Urban India faces a water crisis, with only 51% of daily water needs met by public supply on average. Most of the sewage generated is released untreated, amounting to 70% of sewage or 62000 MLD. This causes health and environmental issues. To address this, the document proposes shifting to a circular water system where wastewater is treated and resources like water and energy are recovered from sludge through technologies like sludge to energy. This can achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, as seen in a case study of Bengaluru where a sludge to energy scenario could achieve a 99% reduction in emissions by 2035. However, implementing such systems faces challenges of lack of coordination between different ministries and

1. A product of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
RECLAIMING OUR ‘WASTED’
WATERS
Promoting Sludge to Energy Systems in Urban India

2. URBAN INDIA’S THIRST FOR WATER
377 million urban Indians in 2011
Norm of 135 lpcd for public supply
On average only 51% of daily need met by public supply

3. THE WASTED WATERS
Source: Central Pollution Control Board. Inventorization of Sewage Treatment Plants. March 2015
64%10%
18%
8%
81%
5%
11%
3%
functional not functional under constructions proposed
Out of 816 STPs only 522are functional
Number
of STPs
Treatment
capacity
70% of sewage is released
untreated into water bodies
18883,
30%
43117,
70%
Treated Sewage Untreated Sewage
Total sewage generated 62000 MLD

4. Discharge of
incompletely
treated
wastewater
Health Impacts
From contact with
polluted waters
Low income and
informal workers (rag
pickers, scavengers)
Consumption of
polluted waters
High risk to children
and elderly
Environmental
Consequences
Pollutants cross
from surface to
ground waters and
vice versa
Contaminated waters
are consumed
Capacity of water
habitats to sustain
life compromised
MULTITUDE OF ISSUES FROM WASTEWATER

5. SHIFTING PARADIGMS
Waste
Consume
Distribute
Produce
Extract
Unsustainable Linear System
Extract
Sustainable Circular System

6. RECOVERING THE ‘WASTE’ FROM WASTEWATER
Wastewater
treatment
Reclaimed
water
Non-potable
use
Potable use
Sludge
treatment
Sludge gas
Domestic fuel
Automobile
fuel
Electrification
Biochar
Agriculture
land
application
Heat
District
heating
systems

7. ENERGY RECOVERY FROM SLUDGE (BENGALURU)
Treatment capacity
721 MLD
Average treatment
520 MLD
800 sq. km. area
6800 km of piped
sewer network
Total wastewater
generated per day
(2012): 1500 MLD
2012 GHG
emissions: 0.79
million ton-CO2e
In 2035
Wastewater
4230 MLD
BAU scenario
6.25 million
tons-CO2e
Energy (CH4)
recovery scenario
0.06 million tons-
CO2e
99% emission reduction

8. Ministry of
Water
Resources,
Ministry of
Urban
Development
Ministry of
Drinking
Water and
Sanitation
Ministry of
Environment
and Forests
Ministry of
Environment
and Forests
Ministry of
Power
No single
ministry in
charge
Guiding
principles or
standards
absent
MoEF – treated wastewater for
agriculture use
MoP – treated wastewater for
thermal plant cooling
Cities experimenting with
industrial reuse of domestic
wastewaters on pilot basis
MNRE piloting projects
for waste to energy
MoUD (SBM) allows
treated sludge as agri
additive
ENABLERS FOR CIRCULAR SYSTEMS
Norms set by MoEFCC
(CPCB) but implemented by
MoUD (city municipality or
sewerage board)
Service provided by local
bodies (urban and rural)
as per guidelines of
MoUD / MDWS
MOWR main authority
Stakeholders also include ministries for power
generation, agriculture, industry, rural and urban
development
Manage
ment
Supply
Treatm
ent
Reuse
Reclaim

9. SLUDGE TO ENERGY – MORE THAN A TECH FIX

10. • SLUDGE TO ENERGY PROJECTS IN
CHINA