Waste Water Reuse: Extension Approach to Depleting Water Resources

Abstract

Vellore is a district in Tamil Nadu, India consisting of mainly villages having agriculture as the chief occupation. Dug wells are the major irrigation source. Numerous tanneries also throng the area which again necessitates large quantity of water to fulfill its requirements. Long-term water level fluctuations indicate lowering of water table in Vellore. Development of ground water in the district seeks immediate attention. Establishment of a wastewater reuse program and usage of reclaimed wastewater is a significant and reliable alternative solution. This practice has found implementation in developed nations but developing countries lack in community based application. In Vellore, the industrial wastewater from tanneries is collected in CETP’s (Common Effluent Treatment Plants). In Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT, Vellore) a smaller scale wastewater treatment process is carried out using biological means. Kitchen and Bathroom wastewater is treated. (BOD: 30mg/L; COD: 250mg/L) and used mainly for watering the lawns. Such wastewater reuse to be taken up in a wider scale in the various regions to combat water shortage. Effective extension of this technique needs to be taken up for community based applications. Lowering water tables can be managed, and water for irrigation can be made available round the year through such implementations.