hindu.com,Saturday, Aug 15, 2009

Flat-system water connections will cut down bills. SHYAMA RAJAGOPAL lists out benefits.

Before deciding to buy a flat, it will be prudent to find out if water is available in the place and how the builder intends to supply water.

For drinking water, builders usually provide a Kerala Water Authority connection, but it is up to the residents, or rather the flat owners, to see to it that the connection is converted into a flat-system connection to avoid being billed on a commercial scale. This will help avoid disputes with the water utility.

An apartment complex with a single water connection will be considered one household and the water charge will be calculated as a whole.

With revised water charges in place and the varying slabs of water usage, expect a huge bill.

For example, consider an apartment complex with 20 flats where a builder has provided only one connection. And if the consumption of water is 200 kilolitres a month, the charges according to the revised pattern will comprise the basic charge for 50 kilolitres a month (which is Rs.392) plus Rs.25 on every additional kilolitre used. This will add up to Rs.4,142 a month. Since water is billed every two months, the charges to be paid by the 20 householders will be Rs.8,284 - an average of Rs. 616 for each household.

However, if all the 20 households are billed under a flat-system connection, the total consumption of 200 kilolitres will be equally divided into 10 kilolitres a month for each house.

And the charge will be Rs.42 a month in the revised slab system, the total bill coming up to only Rs.840 a month or Rs.1,680 for two months. As the builder had already taken one connection, the residents will have to pay a supervision charge of Rs.550 each for 19 households. It will be possible to convert the single connection to a flat-system one only after a residents' association is formed and the residents bring in the relevant documents regarding registration of their association, its bylaws, building tax receipts and stamp papers. The application form for converting the connection into a flat-system connection is available at the water authority offices.

Rainwater harvesting

If the builder promises a rainwater harvesting system in the apartment complex, the residents should ensure that the necessary props are installed. Homebuyers can always find out from the builder how to maintain the system, ensure water supply and replenish groundwater. If people start learning these basic aspects of water conservation and respect the resource of water, rainwater can be made a perennial resource. A success story of water conservation in an apartment complex will spread the word around and will be looked upon as a major achievement in times when the word scarcity is so closely associated with water.

But though the government has made it mandatory to have a rainwater harvesting system in buildings being constructed, one can get away with flouting the norms after obtaining the requisite sanctions for carrying out the building work. This is a recipe for failure. It is rare that a rainwater harvesting system does what it is meant for, says a Kochi Corporation official.

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