Introduction
Our school science club wanted to prove that a low-cost rainwater harvesting model could work on the terrace of a government school building in Jaipur. This post documents the full journey from hypothesis to community demonstration.
Objective
Design a portable harvesting unit using locally available materials, measure collection efficiency during monsoon weeks, and prepare a presentation for district-level science fair judges.
Main Content
We built a two-tier filtration system using mesh, sand, and charcoal layers. A 200-litre drum stored filtered water for gardening use. During three weeks of monitoring we recorded daily rainfall, runoff volume, and turbidity before and after filtration.
Field visits to a nearby farm helped us compare rooftop collection with contour bunding. Lab sessions focused on pH testing, TDS readings, and bacterial colony counts using prepared agar plates.
Learnings
- First-flush diverters dramatically improve stored water quality.
- Community adoption depends more on maintenance training than on hardware cost.
- Documenting every reading in a shared logbook prevented data loss during busy exam weeks.
Tips / Recommendations
Start with a small prototype, photograph each assembly step, and invite one local expert for a 30-minute review before the fair. Teachers appreciate students who can explain both science and social impact clearly.
Conclusion
Science projects become memorable when they solve a real neighbourhood problem. We are now mentoring Class 9 students to scale the design for their block.