Bengaluru’s ‘white water’ revolution: How apartments are powering IT parks and data centres

Advanced greywater treatment with a public-private partnership is helping industries with water while reducing freshwater dependence.

Bengaluru: Bengaluru is expanding rapidly, with water demand increasing. Industrial demand is also increasing rapidly as more data centres are being built in the city, which require high-quality water for cooling. The city cannot pump more water from the Cauvery, and the government is considering drawing water from other rivers.

However, the city has a lifeline: the greywater. In addition to the 34 sewage treatment plants (STPs) operated by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bengaluru has over 3,500 decentralised apartment STPs. However, apartments typically reuse only 20–30% of treated water for flushing and gardening. The remaining water is often illegally discharged into drains because transporting it elsewhere is costly.

This is where private players like Boson White Water come into the picture. Vikas Brahmavar, the director of Trans Water System Private Limited (Boson White Water), who was recognised as a DH Changemaker in 2024, says the company focuses on large-scale reuse of treated wastewater by upgrading STP-treated water to very high industrial-grade quality. 

Bozon installs its proprietary 11-stage treatment system within apartment complexes at its own cost after the formalities are completed. The system further treats STP water to “White Water” quality (TDS < 70 ppm, hardness < 20 ppm; meeting the highest industrial standards). The apartments incur no financial burden, comply with legal requirements, and Boson collects the water and sells it to nearby industries within a 4–5 km radius using leased tankers.

Currently, Bozon supplies about 12.36 lakh litres per day from apartment STPs. Over the past four years, the company has recycled over 111 crore litres of wastewater.

“To scale this model citywide, we partnered with BWSSB using a Rs 50 lakh grant from Titan. A pilot project at the Kadubeesanahalli STP (50 MLD) treats 70,000 litres per day of BWSSB’s treated water into high-quality reuse water, which is supplied to IT parks along the Outer Ring Road for cooling tower applications, in a data centre,” he explains.

Using White Water in cooling towers significantly reduces blowdown frequency, cuts chemical wastage, improves efficiency, and lowers freshwater demand—making it ideal for IT parks, data centres, and industrial cooling, explains Brahmavar.

The treatment system is patent-designed, uses advanced filtration materials, and is fully IoT-monitored for real-time quality and quantity tracking. While the water is technically potable, it is currently used for non-potable industrial purposes due to psychological and cultural barriers to acceptance, says Brahmavar.

Where is BWSSB’s treated water going?

A BWSSB official told DH that BWSSB is already supplying tertiary-treated water for non-potable use to several major consumers, including Bengaluru International Airport, Rail Wheel Factory, BEL, Indian Air Force, Arvind Mills, and Global Village. This water is sourced primarily from the Yelahanka STP and other BWSSB treatment plants and is intended for non-drinking uses.

In addition, small treatment plants operate within Cubbon Park (4 MLD) and Lalbagh (1.5 MLD), supplying water exclusively for horticulture and park maintenance. Treated water is also supplied to several prestigious locations, such as the Governor’s House, Vidhana Soudha, M S Building, Bangalore Golf Course, Race Course, Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain, and Kanteerava Cricket Stadium.

Bengaluru—especially East, West, and parts of South Bengaluru—faces acute summer water stress, despite improved sewerage coverage. To address this, the official says that BWSSB is expanding reuse infrastructure and working to reduce dependence on groundwater.

“BWSSB is encouraging more startups and private firms working in the water space, some using advanced technologies like nanofiltration, to enter the water reuse space to help meet the demand for clean water,” the official said.

Incidentally, BWSSB’s STPs have been recognised nationally: 23 STPs received a 5-star rating under the Jal Jeevan Mission / AMRUT scheme, followed by Rs 103.7 crore in incentives. Using this fund, BWSSB is setting up 2.5 MLD decentralised treatment units in South and East Bengaluru to increase local availability and reduce logistics and transport costs, the official said.

What is the water demand?

Demand for treated water—especially from IT parks along the Outer Ring Road—is strong, but exact demand projections are difficult to make, as many users still rely on groundwater, said the BWSSB official. 

In the Bengaluru Urban Water Balance Report by WELL Labs, researchers estimated industrial water use at approximately 240 million litres per day (MLD) in 2015, based on sectoral water accounting. This figure serves as a baseline against which later demand growth can be compared.

The same study projected that, if sectoral shares remained constant as the city grew, industrial demand could reach approximately 441 MLD by 2021, indicating a near doubling of industrial water requirements over about six years as population and economic activity expanded.

Various estimates indicate that the industrial sector continues to account for roughly 17% of overall water demand. A projection based on BWSSB planning indicates total city water requirement could rise to 2,900 MLD by 2031, driven by population growth and higher per capita use. Using the same sector share assumption, industrial demand by 2031 would be around 493 MLD. 

This is only an estimation, not the actual projected demand. The BWSSB is encouraging industries and IT parks to use treated water for non-potable uses, which account for 85-90% of total water demand. The official says adoption is increasing, citing examples such as Wipro’s use of zero-bacteria-treated water from Agaram Lake.

A major challenge to the use of treated water is public perception and trust in its quality, according to Brahmavar and the official. People are uncomfortable due to past experiences, staining, high TDS, and inconsistent quality. In residential apartments, zero-liquid-discharge systems are unpopular because treated water can cause staining and affect aesthetics, reducing flat sales. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is perceived as weak in monitoring private STPs for water quality, but officials refrain from commenting on this.

The official says that policy-level solutions are being discussed, including mandatory dual plumbing systems and better quality standards. Another proposal under consideration is allowing well-maintained apartment STPs to discharge excess treated water into nearby lakes, especially during summer, to support lake rejuvenation—though this has not yet been implemented.

Small industries unhappy

S S Hussain, General Secretary of Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA), says that small-scale industries have a big problem when it comes to BWSSB’s water prices. “There is no regulatory authority for water prices. It is managed completely by the board. Whatever subsidies they provide to residential consumers, they collect from industries. We are charged Rs 110 for 1000 litres of water, which is very expensive,” he adds.

For household consumption, they have various slabs starting from Rs 7 to Rs 8 per 1000 litres, while industries are charged Rs 110 from the first 1000 litres,” he explains.

He says there is no issue with water availability, but only with pricing. However, he says BWSSB has not been able to persuade small industries, particularly in small clusters, to use treated water.

“I have checked the quality of treated water in the past and am not convinced that it is clean enough to use. BWSSB keeps saying that they will make industries use treated water, but not enough confidence-building measures have been taken up,” he adds. 

Separate pipelines for supplying treated water were planned for the Peenya Industrial area, but have not yet been laid, and no one has any idea of the plans, he says. He is also unaware of private, high-quality treated water suppliers.