r/everythingaboutwater

Hey r/hyderabad,

We usually complain about the tanker mafia in May, but things are much worse this year. According to recent reports, the water crisis is expected to hit us as early as mid-December.

Major reservoirs like Singur and Manjeera are currently holding only about 13% (roughly one-eighth) of their full capacity due to deficient rainfall and El Niño. On top of that, about 70% of Hyderabad is already over-exploiting its groundwater.

We can't just wait for the government to fix the widening supply gap while our borewells run dry. We need to start taking preventative measures in our own homes and gated communities before the panic sets in.

Here is what we can realistically do right now:

• Stop the Hose: Stop using a running hose to wash cars, bikes, and driveways/balconies. Tell your building staff to use a bucket or wet cloth. This alone saves hundreds of liters per household every week.
• Revive Rainwater Pits: If your apartment or gated community has a Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) pit, check if it’s actually functional. Most of them are clogged with debris or cemented over. Bring it up in your next society meeting immediately.
• Reuse RO & AC Runoff: The reject water from your RO purifier and the condensation from ACs is perfectly fine for mopping floors, flushing toilets, and watering plants. Collect it in a bucket instead of letting it drain.
• Install Aerator Nozzles: These cost less than ₹100 online and can cut down water flow from your taps by up to 50% without you even noticing a drop in pressure.
• Report Major Leaks: If you see a leaking HMWSSB pipeline in your area, don't just drive past it. Report it through the water board's customer care or local civic apps.

Mega pipeline projects from the Godavari can only do so much if we keep concreting over every inch of the city and treating groundwater like an infinite resource.

What is the situation in your area right now? Are your society's borewells already struggling? Let's share some ground realities and conservation tips in the comments.

TL;DR: Reservoir levels are critically low, and a severe shortage is hitting this December. Stop washing vehicles with hoses, fix your society's rainwater pits, and reuse RO water before we are all entirely dependent on expensive private tankers.

I believe the cause is tannins as the water is dyed yellow, it is not sediment. The landlords claim the well has been tested and that it isn't being infiltrated by surface water. They have told me to bring in water for drinking with no end in sight, and no offer to remunerate me for the cost. I have a reverse osmosis filter which I already used for drinking water and now I've been using a UV light wand on the water as well- but it is a pain. I read that treating tannin infiltrated water with chlorine can cause cancerous compounds to be created. Does anyone have any insight?