Treat used water, don’t waste it: Our water security may depend on recycling this vital resource

Water is life. Our lives, environment and livelihoods depend on this vital resource. As we aspire to a new India, we stand at a crossroads in our water management journey.

The way we manage it will shape the future of our villages, cities and people. India’s annual per capita water availability declined to 1,486 cubic metres in 2021 and is projected at 1,367 cubic metres by 2031. The ‘water stress’ threshold of 1,700 cubic metres has already breached and we are approaching the ‘water scarcity’ benchmark of 1,000 cubic metres per head.

With climate variability and increasing freshwater demand, it is time to think beyond conventional sources. Challenges: Nine of India’s 20 river basins are water scarce. Our groundwater use is more than that of the US and China put together, and one in four blocks is exhibiting groundwater stress.

Our water-use efficiency in the irrigation sector is about 38%, below the world average of 45%. This is compounded by difficulties in the recovery of operational and maintenance costs. In urban areas, water supply systems suffer losses estimated at 39% of their total—called ‘non-revenue water.’ These challenges are amplified by climate change, which reduces rainy days and concentrates precipitation in shorter periods.

The pattern triggers a cycle of floods followed by water scarcity. The promise of recycled water: India’s urban areas alone generate nearly 72,000 million litres per day of sewage, yet only about 27,000 million litres is treated daily. A 2023 study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) estimated that if treated water is used for irrigation alone, it could irrigate 1.38 million hectares, generate ₹96,600 crore in agricultural revenue and recover nutrients worth ₹5,000