‘Need rating systems for water efficient fixtures in buildings’

NEW DELHI - With clean water becoming increasingly deficient, an environmental NGO Tuesday called for stringent rating systems for efficient fixtures to reduce water consumption and improve water efficiency.

“The Indian consumer has begun recognising the need for being water-prudent and is keen to know about products that save water. As a nation, we need a rating system which looks at performance and efficiency of products and a labelling scheme that tells the consumer what to buy,” said Sunita Narain, director of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) - a research and advocacy body - while releasing a report here on sustainable water management.

The report stated that in 2005, the official water demand of Delhi and Mumbai was 3,973 and 3,900 million litre daily (MLD), respectively. The per capita demand was estimated at 268 and 307 litre per capita daily. The supply, in most cases, was way below the demand. The shortfalls in Delhi and Mumbai were a massive 600 and 900 MLD, respectively.

“With the construction sector emerging as the second largest economic activity after agriculture, water use in Indian cities is all set to touch new highs. Toilets and bathrooms are the biggest water guzzlers in a house — with flushes, taps and showers devouring more than 60-70 percent of the total water use,” said the report.

A 2009 survey by Tata Consulting Engineers conducted in Mumbai found that by using simple water-efficient fixtures, a five-member household could save over 400 litres of water every day.

“The good news is that over the years, significant technological progress has been made in improving water efficiency in fixtures with minimum compromise on performance,” said Suresh Rohilla, senior coordinator, CSE’s water unit.