Taking its first step towards making treated sewage water fit for human consumption – the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to upgrade one of its existing sewage treatment plants (STP) with a capacity of 15 million liters (MLD) to an advanced tertiary plant. (ATP) that disinfects and recycles sewage water, making it potable.
Currently, Mumbai generates 2,190 MLD of sewage daily, of which only 22.65 MLD or 1% is recycled for potable use. The rest of the treated water flows from the city as sewage sludge into the ocean and bay. To mitigate this problem, the BMC launched the Rs 28,000 crore STP project in 2023 under which it aims to construct seven STPs with a total capacity of 2,464 MLD of sewage treatment per day. These STPs are expected to be operational in a phased manner after 2026.
BMC currently has four functional STPs at Colaba, Banganga, Chembur and Charkop.
Among these four STPs, the Colaba STP, operational since June 2020, is the largest, with a capacity to treat sewage up to 37 MLD daily. However, till date this STP recycles only 15 MLD of waste daily.
Currently, treated water from this STP is being used for potable purposes like gardening, road cleaning, fire fighting and vehicle washing. Therefore, BMC is discussing a proposal to upgrade this water to make it suitable for human drinking.
“Presently, this STP works as a tertiary water treatment facility that recycles water to the extent that it is suitable for potable use. Now, our plan is to upgrade this plant to an Advanced Treatment Plant (ATP) so that the recycled water can be used for human consumption. be suitable for,” said a civic official associated with the project.
The official said the move was taken to bridge the gap between demand and supply of water in Mumbai. Currently Mumbai requires 4,200 MLD of water daily, of which BMC is able to supply 3,850 MLD.
Once the STP is ready, civic officials said a distribution channel will be established, through which treated water will be supplied to residential and commercial units for potable use. The municipality said that suggestions and objections will be taken from the locals before operating this plant.
“The water will be disinfected and a process of mineralization will be carried out so that the overall quality of recycled water matches the quality of drinking water supplied by the BMC on a daily basis,” the official said.
The official said that a tender will be called for the appointment of a contractor for this project next year. This will be a pilot project and after its completion a similar model will be implemented in the remaining operational STPs at Banganga, Chembur and Charkop.
Meanwhile, seven of the new treatment plants being built will be ATPs that can recycle water for potable use from the start. Civic officials are hoping that these STPs, once operational, will reduce water scarcity in Mumbai by a significant margin.
Why should you buy our membership?
You want to be the smartest in the room.
You want access to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t want to be confused and misinformed.
Choose your subscription package