It’s a small step to save water - the most precious resource we have - but corporates are definitely showing the way forward as tech giant Infosys, after Wipro, will get four lakh litres of zero-bacteria water a day, say Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) sources.
The Karnataka capital, which faced severe water crisis last month because of a failed northeast monsoon, inadequate supply from Cauvery river and drying up of water resources, is exploring ways to reduce dependency on fresh water supply.
Wipro is getting a three-lakh litre treated water supply every day via tankers, Arvind Mills has committed to two lakh litres a day and Channabasappa Construction one lakh litres.
Giving details, BWSSB chairman V Ram Prasath Manohar said, “I just had a meeting with Ecospace Tech Park and IMZ Ecoworld, they too have expressed interest. The movement is slowly picking pace.
Promoting reuse of greywater is important, said Manohar, as water demand in Bengaluru is projected to cross 5,340 million litres per day (MLD) by 2030.
The companies benefit as they get water for their non-potable needs at a substantially reduced cost, he said.
"Now they spend Rs 125 for 1,000 litres, while treated water is available for Rs 20 to Rs 30 per 1,000 litres. Plus, they can claim that they are using sustainable measures to achieve water security," the BWSSB chairman added.
Right now, demand exceeds 2,100 MLD of which BWSSB supplies 1,470 MLD from the Cauvery River and the rest comes through borewells and water tank delivery.
"But treated water is always available. Promoting its reuse will bring down pressure on Cauvery," Manohar told PTI.
However, very little greywater is used. “In effect it’s literally just a drop in the ocean of sewage water,” Manohar says as BWSSB is reusing only about 10 MLD of the 1,200 MLD is producing.
"But we need to start somewhere," he said.
Greywater includes water used in homes, offices or industries, including leftover, untreated water generated from washing machines and bathroom sinks, except used water from toilets.
Going by BWSSB’s ‘Vision Document 2050,’ the Board hopes to convince people to even drink reused water, by using advanced treatment technologies to produce high-quality water that exceeds drinking water standards.
But as of now it’s still a pipe dream, mostly because people find it disgusting to even think about drinking what was once sewage.
Big companies using reused water will send a positive message and will eventually bring about a behavioural change in people.
"From macro-level or industrial usage, it will eventually percolate to micro-level or private consumption," Manohar added.
In its 2021 study on public perception of reuse of greywater or treated water, ‘Recycled water reuse: what factors affect public acceptance,’ Cambridge University concludeds that identifying the groups with the potential to influence outcomes is critical in promoting reuse of water.
BWSSB seemed to have found its ‘groups with potential to influence’ in big tech parks and multinational companies.
"This is a win-win situation, in the shorter term too. After spending money to treat water, letting it into drains is an economical waste. Now, with these companies coming forward, BWSSB could make some money out of it, which in turn could be used for future projects," Manohar said.
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