Last Updated on May 1, 2022 by Admin
Every summer, we read in the papers that opulent residential complexes have begun ordering water tankers to meet their water needs. In many apartments, especially in places like Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Delhi, water management is a major issue. Cities in India are experiencing a severe water shortage, which peaks in the summer. However, every day, a significant amount of water is wasted.
People residing in planned residential colonies in several Indian towns are not obtaining enough water for daily usage from municipal agencies. Despite the fact that water supply infrastructure exists in the colonies and that water is distributed via a piped network, most houses nevertheless confront a water deficit. According to situation analysis, the problem is caused more by administrative mismanagement and civic usage than by a lack of water supplies from the supply agency. As a result, rather than improving over time, the situation has gotten worse.
The number of facilities accessible in society raises the demand for water, resulting in a rise in the number of water tankers in use. During peak summer, the cost of a water tanker might range from 500 to 1,500 rupees, equating to a monthly outlay of a few lakhs depending on the size of the apartment complex. In addition, the water supplied by tankers is of poor quality. No one knows what the source of the water from the water tanker is. The owner of the water tanker gets his water from wells, borewells, and, in certain cases, nalla. Many apartment authorities have yet to take the essential steps to address their building’s water scarcity issues.
Apartment residents typically consume between 140 and 250 liters of water each day! Most apartment complexes can meet their water needs for the rest of the year by using municipal water or bore well water. During the summer, reliance on external sources such as water tankers increases, putting pressure on apartment tenants and management committee members financially.
Apartment communities are similar to micro cities in that they confront the same issues that cities do on a larger scale, such as water, security, power, and trash management. Many inventive solutions have emerged from apartment communities, where natural leaders emerge to address concerns such as water scarcity in their own homes.
Here are a few things you can do differently as an apartment resident this summer to avoid water scarcity, save money, and reduce the burden on our natural resources. We’ve seen these strategies operate and reap benefits in residential complexes across India to prevent water constraints.
Table of Contents
Tips for better water management
Set an agenda
Apartment associations should take the lead in informing all tenants about the need for water conservation. This might be discussed with them at monthly meetings, or notices can be sent to all residences highlighting the need of living an environmentally responsible lifestyle.
Repair Leaks
Depending on the age of the fittings, 30-70 percent of the units in every apartment complex will have some form of leaking. Even a small leak, such as 20 drips per minute, wastes 180 liters of water every month! So, each month, a 200-unit apartment complex wastes 36,000 liters of water. Pumps bore wells, and tanks may have leaks, which should be checked before summer arrives. Ascertain that the borewells are metered and checked on a regular basis. If there are major leaks or seepages in the tanks/sumps, repair or waterproof them as soon as possible.
Install Water Flow Reducers or Water Spray
A water spray is not a high-tech device! It’s simply the kitchen tap shower head that provides a larger flow of water, allowing you to wash your dishes with far less water! Have the plumber install this in all of the kitchen faucets as a matter of course. He can do it while he’s checking for faulty faucets! Water flow reducers are also quite useful. Water flow reducers installed by Sigma One Housing Society in Pune reduced overall water use by roughly 40%.
Water-saving bathroom fixtures
Instead of wasting water, bathroom fixtures should be water-saving. Low-height showers and taps, as well as dual-flush controls, will assist reduce water waste.
Reduce waste
With a little effort, you may conserve a significant amount of water each day. Take care of any leaking pipes in your flat and make sure your children aren’t accidentally turning on faucets. Controlling the amount of water that flows out of buckets, washing machines, dishwashers, kitchens, sinks, and other places will make a big difference.
It helps a lot in the general water management in the apartment if every tenant practices water-conserving behavior like shutting off the pipe when brushing, avoiding frequent tub showers, and so on.
Awareness
In addition to you and your family, there are others who handle water in your home, such as maids, gardeners, and drivers. Make children aware of the importance of conserving water.
Initiatives that can fetch returns to complexes for many summers to come
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater collected from roofs or specifically prepared areas of the ground can contribute significantly to drinking water. Water worth 3-4 tankers of water can be saved in 12 to 45 minutes of rain, according to apartment complexes that have incorporated RWH. After such RWH installations, apartment complexes often break even in about three years.
Water Metering
The most significant tool for informing people that water is a scarce resource is to install water meters in individual homes. These meters provide metrics for monitoring each apartment’s water usage, and they are paid accordingly. After introducing water metering, apartment complexes report a 20% reduction in water consumption.
Water Recycling
Recycled water is being used in many apartment complexes for landscaping, toilet flush tanks, and other purposes. These approaches contribute to a significant reduction in water-related costs. A few forward-thinking apartment complexes, such as TZED Homes in Bangalore, use recycled sewage water for all of their water needs, including drinking. They have become self-sufficient in terms of their water needs, thanks to the use of sophisticated treatment plants that generate water that is purer than that supplied by water tankers and the municipality.
Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is a type of landscaping that involves water saving as well as pollution prevention. The apartment authorities can seek expert guidance on this and devise a strategy for implementing it.
Water Treatment Plant: Longtime solution for water scarcity in apartments
Any type of water may be made drinkable with the right treatment. Through a water treatment facility, the following treatments can provide beneficial results
Pre-Sedimentation process
The treatment procedure really starts in the Pre-Sedimentation Building. The settling pond’s raw water is hoisted 240 feet to the water treatment plant. The raw water is sent to the water treatment plant’s headworks, were the first of five major unit water treatment processes begin to treat the water to make it safe to drink.
Chemical coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection are the five major unit processes (described below). As the water passes through the various treatment procedures, chemicals are added to it.
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Step 1 Chemical Coagulation
Chlorine dioxide is the first chemical introduced, and it’s an oxidant that’s utilized to break down naturally existing organic stuff like rotting leaves and other plant matter. The principal coagulant is aluminum sulfate, which is a chemical coagulant. As a coagulant assist, a polymer, a lengthy chain of synthetic organic compounds, is added to the water to help strengthen the primary coagulant’s connecting chains.
The coagulants are introduced to the raw water at the quick mix unit, which provides turbulent mixing energy to help spread the chemical coagulants and start the coagulation process. Coagulants clump together very tiny particles into larger particles, which can then be removed later in the treatment process by settling, skimming, draining, or filtering.
Step 2 Flocculation
The coagulated water then moves on to the flocculation process, which is the next main unit process. Flocculation is a slow stirring process that results in the formation of floc from minute coagulated particles. The flocculation process allows the floc particles to make contact with the particulates (sediment) in the water. In most cases, these particle interactions or collisions are the consequence of mild stirring caused by a mechanical or hydraulic mixing method.
There are two sets of flocculation basins, each with mechanical mixing paddles that gently stir the coagulated water as the water flows through. The floc forms a surface on which particulates in the water adsorb (adhere) to form bigger settleable particles that may be removed by sedimentation and filtration.
Step 3 Sedimentation
The flocculated water then passes to the sedimentation process, which is the next main unit process. The sedimentation process removes suspended solids (particles) that are denser (heavier) than water while also lowering the particulate load on the filters. Sedimentation is achieved by lowering the velocity of the treated water below the point at which it can convey settleable suspended material, allowing gravity forces to remove suspended particles.
When water in sedimentation basins is practically motionless, settleable solids will migrate to the basin’s bottom. Almost all of the particles in the water are removed during the sedimentation process. The clearer surface water is collected in the wash tubes, which guide the water to the filter gallery, where the remaining ten percent of solids are removed.
Step 4 Disinfection
The settled water then travels to the Filtration Facility from the Pre-Sedimentation Building. To begin the disinfection process, chlorine is injected to the water at the pre-chlorination point before it arrives at the Filtration Facility.
Most microorganisms in water, including virtually all harmful organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and intestinal parasites, are killed or inactivated during the disinfection process. Pathogenic organisms are minute bugs in the water that can cause gastroenteritis, typhoid, dysentery, cholera, and giardiasis, among other disorders.
Step 5 Filtration
The chlorine settling water is then pumped into the Filtration Facility, where it is filtered as the final step in the drinking water treatment process. Filtration is the removal of particle pollutants that were not eliminated during the sedimentation process by passing water through a material such as a bed of coal, sand, or other granular substance.
Rapid rate multi-media gravity filter beds are used at the water treatment plant. A top layer of anthracite, a middle layer of filter sand, a bottom layer of garnet sand, and an underdrain system that collects the filtered water make up the filters. The water enters through the top of the filter material and is gravity-fed down through the filter beds.
The various materials act as a large sieve, trapping any leftover particles. Backwashing is a method that the operators use to clean the filters when they become clogged with particles. The entrapped particles in the drain troughs are released by running potable water backward through the filters. The backwash water is transferred to the Backwash Recovery Pond and then returned to the raw water settling pond for reuse after a settling process.
Conclusion
Water scarcity can be overcome if the correct measures are taken. Water conservation is becoming a primary priority for apartments on a daily basis. Typically, such issues arise after the builders have completed the handover. As a result, if everyone in society participates, any issue can be readily resolved.
Furthermore, all of these issues can be addressed at the same time. There are some software programs on the market that can be used for this purpose. This may be a little pricey, but it is a one-time investment that will pay off in the following years.
