The World Water Council, Millennium Project, Arlington Institute and other agencies have warned that our region will face severe water shortage in the coming years. Meanwhile, U.N.’s International Panel on Climate Change has issued a warning that water crisis would be India’s biggest headache in the following decades and might lead to armed conflicts too.
And the signs are here. As scorching summer sets in, the city begins its familiar struggle to access water.
“We take water for granted because water flows at the turn of a tap. But it is now a precious resource,” points out water conservation expert and author of Self-reliance In Water , Indukanth S. Ragade. It is crucial that we now take corrective steps to reduce water use, maximise on available water by recycling it, and of course, eliminate water wastage. Here is how we can do it.
Flush it rightOf the total piped water used in a house, about 35 per cent goes towards flushing toilets. Do we really need to flush toilets with fresh water? We can reduce water needs by 35 per cent, by simply using used laundry water for flushing! Store this in a drum, and use it for flushing with mugs. We can also move this water to the flush tank, if the flush tank has an easy-to-open lid. As Ragade did, we can extend the outlet tube from the washing machine to a drum. Since around 30 litres of laundry water is generated a person in a day, it can address flushing needs to a large extent. “This water may become stale in a few days, but it will stay sterile and is absolutely safe,” says Ragade.
Opt for at least one Indian Water Closet (IWC) in the house. “With IWCs, urine can be flushed with just a litre of water using a bucket; European Water Closets (EWCs) use about four litres. The average person voids the bladder five times a day. So, for a family of four, water thus saved is about 60 litres a day, or 1,800 litres a month,” says Ragade. Likewise, with IWCs, it is possible to flush away excreta with four litres of water while EWCs use much more. With EWCs, opt for systems with the half-flush option. Old EWCs use around double the water used by new ones. Place a pet bottle filled with water in flush tanks of old water closets to save that much water with every flush. Don’t dispose of tissues, swabs, etc down the water closets. Households can save over a thousand litres of water every month by efficient washing and bathing practices. To begin with, use a mug with water, rather than running water for brushing teeth / washing face. Run washing machines with only full load of clothes. If possible, go for hand-washing of clothes, and wash vessels using tub water. This reduces water usage by about six per cent. Opt for water-efficient washing machines, showerheads, faucets, etc. “Rather than the shower, opt for bucket baths, which will let you stick to a single bucket of water. If you use showers, set the water flow at a slower rate. Don’t wash floors / counters; use the sweep-and-mop technique,” recommends homemaker Sunitha Madhavan.
“Water-sensitive practices in the kitchen include re-using the water used for washing vegetables / grains to spray and soak dirty dishes,” suggests N. Latha, environmental activist and homemaker. “Fix leaky taps / flush mechanisms. A leaky tap that drips even just a drop in a second can drain away 20 litres a day,” warns environmental activist K. Sudarshan. Prime all in the family (especially kids), to mindfully check if they turn off faucets fully. Use check valves in water tanks / alarm timers to never let water overflow.
Re-use, re-cycle“Desist from Reverse Osmosis systems as these systems waste 30 to 40 per cent of water as reject water. A more sensible, inexpensive and effective way to handle dissolved salt / solids in the water supply is by installing extensive rainwater harvesting system and by recycling grey water (used water from washing / bathing) in pits using plants such as Canna,” says Ragade. For instance, V.S. Sukumar has set up grey water recycling pit and rainwater harvesting systems in his apartment, with their outflow directed to a dug well from which the residents pump up water for use. “A 2.5-sq.ft. pit can handle the grey water generated,” informs Ragade. Installing individual water meters for every flat will also encourage residents to use water prudently.
