60k to 60L litres: In Bengaluru, it's boom time for treated water

Bengaluru: The demand for treated water in Bengaluru has gone up exponentially after the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) banned the use of Cauvery water and borewell water for construction and other tertiary purposes.

Earlier, the BWSSB was selling 60,000 litres of treated water per day; now, it is supplying up to 60 lakh litres per day (6 MLD).

The development, senior BWSSB officials said, has helped them divert water to areas where there is an acute shortage. 

“Use of treated water for non-potable purposes is the way ahead. Earlier, the awareness was low. Now, by making the process easier and creating awareness among stakeholders, the demand has gone up significantly. This has reduced the dependency on Cauvery water and borewells,” BWSSB Chairman Dr Ramprasat Manohar V told DH. 

While most of the demand at present is from the construction sector, the BWSSB is also urging IT industries and commercial establishments to make the switch since Bengaluru produces close to 1,200 MLD of treated water.

Senior officials also noted that many bulk consumers had started to better utilise the treated water produced from their in-house STPs. 

“Now that we have cut down their supply by 20 per cent, they are realising the value of treated water and are making better utilisation. This change in mindset is important to reduce the burden on Cauvery water,” the official said.   

As of now, BWSSB is supplying treated water through tankers; in the coming days, to ensure a constant supply, the board is also planning to lay a separate treated water pipeline to industrial areas where the demand could be high.

Sources in BWSSB said that many bulk users are also demanding a piped supply of treated water and demand is only going to go up in the coming days.  

Apart from supplying treated water from its STPs, the BWSSB is also facilitating the sale of treated water by apartment complexes.