BWSSB mulls discounts for high-volume users seeking more treated water

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is thinking about offering discounts to high-volume consumers using treated water for non-potable purposes to encourage its usage.

The BWSSB's ban on using Cauvery and borewell water for activities like construction, gardening and car washing has triggered demand for treated water. The board has noticed a surge in requests, with 127 out of 714 high-volume users (consuming over 10 lakh liters monthly) seeking treated water.

"To encourage the use of treated water, we can give a discount to industries and construction companies that use large amounts of such water. We will present the idea before the board and decide on it,” BWSSB chairman Ramprasat Manohar V said.

Manohar believes that the use of treated water will help bring down the demand for Cauvery water, besides also acting as a revenue source for the BWSSB. 

"The city produces close to 1,200 MLD of treated water. We should make the best use of it. However, there is a need to create a mindset change among people. We we are planning to hold awareness campaigns and similar programmes to reach out to citizens, industries, and commercial establishments,” he said.

2.86 lakh aerators installed

The BWSSB has reported that nearly 67 per cent (481 out of 714) of high-volume users (over 10 lakh litres monthly) have complied with the aerator mandate.

Responding to Bengaluru's water crisis, the BWSSB implemented mandatory tap aerators in apartments, restaurants, offices, and businesses on March 20. This initiative has led to the installation of approximately 2.86 lakh aerators citywide. Designed to enhance water pressure perception, these devices can reduce consumption by 60-85 per cent, the BWSSB said.

Drilling borewells in East B'luru

Amid an acute water scarcity in the East, BWSSB boss Ramprasat Manohar V instructed officials to increase borewell drilling in the region.

In the past month, the BWSSB has drilled nearly 30 borewells in the East. Now, Manohar has directed officials to drill an additional 20 borewells. In response to complaints about defunct borewells, the chairman has also instructed officials to rejuvenate as many borewells as possible.