(In Half 1 of this sequence, we mentioned a wide range of issues and options on a coverage stage about Bengaluru’s present water disaster, addressing points starting from state failure to reviving lakes, recharging the town’s groundwater, constructing open recharge wells, and utilizing handled wastewater as a real useful resource. Right here we’ll talk about what residents can do to assist!)

Regardless of problems with state capability and the necessity to recalibrate water coverage in Bengaluru, there’s a lot residents can do to mitigate the water shortage drawback.

Chatting with The Higher India, S Vishwanath, a civil engineer and concrete planner with greater than three many years of expertise within the water and sanitation sector, says, “If I do rainwater harvesting, devour much less water, recycle greywater, and ensure to minimise my demand, then there may be some quantity of water which I can save inside my entire zone. And the administration can switch a few of my zone’s water to a different which is dealing with shortage.”

For these residing within the affected space, particularly in condo complexes with 20 items or extra (which are mandated to have their wastewater remedy plant), Vishwanath believes that in the event that they ensure that their wastewater remedy crops are operating properly, then they’ll fulfil all their non-potable water necessities from these programs.

“If residents do rainwater harvesting properly, their borewells can have water. If the neighborhood works across the lakes of their neighbourhood, comes collectively, and makes positive that the lake is cleaned up and de-silted together with the State, then these water our bodies will be capable to obtain rainwater and recharge the aquifer. Within the meantime, the surplus water from their STPs which are properly handled may be led into these lakes in order that it recharges the aquifers. I consider these are all of the steps that residents need to take to guard the town’s water sources,” he recommends.

However what steps has he taken in his own residence to scale back water consumption?

“In addition to being aware of the quantity of water you devour, you may deploy applied sciences like aerators in your faucets or bathe heads. You ensure that the water you accumulate after cleansing your dishes is used to water your crops or the backyard that you’ve got,” he says.

“In my case, I make sure that all of the greywater is recycled. I make sure that to gather the wastewater from my washer and half-bucket bathtub water. I take advantage of eco-friendly soaps and detergents which wouldn’t have phosphates and phthalates. Because of this the wastewater from bathing or washing garments can be utilized for swabbing the ground, watering the terrace backyard, and cleansing the automobile. I’ve a dry compost bathroom which requires no water for the final 25 years. In fact, this may occasionally appear a bit excessive to some nevertheless it has labored for me,” he provides.

Vishwanath’s house additionally has rainwater harvesting programs which are working optimally.

“Regardless that the final rains within the metropolis have been in November, our 1,000-litre rain barrel nonetheless has sufficient water for our consuming and cooking wants until June. I’ve taken away crops which might have in any other case grown and left the backyard to be dry in order that when the rains come, I can restart my backyard. Proper now, I solely have drought-tolerant crops,” he shares.

“Additionally, I make sure that to make use of much less vitality (electrical energy). The much less vitality I take advantage of, the extra water you’re saving in some dam or thermal energy plant. It’s important to be aware of the vitality you employ and in regards to the meals you eat so that you don’t waste it. These are among the steps I’ve taken,” he explains.

‘How can I scale back my water consumption by 50%?’

One of many factors talked about by Vishwanath in decreasing his water consumption was the usage of aerators. It’s one of many easiest hacks you may undertake in your house to scale back water consumption.

So, The Higher India spoke to Shashidhara Kumaraswamy, the co-founder of EverythingECO, a Bengaluru-based startup addressing the challenges of water and waste administration. Among the many merchandise EverythingECO manufactures are aerators which you can connect to washroom or kitchen faucets and restrictors for bathe heads and well being taps.

“Karunaprasada Kanavi and I began EverythingECO with a imaginative and prescient in 2016 to convey sustainability to companies and houses, addressing the challenges of water and waste administration. Earlier than entering into enterprise, we checked out how folks and completely different companies have been utilizing water, what their day by day consumption ranges have been, and began considering of customised options required for every of them,” says Shashidhara.

When Shashidhara and his co-founder did an in depth audit on water consumption ranges throughout a number of places in Bengaluru, they discovered that every enterprise or residential unit has particular necessities primarily based on its utilization sample. In sure places, they discovered the stream charge measured in hand washing faucets to be round 15 to 16 litres per minute.

“Sometimes, we now have noticed that while you purchase faucets of ordinary fittings, their stream charge is between 14 to 18 litres per minute primarily based on water stress. Most fixtures offered commercially wouldn’t have any aerators. They arrive with filters to filter out the mud. These filters don’t do the job of water conservation, however solely make sure the laminar stream of water,” he informs.

Throughout this audit, they concluded that faucets for hand washing ought to by no means have a stream charge of greater than 3 litres per minute. Equally, for kitchens, they understood that individuals required a better stream charge however no more than 6 to eight litres per minute. “In a great situation, no faucet ought to have a stream charge of greater than 6 litres a minute,” explains Shashidhara.

“After we have a look at a number of use instances by way of hospitals, eating places, and bulk washing areas, their necessities are very completely different and never everybody can reside with spray faucets releasing 3 litres a minute. We began customized designs and options. Our firm does complete water audits for companies and gives options for various sizes of faucets, addressing various kinds of stream charges which are required, and implementing them end-to-end,” he provides.

Aerators manufactured by EverythingECO begin with stream charges (per minute) of 1 litre, 3 litres, 4 litres, and 6 litres. “Aerators with a stream charge of 0.5 and 1 litre per minute normally supply a mist-type stream. However for business and residential residences, this stream charge is simply too low to scrub arms. For hand wash faucets, our aerator which restricts stream charges to three litres a minute is well-liked throughout all sectors. Many individuals go for 3 litres a minute aerator for his or her kitchen faucets as properly, as a result of it successfully covers a bigger space for laundry utensils. If prospects need laminar stream of their kitchen faucets, then they go for 4 or 6 litres a minute aerators,” claims Shashidhara.

“Restrictors scale back the quantity of water that’s popping out from the pipes or the entry factors. You’ll be able to connect these restrictors to older sort faucets, well being taps and bathe heads and scale back the stream charge to anyplace between 6 to 9 litres a minute. Relying on the water stress of their bathe heads, folks can use restrictors to restrict the stream charge to six to 9 litres,” he provides.

Shashidhara notes that there are a few questions residents ought to reply if they’re severe about decreasing private water consumption.

1) What’s my day by day consumption and the place do I take advantage of my water?

In different phrases, how a lot water do I take advantage of for laundry my arms, bathing, shaving, brushing, washing garments and utensils, and so on?

2) Understanding why I take advantage of X quantity of water in a day.

For instance, if I’m utilizing 400 litres of water a day, do I want this a lot to reside properly? “Basic residing requires 3 litres of consuming, 5 litres of cooking (per day) and the remainder we’re washing and flushing down the drain,” he says.

3) How do I scale back my day by day water consumption by 50%?

“And then you definately implement options accessible together with aerators, restrictors, and utilizing low-flush bogs. Taking a shorter bathe helps save water in comparison with a 20-minute bathe. Attaching a restrictor with a stream charge of 6 litres to 7 litres per minute to an present bathe head will assist scale back water wastage by 50%,” he explains.

Having mentioned that, Shashidhara believes actual water financial savings come from a collective effort quite than anyone altering a single faucet.

“You additionally need to undertake a mechanism to scale back your utilisation. For instance, in the event you set up an aerator in your kitchen faucet, however you might be washing utensils for an extended interval, then you definately’re not decreasing water consumption. You could find yourself consuming extra water than earlier than. You must be cognizant of the way you’re going to make use of water and prohibit the quantity popping out from the faucets and bathe heads,” he provides.

“Within the metropolis, we now have 1 crore 40 lakh inhabitants, 150 litres of water consumption per particular person per day is required,” mentioned Bangalore Water Provide & Sewerage Board (BWSSB) chairperson Dr V Ram Prasath Manohar, in response to a information report on 13 March 2024.

Absolutely, we don’t have to make use of this a lot water on a given day and might discover methods to avoid wasting.

Standardisation of faucets

“One problem we now have noticed not too long ago is that numerous faucet designs are altering. This is a vital facet I need to spotlight,” explains Shashidhara.

“There’s a dire want for standardisation throughout the trade, builders, and Authorities on standardising fixtures backed by a score system for water conservation or effectivity. Except standardisation units in, new faucet designs will emerge and not one of the aerators might be suitable. When that occurs, stream charges return to 16 litres/minute,” he provides.

In line with The Hindu in April 2023, the Union Authorities was bringing in a star score system for water fixtures just like the rankings {of electrical} home equipment. “The brand new score system would have 3, 4 and 5-star water fixtures primarily based on their water effectivity and this score system would come below one umbrella referred to as Bharat Faucet,” the report mentioned.

“We’ve got now roped within the Indian Plumbing Affiliation and all producers to undertake and promote these requirements and herald water-efficient fixtures. Bharat Faucet is a collaborative effort which was formulated below AMRUT 2.0 to drive water effectivity, and this may be achieved provided that water retailers are environment friendly, be it sanitary fixtures or faucets,” mentioned D Thara, Further Secretary, MoHUA (Ministry of Housing and City Affairs) and Mission Director, AMRUT 2.0.

Since this report, nonetheless, there have been no information studies of this initiative’s progress.

Saving toilet-flushing water

In addition to attaching aerators and restrictors in your house, one other step you may take is to scale back the quantity of water you employ to flush bogs. In line with one estimate, the town is flushing out an unimaginable 486.5 million litres of water day by day. Folks can set up a low-flush bathroom, use non-potable handled water as an alternative of freshwater, or undertake hacks just like the one developed by Subburaman M — a septuagenarian and resident of Trichy, Tamil Nadu, who received a Padma Shri for enhancing sanitation in rural areas.

Subburaman is the founding father of the Society for Neighborhood Organisation and Folks’s Schooling (SCOPE) — a non-profit which has put in 1.2 lakh bogs throughout India. In 2020, he developed a easy answer in his house that enables greywater generated from washing arms for use for flushing the bathroom as an alternative of contemporary water.

Chatting with The Higher India in April 2021, he mentioned, “In the course of the lockdown interval, everybody began washing their arms typically to remain protected from coronavirus. Nevertheless, many didn’t take into consideration saving water whereas doing so. Some folks even preserve the water operating whereas lathering cleaning soap for 20 seconds. This results in large wastage. So I began to think about methods we might reuse this water,” says Subburaman, including that he was impressed by an image of a Japanese bathroom that had a washbasin built-in with a rest room.

What Subburaman did was buy a brand new wash basin and match it proper on prime of a Western-style bathroom. Nevertheless, he says that an outdated one may be eliminated and refitted too.

“The thought was to attach the basin to the bathroom’s flush tank. To take action, the exit pipe from the basin was inserted on prime of the flush tank via a gap. The reducing work was carried out with the assistance of a plumber,” mentioned Subburaman. As soon as the 2 have been fitted, they have been sealed in place, and the water connection was directed solely to the washbasin.

For the previous six months earlier than talking to The Higher India, he mentioned it was working completely and confronted no damages or leakages.

He even provided a five-step guide on how you are able to do the identical at your private home:

Step 1: With assist from a plumber, set up an outdated/new washbasin on the wall over the bathroom’s flush tank.

Step 2: Create a gap, as huge because the outlet pipe, on the flush tank.

Step 3: As soon as the washbasin is mounted, insert the outlet pipe into the flush tank.

Step 4: Direct the water provide to the washbasin and switch off the valve resulting in the bathroom.

Step 5: Open the faucet and let the water run for a couple of seconds to verify for any leakages.

It takes as much as three or 4 hand washes to refill the flush tank. To keep away from touching the faucet whereas washing arms, he additionally had a foot pedal put in which he says is optionally available.

Encouraging Bengaluru’s residents

There’s one factor the native administration — whether or not it’s the BBMP or the State Authorities — can do to encourage its residents to avoid wasting water as an alternative of constructing one other app. They’ll take inspiration from one of many many steps that the town of Cape City in South Africa took.

What did they do?

They printed an in depth water map of the town combining water utilization information with homes colour-coded primarily based on how a lot water every one was consuming. Solely these homes which hit water-consumption/saving targets set by the administration have been acknowledged. Metropolis directors knew which homes weren’t assembly their targets, however they created a map to not disgrace anybody however to recognise people who did meet their targets.

Because the City Sustainability Trade famous in a preferred case examine, “the Water Map skilled among the highest web site visitors ever skilled by a Metropolis of Cape City webpage.”

The examine went on so as to add, “It was extensively reported on within the native media and obtained a lot consideration on social media. The Water Map thus achieved substantial water conservation consciousness and is believed to have contributed to the dramatic reductions in home water use, which prevented the Metropolis from operating out of water, the so-called ‘Day Zero’.”

(Edited by Pranita Bhat; Photographs courtesy Shutterstock/WESTOCK Productions/MudaCom)