Taking a cue from Singapore, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants to create an alternative source of water, which can be used for non-potable use. For this, the civic body has decided to appoint a consultant, who will suggest various ways to treat and recycle grey water.
According to the data available with BMC, of the 90 litres supplied per day to each person, more than 60 litres is used for non-potable purposes such as washing, cleaning, gardening, while the rest is used for drinking and cooking.
The water charges in the city are one of the cheapest in the country with `3 per 1,000 litres for slums and `4 per 1,000 litres for residential societies.
“The BMC spends a lot of money in treating the water and provides it at cheaper rates. But this drinking water is being wasted for other purposes. We want to ban using of treated water for non-potable use, but due to the lack of options, we cannot implement it,” said a senior civic official.
Additional municipal commissioner Rajiv Jalota said, “Instead of big-capacity plants, the BMC has decided to set up small satellite sewage treatment plants. Water treated here can be used for washing cars, gardening in nearby areas. The first plant is proposed at Banganga, Malabar Hill.”
The BMC has also decided to seek guidance from the Mumbai Transformation Support Unit (MTSU) in this regard.
The plans are based on the lines of Singapore-based Public Utility Board (PUB).