At Casa Ansal apartments on Bannerghata Road, JP Nagar, we got samples of the following drinking water sources tested from a reputed water testing laboratory.
- Cauvery water as received from BWSSB
- Water from the open well near A- Block
- Water from the open well near D- Block
- Water from borewell near B- block
This is what we inferred from the test results:
- None of the samples meet the Indian standard specifications for drinking water.
- The Cauvery water sample is the worst of the lot. It contains the highest MPN (Most probable number of Bacteria count)
- The water from the other sources meet the physical parameters of the Indian standard very well. However the parameter MPN/100ml is not met except in the case of bore well water. The bore well water is slightly acidic.
Treating water in a single unit for the whole complex is very expensive. Only drinking water needs treatment. The drinking water constitutes about 5% of the total consumption of water. In the present supply system, both the drinking water and water for other purposes are supplied in the same piping system. We discussed the problem with experts from Rain Water Club and other consultants. Their opinion is to have domestic water treating unit like Aqua Guard or RO filters in each apartment. This is a practical solution as most of the apartments are already having such units.
The wells get the water from the underground catchment area. The whole area of the Casa Ansal apartments is having concrete pavement. Hence the possibility of fecal coliform and E-coli present in the well water is remote. The test results are supporting this assumption.
It is a social obligation to use the natural resource of underground water. Now it has become mandatory to have rainwater harvesting schemes. Nature has gifted the complex with plenty of underground water and it is a crime not to utilize this God sent gift. The wells contain so much water that all the greeneries in the complex are getting enough water this hot summer and it has not been possible to empty the wells. Taking these ideas into consideration, the Casa Ansal Apartment Owners Association (CAAOA) has made the following arrangements to start with.
Till now the basements of A and B block used to get flooded from underground water during rains. This precious water was being pumped to the corporation drains throughout the rainy season. Now this water is diverted to the well,near B block. Rainwater from the first few rains will go to drains though and rainwater from subsequent rains will be collected. A treatment unit is being commissioned near B-block. The unit caters for both the open well water and rain water from the roof top. The water from the well/rain water is passed through a sand bed filter. Further it goes through a carbon media before reaching the master sump. The treatment will definitely improve the quality of the water further. As it is, its quality is better than Cauvery water.
Quality testing of the water will be done periodically. Last but most important, this arrangement has brought down the monthly water bill by 30%. Residents are welcome to give suggestions to further improve the system.
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