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Abstract

We present a local, self-sustaining, natural and eco- nomic way to secure a quality drinking water resource for a town or city. Most local rainfed aquifers in the environs of cities suffer from long-term contamination by chemical waste – either fertilizers and pesticides or urban effluents. We propose a process by which such aquifers can be restored to quality. This is accom- plished by first changing the land use of the catchment area of local aquifers to forest, and then by a yearly evacuation of water in the aquifer till quality is re- stored. A model is used to estimate that, typically, by yearly evacuation of the aquifer, pollution in the aqui- fer water is reduced to 10% of its initial value in 5–7 years. This is an organic process to purify the water in the aquifer. We also find that the area required for this falls within 10% of the total area of the city, well within the green area norm for a city.