Spring boxes - India Water Portal

Springshed Management Training Curriculum 2016 The Springs Initiative

SESSION TITLE:

Spring Boxes SECTION: Application of Knowledge MODULE: BMPs for Recharge, Restoration, Participation AUTHORS: Dr Jared Buono, Dhananjay Ambrale, Ashok More CONTRIBUTING ORGANIZATIONS: Grampari, Arghyam PURPOSE: Illustrate examples of spring boxes and design considerations IMPACT: Participants will be able to identify different types of spring boxes and define main features TIME REQUIRED: 50-60 minutes MATERIALS: This ppt ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Spring Box

Standard Spring Box

Sub-surface Box

Nalla-box (sand dam)



With livestock or wildlife guzzler

Groundwater to surface water conversion • Contamination generally due to poor design in harvest and storage • Conversion to surface water sources (i.e. blasting) • Surface water runoff • Storage tank hygiene

Water Quality of Springs • Water quality very good; min & max values – – – – – –

Temp: 17 – 22 °C (winter) Ph: 7.3 – 8.3 TDS: 35 – 160 mg/l EC: 70 – 320 mmho/cm Hardness (CaCO3): 30 – 140 mg/l Na: 2 – 25 mg/l

– – – – – –

K: 0 – 2 mg/l Ca2: 10 – 36 mg/l Mg2: 1 – 12 mg/l HCO3: 31 – 177 mg/l Cl: 7 – 14 mg/l Fe2: 0.4 – 0.7 mg/l ***** From Naik et al. 2000

• Only iron shows marginal excess • Pathogens are rare at source (e.g. no fecals)

Typical spring box • Installed in 1970s as drought response • Poor design & maintenance = leaks, contamination • Declining flow due to adjacent pumping, ecological degradation

Surface water runoff

HUMAN FECES ON A SPRING BOX

Water quality of springs

• Conversion to surface water sources (i.e. blasting to make a spring cum well) • Results in contamination