EXAMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RAINWATER COLLECTION SYSTEMS IN A NIGERIAN LEPER COLONY USING THE BEHAVIOURAL MODEL

Rainwater from roof catchments can be a valuable source of water and can be quite safe to drink when stored in a properly installed and well maintained water storage system. This paper examines the effectiveness of rainwater collection systems in a Nigerian leper colony using behavioral method, such that the relationship between the storage and the utility or demand was punctuated in terms of water saving efficiency. The values obtained for the water saving efficiency using the YAS and the YBS algorithms shows that the YBS gives an exaggerated value for the data plots while the YAS operating algorithm showed a conservative estimate and could be use as a standard of comparison and calibration for other models. The hourly models can therefore be most effective for relatively small stores with storage fractions less than 0.014. Daily models can be used more effectively for stores with storage factions above 0.014 while the monthly time model for store capacities with storage fractions greater than 0.13.