Greywater reuse: A feasibility study for nit Raipur residential buildings

Water is becoming a rare resource in the world. In India alone the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) predicts that by 2025, one person in three will live in conditions of absolute water scarcity (IWMI, 2003). India supports over 15% of world's population but only 4% of the world's water resources. It is therefore essential for a sustainable urban future, to reduce surface and ground water use in all sectors of consumption, to substitute fresh water with alternative water resources and to optimize water use efficiency. Reuse of domestic greywater and rainwater has a significant role to play in this task. Reusing greywater serves two purposes: it reduces the amount of freshwater needed to supply a household, and reduces the amount of waste water entering sewer or septic systems. This paper focuses on the reuse of greywater mainly for the purpose of flushing in toilets in the residential buildings of NIT Raipur. Our greywater treatment system will include settling tank, disinfectants and filters. The water treated from this system will be supplied to the overhead tanks supplying water to the toilet flushes and to irrigating pipes. The economical and environmental aspect of greywater reuse has been dealt in this paper. Initially this system might involve high capital investment but eventually in the long run it will generate profits and be a boon for the future generations.