What is domestic and industrial water conservation? Explain.

 Domestic Water Conservation

Water conservation programs are typically initiated at the local level, either by municipal water utilities or local governments. Common strategies include public education campaigns, social water awareness, progressively charging higher prices, increase in water use, subsidies for showerhead and toilet retrofits, and seasonal restrictions on lawn sprinklers. Cities in dry climates often require or encourage the natural landscaping in new homes to reduce outdoor water usage. One of the fundamental conservation goals is universal metering. Water metering can reduce water consumption by 20 to 40 %. In addition to raising consumer awareness of their water use, metering is also an important way to identify and localize water leaks.

Optimization of water use by personal habits

· Do not waste water just because someone else is footing the bill. Conserve water because it is the right thing to do;

· Do not leave the tap running while brushing your teeth or shaving. Open it only when you require it;

· Use a washing machine that does not consume too much water. Water coolers require a seasonal maintenance check up;

· For more efficient cooking, check your pressure cooker annually. Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run during cleaning. Do not water your lawns on windy days;

· At the end of the day if you have water left in your drinking water bottle, do not throw it away, pour it over some plants.

Reducing water losses in water supply and sanitary fittings

· Repair dripping valves by replacing washers. If your valve is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, nearly 8000 litre of water per year will be wasted resulting in increase of the cost of water and sewer utilities;

· Low-flush toilets, composting toilets and waterless urinals help in considerable water saving. Western toilets use large volumes of water;

· Low- flow shower heads also called energy-efficient shower heads should be used;

· Faucet aerators, break water flow into fine droplets to maintain wetting effectiveness while using less water. They reduce splashing while washing hands and dishes.

· When washing dishes by hand, do not let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.

Reuse and recycling of water used in non-consumptive requirements

· Drain water instead of disposing off may be used for watering a plant or garden, or cleaning;

· Reuse wastewater through purification at a water treatment plant;

· Utilize the water used for washing the vegetables and fruits for irrigation of flowers and ornamental potted plants or for cleaning

Industrial Water Conservation

Water is essential to our health and the health of our economy. As a major user of this precious resource, industry has an important responsibility to practice water conservation techniques which can provide immense benefit. By reducing their use of water, industries can protect the environment and gain a competitive edge by reducing their own cost of doing business.

Water Use for Industries: Metal, wood industries paper, chemical, textile and oil are major users of water. Probably every manufactured product uses water during some part of the production process. Industrial water use includes water used for fabricating, processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or transporting a product; incorporating water into a product; or for sanitation needs within the manufacturing facility. Food, paper, chemicals, refmed petroleum, or primary metal industries use large amounts of water.

Water Requirement in Industries: Earlier, the water requirement of the industries in India was very small compared to the demands of other sectors. With the rapid growth in population coupled with overall economic development due to industrialization, water requirement for industrial sector has increased manifold. When industrial demand is concentrated at specific locations, the available water resources are under severe stress. Thus water availability is a major factor for locating an industry at a particular place. Non-availability of good quality water has forced a number of industries to shut down. Industries require water for various purposes most of which are non-consumptive, thus making reuse through recycling and other conservation measures possible.

Techniques for achieving Water Conservation: The amount of water consumed for a product varies widely depending upon the process used, plant efficiency, technology employed, degree to which water is recycled and other factors. There are no fixed norms for water demand of industries. However, based on the technology used, selection of plant and process, practice in providing maximum recycling to reduce demand and pollution, a range of values is specified. The following interventions help in conserving water.

· Reusing or recycling water when most of water use is non-consumptive;

· Avoiding single-pass cooling unless the water is reused;

· Use oflow flow plumbing fixtures;

· Developing site-specific water conservation plans for large facilities;

· Technology improvement, reuse and other forms of demand management need to be given much more emphasis rather than the traditional supply side oriented approaches in the past;

· Waste utilization technologies/clean production technologies with emphasis on waste minimization should be encouraged for adoption; and

· Hazardous waste treatment and disposal need to be so planned and sited as to protect people and environment from adverse impacts.

Policy for Industrial Water Conservation Programme

Water use management is necessary to conserve our precious natural resources in which both public and private sectors have an important role to play. The water use efficiency programmes reduce water demand; effect water saving and wastewater treatment, reduce environment impact and sustain water quality. Industrial water conservation programmes benefit the industrial owner and managers in terms of enhancing their knowledge on efficient water use practices and effluent disposal; water auditing and accounting techniques; technological advancements in industrial water and wastewater treatment and industrial legal issues; industrial water conservation, optimization and rainwater harvesting.

Industrial Water Conservation - A Need of the Hour: An industry not only results in increased water use and considerable waste discharge to the hydrologic system but also changed characteristics of the surface or groundwater resources. Therefore, water resource utilization, conservation and reduction or elimination of waste discharges should be practiced effectively and realistically for long term sustainability.

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