Rainwater collector. A drinkable water dispenser

Even though around the world natural water sources are abundant, the distribution of water is not homogeneous, and many water sources are contaminated. Rainwater Collector aims to respond to this issue by providing purified drinking water for the community. It harvests rain water which is then stocked into a tank. At this point, a pump sends the water through a series of filter that make the water drinkable. The last step is the distribution, which will provide water for a determined number of people through the year. Thanks to the collaboration with the NGO Africa ’70, based in Monza, we were able to identify a suitable pilot city in El Salvador, Sonsonate. Here Africa ’70 has been active for years and is well acquainted with the conditions of the community. Since Sonsonate is located on the tropical belt and thus having to deal with its wet season/dry season dualism, the device takes advantage of the abundant precipitations that occur from May to October and stock them to provide water for the rest of the year. Lighting is another functionality implemented in the collector, as a deterrent against dangerous areas or simply as a functional device along the streets or in parks. Considering the socio-economic situation of under development areas and the consequences provoked by certain environments, a water supply device that harvests, filters and distributes equitably drinking water would respond to the need of the many who suffer from scarcity of water. Thus, Sonsonate represents a starting point. The Rainwater Collector can be employed in any area which suffers from water scarcity or where the water supply does not work properly. Other regions in Central America or regions of South America or even India would benefit from this kind of device as well. Rainwater Collector aims to respond to this issue by providing purified drinking water for the community. It harvests rain water which is then stocked into a tank. At this point, a pump sends the water through a series of filter that make the water drinkable. The last step is the distribution, which will provide water for a determined number of people through the year. Thanks to the collaboration with the NGO Africa ’70, based in Monza, we were able to identify a suitable pilot city in El Salvador, Sonsonate. Here Africa ’70 has been active for years and is well acquainted with the conditions of the community. Since Sonsonate is located on the tropical belt and thus having to deal with its wet season/dry season dualism, the device takes advantage of the abundant precipitations that occur from May to October and stock them to provide water for the rest of the year. Lighting is another functionality implemented in the collector, as a deterrent against dangerous areas or simply as a functional device along the streets or in parks. Considering the socio-economic situation of under development areas and the consequences provoked by certain environments, a water supply device that harvests, filters and distributes equitably drinking water would respond to the need of the many who suffer from scarcity of water. Thus, Sonsonate represents a starting point. The Rainwater Collector can be employed in any area which suffers from water scarcity or where the water supply does not work properly. Other regions in Central America or regions of South America or even India would benefit from this kind of device as well.

Sebbene nel mondo non manchino risorse idriche, l’accesso all’acqua non è garantita a tutti e spesso in condizioni di scarsa efficienza. Inoltre, non è raro che molti bacini siano contaminati. Rainwater Collector cerca di rispondere al problema della mancanza di acqua potabile per la comunità. Raccoglie acqua piovana e la immagazzina in una cisterna. A questo punto, l’acqua è pompata attraverso una serie di filtri che la rendono potabile. L’ultima fase è la distribuzione, programmata in modo tale da servire un certo numero di persone per tutto l’anno. Grazie alla collaborazione con la ONG Africa ’70, il cui quartier generale si trova a Monza, è stato possibile identificare una zona adatta su cui costruire un modello progettuale. Sonsonate, in El Salvador, è un distretto in cui Africa ’70 opera da anni e di cui conosce approfonditamente le dinamiche locali. Essendo Sonsonate situata nella fascia tropicale e, dunque, avendo a che fare con il dualismo del suo clima (stagione secca e stagione delle piogge), il raccoglitore sfrutta le abbondanti precipitazioni da maggio a ottobre per provvedere al fabbisogno richiesto anche durante i restanti mesi. Un’altra funzionalità prevista è l’illuminazione, come deterrente contro la criminalità e più semplicemente come fonte di illuminazione lungo strade urbane o parchi. Considerando la situazione socioeconomica delle aree in via di sviluppo, un dispositivo di approvvigionamento idrico che raccoglie, filtra e redistribuisce equamente acqua potabile risponderebbe alle necessità di molte persone che soffrono di scarsità di acqua. A questo punto Sonsonate rappresenta un punto di partenza. Il raccoglitore di acqua piovana può essere utilizzato in qualsiasi area che soffre di scarsità d'acqua o dove l'approvvigionamento idrico non funziona correttamente. Altre regioni del Sud America o, ad esempio, l'India beneficerebbero sicuramente di questo tipo di dispositivo.