

adaptation to climate change. Current

Science, 85(1), 46-59.

Parsram, K. (2010). Grenada Water Resources 2010:

Centro del Agua para America Latina y el

Caribe.

Peters, E. (2006). Rainwater potential for domestic

water supply in Grenada. Water

Management, 159(3), 147-153.

Peters, E. (2010). Impact of hurricane Ivan on

Grenada water supply. Water Management,

163(2), 57-64.

United Nations Environment Programme (1999).

Sourcebook of Alternative Technologies for

Freshwater Augmentation in Latin America

and the Caribbean: The Stationery Office.

Appendix 1

Survey given at homes that do not collect rainwater (page 1 of 1).

1a

1b

2a

3a

If you DO store water to use in the dry season, how large are your storage tank(s) or your cistern(s)? (total)

During the driest part of the dry season, how many consecutive days is your home without piped water?

12

13

Other: _________________________________________________________ Home not plumbed for rainwater

4

Do you store other water such as piped or trucked water? (a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r

2b We store

piped water

Do not know how Can not afford it Issues with

rainwater safety

If you do NOT store water to use in the dry season, why not?

Can not

afford tank

No place

to put tank 3b

Piped water is

present all the time

3c

Survey Finished

Researcher Name: Finish Time: _____________

5What is your home

built from?

(a) boards, (b) concreteWhat is your household income? (EC dol lars )

Monthly ___________ or Yearly ____________

(c) other ___________ What is the highest level of education you

have attained?

a. No supply interruptions

b. 1-3 days consecutive

c. 4-6 days consecutive

d. 7-9 days consecutive

e. 10-12 days consecutive

f. 13-15 days consecutive

g. 16-18 days consecutive

h. 19-21 days consecutive

i . 22-24 days consecutive

j. 25-27 days consecutive

k. 28-30 days consecutive

Other Reason: ____________________________________________________________________________

Note to researcher: ci rcle a l l that apply, but

don't show the l i s t to the respondant

I'm not sure

100 gallons

200 gallons

300 gallons

400 gallons

500 gallons

600 gallons

700 gallons

800 gallons

900 gallons

1,000 gallons

1,100 gallons

1,200 gallons

1,300 gallons

1,400 gallons

1,500 gallons

1,600 gallons

1,700 gallons

1,800 gallons

1,900 gallons

2,000 gallons

2,100 gallons

2,200 gallons

2,300 gallons

2,400 g or more

Do you collect rainwater? Yes r No r If yes, go to the "rainwater harvesters" survey

Why don't you collect rainwater? (Note to researcher: circle all that apply, but do not read them the list)

Piped water is present

all the time No Reason

How many people, adults and children/youth under 18, l ive in your home? ____ Adults ______ Youth _____ Total

Date __________ Better Rainwater Harvesting Questionnaire Start time ______________

Are you a head of household? (one of the people who are primarily ‘in charge’ in your home)

Yes r No r

Questionaire ID#

_________________

Appendix 2

Survey given at homes that do collect rainwater (page 1 of 2)

1a

1b

2a

(1) Piped

into

dwelling

(2) Piped

into yard

(4)

Hauling

Truck

(5)

Standpipe

(6)

Neighbor

(7)Rain-

water

(8) Bottled

water

(9) Surface

water

(8) Other,

specify:

a Drinking

b Cooking

c

Bathing /

personal

hygiene

dWashing

dishes

eWashing

clothes

fWatering

lawn/garden

gToilet

flushing

h

Other

(please

specify)

4b Your drinking water (from any source)?

Do you treat rainwater before drinking it? 4d Rainwater that you use for drinking?

(a) boil; (b) Chlorine; (c) UV light; (d) Traditional Filter (eg cloth)

(e) store-bought fi lter (eg Brita); (f) do not treat; (g) Other (specify)

5a

5c

5d

(1) I’m unsure or only partially sure how my system works

5bDo you clean the parts of your RWH system?

(a) Regularly (1x/yr) r (b) Occasionally (1x/2-5 yr) r (c) Never r (d) Not sure r

If not, why not?

Note to researcher: Do not show them

the list, but let them draw or explain

what is on their system and interpret

their words for the system components.(2) Gutters

(3) Closed pipe connecting gutter to cistern or water tank

(4) Screen or mesh cloth to prevent large particles,

mosquitoes and leaves from entering cistern or tank

(5) Screened overflow pipe to prevent mosquito entry &

breeding

(6) Secure cover on cistern or tank to keep out insects &

other vermin, dirt and sunshine

(7) First flush diverter

(a) Regularly r (b) Occasionally r (c) Never r (d) Not sure rWould you clean the system if you knew how?

5e

Do you know how to clean the parts of your RWH system? Yes r No r Not sure r

(a) Always r (b) Sometimes r

Would you clean the system if you could do it yourself or afford to hire someone else to do it?

(8) Extra tank to let sediment settle out before sending

water to cistern or main tank

(9) Plumbing from tank or cistern into house

(10) Pump

(11) Access cover to clean tank or cistern

(12) A way to get water out of the tank without

contaminating it (i .e. A Pump or valve)

(13) Other (l ist or describe)

Better Rainwater Harvesting QuestionnaireDate __________

Are you a head of household? (one of the people who are primarily ‘in charge’ in your home)

Yes r No r

Questionaire ID#

_________________

4b & 4d: How do you most frequently treat...

Do you collect rainwater? Yes r No r

Start time ______________

What is the main source of water for the following uses? (Mark all that apply with an A)

What is the source of water when the main source is unavailable? (Mark all that apply with a B)

3

If no, go to the "non rainwater harvesters" survey

How many people, adults and children/youth under 18, l ive in your home? ____ Adults ______ Youth _____ Total

4c

4a(a) Always r (b) Sometimes r (c) Never r

Do you treat your drinking water before use?

6

(a) Regularly r (b) Occasionally r (c) Never r (d) I don't drink RW r

Please describe the parts on your rainwater collection system

(You may draw a picture of your system if it helps)

Supply for when piped

water is unavailable

2b

(c) Never r (d) I don't drink RW r

Tastes better than other sources Environmental reasons

Higher quality than piped water Cost Convenience Other (list):

If yes, why do you collect rainwater? (Note to researcher: circle all that apply, but do not read them the list)

Appendix 2 (continued)

Survey given at homes that do collect rainwater (page 2 of 2)

7a

9a

9b If you don't store piped water, why not?

9c At most, how many consecutive days is your piped water cut off?

How large are your storage tank(s) or your cistern(s)? (total)

12

13

Have you modified your RWH in

the last 5 years?

(a) Yes r

(b) No r

(c) Not sure r

e. 10-12 days in a row

f. 13-15 days in a row

g. 16-18 days in a row

h. 19-21 days in a row

i . 22-24 days in a row

j. 25-27 days in a row

k. 28-30 days in a row

Is your home plumbed to use piped water?

(a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r9e

a. No piped water cut offs

b. 1-3 days in a row

c. 4-6 days in a row

d. 7-9 days in a row

7b Why or why not? (Or I have no particular reason)

10

I'm not sure

100 gallons

200 gallons

300 gallons

400 gallons

500 gallons

600 gallons

700 gallons

800 gallons

900 gallons

(a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r

Is your home plumbed to use rainwater? 9f

Do you store piped water and rainwater in

separate tanks/cisterns?

(a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r

1,000 gallons

1,100 gallons

1,200 gallons

1,300 gallons

1,400 gallons

1,500 gallons

1,600 gallons

1,700 gallons

1,800 gallons

1,900 gallons

2,000 gallons

2,100 gallons

2,200 gallons

2,300 gallons

2,400 g or more

Researcher Name:

Survey Finished

(1) I'm unsure how I would improve my RWH system

(2) Gutters

(3) Closed pipe connecting gutter to cistern or water tank

(4) Screen or mesh cloth to prevent large particles,

mosquitoes and leaves from entering cistern or tank

(5) Screened overflow pipe to prevent mosquito entry &

breeding

(6) Secure cover on cistern or tank to keep out insects &

other vermin, dirt and sunshine

(7) First flush diverter

(8) Extra tank to let sediment settle out before sending

water to cistern or main tank

(9) Plumbing from tank or cistern into house

(10) Pump

(11) Access cover to clean tank or cistern

(12) A way to get water out of the tank without

contaminating it (i .e. A Pump or valve)

(13) Other (l ist or describe)

8

Note to researcher: ci rcle a l l that apply, but

don't show the l i s t to the respondant

If you could improve your RWH system in any way,

how would you improve it?

Do you also store piped water? (a) Yes r (b) No r (c) I'm not sure r

Finish Time ___________

(a ) boards , (b) concrete

(c) other ___________

What i s your household income? (EC dol lars )

Monthly ___________ or Yearly ____________

What i s the highest level of education you

have atta ined?

11What i s your home

bui l t from?

9d

Better Rainwater Harvesting Questionnaire Page 2

Table 1

Components of Rainwater Harvesting Systems.

Rainwater Harvesting Component Proportion of Systems

Gutters 65%

Screen or mesh cloth to prevent mosquitoes and large particles from

entering cistern/tank 22%

Secure cover on cistern/tank 16%

Plumbing from tank/cistern to house 3%

Closed pipe connecting gutter to cistern/tank

3%

Screened overflow pipe to prevent mosquito entry and breeding

0%

First flush diverter 0%

Extra tank to let sediment settle out 0%

Pump 0%

Access cover to clean tank/cistern 0%

A sanitary way to remove water from the tank (a pump or valve)

0%

Table 2

Factors Facilitating and Restricting Adoption of Rainwater Harvesting. Relatively high values

facilitate adoption of rainwater harvesting and relatively low values serve to restrict adoption

of rainwater harvesting

Basic

rainwater harvesting Best practices

rainwater harvesting

Factors that affect motivation

Perceived need

Moderate Low

Financial incentives

Low Low

Factors that affect ability

Convenience

Moderate Low

Financial cost

Moderate Low

Knowledge

High Low

Table 3

Measures of Resident Wealth.

Measures of Wealth Households that Harvest

Rainwater

Households that Do Not Harvest Rainwater

Statistical Significance

Proportion of homes constructed with concrete walls

42% 25% No

Annual household income $3,791 US $2,475 US No

Proportion of households with one or more members with at least a secondary education

42% 35% No

Figure Captions

Figure 1. Map of Grenada. Adapted from images in “The World Factbook,” by the US Central

Intelligence Agency, accessed on 15 March 2012 at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-

world-factbook/geos/gj.html.

Figure 2. Responses to the question, “Do you treat rainwater before drinking it?” All 4 options,

including “I do not drink rainwater” were read to the subjects prior to their response.

Figure 3. Preferred water source by use. No residents reported using water from a tanker truck,

stand pipe, or neighbor.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Always15%

Sometimes 20%

Never 30%

I don't drink rainwater

35%

Figure 3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Drinking Cooking Bathing / personal hygiene

Washing dishes

Washing clothes

Watering lawn/garden

Toilet flushing

Pe

rce

nta

ge o

f H

om

es

Preferred Source of Water by Use

Piped into dwelling

Piped into yard

Rain-water

Surface water (spring)

Bottled water