Wastewater turning into resource: NMCG pitches circular water economy model

The National Mission for Clean Ganga has said that treated wastewater is increasingly being reused for industrial and non-potable purposes under the national framework for safe reuse of treated water, positioning sewage as a ''resource'' instead of merely a disposal problem.

In a post on X on Monday, the Mission highlighted ongoing projects where treated sewage water is replacing freshwater usage in industrial operations.

''We have been thinking about sewage all wrong. For decades, treated wastewater was something to get rid of. A by-product. A disposal problem,'' the post on the Namami Gange handle of the Mission said.

''NMCG flipped that. Under the national framework for safe reuse of treated water, sewage that has been treated is now a resource, and it is already replacing freshwater in places freshwater should never have been wasted on,'' it added.

According to the Mission under the ministry of Jal Shakti, 8 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water from the Trans Yamuna sewage treatment plant (STP) is being supplied to the Mathura Refinery for industrial use.

It also cited reuse of treated wastewater by the Pragati Power Corporation in Delhi and the Jojobera Thermal Power Plant in Jharkhand for thermal and operational purposes using water sourced from nearby STPs.

The NMCG said the framework promotes the use of treated wastewater in industrial, agricultural and other non-potable sectors to reduce extraction of freshwater from rivers and groundwater sources.

''A power plant does not need drinking-quality water to cool its turbines. A construction site does not need it to mix concrete. A field does not need it to irrigate. For all of these, treated wastewater works perfectly,'' the post said.

The Mission said the framework is backed by multiple policy and implementation mechanisms, including a national framework to help states formulate reuse policies, a guidance handbook for urban policymakers and city administrators, safety protocols for industrial, agricultural and non-potable uses, and economic models designed for sector-wise adoption.

It described the initiative as part of ''a circular water future'', where wastewater collected and treated at sewage treatment plants (STPs) is converted into treated water output and reused for industrial and other non-potable purposes.

According to the framework, this reduces the demand for freshwater across sectors by replacing freshwater use with treated wastewater. The process, the NMCG said, ultimately helps protect rivers and aquifers by reducing extraction, improving ecosystem health and ensuring long-term water security.

''And every litre of treated water reused is one less litre drawn from already-stressed freshwater sources,'' the Mission said.

''Wastewater is not the end of the line. It is the beginning of the next one,'' the post added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)