BWSSB to recycle water

BWSSB to recycle water: "The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will undertake a project to promote use of recycled water for drinking purposes in the city.

The project will be implemented in phases with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) agreeing to fund 35 per cent of the project cost (Rs 472 crore).

The project has been proposed as the demand for water has already reached 1.2 billion litres per day (BLD) as against the availability of 930 million litres per day (MLD) in Bangalore. Besides, the city�s water resources are dwindling with the population crossing the 7 million mark.

According to a release from BWSSB, the JNNURM Central Screening Committee, which met in New-Delhi last week, accorded sanction for the project.

The remaining 65 per cent of the project cost will be funded by the state government and it includes a loan component from Japan Bank of International Co-operation.

The BWSSB will collect used water in Visvesvaraya Valley. �The water will undergo tertiary treatment, ultra filtration and membrane process. The BWSSB will augment 135 million litres of water per day from this process. The project will be completed by 2010-11,� the BWSSB said.

The BWSSB is working on various projects to meet the growing demand for water in the City. By 2025, the demand for water in the city is likely to go up to 2.2 BLD.

BWSSB draws water from Tippagondanahalli reservoir (148 MLD) and Cauvery river (810 MLD). The Cauvery river cannot meet the requirements of the growing city.

This has forced BWSSB to restrict domestic water supply to alternate days.

The water shortage is aggravated by a huge share of water being unaccounted for � as high as 38 per cent � due to illegal tapping and leakage. Therefore, the actual supply of water to consumers is approximately 530 MLD. In addition, the ground water draft (through borewell and open wells) in the city is estimated at 750 MLD.

At present, the agency supplies recycled water containing �biological oxygen demand� (BOD) between 20 per cent and 30 per cent (considered fit for washing, gardening and industrial purposes) to major industries around the city.

Similarly, it is working out a plan with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) for laying separate pipelines to supply both drinking and recycled water under the dual water supply policy in new residential townships like Visvesvaraya Layout and Arkavathy Layout.

The agency is expecting more funding from the JNNURM, which has already sanctioned Rs 404 crore to the BWSSB for seven different projects.

They include replacement and rehabilitation of existing sewerage system in Bangalore - Rs 176.75 crore; augmentation of drinking water from Cauvery Water Supply Scheme (CWSS) Stage-4 Phase-1 - Rs 12.26 crore; bulk flow metering and monitoring system in Bangalore - Rs 15.31 crores; underground drainage facilities and road restoration in Kengeri - Rs 18.76 crore; Yelahanka - Rs 15 crore; Rajarajeshwarinagar - Rs 41 crore and Byatarayanapura - Rs 125 crore."