Bengaluru: The hotter summer this year, and the forecast of a below-normal monsoon in Karnataka, has led Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to revive its push for use of treated water.In April 2024, BWSSB signed a pact with Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF) to promote reuse and sale of treated water. There was no progress at the time, with officials attributing it to the lack of demand.Now, BWSSB and BAF are planning to ask data centres and the construction industry to use treated water. “We will hold a meeting next week with apartment associations and data centres to chart a course of action on using treated water, so that their needs can be met without putting more pressure on freshwater sources. Apartments are ready for this, and we will soon take this forward,” BWSSB chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said.Usually, apartment complexes are allowed to sell surplus treated water at Rs 8 per kilolitre, with BWSSB buying it at Rs 10 but retaining Rs 2 as service charge. However, neither a functional supply network nor a dedicated fleet of tankers has been created to move this treated water from apartment STPs to industries, parks, or construction sites that could use it. From the time the mandatory STP rule came into force, surplus treated water in apartment complexes continues to go to waste.Enough To Meet NeedsAccording to BAF’s estimates, decentralised STPs in city’s apartment complexes produce about 300 million litres per day (MLD) of treated used water, and another 400 MLD is available from BWSSB STPs. The estimated citywide demand for treated water is substantial—150 MLD for flushing and landscaping, 100 MLD for industrial operations, 300 MLD for construction industry, and 100 MLD for cooling systems in data centres and tech parks. However, this demand can be met by the STPs in apartment complexes and those under BWSSB. ‘Govt Needs To Lead’ K Arun Kumar, BAF’s general secretary, said, “Revenue is secondary; the focus is on water reuse. Nearly 50% of supplied water (to apartment complexes) is treated, and we are exploring its uses in parks and beyond. However, we need a clear, govt-approved framework as not a litre has been lifted so far (by govt). They (govt) made the rules on mandatory STPs, so they should solve the problems as well. There is buyer interest but due to lack of guidelines and infrastructure, we are unable to proceed. Developers have raised concerns over standards and certifications. In the past four months, we’ve held five to six meetings on this.”T Kamala, president of Adarsh Rhythm Apartments on Bannerghatta Road, said, “We generate about 170 lakh litres of treated water, of which nearly half is used for landscaping and maintenance, while the rest goes to waste. Our STP meets all norms, and we’re ready to supply the surplus, with pipelines laid up to the gate. Though we tied up with nearby apartments, tanker transport remains a hurdle. We need govt support.” Builders are open to using treated water but stressed the need for quality norms and certification. Bhaskar T Nagendrappa, president of CREDAI Karnataka, said, “There needs to be clarity from the govt on cost, quality, and supply chain. We need standards such as BIS norms to ensure quality.” BAF president Satish Malya added, “BWSSB can at least lay pipelines or arrange other ways for apartments to send their treated water to nearby parks or grounds. We have reached out multiple times to officials, but nothing has materialised so far.”MSID:: 130332200 413 |
