BENGALURU: In a bid to ensure that only treated water is used for construction activities across the city, BWSSB has decided to allow private players sell recycled water. A separate portal is being created with the assistance of National Informatics Centre that will cater only to treated water available with BWSSB and private players.
BWSSB Chairman Tushar Girinath told The New Indian Express, “There is a surplus of treated water at many apartments in the city. The water released by Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) is used for gardening and cleaning. It is hardly being released in the underground drainage network. By permitting them to sell this water for construction activities, apartment owners will receive remuneration as well as provide easy access to the required water.”
BWSSB will ensure it is regulated by issuing No Objection Certificates to sellers. “We will also fix the fares,” he said. The BWSSB presently supplies recycled water at Rs 15/kl for secondary treated water and Rs 20/kl for tertiary.
Girinath added, “However, supply of water through our tankers to a far-off location is not in the interest of BWSSB as well as the builder. The priority for our STPs is to supply water to neighbouring areas. We also have limited number of tankers, which might lead to a longer wait time. Hence, it would be easier to source water from a seller in their vicinity.”