Sustainable Solution for Drinking Water Supply in Rural India Affected by Groundwater Pollution

The present study explores sustainable solutions for providing safe drinking water in an area currently served only by groundwater. Groundwater development here has reached criticality and is contaminated with fluoride and uranium. As there are only a few small seasonal streams in the area, roof-water harvesting and utilization of tank/lake water are tested as alternative approaches for drinking water supply. The study area is in the Chikkaballapura district of eastern Karnataka, India, where the average annual rainfall is 700 mm. The quantity of roof water that can be harvested from the built structures in the study area can adequately meet the drinking water requirements, although not the entire domestic water needs. A nearly perennial lake located in the upper reaches of the micro-watershed stores 301 million litres of water that needs only routine filtration and chlorination. This study shows that sustainable water management practices such as roof-water harvesting and lake water utilization can replace the contaminated groundwater for drinking purposes.