The common drinking water can cause some short as well as long term harmful effects on a persons well being. Unprotected Drinking water is a health hazard. All bore well water needs to be certified as potable before use. The certification involves tests for harmful contents like nitrates, arsenic, iron and fluorides to name a few. The allowable limits could be very stringent. Treatment for harmful bacteria is fairly simple like chlorination for example. However to eliminate harmful chemical agents mentioned above requires chemical reverse osmosis process.
The Central ground water Board (CGWB), ministry of water resources has reportedly created an on line information system about critically ground water contaminated areas in the country, for the benefit of the common man in India, as per the TOI report in its Bangalore edition Dated Tuesday July 28, 2009 at page 4. I am not able to provide the particular link to the article itself. However I have uploaded some information available on ministries official web site. [1]
The system also informs the public about the long term medical conditions that such contamination can cause, as per the TOI report. I was not able to locate at present. However I have provided some down loded info in the attchment to this post. The important contaminations harmful to our health are listed as :-
- Fluoride
- Arsenic
- Iron and
- Nitrate
The major challenges facing the country are providing safe drinking water at schools, bus stands and airports. Affordable solutions continue to be elusive.
| Attachment | Size |
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| Ground Water Literature.doc | 97 KB |
| Ready Reconer for PCA.xls | 13.5 KB |
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Comments
Affordable Solution
Dear PSA,
Affordable solution to accessing pure drinking water is available through the humble rainwater harvesting process. I believe all efforts to purify water should only be limited to providing water for industrial use.
For human consumption including non-potable purposes, God has provided nature's best way to access clean, pure water. We just need to have a sure shot method of capturinbg all that God gives us in the form of rain, storing it for the entire year's use and doing away with expensive treatment methodologies!
How I wish this simple solution is taken away from the clutches of vested interest including politicians and allowed to profligate through sheer common sense.
Yesterday I read a news item about one learned scientis from namma Bengaluru suggesting to the Planning Commission to paint all roof tops of all buildings white - to reduce heat island effect and arrest climate change. I wondered why a simpler solution of installing roof gardens could not be considered?
Just an example of how we miss the commonsense approach in favour of everything that is high tech or that is directly or indirectly helpful to industries (in this case the pain industry) !!
Regards
RKC
RKC
Supply of per capita clean drinking water is possible
Please browse my article that has been published in the link below:
http://www.kaaranji.com/july2009_2/index.htm See English pages 1 to 3
Will be thankful for comments.
- Vasanthkumar Mysoremath
A Thumb rule for Per Capita Catchments Area "PCCA" calculation
Thank you Chari sir, for the comment "affordable solution". However the affordability depends on actual figures of implementation of RWH. Without the figures we cannot decide whether what you have in mind as far the affordability is concerned.
For example I had to invest Rs 30,000/- for my Solar. I save Rs 500/- PM. So it takes about 5 years to recover, the investment. The result is Solar Water heater was a hit for me. Similarly I remember a rough figure mentioned by you was 5 L for RWH. It was not attractive as I pay rs 100PM for BWSSB water.
The Catchment Area requirement at any location of a city for rain water harvesting regarding the drinking water requirements of a person is given by PCCA Sq Ft = 10 times the per day requirement of a person in liters of water. This figure is a good approximation with a provision for expected losses or design deficiency in harvesting technique implementation. Thus a Catchment Area for a given population in a city should have an area of 10 times the population of the city in square feet for an annual rain fall of 20”. The catchment area required is also inversely proportional to the annual rain fall. The area approaches to zero asymptotically, with an incresing annual rain fall.
Praja may like to verify.
Water quality
Please take a look for drinking water standards BIS 10500 http://rainwaterharvesting.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/drinking-water-qualities/
Pl clarify if I am drinking pure water-Can this be innovative?
We elders are experiencing and undergoing untold difficulties in Mysore City for getting a few buckets of so called clean municipal tap water sanctified as pure water for drinking and coocking purpose to our first floor house with our arthritis knees.
We tried the costly method of getting bottled water in sealed tubs from so called mineral water suppliers but after 2/3 days we found sediments and in one case a floating and dancing larvae - This literally scared us and we were back to square A - filling at 3 AM. To over come -
I have adopted a simple method to solve the problem for myself and my oldies of my family.
Youngsters have become cookkoos and flew over the nests to green pastures.
Servants cannot be present at odd hours because water trickles at odd hours.
My two paise innovative method:
We have a sump that is clean, an overhead tank that is clean and when municipal water comes at odd hours, sump gets enough quantity because it is below the ground level. Water is pumped to the overhead tank.
I have a solar system that cannot give me hot water in Monsoons but has a built in electric immersion heating system that can deliver boiling water at the shortest time.
Before going to bed, we switch on the immersion heating system of the Solar Water Heater and after 15 minutes, boiling water flows through the tap - we collect a few bucketful, keep them covered properly and in the morning we use the same water for drinking and cooking purpose.
Question is:
Are we drinking clean water or are we endangering our lives with this kind of arrangement? (Even if it is to the extent of BIS 1500 if not the standard BIS 10500 as recommended by Zenrainman/RK Chari).
- Vasanthkumar Mysoremath
Drinking water
Well in this case let us look at it this way
Mysore water comes from the Cauvery river and hence the potential of it to have Nitrates or Fluroides or Arsenic (beyond permissible limits) is non-existant.
All we need to worry about is micro-biological contamination i.e. bacteria
What VKMM is doing is perfectly fine to elminate bacteria. In fact sloar water heaters without backup electricity generally do the job of sterilizing water since they heat it up and over 60 C for over 4 hours. Taking it to boiling makes it safer.
Please also get the water checked once in a good lab (rarer than hens teeth) so that one knows exactly what one is tackling.
Please also take a look at this video here for chlorinating your sump tank too Some may find it useful
http://www.youtube.com/wa...
and
http://www.youtube.com/wa...
regards
Are other Prajas listening?
Thanks Zen. Some solace to oldies.
Chlorination is a good tip and will be followed. In fact I had also tried to instal a so called hi-end zero B to Z advertised in various media but had the prudent thought not to incur more expenditure from our pension money. Hence this Zero level innovative idea albeit I will have to shell out a few extra for AEH power consumption. It is worth.
This leads, I hope, to a micro level approach by others who have solar water heaters. Whatever water we are getting through taps can be used / misused.
- Vasanthkumar Mysoremath.
My Two Penny Worth
I endorse Zenrainman's comments. The only other suggestion I have is that you might want to explore the possibility of connecting your sump directly to your taps using a pump whenever you require water. However often one might clean an overhead tank, because of the direct exposure to sunlight, there is always a possibility of their being photosynthesis and algae formation if the water in the overhead tank is exposed to direct sunlight in the event anyone forgets to close the lid, although I must admit in most intelligent homes such an eventuality is only a small risk.
My suggestion of installing RWH systems is only being mentioned as an alternative, eco-friendly suggestion to obtain contaminant free water. What if Cauvery water ceases to trickle?
Otherwise, what you are doing is excellent and everyone should be encouraged to follow suit.
RKC
RKC