Apartments can now sell 50% of treated water from STPs
Bangalore Apartments’ Federation is in talks with CREDAI Bengaluru to sell excess treated water to construction projects, and also with the BWSSB to fill lakes
The State government has for the first time allowed treated water from localised sewage treatment plants (STPs) inside apartment complexes and gated communities to be sold on a commercial basis.
On March 22, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) issued an order allowing residential communities to sell 50% of treated STP water on a commercial basis. The water has to be compliant with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) standards, and can be used for any purpose, except in food and medicine industries.
This move comes amidst the board banning the use of potable water for nonessential purposes, mandating the use of treated water for construction and other purposes.
Presently, the rule mandates that all apartments with over 20 flats built after 2016 should have an STP. According to a study by the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF), there are over 3,500 STPs in residential communities, which add up to 720 million litres per day (MLD) capacity to treat sewage every day. “After using treated water for flushing and gardening within the communities, our estimates suggest that at least 300 MLD are being wasted, and can now be used effectively,” said Satish Mallya, vicepresident, BAF.
Earlier, there was a zero discharge policy. A big part of treated water was wasted by being let into stormwater drains (SWDs), where it mixed with untreated sewage before entering nearby lakes. “To prevent this, the BAF had been lobbying political parties to allow us to take the treated water out of our communities. It found a mention in the Congress manifesto for the 2023 Assembly polls. Given that the party came to power, we had been pushing for the same,” Mr. Mallya said.
The BAF is holding talks with the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) Bengaluru to see if they will buy the excess treated water from residential communities.
The BWSSB has banned the use of potable water for construction, and has also issued an order commandeering all borewells at construction sites. However, several builders complain that STPs of the BWSSB — 36 of them — are far. The logistics of fetching treated water are challenging. In this context, the BAF hopes the 3,500 STPs can come in handy for construction projects.
While the BWSSB sells one kilolitre of treated water for ₹10, the BAF is yet to decide on a price.
V. Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, BWSSB, said the board will partner with the BAF, and will facilitate the process of sale of treated water. “Presently, the best use for treated water from residential communities is to supply it to construction projects nearby. We will facilitate this,” he said.
The BWSSB and the BAF are in talks over using treated water to fill lakes. “We won’t be able to pay for the treated water. But the BAF is ready to provide it for free. The details are being worked out,” Mr. Manohar said.