As summer starts kicking in, the strong likelihood of a critical water shortage in Bengaluru is again making headlines. A recent report by BWSSB and Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) reported 80 wards that will face severe water crisis and scarcity this summer and recommended switching to Cauvery connections, as groundwater is depleting at a faster rate. 

With back-to-back government orders on groundwater extraction and restrictions on water usage, the administration is scrambling to manage the crisis. Citizens, too, are acutely aware of the looming scarcity — many have already begun cutting down usage, and seeking alternative sources to brace for the months ahead.

One recent order from the BWSSB prohibited the use of drinking water for non-potable uses such as gardening, cleaning vehicles, constructions, fountains and other entertainment purposes, road cleaning, etc,. A fine of rupees 5000 will be imposed on cases of violation. And an additional fine of rupees 500 per day will be imposed for repeated violations. While the prohibitions are part of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1964, the fines are being imposed to reduce water stress in the summer.

The need for an accessible alternative source

While the rationale behind such an order is easy to grasp, it is important to address the confusion many citizens have, and identify sufficient alternative sources to meet non-potable water needs. Sanath Kumar, chief engineer at BWSSB, says that the restrictions are only for drinking water from Cauvery connections. Thus groundwater could be an alternative source. But, a recent study by BWSSB and IISc found that groundwater too is being rapidly depleted and recommended reducing groundwater extraction.

A reliable and feasible alternative source is important to ensure seamless supply for the non-potable uses. While treated water from Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) can be a real game changer, this is not a feasible solution for apartments without STPs or for individual houses that do not have STPs. 

Only one in five homes have rainwater harvesting (RWH). Also, some people like Jayakumar Gopalan, a resident of Koramangala have RWH tanks, but not the pipelines needed to use this RWH water for car washing and other purposes. Stored rainwater is only used for landscaping purposes.

Read more: Cauvery index insights: Bengaluru’s peripheries and some central areas face water challenges

Challenges in using STP water

Sanath Kumar suggests buying treated water from BWSSB. As per details provided by BWSSB, in the month of February this year, it sold a total of 163.28 million litres of treated water and collected Rs. 59,28,839 as charges for this. He also recommends that individual houses and small apartments should install dual pipings to facilitate the use of STP water.

But as per the options on the site, one needs to buy a minimum of 6000 litres of treated water from BWSSB. If a household does not have such storage capacities, the excess water poses another challenge. 

“We need more active uptake of treated water in the city, and we have to come up with strategies for wastewater reuse in the city for non potable purposes, especially right now,” says Shashank Palur, senior hydrologist at WELL Labs. . But clearly for that to happen, the required infrastructure also needs to be in place.

“In individual households, the grey water from non-toilet sources can be used for landscaping and flushing, but the lack of infrastructure to segregate grey water is a major issue. The problem lies in the infrastructure,” says Shashank. “Apartments can supply excess STP water to the nearby individual houses. But new pipelines and tanks need to be laid; who will bear the charges?” he asks.

“It is difficult for independent houses to follow the restriction to not use drinking water for non-potable purposes as we do not have STPs,” says Vijay, a resident of HSR layout. For him it is practically not feasible to get dual piping and tanks to store and use STP water. “However we are trying to follow the government orders by coming up with alternative solutions,” he said.

Some apartments have excess STP water that is not being used properly. “We use the STP water for flushing and landscaping, but we still have an excess of treated water that is actually useless. This excess water can be used for construction works, but we don’t know of any mechanism to sell the excess STP water to parties that may be in need of the same,” said Freesto Francis, a resident of Carmelaram.

The mindset of people towards using treated water is also a major challenge. People in Freesto’s apartment do not use STP water for cleaning the corridors as they think STP water is not clean enough for that.

Read more: Six reasons why Bengaluru apartments are not reusing their wastewater

Water conservation in commercial buildings and construction sites

Civic volunteer Lalithamba also points out that regulations to conserve water in commercial buildings have not been strictly enforced. Last year around the same time, BWSSB had mandated the installation of aerators in all mass water consuming commercial buildings — malls, government buildings, star hotels and public places of religious worship. However this has not been strictly implemented and aerators have been installed at very few places, she noted.

Even when we were on the field, we noted that some construction projects in the city were utilising groundwater. We asked BWSSB about the fines collected so far and instances where citizens were charged for such violations, but details were not available.

“The onus should be on the construction sites to use treated water. Construction activities hit a peak during summer, as construction is typically avoided during rainy seasons”, Shashank points out. 

Sachin Tiwale, a fellow at Water and Society, ATREE, feels sustainable access to and use of groundwater can provide an alternative source, if managed properly. “The idea is to delink land ownership from groundwater ownership and recognise groundwater as a common property resource shared by all. In Bengaluru, where citizens heavily depend on groundwater, this shift is essential for ensuring fair and sustainable use. Groundwater sources must be extensively studied and monitored, similar to the management of surface water sources such as dams,” he says.

Sachin further explains that this task would involve delineating aquifer boundaries, identifying recharge and discharge areas, and systematically measuring and monitoring aquifer water levels and quality across the city. “Moving beyond surface water management, the BWSSB needs to be engaged in mapping, monitoring and regulating groundwater within its jurisdiction to ensure the integrated and sustainable management of both surface and groundwater resources,” he added.

Call for collective action

Lalithamba and Sathish Mallya, vice president of Bangalore Apartment Federation, suggest that fighting the water crisis will only be possible if there is a collective action with citizen’s involvement. 

“Apartments should think positively, and act accordingly as water crisis is going to be a reality every summer. People should get more involved and the quality of the treated water should be made better—using effective technology, so that we can reuse it effectively,” says Sathish. 

“It is true that for apartments without STPs, treated water reuse is a challenge because of the difficulties in buying STP water from BWSSB and storing it; however simple measures like using RO reject water and fitting aerators in taps could be a great way to conserve water,” says Lalithamba.

Read more: Compulsory Cauvery connections won’t solve Bengaluru water crisis: Citizens, experts

Citizens’ efforts to conserve water

Despite the challenges, many citizens are in fact trying their best to conserve water. Talking to some people helped us understand some of the ways in which they are preparing for summer scarcity. 

“The spirit of the government order — that one should be mindful of water usage — should be welcomed. Using excess water for car washing and washing the lawns should be avoided. This spirit is enough to follow this order,” said Vishwanath Srikantaiah, water conservation expert. 

Using RO reject water for washing floors and watering plants, aerators to reduce water flow, dusting the car instead of washing it or just using half a bucket of water are some of the ways in which citizens are trying to conserve water. “We use RO reject water for watering plants, which we can’t use for cars as it will leave stains. So instead of washing the car, we just wipe it with very little water and we mostly dust it off,” said Vijay.

But despite the seriousness among citizens to address water scarcity, their piecemeal efforts to conserve water may not be enough, unless infrastructure and implementation gaps are addressed urgently.

Also read

• Water crisis 2024: Bengaluru parched, but cities across India struggling too
• Water management: What Bengaluru can learn from towns like Devanahalli