Better access means more water consumption in city

The Urban Development Department believes 135 litres of water per person a day is an acceptable limit for water consumption. But Bengaluru residents are consuming a much higher volume of water daily.

Individual consumption in several areas in the city has been averaging over 200 litres. Experts attribute proximity to the storage area, better access and economic strata as factors influencing water consumption. A R Shivakumar, Principal Scientific Officer, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology said that on an average, an individual might require about 96 litres of water for domestic consumption daily.

“The supply of water differs in various parts of the city. While some have supply every alternate day, other areas get it only once in three days,” he said.

He added that those living close to reservoirs or pumping stations have a better water supply.

According to Shivakumar the rise in the number of multi-storey buildings could also be a contributor. “What was once a single house could now have several floors but only one water connection. This could also reflect as high consumption,” he said adding that one must also take into account, consumption of water from other sources.

Dr Kemparamaiah, Chief Engineer, BWSSB said that the disparity in water consumption could be dependent on several factors. “They might not have sought a BWSSB connection. Some of them have old pipes and with some it could be case-specific issues,” he said.

He said that Bengaluru’s water consumption was unlike other cities including Singapore, Delhi or Hyderabad. “Some of them have access to bore wells while multi-storey buildings get water from tankers,” he added.