Sustainable living: it's simple!

Oasis Breeze and Mana Sarovar Apartments are two apartment complexes like any other in Bangalore. They have a huge water problem. Residents use water without realising how much they are wasting and depend on water tankers without realising how much they are using. To monitor better usage, individual water meters were set up in each household of the apartments. Regular follow-ups and interaction with the residents using charts and graphs for props have showed that they have become more mindful of their water usage.

Communities and other multi-family developments have either one master meter for the entire community, or meters for each building or apartment. The expense of the water and sewer bill is divided evenly among the users.  The pay-for-what-you-use system ensures limited water consumption as a direct approach to money-saving practices. Once water sub-meters are installed, the expenses are divided on the basis of individual household consumption. This ensures that there is a sense of fairness in charging for water.

There are a few methods of sub-metering, but the Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) allows for accurate and fair billing systems along with conservation. RUBS uses an allocation formula that divides a property’s water bill among its residents based on square footage, number of occupants or some other quantitative measure. It allows the owner to recover a substantial portion of the water and sewer cost by allocating the costs among tenants. 

One problem that comes from this is how to fix the price/unit tariff.  Doing this is important because it helps in regulating internal conflicts, for it is an accurate system of billing water usage with the help of meters that cannot easily be tampered with. It also helps in the conservation of water, which after all, is the end requirement. 

The importance of sewage treatment plants can't be forgotten in these communities. For the sewage treatment plants (STP) to function well, it is important that they are designed smartly and maintained at optimal levels. Currently, groundwater cannot be recharged with treated water but the government could revise that rule, as treated water can provide a huge boost to the depleting groundwater reserves.

Waste management is another integral part of any sustainable living initiative. Segregation at source, which is nothing but emtying different types of trash into different bins at your own homes, is very important given the problems related to landfills in Bangalore. 

The biggest hurdle, even bigger than the garbage or water problems, is the lack of cooperation and unwillingness of the community to take part in such initiatives. "We believe nothing is waste” is an often-heard saying. Let's really believe that and not waste the efforts that are put into creating such initiatives.