At a time when domestic water consumption is surging with a greater need for personal cleanliness due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the BWSSB has put two pumping stations on standby.
Officials of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have been assessing the gradual increase in domestic consumption with supplies to commercial and industrial units ceasing due to the lockdown.
“The overall consumption has remained nearly the same as, barring essential services and pharma industries, the demand from the commercial and industrial sector is almost nil. I have given strict instructions to officials to turn off the valve and suspend supply to malls, IT parks, theatres and other establishments that are not part of essential services,” BWSSB chairman Tushar Girinath said.
On average, the BWSSB supplies about 1,450 MLD of water that spikes by 50 to 100 MLD in summer.
Without dynamic feedback on the consumption pattern, the board goes by the assumption that the curfew would effectively cease all non-essential supplies.
But diverting the 100 MLD leftover water from the commercial to domestic sector is not as easy as it seems. The pipeline is limited in its capacity to carry water and diverting so much water at high pressure might end up damaging it, officials said.
Right now, the board is operating four pumping stations, with two kept on standby. “If the demand increases with the rising temperatures, we will make arrangements to provide additional water,” an official said.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks