A water audit held at the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Ernakulam, has suggested a slew of water management measures including proper rainwater harvesting and recycling of waste water to reduce consumption and improve water use efficiency.
The audit was carried out by SCMS Water Institute, SCMS School of Engineering and Technology, Karukutty.
It was found that two tanks of approximately 40,000 litre capacity, located on the campus for rainwater harvesting, were not effectively used. The huge quantity of rainwater harvested from rooftop areas of buildings were not stored but discharged. There was no provision for waste water management including recycling and reuse of water. The waste water from wash basins and kitchen was discharged into drains as there was no system for its treatment and reuse, according to the audit report.
Water use
The school, one of the oldest public education institutions in the city, has an average daily water demand of 22,500 litres. The Kochi Corporation incurs a monthly expense of ₹25,000 towards water bill for the school as a major share of the water needs of the educational institution is met by the water supplied by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA). The institution imparts education to around 1,700 students from nursery to higher secondary classes.
The KWA meets 49% of the demand for water at the school and the rest is taken care of by the water from five borewells. Bacterial contamination was observed in two borewells on the campus. All other water quality parameters were found within permissible limits. The borewell near the north of the high school building was found subjected to saline intrusion. No cases of water-borne diseases were reported from the school in the last five years, according to the audit report. A water literacy programme was conducted at the school as part of the audit.
