Delhi govt mulling policy for use of treated wastewater from STPs for construction and irrigation

Officials said the policy would explore other applications, including firefighting, and would consider supplying treated water to private firms in the future at affordable charges.

The article states that the Uttarakhand government has notified its SRTW policy promoting the reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable purposes such as industrial processes, construction, irrigation of parks and green spaces, flushing, sprinkling, and other urban uses.

The article notes that the Safe Reuse of Treated Water (SRTW) framework is being institutionalised across states and cities for sustainable development.

On May 8, 2026, the Delhi government announced it is framing a policy to use treated sewage water from STPs for construction works and irrigation of parks, with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) leading the policy development. Currently, around 89 million gallons per day (MGD) of treated water is supplied for non-potable purposes to agencies such as the Central Public Works Department, DDA, NDMC, and MCD. Delhi's STPs generate about 530 MGD of treated water, of which around 105 MGD is used today, mainly for roadside gardening, green areas, and lake restoration. The DJB has approved a ₹90-crore project to transport treated water from STPs for horticultural purposes across the capital. The policy would start with government construction activities and could later explore supplying treated water to private firms at affordable charges. Other applications, such as firefighting, will be explored. Technical aspects will be aligned with BIS guidelines, with treated water for construction expected to have a pH between 6 and 8.5 and total dissolved solids (TDS) not exceeding 2,000 ppm. Parks maintained by government agencies and resident welfare associations could receive treated water via pipelines from STPs, and small decentralised STPs could be set up near parks to treat local domestic sewage water for horticulture purposes.

A 2024 report by the Central Ground Water Board shows that Delhi is extracting more groundwater than it recharges. Of the 34 assessed tehsils, 14 are identified as over-exploited, 13 as critical, two as semi-critical, and five as safe.