All of us Facebook users were swept away
by the ice bucket challenge created for raising money to patients being treated
with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease. Of all the positive and
negative statements about the challenge, one activity has stood out. Matt Damon,
(an Actor and founder of water.org) reusing toilet water (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlGhuud-s4w )
to take the challenge while raising awareness about finite resource like water.
Owing to the extreme drought like condition in California (Check the link given
below) and other parts of the world, a search for reusing wastewater and
minimizing dependence on extraction of water is getting priority.
by the ice bucket challenge created for raising money to patients being treated
with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease. Of all the positive and
negative statements about the challenge, one activity has stood out. Matt Damon,
(an Actor and founder of water.org) reusing toilet water (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlGhuud-s4w )
to take the challenge while raising awareness about finite resource like water.
Owing to the extreme drought like condition in California (Check the link given
below) and other parts of the world, a search for reusing wastewater and
minimizing dependence on extraction of water is getting priority.
But why go till California when we have
our own “toilet to tap” working efficiently!
our own “toilet to tap” working efficiently!
TZED Homes is 95 flat complex located
in Whitefield, Bangalore. Again, like most of the Bangaloreans, this apartment
also doesn’t get Cauvery water supply. The primary sources of water were borewell
and tanker water. The campus is huge in area with 5 acres and large garden
space. With the increasing dependence on tanker and borewell water and
observing liters of wastewater go down the drain, the need was felt to harvest
rain water and waste water for reuse.
in Whitefield, Bangalore. Again, like most of the Bangaloreans, this apartment
also doesn’t get Cauvery water supply. The primary sources of water were borewell
and tanker water. The campus is huge in area with 5 acres and large garden
space. With the increasing dependence on tanker and borewell water and
observing liters of wastewater go down the drain, the need was felt to harvest
rain water and waste water for reuse.
As one can imagine the resistance for
such concept, many residents had reservations about recycling of waste water
for uses other than for garden, carwash and house keeping. There was no
precedence of any other apartment complex anywhere in India reusing STP-treated
water for uses other than the above. A water committee was formed of passionate
individuals to look at these issues.
such concept, many residents had reservations about recycling of waste water
for uses other than for garden, carwash and house keeping. There was no
precedence of any other apartment complex anywhere in India reusing STP-treated
water for uses other than the above. A water committee was formed of passionate
individuals to look at these issues.
Srinivasan Sekar, who was a member of
the committee, started researching on whether any community around the world
was re-using treated waste water for other purposes. He also initiated regular
water testing of the treated water, bore well water and tanker water, and found
to his (and others’) surprise that STP-treated water consistently came out to
be equal or better quality than bore well and tanker water. This discovery led
to exploring use of STP treated water for other purposes beyond gardening, car
wash and housekeeping purposes.
the committee, started researching on whether any community around the world
was re-using treated waste water for other purposes. He also initiated regular
water testing of the treated water, bore well water and tanker water, and found
to his (and others’) surprise that STP-treated water consistently came out to
be equal or better quality than bore well and tanker water. This discovery led
to exploring use of STP treated water for other purposes beyond gardening, car
wash and housekeeping purposes.
Several discussions, research into
water purification and a series of redundant filters later, TZED Homes designed
a system which allows for STP-treated water, after further filtration, to be
reused along with bore well water and rain water (tanker water was stopped
completely) as input for the RO system, and be re-circulated to residences for
general and potable use as well.
water purification and a series of redundant filters later, TZED Homes designed
a system which allows for STP-treated water, after further filtration, to be
reused along with bore well water and rain water (tanker water was stopped
completely) as input for the RO system, and be re-circulated to residences for
general and potable use as well.
Below table is comparative mark up of
changes over the years at TZed Homes:
changes over the years at TZed Homes:
|
BEFORE
|
AFTER
|
|
(10 X 7000L) Tanker
+ (40-60KL) Borewell water to RO unit |
40-50KL Borewell/
Rain water and 30KL of STP treated water to RO unit (latter after additional filters) |
|
Daily water need was
90KL RO water with about 30-40KL of RO Reject sent to storm water drain |
Daily water need is
about 50-60KL of RO water and 20-30KL of RO Reject sent to gardens |
|
40-50KL of STP
treated water – about 30-40 KL used for gardens, car wash and housekeeping, rest to storm water drain and/or recharge wells |
40-50KL of STP
treated water, with about 10KL mixed with RO Reject for gardens, car wash, housekeeping, rest to further filters for RO unit |
|
STP treatment is
SBR, with one carbon, one pressurized sand and one Chlorine dozer unit. |
After STP treatment,
an additional pressurized sand, activated carbon, ozonizer is used before RO unit (which has one more sand, carbon and micron filters) |
|
3 borewells dry (at
250,300ft), one borewell at 650ft yielding intermittent water |
All 4 borewells
yielding water at 80 ft. Only two used each day alternating. |
|
Water rationing – no
water from10AM-4PM; 12 midnight-4AM; lots of water leakages into ground |
No water rationing;
no water leakages; replaced flushes with timed flushes; aerators on taps; a large swimming pool is included in the water cycle too. |
In summary, TZed uses approximately
30-40 KL of total treated wastewater generated in all houses. It is essential
to keep in mind that along with the several advantages of reducing pressure on
groundwater, the technology needs regular monitoring. STP needs an operator and
maintenance cost of approximately 1Lakh per month. In addition, ways should be
devised to utilize the amount of sludge generated as a result of wastewater
treatment. As mentioned above, TZed being a large campus with big garden space
is making manure out of the sludge and reusing it in their garden.
30-40 KL of total treated wastewater generated in all houses. It is essential
to keep in mind that along with the several advantages of reducing pressure on
groundwater, the technology needs regular monitoring. STP needs an operator and
maintenance cost of approximately 1Lakh per month. In addition, ways should be
devised to utilize the amount of sludge generated as a result of wastewater
treatment. As mentioned above, TZed being a large campus with big garden space
is making manure out of the sludge and reusing it in their garden.
Moreover, it is useful to look at this
initiative not only as a technology solving the water problem as technology has
always been there but also from a behavioral and psychological perspective as
it is the residents who have shown courage and innovation to take up such
initiative and took a conscious step towards solving the issue. As Mr. Srinivasan
Sekar, a flat owner of TZed and the man behind this change says cheekily,
“People have become conscious of what they put into their drainage.
Because whatever you put in (paint, chemicals, crackers) is going to come back
to you”.
initiative not only as a technology solving the water problem as technology has
always been there but also from a behavioral and psychological perspective as
it is the residents who have shown courage and innovation to take up such
initiative and took a conscious step towards solving the issue. As Mr. Srinivasan
Sekar, a flat owner of TZed and the man behind this change says cheekily,
“People have become conscious of what they put into their drainage.
Because whatever you put in (paint, chemicals, crackers) is going to come back
to you”.
Check
some other initiatives in California, Singapore, and Namibia for wastewater
reuse:
some other initiatives in California, Singapore, and Namibia for wastewater
reuse:
Very nice article. you should compose this all to a website.
Best Regards,
Mindlan
Ecommerce Website Company Bangalore
Website Development Company Bangalore
Product of Sri Scientific are below standard. Mr. Anil does not make quality product. His wires for water well measurement are sub standard. I have used them too, and they snapped. They do not also provide the guarantee for the product that they say they do. Never buy from them
Thnq for sharing Good Info
Digital Water Meters is a device used to measure the amount of water consumed in a building.