'Use treated water, save money'

BWSSB to set up 20 sewerage treatment plants across the City

Want to save on the monthly water bill? Then use treated water for all your non-potable purposes from the BWSSB.
The BWSSB has decided to supply treated water in all areas at 50 per cent of the cost of drinking water that is being supplied now. Treated water supply will begin within six months, Bangalore Water Supply Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu told reporters on Friday.
The BWSSB will set up 20 sewerage treatment plants across Bangalore. Used water will be treated in these plants, and will be transferred to storage points to be set up at all 198 wards of BBMP. The plan is to supply 700 million litres of treated water every day, he added.
Bangalore is presently getting 850 million litre of water every day from the river Cauvery. But the demand for water is around 1,200 MLD. Additional 500 MLD water will come only after the completion of the Cauvery IV Stage, Phase I project, which has commenced only recently.
 “If people start using treated water for non-drinking purposes like washing vehicles, clothes and house construction and others, the demand for water will come down,” the minister explained.
Rejuvenation
The BWSSB and the State Water Resources Department have embarked on an ambitious project to rejuvenate Arkavathy river, which is almost non-existent now. A joint survey of the river course has already been taken up, the minister said.
The river, which used to originate at Nandi hills, would finally reach Thippagondana Halli reservoir after traversing for 40 km. But due to rampant encroachment and pollution of the river banks, it has vanished. The survey will not only identify the natural course of the river, but encroachments also. Stringent action will be taken against those who have encroached upon the river bank, Naidu said.
Naidu said all concerned Government agencies like BMRDA, BWSSB, Department of Mines and Geology, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and others have been directed to remove encroachments along the river course.
Thippagondana Halli reservoir was in fact one of the major drinking water sources for Bangalore till recently. The City used to get around 150 MLD of water till 2004. But the water level at the reservoir has depleted considerably in the last few years. “After rejuvenating the Arkavathy river, we expect to get 2,000 million cubic feet of water from the reservoir,” the minister said.
Both Naidu and Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai will conduct the inspection of the river course on June 27.
50 tmcft from Cauvery
Katta Subramanya Naidu said the State government in the special leave petition filed before the Supreme Court challenging the final award of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal, has demanded 50 tmcft of water to Bangalore. The final award had fixed only 17 tmcft water to Bangalore. It is not sufficient, he said.