Storing rain water in wells
I had
recently posted a note about collecting rain water to provide a safe and
reliable source of drinking water. Visit
However, it
may be worth considering an alternative – that of providing about 5000 litres
of rain water storage to meet multiple needs of a rural family. The concept of
a well as a part of rural house is well understood. The only problem is that
ground water levels have gone down so much that most of the traditional wells
have gone dry. The alternative that is relevant here is that of using gutters
at the edge of sloping roofs to collect run-off rain water and some plumbing to
take it to the well. A special feature of such wells designed to store rain
water would be the effort to minimize leakage of water. The sides as well as
the bottom surface of the well would be cemented to avoid water loss. The
following site provides some information on constructing small diameter wells
reinforced with pre-cast concrete well-rings, but it is not specifically about
wells designed to store rain water.
Keeping the
roof and the water clean is a challenge; tradition is no use in these matters.
A water filtering mechanism, a cover for the top of the well and a hand pump to
raise water seem to be relevant items.
Engineers
interested in improving the quality of life in rural areas should experiment
with different design alternatives. Improving rural water supply should be India’s
next big mission after the Swachh Bharat effort.
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