Resident Welfare Associations across Hyderabad and Cyberabad have drawn up a seven-point water-conservation plan as rising demand, declining groundwater levels and uncertain rainfall intensify concerns over the city’s water security.
The initiative, titled ‘Every drop Counts’, calls on residential communities to adopt a coordinated approach to responsible water use. The plan was outlined by E Ramana, president of the United Federation of Residents Welfare Associations (UFERWAS) and head of the Tellapur Neighborhood Association (TeNA).
Ramana said every RWA should prepare a water conservation action plan beginning with the measurement of consumption. Tracking how much water a residential community uses is intended to help associations identify avoidable losses and regulate demand, according to the report published by Telangana Today.
The recommendations include regular inspections of pipelines, storage tanks, float valves and plumbing systems. RWAs have also been advised to repair leaks immediately and prevent the overflowing of sumps and overhead tanks. These measures place the focus on internal distribution systems, where undetected leaks and overflow can lead to water loss before supplies reach household users.
The plan also proposes the safe reuse of adequately treated wastewater for gardening, toilet flushing and other suitable non-potable purposes. The recommendations do not extend treated wastewater to drinking use. Instead, they identify activities such as landscape maintenance and toilet flushing where potable water may be replaced, subject to adequate treatment.
Rainwater management is another part of the proposed action plan. Residential communities have been advised to clean rooftop filters and recharge pits before the monsoon and maintain rainwater-harvesting systems properly. The stated purpose is to capture rainfall and support groundwater recharge, an issue highlighted by the RWAs amid declining groundwater levels.
The associations have also called for restrictions on excessive lawn watering and the use of potable water to wash driveways and parking areas. Other non-essential uses identified in the recommendations include vehicle washing and decorative water features. Residents have been encouraged to take shorter showers, operate washing machines with full loads and avoid leaving taps running.
The plan places much of the responsibility for implementation at the level of individual residential communities. That approach links citywide water conservation to the everyday management of apartment complexes and neighbourhoods, including the condition of shared plumbing, storage infrastructure, recharge pits and treatment systems.
The recommendations come as Hyderabad and Cyberabad face the combined pressures of increasing water demand, uncertain rainfall and lower groundwater levels, as described in the report. The source does not specify a citywide implementation deadline, a monitoring mechanism, a mandatory enforcement system or the volume of water the measures are expected to save.
For RWAs, the first proposed step is to measure consumption and establish a community-level action plan. The next measures involve inspections, leak repairs, wastewater reuse, maintenance of rainwater-harvesting infrastructure and controls on non-essential consumption. The initiative’s stated priority is to make responsible water use a collective practice across residential communities.
