A product of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

RECLAIMING OUR ‘WASTED’ WATERS Promoting Sludge to Energy Systems in Urban India

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

THE WASTED WATERS

Source: Central Pollution Control Board. Inventorization of Sewage Treatment Plants. March 2015

64%10%

18%9%

81%

5%

11%

3%

functional not functionalunder constructions proposed

Out of 816 STPs only 522 are functional

Number of STPs

Treatment capacity

70% of sewage is released untreated into water bodies

18883.230%

43116.870%

Treated Sewage Untreated Sewage

Total sewage generated 62000 MLD

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

SHIFTING PARADIGMS

Waste

Consume

Distribute

Produce

Extract

Unsustainable Linear System

Produce

Distribute

ConsumeReuse

Reclaim

Extract

Sustainable Circular System

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

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

Wastewater4230 MLD

BAU scenario6.25 million tons-CO2e

Energy (CH4) recovery scenario0.06 million tons-

CO2e

99% emission reduction

Ministry of Water

Resources,

Ministry of Urban

DevelopmentMinistry of

Drinking Water and Sanitation

Ministry of Environment and Forests

Ministry of Environment and ForestsMinistry of

Power

No single ministry in

chargeGuiding

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 authorityStakeholders also include ministries for power generation, agriculture, industry, rural and urban development

Management

Supply

TreatmentReuse

Reclaim

SLUDGE TO ENERGY – MORE THAN A TECH FIX

• SLUDGE TO ENERGY PROJECTS IN CHINA