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(GIST OF KURUKSHETRA) Usage of Green Technologies in Sustainable Water Management

(MAY-2024)

Usage of Green Technologies in Sustainable Water Management

Context:

Achieving this sustainable water management requires a prolonged strategy in four main aspects which are environment, economic, social, and energy and resources. All these aspects are interdependent and should be viewed in an integrated manner. The sustainable water management approach views the whole water system as an integrated system. This whole system includes drinking water, wastewater, rainwater, and stormwater drainage in a collective form which should be managed together to be truly efficient and sustainable.

Green Technologies in Water Sector

Rainwater generally has high water quality. Although it has some particulate matter, the level of total dissolvable solids (TDS) in the rainwater depends on the surface from which the rainwater is collected.
According to experts, the TDS varies typically between 2 to 20 mg/litre. Stormwater mainly contains substances carried in its path of flow including dust and soil, trash, metals, oils, fertilisers, and other nutrients, chemicals and pesticides, and micro-organisms, and thus, requires diverse management. In the common course, the storm water has to undergo three levels of treatment.
Several studies and water experts have retrofitted conventional biofilters to filter storm water by introducing a submerged (partly anoxic) zone with an embedded carbon source. With this advanced technique, denitrification and removal of copper from stormwater have improved significantly, and water quality recommended for secondary uses is achieved concerning the removal of E.Coli.

Bioreactors are usually equipped with separators linked to sequential tanks and a mechanical separator aimed to accelerate the split of liquid water from the biosolids.
In addition, they also contain aerators for oxygen supply aimed to speed up the biochemical reactions undertaken by living microorganisms.
The contact between the wastewater and bacteria/microorganisms present in the bioreactor's platform induces biochemical reactions, which in the end lead to a transformation of contaminants/pollutants to other less or non-toxic forms.
In the case of metal-containing wastewater, bioreactors inoculated with sulfate-reducing bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide which precipitates the dissolved metals as insoluble metal sulfides that are recovered as valuable by-products. These reactors are environmentally friendly and far more cost-efficient.

Way forward:

Continuous research and development are essential for identifying and implementing green technologies that are suitable to the needs of the sector.
The presence of researchers, engineers, and industry professionals who are ready to innovate and collaborate is also necessary.
Public policy should support the adoption of green technology in the water sector. Policy frameworks can include financial incentives, tax breaks, and regulatory requirements.
Besides, it is crucial that the public should understand the importance of the adoption of green technology in the water sector. Massive public awareness programs along with behavioural change are the key to encourage the public and state towards the embracement of green technology.