A month after the BMC imposed a 10 per cent water cut across Mumbai, residents are changing daily habits, housing societies, are shutting amenities, and dependence on water tankers is rising sharply. The situation could worsen after the civic body’s latest restrictions, with the Mumbai Water Tankers Association (MWTA) estimating a 10-15 per cent jump in demand from malls, hotels, business parks and other commercial establishments.
Water tankers have become an increasingly important lifeline for Mumbai. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Industry representatives warn that with groundwater availability limited, higher commercial demand could strain tanker availability for residential societies already relying on tanker supplies to bridge the shortfall.
Who depends on tanker water?
According to MWTA, tanker water is supplied to:
Residential
>> Large housing societies
>> Societies with swimming pools
>> Societies with sewage treatment plants
Commercial
>> Hotels
>> Restaurants
>> Malls
>> Shopping complexes
>> Multiplexes
>> Business parks
Government establishments
>> Mantralaya
>> State government offices
>> Central government offices in South Mumbai
Industrial sector
>> Factories
>> Industrial units
>> Construction sites
The tanker network
MWTA supplies:
>> Up to 550 MLD of water
>> Through roughly 1800-2200 tankers
>> Multiple trips daily across Mumbai
The association supplies both potable and non-potable water depending on requirements.
What changes after BMC’s latest curbs?
The civic body has announced fresh restrictions aimed at conserving water.
New measures include:
Construction sector
>> Existing water connections for construction sites disconnected
>> No new construction water connections
Recreation
>> Water connections to swimming pools suspended
Commercial and industrial users
>> 20% water cut imposed
Agencies directed to reuse treated water
>> Central Railway
>> Western Railway
>> RCF >> HPCL
>> BPCL >> Navy
>> MIDC >> BPT
Why residents are feeling a bigger pinch
While the official cut is 10 per cent, residents in some areas say the impact on the ground is far greater.
Areas affected include:
>> Matharpakhadi, Byculla
>> Parts of Mulund
>> Powai
>> Housing societies at the tail-end of water pipelines
According to residents, lower water pressure has translated into a 30-50 per cent reduction in actual supply in some locations.
How societies are coping
Housing societies across the city have begun conservation measures.
Common steps being taken:
>> No daily car washing
>> Ban on hose-pipe washing
>> Reduced cleaning and mopping of common areas
>> Watering gardens on alternate days
>> Swimming pools shut
>> Gym and pool showers closed
Quick view
Water cut imposed: May 15, 2026
Reduction in BMC supply: 10%
Current lake stock: 10.1%
Water in lakes: 1,44,918 ML
Rainfall on June 17: 20 mm
Expected rise in tanker demand: 10-15%
Voice of residents
Dhaval Shah, Andheri
‘BMC’s 10 per cent water cut has resulted in up to 30 per cent shortage of water in Andheri for housing societies located at the end of a BMC water pipeline due to reduced water pressure.’
Resident, South Mumbai
‘We decided to close our swimming pool two weeks ago. Residents are no longer allowed to shower in the community rooms adjoining our swimming pool, or in our society gymnasium. This has saved up to 140-150 litres of water per day.’
What tanker operators expect
Ankur Sharma, spokesperson, MWTA
‘With BMC’s new curbs, we expect the demand for both potable and non-potable tanker water to go up by 10 to 15 per cent.’ According to Sharma, tanker rates have not increased yet, but prices could rise if demand continues to climb.
Citizen Speak
Ashok Gupta, vice-president of Marine Drive Association and resident of Zaver Mahal
‘We are facing severe low-pressure issues because the Wankhede Stadium is located right behind us. Whenever there is a match or event at the stadium, water pressure drops significantly. We have complained, but nothing has changed. BMC workers inspected the pipelines and said everything was fine. However, water gets diverted for the stadium’s maintenance needs, resulting in low pressure for residents.’
Prajakta Kadam, resident, Hubtown, Thane
‘Though our society has not yet faced any water cuts from the Thane Municipal Corporation, we have voluntarily restricted water supply to conserve water. Instead of a 24-hour supply, water is now available only from 5 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 10 pm, with lower pressure in the evenings. The move has reduced wastage in bathrooms and kitchens and encouraged residents to use water more carefully. The society has observed a reduction of nearly 40 to 45 per cent in daily water consumption.’
Devyani Irani, secretary, Viceroy Park Co-operative Housing Society, Thakur Village, Kandivli
‘We have reduced garden watering from daily to twice a week, while our swimming pool’s filtration system helps save large amounts of water by eliminating the need for frequent draining and refilling. We have also urged all 296 residents to reduce flush tank pressure, avoid daily washing of cars and common areas, and report leakages immediately. The society has two rainwater harvesting units and four borewells, whose water is mainly used for toilet flushing and gardening. These measures have made us self-sufficient and allowed us to stop purchasing the two water tankers we previously relied on, resulting in substantial water savings.’
Cynthia D’Mello, Colaba resident
‘We have adopted several measures to save water, including reusing grey water, taking shorter showers and ensuring taps are not left running. We also avoid washing cars with water, reuse AC water for mopping, watering plants and toilet flushing, and use the second rinse water from washing machines for flushing. We plan to continue these practices until the monsoon brings relief.’ D’Mello’s building currently requires at least two tankers a week, paying Rs 3000 for Rs 10,000 litres of water.
Shankar Gawade, secretary, Sai Ashish 1, Dahisar
‘We have a borewell that provides a good amount of water, but we are conscious of the ongoing water scarcity. To conserve water, we now wash the staircases and passages of our three-wing building only once a month instead of every Sunday. Car washing has also been reduced from daily to three times a week. We continue to supply excess borewell water to tanker dealers, but if the rains are delayed further, we may have to retain the water for our own needs.’
Mumbai’s water math
4600 MLD
Mumbai’s estimated daily water demand
4100 MLD
Water supplied by BMC before the cut
3690 MLD
Water supplied after the 10% cut
900+ MLD
Daily shortfall
550 MLD
Water supplied by tankers across the city
1800-2200
Tankers making multiple trips daily
Inputs by Ritika Gondhalekar and Madhulika Ram Kavattur
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