Zero Budget Rain Water Harvesting
Zero Budget Rain Water Harvesting, Treatment, Filtration and Storage for Year long Drinking
Aim
To develop comprehensive, free and easy methods to harvest rain water (Varsha-amrit: Rain-nectar) for drinking and healing on all levels.
While technically very simple, harvesting rain water needs more tuning with Nature than what is possible if one remains caught in unnatural life style (mass media, irregular sleep, use of artificial light etc.). On the brighter side, even if one starts rain water harvesting as a hobby, it will quickly evolve into a passion and a life style that not only provides water to drink but heals mind-body-spirit in a holistic manner by reconnecting us to mother Nature.
Basic idea is that "rain (impure?) + simple free treatments" is much better than "rain (impure?) + Greater ground impurities (sewage, hardness etc) + Poison (Chlorine etc to clean)" and even beats Bottled/Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtered water on moral/ethical/sustainability grounds while being similar if not better than them! RO increases drinking water demand by 7-10 times as it wastes around 80-90% of water! Chlorinated water, commonly supplied by municipality/government is a huge problem (see for example http://www.pure-earth.com/chlorine.html). One immediately simple to understand side effect is that Chlorine also kills friendly essential bacteria present in human colon leading to all sorts of stomach problems and even cancer!
We are concerned about immediate acceptable/feasible general solution for people who care and masses rather than academic discussion on the hype/fear/uncertainty/doubt created by people who want to profit from water by being the middlemen(government water supply and water selling companies) who disconnect people from this mother Nature's shower of blessing!
The baby steps taken so far are just crises management. Understanding develops best when one lives in a certain manner (drinking only rain water for example). By the end of next monsoon rains a concrete frame work and improvisations/methodologies will evolve.
With their 'Ten Little Fingers' and zero budget, working in creativity with 'waste' ('Hindi: kabaad se jugaad') style, every one can live on rain water for health and happiness of the individual, society and biosphere!
This also happens to be real way of honouring the seminal work done by legendary thinkers/creators like Shri Arvind Gupta (http://www.arvindguptatoys.com) and many unsung heroes of this much needed 'kabaad se jugaad' (creativity with 'waste') genre that must be applied to real life tools/artifacts/systems (not just toys!) at individual/community human (not industrial) scales.
Use as you please
Last update: On 2011-06-04. Launched on 2011-03-22 (22 March 2011) World Water Day.
Disclaimer
Presented in good faith this report is highly incomplete (pre-release preview) and will continue to evolve indefinitely as the scope of rain water harvesting is essentially infinite.
Community authored
Although mostly written in a first person style, this is an ongoing work supported (those who oppose support more!) by friends like you.
Whom to blame!
Please report omissions/errors and send your valuable creative practical suggestions by email to us.
Apology
An apology in advance for any wrong data/idea reported in these pages. We sincerely request the experts in the field to kindly guide us.
Free work
Like water this work should be free in every sense.
No originality claimed
No originality is being claimed or even indirectly implied, rather I am surprised why such an obvious solution to such a vital matter of drinking water is not seen every where!
Dedication
To every one with love! We are all momentary sparks in this eternal divine flow, the cosmic dance!
Simple home RWH setup at a glance
Introduction
All water is basically rain water only. What is called ground water is nothing but grounded rain water containing mostly undesirable minerals, microbes and pollutants etc.
Most exotic thing about rain water is that it is super simple, natural and easy to harvest, store and drink.
Alarming global water situation
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_crisis
- Experts tell us that worldwide, eighty-eight percent of all diseases are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. By 2015, the global community plans to halve the number of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
(Quoted from http://www.worldchlorine.org/publications/news/wccpress081508.html)
Water plays central role in life
Water plays central role in life and it is surprising how much there is to (un)learn, explore and revolutionize about clean (potable) drinking water that is fast being grabbed as if it is a lifeless commodity.
Water problems are not caused by water, they are caused by humans. Therefore it is for humanity to find the causes that lie within it and eradicate them atleast for its own very survival. Since the water problems are in line with other man made environmental disasters on global scale we need to address the problems with human organizations also on global scale. On global scale we find the ruthless slaughter of ecologies and peoples done by vertical structures composed of governments and multi-national companies. On global scale these verticals are the only visible players, all the faults therefore lie in their intentions which are also manifested in their vertical designs.
Water has to be seen in a wholistic manner, that is why we touch upon, health, psychological, social, political, horizontal/vertical, market, technical, practical and many more dimensions. We can not treat different dimensions of water in isolation because everything is connected intimately with water as the single soul which permeates entire biosphere to give it life.
Childhood social barrier
Playing in rain as a child I was told by my mother to take bath again with 'normal' water, or else you will fall sick. This implicitly imprinted on the child's impressionable mind a false notion that rain water is not normal even for bathing then it is definitely not fit for drinking. Therefore it took about 40 longs years for the same very child (me) to accidentally 'discover' the rain water to which my eyes were shut in childhood under the pretext of the myth that stills prevails as 'common sense'.
This childhood forced 'learning' is reinforced by the social experience and cementing of many layers of age.
On the other hand no one ever questions (rather worship and drink) the same rain water that falls as snow, gets solidified as glacier, melts and flows as rivers (even though polluted now).
Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) is easy but overlooked
There are many websites on Internet and also many NGOs who seem to promote RWH. But they do so in an unnecessarily complicating institutional style that seem to suggest that RWH is a difficult task that can not be done easily in a free of monetary cost manner by 'ordinary' non-technical individuals. This unfortunately discourages people to even try or even think about it!
As my experience reveals Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) is naturally very easy but an often unnaturally overlooked topic. It is hoped that more and more conscious people will start RWH on reading an account of this recently begun Rain Water Harvesting journey by a single person with "self-pledge to drink only rain water", without any experience in the matter, using only common household items and variety of social response!
What is so remarkable about Rain Water Harvesting is that one realises its importance if and only if one has practically tried to make a solar Still or has tried getting distilled water by any other truly free method.
Be the change
With peers enforcing market obedience, homes are more like rigid cells, hence in the present times, charity may not even begin at home. But the revolution certainly begins (and reaches completion) with self in the sense of Gandhi's dictum "be the change, you want to see in the world".
Status as it was on 17 Feb 2011
At Dehradun, India: Using simple home grown methods about 120 liters of rain water has been harvested in just 3 days of intermittent rain at Dehradun on 14, 15 and 16 Feb 2011. This water is likely to last till next monsoon rains.
Huge unexplored potential!
If one simply captures complete annual rainfall of square whose side is equal to one's height then one will have water atleast for one year! (In my case it is 2 years at Dehradun, India).
Suitable geographical locations
These are rough indications. It is always better to experiment yourself and use the water testing kit.
Non (less) polluted: Village
In these places, such as villages, small towns and remote areas, one can collect the water for drinking whenever it rains.
Mildly(!) polluted: Town
I happen to live in one such city called Dehradun, India which has neither less polluted nor highly polluted.
Here I separate the collected water of first 20 minutes of rain. Initial water is turbid needing gravity settlement of dust. Whereas the water collected after 20 minutes of rain is clear.
From left to right:
Water of first 20 min of rain, post 20 min of rain, Bubbles needing degasification, Water ready for drinking.
Water of first 20 min of rain in Iron bucket:
Highly polluted: Urban
In these places, for example the big cities which have lots of vehicular and other atmospheric pollution it is advisable to start collected the rain water for drinking when it has already rained heavily for more than 48 hours in continuation.
Locations for RWH: Public parks, any vacant open space and roof top.
Social scope, response, impact and future directions
"Water, the elixir of life, the great horizontal leveler, is the unexplored vehicle for social change!".
Can we be civilized without drinking rain water?
The following enlightening words of Emma Goldman apply perfectly to this humble 'discovery' to drink rain water.
"We hear a great deal of progress and by that people usually mean improvements of various kinds, mostly life-saving discoveries and labor-saving inventions, or reforms in the social and political life. These may or may not represent a real advance because reform is not necessarily progress.
It is an entirely false and vicious conception that civilisation consists of mechanical or political changes. Even the greatest improvements do not, in themselves, indicate real progress: they merely symbolise its results. True civilization, real progress consists in humanising mankind, in making the world a decent place to live in. From this viewpoint we are very far from being civilised, in spite of all the reforms and improvements.
True progress is a struggle against the inhumanity of our social existence, against the barbarity of dominant conceptions. In other words, progress is a spiritual struggle, a struggle to free man from his brutish inheritance, from the fear and cruelty of his primitive condition. Breaking the shackles of ignorance and superstition; liberating man from the grip of enslaving ideas and practices; driving darkness out of his mind and terror out of his heart; raising him from his abject posture to man's full stature–that is the mission of progress. Only thus does man, individually and collectively, become truly civilised and our social life more human and worth while.
This struggle marks the real history of progress. Its heroes are not the Napoleons and the Bismarcks, not the generals and politicians. Its path is lined with the unmarked graves of the Saccos and Vanzettis of humanity, dotted with the auto-da-fé, the torture chambers, the gallows and the electric chair. To those martyrs of justice and liberty we owe what little of real progress and civilization we have today."
Verbatim excerpt from http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/goldman/Writings/Essays/sacco.html
Universal (Omni) scopes
Water is not just a lifeless commodity that will fuel 'water wars'.
Extends Gandhi's symbolic Dandi Salt March
Water is arguably much more important than salt in applications scope and vitality.
Daily direct personal involvement like Charkha
Each person can do a little RWH related work every day. This will ease the burden on individual as well as collective. This daily direct personal involvement will infuse and inculcate a sense of completeness extending the Charkha model employed by Gandhi.
Beyond reach of immoral laws made by the vertical rulers
Although governments (as market agents) will want to make RWH illegal, but it is practically impossible for them to stop efforts at personal levels.
As a life style instead of temporary activity
Real meaningful/tangible immediately useful action not just Symbolism/Tokenism
Beyond borders to include all regions
Water, whether it is river, rain or ocean does not know any man made artificial borders.
What people have said
Perhaps people were at first and some still are surprised at my all out efforts regarding water in general and rain water harvesting in particular. They must be wondering why I am 'wasting' so much time and effort on a trivial matter such as water which is any way available free or almost free from municipal supply. They must be further wondering why I do not prefer (actually vehemently oppose) the 'common' RO water filter systems adopted by the upper (middle) financial class. And those who do mindlessly afford bottled water will definitely call me or such efforts as insane, however nothing could be farther from truth!
I hope all will do well to remember that we are made up of water not of gold or its man made representation (money) in form of paper/plastic/digit.
Rain water is mixed with many harmful atmospheric gases and will cause severe sickness if consumed. It must be boiled before consumption.
My response
- Boiling has environmental and monetary costs. It is even unnecessary as the rain water is already "distilled" water.
- Two free solar treatments (degasification and microbes removal) described later, remove the dissolved gases and microbes.
Called Hansodak in Sanskrit
Collected rain water is called Hansodak in Sanskrit. It was drunk by Kings.
My response
Now the 'poor' people can drink the same Hansodak!
At the age of 40 you have woken up to drink rain water!
My response
It is never too late to learn in life. And certainly water is life and as such it cannot be left to vertical government/market forces. Just because we have been doing a mistake in past, we should not continue doing it indefinitely even when we realize it against the 'conventional wisdom' or even 'common sense' of the 'sensible majority' or even the 'benevolent' market/government.
It is 'Aakash Ganga' (Sky Ganges river) water
My response
This indeed is true! As the 'Earth Ganga' is ideally supposed to be only 'Aakash Ganga' that falls on mountains to be frozen as glaciers. But unfortunately the industrial destruction (called as 'development' by the vertical governments and markets) and cancerous urbanization has polluted the rivers making them even untouchable!
Tastes like Gangotri water!
My response
Gangotri water is nothing but the rain water that froze to form glacier and then flows as Ganges. At Gangotri it retains its original flavour hence tastes like rain water.
We collected and drank in childhood
A friend shared experience of his childhood around 60 years back in 1950s . As children they used to collect the rain water at their FRI house in Dehradun and drink it for days. He was a Botanist retired as scientist from ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited).
All people will not adopt rain water
My response
How does that stop you from harvesting rain water? Do not wait for people to start drinking harvested rain water. If everyone waits for every body else then there can never be any innovation. Just be your own guide and do yourself a favour by adopting rain water.
You are special, have some spiritual power/gift
Some 'enlightened/spiritual' people even said that I am able to live exclusively on rain water (which in their opinion is not scientifically suitable to drink) because I am endowed with some mysterious spiritual power/gift etc.
My response
Indirectly they are in effect telling me that my this practice is not for people in general. All I say is that there is nothing special about me. Any body can drink the rain water in hassle free manner. And still if one has any doubts then please test the rain water using a water testing kit to settle any remaining doubts.
2011-03-20 Don't collect rain as it is radioactive!
Upon watching TV people are telling me not to collect rain water because it is likely to be radioactive following the Fukushima Nuclear Reactor melting as result of Japan tsunami.
My response
I personally feel this is not significant as I am in Dehradun, India far away from Japan and the clouds here have not come from Japan.
Some links that throw light:
- http://iwabs.com/content/radiation-japans-fukushima-nuclear-plant-unlikely-reach-india
- http://internets-update.blogspot.com/2011/03/will-japan-radiation-effect-india-mails.html
- Stay calm http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/10/20110316201103160003179987f64c0e9/%E2%80%98Stay-calm-the-radiation-won%E2%80%99t-reach-India%E2%80%99.html
- http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-15/chennai/28690991_1_radiation-leak-rumors-tsunami
We are told, plastic bottles are to crushed after use!
My response
Even after my crude 'treatments' rain water contains very fine dust. This settles inside the container all around forming a very thin protective layer between the container material and water. This means as if the water is kept in a natural earthen pitcher type pot. Thus the water can be used easily for an year in my guess. For 3 months it has worked perfectly. In the coming monsoon of 2011, I shall keep date labels on bottles and test how long the rain water remains potable.
This can prevent World War III
- Commendable efforts. Highly appreciated.
- Read somewhere that the IIIrd world war will be on the issue of drinking water. The idea and efforts projected and highlighted can keep the world far away from the IIIrd world war namely for water.
- Jaisalmer and Churu (Indian desert areas) type ways & means on the subject matter need to be explored in detail adding thereto scientific and minimum cost techniques.
- Congratulations. Keep it up improving further more.
My response
- Thank you for your kind attention. Even small appreciation gives lot of enthusiasm in the general atmosphere of apathy towards this vital issue of water.
- We are working on the points raised by you.
It has future as a program
A lot of work you have done to document this. I see it as a unique work, only chance somebody might be using such technologies in individual ways and in some situations. IT HAS FUTURE AS A PROGRAMME. If you are taking it a s your key programme, that would be nice I think. TRAVEL with IT. Say good bye to internet world, TRAVEL NOW I suggest.
My response
This work is a part of our series on Zero budget Earthship technologies. Other parts include Natural solar routine, Solar power generation, Zymurgy (wild) etc. All experiments (whether being planned and/or active) are keeping me busy in a healthy manner.
When I feel it is more fruitful, I shall travel physically, but for the present, let the ideas travel online!
Send me the salient features, whenever possible
My response
- Many thanks for spending your valuable time on RWH website.
- Key idea is "Zero budget technology" so that it is immediately in reach of every one.
- In any case it is not possible to read/write and absorb the entire spectrum on rain water in a short time and single attempt. So please visit this website again and quickly skim through the page, then re-read the small specific portion(s) (if any) which you can improve/use.
We cook Daal (Lentil) in rain water
We cook Daal (Lentil) in rain water because it is tastier and takes less time to cook.
My response
Cooking with rain water needs more research to be done.
Rain as medicine
Snow falling with rain has medicinal properties in application on wounds.
My response
This needs research.
Rain water and pickling
Rain water does not spoil pickles. It is better to use rain water for cleaning the items before pickling.
My response
Pickling is a fermentation process and needs beneficial microbes working for us. Rain water does not harm or is even useful, perhaps because, anti-microbe substance such as Chlorine is not present in rain water.
General solution for every one
'Money free'
Mainly involves simple reuse of existing common household items.
Naturally available in abundance
Immediately adoptable by all.
Adoptable and scalable for large scale
At personal, household and community levels.
RWH as peoples' movement will lead to
This has greatest potential. Much more powerful than Salt march.
Awakening, Uprising and Uniting
Water alone has greatest unexplored/untapped potential to awaken and unite the masses for the collective silent global revolution necessary for healing the biosphere.
Environmental awareness
- When people drink rain water they will become more and more concerned about the atmospheric pollution.
- The 'waste' material (ropes, banners, bottles etc.) used in RWH also reduces pollution in a pro-active creative manner.
Direct personal grass-roots action
This causes instant enlightening empowerment and excellent mind-body-heart coordination at the individual level.
Health
Improvement
Illness caused by impure water will be eradicated.
Better and increased health
Awareness
Consciousness
Water should never be contaminated with money
That water should never be contaminated with money, by using water a commodity that can be stolen from the ecological commons and monetized for illusive profit for few.
Empowerment: Water control, independence and freedom
RWH can ensure:
- Control: We should be in control of our water supply. We can start with drinking water.
- Independence: We should not be helplessly dependent on the government/industry controlled water supply.
- Freedom: From erratic/unreliable water supply that too impure/contaminated.
Water gift: Festivals/Culture/Economy
To free water from clutches of commerce!
There should be water festivals. People should also gift the precious rain water in a forward gift economy.
Pure rain water can be made available at public places as gift.
Public places must have RWH for drinking
Places like schools, colleges, offices, factories, hotels, parks, fairs etc can have large RWH systems for drinking.
Schools must establish water labs and can also organize regular events centered around RWH.
When students drink the rain water in the schools they will also start harvesting rain at their homes. This will spread RWH as a people's movement rapidly.
This will go a long way to eradicate the menace of bottled water industry which privatizes the ecological common (water) and adds to great pollution of all sorts.
RWH and governments (vertical)
"Health of rains, ponds, rivers and oceans reveals intentions of governments (vertical)".
Geo politics
After oil, water is the next target for vertical governments/industry.
Why Schools/NGOs/Governments do not favour Zero Budget RWH for drinking and why they never will!
Because they thrive on controllable/obedient/helpless/disempowered/dependent subjects/consumers called citizens.
Because NGOs are ultimately government agencies in disguise, who thrive on the powerlessness and plight of people. Anything that re-connects people to Nature instantly empowers people. This leaves government/NGO type vertical un-natural agencies out of circuit, throwing them out of relevance.
When they talk of 'empowerment' they mean material empowerment and integration into their exploitative systems. Factory education and employment both belong to this category.
But real empowerment is psychological, it is in spirit. Any one can switch to rain water and get the taste of this empowerment instantly!
Sinful Water industries thrive on man made water crises!
Because sinful global bottled water industry is beyond $60 Billion in notional monetary terms!
Zero Budget RWH will instantly eradicate the water industries of various types like bottled water, RO filters etc.
These industries thrive on the man made crises of non availability of pure water to every one.
My own experience so far
"An ounce of practical is worth more than tons of theory".
For drinking I am taking care of rain water as if there is no municipal supply of ground water.
My awareness, attitude, feelings, connection, sensitivity and spirit towards water has taken concrete shape and is getting refined each day. This is a spiritual journey.
When one gets more deeply and intimately connected with Nature then one evolves for the better. The whole person gets transformed. This evolution of person in my opinion is the ultimate goal of this whole exercise apart from the material, chemical, biological, physiological and other technical benefits.
May be this is the reason that in ancient/ethnic wisdom the river sources were connected with spirituality. For example Gangotri (origin of Ganges in Himalayas).
When an ordinary average person like me can come so close to water through rain using most ordinary means (simple non technical use of free waste material) then there is absolutely no reason whatsoever apart from sheer inertia that holds any one from having this amazing experiencing of life which is a birthright!
Since July 2010
Starting July 2010 I have experience of more than 7 months, when I completely switched on a sort of 'self-pledge' to drinking only the collected rain water. I am finding much better stomach condition, digestion etc. No discomforting burps or even occasional indigestion etc.
As had not developed the storage and canopy method by then I had less water. So in 23 Dec 2010 no water was left. It rained on 30 Dec 2010, so for 8 days I had to drink the municipal water!
Optimal/Lesser water needed for healthy living
Conditioned by 'main stream' media/myths about Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) most people are alarmed about my 'very less' water consumption!
Before jumping to any conclusion: It may help to read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_water#Requirements for background information on the matter.
My water consumption is about 2 litres for 3 days (annual average). Some people will jump to point out that its less as per textbooks or even some 'standards' etc. But I have following observations:
- My urine condition: Color yellowish white, No foul smell, in fact I apply it for massage daily (but that's another story!).
- I also do not feel exhausted easily and work mentally as well as remain physically active.
My stool conditions: Please see http://ccnt.hsc.usc.edu/colorectal/functioncolon.aspx for necessary background information.
(a) Semi solid stool that does not stick to the toilet pot. (b) Regular twice a day in morning and evening. (c) Lesser volume of stool, lesser time needed and feel very fresh.
Earlier stool used to be more liquid and even stickier. This was perhaps because of lesser water absorption in the colon because the osmotic pressure must not be getting formed adequately for water absorption as more water was ingested daily as per habit.
Perhaps earlier I was consuming more water (as per socially acquired wrong habit of consuming water at slightest "hint" of thirst).
Some 'reasons' for my 'lesser than average' need of drinking water:
Perhaps most important is that pure water is needed less, because some part of impure water is used up in kidneys cleaning the water itself. Other reasons may include the following.
- My food timings are fixed with little fluctuation.
- Daily routine is fixed (it is another story titled "Natural Solar Routine").
- I do not drink tea, coffee etc. No soft or hard drinks. So less toxins enter body.
- I do not consume white dairy products because of Oxytocin!
- Pure vegetarian, basically vegan. Eat moderate quantity of food. Eat sprouts and fruits regularly.
- Always busy in positive creativity with no ill will for any one.
- Have sound/deep sleep always.
- Regular yoga practice (it is also another story to be published).
In the end every thing counts, because every thing is connected through every thing else!
For biological processes water is the main connector.
So may be because less toxins enter my body with water, food or even thoughts, my kidneys need to process less and body as a result needs lesser water.
Perhaps the most important reason is that I am just conscious of water with subtle reverence. It is just a 'drishta-bhaav' (disinterested watchful perception) towards water. Water is not a thing for me, water is the flow of life, water is living entity much like the living universe!
I do not have reasons but I have practical experience, and that is what really matters in life!
Psychological impact
Change in awareness
Now I feel more concerned and connected with the weather, clouds, sound of thunder/lightening etc. This increasingly getting reconnected with Nature will have its own still unfelt positive effects.
Earlier rain was subconsciously seen as a hindrance to work, but now I welcome it any time!
Dehradun underground water type
It is specially important to mention here that the Dehradun has Hard water containing Calcium salts. This leads to common problem of gas and indigestion.
Dehradun municipal water supply quality
On the top of it, it was even reported in newspapers that according to a water survey it was revealed that the Indira Nagar/Vasant Vihar areas (considered posh!) have high concentrations of Coliform bacteria among other undesirables in the municipal water supply.
Practical solution
Although 'treated' rain water may not be perfect as per some international standards, but it is much better than the municipal water which is not even worthy of being considered as an alternative! Most importantly it is free of money and thus highly empowering.
Technical details
"In theory there is no difference in theory and practical, in practice there is".
Harvesting/Collection of rain water
Harvesting locations
Roof, lawn or any open area. This should be developed as a community activity.
Support structure
Roof wire/rope/grid
- Design
- Square funnels
- Can be made by cutting food item polypacks with metallic (food grade) interiors exposed to sky to come in contact with rain water.
- Jack pins to be used to clamp the polythene sheets.
- These polythenes will converge in a real funnel placed in a bottle. The convergence will be held tight by 2 rope loops one wider and other lower one narrower.
- Bottle will be tied with a loose rope from top mesh to save it from accidental toppling. Another mesh (lower and parallel to top) can be used to hold the bottles from toppling.
- Square funnels
- As additional benefit can protect building from following
Moisture, Water seepage and "Water logging leads to mosquito breeding".
- Bamboo tripods
Stones tied at end of legs for stability.
Collector top
Funnel
Can be made using:
Canopy
- 'Used banner' canopy
Parabolic shaped canopy. Tied to angular ropes using cloth drying clips. This is the only structure used by me so far apart from various containers directly placed under the clouds.
- Plastic coated boxes
Festival gift packaging material/boxes used for biscuits, cookies and sweets etc.
Collector base
All kinds of utensils
Keeping wide utensils, tubs, buckets, covers etc in open on a clean area, say lawn or roof top. If we keep the utensils on a dirty area like the cemented walking space etc, then there is high chance of dirty water clinging to the utensil bottom to trickle into the storage containers. In lawn or even on a muddy surface the bottoms of utensils are not drenched in dirty water.
Intermediate storage before 'treatment' and storage in semi-covered bottles
Protection from sun light.
Plastic containers (buckets) are kept outside, semi-covered with newspapers on top and surrounding area so as to protect it from direct sunlight. This is done for two reasons:
Lack of indoor space to keep buckets.
Moisture emanation from the semi-covered buckets.
To ensure mild air exchange and thus keep water 'alive' and healthy.
Preliminary testing of water
- Odor
- Smell
- Taste
- Visual inspection: Turbidity
Treatment of rain water
Turbidity removal: Gravity settlement
Initially the water is turbid, perhaps due to dust particles. When left undisturbed for about a week the dark matter settles down in a layer at bottom. Water is then clear. It is then ready for solar degasification.
Pollution gases removal: Semi covered solar
After turbidity removal the clear water is then kept in semi-covered metal containers with metal cover in open area. This cause heating up during day due to sun light. Lots of bubbles were seen at the walls of the containers. These bubbles gradually diminish and finally vanish giving an indication of gases removal.
Even during the storage the caps of bottles are kept loose so that there is continued air exchange.
Microbes removal: SODIS Solar Disinfection
"Solar water disinfection - the SODIS method - is a simple procedure to disinfect drinking water. Contaminated water is filled in a transparent PET-bottle or glass bottle and exposed to the sun for 6 hours. During this time, the UV-radiation of the sun kills diarrhoea generating pathogens. The SODIS-method helps to prevent diarrhoea and thereby is saving lives of people. This is urgently necessary as still more than 4000 children die every day from the consequences of diarrhoea." (Quoted from http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN)
Storage
Container types
Jerrycans can also be used.
Bottles
- Filtering
Best is to fit filter in the funnel itself while harvesting. So the filtration takes place while its raining and the water is collected after getting filtered.
Clean cloth (better as re-usable) or cotton can be used as filter.
BEWARE!: It is best to test the filter cleanliness before using! Yesterday I had to throw my precious one litre water because the filter cloth had soap in it!
Cotton filtering:
Black dirt in center:
Filtered water flowing out of filter:
After filtering black dirt on used cotton, placed on a steel plate:
Filtering setup at a glance:
- Types
- Soft drinks 2 litre
Coca Cola, Thumbs Up etc.
Bottles of Limca, Fanta, Mirinda: Have residual lingering smell even after cleaning many times!.
- Mineral water
1 litre: Thin plastic may not be suitable for long term storage due to less mechanical strength and life.
2 litre: Seems to provide best strength/size ratio.
5 litre: Is also good but heavy to carry on person.
- Edible Oil bottles
Although their plastic is tough, these are not easy to clean as some oil (plus soap) film remains clinging to inner surface.
- Soft drinks 2 litre
- Source
In my case the bottles have come from following.
- Homes of friends.
- Public places: Scrap vendor, Hotel/Restaurant/Canteen, Road side, Bus/Railway Station, Wedding places, Fairs, Festivals etc.
- Factory/plants.
My plastic buckets
Big blue and green buckets as seen in images. Plastic needs protection from sunlight.
My steel containers
Meta storage
Bamboo frame and bamboo ladder can be used to store the water containers, bottles etc.
Below table/chairs
Water can be stored in bottles below table, chairs or in corner.
Below the bed
One can raise the sleeping bed (6 feet x 3 feet) using bricks and easily store about 360 litres of water in plastic bottles under the bed. This will easily provide for more than a litre of water per person per day (excluding rainy season).
Thermocol/Plastic crates
These may be available second hand or scrap. I collect the Thermocol dumped on road!
Can be used for multi layered vertical storage of empty bottles.
For filled bottles it will be necessary to get plastic crates (stronger) like the ones used for 'Toilet cleaner' sold as 'soft drink'!
Data
Rain
2011-01-14
About 40 Litres rain water harvested.
2011-02-14/15/16
2011-02-26
2 litres rain water harvested.
2011-03-02
30 litres of water had to be thrown as an inch long insect had fallen and decomposed in that.
2011-03-19/20
It rained heavily around mid night. I was not prepared to collect water as I could not catch rain signal during day. 30 Litres could have been collected.
2011-03-30
It rained from 01:50 to 04:30 with varying intensity. About 30 litre water was harvested.
2011-04-12
It rained during day with varying intensity. About 7 litre water was harvested.
2011-04-13
It rained during day with varying intensity. About 12 litre water was harvested.
2011-05-5/6
About 6 litre water was harvested.
2011-05-20
About 8 litre water was harvested.
2011-05-25
There was a great cyclone type wind. It rained a lot but late deployment of system due to wind caused only about 1 litre water harvest.
2011-05-27
There was a fast wind initially. It rained heavily and within 3 hours 40 litre water was harvested.
2011-06-01
It rained heavily, 25 litre water was harvested.
What remains to be explored/done
A lot! This is not even the beginning of this life long water journey. But even these 'crude' methods deliver satisfactory consumable water everyday!
Effect of raw food on water need
In my opinion lesser water will be needed if one is on raw food.
Raw food is natural (bio-chemically simpler molecules) and already contains more water.
Treatment for water purification
SODIS: Solar Water Disinfection
"Solar water disinfection - the SODIS method - is a simple procedure to disinfect drinking water. Contaminated water is filled in a transparent PET-bottle or glass bottle and exposed to the sun for 6 hours. During this time, the UV-radiation of the sun kills diarrhoea generating pathogens. The SODIS-method helps to prevent diarrhoea and thereby is saving lives of people. This is urgently necessary as still more than 4000 children die every day from the consequences of diarrhoea." (Quoted from http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN)
PET versus glass
Using Bacteria/Microbes
Explore the use of bacteria/microbes to purify water.
Using Scorpions
Like the ones that purify and keep alive the water in 'Taankas' (Traditional under ground tanks for storing harvested rain water) of Rajasthan (Indian desert).
Using Neem or other herbs
Testing
May be capable people like Shri Arvind Gupta (arvindguptatoys.com) can explore ways to test water by using common household items.
pH using Litmus
To check the pH (acidity/basicity) of water.
TDS Total Dissolved Solids test
As done by the sales people marketing the RO (Reverse Osmosis) water purifiers etc. These people carry a pen type TDS meter, that tests the home drinking water of a prospective customer to convince them to purchase the commercial purifier upon discovery that their existing water contains too much undesirable matter.
Storage in a cost effective (money free) manner
This remains top problem. It is easy to collect rain water but storing it for 6-8 months in potable condition in a cost effective (money free) manner is a challenge.
Chemical containers
The chemical containers sold in scrap market seem attractive but I am not sure of their worthiness for drinking water storage. May be there is a way to clean them thoroughly.
Small hemi-spherical pond
Around 2 m diameter and .75 m depth. With bricks/rocks boundary.
Disclaimer
This is a research idea at present and I am not sure whether the water will remain potable.
Easy to dig manually by a single person
Location
Can be middle of lawn, garden or any clean protected (from animals) area.
Bottom cover
Polythene Micro-tanks
This is again a research idea!
Take a large (more than 10 kg capacity) bag made of virgin polythene
Such as available from shopping malls.
Outdoor: Under ground storage
Dig the land/lawn etc to appropriate size.
Insert the polythene bag into the dug portion.
Pour the freshly collected water in polythene bag. Because freshly collected rain water contains dust particles which will settle all over the inner surface of the polythene bag. This will save the water from coming in direct contact with the polythene.
Put bricks all around the tank
Cover the bricks with another polythene leaving some air/water contact.
Indoor
For indoor storage it may also be possible to keep the water filled polythenes inside sturdy packing material (Thermocol or old bags). This again is a 'freely available' scrap material.
Tyre stack
One possibility is to stack used car/truck tyres vertically on top of each other in a 'parallel to ground' orientation. Then the water bottles may be placed inside them horizontally with their caps pointing radially towards the tyre centers.
Earthen vessels/pots
Like Pitcher (Ghada) and Surahi may be used. These vessels automatically keep water 'alive' through air exchange all along the body of vessel.
Aquarium
Can inhabitat such life form which cleans water for human drinking, for example some types of scorpion as found in artificial ponds of desert area.
These can be small (portable) or even larger like a pond with aquatic life and lotus etc.
Research
On visiting their website I found the price of their Water Testing Kit is Rs. 1400/-. It is beyond my (as also of masses) scope to afford it. Perhaps talented people like Shri Arvind Gupta (arvindguptatoys.com) can do research and suggest novel free methods to test water easily at home.
Will visit PSI and seek information about water testing kit and look into the possibility if some tests can be done free of monetary cost.
People's Science Institute
252, Vasant Vihar, Phase-I
Dehra Doon - 248 006
Uttarakhand, (India)
Tel : 0135 - 2773849, 2763649
Fax : 0135 - 2763186
email: psiddoon@gmail.com
http://www.peoplesscienceinstitute.com
References
Efforts as described above are in the spirit of 'open source practical hacks' inspired by the 'invisible but real' water crises.
For learning about water following links are being explored by me.
Links
Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS)
India
Report-1: devalt.org :: India surface water
Report-2: cleanindia.org
Various documents (English/Hindi)
- http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org
- http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/index_files/site_urls.htm
- http://www.neerjaal.org/Files/Water%20Testing%20Manuals/BIS_DrinkingWater_English.pdf
- http://www.neerjaal.org/Files/Water%20Testing%20Manuals/BIS_DrinkingWater_Hindi.pdf
- WATER-TESTING-TUTORIALHindi.pdf http://www.neerjaal.org/Files/Water%20Testing%20Manuals/WATER%20TESTING%20TUTORIAL_Hindi.pdf
- http://www.ewb-international.org/pdf/WaterForAllJagadeesh.pdf
SODIS: Solar Water Disinfection
wikipedia.org
sodis.ch
sodisafricanet.org
PET versus glass
IIT Madras certificate
Wikipedia
WHO pamphlet for emergencies
Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of water
Australia
USA Manual
Discussions
Dew Pond
Bottled rain water being sold!
Most people will be astonished to see this!
Just search for "Cloud Juice" and/or "bottled rain water" on the Internet!
This is very unfortunate! But hopefully it will encourage people to harvest the rain once they realize that they can drink (freely) the very same rain water drunk by the super rich (vertical) people around the globe!
Some companies that sell rain water!
Rain water in competition
World Water Day
World Water Week
100 Ways to Conserve Water
Un-sustainability of Reverse Osmosis RO
They waste around (domestic: 90%) and (industrial: 60%) of water. Therefore RO systems are unsustainable and are more of a problem than a solution!
Please see:
Films/Documentaries
Unfortunately there are many such films/documentaries on water.
A World Without Water
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-without-water
"A World Without Water The world is running out of its most precious resource. True Vision's timely film tells of the personal tragedies behind the mounting privatisation of water supplies. More than a billion people across the globe don’t have access to safe water. Every day 3900 children die as a result of insufficient or unclean water supplies. The situation can only get worse as water gets evermore scarce. http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/A/a_world_without_water/"
Quoted from http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3930199780455728313
Tapped
"By 2030 the United Nations estimates two-thirds of the world will lack access to clean drinking water. Tapped will illustrate the impact of the global water crisis on America and what we can do as individuals to enact change sooner rather than later. Tapped examines the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil."
Quoted from: http://greenplanetfilms.org/blog/?p=80