Sources of clean water for drinking, cooking, and bathing are in scarce supply in northern Uganda. Water borne diseases are a major force contributing to high death rates and low productivity in northern Uganda’s IDP camps. The traditional response to this problem is to drill new, shallow borehole wells that are expensive, difficult to maintain, and susceptible to contamination. In addition, the drilling teams are usually not composed of local labor and utilize imported pumps that do not contribute to the local economy. Corruption can also impede access to water, as local landowners sometimes place locks on the village pump requiring villagers to pay for water that should be accessed freely.

In response, Connect Africa is distributing rainwater harvesting systems and training leaders to build the systems themselves. The rainwater harvesting system uses gutters to channel rainwater from a CARC or house roof into a tank protected from insects and contamination. A rainwater harvesting tank made from ISSB bricks is stronger, longer lasting, and one third of the price of a traditional plastic tank imported from southern Uganda. These tanks are produced in both 2,000- liter household sizes, as well as in larger 10,000- liter community sizes. Connect Africa’s rainwater harvesting systems have proven to be a sustainable clean water solution for northern Uganda.