PPCB issues notice to service stations over water misuse

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 9

To save water going down the drain, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has asked for suggestions and objections while issuing a 21-day notice to stakeholders of service stations that use plunger pumps to wash vehicles.

The PPCB wants that these stations should cut down water consumption by half and install effluent treatment plants to reuse water.

A recent study by the PPCB had revealed that such service stations waste 150-200 litres of freshwater per vehicle and many of them have no facility to treat or reuse water.

The PPCB on Monday issued a notice under Section 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, asking for public opinion and objections in this regard so as to make pressure pumps with hand clutch must for each service station.

The aim is to bring water consumption at these service stations down to 50 litres per vehicle and ensure that this water is treated before being released into drains.

Kahan Singh Pannu, PPCB Chairman, said a large number of service stations across the state “use plunger pumps for washing vehicles which consume 150 to 200 litres of freshwater per vehicle”. “If these pumps are replaced by pressure pumps, the water consumption per vehicle can be reduced to less than 50 litres per vehicle,” he added.

Senior PPCB officials said a study on minimisation of water consumption in service stations was conducted in Ludhiana, where around 1,700 kilolitres of freshwater was used by service stations for washing vehicles per day.

The study revealed that if these service stations switch to high pressure pumps, the water consumption would be reduced to 360 kilolitres per day, thereby saving 1,340 kilolitre of freshwater every day.

Another study conducted in Patiala observed that if these service stations reuse the water for first washing, the water consumption can be reduced to 50 per cent. “Pipes fitted with hand clutch can increase or decrease the water consumption,” it said.

The PPCB wants that every service station should install a water meter to check groundwater withdrawal and maintain a daily record of the number of vehicles washed at that station.

“All service stations using more than 1 kilolitre water per day will provide primary treatment and those with usage of more than 2 kilolitre per day will install Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and make arrangements for using the treated water for first washing of the vehicle,” says the new guidelines that will come into effect once a formal government notification is issued.

Meanwhile, Pannu said all service stations would ensure that their treated water was either disposed of in the sewer or used for plantation only. “This will stop extensive use of fresh groundwater for washing of vehicles,” he added.

Cutting down usage

The PPCB says service stations should cut down water consumption by half and install effluent treatment plants to reuse water

What study says

150-200 litres Freshwater wasted per vehicle

50 litres Aim to bring down water usage per car

Water used for washing vehicles per day 1,700 kilolitres

By switching to high pressure pumps, consumption can be reduced to 360 kilolitres