Accidentally I discovered that a leaky tap wastes a tanker load of water a year. Knowing that the water supplied to our homes in Bengaluru is pumped 500 metres up from a reservoir 120 km away in Mysuru, seeing water go waste is criminal. Apparently, water is the most subsidised material supplied by the government and yet we see water leaks almost everywhere.
Water can leak in almost every item of the supply system. Let’s first inspect our own homes and discover the problems and remedies.
First, if the underground sump overflows, we have to just have a ball valve in place that costs Rs. 300 to arrest it. The valve must be replaced every 5 years as a rule. If not, the water exits between the concrete slab and the tank wall. We cannot see the water going into the surrounding earth.
The next is the Over Head Tank (OHT). We have seen that the pump is not turned off until the sound of the overflow becomes audible and persistent. By then, good quantity of purified, potable water is wasted. This phenomenon is daily in some houses and twice a day in most of the houses. We must only fit an Automatic Water Level Controller (cost Rs. 1,500) that stops and starts the pump when the water levels reach the lowest and highest level.
The human intervention in switching the pump on-and-off is eliminated completely. Think of the days when you forgot to switch on the pump and, when you wanted water, there was no power. Avoid manual operation. Auto Level Controller will remedy both.
Water leaks in almost all the fixtures. Some drip, others run. The leaky taps of wash basin, sink, bathroom, backyard, car portico, garden, shower unit etc., drip or ooze water like a thread. The shower head, dripping water, goes undetected as we exit the bathroom thinking that the water stored in the shower bell is dripping. The health faucet leak also goes unnoticed as the water runs down the hose pipe.
Unnoticed
The wet patch under the solar water heater caused due to water leak on the terrace, also goes unnoticed as we rarely go to the terrace. It will certainly not be seen in the rainy season.
Pumps also leak water. It’s funny that I once came across a thin gutter made under the pump to drain the leaking water instead of getting the pump repaired.
Water oozing in the commode from the flush tank is a huge waste, says an expert. It runs like a film on the inner surface and is seldom noticed. It takes an expert to assess the waste as the leak is ignored as negligible.
Water leaking in pipelines can be detected by wetness in the wall. However, the leaky pipes running below the ground will never be identified. Just install a plastic water pump costing Rs. 500 to the outlet of the overhead tank. If the meter runs when all the taps and outlets are closed, you can be sure that the underground pipe is leaking. It’s amusing that this meter will also help us to know the leaks in the sump tank. If the quantity of water received from the Water Supply Department and the quantity of water that is used from the OHT are not matching, you can be sure that there is leak either in the sump or the line connecting the sump tank and the OHT.
Attitude matters
We also waste water when we use without care. The best example is the tap kept running when we shave, brush and wash our face. Fix a aerator accessory to the basin tap. It costs about Rs. 300. It has a shower-like discharge with a tiny knob hanging out of the tip of the tap. Touch it, the water stops; and touch it again, the water flows. There are many companies that manufacture such water saving accessories (available on e-commerce portals) that can fit your existing taps. They reduce the water consumption by 80% in most of the fixtures.
Water saving ideas
* Fit shower aerator (Rs. 155) to basin and sink tap. Water comes out like threads, similar to water coming out of bath shower. The water dispensed is only 20% It save upto 8 liters of water per minute
* Fit on-off aerator to wash basin taps. The knob at the tip when touched will stop water flow. It is convenient to stop while brushing, shaving and washing the face.
* Wash fruits and vegetables in basins and re-use the water.
* Collect cold water coming out of the tap from the solar water heater and geyser that flows before the hot water arrives and use it to wash vessels.
* Avoid shower bath as the water used cannot be quantified. Bathe with bucket and mug.
* Use the large and small tanks of a commode accordingly.
* Avoid hosing the garden. Use drip irrigation for plants and sprinkler for lawn. Water plants in the morning to avoid water getting evaporated after ground is heated. Unlike common perception, it doesn’t cost much.
* Wash pets in water tubs by dipping them in water and not under taps and hose pipes.
The author is a practising architect and academic
