The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is a statutory corporation and the principal government agency responsible for water supply and sewage disposal in Bengaluru. It was established as an autonomous body under the Government of Karnataka by the State legislature through the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board Act, 1964. The Act received the President's assent on August 27, 1964, and the Board was formally formed on September 10, 1964. The BWSSB was created to consolidate the functions of water supply and sewerage, which were previously split between the Government and the Bangalore Municipal Corporation, enabling it to undertake large-scale projects like the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme (CWSS).
The BWSSB's mechanism is governed by the 1964 Act, which defines its powers, including the construction and maintenance of infrastructure, control over house connections (Section 30), and the prohibition of water misuse (Section 49). Its jurisdiction covers the entire Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area. A key provision is the mandatory installation of Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) systems for new buildings, a requirement added through amendments to the Act.
The BWSSB connects to the broader legal and environmental framework, notably the National Green Tribunal (NGT), as it is currently upgrading its Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) to meet the more stringent standards set by the NGT in 2018. Furthermore, the Board is the named party in the landmark Supreme Court judgment, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board vs A. Rajappa (1978), which laid down the "Triple Test" for defining "industry" under the now-repealed Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
Recently, the BWSSB has seen changes in its tariff structure and conservation mandates. In September 2025, it revised water tariffs for apartments and Paying Guest (PG) accommodations, shifting from volume-based billing to a system that factors in the number of households. Additionally, in July 2026, the Board imposed restrictions on using drinking water for non-essential purposes like filling swimming pools, with a fine of ₹5,000 for violations, under the provisions of the 1964 Act.