The RO Problem
This 500 words essay was chosen as the best entry submitted for the prompt “Elucidate on a prevailing problem in NIT Trichy. What was its origin and what are its repercussions? Suggest an implementable solution to alleviate the issue.” as a part of the Jitheshraj Scholarship application 2017–2018.
Written by Swedha Sankaranarayanan, NIT Trichy- class of 2021.
As I walk past the RO purifier, I hear the sound of the excess water flowing through the pipe down the drain. It frustrates and disappoints me. It goes without saying that Trichy faces water scarcity, by and large, throughout the year. It worsens during the months of April and May. Under such circumstances, the sight of potential reusable water getting wasted will make anyone worried.
What is the root cause to this problem? It is mainly due to negligence. The administration should have researched about the entire RO process before installing the purifiers. For every litre of water purified, around three litres are rejected. This is not a figure that can be dismissed. The consequences of this issue will manifest in a terrifying manner.
The metro water supply gets reduced during summer. Adding fuel to the fire, reusable water is wasted in the name of water purification. This will in turn affect the inmates’ daily routine.
Moreover, a lot of electricity is wasted as RO process is quite slow. Also, it takes place almost throughout the day. So, every time the water level goes below the threshold, the process automatically starts.
Identifying the problem is an important step. However, merely lamenting will not alter the situation. A solution always exists and must be pondered over.
A new tank/sump can be built at various places inside the campus. The reject water can directly be made to flow into this tank. Thus, water stored can be connected to the pipes in restrooms for flushing purposes. This solution may involve considerable amount of cost and time. Alternatively, a partition, covering one-fourth of the total area, can be made in the existing tanks/sumps for reject water storage.
In both cases, the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) level of the excess water must be checked. If it is high, then the reject water must be diluted in the tank/sump itself before reusing it. This is because the high salt content will form deposits on the floor and water closet.
It must be kept in mind that the reject water must be directed only to the taps in the restrooms and not in the bathrooms. Owing to the high salt content, it cannot be used for laundry and bathing purposes. It can form scale on fabric, spoil the texture of hair and cause itching in the skin, unless it is diluted.
If the TDS level of the supplied water is less than 1000ppm, then RO for purification is unnecessary. An alternative process would work cheaper and safer. A sample of the supplied water can be tested in the lab to check the TDS level, presence of bacteria and other substances. The source for such substances must be eliminated.
It is the need of the hour to implement these steps before the resources get depleted.
“When the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, you will realize that you cannot eat money” -Red Cloud Lakota
