WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES

1. Importance of water and Water

Conservation:

Water is a very important resource in our life .

The availability of water resources on earth are
limited and unevenly distributed. Human
demand for water has been growing for two
reasons. Firstly, the growth of the human
population.
Secondly, as the human standards of living
improve in the various countries of the world
the demand for water also increases to meet
new needs in industry, agriculture and
domestic use.

Water is becoming scarce due to increase in

Population, industries and agricultural activities
and due to poor rainfall. Water conservation
depends on our wise use of these resources.
What is water conservation?

Water conservation includes all the policies,

strategies and activities made to
sustainably manage the natural resource
fresh water, to protect the water
environment, and to meet the current and
future human demand.

Population, household size, and growth and

affluence all affect how much water is
used.
Some ancient methods of water
conservation:
A large number of tanks were cut in the
rocks to provide drinking water. Each fort in
the area had its own water harvesting and
storage system in the form of rock-cut
cisterns, ponds, tanks and wells.

Underground baked earthen pipes and tunnels

to maintain the flow of water and to transport
it to distant places. Bamboo Drip Irrigation.
Rainwater harvesting -In urban areas, the
construction of houses, footpaths and roads
has left little exposed earth for water to soak
in. Rainwater harvesting essentially means
collecting rainwater on the roofs of building
and storing it underground for later use.
Some of the benefits of rainwater harvesting
are as follows:
Increases water availability/Checks the
declining water table

Is environmentally friendly?
Improves the quality of groundwater through
the dilution of fluoride, nitrate, and salinity ?
Prevents soil erosion and flooding especially in
urban areas.
Agriculture:
Conservation of water in the agricultural sector is
essential since water is necessary for the growth
of plants and crops. A depleting water table and
a rise in salinity due to overuse of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides has made matters
serious.

Various methods of water harvesting and

recharging have been and are
being applied all over the world to tackle the
problem.
Reducing water demand: Simple techniques can
be used to reduce the demand for water. The
underlying principle is that only part of the
rainfall or irrigation water is taken up by plants,
the rest percolates into the deep groundwater, or
is lost by evaporation from the surface.

Therefore, by improving the efficiency of water

use, and by reducing its loss due to evaporation,
we can reduce water demand.
The goals of water conservation efforts
include:

1.Ensuring availability of water for future

generations.

2.Energy conservation as water pumping,

delivery and wastewater treatment facilities
consume a significant amount of
energy.
In some regions of the world over 15% of total
electricity consumption is devoted to water
management.

3. Habitat conservation where minimizing human

water use.

4. Household applications-Reducing Domestic

water use-Some strategies for reducing domestic
consumption include:

5. Replace lawns in semiarid and arid urban areas

with xeriscaped surfaces.
6.Encourage the use of efficient irrigation systems
for home garden and lawn use.

7.Manufacture and use of more efficient

dishwashers, washing machines, and bathroom
showers and toilets.

8.Encourage leak detection and repair for

distribution systems.

9.Education can encourage people to reduce the

amount of personal consumption.
 Practices for Residential Users=
Engineering Practices- fixtures, Low-flow Toilets,
plumbing Low-Flow Plumbing, Low-Flush

Showerheads.

Gray Water Use. Domestic wastewater

composed of wash water from kitchen sinks
and tubs, clothes washers, and laundry tubs is
called gray water.
Landscaping-Lawn and landscape maintenance
often requires large amount
of water

Landscape Irrigation.
uses all of the following: planning and design,
soil analysis, selection of suitable plants,
practical turf areas.
Behavioral Practices- Water can be saved in the
bathroom, Water can be saved in the laundry room,
Outdoor water use can be reduced by watering the
lawn early in the morning or late in the evening.

10. Practices for Agricultural Users -Water- saving

irrigation practices, Agricultural applications
(Reducing Agricultural water use)-
The cultivation of food crops that require less water
for growth.
11. The use of lined or covered irrigation
canals toreduce losses.*

12. Practices for Industrial/Commercial Users

=Water Reuse and Recycling.

Identification of water reuse opportunities.
13. Commercial applications- Reducing
Industrial Water use - Industry is the second
largest user of water supplies. Reducing the
amount of water used in industry.
* Designing industrial processes to recycle
water.
* Increasing the cost of water to industries to
encourage water recycling.
* Recycling materials themselves can also
greatly reduce water demand.
14. Water Reuse. Water Reuse-
Public education programs.

2. WATER CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES:

A number of techniques and technologies can

be used to make agricultural, industrial and
domestic water use more efficient.
How to Conserve Water and Use It Effectively:

Water users can be divided into two basic

groups: system users (such as residential users,
industries, and farmers) and system operators
(such as municipalities, state and local
governments, and privately owned suppliers).
Water use efficiency practices are:

1.Engineering practices: practices based on

modifications in plumbing, fixtures, or water
supply operating procedures.

2. Behavioral practices: practices based on

changing water use habits. Practices for System
Operators-Engineering Practices- Metering,
Leak Detection and repair.
Water conservation = Recycling, reuse, wasteland
reclamation, use of decision support systems in
watershed management.

Crop water Planning with special reference to

different agro-ecological zones.

Drought management = causes and impacts, short

term and long terms strategic measures to counter
vulnerability due to drought.
Storm water and flood management,
management of water quality .

Storm water management, design of drainage

system.

Urban flood damage due to changing land use

pattern. Sources and types of pollution, case study
from a watershed which has experienced rapidly
industrialization.
Redistribution of water- canals:

By arranging supply of water from areas having

lesser demand to the areas having greater
demand, water crisis can be minimized. By
construction of surface water reservoirs and
storage of excess water in them, supply can be
made to scarcity affected areas.
Redistribution of water is also possible through
canal system.

Canal system transfers water from excess rain

water areas to scarce rain water areas and
conserves water for different uses.
RATIONAL USE OF GROUNDWATER:

Groundwater meets 25 per cent of total supply

of water in the world, remaining 75 per cent
supply is met by surface water sources of rivers,
lakes etc.

Demand for groundwater goes on increasing in

proportion to its available quantity due to
which quantity of groundwater goes on
decreasing.
The groundwater exploitation should be only in
proportion to its recharging capacity.

USE OF MODERN IRRIGATION METHODS:

In drip irrigation method, pipes with holes are spread

over the surface of land so that the crop directly
receives water. There is no loss due to evaporation in
this system and almost 95 per cent water is utilized.
INCREASING FOREST COVER:
As per to hydrological movements, water is
received through rainfall every year m different
quantities on the surface of the earth. This
water flows on the surface and reaches the
seas.
Some part of rainwater is stored in stable water
reservoirs (lakes and tanks), whereas some
quantity of water infiltrates into the land and
takes the form of groundwater.

CHANGE IN CROP PATTERN:

Excess water is not required if crops are grown
according to agro-climatic conditions but in the
present race of development, changing crop
pattern with higher profits has replaced them.
These commercial crops require more water
than the traditional crops.

FLOOD MANAGEMENT:
A large portion of fresh water in the world
becomes devastating due to floods. By
construction of embankments and canals a
large part of land can be conserved besides
minimizing flood losses.
Intensive afforestation can also provide
security from floods. If will be helpful in
absorption of water in the soil.

REUSE OF URBAN WASTE WATER:

Demand for water has increased in cities due to
increasing urbanization. There is no provision for
waste water treatment in many
big towns and cities of various countries of the
world.
After use of water in urban areas, disposed waste
water can be treated and conserved for use in
agriculture in the peripheral areas of cities.

Drought Tolerant Crops and Seeds:

Grow the right crop for the growing region.
Regions which suffer water shortages are wise to
plant crops which are more tolerant to drought.
Drought tolerant crop seeds are available both
through biotechnology and from native seed
varieties. Drought tolerant seeds available
today include corn, rice, and cotton.

Ripper-Furrower Planting System: Tractors are

used the first year to start the ripped furrow
system. After the first year, farmers plant crops
directly into the rip lines using an animal drawn
direct seeder.
3. WATER EROSION PROCESSES:

Factors affecting erosion, Types of erosion.

Assessment of erosion, modelling erosion.

Control measures for soil erosion Causes of

landslides in watersheds having hilly terrain.
Water Erosion Control Practices:

Reducing runoff velocity(slope management,

waterways, diversion channels, engineering
structures, etc).

Strip cropping is a very effective and

inexpensive method for controlling soil
erosion.
Strip cropping is a combination of contouring
and crop rotation in which alternate strips of
row crops and soil conserving crops (sods) are
grown on the same slope, perpendicular to the
wind or water flow.
DIVERSION:
A diversion is a channel constructed across the
slope with a supporting ridge on the lower side
to divert excess water from one area for use or
safe disposal in other areas.

SEDIMENT BASIN:
This practice is a constructed basin designed to
collect and store waterborne debris or
sediment.
STREAMBANK & SHORELINE PROTECTION :
Using vegetation or structural techniques to
stabilize and protect banks of streams, lakes, or
excavated channels against scour and erosion.

STRUCTURE FOR WATER CONTROL:

This practice is a structure that conveys water,
controls the direction or rate of flow, or
maintains a desired water surface elevation.
UNDERGROUND OUTLET:
A conduit installed beneath the ground surface
to collect surface water and convey it to a
suitable outlet.

Mulch, a type of protective covering which is in

direct contact with the ground, provides more
protection than canopy cover.
Terracing is a combination of contouring and
land shaping in which earth embankments, or
ridges, are designed to intercept runoff water
and channel it to a specific outlet.

Terraces reduce erosion by decreasing the

steepness and length of the hillside slope and by
preventing damage done by surface runoff.

There are basically two types of terraces:

bench terraces/ broad base terraces.
The bench terrace, perhaps one of the oldest
forms of terraces, is used to reduce land slope.
The broad base terrace, on the other hand, is
used to control and retain surface water on
sloping land.

Vegetated waterways are built to protect soil

against the erosive forces of concentrated
runoff from sloping lands.
By collecting and concentrating overland flow,
waterways absorb the destructive energy which
causes channel erosion and gully formation.

Waterways can have cross sections in

parabolic, trapezoidal, or triangular form,
depending on the functional requirements.
Several of these requirements are climate,
channel capacity, and desired flow velocity.
 Grass linings should be hardy, dense - growing
perennials adapted to the geographical region
and soil. The grass should be cut periodically,
fertilized as needed, and not subjected to
prolonged traffic by either livestock or vehicles.

Contouring entails performing all tillage and

planting of crops on or near the same elevation
or "contour."
It is applicable on relatively short slopes up to
about 8 percent steepness with fairly stable
soils.

By planting across the slope, rather than up

and down a hill, the contour ridges slow or
stop the downhill flow of water. Water is held
in between these contours, thus reducing
water erosion and increasing soil moisture.
Strip cropping is a very effective and
inexpensive method for controlling soil erosion.

Strip cropping is a combination

of contouring and crop rotation in which
alternate strips of row crops and soil
conserving crops (sods) are grown on the same
slope, perpendicular to the wind or water
flow.
When soil is detached from the row crops by the
forces of wind or water, the dense soil conserving
crops trap some of the soil particles and reduce
wind translation and/or runoff.

Land Use and Management Practice: Select

appropriate land use/ Maintain organic matter/
Maintain crop residue cover/ Reduce tillage/ Use
zero tillage or direct seeding/ Use
conservation fallow/
Grow forages and use crop rotations/ Use
direct seeding for pasture conversion/

Controlling Severe Erosion: Grassed

waterways/ Lined channels/ Terracing/
4. WATER RESOURCES IN WATERSHEDS
AND RIVER BASINS:

The watersheds are natural hydrological

entities that cover a specific aerial expanse of
land surface from which the rainfall runoff
flows to a defined drain, channel, stream or
river at any particular point.
The terms region, basin, catchment, watershed etc
are widely used to denote hydrological units.

Size of the watershed is of practical importance in

development programmes. In deserts and flat
terrains with little incipient drainage, it may be
difficult to delineate small sized watersheds whereas
in undulating and hilly terrains smaller sized
watersheds could be easily delineated.
Watershed is considered to be the basic core for
planning and management of water resources.

Since a watershed is bound by natural drainage

pattern, optimum utilization of natural resources
including water must cater to the needs of the
complex interactions between the various parts
of the watershed.
Sr. NoType of Watershed Area Covered
1 Micro Watershed 0 to 10 ha
2 Small Watershed 10 to 40 ha
3 Mini Watershed 40 to 200 ha
4 Sub Watershed 200 to 400 ha
5 Macro Watershed 400 to 1000 ha
6 River basin above 1000 ha
Concept of watershed and river basin,
characteristics of watershed behavior, effects
of land use changes.
Land capability and suitability classification,
watershed development.
Integrated river basin management: Strategic
planning of water resources development,
prioritise limited resources, managing irrigation,
industrial and drinking water demands, protection
of sensitive water bodies, riparian areas.

Water policing for pollution load, discharge and

withdrawal controls at different river sections.
Management of watersheds as integrated
hydrologic and ecosystem units, with an
integrated approach to groundwater and
surface water, water supply and water quality,
climate change and its impacts on water
resources, managing extreme events of flood
and droughts, integrated urban water
management, and environmental services from
water resources.