Woman on a mission to reduce water wastage

Lalithamba has installed water aerators in about 150 establishments

Lalithamba Vishwanathaiah, a 48-year-old woman from HSR Layout, has saved over 18 lakh litres of water using just a simple hack. She has achieved this feat by using something as simple as water aerators and water flow restrictors.

“Our taps waste a lot of water. Especially in schools and hotels, where a large number of people are washing their hands. On average, the water flow is 10-15 litres per minute in such places. Old taps can even go up to 25 litres,” explains Lalithamba, who aims to educate people on easy ways of saving water.

Water wastage at a government school in her locality inspired her to address the issue.

“These kids not only wash their hands but their plates too. They stand in a queue and do it in one go. Hence the tap is continuously on, which leads to a lot of water wastage,” she says.

A water aerator, which costs approximately between Rs 100 to Rs 150, can help cut down water wastage by three times as it brings down the water flow by 40%, she claims.

“The aerator is a small attachment which you add to the end of the tap. It brings down the water flow to 4 to 6 litres per minute,” she adds.

Since March, Lalithamba has installed water aerators in approximately 150 establishments, including schools, apartment complexes, hospitals and convention halls.

“I want to team up with various NGOs and organisations that can help in this initiative and take up the work on a larger scale,” she tells Metrolife.

Lately, Lalithamba has teamed up with local green start-up Everything Eco to spread awareness about water wastage.

“I have a bunch of aerators that I carry with me on a daily basis. When I see an establishment where water is being wasted, like a restaurant or a hospital, I try to pass on some information about the benefits of using an aerator and with their permission, install it at one of the taps. Post that it is up to them if they want to take it forward,” she
says.

She says further, “We need to take our water consumption seriously. Each drop can help save a life. It’s about time we start to care for our future generations. It is up to citizens to step up and solve this issue.”