Only 30 % of domestic waste water is treated in India..!.

Water is Not,  And Will Never Be, the New Oil

by Mr. MANISH BHATNAGAR

 World Water Day March 22  

Oil has renewable alternatives. But, water has none. So it needs to be treated better

As overused as some expressions are, there are a few that instantly capture the imagination, and water is the new oil has to be at the very top. Believing in this cliche means believing that water, like oil, is a non-renewable resource and the only way to manage it is to reduce dependence on it.

Unfortunately, this is not only naive. But, also takes attention away from maximising its value to us. Water & oil have very different dynamics in every segment of the value chain: production, transportation and consumption.

Understanding these differences, often obvious but overlooked, is essential to managing water efficiently for generations to come.

First, unlike oil, water is not manufactured by a select group of producers. It is abundant, visible and often considered a right. This lulls us into a false sense of security about entitlement. Water, as a commodity, thus remains an underpriced asset around the world,  with many domestic users paying only a fixed amount every year.

Compulsory metering is a sensitive subject for many governments, unable or / unwilling to charge for actual usage. Consequently, overwatered gardens or /  over-washed cars have no punitive actions. But, with water-stresses in many areas, this is changing.

The UK has proposed universal metering for all households by 2020. Hungary and Poland already use volume-based pricing, with no fixed element at all. There needs to be a more pragmatic approach to water metering with built-in safeguards like tariff caps for the disadvantaged.Else,water will continue to be under-appreciated and over-used.Second,unlike oil, water is not easily transported.

While water is often piped across short distances, it is too heavy and uneconomical to be sent farther away. While there are instances of barges & tankers transporting water, notably in the Caribbean, it is not for long distances.

Apart from the political resistance to export of water, the single biggest reason remains cost.Singapore, for example, has traditionally used imported water from Malaysia. But, the increasing cost of transportation saw it switching to local options like as desalination a process that removes salt and minerals from saltwater to produce water suitable for drinking.

While there is an oft-repeated criticism of the high cost of desalinated water, Singapore and Israel claim to have brought down desal costs to $0.50-0.75 per litre, down from almost $1.50 per litre a decade ago. While this is still higher than water tariffs in many countries, one needs to look into the future when the cost of water delivery will reflect better the cost of procuring it. More importantly,the alternative, transporting water,will come for a much higher cost.

Reuse Properly

Finally, unlike oil, water can often be reused after consumption.Oil, once burned as fuel, can not be converted back into oil.Water, on the other hand, is returned back to the ecosystem either as runoffs or / waste water.

For instance,the worlds insatiable appetite for power is driving massive consumption of water as boiler feed and cooling tower feed in thermal power plants.

Untreated discharge of this water to a lake or river will result in pollutants entering freshwater supply. Additionally, rainwater runoffs from coal stored in piles outside the power plant can flush heavy metals from the coal, like as arsenic and lead, into nearby water bodies.

Similarly,municipal wastewater discharge is left untreated in many cities, or /  treated in very rudimentary ways.

Usage of advanced disinfection systems like ultraviolet or ozone are absent in many developing countries.

Estimates show that only 30 % of domestic waste water and 60% of industrial waste water is treated in India.

This untreated water contaminates natural water bodies as well as ground water, both of which affect future supply. Effective treatment is critical for ensuring the future of sustainable water. So, water is definitely not the new oil.

Oil has renewable alternatives, while water has none but itself. And this is exactly why it needs to be treated better.


About the Author...

The writer is MANISH BHATNAGAR VP & GM India, Danaher Corporations Water Businesses.Views are personal

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