Treated water sales up in Bengaluru, but not yet at summer levels
Bengaluru's water board is seeing an increase in treated water sales following a ban on potable water for non-drinking purposes. However, adoption remains slower than expected, with the board issuing hundreds of violation notices to enforce compliance.
Why it matters
This highlights the challenges of urban water management and the difficulty of shifting industrial and construction sectors toward sustainable water practices during climate-induced shortages.
Amid a deficient monsoon this year due to the El Niño effect, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on July 5 banned the use of potable water for non-drinking purposes and mandated the use of treated water instead. Though the sale of treated water has increased sharply since then, it is yet to reach the summer levels seen earlier this year, indicating slow implementation of the BWSSB’s norms on the ground.
The sale of treated water rose by 80%, from 31.68 lakh litres in June to 57.32 lakh litres in July. However, this remained 42% lower than the 1.05 crore litres sold through tankers in April this year.
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