Part 6: Maintenance & Troubleshooting
A maintenance check should be performed at least twice a year—once right
before the monsoon season begins (May/June) to clear dry debris, and
once immediately after the monsoon ends (September/October) to clear
accumulated silt.
Overflow typically happens due to two reasons: either the top sand layer
of the filter has become choked with fine silt mud, or the volume of
rain exceeded the maximum design capacity. To fix it, carefully scrape
off and replace the top 2-3 inches of choked sand and check for an
integrated overflow pipeline that safely diverts excess water to the
municipal storm drain.
The sand and charcoal layers generally need a thorough washing or
complete replacement every 1 to 2 years, depending on local
pollution and dust levels. Boulders and gravel do not need replacement;
they just need to be taken out, washed thoroughly with clean water, and
placed back.
If left open or improperly maintained, standing water can become a
mosquito breeding ground. To prevent this, ensure that all access
manholes, vents, and collection pits are tightly sealed with heavy
concrete covers or covered with fine, rust-proof wire mesh netting to
block mosquitoes from entering.
Yes. In low-lying geographic areas where the natural water table is
exceptionally shallow (less than 3-5 meters from the surface), a deep
recharge well can cause groundwater to flow inversely backward into the
pit. In such zones, standard deep recharge wells are avoided, and
shallow, wide "Surface Harvesting Collection Tanks" are built instead. The SOPs for the same are available on the Portal in Technical Support Section.