In an effort to curb the wastage of treated water, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s water supply department is set to implement water meters in all new buildings within its jurisdiction. This initiative is aimed at analyzing the water usage trends in neighborhoods and minimizing the significant loss of treated water.
Following a water consumption survey in the Dum Dum-Cossipore area, the city authorities have decided to expand the installation of water meters to other neighborhoods. After the initial implementation in Dum Dum-Cossipore, hundreds of households in the Mukundapur area off EM Bypass are now also receiving water meters.
The KMC is committed to fitting water meters in newly built structures, including standalone apartments and large housing complexes, to reduce wastage of treated water.
The survey in the Dum Dum-Cossipore area has alarmed some officials in the KMC water supply department, as they discovered that nearly 18,655 households were using 300 litres of water per person. The surveyors were also surprised to find a single family of five consuming 3500 litres of potable water daily. This misuse of water is concerning, especially considering the significant costs involved in collecting and treating raw water from the Hooghly.