Tapping wastewater: Govt floats up to 50% reuse mandate for bulk users by '31

The government has proposed regulations aimed at reducing water waste, with new mandates that set a bold target: Up to 50 per cent wastewater reuse by 2031 for bulk consumers.

- NITIN KUMAR

These regulations will require entities consuming over 5,000 litres daily to register with authorities and implement comprehensive wastewater treatment measures.

For new bulk users, the minimum reuse mandates will gradually ramp up. Residential societies, for instance, will start at a 20 per cent reuse requirement in the 2027-28 financial year (FY28), progressing to 50 per cent by FY31. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) detailed these requirements in its recent proposal, dated October 7.

Institutional and commercial establishments, from both the public and private sectors, face a similar trajectory: Beginning with 20 per cent wastewater reuse and then escalating to 40 per cent by FY30. Industrial facilities are expected to meet a stiffer target - reusing 90 per cent of their wastewater by FY31.

Existing bulk users face slightly less stringent initial targets. Residential societies, for example, must start by reusing 10 per cent of their wastewater, rising to 25 per cent by FY31.

Institutional and commercial users face a similar starting point, reaching a 20 per cent threshold by the same deadline.