Rainfall and groundwater use in rural Kenya

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Hydrology
• Public health

Background:

• Groundwater is a critical water source in rural Kenya.
• Understanding water source switching behavior is essential for water resource management.
• Rainfall variability impacts water access and use patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between rainfall and groundwater use in rural Kenya.
• To investigate the behavioral response of households to rainfall events regarding water source selection.
• To assess the implications for water policy and Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).

Main Methods:

• Utilized automatically-transmitted hourly handpump data (n=266).
• Analyzed daily rainfall records (n=19) and household survey data (n=2508).
• Employed time series cross-correlation and household survey analysis.

Main Results:

• Groundwater use decreased by 34% in the wet season compared to the dry season.
• A 68% reduction in handpump use was observed on the day following heavy rainfall.
• Rainwater harvesting was prevalent, with only 6% relying solely on handpumps in the wet season.

Conclusions:

• Household water-use behavior significantly deviates from assumptions in water policy.
• Increased rainfall variability can jeopardize universal access to safe drinking water.
• Accurate understanding of water use behavior is crucial for effective WASH interventions and public health outcomes.