Efficiency Lebeling of water appliances, fixtures and process

April 11, 2013 15.45 to 17.45 hrs.

Panel discussion on “Efficiency Lebeling of water appliances, fixtures and process�.

R.K. GARG Technical Advisor Former Member(Water Supply) Delhi Jal Board M-9871812122 E-mail:rkgarg 49@gmail.com.

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GENESIS  The need for introducing the rating system for

water deficient devices is a recent one in the country and is a result of fast Urban Growth.

 Earlier most of India’s population resided in its

villages. At the time of independence of the Country the Urban Population was only about 10%.

 In Rural India as also in Urban India, the

domestic water needs were met largely from the under ground resources.

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 Though Delhi became a capital city of British

India as early as in 1911, a Water Treatment Plant was first time established in 1936.  It was the Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant

which initially had a capacity of 2 MGD and the treated water was reserved to serve the British Population mainly in Civil Lines Area.  The river water during these times was

mainly used for Irrigation purposes.

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ď‚— However after independence the Urban

Population started increasing with a faster pace and there arose requirement of diverting part of surface water for treatment for domestic usages. ď‚— Yet till end seventies Urban Population

was a mere 14-15% and there were still not significant usages of surface water for domestic needs.

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ď‚— At the International level it was in the

early eighties when efficiency of water using devise had started attracting focus. ď‚— In the United States Ultra Low Flush

Toilets (ULFTs) having a Flush volume of 1.6 gallons per flush (6 lpf) started to be used.

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 It finally led U.S. Congress to enact

Environment Policy Act-1992 (EP Act1992) which mandated that all the Toilets sold in the U.S. would be (ULFTs). The act became effective w.e.f.

Jan-1, 1994.  The older Flush Systems had been

using 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush (13 to 19 lpf).

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ď‚— In India it was still not a matter of concern as

the share of domestic usage in the water availability was still of the order of 3-4 %. ď‚— In Delhi itself the capacity of Chandrawal

Water Works Phase-I was increased to 35 MGD in thirties itself with another Plant of 55 MGD capacity constructed in 1955 at Chandrawal. The raw water for these Plants was available in River Yamuna at Wazirabad where a temporary Stone Bed Bar was used to be constructed for stopping the non Monsoon Flows of the river.

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 Finally in 1959 Delhi constructed Wazirabad

Barrage for creating a pondage to enable increased usage of river flows.  A Water Treatment Plant of 40 MGD capacity

was then constructed at Wazirabad in 1965.  Till 1990 the installed capacity of Water

Treatment Plants at Delhi was only 410 MGD.

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ď‚— After eighties there was rapid increase in

the Urban Population which nearly doubled in next 30 years. The Urban Population was about 30% of the total population in 2009.

Such rapid increase in Urban Population intensified requirement of more surface water which at present is about 9% of water availability.

ď‚— Even in the villages there were extensions

of piped water supply and it was becoming necessary to meet the domestic requirements by supplementing the availability from the surface water.

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ď‚— The diversion of surface water from Irrigation

Sector to the Domestic Sector started impacting the water availability in the Irrigation Sector.

With competing demands on water availability there arose the necessity of appreciating the efficiency of water use both in the Irrigation Sector as also in Domestic Sectors.

ď‚— Whereas there was more focus on productivity of

water in the Irrigation Sector meaning more benefits from use of water, the necessity was also felt in the domestic Sector to introduce the efficient water use devices.

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 At the International Level there has been

significant researches and improvements in the technologies of water using devices in the Domestic Sector. Australia introduced the water efficiency labeling and standards Act of 2005. The range of products covered : Showers  Dishwashers  Clothes washing machines  Laboratory equipment  Urinal equipment  Tap equipment  Flow controllers.

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 These standards were worked out after extensive

interviews with State Holder Organizations and firms in the supply chains for these products.

The participating firms assured confidence and capacity to support the scheme. Success to any such scheme was dependent on the competent enforcement of standards and robust testing procedures which were duly created.

The standards were also applicable to the imports.  Similar standards had been introduced in the

part of Europe and Singapur also.

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ď‚— Confronting perpetual shortage of water availability

in the important Urban Centres such as Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai and taking note that besides increasing population, the water demand of these Centres were continuously rising due to changing life style and consumption pattern across the Country. Some of the Urban Centres were emerging as the Nerve Centres for development and attracting commercial and Institutional establishments like : Offices, IT Parks, Malls, Hospitals, Schools, Colleges, Hotels etc. every year. In addition there were heavy migrations of poorer Section of population seeking livelihood in these Urban Centres. Ministry of Urban Development, Govt. of India started thinking seriously to conserve water by introducing the efficiency ratings of water using devices.

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ď‚— In

the mean time the rapidly growing International Market for Water Efficient Fixtures Technology was making an impact on the Indian Manufacturers as well. There was already increasing number of low water using fixtures that were now being manufactures and sold in the markets for the retail and whole sale consumers. The Indian Sanitary ware Market was growing substantially and was already worth Rs. 2500 Crores. Whereas formal Sector was growing @ 20% per annum. The non formal Sector was growing at about 8 to 9%.

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ď‚— Tata Consulting Engineers carried out a study in

case of Mumbai in 2009 and estimated an average per capita consumption of 184 Ltrs. Out of which more than 60% was being consumed in Kitchen and Toilets. ď‚— According to the report the consumption pattern

was as follows : i) Bathing ii) Toilets iii) Washing clothes iv) Washing utensils v) Drinking & cooking

28% 20% 18.6% 16.3% Less than 10% 15

ď‚— The average domestic consumption in the Indian

cities as worked out by CPHEEO in 2010 was as per table below : Use Consumption in litres/day/person Drinking 5 Litres Cooking 5 Litres Bathing (Inc. ablution) 55 Litres Washing Clothes 20 Litres Washing of Uttensils 10 Litres Cleaning of houses 10 Litres Flushing of latrines 30 Litres Total for Urban Areas 135 Litres

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ď‚— Centre

for Science and Environment which has been rated as Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Management, with the support of Ministry of Urban Development of India conducted a study in 2010-11. ď‚— The water Management Team of the CSE published a paper in March2011.

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ď‚— After appreciating the various dimensions involved

and taking note of the objectives of National Water Mission (NWM) of the Ministry of water Resources and the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH) of the Ministry of Urban Development and also taking note of building and water related initiatives such as green building ratings and green plumbing code published in 2010 and also appreciating the uniform plumbing code of India (UPC-I) published in 2008 proposed a policy road map for rating system for water Efficiency Fixtures in India.

It further proposed frame work for implementation of rating system.

One of the important proposals is to establish a Bureau of water efficiency.

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ď‚— Ministry

of water Resources appreciating the report of the CSE is in the process of setting up the National Bureau of water use efficiency to further take up introduction of efficiency labeling of water use devices. We wish success to the Ministry of Water Resources in the Endeavour.

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