Key Questions
What is a BOOT model in water treatment?
Under BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer), Navbharat Water designs, finances, builds and operates the treatment plant on your site at zero upfront CAPEX. You pay a per-kilolitre service fee, and at the end of an agreed term of 10–20 years, ownership transfers to you at written-down value.
BOOT is viable from 50 KLD upwards. Navbharat Water funds 100% of the capital cost, and clients pay a service fee that is typically ₹15–25 per kilolitre depending on technology and capacity. Throughout the term, Navbharat Water owns the equipment and bears the maintenance, compliance and operating cost risk, including capital replacements such as membranes, pumps and instruments at no extra cost. Every contract includes early termination provisions, usually a buy-out of the remaining invested capital at a pre-agreed formula. The model is proven on live plants. On a 300 KLD pharmaceutical ETP in Ahmedabad, the client avoided ₹3.8 Cr of CAPEX; Navbharat Water built, commissioned and has operated the plant for four years at 99.3% uptime and a monthly fee of ₹18 per kilolitre, with GPCB compliance maintained and zero show-cause notices. Below 50 KLD, a conventional CAPEX installation with an AMC is recommended instead.
What is Water-as-a-Service and how is it different from BOOT?
Water-as-a-Service (WaaS) is a pure operating model with no transfer clause: Navbharat Water owns and runs the plant indefinitely and sells you treated water at an agreed quality and price per kilolitre, backed by an SLA guaranteeing uptime of 99% or more.
BOOT ends with you owning the plant; WaaS never does, which suits clients who never want the operational burden. The WaaS contract includes a performance guarantee. If outlet quality falls below the agreed specification, Navbharat Water supplies treated water by tanker at its own cost until the plant is repaired, and for CPCB non-compliance incidents attributable to its operations, Navbharat Water indemnifies the client for resulting fines and legal costs. Under both BOOT and WaaS, the CPCB or SPCB consent for the treatment plant is applied for and maintained by Navbharat Water, which appears as plant operator on regulatory documentation. Your liability ends at the boundary of the treated water outlet. Contracts also include force majeure provisions for regulatory changes and an annual third-party compliance audit, and Navbharat Water guarantees compliance with current norms and adaptation to future standards.
What does an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) cover?
An AMC is for clients who own their plant but want guaranteed uptime and compliance. Navbharat Water AMCs cover scheduled preventive maintenance, corrective repairs, spare parts and annual SPCB compliance documentation for a fixed yearly cost, with emergency response within 24 hours.
The AMC replaces unpredictable repair bills with a single fixed annual cost and puts specialist operators behind plants that most companies cannot staff internally. Scope depends on the technology. For an ETP it typically means daily checks of dissolved oxygen, sludge levels and chemical doses, weekly instrument calibration, monthly diffuser cleaning and quarterly overhauls. For an MBR STP it adds monthly membrane backwash and integrity testing and quarterly chemical cleaning. For membrane plants, a membrane replacement programme can be included. An AMC is also a fast route out of a compliance emergency. For clients facing an NGT or SPCB notice with a 30–60 day deadline, Navbharat Water can fast-track a BOOT or AMC arrangement, mobilise for site assessment within 48 hours and provide a compliant interim solution while permanent infrastructure is engineered and commissioned.
