Household Case Studies

Below are some households who have received installations from SmartPaani’s technical team. Some installations have been running for 3 or more years. The installations are rainwater harvesting, biosand filtration, and even simple techniques of gardening and recharging greywater. We will continue adding clients to this page as work moves along both old and new clients.

 Binod Bhattarai – Sanepa, Kathmandu

Happy SmartPaani Customer Binod Bhattarai

Systems – Rainwater Harvesting and Biosand Filtration

With a background in the media and a lecturer at Ace Institute of Management, Binod Bhattarai is a well-known name in the media. Since he already knew the benefits of Rainwater harvesting, he had installed the system 3 years ago, and from then onwards he never had to look back. His well water quality was not so bad, but drinking without filtering was out of the question. He has already installed filter that required electricity but in the city of frequent power cuts, he had problem filtering the water when there was no electricity.

His colleague Suman Shakya, CEO of SmartPaani had recently installed a biosand filter for his iron rich water well water at his own house.  And he was drinking the same water after filtration. This fact along with his own research on this system, Mr. Bhattarai installed Biosand filter in late January, 2012. His water filtration problem during load shedding is now solved forever.

His say on the systems installed: “I had done enough research about rainwater harvesting and biosand filters before installing, and I am satisfied with how things have come out to be.”

Kamal Bahadur Gadaraj

Systems: Rainwater Harvesting, Groundwater Recharge, and Biosand Filtration

Kamal Bahadur Gadaraj Next to His Biosand Filtration System

Proprietor of “Jewel Metal and Furniture”, Kamal Bahadur Gadaraj had just begun building his house at Nayabazaar when he heard about rainwater harvesting.  He knew SmartPaani’s Gokul Dangal and thus, in his house’s design, rainwater harvesting and biosand filter systems were incorporated. It has been 3 years since these systems were installed and they have helped make his life go smoothly. He does not buy tanker water since rainwater and well water (filtered by biosand) is enough to meet the water demands of the 11 people in his house. Though extremely happy with the system at present, he was hesitant at first whether he would be able to drink the water filtered from biosand as promised by the technician. Now he is drinks it and is confident. Even his Rs. 50000/- investment on this has returned within a few months. He recommends these systems to other people and recently one of his neighbors installed rainwater harvesting and biosand filtration upon his recommendation.

Satisfied his exclaimed, “Once in a life investment, easy forever. I have not bought tanker water for the past few years”

Pralad Panta – Ichangu

Pralad Panta next to his Biosand Filter

Systems – Rainwater Harvesting, Biosand Filtration, Groundwater Recharge

Like most of the valley citizens, Pralad Panta’s water problems are not a new one. There is no municipality supply of water rather a common tap from a nearby water source that comes for only 3 hours. Within this span all the households in the community have to collect water. He had a huge water problem then and so was considering installing a rainwater harvesting system in his house. He came in contact with Mr. Gokul Dangal, Senior Technician of SmartPaani.

The SmartPaani team has installed Rainwater Harvesting and Biosand filteration systems along with groundwater recharge. For a family of two and three more living on a rent, rainwater and well water is enough to fulfill his daily water needs. He is happy with the system and has recommended his neighbors to install them at their houses.

His say on SmartPaani services,  “Water scarcity will no more be a problem if everyone uses these systems.”

Krishna Prasad Simkhada – Ichangu

Krishna Prasad Simkhada next to his biosand filter

Systems – Rainwater Harvesting, Groundwater Recharge, Biosand Filtration, Greywater Irrigation and Recharge

Krishna Prasad Simkhada is an active soul indulging in various business ventures and social activities. His environmental consciousness along with water problems at his house led him to contact technicians who install such systems at household level. SmartPaani’s senior technician Gokul Dangal came in contact and then his whole house was turned into a model of excellent water conservation. He has a rainwater harvesting system and biosand filter for well water both of them combined give him year round supply of water for his house. Besides these two systems, grey water (soap water from kitchen, shower, basin) from his house is first treated in a soakpit and then only sent to the drainage system. Even his garden is green throughout the year, without having to directly use other water it due to these soakpits. He is happy that he is contributing a bit to protect his environment by using these systems.

What he has to say about these systems? “Filtering greywater from Kitchen and showers and recharged in the garden will lessen dryness of the soil during dry season. Also, monsoon water when filtered and collected will definitely solve water problems. Last year I used to buy so many tankers of water to meet my family’s daily needs, this year I have not bought any! These systems not only solve water problems but also improve the environment and conserve nature.”

Bhusan Tuladhar and Shriju Pradhan – Kirtipur

Systems: Complete rainwater harvesting system, biosand filtration, groundwater recharge, water recycling*

Shriju Pradhan with one of their SmartPaani Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Environmentalist by heart, profession and lifestyle Engineer Bhusan Tuladhar and his wife Shriju Pradhan live a complete eco-friendly lifestyle. They waste nothing. As a solution to water woes, they have complete rainwater harvesting system, groundwater recharge, biosand filter and water recycling. They are not limited to these water saving technologies. To see that the water they use in their toilets is used properly, they have an EcoSan toilet which separates urine and feces both of which is can be used as a manure and also a biocide. In addition to this, when people are facing LPG gas problems, Tuladhar family also have the biogas system in their house. In addition to this they separate degradable and non-degradable wastes, using bin composting for their garden and recycling and reusing as much non-biodegradable waste as possible. Regarding rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge, Shriju comments, “Rainwater harvesting along with groundwater recharge reduces the problems like stormwater flowing to sewer and lessen the burden on surface water bodies. It is an investment that will not only benefit those who install it but also raise the ground water table.”

*Note – SmartPaani technicians installed the rainwater harvesting systems and biosand filtration in the Tuladhar’s house. Because of their own background, and before SmartPaani offered the service, the Tuladhar’s designed their own greywater recycling system, biogas and Eco San Toilets. SmartPaani salutes their initiatives to be eco-friendly and notes it is through work of people like them in the past that rainwater harvesting, biosand filtration, and other technologies have spread in Nepal*

Frances Klatzel – Mera Publications – Maharajgunj

Rainwater Harvesting Filter at Mera Publications Office

System – Rainwater Harvesting

Impressed by what she heard about the rainwater harvesting systems at the Fulbright Commission from its director, Frances contacted SmartPaani to inquire about rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling. After an assessment by our team, the decision was made to install a rainwater harvesting system as the first phase. The installation was completed at the beginning of March by Raju and Hem. Before the rainwater harvesting installation Frances was almost completely reliant on tankers of water. While it won’t completely eliminate tanker purchases, it will reduce them significantly. She was happily surprised by how quickly the system began benefitting her, in the second week of April her tank was almost empty and she prepared to order a tanker, that evening it rained again and the rains continued for the next 4 days, eliminating her need to buy a tanker. While the system is new, the SmartPaani team  has taught her staff maintenance and is providing technical support while the 3 free visits that come with the system have eased her concerns about maintaining it.