Abstract:
The rainwater harvesting is a common practice in remote areas of Africa as it’s collected
from rooftops which are some old hence corrode introducing ions into the water owing to the
debris, dust thus affects the quality of water. This study is focused on the effects of roofing
materials on the quality of water in the rural areas of Uganda. The analyses were done and
found that the physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters were above the expectable
standards as compared to the WHO permissible limits. The pH was acidic and contained
traces of heavy metal ions. All these is as a result of agricultural activities. Coliform as
bacterial indicator was present in the water. Therefore, it’s recommended that the rainwater
should be suitably treated before consumption.
KEYWORDS: Rainwater harvesting, roof materials, water quality, pollutants
