The Hidden Cost of Improper Wastewater Management

If you live in Bangalore, the water crisis is a story you know all too well. As summer rolls in, the city starts scrambling to meet its water needs. Tankers become a common sight, crawling along the roads and headlines scream about the water crisis, skyrocketing tanker prices, and give dire warnings about groundwater reserves running dry. And of course, the classic “save water before it’s too late” messaging makes its annual comeback.

It’s almost a ritual now. Every year, we brace ourselves for this chaos. Booking a tanker feels like trying to score concert tickets: two days in advance if you’re lucky, and even then, there’s no guarantee the water will actually show up on time. Prices have shot up from ₹1600 to ₹2000 per delivery, and people are struggling just to get through basic daily tasks like bathing or cooking. In some neighborhoods, residents are rationing water like it’s gold dust.

Every year, we hear promises from authorities about solutions: caps on tanker prices, emergency measures; but the problem is bigger than quick fixes. The city’s rapid growth has outpaced its infrastructure planning. With paved surfaces covering 90% of Bangalore and green cover reduced by 70% over the last five decades, rainwater doesn’t even get a chance to recharge groundwater levels anymore.

But the problem runs deeper than just a seasonal shortage, and it’s a problem faced by everyone, not only residents of Bangalore. It’s a complex beast fueled by unoptimized water usage, indiscriminate construction, improperly treated wastewater contaminating our drinking water, a lack of strong policy enforcement, and a slow adoption of technology that could help us manage resources better.

However, there’s hope on the horizon. Companies like FluxGen and Greenvironment are pioneering smart water management solutions. FluxGen’s AquaGen system is like having a personal water manager, using IoT and AI to monitor water flow and levels in real-time, spotting leaks and inefficiencies before they become major issues. It helps save up to 30% of water usage, whether it’s a factory, a food processing plant, or a big office building.

Greenvironment is another key player, focusing on IoT solutions for managing water and wastewater. Their AstroSCAN tool helps treatment plants run more smoothly by tracking everything in real-time, using machine learning and augmented reality to fix problems before they even happen. They work with IT parks, hospitals, residential areas, and more, aiming to reduce the water footprint while ensuring clients get the best return on their investment.

This whole space of smart water management is booming because it’s desperately needed. With cities growing fast and climate change making water scarcer, these technologies are lifesavers. They’re not just about saving water; they’re about making industries and communities more sustainable while saving them money. From farms to skyscrapers, the possibilities are endless.

But what about the bigger picture?

Water isn’t just a resource, it’s the very essence of life itself. It sustains over a million species of life, fuels livelihoods and powers economies. So what happens when this water gets contaminated? It results not only in an environmental issue but also a massive crisis for humanity. Back to Blue and Ocean Sewage Alliance recently published a report that lays bare the devastating toll of untreated wastewater contaminating our oceans, rivers, lakes and municipal waterways.

The consequences? Collapsing fisheries as fish populations dwindle, barren agricultural lands due to contamination, and let’s not forget the human cost: diseases which spread through contaminated water. It’s a chain reaction, with each link cracking under immense pressure.

Source: Back To Blue Initiative

In India, only 30% of the wastewater is adequately treated. This inadequacy hits fisheries the hardest, leading to a 5.4% loss in value, which is a whopping $2.2B economic loss. However, the ripple effects don’t stop there. The improperly treated wastewater leads to coral bleaching, loss of biodiversity in rivers, lakes and oceans, which affects every part of the food chain, from kelp to apex predators. Not only that, it also deters tourists who travel to see pristine beaches and wildlife, leading to significant economic losses. Furthermore, communities that depend on fishing as a source of income are similarly affected with declining fish populations due to contamination and imbalances in their ecosystem. It’s a vicious cycle with detrimental environmental and economic consequences that needs to be broken.

In an agricultural economy like India, contaminated water spells disaster. Around 10% of India’s agricultural lands are irrigated with partially treated wastewater, and the consequences are not pretty. Crops absorb a plethora of bad, including toxins, high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, and heavy metals, rendering the crops unsuitable for consumption. It also causes salinization of soil, reducing its fertility and resulting in a drop in crop productivity. India faces a mind-boggling $1.2B loss annually in agricultural output due to this contamination. Beyond just the economics, this threatens the food security and health of India’s 1.46B people, and all the countries that depend on exports from India for food items.

Finally, let’s talk about the human cost. It is estimated that around 37.7 million Indians are affected by water borne diseases annually. Between 400,000 and 500,000 children aged under five years die each year from diarrhoea. Without adequate clean water for drinking and sanitation, these numbers will increase, along with other diseases associated with improper sanitation and lack of clean water. For example, fluoride contamination of fresh water affects large parts of rural India. More than 25 million people across 17 states have to drink water with fluoride concentrations higher than the maximum permissible limit of 1.5 parts per million. Excess fluoride can cause a condition called skeletal fluorosis, which leads to weakened bones. Children without access to clean water for sanitation are susceptible to diseases like scabies. When a significant part of a population’s health is affected, their productivity drops, leading to economic losses.

But here’s the thing. To me, the economic losses of water contamination are secondary. I am more concerned about the health of people getting affected, the animal, plant and microscopic life being threatened, and loss of livelihood for so many communities. India is already a water-stressed country, and improper handling of wastewater compounds the problem multifold.

So, what’s the solution?

I believe it starts with tackling the problem at its source: treating sewage from urban and rural areas, as well as industrial runoff, before it wreaks havoc downstream. Proper wastewater management isn’t just nice to have; it’s the need of the hour!

Companies like Boson White Water are actively helping recycle Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) treated water into potable water. They’re turning wastewater into a resource by retrofitting existing STPs to recover 50-75% potable water. These systems can be installed in apartment complexes, malls, and office buildings with existing STPs, making them a practical solution for urban India.

JSP Enviro tackles industrial wastewater management by using innovative bio-electrochemical systems that treat industrial effluents while generating electricity, reducing energy costs by up to 70%. Their technology enables sustainable, low-maintenance treatment and reuse of wastewater, helping industries comply with environmental standards and doing incredible work for water conservation.

What else can we do?

The possibilities are endless. We can upgrade existing sewage treatment plants with cutting-edge systems like Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs) and Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBRs), which are not only efficient but also space-saving: perfect for crowded cities. Turning sludge into biogas is another way, powering treatment plants while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Governments can accelerate this process by implementing policies that encourage safe wastewater disposal, building on initiatives like the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). Additionally, engaging communities and leveraging emerging tech can help monitor water quality in real-time and optimize treatment processes. With the right mix of tech, policy, and community involvement, India can turn its water challenges into opportunities for growth and sustainability.