Study of seepage water leached through dam body and suggest remedial measure in context of water management

India is faced with challenge of sustaining water availability due to global threat of climate change. This causing severe stress on available surface and ground water. So it needs to ensure integrated water management helping to conserve water, minimize wastage and ensure more equitable distribution across the country. Now seepage water leaching through masonry and concrete dams is a matter of great concern to the engineers responsible for dam safety. This may in turn reduce the life of dam, which could be a matter of serious concern. This paper deals with concept of seepage and leaching of lime Oozing out through dam body. The chemistry of leaching of lime, Causes and effect of seepage water on dam safety, estimation of leached cement, preventive measure to stop leakages and quality of water of reservoir and seepage are also discussed here. These study inferences that out of 23 dams in Maharashtra state most of dams seepage water has high value of pH, Calcium and Dissolved solids; it indicates that there may be possibility of scale formation. Due to leaching in large extent will indirectly reduce the weight of dam and thereby reduce the density of the dam considerably. Seepage increase with increase in water level, so cumulative figure is worked out at the end of each year for the leaching of Ca(OH)₂ and corresponding quantity of leached cement has been calculated. This would suggest approximate requirement of cement grouting at any stage during the life of the dam. This calculated leached cement values are purely theoretical and restricted to the volume of seepage at particular reservoir level only. This paper also trying to suggest some viable and implementable water management practice.