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SOURCE OF WATER
Water
Much of the ill- health which affects
humanity, especially in the developing
countries can be traced to lack of
safe and wholesome water supply.
Dr. M. S. Rathore
Professor
Department of Community Medicine

Water requirement
1. Basic physiological requirement 2 litres per
Safe and wholesome water head per day.
a. Free from pathogenic agents; The consumption of water, however, depends
b. Free from harmful chemical substances; upon climate conditions, standard of living and
habits of the people.
c. Pleasant to the test , free from color and
2. A daily supply of 150-200 liters per capita is
odour; and considered as an adequate supply for all urban
d. usable for domestic purposes. domestic purposes.
3. In India 40 liters of water supply per capita per
day was the set target to be achieved in rural areas.
4. It must be available close to the people.

Uses of Water
1.Domestic use :water is required for drinking,
cooking, washing and bathing, flushing of toilets,
gardening etc.
2.Public Purposes : cleaning streets, recreational
purposes like swimming pools, public fountains
and ornamental ponds, fire protection and public
parks.
3.Industrial purposes : for processing and cooling.
4.Agriculture purpose : irrigation
5.Power production from hydropower and steam
power
6.Carrying away waste from all manner of
establishments and institutions.

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Sources of water supply

Three main sources of water :
1.RAIN
2.SURFACE WATER
-Impounding reservoirs
-Rivers and streams
-Tanks, ponds and lakes.
3.GROUND WATER
-Wells
-Springs.

2. Surface Water
1. Rain : -Rain water is the purest water. (a.) IMPOUNDING RESERVOIRS
-It is clear, bright and sparkling. -Artificial lakes constructed usually of earthwork or
-Chemically, it is very soft water containing only masonry.
traces of dissolved solids (0.0005 percent). -Cities such as Mumbai, Chennai and Nagpur derive
-Being soft, it has a corrosive action. their water supply from impounding reservoirs
-Water from clean districts is free from pathogenic -Storing results growth of algae and other
agents. microscopic organisms
-Tends to become impure as it passes through Characteristics : fairly good quality of water.
the atmosphere. -Usually clear, palatable and ranks next to rain water
-Gaseous sulphur and nitrogen oxides are emitted in purety, is usually soft and considered to be free
from power plants that use fossil fuels. of pathogenic organisms.
-Forming dilute solution of sulphuric and nitric acid. Impurities : From the catchment area. human
habitations and animal keeping or grazing.

(b.) RIVERS:-River water is always grossly polluted

and is quite unfit for drinking without treatment.
Characteristics : Turbid during rainy season.
- It may be clear in other seasons.
- Clarity of water is no guarantee that the river water
is safe for drinking. Contains dissolved and
suspended impurities of all kinds.

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(C) TANKS
Impurities :River are described as a direct -Large excavations in which surface water is stored.
connection between the alimentary canal of -Tanks are recipients of contamination of all sorts.
the people living upstream and the mouths of
those below.
self- purification : Dilution, sedimentation,
aeration, oxidation, sunlight, plant and animal
life but these agencies are not sufficient to
render the water potable.
Needs purification before it can be used for
drinking

Improvements of tanks :
-The edges of the tank should be elevated in order to
prevent the entry of surface washings.
-There should be a fence around the tank to prevent
access to animals.
-No one should be permitted to get into the tank
directly
-The weeds should be periodically removed and
-The tank should be cleaned at the end of the dry
season.
-simplest solution consists of subjecting the tank
water to some sort of sand filtration.

Sea Water Wells

3.Ground Water 1.Shallow wells : Important source of water
1. It is likely to be free from pathogenic agents; supply. Water from above the first impervious
2. it usually requires no treatment; layer in the ground.
3. the supply is likely to be certain even during dry 2.Deep wells : which taps water from below
season; and the first impervious layer in the ground.
4. It is less subject to contamination than surface water. -Deep wells furnish the safest water.
5.High in mineral content, e.g., salts of calcium
and magnesium which render the water hard
-Most of the wells in India are of the shallow .
6.it requires pumping or some arrangement to -Liable to pollution from neighboring sources
lift the water. 3.Artesian wells :are a kind of deep wells in
7.The usual ground water sources are wells and which the water rises above the level of
springs. ground water. Not common in India.

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4.Step wells :
Becoming obsolete . The open dug wells and
step wells are a health hazard to the Wells may also be classified, according to
community. the method of construction, into
(1)Dug wells and
(2)Tubwell
DUG WELLS
(a) The unlined katcha well and
(b) The masonry or pucca wells
Improvement of dug wells may be made
sanitary

SANITARY WELL 2.lining :

one which is properly located , well- -Should be built of bricks or stones set in
constructed and protected against cement up to a depth of at least 6 m (20 feet). -
contamination with a view of yield a supply of -Lining should be carried 60-90 cm (2-3 feet)
safe water. above the ground level.
1.Location : 3.Parapet wall : parapet wall up to a height of
-Well should be located not less than 15 m (50 at least 70-75 cms (28 inches) above the
feet) from likely sources of contamination. ground.
-At a higher elevation with respect to a 4.Platform :
possible source of contamination. -Extending at least 1 m (3 feet)in all directions.
-No user will have to carry water for more than -Gentle slope outwards a drain built along its
100 m (100 yards). edges.

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5.Drain : Pucca drain constructed beyond the

“cone of filtration”
6.covering : the top of the well should be
closed by a cement concrete.
7.Hand-pump : should be equipped with a
hand- pump
8.Consumer responsibility : Strict cleanliness
should be enforced in the vicinity of the well;
and buckets from individual homes should
not be used.
9.Quality : quality of water should conform to
quality of safe and wholesome water.

-The areas within 15 m of well should be kept

TUBE WELLS free from pollution with liquid and solid
-Source of drinking water in many parts of wastes.
India. -Deep tube wells or bored wells are sunk by
-Shallow tube wells or “driven wells” largest drilling through successive substrata of gravel
individual source of water supply to the rural or rock until a suitable supply
community. of ground water is located.
- Pipe (usually galvanized iron) sunk into the -They may be several hundred feet deep and
water- bearing stratum and fitted with a require complicated mechanical drilling
strainer at the bottom, and a hand-pump at equipment.
the top. -Chandigarh ,derives its entire water supply
from tube wells

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SPRINGS
water comes to the surface and flows freely
under natural pressure,
Two types-
1.Shallow springs and
2.Deep springs.
-Shallow dry up quickly during summer
months,
-Deep springs do not show seasonal
fluctuations in the flow of water.

Thanks