By Amir Yechieli

The water crisis in Israel is mostly due to water mismanagement. One-fifth of the annual rainfall is lost as a result of runoff, particularly in urban areas, via street drains and sewers. This venture is about designing and constructing cost- effective systems to collect millions of cubic meters of rainwater from rooftops. Through rainwater harvesting, many thousands of homeowners, schools, and other public buildings can become less dependent on public water systems during the winter months. On an individual level, this project can provide an alternative to paying for public water and to buying bottled mineral water. On a national level, it can avoid dependence on imported water and desalination, and minimizes the cost and environmental damage from millions of plastic water bottles.

Rainwater harvesting in schools is particularly effective because of a good ratio of collecting area to rate of consumption. Yet, the primary importance of this project is in the teaching of sustainable values and of their practical application, as the system serves as a tool for studying computer science, math, climate and geography.

The innovation behind this rain harvesting system is the use of relatively small containers that are usually refilled about twenty times during the rainy season. Working with a small storage capacity, meant to last for only 7-10 days, ensures high quality water, with minimal space requirements and esthetic problems. The costs of such a system ( 5 -7 thousand $) can be recovered in a few years. A system as described above is already operating in forty schools around the country and in numerous private homes.

Fundraising would allow implementation of the initiative on a larger scale, one in which hundreds of systems could be added each year, instead of the current five to ten. The work plan is the following:

1. The creation of a business plan to increase efficiency and productivity.

2. The development of an educational package for schools, which would include the rainwater harvesting system and an instructional program, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

3. Fundraising from municipal and government authorities to help finance the school projects.

4. The refinement of the systems for private homes, to obtain high quality drinking water.

5. Training for teachers and rainwater technicians in the operation and maintenance of school systems.

6. Public relations work with the government, public and private sectors regarding rainwater harvesting.