Bengaluru: Even though southwest monsoon has been delayed this year, the city’s residents need not worry about water shortage for next four to five months, according to Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) chairperson N Manjula.After assessing the city’s water preparedness amid concerns over below-normal rainfall, she told TOI: “The delayed monsoon is expected to pick up in July and replenish reservoirs.”Bengaluru requires nearly 2.3 tmc of water every month, while the combined storage in Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs currently exceeds 10 tmc, ensuring adequate supplies in the near term. To strengthen long-term planning, the BWSSB chief directed officials to monitor groundwater levels across the city and instructed senior engineers to obtain a comprehensive report from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on Bengaluru’s groundwater status and functioning of existing borewells. “IISc is monitoring groundwater levels through observation wells. If groundwater depletion is detected, we will have to identify new locations to augment groundwater sourcing. Nothing alarming has been reported as of now,” she said.The chairperson urged citizens to use water responsibly. “Residents should avoid using BWSSB water for washing doorsteps, gardening and other non-essential activities. Those with access to borewell water can use it for such purposes,” she added.How much water you needAs per the manual of water supply and treatment published by Central Public Health and Environment Engineering Organisation under Union ministry of housing and urban affairs:In India, the benchmark standard for supply of domestic water is 135 litres per capita per day (LPCD) for cities with sewerage systemsTypical daily use of 135 LPCD includes drinking, cooking, bathing, toilet flushing, laundry, utensil washing and household cleaningIT’S REQUIRED FOR…Drinking and cooking: 5-10 litresBathing: 30-60 LToilet flushing: 20-40 LLaundry, utensils and cleaning: 30-50 L5 ways to saveUse only when necessaryAvoid using potable water for washing vehicles, driveways or pavements. Water plants early morning or evening to reduce evaporation and use watering can instead of hoseFix leaks immediatelyDripping tap can waste up to 20 litres a day and leaking flush tank can waste hundreds of litres. Regularly check taps, pipes and overhead tanks for leaksInstall aerators on tapsAerators can cut water consumption from taps by 30–60%. BWSSB data shows aerators save 10 crore litres of water daily in cityShorter showers & use bucketsA 10-minute shower consumes 60-100 litres of water. Take shorter showers or switch to a bucket for bathing to cut usage to 15-25 litresHarvest rainwater & reuse greywaterCollect rainwater from rooftops for gardening and groundwater recharge. Reuse water from washing vegetables, laundry rinse cycles or RO purifiers for cleaning and gardening
