Rainwater catchments in rural Alaska have the potential to produce high-quality water and high quantities of water for household use
| Autor: | Elizabeth King, Aaron Dotson, Kaitlin Mattos, Elizabeth Hodges Snyder, Karl G. Linden, Cara Lucas |
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| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Microbiology (medical)
Rain media_common.quotation_subject 0208 environmental biotechnology Drainage basin Water supply 02 engineering and technology 010501 environmental sciences 01 natural sciences Rainwater harvesting Water Supply Water Quality Humans Quality (business) Turbidity Waste Management and Disposal 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Water Science and Technology media_common Total organic carbon Family Characteristics geography geography.geographical_feature_category business.industry Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Water 020801 environmental engineering Water resources Infectious Diseases Water Resources Environmental science Water quality business Water resource management Alaska |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Water and Health. 17:788-800 |
| ISSN: | 1996-7829 1477-8920 |
| DOI: | 10.2166/wh.2019.238 |
| Popis: | Rainwater collection is a common source of household water in developed and developing communities where treated on-site water is not available. Although rainwater catchment has been practiced for generations in rural Alaska communities, there are little data available on the quality and quantity of rainwater resources. Forty-eight rainwater samples were collected from nine communities in Alaska over 2 years. Samples were tested for physical water quality parameters, metals, and bacteria. Characteristics of household catchments were recorded. Rainwater quantity in two communities was evaluated. Overall, high-quality water was observed in rain catchments, with average total organic carbon (TOC) and turbidity being lower than or equal to those values in other published rainwater studies. pH was consistently low. Over 80% of samples were below the United States limits for metals and met international microbiological water quality standards. However, variation was observed between households, communities, indoor/outdoor bacteria samples, covered/uncovered storage containers, and over time. The quantity of rainwater available for catchment could supply 17–40% of annual household water and is projected to increase in future decades according to Alaska climate models. Best practices are recommended for rural Alaska communities to maintain the naturally high quality of rainwater and take advantage of large quantities of rainwater available on-site. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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