Mr Anthony is 67 years old and lives in Chellanam, a 45 minute drive from Ernakulam, with his wife, son and daughter-in-law and his 2 grandkids. While there is Municipal water supply in the village he has chosen to not take the connection. He manages with rainwater and groundwater alone. This might not be uncommon in many parts of Kerala where people depend on their wells for water supply. However, in Chellanam, where there is municipal supply and where groundwater is otherwise saline – due to its proximity to the sea – this makes for an interesting story
TDS in some of the neighbouring wells in the area varies upto 1600 ppm. However Mr Anthony’s well has 480ppm TDS (the home is right next to the sea !!) Some part of his rooftop runoff rainwater has been redirected to his open well which he uses for all his domestic water needs except drinking and cooking. The well is used both as a source of water as well as for recharge. Hence the water is a lot less harder than the neighbouring wells
Another part of the rooftop is redirected to an 8000 liter tank where he filters and stores rain water. This water is used for drinking and cooking all year round
All other parts of the rooftop runoff is held in small drums around the house – that his wife continually lays out and manages when there is rain. This water is used in toilets and for cleaning
They have a biogas plant too – supplies them fuel for about 1-2 hours everyday. The garden is a small forest – with all kinds of plants. There is a certain ease with which the couple seem to manage their home and lives
Mr Anthony is happy going about and managing his small systems. There is certain spark and happiness in Mr Anthony’s eyes and speech as he goes about tending and talking about his systems
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| The biogas plant |
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| Rooftop water directed to the well |
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| Rooftop water stored in an 8000 liter tank |
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| The Arabian Sea – right behind his house |
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| All drums are called in for storage |
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| Mr Anthony and his systems |
