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Vol. 31 (n. 2, 2016)

RAINWATER MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURE AND

LIFE IN THE HOUSEHOLD SCALE
Susilawati CL
Flores University, Sam Ratulangi, str., Ende, Flores 86316, NTT, Indonesia

ABSTRACT
East Nusatenggara Province has dried climate situation, which caused of the availability of water
for living very scarce. Some options have done do to this situation, for example by developing
many embung (small reservoir) or water-trap series along the gully as gully plug. The problem
furthermore comes related with the operation and maintenance of these structures. Thats also
happened for between each household place are far each other. Rainwater management in the
household scale would be the way to cope the scarcity for this condition. The principle concept is
managing the rainfall water on the household field by catching runoff with several Ferro-cement
structure to keep rainwater not to flow away out from household field and use for agriculture or
others. Rainfall water on the roof is managed by rainwater catches canal structure that completed
with mineralization and filtration structure so could use as clean water for life. This structure has
done as a model at 4 household in Tli'u village. As a result, they have water for agriculture activity
and life.
Keywords: rainwater management, agriculture, water for life, household scale

INTRODUCTION
East Nusatenggara Province has dried climate situation, so the availability
of water for living is very scarce (Susilawati, CL and Sooai, AG., 2012-b). Some
options have been done, for example by developing many embung (small
reservoir), (Kirmanto, D., 2011). Evaluations of embung systems development
also have been done, particularly in Sabu-Raijua Island, which includes: the
infrastructure system review, operations and maintenance, institutional,
community development, information systems and analysis of the benefits value.
It can be concluded that the development of embung systems in Sabu-Raijua
Island, have given some positive benefits. Several aspect need some attention,
especially on the technically infrastructure systems related to the proper target
planning services, charging condition of the water in the embung and the speed of
sedimentation rate. Less attention of the operation and maintenance system have
made the embung does not work anymore after a short time. Similarly, the limited
human resources make the institutional system very poor. Keeping in a well
planned community development, will be supporting the technical aspects, but
unfortunately also less attention as well. It can be said that the development of
embung system on the island of Sabu-Raijua looks like a central government
project, poor involvement of the local area officials, so is less support from local
people.
Attention to technical infrastructure systems or rainwater harvesting
system is urgently needed because the development of the existing embung has
less efficiency factor due to the evaporation and sedimentation occurs. To
overcome this case, it is necessary to consider the alternative water resources
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development in this areas, which have a large evaporation and high sedimentation
rate, such as conservation reservoir that serves to capture rainwater, preserve it by
letting the water soak into the ground soils. Furthermore, it can be prepared dug
wells to extract the water that has infiltrated to ground water reservoir to give
available water for agriculture and daily used. This alternative water resource
development is given the term as rain water management for agriculture
(RWMA). This system emphasizes the term of "management" which means that
rain water managed optimally and has not just rain water harvesting. Likewise, it
is keeping in mind as well that the system management and maintenance has done
participatory by people as well to meet the sustainability of the system.
Since 2010, Susilawati has tried to promote the water-trap series along the
gully as gully plug to get more water for agriculture and domestic-municipalindustry need. Based on the systems done by people in Daieko to get water by
holding water flowing in the grooves of the natural drainage system called as
water trap, that was developed a simple system to manage water as form as rain
water trap series such as simple embankments as gully plug (Susilawati CL,
2010). This system was developed to cope floods and droughts on small islands
(Susilawati CL, 2011). Furthermore, from the village of Daieko case studies, it
has developed for the entire island of Sabu (Susilawati CL, 2012-a). From the
observation of the reservoir system failure cause largely sedimentation due to the
cliffs erosion of reservoir design, the system was developed further by adding a
cliff reinforcement system with vetiver grass (Susilawati CL, 2013-a). Various
constraints have to be faced in implementing this system, especially concerning
financial terms. Furthermore, this system has been developed in household scale
(Susilawati CL, 2014), which was implemented in four families in the Tli'u
village. The most constraint of this system is the operation and maintenance of
these structures (Susilawati CL, 2013-b). This obstacle strengthened again by
dwelling communities from each other. Fuelled by this experience, so was
developed of rain water management for agriculture and the need to live in a
household scale system. Thats also can be happened because of between each
household place are far each other (Fig. 1, 2 and 3). Rainwater management in the
household scale would be the way to cope the scarcity for this condition.

Figure 1 Tliu village imagery in 2004

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Figure 2 Tliu village imagery in 2010

Figure 3 Tliu village imagery in 2015

RAINWATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT
The principle of rainwater management concept is managing the rainfall
water on the household yard by catching runoff with several Ferro-cement
structure to keep rainwater not to flow out away from household yard and use that
for agriculture or others needs. Rainfall water on the roof are managed by
rainwater catches canal structure that completed with mineralization and filtration
structure so could use as clean water for life (Fig. 4).

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Figure 4 Rainwater management concept

RAINWATER MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURE APPLICATION
MODEL AND LIFE IN THE HOUSEHOLD SCALE
This concept is being implemented in four households in the Tli'u Village.
Several water wells that trap rainwater are installed interconnected with each
other, so as to get the water accommodated, simply use the hand pump alone
without the need for energy. The hydrological analysis has to be done to get the
yearly rain for availability water. Table 1 shows the plotting position analysis.
Followed by the plotting position graphic (Fig. 5) and dry-normal-wet yearly
rainfall analysis (Table 2).
1.
2.

3.
4.

Several steps have to be done during the implementation of this model:

When to do the survey in the study location, it must be observe how the runoff
flowing, so that can be decided the location of the water well tank (Fig. 6)
Then the catchment area of rainwater are determined for each water well, so it
can be known the volume of rainwater which can be captured and stored in the
water wells
The next step is determined the dimensions of the catchment water wells in
accordance with the potential of rainwater that can be captured.
The final step is the design drawings of the catchment water wells.
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Table 1 Plotting position analysis

No

Year

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Des Total

Rank

Fa=100*m/(N+1)

1989

147

175

184

111

59

34

55

15

73

204

1059

2223

4.55

1990

380

229

205

67

62

454

1399

1951

9.09

1991

300

204

127

324

61

100

27

293

120

1558

1942

13.64

1992

302

130

235

99

50

51

126

373

1366

1886

18.18

1993

190

115

156

87

51

137

49

29

178

992

1827

22.73

1994

394

257

115

48

12

276

1102

1797

27.27

1995

137

228

147

163

15

94

104

322

293

1503

1691

31.82

1996

381

347

216

55

38

33

31

154

351

1606

1654

36.36

1997

381

632

86

13

21

34

49

438

1654

1606

40.91

10

1998

72

255

206

172

49

117

385

78

1334

1558

45.45

11

1999

545

199

342

380

23

41

236

169

1942

1518

50.00

12

2000

133

194

229

366

203

47

114

233

172

1691

1503

54.55

13

2002

315

205

114

122

98

229

1083

1399

59.09

14

2003

246

203

353

69

135

230

987

2223

1366

63.64

15

2004

247

487

462

27

129

23

62

390

1827

1334

68.18

16

2009

545

199

342

380

178

140

1797

1102

72.73

17

2010

478

522

27

55

146

44

10

33

20

205

337

1886

1083

77.27

18

2011

365

295

341

354

64

112

403

1951

1076

81.82

19

2012

54

291

90

413

861

1059

86.36

20

2013

285

463

48

55

23

202

1076

992

90.91

21

2014

172

226

248

167

56

142

89

20

57

341

1518

861

95.45

Piav

289 278.9 196.9

150 48.33 33.67 15.14 3.19 6.381 27.76 135.6 311.8

2500

2000

1500

P80: Pdry =
P20: Pwet =
P50: Pnor =
Pav
=

1200
1900
1600
1496.6

mm
mm
mm
mm

1000

500

0
100.00

10.00

1.00

Figure 5 Plotting position graphic

Table 2 Dry-normal-wet yearly rainfall analysis
Bulan
Piwet
Pinor
Pidry
ETo

Jan
367
309
232
129

Feb
354
298
224
121

Mar
250
211
158
139

Apr
190
160
120
149

May
61
52
39
169

Jun
43
36
27
162

Jul
19
16
12
185

Aug
4
3
3
204

Sep
8
7
5
205

Oct
35
30
22
213

Nov
172
145
109
180

Des
396
333
250
141

Total (mm)
1,900
1,600
1,200
1,997

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Figure 6 Runoff flowing and water well location of Mr. Benyamins yard
The field area for each house-hold and the catchment area for water well
are shown in Fig. 7-10.

Figure 7 Runoff flowing and water well location of Mr. Markuss yard

Figure 8 Runoff flowing and water well location of Mr. Hillers yard

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Figure 9 Runoff flowing and water well location of Mr. Yusaks yard

Figure 10 Field area and catchment area for 4 house-hold

The construction of the water well contain of the Ferro-cement system as
figured as Figure 11.

Figure 11 Ferro-cement water well system for rainwater captured and stored
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The potential water which can be captured and stored is calculated as

shown in Table 3.
Table 3 The potential rainwater which can be captured and stored to Ferro-cement
Family
Yusak
CA FC-01
CA FC-02

Areal (m2 ) 2,000 1,500 1,280 mm

302
Pwet
Pnor
Pdry Coeff = 60%
128
15,360 11,520 9,830
for drink
174
20,880 15,660 13,363
2 l/person/day

Benyamin
CA FC-01
CA FC-02
CA FC-03

1187
444
282
461

Markus

1340

CA FC-01
CA FC-02
CA FC-03

404
478
458

Hiller
CA FC-01
CA FC-02
CA FC-03

1434
368
412
654

m3
m3
m3
for personal
53,280 39,960 34,099
15 l/person/day
33,840 25,380 21,658 Requirement for 5
55,320 41,490 35,405 person per family
m3

m3

m3

drink 3.65 m3

48,480 36,360 31,027 personal 18 m3

57,360 43,020 36,710
54,960 41,220 35,174
Yusak's family
m3
m3
m3
water needs can
44,160 33,120 28,262
still be met
49,440 37,080 31,642
78,480 58,860 50,227

CONCLUSION
The household water needs can be met by developing of rain water
management system in the household scale. Even still have excessive water,
which can be used to meet the water needs of agriculture and other businesses. It
is suggested that the comparable between yard land area and family members,
must be considered in determining the capacity of rainwater well captured.
REFERENCES
Kirmanto, D., (2011). Guidelines for The Use of Water Resources. Regulation of
the Minister of Public Works No. 06/PRT/M/2011, 40-48.
Susilawati CL, (2010). Rainwater Management for Agriculture in Daieko Village
Hawu Mehara District, Sabu-Raijua Regency, NTT Province. Journal
SIPIL UNWIRA, Vol 1 No.1, 51-58.
Susilawati CL, (2011). Water Resource Conservation with the System of Watertrap Series to Cope Flood and Drought on Small Island, Journal SIPIL
UNWIRA, Vol 2 No.1, 30-38.
Susilawati CL, (2012-a). Rainwater Management Model Development for
Agriculture in the Savu Island Semi-Arid Region, Civil Engineering
Dimension Journal, Vol. 14 No. 1, 36-41.

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Susilawati, CL and Sooai, AG., (2012-b). Rain-water Management System for

Agriculture during The Dry Season to Raise Food Security in Small and
Rural Islands of Indonesia. Research Report (competitive grant), Kupang.
Susilawati CL, (2013-a). Water-trap Series Engineering with Vetiver Grass in
Water Resources Development which are Integrated and Sustainable,
KoNTekS 7 Proceeding, A55-A63.
Susilawati CL, (2013-b). Study Implementation of Technological Innovation in
Addressing Problems of Water Resources Management in NTT, PITHATHI 30 Proceeding, 112-121.
Susilawati CL, (2014). Sustainable Technology Innovation Inundated, Rain Water
Management Scope of Household, PIT-HATHI 31 Proceeding, 51-62.

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