Adopting Policies for Reuse of Treated Water

04 Sep 2026

Tags: Geography   Resource Distribution   Indian resource distribution

Source: The Hindu

Context: The recently notified treated wastewater reuse policies of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand demonstrate how water policies can be context-specific rather than one-size-fits-all.

• The policies recognise differences between hill regions and densely populated plains and incorporate fit-for-purpose reuse, urban planning, river rejuvenation, community participation, blended finance, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and digital monitoring.
• Such approaches are important as Indian States repeatedly face summer water scarcity, groundwater depletion and competing agricultural, industrial and urban demands.

Treated Wastewater: An Untapped Resource

• Treated wastewater can provide a reliable and relatively drought-resilient water source for agriculture, industry, urban landscaping and ecological restoration.
• India’s water security increasingly depends not only on finding new freshwater sources but also on recycling and efficiently reusing existing water.
• Infrastructure creation alone is insufficient: a sewage treatment plant that merely discharges treated water into a drain without productive reuse fails to close the water cycle.

From Treatment to Reuse

• National programmes such as the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) have expanded sewage-treatment infrastructure, but treatment capacity must be connected to actual end-users.
• Mainstreaming reuse requires coordination among departments, appropriate pricing, reliable water-quality standards and city-level reuse plans.
• Fit-for-purpose reuse means treating wastewater to the quality required for its intended use rather than applying the same treatment standard to every application.

National Framework on Safe Reuse of Treated Water, 2022

• The National Framework on Safe Reuse of Treated Water (SRTW), 2022 provides a national framework for transitioning from wastewater disposal to systematic reuse.
• It encourages States to formulate their own context-specific reuse policies, recognising that water management is ultimately local even when policy objectives are national.
• Several States have begun establishing reuse targets and measurable milestones based on this framework.

Why Reuse Makes Economic Sense

• Reusing treated wastewater can strengthen climate resilience and reduce dependence on freshwater, particularly during droughts.
• It can support industrial and urban expansion without proportionately increasing pressure on existing freshwater supplies.
• Large-scale reuse can also contribute to low-carbon urban development by reducing the energy and infrastructure requirements associated with sourcing and transporting freshwater.
• Therefore, treated wastewater should be viewed not merely as a waste-management challenge but as an economic resource.

Institutional and Financial Requirements

• Successful reuse requires utilities, urban departments, irrigation agencies and industries to work in an integrated manner rather than in departmental silos.
• Financing need not depend entirely on new budgetary allocations; convergence with existing government schemes and programmes can create the financial momentum required for reuse projects.
• Blended finance and PPPs can further support investment in treatment, distribution and monitoring infrastructure.

Need for Public Awareness

• Public misconceptions regarding the safety of treated wastewater remain a major barrier to its wider acceptance.
• The SRTW Framework and the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand policies use the term “Apna Jal” (our water) for treated water, highlighting that successful reuse requires a psychological and behavioural shift alongside infrastructure development.
• Public confidence must be built through transparent quality standards, digital monitoring, reliable information and awareness campaigns.

Way Forward

• States should develop context-specific wastewater reuse policies with clear targets and timelines.
• Cities should prepare local reuse roadmaps linking treatment plants with potential agricultural, industrial, urban and ecological users.
• Establish credible quality standards and monitoring systems to ensure safety and build consumer confidence.
• Promote inter-departmental convergence, PPPs and blended financing rather than relying exclusively on government budgets.
• Integrate treated-water reuse with urban planning, groundwater conservation, river rejuvenation and climate-resilience strategies.