The majority of villages around Bengaluru access water through borewells. The local Gram Panchayat which is responsible for water supply to the government schools finds it difficult to make adequate water available. Due to this, there is a lack of sufficient water for sanitation and hygiene facilities in the schools. There is also an expressed need for awareness and education for the children around water, sanitation and health linkages. 

One way of addressing the problem and providing supplemental water to the schools is to install a rainwater harvesting system that collects rooftop rainwater in underground tanks. The intent of implementing rainwater harvesting in the government schools is not only to provide additional water but also to make the students aware of the immediate water issues in their surroundings, about different sources of water, about used water / wastewater and its discharge, about water quality, and to instill values of water conservation. Biome’s approach has been to be ‘as local’ and ‘as participatory’ as possible.  The work is carried out by support from corporate CSR funds.

Biome’s process is to inventory the government schools in the CSR client’s preferred area, visit them and interview the school management, shortlist the schools based on their needs and willingness / ability to take ownership of the RWH system and maintain it. 

The following is the list of schools where Biome has installed rooftop RWH systems and conducted water literacy sessions for the school students and faculty:

• Dandiganahalli Village Govt School
• Govt Girls School, Vijayapura
• Jakkur Govt School
• Govt Primary High School, Bijuwara
• Swamy Vivekananda Rural English Medium School, Chandapura
• Renuka School
• VSR Montessori School, Raddivaripalle
• Hebbedara Metillu Lower Primary School
• 10 govt schools in Devanahalli  
• Kasavanahalli Higher Primary School 
• Panathur Govt Higher Primary School 
• Gunjurpalya Higher Primary School 
• Govt Telugu School, Ulsoor
• Vijayapura Govt Girls High School

Biome also got a video made of the RWH program in the schools.