Save life!

Water Scarcity – The future

India
Water Conservation – What does it mean?

Water Conservation means

 The beneficial reduction in

 Water Loss

 Water Use

 Water Waste

 Better water management that enhances the beneficial

use of water.
 Water Conservation - Goals
 Reduction in water consumption per capita.

 To ensure that the withdrawal of fresh water from an ecosystem

does not exceed its natural replacement rate. This will ensure
sustainability and availability for future generations.

 The pumping, delivery and treatment of water consume large

amounts of energy. In some regions, 15% of the total energy
consumption is for water management. Water conservation thus
means Energy conservation.

 Reducing human water consumption helps preserve water habitats

for wildlife. Thus water conservations helps maintain bio-diversity
Where do we use water – Water Audit
 A Water Audit is a quantitative & qualitative analysis of water
supply & consumption.

 This is done by measuring:

 Water Input.

 Water Usage for various activities.

 Water Wastage.

 Water Audit can be carried out quite easily at our homes, to find
out our consumption. We can then plan on how to save water in
each of our activities.
 Where do we use water
 Apart from the water that we use directly for drinking, bathing, washing,

cooking, etc., each of us uses a very large amount of water indirectly.

 Every time we eat anything, we use a lot of water. Each time we buy new

clothes, we are using water. Whenever we travel, we are using water.

When we use a pen, a paper, use absolutely any product, from a pin to a

plane, we are using water.

 This is because everything uses water in its production. This is known as

embedded water or virtual water. Virtual water is the volume of

freshwater used to produce the product.

 VIRTUAL WATER & WATER FOOTPRINT
 The Virtual water content of any product can be broken up into three
components: Green, Blue & Grey

 Green virtual water is the volume of rain-water used in the production.

 Blue virtual water is the amount of withdrawn from surface water or

ground water.

 Grey virtual water refers to the water that becomes polluted during the
production.

o The Water Footprint of an individual is the total volume of freshwater

used to produce the goods & services consumed by the individual.

o Thus our Water footprint is the total of the virtual water in the products
& services used by us added to our direct use of water.
 SAVE WATER
The Three R’s Of Water Conservation
 Reduce – Reduce our daily water use, by using less wherever we can, and by
saving the loss of water.
 Recycle – In many instances, we can recycle grey-water.
Grey-Water & Black-Water
• Grey-Water is contaminated or used water that does not contain sewage,
but may contain chemicals. E.g. water generated from activities like
bathing, laundry, etc. This water can be used, after little treatment for
purposes like irrigating plants and for toilet flushes.
• Black-Water is sewage water, and cannot normally be recycled. However,
the amount of Black-water generated can be reduced.
 Reuse - In a few cases, we can reuse the water for another purpose. E.g. water
used to wash vegetables can be reused to water household plants.
 Rainwater Harvesting & Desalination
 Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing, of
rainwater for reuse, before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to
provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as
well as other typical uses given to water. We will study it
comprehensively in another session.

 Desalination refers to the process of removal of salt & other

minerals from saline water. Sea water is desalinated to provide fresh
water suitable for human consumption. Used in many ships &
submarines. The drawback to its widespread use is the huge
amount of energy required, though cogeneration is actively being
pursued by many nations, including India.
 INTRODUCTION

What is Rain Water

Harvesting (RWH)?

 Rainwater harvesting is the

process of collecting &
storing rainwater for future
productive use.
 Advantages of RWH
 Provides water at the point of consumption.

 Relatively better water quality than traditional ground water

sources.

 Rainwater is a renewable resource and thus no damage is done to

the environment.

 Not affected by local geology or topography.

 In many areas like arid regions, small coral or volcanic islands, &
remote human settlements, RWH is the only viable option.

 RWH is flexible and can be adapted to suit local conditions and

available budgets.
 HISTORY OF RAINWATER HARVESTING
 Rainwater systems have been in use in India since 3000 B.C.

 Usage can also be traced back 2000 years ago in Thailand and other parts
of S.E. Asia

 Ancient rainwater cisterns can still be seen on the islands of Capri &
Malta

 In addition to rainwater harvesting, the ancient Romans used their

systems as air conditioners.

 Closer home, at the Kanheri Caves, which date back to 2nd century A.D.,
situated within Sanjay Gandhi National Park, we can see an example of
rainwater harvesting. Grooves are seen carved into the cave faces, so as to
channel rainwater into excavated cisterns, in which the water is stored for
later use.
 RAINWATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES
There are three main techniques of rain water harvesting:

 Storage of rainwater in cisterns or tanks, generally used in

cities and towns by collecting and storing water from
rooftops & paved areas.

 Recharge the ground water - Rainwater collected from the

catchment area is diverted through drainpipes to filtration
tank. The filtered water is then diverted to bore wells to
recharge deep aquifers.

 Diversion into existing surface water bodies

 Some ways to conserve water
 Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running
water from the tap.

 Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, then reuse
it to water houseplants

 One more way to get eight glasses of water a day is to re-use the
water left over from cooked or steamed foods to start a scrumptious
and nutritious soup.

 Designate one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water
bottle. This will cut down on the number of glasses to wash.

 Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape
them clean.
 Some ways to conserve water
 When washing dishes by hand, fill the sink basin or a large
container and rinse when all of the dishes have been soaped and
scrubbed.

 Don't use running water to thaw food. Defrost food in the

refrigerator for water efficiency and food safety.

 Grab a wrench and fix that leaky faucet. It's simple, inexpensive,
and you can save 600 liters a week.

 When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.

 Washing dark clothes in cold water saves both on water and

energy while it helps your clothes to keep their colors.