Ransai Water Project Proposal

Solar Powered Pump, Storage, and Filtration Systems for 3 Villages

A Live-in-Labs project by
Amrita Center for Wireless Networks and Applications
Nitin Kumar and Jake Parkhurst
Executive Summary
Three of the Ransai villages in Maharashtra suffer from poor access to clean drinking
water. As part of Amma’s initiative to provide clean drinking water to 5000 villages, we propose
a water distribution and purification system for each village that includes a solar powered pump,
a water filter, and a storage tank. These three separate systems will be implemented between
August 1st and November 31st 2019 and will cost a total of RS 25.6 lahk. This proposal
includes plans for follow up visits to ensure proper function of the systems, with the possibility of
implementing aquifer regeneration systems to counteract the increased water draw.

Context
The Ransai Villages have been suffering from poor access to clean water. This results in
many health issues such as soreness from carrying water for long distances, kidney stones from
dehydration, and illness from waterborne disease. As part of Amma’s mission to improve living
conditions in 5000 villages, Amrita University students have been working with the Ransai
villages for the last 5 years to address this issue. This work has resulted in several detailed
social surveys and the installation of a bore well hand pump at one of the villages. However,
there is still very poor access to reliable, clean water. This iteration of the project seeks to install
a water distribution system by November 31st that:
● Supplies at least 35 L of water per person per day throughout the year
● Purifies at least 5L of the 35L of water for drinking/cooking
● Requires villagers to walk less than 100 m to get water
● Promotes good wastewater practices to avoid pollution of wells, streams, and the nearby
reservoir

The Ransai villages are a group of 5 villages located 50 kilometers away from Mumbai,
upstream from the Ransai reservoir. The villagers mostly farm during the rainy season and do
labor during the dry season. One of the villages has a water system that was built by the ONGC.
There is no filter in this system, but the well water quality is good. The other villages have
access to at least one well and a bore well with a hand pump, but many of these either have
poor water quality or dry up during the rainy season. For example, many villagers do not use the
bore well handpump installed by Amrita University as it contains iron oxide that makes the water
brown and smelly and because pumping the water from a depth of 100 meters is very tiring.

To address these issues, we propose installing a solar powered pump and filtration
system for each village that will store water at an easily accessible point. We also recommend
planning follow up visits next summer to observe how the well behaves during the dry season,
with the possibility of implementing water infiltration systems to improve aquifer regeneration
during the rainy season. Additionally, an educational component is crucial to enable the villagers
to properly use and maintain the system.

Design
The system has four main components (see Figure 1 below):
1) Solar panels and batteries
2) Well and pump
3) Storage tank
4) Filter and distribution tank
The solar panels generate electricity to run the well pump and the UV sterilizer of filter. Due to
the likelihood that the well will have a low flow rate, the pump will need to be cycled on and off,
allowing the well to refill before each cycle. Thus batteries are needed to store electricity when
the pump is not running. Additionally, the batteries will also allow all the system to run during the
night, increasing the amount of water available to be pumped from the well in a 24 hour period.
The water is pumped to a storage tank on a hill which will flow via gravity to the filter. Placing
the storage tank on the hill will provide enough pressure to run the filter without a pump, which
would otherwise require a solar panel system that was four times larger. Water that has been
filtered is stored in a clean water tank. The filtration process is slow, so purified water is limited
to for drinking and cooking. Thus faucets for both filtered and unfiltered water allow tasks that
don’t require clean water (washing, bathing) to be done with unfiltered water.

Figure 1: System diagram

Budget
Below is a summary of the budget that lists the price of each section (see Appendix A for
a detailed budget).

Category Village A (pop. 137) Village B (pop. 374) Village C (pop. 350)

Borewell Drilling ₹88,500 ₹88,500 ₹88,500

Solar and Pump System ₹281,066.56 ₹544,171.75 ₹528,258.27
Storage and Filtration ₹291,606.32 ₹304,822.32 ₹304,822.32
Distribution ₹42,000.00 ₹64,500.00 ₹64,500.00
Education ₹12,000.00 ₹12,000.00 ₹12,000.00

Village Total Cost ₹614,316.00 ₹870,986.50 ₹857,500.50

Grand Total (with 10% buffer)

₹2,577,083.30
Automated filter

Grand Total (with 10% buffer)

₹2,082,086.60
Human operated filter
Table 2: Budget summary

The dominant costs are the solar panels, batteries, and filtration system. The high cost of
the filtration system is the result of a magnesium filter. In our search for cheaper alternatives, we
discovered a possible system that requires the user to perform a daily task of filling a tank,
adding chemicals, and waiting a set amount of time. This would remove the cost of the
magnesium filter (see last row Table 2). However, we are hesitant to recommend the user
operated solution because of the uncertainty of whether the villagers will ensure this process is
completed. We are only including this in the budget because we are concerned that this
proposal will be rejected due to lack of available funds. We recognize the triage the grant
awarding committee must perform while dispersing funds, so as a last resort, we can try to work
with the villagers to implement the lower cost solution.

There is the possibility that water infiltration will need to be implemented to recharge the
aquifer during monsoon season so that the groundwater lasts through the dry season. The
decision of whether this is needed will come after observing how the systems behave during the
dry season. If water infiltration systems are needed, further research will be to evaluate whether
check dams or infiltration pits are best suited for these villages.
Justification
Implementation vs further testing
The biggest decision has been whether to propose further testing or to move forward
with implementation. Further testing would take to form of assessing water availability. However,
this must be completed during the end of summer. The humanitarian nature of this project is to
do whatever we must, as efficiently as possible, to ensure access to water for the villagers.
Thus, regardless of the current availability of water, at some point we must install a solar pump
system. So we have determined that it would be best to implement a system now using what
information we have, and then, if the aquifer is lacking, focus on systems to recharge the water
table during monsoon.

Individual systems vs a single distribution system

Although we considered a single distribution network to serve all villages, we decided to
go with 3 independent systems (see Figure 2 below). Providing each village with its own system
will increase ownership and care of that system, whereas a system that serves all villages is
more likely to be neglected due to lack of collaboration between the villages. Additionally, a
single system would only draw water from one spot, which could cause conflict over resources
between the village closest to the pump and those that are further away.
 Figure 2: Proposed water systems

Storage on platform in town vs on nearby hill

We considered storing the well water in a tank located central to the village. There are
numerous advantages that include reduced piping length, increased ownership, and better
security. Having the tanks in town means less piping is needed to bring the water to its final
distribution point. A central location also means that the water storage becomes part of the
village and is thus more likely to be adopted by the villagers are their own than if it were hidden
away on a hill. Additionally, if something breaks, it is much more likely to be noticed and acted
upon. Finally, a central location means nearly constant surveillance by the villagers, which will
reduce the likelihood of vandalism.

However, in order to maintain enough pressure for the filtration system, we needed
either a pump or a platform that would elevate the storage tank. A pump would have increased
the size of our solar electric system by four, which would be much too expensive. Similarly, a
platform tall enough would cost at least RS 1 lahk. Thus, we decided to use the local geography
and place the tank uphill of the village. The filtration system, clean water tank, and solar panel
systems will still be located in town.

Spread out implementation vs all-at-once

We could either space out the installation of each village’s system or we could move
forward with all systems at the same time. We considered 5 possible implementation timelines:
1) All at once
2) Village B, then villages A&C after some months
3) Village B, then villages A&C after a year
4) Village C, then villages A&B after some months
5) Village C, then villages A&B after a year

We considered 5 criteria in an evaluation table (Appendix C) for deciding between these

timelines: Ease of logistics, Quickness of access to water, Design improvement, Opportunity to
work with ONGC, and Gratification of the villagers. Ease of logistics focused on how much work
we would have to do for implementation. Quickness of access to water focused on how long
villagers would have to wait before getting clean water. Design improvement focused on which
timeline would quickly increase our understanding of the systems as they were installed to allow
for modifications. Opportunity to work with ONGC focuses on the possibility that the ONGC is
already moving forward with implementing a water distribution system and the chance to learn
from their previously installed system at a nearby village. Gratification of villagers focused on
which timeline would reduce envy and resentment between the different villages. The most
important criteria were Quickness of access to water and Design improvement since access to
water affects the health of the villagers and retrofits would delay access to water. See Appendix
B for a detailed discussion of the timelines with respect to each criteria.

This evaluation led us to decide that it would be best to first install a system at village B
and then after two months of observation, install systems at villages A and C with any design
modifications. Then a second evaluation would be done towards the end of the summer to
assess the need for aquifer recharging systems. An alternate timeline is proposed if we learn
that the ONGC is quickly moving forward with installation of their own system at one or more of
the villages.

Check dams and infiltration pits.

Upon pump installation, initial and follow up observations of well flow rate will determine
whether there is a need for improved aquifer regeneration during the monsoon. If regeneration
is needed, check dams will be a likely first step due to their affordability, followed by infiltration
pits.
Educational Component
Teaching the villagers how the system works and how to maintain it will increase the
lifetime and functionality of the system. While the system is designed to be as hands-off as
possible, when something breaks, the villagers will be more likely to understand either how to
repair the system themselves or who to call for specialized repairs. This education will take the
form of workshops for selected villagers with good technical comprehension and in the form of
educational posters explaining the functions of the system.

Timeline
July 10st, 2019: Submit proposal
July 24th, 2019: Receive confirmation of proposal, begin contacting contractors and
materials distributors to gauge availability
August 1st, 2019: *Deadline to hear if ONGC is going to install their system. If not, we
will begin confirming materials orders and dates with contractors.
August 12th - August *Implementation of village B’s system.
19th, 2019:
August 19th - August Provide training to villagers and observe preliminary functioning of
27th, 2019: system. (Festival from August 24th - September 2nd)
September 21st - Follow up evaluation.
September 24th, 2019:
September 25th, 2019: Begin any design modifications and start ordering materials for next
round of implementation.
October 10th - October *Implementation of village A and C’s systems.
20th, 2019:
October 24 - October Provide training to villagers and observe preliminary functioning of
31, 2019: system.
December 1st, 2019: Follow up visit to observe all systems.
Beginning of Summer, Follow up visit to observe all systems. Possible refresher training of
2020: villagers.
Late Summer, 2020 Follow up visit to observe all systems. Begin planning any system
retrofits needed. Possible implementation of ground water recharge
system.
*If ONGC is already addressing village B’s water needs, replace implementation of village B’s
system with that of village C.
Appendix A: Detailed Budget
Catagory Material Units Unit cost Number of units village A Village A Cost Number of units village B Village B Cost Number of units village C Village C Cost
Borewell Drilling
Depth per meter 750 100 75000 100 75000 100 75000
before tax ₹75,000 before tax ₹75,000 before tax ₹75,000
18% tax ₹13,500 18% tax ₹13,500 18% tax ₹13,500
sub total ₹88,500 sub total ₹88,500 sub total ₹88,500
Solar Pump system
Solar Panels for Pumping per watt 40 1396 55840 3811 152440 3597 143880
Structure per kilowatt 5500 1.396 7678 3.811 20960.5 3.597 19783.5
Batteries per kJ 2.314814815 27140 62824 74089 171502 69929 161873
Battery Charger per charger 40000 1 40000 1 40000 1 40000
Pump per pump 15000 1 15000 1 15000 1 15000
Wiring per meter 42 175 7350 280 11760 420 17640
Controls per controller 1 25000 25000 25000 25000 25000 25000
Unskilled labor per day 500 35 17500 35 17500 35 17500
Electrician/plumber per day 1000 7 7000 7 7000 7 7000
before tax ₹238,192.00 before tax ₹461,162.50 before tax ₹447,676.50
18% tax ₹42,874.56 18% tax ₹83,009.25 18% tax ₹80,581.77
sub total ₹281,066.56 sub total ₹544,171.75 sub total ₹528,258.27
Storage and Filtration
Clean water tank liters 7 1000 7000 2000 14000 2000 14000
Cement (for pad) per bag (50kg) 350 11 3850 18 6300 18 6300
Aggregate (for pad) per bag 40 44 1760 72 2880 72 2880
Sand (for pad) per bag 45 22 990 36 1620 36 1620
Fittings (pvc) assorted fitting 500 1 500 1 500 1 500
Mason per day 700 4 2800 4 2800 4 2800
Fitration system 1 system 52000 1 52000 1 52000 1 52000
Magnesium filter 1 system 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Filter Transport delivery 4000 1 4000 1 4000 1 4000
Filter Commission commission 10000 1 10000 1 10000 1 10000
Chainlink fence per sqft 14 192 2688 192 2688 192 2688
Fence poles per post 700 12 8400 12 8400 12 8400
Alluminum roofing per m^2 392 8 3136 8 3136 8 3136
before tax ₹97,125.00 before tax ₹108,325.00 before tax ₹108,325.00
18% tax ₹17,482.50 18% tax ₹19,498.50 18% tax ₹19,498.50
sub total ₹114,607.50 sub total ₹127,823.50 sub total ₹127,823.50
Distribution
Inlet Tank Liter 7 2000 14000 5000 35000 5000 35000
Pipes per meter 30 450 13500 500 15000 500 15000
Fittings inlet and over flow 1 500 500 500 500 500 500
Excavator per hour 1000 14 14000 14 14000 14 14000
sub total ₹42,000.00 sub total ₹64,500.00 sub total ₹64,500.00
Education
Posters per 3x4 poster 2000 6 12000 6 12000 6 12000
sub total ₹12,000.00 sub total ₹12,000.00 sub total ₹12,000.00
Total Cost Village A Total = ₹464,317.00 Village B Total = ₹720,987.50 Village C Total = ₹707,501.50
All 3 Village Grand Total = ₹1,892,806.00
Appendix B: Timeline Evaluation
Timeline Ranks by Category (Best to worst):

Ease of logistics
1) All at once: We order all of the supplies at once, we only travel their once, we only have
to organize labor once.
2) [Tie] B, then A&C after some months AND C, then A&B after some months: Both of
these have a gap in the implementation meaning we have to organize everything twice.
However, it is likely that people will still be familiar with the install of the first system. It is
likely that the villagers will only help on their respective project, so only the skilled labor
on all projects would carry over familiarity. Additionally, villagers in the later projects
might be hesitant to help since we helped a different village first. But maybe we can
convince them that the pause allowed us to improve the system.
3) [Tie] B, then A&C after a year AND C, then A&B after a year: Both of these have a gap in
the implementation meaning we have to organize everything twice. It is likely that people
will still be familiar with the install of the first system. It is likely that the villagers will only
help on their respective project, so only the skilled labor on all projects would carry over
familiarity. Additionally, villagers in the later projects might be hesitant to help since we
helped a different village first. But maybe we can convince them that the pause allowed
us to improve the system. Additionally the second two projects would be installed during
summer - so hotter weather, but less conflict with farm chores.

Quick access to water

1) All at once: the filters would all go in and be functional, and the plentiful supply of water
during the monsoon would mean everyone would have clean drinking water. But there is
the possibility that installing all systems at once could lead to systems that don’t work so
well during summer. However, this is still more likely to provide clean water sooner since
an not-installed system has no chance of working during summer. If the systems do not
work in summer conditions and it is a possibility that it would be hard to get funding for
upgrading the systems. That being said, the biggest reason for not working would be
lack of ground water, which could be mitigated with ground water recharge. And if that is
acknowledged from the beginning, it would likely not affect future funding.
2) [Tie] B, then A&C after some months AND C, then A&B after some months: There would
only be a small gap when the second and third villages would not have access to filtered
water. But the plentiful monsoon water would be available. However, the systems might
not work in summer conditions and it is a possibility that it would be hard to get funding
for upgrading the systems. That being said, the biggest reason for not working would be
lack of ground water, which could be mitigated with ground water recharge. And if that is
acknowledged from the beginning, it would likely not affect future funding.
 3) [Tie] B, then A&C after some months AND C, then A&B after some months: There would
be a large gap when the second and third villages would not have access to filtered
water. They would have to survive another summer. However, a system installed after
one year is much more likely to work.

Risk of implementing poor design

1) B, then A&C after a year: The large observable period would allow for a thorough
assessment and evaluation of the system design before installing the second a third
system. Additionally, we are a bit more familiar with B’s bore well quantity and quality
which would improve the likelihood of a properly designed system.
2) C, then A&B after some months: The large observable period would allow for a thorough
assessment and evaluation of the system design before installing the second a third
system. We may have to drill a new borewell if they don’t let us use their current
borewell. Even if they do let us use their other bore well, we may not want to risk using it
to implement a system that might not work, which would leave them without water again.
3) [Tie] B, then A&C after some months AND C, then A&B after some months: The gap in
implementation would allow for evaulation of the deisgn before implementing the second
and third villages. Since water quantity and quality issues would not become apparent
until after the monsoon, it would not matter which village we begin with.
4) All at once: With no period of observing one system in action, we would be left with
retrofits if something doesn’t work.

Opportunity to Collaborate with ONGC

1) C, then A&B after a year: Since the ONGC might already be planning something for B,
starting with C would give us more time to confirm with them about whether they in fact
moving forward with the project.
2) C, then A&B after some months: Since the ONGC might already be planning something
for B, starting with C would give us more time to confirm with them about whether they in
fact moving forward with the project.
3) B, then A&C after a year: While this would likely eliminate the chance that the ONGC will
do something with B, they may move on to A or C. In any case, we would have more
time to learn about their design process for D.
4) B, then A&C after some months: While this would likely eliminate the chance that the
ONGC will do something with B, they may move on to A or C. In any case, we would
have more time to learn about their design process for D.
5) All at once: this limits our time to hear back from ONGC and share information with
them.

Happiness of Villagers
1) All at once: everyone would be happy in the short term since they would be seeing
physical progress. Although there is a chance that the systems might not work, this is
still more likely to make them happy as long as there is future work to fix/improve the
systems.
2) [Tie] B, then A&C after some months AND C, then A&B after some months: the second
and third villages would be envious of the first village regardless of whether the system
works.
3) [Tie] B, then A&C after a year AND C, then A&B after a year: the second and third
villages would be envious of the first village regardless of whether the system works.
This would be aggravated by another systemless summer.
Appendix C: Timeline Evaluation Table

Ease of Delay of water to Design Opportunity to Happiness of

logistics some villages improvement collaborate with everyone
Options (weight 1) (weight 3) (weight 3) ONGC (weight 1) (weight 1) Totals
1) All villages at
once 4 4 1 1 3 23
2) Village B, then
villages A&C after
1 year 1 2 4 2 1 22
2) Village B, then
villages A&C after
a few months 2 3 3 2 2 24
2) Village C, then
villages A&B after
1 year 1 2 3 4 1 21
2) Village C, then
villages A&B after
1 after a few
months 2 3 2 3 2 22