Quality Assessment of Direct Harvested Rainwater in parts of Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Rainwater harvesting has become an alternative water source especially in developing countries where many people lack access to pipe borne water. The build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere has had negative impacts on the quality of rainwater and poses great risks to people who depend on this source of water resources. Hence this study assess the physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of rainwater collected in the open in Oko, Orumba North L.G.A. of Anambra State. In the study, direct harvested rainwater were collected from three stations in Oko community and analyzed to investigate the quality of harvested rainwater within the region. Thirty-one water quality parameters were considered and analyzed in the laboratory. The laboratory results were compared to permissible water quality level as recommended by NAFDAC. The comparative parameters analysis shows that the sample collected rainwater were within the permissible limit except for pH which was slightly acidic.