In Conversation with Mr. Vikas Brahmavar, CEO and Co-Founder, Boson Whitewater

An overview of Boson White Water’s technology and processes used to convert STP water into potable high-quality water. How does it differ from traditional water treatment methods?

Boson Whitewater is a Water Utility company that converts STP water (Wastewater) into clean potable water. The idea for Boson Whitewater is now the country’s only entity focused on creating Circular Economy in Decentralized Wastewater recovery and resue.

The input to the Boson Whitewater System is STP-treated water which meets the norms for garden reuse and flushing. The input STP-treated water is treated in the following stages.

1. Very efficient 4 stages of pre-treatment which removes smell, colour, suspended solids, turbidity (the opaqueness). All  stages have pressure and input water quality monitoring devices.
2. There is a specialised membrane-based treatment (2 stages) which recovers every drop of water with a reverse reuse monitoring mechanism
3. There is post treatment (3 stages) which is designed specific to the customer’s water quality requirement. For example, malls may have a requirement of water for cooling tower reuse, or industries may use it for laundry or any specific water quality requirement.
4. The Boson Whitewater system also has a UV and Ozone Dosing system in its post-treatment stages.

How does Boson White Water’s solution contribute to sustainable water management and conservation efforts?

• By converting STP water into safe, potable water, Boson White Water reduces the reliance on freshwater sources for drinking water. This approach promotes water reuse and recycling, ensuring that treated wastewater is given a new life and reducing the strain on natural water resources.
• Traditional sewage treatment methods often involve discharging treated effluent into water bodies, which can contribute to water pollution. Boson White Water’s technology helps prevent pollution by treating and converting sewage water into clean, usable water that can be reintroduced into the water cycle without harming the environment.
• The conversion of STP water to potable water ensures that waterborne diseases and contaminants are removed, guaranteeing a safe and clean water supply for drinking and other uses. This promotes public health and reduces the burden on healthcare systems.

Can you explain the key advantages of converting STP water to potable high-quality water compared to other water sources?

• Reduces the strain on natural water resources like rivers, lakes, and aquifers. This is particularly important in regions facing water scarcity or unpredictable water availability.
• Converting STP water into potable water maximizes resource utilization. This approach aligns with the principles of a circular economy, where wastewater is transformed into a valuable resource.
• By producing clean, safe water suitable for drinking, the risk of water pollution and negative ecological effects is significantly reduced.
• Eliminates potential health risks associated with exposure to untreated wastewater. This safeguarding of public health is particularly important in densely populated areas.

Are there any specific industries or sectors that Boson White Water primarily serves with its water treatment solutions? 

• Apartment communities: Residential apartment complexes generate anywhere between 30,000 – 3 Lakh litres of wastewater everyday. Out of this, only 20% of STP water is used for flushing and for gardening purposes. The rest 80% flows into drains and eventually into our lakes and waterbodies. As per KSPCB (Karnataka State Pollution Control Board), every apartment in Bengaluru is mandated to follow ‘Zero Liquid Discharge’ policy which indicates that no untreated water can be released into water bodies. Most apartments today are unable to comply with this policy because they have no avenues to discharge their excess treated water. To address this problem, apartments can now install Boson Whitewater system to convert the 80% of the unused STP water into high quality potable water which is then transported to nearby industries through Boson Whitewater’s tanker network.
• IT Parks, Malls and other commercial establishments: Even though most commercial buildings treat their wastewater in house, due to operational efficiency of wastewater plants, they rely on water tankers for their water requirements for air conditioning and cooling towers. Boson Whitewater system allows malls and IT Parks to convert their STP water into potable high quality water that can be used for cooling towers, air conditioning, and for other purposes.
• Industries: With Boson Whitewater’s tanker network, industries can now easily buy high quality potable water for all their needs. Furthermore, they can also install Boson Whitewater system to convert their current STP water into potable water and become self-sustainable with minimal dependence on water tankers.

How long has Boson White Water been operating, and what milestones or achievements have been reached since its inception?

• Founded in 2011 by Vikas Brahmavar and Gowthaman Desingh, Boson Whitewater converts water from sewage treatment plants into potable high quality water that can be used for household purposes, centralised air conditioning in commercial buildings, and even for drinking. The Boson Whitewater system offers a 11-step filtering system and is equipped with IoT to allow real-time monitoring of water quality and quantity, as well as remote access for minimal manual intervention.
• Boson Whitewater currently works with well known names such as Brigade Orion Mall, RMZ Corp, Soul Space Arena, Vakil Housing and Development Corporation, and many others. The startup has recently raised $4.58K in funding from Indian Angel Network. 

Any significant collaborations or partnerships that Boson White Water has formed with other organizations or municipalities?

• With an aim to provide easy access to safe and clean drinking water, Boson Whitewater has partnered with NGO SGBS Unnati Foundation to install water ATMs across villages in Karnataka. The projects have been funded by ExxonMobil and Broadridge under their CSR initiative. Till date, 10 water ATMs have been installed in Malur and Doddaballapur villages on the outskirts of Bengaluru and and over 1500+ families now have access to clean drinking water.
• Boson Whitewater, has partnered with PYSE, a fintech company that allows retail investors to invest in green and sustainable projects. Through this collaboration with PYSE, Boson Whitewater will be able to implement and scale its sustainable water infrastructure projects, while also prioritizing and supporting the environmental goals of Pyse’s investors.

How do you address any potential public concerns regarding the safety and acceptability of the treated water?

• Provide accurate and easily understandable information about the treatment processes, testing protocols, and quality assurance measures in place.
• Regularly test the treated water for a wide range of contaminants
• Adhere to and exceed the most stringent water quality standards set by relevant regulatory bodies. Highlight the company’s commitment to meeting or exceeding these standards to ensure the treated water’s safety.
• Share success stories and case studies from other regions or communities that have successfully implemented our water treatment solution.

Apart from Bengaluru, which are the cities that you are currently offering your services in? What is the awareness like in other cities?

• Currently we are operating only in Bengaluru.

What are the Future Plans of Boson White Water? 

We want to establish our Boson Whitewater system at 10 more large apartments in this financial year and save additionally about 50 Cr lts of water and we want to set up similar systems in IT parks and malls. We have recently launched operations in Hyderabad. By next financial year, we will expand to Chennai.

Over the next few years with our collaboration and partnership with various citizen forums and Industries we should reach 500 Cr lts of water created from waste water.