1. Rise in demand and changes in landscape: The population, rural and urban landscapes have grown over the years and are today fast facing different problems due to destruction of natural habitat, climate change, depletion of resources and lack of futuristic planning.
2. Problems faced today: Different states of India face a water shortage due to deficit in rainfall, drying up of water bodies and the unfulfilled demand of many consumers. There has been due mention of this in different surveys, newspaper articles and TV programmes. We yet do not have any unified endeavor to conserve and manage water.
3. Nature of problems: a. Deficit in water supply (immediate or in the near future) b. Shortage of drinking water (severe or in the near future) c. Deficit of water for agriculturists d. Extreme concerns for regions that solely rely on rainfall and government aided water supply e. Lack of provisioning to ensure that “sufficiency in some regions” can be regulated to “meet demands of regions” where there is shortage f. Contamination of water bodies or ground water, rendering it less useful
4. Remedial steps that can be taken by large: This article looks at the micro focus solution for the problems. It categorizes what can be done (for water conservation and water management) into 3 different levels i.e. a. Individual consumers b. Facilities of businesses, organizations or residential complexes c. State governments or local governing bodies A. At the individual consumer level A.1. People must work towards sensitization, awareness and readiness for collective involvement for conserving and managing water. A.2. People must adopt top 10 (specific for their region) norms to conserve water and reduce wastage. These norms should be applicable to all people young and old independent of whether they are tech-savvy or less educated. A.3. So as to ensure the vital need is highlighted - there must be regular and publicly visible support for water conservation by the state government or local governing bodies. A.4. There must be an active interest to know more about and participate in consumer movements that may be attempting to address availability problems on any fire-fighting, immediate, or long-term basis.
Common norms to conserve water and reduce wastage 1. Using water from a bucket for bathing purposes instead of the shower. 2. Closing of taps or controlling of force of outflow while brushing or shaving. 3. Watchful monitoring and reporting of leaking taps or pipes and ownership to seek immediate remedial action. 4. Strictly avoiding wasteful use of drinking water. Finding ways to put to use drinking water that cannot be consumed due to longer periods of storage or possible contamination. 5. Opting for smaller sized bathroom mugs and other vessels often used, where more effort to utilize water could in turn reduce its consumption. 6. Strictly avoiding disposal of medicines, chemicals and less biodegradable waste into washbasins, drains or toilets so as to avoid incidences of contamination of water. 7. Taking precautions to not throw waste into water bodies like tanks, wells, ponds, lakes or rivers. 8. Opting for xeriscaping or less water demanding plants in landscaping B. Facilities of businesses, organizations or residential complexes The unified endeavor needed from this category can be listed down as: 1. Sensitization, awareness and responsiveness for the enforcement of National Building Code guidelines in water supply and management systems 2. Promoting of water utilization specific goal setting norms and tools 3. Differentiating between indoor utilization and outdoor utilization, and establishment of proven cycles to control per capita consumption 4. Opting for the installation of low flow or high efficiency alternatives based a. Showers (priority 1) b. Toilets (priority 2) c. Faucets (priority 3) d. On-site community toilets (priority 4) 5. Ensuring that the builder does plan for and enable flow control (by installing valves). A site may not need uncontrolled or very high-pressure water supply to meet its needs, wherein regulation of the pressure could help conserve and manage water availability. 6, Sensitization and responsiveness to ensure that site’s distribution networks are not affected by unplanned outlet points, unforeseen incidences of corrosion, contamination, clogging etc. 7. Sensitization, awareness and responsiveness to harvest rainwater, re-loop or recycle non-hazardous wastewater and unused water (that may be prone to recommendations such as best use within periods). 8. Sensitization and responsiveness for the enforcement of more stringent water management criteria in facilities that need more availability of water like gardens, lawns, swimming pools, artificial ponds and artificial lakes. Adopting of best practices and guidelines in the systematic maintenance of bore wells, tank(s), swimming pools, storm water drains, rain water-harvesting systems, water sprinkler systems, drip irrigation systems etc. 9. Introspecting on the need to help in the installation of public consumption drinking water arrangements near a site or in its neighborhood. There is evidence that there is going to be a divide between people that differentiates the severity of the problem that will be faced by them, when there is more water shortage. Given the extensive planning, sanctioning and funding that goes into projects, there may be a need for a new social responsibility for builders to not only demonstrate sufficient design elements conformity, know-how and advancement in on-site water management, but also to interlink resources between sites to help setup drinking water ATMS in neighborhoods.
C. State governments or local governing bodies 1. Well-planned steps and solutions advancement for crisis reduction in water shortage. There should be focused Research & Development, improving of infrastructure bandwidth, development of technology and tools for water conservation & management. [a] (Government aided) Installation of Low flow or high efficiency alternatives in showers, toilets, urinals, faucets [b] (Government aided) Quality testing of distribution equipment and piping to report leakage, corrosion, contamination [c] (Government aided) Plumbing for better water management: Mass exercises need to be taken up by the government to source or indigenously manufacture or even provide consultation for not very costly or cost effective plumbing fixtures, so any consumer can install the same. It also opens the alternative that the government could provide incentives or benefits to consumers who implement [a] and [b]. 2. Review of sufficiency and need based revision of National Building Code guidelines that can be used in the design of (more specific to nature of service) water supply and management systems in flats, buildings and facilities. 3. Development of solutions for water supply provisioning specifically for commercial categories of customers reporting peak or escalating demands 4. Enforcement of regulations demanding the systematic sanctioning, monitoring and maintenance of bore well installations 5. Enforcement of regulations demanding the systematic monitoring and maintenance of rainwater harvesting systems 6. Enforcement of regulations demanding that commercial or larger footprint categories of customers implement wastewater management to re-loop and recycle wastewater Government involvement in this could lead the way to safer and more widespread adoption. 7. Using of a new color code to tag a consumer known to report the risk of either (a) being affected due to water contamination or (b) of causing water contamination. Such consumers or locations can then be monitored, protected or managed more easily 8. Mandating that during building handover from a construction company to an owner or occupant that there should be a No objection certificate (that is to be obtained from the Water Supply and Sewage Department) for a new Accordance Assessment implementation (that ensures the site is conformant for the unified effort to conserve and manage water consumption) 9. Promoting awareness, preparedness and adherence for norms (amongst builders, facility management companies and citizens) for mitigation and management of disasters like (a) Cyclones (b) Flood like situations (c) Landslides and Mudslides (d) Hazards due to building or facility being on a hill
5. Further steps: Setting up of an expert panel for water conservation and management, that could include staff from the following departments: a. The Municipal Corporation b. The Water Supply and Sewage Services Board c. Meteorology department d. Building and construction companies e. Private organizations (working on solutions for water management and conservation etc)
6. Remedial NEXT Steps: Proactive thinking and planning to design and develop a “macro level and micro level focus” in the solutions for water management and conservation. Utilizing of SMART technologies in this effort will make the way to a safer and sustainable tomorrow.