Water balance study of KCAET campus for suggesting suitable water harvesting structures

Abstract

Water plays the major role in securing all possible forms of life on earth. Water harvesting has become the order of the day in most parts of our world on account of the vagaries of monsoon, mismanagement of irrigation water and over exploitation of surface and subterranean water storage for domestic, agricultural and industrial needs. The primary objective of any water harvesting system is to arrive at optimal water budgeting in order to sustain crop production and to provide water reserves for domestic and industrial usage. The case study taken up in KCAET campus encompasses a systematic procedure for exploring rain water harvesting potential towards water budgeting for multiple water usage. The study has covered overhead, surface and subterranean water harvesting strategies with the principal objective of creating an orderly water budgeting schedule for judicious usage of water for agricultural, domestic and laboratory water needs. Designs related to roof top water harvesting, farm ponds for supplemental irrigation and percolation ponds for ground water recharge have been made based on an extensive rainfall analysis. Contour map of the area was prepared and the sites for the farm ponds were identified. The annual roof top water harvesting potential of the office, residential buildings and hostels were determined. The drinking water needs of KCAET campus can be met completely from the harvested water. The remaining roof water can be used to meet the sanitary, laboratory and miscellaneous demands in the buildings. Similarly, excess water stored in the crop fields after meeting their requirements can be used for irrigation during the dry spells. The water collected can also be used for recharging the groundwater.