Editorial
Concern over scarce water
New sources should be tapped
The ground water table is going down by three metres every year according to a latest estimate -- thanks to our over use of this water source. About 87 percent of water that Dhaka WASA uses is ground water. Now we have to look for alternative sources for water to meet our growing needs.
In this context, how much of the water we use can be recycled for reuse is the question of the hour? According to research conducted by International Training Network of BUET, about 80 percent of water discarded from households can be recycled.
Our metropolis consumes only 20 percent of its water supply for drinking and cooking purposes; whilst the rest 80 percent is used for household activities like washing, bathing and cleaning toilets.
The most important task at hand now is to recycle this 80 percent water and put it to use for beneficial purposes such as agriculture, landscape irrigation, industrial processes, toilet flushing and replenishing the ground water basin. Waste water treatment can offer resource and financial savings and can also be tailored to meet the water quality requirements of the city. This as a result can take a bit of the load off the city's water supply, which is presently hard-pressed to meet demand.
Ground water is replenished by precipitation, which is a natural and slow process. Moreover the city's unplanned growth and filling up of low lying water bodies do not allow the ground water to be recharged.
To better tackle the situation WASA plans to use surface water for the city in the near future. However while using the surface water it should be monitored that their sources are kept clean. The two goals are intertwined.
For the purpose of sustainability and water conservation ideas such as using surface water, rain water harvesting and recycling household water, should be tapped. Moreover emphasis should be given to keeping groundwater recharging provisions in the new housing projects.
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