End water wastage, end water crisis
With the world observing Water Day on March 22, it is time to focus on people living in cities who waste thousands of litres of water everyday.;
Hyderabad: With the world observing Water Day on March 22, it is time to focus on people living in cities who waste thousands of litres of water everyday. Whether it’s leaving the tap running while brushing, washing cars with a pipe or overwatering plants, people unknowingly becoming a cause for a massive water crisis. If even a part of it is saved at home, the small effort could ease pressure on global water sources.
Every morning, as the city wakes up, millions of taps are turned on, water flowing freely into sinks, showers and onto the streets. Madhavi Rao, a resident of Banjara Hills, unknowingly wastes litres of water before even stepping out of her home. She starts her day with a long shower, leaving the water running as she shampoos her hair. In the kitchen, her house helps wash vegetables under a running tap.
None of these actions seem excessive. After all, this is just daily life. Madhavi’s home is not an exception. Madhavi’s household is just one of 13 lakh consumers that depend on water supplied by the HMWS&SB, which delivers nearly 1,800 million litres— 63.57 million cubic feet or 1.8 million cubic metres — of water daily to the city.
To put it in perspective, the Hussainsagar holds 28.6 million cubic metres of water, or one thousand million cubic feet of water. In 15 days, the HMWS&SB supplies water which is equivalent to the entire water that Hussainsagar holds at its full capacity.
With 95 per cent of the city’s water connections being domestic, each household receives an average of 15 kilolitres (KL) per month, while apartments and villas get around 9 KL each. Yet, according to the water board estimates, an average of 200 litres of water is wasted in every household every single day, adding up to the monthly wastage of a 6,000 litres or 40 per cent of total water supplied.
This wastage is not limited to high-rise apartments or gated communities. The water board noted that both slums and houses waste equal amounts of water, though the reasons may differ.
Everyday activities that seem small and harmless will lead to the wastage of thousands of liters of water from homes. In independent homes, water is often wasted through running taps, long showers, frequent car washes and leaking pipes.
According to the data provided by the sources, brushing with an open tap wastes around 6 litres per minute, which can add up to over 20,000 liters annually per household.
Cutting just two minutes of your shower can save 20-30 litres per session. That’s over 10,000 liters annually per person.
The leakages in homes can waste 15,000 litres per year, almost enough to supply a home for an entire month and fixing these leaks immediately can save so much water.
Using a hosepipe to wash a car consumes 300 liters per wash, while the bucket method reduces this to just 50 liters.
Watering plants in the afternoon leads to excessive evaporation, wasting more than half of the water used. Instead, water early in the morning or late in the evening to maximize absorption and reduce loss.
In high-rise apartments, a major cause of wastage is multiple flushes in modern toilets. Upgrading to low-flow flush tanks can reduce the water to just 3-4 litres, saving thousands of litres every year. Using full loads in washing machines instead of running them half empty can cut water consumption by up to 50 per cent.
Hyderabad’s water crisis isn’t just about shortages or mismanagement, it’s about how we use the water we already have. While large-scale solutions like rainwater harvesting and smart water metres are in the works, the first step starts at home. A single household may not seem to make a difference, but when millions of people commit to saving water, the impact is massive.
GRAPHIC POINTS
HOW MUCH WATER HYDERABADIS USE
Water Board delivers nearly 1,800 million litres or 1.8 million cubic metres of water daily to 13 lakh consumers in the city.
To put it in perspective, the Hussainsagar Lake holds 28.6 million cubic metres of water. In 15 days, the HMWSSB supplies water which is equivalent to the entire water that Hussainsagar Lake holds at its full capacity.
WASTED WATER
An average of 200 litres of water is wasted in every household every single day, adding up to the monthly wastage of a 6,000 litres or 40 per cent of total 15,000 litres water supplied.
SMALL EFFORTS, BIG RESULT
Brushing with an open tap wastes around 6 litres per minute, which can add up to over 20,000 liters annually per household.
Cutting just two minutes of your shower can save 20-30 litres per session. That’s over 10,000 liters annually per person.
Leakages in homes can waste 15,000 litres per year, almost enough to supply a home for an entire month
Using a hosepipe to wash a car consumes 300 liters per wash, while the bucket method reduces this to just 50 liters
In high-rise apartments, a major cause of wastage is multiple flushes in modern toilets. Upgrading to low-flow flush tanks can reduce the water to just 3-4 litres, saving thousands of litres every year.
Using full loads in washing machines instead of running them half empty can cut water consumption by up to 50%.