Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MS)

College, School or Department Name

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Advisor

David Watkins

Abstract

Water scarcity, malaria, and malnutrition are all concerns facing the people of Chirifoyili and the Northern Region of Ghana. Greywater pooling outside of homes increases human exposure to pathogens and provides breeding grounds for disease carrying insects, especially malaria spreading mosquitoes. This project looks at draining this water away from the home and using it to irrigate vegetables, fruit trees and other beneficial plants.

The purpose of this study is to estimate the effects of greywater irrigation on the growth of plants commonly found in village home gardens. The field project consisted of constructing and managing household greywater irrigation systems for valuable trees. These greywater pools were modeled in a campus laboratory to determine the effect greywater would have on the growth of tomato plants. The results of the study showed the tomato plants’ health and growth rate were improved by the extra water and nutrients.

This system will benefit those who implement it in northern Ghana by decreasing the available mosquito breeding grounds and providing additional sources of nutrients from fruits and vegetables, which are often absent from the local diet.

Comments

Peace Corps Master's International

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