BOTTLED RAINWATER: A GREENER ALTERNATIVE

Recently rainwater has come in competition with purified bottled water. An article published in the water efficiency journal states that there will be an international water testing competition in the historic spa town of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia where bottled rainwater from Richard's Rainwater, Oregon Rain, Texas Rain and Tasmanian Rain will enter along with about one hundred bottled waters from around the globe. Already available at health food stores and premier grocers, bottled rainwater is becoming recognized and accepted by consumers as a new "greener" alternative to traditional bottled waters. Bottled rain will soon be found in retail outlets nationwide. This year six of the entries will be bottled rainwater sponsored by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA - www.arcsa.org).

Rainwater, in India had been traditionally accepted as an alternative source of pure water, even suitable for drinking. Recently in a seminar of rainwater harvesting held in Kolkata members of Jadavpur Centre for Study of Earth Science presented a paper on the rainwater quality of different parts of the West Bengal. It is revealed that rainwater is purest in the Darjeeling, Japaiguri, Coochbehar and Purulia district in terms of tested parameters like pH and TDS. The rainwater samples had been collected by school students of the district and had been tested in their school laboratories.

The news of the West Virginia contest may inspire small scale local entrepreneurs in West Bengal to come forward in rainwater bottling business which may be more environment-friendly and cheaper alternative to bottled purified water manufactured from groundwater resource. Area specific technology may be developed for harnessing rainwater economically.