A review on the effects of roofing materials on the quality of harvested rainwater.

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