Radial collector well as a sustainable source of water supply — A case study

Abstract

Continued population growth and uneven distribution of water resources have forced the hydrologists and decision makers to search forcontinuous and sustainable sources of water supply. In India, as the surface water sources are becoming more and more inadequate and unsafe due to contamination, the decision makers are looking towards the ground water as a sustainable source of drinking water. Radial collector well can be used as a sustainable source of water supply provided other conditions are favourable. In this study, a radial collector well installed near

river Yamuna in Mewat district of Haryana to provide safe and adequate drinking water has been discussed. In Mewat district, there is no surface source for drinking water supply. The ground water is mostly brackish in nature and is not fit for drinking. Water of river Yamuna is highly polluted. The water from the river cannot be supplied directly for domestic purposes. In radial collector well, the polluted water is filtered by the natural filtration process. Since the source of raw water is river, hence it is a continuous source. Further, as the water is treated

through natural filtration process, the cost of treatment is low. Thus, radial collector well is a continuous and sustainable source of water supply. As these are effective and sustainable sources of water supply, such radial collector wells are being constructed in many parts of the country. In this study, radial collector well is advocated as an alternate, continuous and sustainable source of water supply for Mewat district of Haryana.