WATER QUALITY AND HEALTH CHALLENGES : SUPPLY OF

DRINKABLE WATER

Prof ( Dr.) Arunabha MajumderEmeritus Fellow – School of Water Resource

Engineering, Jadavpur UniversityFormer, Director – Professor, All India Institute of

Hygiene and Public Health.

INDIAIndia roughly accounts for: • 2.4 % of world’s land mass• 4.5 % of world’s fresh water resources• 16.7 % of world’s population

WATER AVAILABILITY

Annual average precipitation- 4000 BCMTotal water availability - 2301 BCMAverage annual surface

water flow- 1869 BCMUtilizable water quantity – 690 BCMAverage ground water resources 432 BCM

WATER AVAILABILITY (CONTD.)

Against total water requirement of 973 BCM, the total usable water would be 996 BCM in the year 2050.Regional imbalances/natural calamities are causing water shortage in many regions of the country.Present water use in -

agriculture – 85 %, industry and power generation – 10%, public water supply – 5%

PER CAPITA WATER AVAILABILITY

Year 1947 - 5200 cubic metre per capita per year.Year 2001 – 1840 cubic metre per capita per year.Year 2009 – 1760 cubic metre per capita per year.Year 2025 – 1380 cubic metre per capita per year.Year 2050 – 950 cubic metre per capita per year.

Water stress condition -< 1700 cubic metre per capita per year.Water acute condition -< 1100 cubic metre per capita per year.

Average precipitation / year – 100 mm to 11000 mm / year.

• Water demand in agriculture, industry, Power generation and domestic sectors are increasing

• Unsatisfactory surface and groundwater management

• Depleting trend of groundwater resources

• Approx. 30% rural habitations are facing groundwater quality problems.(Arsenic, Fluoride, Nitrate, Salinity, Iron, Hardness, Pathogens etc)

WATER CRISIS

• Heavy disease burden from consumption of unsafe water and inadequate environmental sanitation.

•Limited Surface water sources; increasing trend of water contamination.

(Mixing of sewage/ sullage/ industrial waste/ agricultural runoff/ solid waste leachate etc)

WATER ALLOCATION PRIORITY (AS PER NATIONAL WATER POLICY 2002)

Drinking water IrrigationHydro- powerEcologyAgro-industrial and non-agricultural useNavigation and other uses

HIGHLIGHTS OF NATIONAL WATER POLICY 2002

Top priority to drinking water allocation in the planning and operation of the system.Need for periodical reassessment of groundwater potential on a scientific basisTo prevent over exploitation of ground water, especially near the coastal areas to prevent sea water ingressTo develop ground water recharge projects to improve ground water quantity and qualityNeed for rational development of surface and ground resources and their conjunctive use

WATER SUPPLY

• Despite an estimated total of Rs. 1105 billion spent on providing safe drinking water in rural area, lack of safe and secure drinking water continues to be a major hurdle and a national economic burden.

• 85% rural habitations are dependent on ground water and rest on surface water.

• Urban water source dependent on both surface and ground water.

• 73 million working days are lost due to water borne diseases each year.

•Economic burden due to working days loss from water borne diseases is 600 milion dollar per year.

SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY

Surface WaterRiversStreamsLakesPonds

Ground WaterSpringShallow wellsDeep wells

Rain Water

CONCEPT OF SAFE WATER SUPPLY

1. It should be free from disease causing organisms in amount which would constitute a heath hazard.

2. It should be aesthetically attractive – clear, colourless and palatable

3. It should not contain chemical substances in such concentrations as to cause a health hazard when consumed over a lifetime or economic loss

4. The location, construction, operation and maintenance of water supply, its sources, reservoirs, treatment and distribution must exclude all potential sources of pollution and contamination

URBANISATION

Population( 2001) - 1020 million Urban population (2001) - 28.5 millionTotal cities/towns 5161Population of 35 metro cities(>1 million)- 37% of urban populationPopulation of 388 towns 0.1 million – 1 million

population of 4738 towns > 0.1 million

Expected urban population in 2021- 549 million

WATER SUPPLY COVERAGE

Urban - 94 %Rural - 93%85 % rural population dependent on ground water and rest on surface waterMega cities /metro cities depend on surface water supplyMajority of small and medium towns are dependent on ground waterPer capita water supply in cities and towns - 70 - 150 lt/dayPer capita water supply in rural areas- 40 lt /day

WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS

Bacteriological contamination (surface water)Excess fluoride (ground water)Arsenic ( ground water )Nitrate (ground water)Iron (ground water)Hardness (ground water)Salinity ( surface water/ ground water)

DENTAL FLUOROSIS ---DIRTY TEETH : DISCOLOURATION ALONG THE GUMS AND THE UPPER CENTRAL INCISORS SHOWING DENTAL FLUOROSIS

DENTAL FLUOROSIS ---DIRTY TEETH : DISCOLOURATION ALONG THE GUMS AND THE UPPER CENTRAL INCISORS SHOWING DENTAL FLUOROSIS

PROFILE OF DENTAL FLUOROSIS

Note the chalky white appearance of teeth with pits.

SKELETAL FLUOROSIS

SKELETAL FLUOROSIS

ARSENICOSIS PATIENTS

CONVENTIONAL WATER TREATMENT

Unit operations for most of the conventional water treatment plants are –

1. Rapid mixing; Coagulation2. Slow mixing; Flocculation3. Sedimentation/Clariflocculator4. Rapid Sand Filtration5. Chlorination

CONVENTIONAL WATER TREATMENT(CONTD.)

Additional /alternative unit operations in water treatment1. Cascade aeration2. Parallel plate settling3. Tube settling4. Pulsator5. Dual media filtration

APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR WATER TREATMENT

Chemical treatment/co-precipitationAdsorptionIon – exchangeReverse osmosisMembrane filtrationElectro dialysisUltra filtration/Nano filtration

To solve current and future water crisis -we need:

• Rational utilization of groundwater and surface water• Watershed development and management• Wastage/loss minimization• Reorientation of agricultural system with water availability and use• Streamlining process technology in industries to minimize water use and encouraging more recycling of water• Rainwater harvesting

• Water Reclamation and reuse• Awareness, motivation and peoples participation in water conservation, recycling and reuse

WATER SUPPLY SECTOR ISSUES

1. Rapid pace of urbanization2. Inadequate service coverage3. Regional imbalance in availability of water4. Implementation of National Water Policy5. Depletion of fresh water resources6. Unreliable service provision 7. Need for water conservation/rain water harvesting8. Need for capacity building, institutional and fiscal reforms9. Culture of treating water as a social good10. Private sector participation/involvement11. Reliable information system and database12. Water security/safety Plan

WATER SUPPLY SECTOR ISSUES(CONTD.)

13. Introduction of appropriate pricing policy14. Sizeable investment needs15. Water quality monitoring and surveillance16. Commercial orientation and viability17. Uniformity in Tariff structure18. Good governance, Policy and Regulations

ConclusionThere is an urgent need of development in public water supply system for urban and rural sectors of the country.Government of India has taken up Urban Infrastructure Development Schemes for Small & Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) and Jawharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) Programmes which include besides others, development of public water supply systems.Various State Governments undertake programmes of development of urban water supply system.

Conclusion (con’t)Country receives limited loan /grant from International Organizations for infrastructural development in water supply and waste management.Funds from traditional sources are limited. Hence private sector participation is a must to bridge the gap between demand and availability of resources.Privatization in new areas can be introduced in planning, designing, execution, operation & maintenance, billing & collection etc on BOT/ BOOT basis.Good Governance, Policy and Regulations are key drivers for safe water supply. Water safety plan need to be introduced for assured safe water supply to the consumers.

THANK YOU

NAMASKAR