BWSSB wastes Cauvery water in jetting machine vehicles

While crying foul over not having many takers for their treated water, the BWSSB is now using fresh Cauvery water in their jetting machine vehicles, thereby wasting a precious resource.

Jetting machine vehicles are used when underground drainage pipelines get clogged. The machines are used to suck the dirt and at times, even flush water out in high pressure to remove the clog.

The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has about 142 jetting machine vehicles including 6 high-pressure recyclers and 25 new vehicles.

Though the BWSSB claims to be using treated water from four of their tertiary treatment plants, not all jetting machines are using treated water.

Tertiary treated water is available at Vrishabhavati valley – about 10 mld (million litres per day), Yelahanka – 10 mld, Cubbon Park – 4 mld and Lalbagh – 1.5 mld.

Roughly, even if 42 of the 142 vehicles are using treated water, the remaining 100 vehicles are using fresh Cauvery water. Each jetting machine vehicle with 4,000 litres capacity, is filled four times a day. So, about 400 kilolitres of water which could be supplied to 400 families is going down the drain.

However, a BWSSB official said there have been discussions in the Board on using only treated water in the jetting machines. According to him, considering the geography and availability of treated water, it is practically impossible to use only treated water.

The official further said that even if the jetting machines use treated water, the vehicles would have to travel long distances which will require more time.

The Board will have to spend more on the fuel than getting the water treated, he said.

At the moment, about 14 sewage treatment plants (STP) are treating about 650 mld of wastewater. Another 9 STPs are in the pipeline and if all the proposed STPs function, then the BWSSB can think of using only treated water in their jetting machine vehicles, the official added.