Grey water treatment can help reuse sixty percent used water

May 8, 2013 - PRLog -- The water for Sanjay Athavale's 100-odd plants and an aquarium with fish comes from his bathroom. At his Kothrud row house, Athavale has a tank to store the grey water which a pump operated by a bicycle cleans. "It proved to be a great investment. Besides saving on the water requirement, I have the satisfaction of giving back to nature. The fish are a reassurance of the quality of water," he said.

Grey water, which comes out of kitchen sinks, showers and washing machines, can be filtered and stored for non-potable uses. For a city grappling with uneven water distribution, recycling grey water can be a workable solution. Nearly 60% of the used water can be safely reused by the same homes and industries for watering the garden, flushing and even car and floor washing, said experts. It would conserve the filtered and treated water supplied by the Pune Municipal Corporation and ensure more equitable supply, they added.

Of the 700 million litres water supplied by the civic body every day, more than half is used for purposes other than drinking, and eventually flows down the drain to mix with sewage (black water). A little initial investment can help recover 90% of used water which can be recycled to meet more than 75% of our daily water needs, conservationists said.

Sandeep Joshi, environment technologist and founder of Shrishti Eco-Research Institute (SERI), said it is a simple way of reducing water bills and helping the environment. "Any water which is free of faecal content can and should be reused," he said. The institute is working towards a cleaner environment with the help of natural technologies to treat waste.

According to Joshi, installing a grey-water treatment system requires two tanks, one to store the grey and the other to treat it, and a small filter for the treatment. "Since you are not treating the water to make it fit for drinking, the investment is not heavy, yet it proves cost-effective in the long run," he added.

Harish Joshi, managing director or a Pune-based packaging solutions company, installed such a system in 2007 in his factory to recycle close to 3,000 litres of water coming out of the bathrooms and kitchen every day. He has recommended it to all the small and mid-sized plants.

"What was appealing was that there is hardly any recurring cost or operational expenses. It does not require electricity. It has helped plants grow which add to the aesthetics of my factory. We save money since we do not have to call for water tankers," he said. Joshi also propagates the idea among those he knows in the industrial sector.

The idea is also making some headway with the Pune Municipal Corporation. Plans are to introduce grey water recycling system in old and new constructions across the city. Work on appointment of consultants and setting up of pilot projects in the detailed project report (DPR) are on.

http://www.eawater.com/wastewater-treatment/sewage.html

The proposal suggesting recycling of grey water was approved by the general body (GB) when it okayed the development plan (DP) for old city areas a few months ago. "Appointment of consultants has already begun. We can hope for some pilot projects by June," said Congress corporator Aba Bagul, who had first proposed grey water recycling in the DP.

The basic data about grey water system is ready. The civic body has divided the city into 23 basins to lay and connect storm-water pipelines which are used only in the monsoon and otherwise remain dry and are connected to the nearest river or nullah.

"The PMC should lay separate pipelines in housing societies to collect grey water and connect these lines to storm-water drains. This water should be treated and released in the river or canal for irrigation purpose. The treatment will not cost much as compared to the sewage treatment and agriculture will get good quality water," states the proposal approved by the general body.

"The city must start using grey water. More awareness campaigns will help spread the word," Bagul added. According to him, the civic body should make it mandatory for new constructions to have a separate system to collect grey water.

Experts said it is more feasible to introduce a system for collecting and treating grey water for reuse during the design phase itself. Suneel Joshi, state head of Jal Biradri, said people do not understand the value of clean water.

"In our country, water is worshipped as god. People in the city must be sensitive about it, rather than follow a use-and-throw policy. Pune has reservoirs, but the problem of unequal distribution of water remains. The civic body has not popularised it, nor have the architects thought of incorporating it in their designs," he said.

http://www.sodahead.com/living/grey-water-treatment-can-help-reuse-60-used-water/question-3679685/