BDA using recycled water for fountains and parks in city

BDA using recycled water for fountains and parks in city

The Hindu

New layouts to have recycling plants to reuse water for non-drinking purposes

# Water recycling plants at Lalbagh and Cubbon Park have a capacity of 1.5 million litres each
# BDA plans to use the treated water for Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain
# Agency trying to find to find a sponsor for the fountain

Bangalore: The Bangalore Development Authority has taken steps utilise more recycled water for public gardens and fountains maintained by it. The two water recycling plants commissioned by it at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens and Cubbon Park have a capacity of 1.5 million litres each and all the new BDA layouts will have recycling plants to reuse water for non-drinking purposes.For people coming from drought-prone regions such as north Karnataka, the way water is used in decorative fountains and parks comes as a surprise. Few realise that the water used is treated and recycled sewerage.

The BDA now plans to use the treated water from the recycling plant within the Raj Bhavan premises for the nearby Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain.

The recycled water will also be used for the garden around the fountain and the park where alternative energy sources are exhibited with working models. The musical fountain has colourful lighting that is synchronised with musical notes and the cascading waters of the fountain. In the normal course, the fountain would need several hundred litres of water each evening when it is on functional.

The wastewater recycling can be a good alternative to using potable water. It reduces the use of groundwater and reduces the discharge of wastewater into the system and prevent pollution to a large extent'' according to BDA Commissioner M.N. Vidyashankar.

The use of recycled water for the musical fountain comes as follow up to a communication to the BDA from the Deputy Director of Cubbon Park that recycled water from Raj Bhavan be provided for the fountain. The park itself periodically faces a shortage of water and this would help in keeping the musical fountain functioning on more days.

The BDA is trying to find to find a sponsor for the fountain after working out the cost for the pipeline from the Raj Bhavan to the fountain.

The BDA feels that recycled water can be used in more quantities for all non-drinking purposes as it would be both less expensive and spare more water for drinking.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, which now provides 860 million litres a day of drinking water to the city, agrees.

Unless by end of the decade, the city's quota of water from Cauvery is considerably increased, future needs of a growing population cannot be easily met, the Board says.