RWH Model Competition 2023

Rain Water Harvesting Model Competition 2023

The Rainwater Harvesting Model Competition is an inter school competition that aims to inspire students to generate innovative ideas for utilizing rainwater as a resilient and sustainable water source. The competition’s objective is to educate students about identifying water issues in their school, recognizing available water sources, and developing a model that explains how to improve and utilize those water sources to solve the water problems in their school. The competition consists of two levels, concept level and final project submission. The winning students and school will receive awards.

The competition is organized by the Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum under the project “Safe Disaster Resilient Drinking Water for Flood and Drought Prone Areas in Sri Lanka’’ supported by USAID.

Competition Guidelines

The competition is open to schools in the Anuradhapura, Badulla, Mannar, and Mullaitivu districts that do not have rainwater harvesting systems at their schools. Each school can form a group of 10-12 students between the ages of 15 and 19, supervised by 1-2 teachers. To participate, schools must apply for the competition by submitting a concept they plan to develop. The concept submission should address the following points.

1.Identify the current water sources: Determine the existing water sources used by the school for various purposes, including daily requirements, distance from the school to the water source, and water availability throughout the year.

2.Identify water-related issues faced by the school: These issues may include inadequate drinking water, insufficient water for sanitation and hygiene, poor water quality from the existing source, high water bills, waterborne diseases, etc.

3.Identify an appropriate Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) system for the school based on available resources, needs, and issues. This could involve a roof rainwater harvesting system, groundwater recharge system, surface water runoff system, etc.

4.Design an innovative RWH system for the school considering factors such as local rainfall patterns, catchment area, system type, cost, and usage.

5.The proposed innovative solution should include an appropriate water treatment system/filter, an operation and maintenance plan, and water-saving techniques and methods.

6.Calculate a budget for implementing the proposed design.

Concept Submission Guidelines

Sinhala

Tamil

English

Concept Submission Forms

Sinhala

Tamil

English

Once the concept is submitted, it will be reviewed by the Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum (LRWHF). If the concept is accepted, they will be invited to submit the final project. The final submission can take the form of a report, graphics, a model built using reusable materials, or a video in Sinhala, Tamil, or English.

Timeline

Announcement of the competition: August 1, 2023

Submission of the concept: On or before September 30, 2023, via email or post

Announcement of schools selected for final model submission: October 2, 2023

Final model submission: On or before October 23, 2023

Selection Process

A group of experts will review the concepts and final models based on the provided guidelines. The LRWHF will make the final decision, which is binding.