Farmer-Built Small Earthfill Water Harvesting Dam¶
Sand Dams & Civil Works • Est. CapEx: $1,750 USD • Lifespan: 3 Years (Replace Element)
Technical Overview¶
Small-scale embankment dams constructed by local farmers using locally available soils, clays, and sands for rainwater harvesting and irrigation storage. Often built without formal engineering oversight, these structures represent a decentralized, appropriate-technology approach to community water sourcing.
Key Specifications & Engineering Parameters¶
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Category | Sand Dams & Civil Works |
| Capital Cost (CapEx) | $1,750 USD |
| Power / Energy | 100% Gravity / Zero Power |
| Target Scale | Village / Community (200–1,000+ people) |
| Standard Lifespan | 3 Years (Replace Element) |
| Technology Maturity | Field Tested |
| Primary Mechanism | Successive layers of low-plasticity clay, clayey sand, and gravel are placed and compacted—by hand or light equipment—to form a gravity embankment. The dam retains water by virtue of the mass weight and reduced permeability of the compacted fill, while a simple spillway safely conveys excess flood flow around the structure. |
Cross-Reference & Interactive Tools¶
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