WHEN WATER STANDARDS DON'T HOLD WATER

Despite its widespread use by municipal authorities across India, the per capita water supply standard lacks empirical grounding, objective rationale, and validity

- Sachin Tiwale, Fellow, Water and Society Programme, Centre for Environment and Development, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment

How much water should a person receive each day? In India, this question is not answered by science or necessity, but by an arbitrary metric — the per capita water supply standard, prescribed in litres per capita per day (lpcd). While the human right to water guarantees access to safe and clean water, and obligates governments to provide basic services, in practice this right is shaped by the per capita standard. This benchmark not only dictates how much water citizens are entitled to demand for their daily needs, but also drives planning and investments in urban water infrastructure, from dams to household taps. Yet, despite its widespread use by municipal authorities across India, it lacks empirical grounding, objective rationale, and validity, making it a policy instrument built more on convenience than evidence.

Defining per capita standard

The per capita standard, combined with population figures, is used to compute the domestic water demand of a city. It serves as a reference point to assess the adequacy, 'water shortages', and 'over consumption'. The per capita standard is also used to assess future investments required for developing and maintaining water supply services.

In addition, water demand computed using this standard determines how much water is to be diverted from rural to urban areas — and the scale of its negative consequences. Mumbai, for instance, justifies the development of upcoming dams using the per capita standard of 240 lpcd for domestic use alone, excluding losses.