According to Alacrity's calculations, RWH alone has the potential of meeting about 30 - 40 per cent of the flat complex's annual water needs. This can be further increased to 60 per cent by reusing wastewater after in situ treatment. The wastewater is of three kinds:

• About 30 - 40 per cent of wastewater is from closets for flushing, and cannot be reused;
  
• About ten per cent of wastewater comes from kitchens. It is not reused, as the level of nutrients is high;
  
• Only the water used for bathing and washing clothes can be treated and reused for toilet flushing or groundwater recharge. It constitutes 50 - 60 per cent of the total consumption. For recharging the groundwater, the wastewater is diverted towards a specially prepared soil bed, in which semi-aquatic plants are grown. If the water is to be recycled, then the bottom of the bed is made permeable to prevent percolation.

From each complex a network of three different pipes separate wastewater at the initial stage itself. Such projects require moderate capital investment as well as minimal maintenance. In the 12 localities of Chennai where Alacrity has worked - the system has been operating smoothly. One of them is in Tambaram, an 80-flat apartment, where the system is now three years old. Here, the quality of drinking water has remained stable and a dry bore well has begun yielding. The system operates on the principle of gravity with no related problems of chemicals, smell or mosquito breeding.

In many towns, traditional dug wells are being abandoned due to contamination of the water by faecal matter from septic tanks. The Alacrity system can avoid such contamination, while reviving the usage of water from the shallow depths.

For details:
Alacrity foundation
25, Thirumalai Pillai Road,
T Nagar, Chennai 600 017
Tel: 044-28251771 Fax: 044-28259406
management@alacritymail.com

Unlike many other bureaucrats, he believed, "No movement can succeed unless people are involved in it. They have understood the problem and the solution can only come from them. It will not come from the government". It was a challenge for Rao to get public support for what he was planning. But he never gave up. Rao himself went to the villagers and discussed how best the people can harness rainwater. After discussing the issues, various techniques, such as the injection method, were developed and included as a part of the mission to recharge deep dry tube wells. His calculations showed that "Even if 1,000 houses of an area of 1,500 square feet each harness rainwater, it would be enough to recharge all tube wells". The people responded. They actively participated by contributing both in cash and kind. And, the levels of groundwater rose as collaboration intensified.