Water Woes Unfold: Bengaluru's Hospitals Face the Brunt of Urban Thirst
By Arunima Rajan
Water Woes in Garden City: Arunima Rajan Uncovers the Impact of Bengaluru’s Severe Water Shortage on Hospitals
Bengaluru, hailed as a haven for IT professionals due to its favourable climate and cost-effective living, is currently facing a dire water crisis. This scarcity has not only affected residential areas but has also put significant strain on the city's healthcare facilities. Hospitals in Bengaluru are grappling with the challenge of meeting their daily water needs, relying heavily on water tankers as borewells run dry, particularly in the outskirts. The city's rapid urbanisation, marked by unchecked construction and the deterioration of water bodies, is largely to blame for this predicament. This situation has underscored the urgent need for sustainable water management and conservation strategies in the city.
Shashank Palur is a hydrologist associated with Well Labs.“Bangalore's daily water demand stands at 2600 million litres, with the Cauvery River contributing 1460 million litres, much of which is unfortunately lost due to leaks. The remaining needs are met through groundwater extraction. Notably, the city's outskirts are expanding more rapidly than the central areas, leading to a heavier reliance on groundwater. This situation has been exacerbated post-COVID-19, with a return to the city increasing groundwater pressure, coupled with decreased rainfall hindering natural recharge. The water crisis is more acute in the city's peripheries, lacking BWSSB connections, thus prioritising drinking water is essential. Despite the distance and elevation challenges, Cauvery water remains a primary source for Bangalore. The BWSSB is proactively addressing the leakages issue, although it's a resource-intensive task. With Bangalore being a significant economic hub, it is vital to maintain water supply continuity, driving the implementation of strategies like treated water usage. The current crisis underscores the need for proactive measures, especially with the erratic pattern of rainfall and the limited capacity of rainwater harvesting systems. Our city's 183 lakes, if properly maintained, can serve as essential recharge zones and help mitigate flooding. With about 80% of sewage being treated, leveraging this resource efficiently could significantly alleviate water scarcity,"explains Palur.
Source:https://welllabs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Jan-2024_WELL-Labs-Bengaluru-Urban-Water-Balance-Report.pdf
Financial Strain from Water Costs
Ravi Babu Koppala is the Chief Administrative Officer at Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre.
"The water shortage has severely impacted Vydehi Institute, as we lack a direct BWSSB connection and depend heavily on borewells and water tankers. Only 30% of our water needs are met by borewells, with the rest relying on tankers. Unfortunately, our contracts with tanker services were not honoured, escalating costs from ₹80 to ₹120 per kilolitre. This has significantly driven up our operational expenses since we require around 10 lakh litres of water daily. Our situation worsened when tankers, which fetch water from distant villages due to local scarcity, went on strike, putting immense pressure on our facility. As a 1600-bed multi-specialty hospital with various institutions and residential staff on campus, managing water has become as critical as managing oxygen was during the COVID-19 pandemic. We're now engaging with external consultants to optimise water use and considering constructing a pond on campus to mitigate these challenges,"says Koppala.
Praveen Wali, Deputy General Manager-General Administration at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, says, "Previously, our water supply relied on three sources: BWSSB, tankers, and our borewell. Our borewell has unfortunately run dry, necessitating a shift to using 25 water tankers daily to meet our requirement of 200/225 kiloliters. It's an unprecedented situation for hospitals here in Bangalore. However, our hospital's day-to-day operations remain unaffected by the city's water crisis, thanks to our rigorous risk mitigation strategies. We conduct regular water audits, repurpose STP water for non-clinical use, and employ aerators among other measures to efficiently manage our water consumption."
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Restore
Can Indian hospitals learn from global best practices in water conservation to manage their resources amid increasing water scarcity? Brendon Marks, CEO of Capture H2O, a water conservation provider for Fortune 500 Companies, points out that in the circular water economy, they use the "5 R's" to communicate the opportunities for water conservation: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Restore. “The low hanging fruit starts with Reduce and many of these options have been utilised thousands of times throughout the world. These include low flow toilets and metered irrigation systems.Water used for comfort cooling is a significant consumer of water in the hospital systems that is often overlooked. This is an area that can utilise the reduce, reuse and recycle concepts and lower water consumption considerably,” he explains.
But how should Indian hospital leaders plan and invest in water conservation technologies to ensure sustainable operations in the future? Marks notes that hospital systems need to balance three factors: current and future economic benefits, facility resiliency and water quality and health and safety concerns, not always in this order. Water conservation is a major concern but also will lead to a long term economic benefit.
“Much of the design and testing phase has already been done in the US. We've already made the mistakes and learned from them in many instances. Lean on that learning so that money isn't wasted,”adds Marks.
Water Audits
“Addressing the water shortage issue in hospitals necessitates a multifaceted approach that combines practical measures with novel solutions. One practical step hospitals can take is conducting regular audits of their water usage to identify areas of inefficiency and leaks. This proactive approach enables them to identify specific areas where water is being wasted and take corrective action quickly. Plus, installing efficient plumbing fixtures such as low-flow faucets, toilets, and showers can significantly reduce water consumption while maintaining hygiene standards,”says Matt Little, an entrepreneur.
Water Recycling and Reuse System
Little points out that another practical measure hospitals can take is to install water recycling and reuse systems. Advanced water recycling technologies, such as greywater recycling and rainwater harvesting, can help hospitals reduce their reliance on freshwater for non-potable purposes such as irrigation, cooling systems, and toilet flushing. By treating and repurposing wastewater within their facilities, hospitals can conserve precious freshwater resources and minimise their environmental impact.
“Moreover, hospitals can form partnerships with water management experts and technology providers to implement cutting-edge solutions that are tailored to their specific requirements. For example, using smart water metering systems and sensors can enable real-time monitoring of water usage patterns, allowing hospitals to identify anomalies and optimise their water management strategies accordingly. Plus, investing in innovative water-saving technologies such as water-efficient medical equipment, sterilisation processes, and HVAC systems can further enhance efficiency and sustainability,”he adds.
Richard Lamondin, the CEO of ecofi, seconds his views.He notes that while it can be difficult for hospital facilities to find water savings on items like medical equipment they can absolutely realise water savings the same as any other commercial or industrial complex through the use of Domestic/Restroom upgrades. “Replacing or retrofitting to water efficient toilets, shower heads, and aerators are great first steps. There is also a substantial amount of savings that can be identified in areas like Landscape water usage. Facilities can deploy the use of smart irrigation technology to reduce Landscape water usage and improve leak detection. Hospital facilities even have the added opportunity of savings in areas like Laundry and potential Kitchen/Dishwashing water usage reduction,” explains Lamondin.
How can water recycling and reuse be effectively incorporated into the daily operations of hospitals to address water scarcity? “ The best place for hospitals to take advantage of treated wastewater is in the operations of their HVAC equipment like Cooling Towers, Chiller Plants, or Boilers. Several hospitals around the world use this tactic to save hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. In some instances reclaimed water can also be used in irrigation applications to reduce the consumption of water for landscaping as well,”Lamondin explains.
According to Lamondin, the biggest tool a hospital CEO can put in their belt for adopting water conservation is awareness. “Working with a partner like ecofi to audit your facilities and provide a plan of action for potential areas of savings has to be in their game plan for working towards greater conservation goals,” he concludes.