The city relies on the Cauvery River for 80% of its water supply via pipelines, which again pump it over 100 kilometers uphill, making it one of the most energy-intensive urban water systems in the world. | Photo credit: File Photo
With the demand for water expected to double the available supply by 2030, the need to shift from supply-side expansion to efficient water management and prudent use of the resource is extremely critical, urged the Indian Plumbing Association, the apex body of plumbing professionals and related ecosystem players in the country.
Urban centers like Bengaluru illustrate the severity of this water crisis, according to the association. Recent studies by the Indian Institute of Science have highlighted that more than 85% of urban lakes are eutrophic, significantly impairing their ability to support biodiversity or recharge groundwater. As they pointed to the continued degradation of natural recharge systems, the city’s dependence on unsustainable water sources has skyrocketed.
They also said the city currently relies on the Cauvery River for 80% of its piped water supply, again pumping it over 100 kilometers uphill, making it one of the most energy-intensive urban water systems in the world. With the growing imbalance between water demand and water supply, the industry body highlighted that there are structural vulnerabilities in urban water management across India.
Gurmit Singh Arora, National President of the Indian Plumbing Association, said: “We all need to urgently change and correct our thinking when it comes to water consumption and water management. There is no need to flush from a 17-litre tank after defecation or a three-litre tank after urinating. If we can adjust the flow of water from the flush tanks and save water volumes in all households.”
He cited examples of ITC Hotels converting gray water in its properties into purified drinking water bottled in glass (Sunya Aqua) through its Zero Mile Water initiative, where used water is treated, purified and reused on premises.
Mr. Arora also said that deployment of smart water systems, sensor-controlled pipe networks, right kind of bathroom fittings and aerator faucets across commercial establishments, educational institutions, hospitals, government offices, housing projects and individual households could lead to responsible water consumption and therefore lead to huge water savings.
According to an industry body, the country’s plumbing industry is pegged at ₹5 lakh annually and is growing at a CAGR of 20%, a pace it has maintained pre-COVID and post-pandemic.
“Water sustainability has moved beyond the realm of discretionary policy and is now a non-negotiable imperative to safeguard India’s ecological and developmental future,” Mr Arora said.
The Plumbing Association of India is scheduled to host the PlumbexIndia 2026 Plumbing Exhibition in the city between April 16 and 18 to highlight water sustainability and urban water issues.
Published – April 4, 2026 0:07 AM IST
