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

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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 

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 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.

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 Please take a look for drinking water standards BIS 10500 http://rainwaterharvesting.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/drinking-water-qualities/

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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.  

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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

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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/watch?v=FVMdq5Qn2io&feature=channel_page

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV2l6GC9bVc

regards

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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

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