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20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.8 20.9 20.10 20.11 20.12 20.13 Objectives Introduction The Hydrologic Cycle Watershed and Water Conservation Rain Water Harvesting Advantages of Rain Water How does a Rain Water Harvesting System work? How Much Water Can We Collect? Materials of Construction of Rain Water Harvesting System Water Conservation in a Dairy Plant Let Us Sum Up Key Words Some Useful Books Answers to Check Your Progress
20.0
OBJECTIVES
After reading this unit, we should be able to: understand the basic concepts of water conservation such as hydrologic cycle and watershed discuss the importance of water conservation and rain water harvesting describe the construction of rain water harvesting system and its working enumerate various steps to save water in a dairy processing plant
20.1
INTRODUCTION
Water is a precious resource for growth and prosperity. We can note its importance from the fact that all the great civilizations prospered in the vicinity of water resources. Major sources of fresh water are surface water and ground water. Surface water depends on rainfall and groundwater cant be drawn beyond its recharge rate. Making the most efficient use of our limited and precious resources is essential. Thus there is growing awareness to conserve water. Agriculture is a major user of water and there is greater emphasis in water conservation in agriculture. Now-a-days quantity of available freshwater including groundwater is becoming short in supply even for domestic and drinking purposes. High standards of living in urban areas demand greater water supply. With rapid increase in industrial growth, the requirement of freshwater for industries is also increasing. Industries can play a major role by conserving water and recycling the treated wastewater to reduce the demand of freshwater. Water conservation not only helps in reducing the expenditure on procuring water but also reduces wastewater volume. This wastewater needs to be treated before it leaves the industry premises. Every citizen as well as institutions and industries should use water judiciously. They can also help in augmenting the freshwater resources. Rainwater harvesting is one such movement where involvement of all the people is needed. With the surfaces around houses and buildings being cemented, particularly in cities and
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towns, rainwater, which runs off from terraces and roofs drains into low lying areas or drained into sewers without percolating into the soil. Thereby, precious rainwater is squandered. Therefore, roof water harvesting in residential and industrial areas can be used to augment the freshwater resources. In this unit, we will appreciate the basic concepts such as hydrologic cycle and watershed, which are useful in water conservation. Then we will discuss different components of a rainwater harvesting system, their functions and material of construction. We will also learn some tips on conservation of water in a dairy plant. This unit is intended to sensitize about water conservation aspects in general on watershed basis and water conservation in a dairy processing plant in particular.
20.2
The hydrologic cycle describes the perpetual processes of motion, loss and recharge of the earths water. The never-ending exchange of water from the atmosphere to the oceans and back again is known as the hydrologic cycle. The processes can be visualized as shown in Figure 20.1. This cycle is the source of all forms of precipitation (hail, rain, and snow), and thus of all water. The water from rivers, ponds, ocean and soil evaporates while water stored in plants transpires to form clouds which store the water in the atmosphere. The vapour in the clouds condenses to result in precipitation. Like all other phenomena in nature, this cycle also derives its energy from the sun. Explanations of various terms used in the figure are given below.
i. Evaporation
Solar energy falling on earth heats up the surface water molecules. These energized water molecules break free from water surface to evaporate and rise as invisible vapour in the atmosphere.
Sun
Evaporation
Infiltration
Ocean
Ground water
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ii. Transpiration
All the plants emit water vapour through leaves. This process is named as transpiration. Actively growing plants transpire more vigorously. It could be as high as 5 to 10 times the water it can hold. It is physiological requirement of the plant.
iii. Condensation
The water vapours from evaporation and condensation rise. As temperature falls at higher levels, the water vapour cools and eventually condenses with tiny dust particles present in atmosphere as nuclei. These nuclei grow and agglomerate into clouds. These clouds are mobile and are driven by air currents in the atmosphere.
iv. Precipitation
If these clouds further rise in atmosphere, they get supersaturated with water and that water falls down as rain. If the temperature of surrounding is too low, then hail or snow fall results. All these forms of water getting condensed and falling on earth is called precipitation. The rainfall is more near the mountain ranges because they cause the clouds to rise in air.
v. Run off
Excessive precipitation or snowmelt during summer result in flow of water in streams to rivers or ponds. This visible flow of water on land surface depends on topography of watershed and is called run off. We will discuss watershed in next section.
vi. Infiltration
As the land surface is permeable, part of the precipitation or run off will infiltrate through the surface downwards. This infiltration water reaches the groundwater.
vii. Groundwater
Depending on geology of soil below the surface, the infiltration water is stored as ground water. This groundwater is brought to surface by digging wells for our use. Sometimes, the groundwater can flow into streams or into ocean. Groundwater hydrology is the science that studies the storage and dynamic movement of groundwater.
20.3
All of the land, which eventually drains to a common lake or river, is considered to be in the same watershed. Watersheds are defined by topographic divides which separate surface flow between two water system. All the rain that falls in a watershed flows in small streams. These small streams merge into a big stream. All such big streams flow in to a pond or lake or river. Agricultural and industrial activities in a watershed can affect the water quality of both surface water and groundwater. The pollutants find their way to surface water by runoff and to groundwater by infiltration. The human activities combined with natural forces shape the watershed. This combined effect affects the watershed landscape and its water quality. These, in turn, will affect our health and livelihood. Take the example of industrial activity which affects the water quality. The treated wastewater from industries is disposed off into environment. It reaches the water system of watershed and thus the quality of treated wastewater should be of acceptable level (as discussed in Unit 3 of this block) as stipulated by local regulatory authorities. A watershed can be very large (e.g. draining thousands of acres to a major river or lake or the ocean), or very small, such as a 20-acre watershed that drains to a pond. A small watershed that lies inside a larger watershed is sometimes referred
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to as a sub watershed. The water conservation measures such as construction of check dams (small structures), percolation ponds and recharge wells should be based on topography of watershed. It is the social responsibility of the industries to conserving water to reduce wastewater volume. The water conservation will be economically gainful as well. Industries can recycle the treated wastewater in some cases to reduce the demand of freshwater. In this way watershed forms an ideal unit for management and sustainable development of its natural resources like water, soil, land and vegetation.
20.4
Rainwater harvesting is very old technique of water conservation in many parts of the world. We can find examples of rainwater harvesting systems in the history of great civilizations. As the name itself suggests, it involves collecting the rainwater and storing it. The technology can be as simple or as complex as required. The collected rainwater can be stored in metal or plastic tanks, which can be used for domestic or industrial purposes or it can be used to recharge the ground water. Excessive tapping of ground water through numerous tube wells has led to a fall in water table in many parts of our country. To avoid the alarming fall of ground water table, the aquifer must be recharged by collecting every drop of rainwater, since that is the only source of ground water. In India, traditionally we used to store the rainwater in ponds, which were used as surface water sources for drinking, irrigation and other purposes. However loss of water by evaporation is more in these. With increasing population, there is growing need of land for housing. These ponds are fast disappearing even in small towns due to this growing need of land for housing. This is leading to change in thinking. Now we have two options for better use of rainwater. In first option, the rainwater can be harvested and stored in a storage tank for latter use. The second option involves recharging the ground water with harvested rainwater. Various recharge structures are available to recharge the rainwater into ground. These are outlined here: Pits : Recharge pits are constructed for recharging the shallow aquifer. These are constructed 1 to 2 m, wide and to 3 m. deep which are back filled with boulders, gravels and coarse sand. Trenches: These are constructed when the permeable stream is available at shallow depth. Trench may be 0.5 to 1 m. wide, 1 to 1.5m. deep and 10 to 20 m. long depending up availability of water. These are back filled with filter materials. Dug wells: Existing dug wells may be utilized as recharge structure and water should pass through a graded filter or other filter media before putting into dug well. Hand pumps: The existing hand pumps may be used for recharging the shallow/ deep aquifers, if the availability of water is limited. Water should pass through filter media before diverting it into hand pumps. Recharge wells: Recharge wells of 10 to 30 cm diameter are generally constructed for recharging the deeper aquifers and water is passed through filter media to avoid choking of recharge wells. Recharge Shafts: For recharging the shallow aquifer which is located below clayey surface, recharge shafts are used. The size of recharge shaft is 0.5 to 3 m diameter and 10 to 15 m deep. After digging, these are back filled with boulders, gravels and coarse sand. 54 Spreading techniques: When permeable strata starts from top then this technique
is used. Spread the water in streams/canals by making check dams and bunds. A percolation pond may be constructed in low-lying areas. Check Your Progress 1 1. What is hydrologic cycle? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... 2. How the water vapour reaches the clouds? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... 3. What is the role of industry in water conservation? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... 4. What is the importance of watershed concept in water conservation ? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... 5. How the rainwater harvested can be used? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... .....................................................................................................................
20.5
Collecting rainwater is not only water conserving, it is also energy conserving since the energy input required to treat and pump water is avoided. It also prevents soil erosion and flooding caused by runoff. It increases the availability of water. The quality of rainwater is better than other sources such as surface water or groundwater. Salts and minerals are picked up by water from soil and rocks on its way to surface water bodies such as lakes/rivers. Groundwater is contaminated by many pollutants due to indiscriminate use of pesticides and incomplete treatment of effluents by industries. In this way rainwater is better than these two types of water sources. 55
However, rainwater harvesting is location specific. Thus, rainwater falling in nonindustrialized areas can be more pure compared to the rainwater in industrial areas where pollutant emissions are prevalent, or in agricultural regions where intensive use of pesticides and insecticides is prevalent. Rainwater is generally soft and can significantly reduce the need of water softening treatment.
20.6
Rainwater harvesting systems generally have the following main components. These components are listed here:
Roof/catchment area Gutters and connecting pipes Leaf screens and first flush diverters and graded filter filled with coarse sand, gravel and pebbles Storage Tank Water Treatment system Water distribution system
Though in some domestic rainwater harvesting systems you may not find the graded filter. In some large-scale rainwater harvesting systems, it may be advantageous to have a sedimentation tank before graded filter to settle the dust particles. Main components of a domestic rainwater harvesting system shown in Figure 20.2.
Coarse sand
Boulders Treatment
Storage Tank
Distribution
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v. Water Treatment
The treatment operation depends upon the intended uses of rain water. Treatments for non-drinking purposes include simple filters, addition of chemical coagulants for flocculation and sedimentation. Fine filters and microbiological disinfection are only necessary for potable use, i.e. for drinking water. The disinfection can be achieved either by addition of chlorine or exposure of water to ultraviolet (UV) light. Chlorination is more commonly used. The fine filters need regular cleaning and maintenance. In spite of installation of leaf screens and first flush diverters, dirt, rust, scale, bird and rodent droppings and airborne bacteria may still reach the storage tank. Therefore, even for non drinking purposes, it may be a good idea to have gravity settling of solids and filtration of dispersed solids. Optionally, fine filters may be installed prior to the end use. Consult with experts before adopting different water treatment methods. Have water tested by an approved laboratory periodically to monitor the water quality.
5. What treatment operations you need, if you want to use the rainwater for drinking purposes? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... .....................................................................................................................
20.7
The quantity of water we can collect depends on how much rain can we expect to collect in our location and how reliable is this rainfall. One centimeter of rainfall on one square meter of collection area equals to 10 liters. Once we have this rule of thumb, the next crucial parameters are collection efficiency and rainfall reliability. Collection Efficiency : It is practically not feasible to collect all of the rainwater. Depending on the type of roof, some rain water will be consumed to wet the roof surface. Then we have to divert and drain part of the rainwater initially. Naturally, the initial rainwater carries the dust, bird droppings etc. accumulated on the roof. This diversion of initial rainwater is called roof washing and depends on the type of roof. Usually, this will only be a small percentage of the rainfall. In addition to these, there will be spillage and overflow in gutters especially during intensive rainfall. Also we cant collect the excess rainfall after filling up of the storage tank. The collection efficiencies of different systems generally vary in the range of 50 per cent to 90 percent depending on the design. Rainfall Reliability: In calculation of quantity of water that can be collected, we need the rainfall. One way is to use the local average rainfall. But averaging rainfall data over years is a crude method. The statistical analysis of previous rainfall data of the area will be required. This analysis will give us the probability of occurrence of rainfall. Example calculation: Supposing we have 50 square maters of catchment surface and efficiency of rainwater collection system is 60%. If the analysis of rainfall data in our area yields 70 centimeters as most probable average annual rainfall, then rain water that can be harvested is calculated as below: 0.7 m x 50 sq. m. x 0.6 = 21 cubic meters or 21,000 liters. So you will need storage capacity of about 21 cubic meters for an area of 50 square meters.
20.8
Various materials can be used for different components of a rainwater harvesting system. These are given below: Roof: The Rainwater can be collected from the roof made of clay tiles or cement plastered surface. Metal roofing can also be used. We can paint the roof material to reduce its porosity. Avoid using lead based paint, as it will provide chance for leaching of lead into harvested rainwater. Other roofing materials such as composite asphalt, asbestos and concrete tiles which might leach chemicals that affect the quality of water harvested. Gutters and connecting pipes: Gutters are generally made up of seamless extruded aluminum. The Galvanized iron or PVC are commonly used for connecting pipes.
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Leaf Screens: Leaf screens are wire mesh of suitable thickness with metal or plastic frame. Graded filter: The structure for filter could be masonry, concrete or plastic. This structure will be filled. Tank or Storage structure: Masonry, concrete, plastic, steel and fiberglass are the generally recommended materials for storage structure. The material should be inert and durable. Depending on the intended use, like water for gardening, we can use open ponds lined with polythene sheets. Such innovations will greatly reduce the cost. Water Treatment System: For non potable uses, simple cartridge filters are sufficient. If the rainwater is used for drinking purposes, a tank for chlorination or a zone of UV light for disinfection of water should installed. Distribution System: The distribution piping is generally made of galvanized iron.
20.9
Water has diverse uses in a dairy processing plant. It is used for heating, cooling, washing and cleaning. The consumption of water in these operations generally ranges from three to four liters for processing one liter of milk. However, there are examples where plants has reduced the consumption to one liter water for processing one liter of milk. Water conservation in a dairy processing plant gives dual benefits. It lowers the water and energy bill of the plant. It also helps to reduce the effluent treatment cost as all the water from the plant reaches the effluent treatment facility before its disposal. With growing awareness, there will be pressures on industries to conserve water. This is being thought as environment friendly and it will partly pave way to sustainable development. For successful implementation of the water conservation measures, the commitment of management is required. Once the management decides to adopt water conservation, it should try to change the mind set of all the people involved. The management should evolve strategies to train and motivate plant personnel to achieve the goals of water conservation. The people involved in it should consider the water as a raw material with a cost and the management should encourage people to innovate. Every plant should map water usage and decide where water can be moved from one process and used in another process. In some cases, water can be reused without any treatment. In other operations, water might require treatment before it can be used some where else. All water for reuse should be screened to reduce solid buildup. Chlorination is recommended for all reused water, and the residual chlorine level should be increased to 4 mg/l twice a month to make sure that organisms that could harbor in the organic rich environments are killed. The following water conservation tips can be applied in dairy plant:
Use automatic shut off devices on water hoses on steam and water mixing systems. High pressure jets for cleaning cans, tankers and silos will require less water. Install water meters and read them after each shift to identify people who are conserving water. Wherever possible, try to reuse water where possible. For example, hot water used for rinsing after cleaning in a cleaning in place (CIP) cycle could be used for prerinsing in next CIP cycle.
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Use level controllers to control the pumps. This will avoid overflow from tanks. Frequency of cleaning can be reduced by adopting continuous processes in place of batch processes. Especially in dairy plants producing traditional Indian dairy products, the introduction of continuous machines will lead to greater hygiene and less frequent cleaning. Use optical sensors for automatic shut off valves in wash rooms and urinals. Avoid spillage of products and raw materials. Clean the spills before washing with water. Dont use water jets to sweep the spilled materials in to drain. This is the usual practice in many diary plants. Automation of operations leads to low water consumption. Hence, automate CIP cleaning and other processing operations.
Check Your Progress 3 1. What parameters you need to calculate the amount of water that can be harvested? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... 2. List the materials that can be used for storage tank. ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... 3. What are the benefits of water conservation in a dairy processing plant? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... 4. How will you clean up spillage in dairy plant? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... 5. What is the effect of automation and continuous mechanization on water consumption of dairy? ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... 61
Cleaning in Place
: :
: :
Topography Watershed
: :
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4) 5)
i. i.
Check Your Progress 2 1) 2) 3) 4) i. i. i. i. Explain superior quality rainwater compared to water from groundwater and surface water sources. The list should include all six components given in the section. Explain the contaminant of initial rainwater which need to be taken away. The quantity of water needed, the amount and pattern of rainfall and the surface area of catchment area are the criteria used in deciding the size of storage tank. Filtration of fine solids and microbial disinfection .
5)
i.
Check Your Progress 3 1) 2) 3) 4) i. i. i. i. Collection efficiency of rainwater harvesting system and rain fall reliability. Contain masonry, concrete, plastic, steel and fiberglass. Contain reduction in water bill, energy saving and reduction in wastewater volume. First scrape the spills and then wash it with water and commitment not to use water jets to move spilled material into drains.
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