Taking Pressure Off Freshwater Sources, One Drop At A Time
Domestic waste treatment
Bengaluru: In a move aimed at promoting water reuse and reducing dependence on freshwater sources, four residential communities in Bengaluru will soon begin supplying treated wastewater to industries. The initiative is expected to divert more than 25 tanker loads of treated water daily from apartment sewage treatment plants (STPs) to industrial units in Electronic City and Jigani.The project is being implemented across Kolte Patil i-Towers, Nirman Layout, Himagiri Residency and Purva Palm Beach in partnership with Bengaluru-based water utility company Boson Whitewater. The company will process excess STP-treated water generated by these communities into high-quality water suitable for industrial applications.Depending on the apartment complex, between 48,000 and 60,000 litres of water per day will be recovered and supplied for industrial use. While flats are struggling with excess treated water, some complexes are trying to sell their treated water to companies and industries. Many apartment complexes have been complaining about the lack of a network for buying and selling treated water.Boson Whitewater said the treated water undergoes an advanced purification process to achieve low dissolved solids and hardness levels, making it suitable for various industrial operations.Gowthaman Desingh, co-founder of Boson Whitewater, said Bengaluru must rethink how it uses and reuses the water already available within the city. “By creating a system that upgrades this surplus water for industrial consumption, the initiative aims to establish a circular water economy that improves urban water security while reducing pressure on freshwater resources,” he said.While much of the treated wastewater is being used for landscaping, gardening and maintenance activities within residential campuses, a significant surplus often remains.Pranjal Kumar, a resident of Kolte Patil i-Towers, said the community was searching for sustainable ways to manage excess treated water from its STP. The new arrangement, he said, converts what was previously a disposal challenge into a useful resource for nearby industries.Among the participating communities, Kolte Patil i-Towers in Electronic City, a 438-unit residential complex housing nearly 1,600 residents, generates seven tanker loads of excess treated water daily. The project is already operational and supplying treated water to industries in the Electronic City region.BB Umesh, treasurer from Nirmal Residential Welfare Association, told TOI, “There are 250 flats in our layout and we generate around 50,000 litres per day. Initially, we were using the treated water for 10 parks and a garden. Yet, a lot of the treated water was getting wasted.”Nirman Layout in Jigani has established a 60,000-litre-per-day recovery system linked to its two sewage treatment plants. The facility is expected to supply up to five tanker loads of water daily to industries in the Jigani industrial area.Himagiri Residency, with nearly 300 units in Electronic City, is expected to contribute around four tanker loads of treated water per day. Purva Palm Beach near Kyasanahalli, home to 10,000 residents across a 19-acre campus, is expected to become the largest contributor among the four communities. By the end of the year, the project is expected to supply between eight and 10 tanker loads of treated water daily for industrial use.
