Let’s Talk Water: Meet the man saving 90,000 litres of water every month – by flushing smart

Vinodkumar Saxena, a resident of Bengaluru’s Koramangala, has mastered the art of grey water reuse.

For the last 19–20 years, he has been using only grey water for flushing toilets in his home – a home that houses nearly 25 people.

Speaking to Let’s Talk Water host Nolan Pinto, Vinodkumar explains how water conservation was part of the blueprint when he built his house. “From day one, I had a plan – I was going to save water,” he says.

So what exactly did he do?

Unlike most homes, which have a single pipeline directing all wastewater to the sewer, his house has multiple pipelines.

These separate the grey water – the lightly used water from bathrooms, the kitchen, and washing machines – from the rest. This grey water is stored in a dedicated sump, pumped up to an overhead tank, and then sent to all the flush tanks in the building.

“Grey water is soapy in nature,” he explains, “but it’s perfectly fine for flushing.” Once used in the flush, it becomes black water and is then released into the regular sewage line – cutting the load on the STP (sewage treatment plant) by 50 percent.

When he first submitted his plans to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), engineers were puzzled by the number of pipelines.

“Why so many?” they asked. His reply was simple: “Because I’m going to reuse my water.”

The BWSSB engineer, impressed by the detailed calculations and practicality, told him: “If everyone in the city did this, we would have enough water 24/7.”

Vinodkumar estimates that his system saves between 80,000 and 90,000 litres of water every month, and over the years, he’s “recovered the cost of his water bills 10 to 15 times over.”

Despite having both BWSSB and borewell connections, he believes low water bills shouldn’t justify wastage. “People often tell me – ‘Why do all this? Water is cheap!’ But they don’t understand the long-term implications.”

And while his system is technically complex, he’s careful not to over-engineer the look of his home. “I don’t believe a house should look like a factory,” he says. “Too many pipes on the outside ruin its aesthetic.”

His message is clear: reuse is not just possible, it’s practical – and it’s urgent.