Bengaluru’s early history and growth relied on a complex network of streams and lakes which provided water and amenity to its citizens. The city of over 10 million people now faces challenges from a rapidly growing population, aging assets, climate change, polluted environments and rising costs. On behalf of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Jacobs developed a water and used water masterplan to 2050, focussing on defining a balanced water supply portfolio, restoring natural assets and developing a robust asset management framework. A Capital Improvement Plan was developed with the aim of revolutionising water and used water management for a time horizon of 2050. The vision of “Clean, continuous and reliable water supply. Safe and sustainable used water management. Available to all.” was defined alongside a series of outcomes and associated plans to arrive at a roadmap of initiatives and infrastructure delivery actions to 2050. Our methodology focussed on understanding the existing asset base and developing a thorough appreciation of future drivers before using models and best practice frameworks to develop the water and used water strategy to 2050. Key outcomes from the study included: • Strategic planning benefitted from extensive liaison to determine success criteria, condition assessment to understand existing assets, hydraulic network modelling, population and demand projections, and development of an asset management framework. • Analysis of water supply-demand gap to 2050 and a detailed option assessment to develop a robust portfolio of future water sources which re-balanced dependency on source types. • Promotion of rainwater harnessing infrastructure and the rejuvenation of Bengaluru's historic city lakes. • Evaluation of mechanisms to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
