On 12 January 2006, more than
200 residents, primarily
women, from Gummidipoondi and
neighboring areas physically
entered and stopped work at a
project site of Tamilnadu Waste
Management Ltd (TNWML)'s
hazardous waste landfill and
incinerator. For More LINK

Best Practices

Best Practice – Awards

Global Water Intelligence launches
 the 2006 Global Water Awards this
 month in order to highlight
achievement in the international
water sector. The winners will be
announced in a special supplement in the February 2006 issue of the
magazine. They will be judged by
voting, with any tight decisions
being made by an electoral
college including GWI's editorial team and senior industry figures. 
 

Product Window

Soil Biotechnology – An alternate liquid
and solid waste treatment system
Conventional Sewage Treatment Plants
require large energy inputs.  Research and
Development on exploring possibilities
of setting up alternate wastewater
treatment system has been in vogue for
over a decade.  Soil Biotechnology (SBT)
seems to offer an alternate solution
to conventional STPs.  For more information
 LINK

Urbanisation in India is growing

 at a rapid pace, although not

 comparable with other countries

 in the world.  However, this

 phenomenal growth has laid a

 tremendous stress on the

 freshwater resources.  A peek

 into the Country’s freshwater

 situation throws light on the

 prevailing situation. For more LINK
 

Articles

Global Issues
Though having 3/4^th of the Earth covered
with water, people in most parts of the
world, particularly the developing
countries seem to have chronic water
shortages.  To understand the root of
this problem, it is necessary to look
at the global water scenario and LINK
provides a variety of interesting
articles that address this aspect. 

 Water Harvesting
An interesting article on how rainwater
harvesting in Kerala can help in meeting
demands for freshwater.  For more LINK

Other Relevant Information
on Water

4^th World Water Forum in Mexico

How can you participate in the Forum
of Mexico? Through September 30th, you can proceed with the on-line registration of the session(s) that you would like to
organise. Detailed information is
available on the Forum's website, LINK

World Water Day

22^nd March is World Water Day and
information on this can be obtained from
LINK
 

Every issue, we plan to introduce
to the reader, a disease that can
be potentially spread through water.  In this issue, find below a
link providing information on
Diarrhoea. LINK

Books on Water

The World's Water 2004-2005

Book Scrutinizes Millennium Development Goals, Bottled Water, Urban Efficiency, Groundwater, and More

In this fourth volume of his
highly regarded series, Gleick and
his research team focus on the
most significant current
trends worldwide: how to meet
the basic needs of over 1
billion people without access to
clean water, the growing
controversy over public vs.
private water, the role of
conservation and efficiency in
solving water problems, and
concerns about skyrocketing
bottled water use.  For more
details visit LINK

Tips for Conservation

A to Z of Water Conservation (Source: BBC News)
A dripping tap could waste as much as 90 litres a week.
Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes almost 9 litres a minute. Rinse out from a tumbler instead.
Cool water kept in the fridge means you won't have to run the tap for ages to get a cold drink.
Don't use your washing machine until you've got a full load. The average wash needs about 95 litres. A full load uses less water than 2 half loads.
Every time you boil an egg save the cooled water for your houseplants. They'll benefit from the nutrients released from the shell.
Fit a water saving device in your cistern and save up to three litres a flush.
Grow your grass a little longer. It will stay greener than a close mown lawn and need less watering.
Hoeing stimulates the growth of plants, reduces water loss from the soil surface and removes weeds that take up valuable water and nutrients.
Installing a water meter can save you water and money by monitoring how much you use.
Just taking a five minute shower very day, instead of a bath, will use a third of the water, saving up to 400 litres a week.
Kettles should be filled with enough water for your needs but not to the brim. This will reduce your fuel bills too.
Lag your pipes to avoid bursts and leave your heating on a low setting while you are out in cold weather to prevent pipes freezing.
Mulch for moisture in the garden. Adding a layer of tree bark, compost, coconut husks or even newspaper keeps the sun off the soil and retains precious moisture.
No further watering is usually required for established trees and shrubs.
Once a week is all the watering your lawn needs even in the hottest weather. Over- watering can weaken your lawn by encouraging roots to seek the surface.
Purchasing a water butt will help you to collect rain water for use on the garden.
Question your local garden centre about the water requirements of different plants. Some thrive in drier conditions.
Replacing a toilet cistern can save water. Toilets manufactured after 1993 use less water per flush.
Sprinklers can be wasteful. It doesn't take long for a sprinkler to soak your lawn thoroughly. A sprinkler can use as much water in an hour as a family of four will use in a day!
Trigger nozzles can save water by using it only when needed. This can save up to 225 litres a week.
Use the dirty water when cleaning a fish tank on your houseplants. It's rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, which provides an excellent fertiliser.
Very 'water efficient' washing machines and dishwashers are now manufactured.
Machines with 'A' ratings are the most economical. You'll find that they save on energy too.
Water your garden at the coolest part of the day to reduce evaporation.
Xeriscape means 'to landscape for water conservation.' The idea is to use plants
that require less water. You can also utilise objects for decorative effect such as rocks, bricks, benches and gravel.
You can use less water by turning the hot tap down, rather than the cold tap up, if you require cooler water.
Z The end of the alphabet but not the end of water saving ideas - why not get in touch and tell us of any you've discovered?