Declan Sealy has been awarded the International Water Security Network-UWE Bristol Undergraduate Student Prize for 2019. His investigation into the efficacy of rainwater harvesting as a source of potable water in the Kisoro District of Uganda was based on research conducted in June 2018 as part of the UWE Global Water Security Programme.
He assessed the quality of drinking water from rainwater harvesting tanks, unprotected springs, and public standpipes, through the collection and analysing of samples. He compared the physiochemical and microbiological parameters to WHO standards and also analysed statistical trends.
The judge’s said: “Declan’s dissertation provides a well-evidenced and robust assessment of the risks and benefits of rainwater harvesting systems, generating important insights into the nature of water quality risks from these systems.”