HMWS&SB to reuse sewage water

The treated water will be diverted into rainwater harvesting pits to recharge groundwater levels. However, environmentalists are skeptical of the initiative

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has hit upon a novel idea to tackle depleting water levels. Towards this, the department has decided to re-use and recharge the groundwater levels by making use of about 1, 350 million litres sewer water produced every day.

In addition, the Water Board has also decided to set up 50 minor STPs apart from the additional five major STPs at Amberpet, Nagole, Nallacheruvu, Attapur and Ziaguda. The treated water will be diverted into rainwater harvesting pits, which will be constructed by both the residents and Water Board.

Of the total 1350 MLD sewerage water released every day, the city treats only 590 MLD. While the groundwater levels have been depleting at alarming pace, the Water Board has been letting go of the 760 MLD sewage water into lakes and Musi River. In addition, the groundwater levels in the city have decreased double fold in the past five years; in 2015 it was 11.85 m, 9.46 m in 2014, 7.39 m in 2013, 6.2 m in 2012 and 5.5 m in 2011.

The current groundwater level is 12.5 m. Citing this, the Water Board officials have decided to re-use the total 1350 MLD on a daily basis.
Speaking to The Hans India, a hopeful Water Board official said, “We have prepared a detailed project report to reuse the treated sewage water and it was sent to the State government for approval.”

However, the approval is still pending. Commenting on the subject, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Mayor Bonthu Rammohan said, “The Water Board has been planning to encourage citizens to construct STPs and rain harvesting pits according to their capacity. The HMWS&SB along with the GHMC would conduct extensive campaigns in couple of days to raise the awareness in this regard.”

Taking an exception to the move, environmental expert BV Subba Rao termed it as a ‘dangerous step’ and said that the Water Board should first check the quality and standard of the treated water, which would be sent into the ground. “It would very difficult to purify the water. Once it sent under the ground and cost of purification would be four times than purifying the surface water,” he said.

The environmental expert suggested the State government constitute an expert committee and conduct an extensive study before implementing such programmes.