Enhancing the resilience of the rainwater for drinking (RFD) system through systematic monitoring: a case study at the Ly Nhan rural hospital in Vietnam

Many rainwater harvesting systems have been installed and operated to supply drinking water to rural regions. However, they often lacked the management method to supply safe and reliable drinking water. The current practice of operating rainwater harvesting systems did not have systematic monitoring as the basis of reliable operation so that the operators did not have confidence in their operation. To overcome these limitations, a rainwater for drinking (RFD) system has been suggested which was to produce drinking water by adding the proper treatment processes and setting up the proper operational mode. This study aimed to evaluate stable regular monitoring results from a pilot RFD system at a local hospital in Vietnam. Water quality and quantity were monitored by the trained local operator on a quarterly and weekly basis. The raw dataset was then shared with the study team by uploading into an open data access platform, from where the technical support was provided to prevent the provision of unsafe water to users. Ultimately, employing systematic monitoring would help to enhance the resilience of the RFD system, contributing to resolving the drinking water issue in rural areas of developing countries, aiming at the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6. HIGHLIGHTS Rainwater can be a viable drinking water supply option in developing countries.; A pilot rainwater for drinking (RFD) system has been in operation successfully at a rural hospital in Vietnam.; A weekly and quarterly monitoring system by the local operators was developed for safe and reliable operation.; Open data sharing was also developed and used for distance technical support.; This systematic monitoring system can enhance the resilience of future RFD systems.