The summer is here. That means naturally we at home are very careful about the water consumption. I was never very much given importance to water usage or water shortage until I came to Bangalore. I understood and realized what an ailment it was in a very hard way and for many days.
Since ours is a pushtainee(read it as old!), there was no sump in the house when I came here after marriage. In the past, the BWSSB supplied water had so much pressure that it could pump itself up to the overhead tank which was just on the first floor of the house.
For a very long time, the idea to make a sump had not crossed as it was working just right. As time went on, many of the old houses around were demolished and 4+ storied buildings sprang up. As houses increased, the water pressure decreased.
At this point, our house water storage set up started to break and many days we had to go without enough water not because of supply but because of storage. It was one's job to go to the terrace, inspect the tank water level and to tell everyone at home how much water is available. Then all of us will calibrate and use the water accordingly.
With God's blessings and some of our efforts, we resolved the problem. My husband MM who frets over this problem ensured that all available measures are taken to avoid this. We get the plumber every time we see a leakage in the taps, reuse water for watering the plants, automatic water level controller and indicator installed, enough storage in the sump and in the overhead tank, etc.
After all, on this Monday 22nd, we faced a serious water shortage as there was no water supply for a week to our area! Coincidentally it was World Water Day(March 22) as well! We ended up getting water supplied from a tanker after about 8 years.
I consider this as a refresher to understand the Value of Water( which is also the theme of Water Day 2021). and a time when all the old memories gushed back in while the tanker water filled the sump.
My post in Quora on the same topic
