The Hindu Business Line : ‘Sewage, the new resource for generating freshwater’

Chennai, Oct. 5 Sewage is the next new resource for freshwater — Chennai generates over 400 million litres a day (mld) and only a fraction of it is reused. Metrowater hopes more industrial units will opt for recycling the city’s sewage to generate freshwater.

Addressing the inaugural of TN Aqua 2007, a conference on water and wastewater management in industry, the Managing Director of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage System Board (Metrowater), Mr Shiv Das Meena, said that water supply for the city’s domestic and industrial use is a growing challenge. Demand is increasing by the day. Metrowater now supplies about 570 mld to the citizens apart from 35 mld each to the adjacent urban areas and industrial units.

But over the next two decades the demand would grow nearly five times. The supply plan provides for enhancing availability to about 1,950 mld from various sources during this period. This would still leave a shortfall of about 300 mld.

The industrial sector could help by adopting zero liquid discharge strategy by reusing and recycling effluent water. A second option would be to use the city’s wastewater, which could be treated and reused. Industrial units were now recycling about 40 mld of sewage water. Metrowater supplies the secondary treated sewage to these units, which treat the water further for reuse.

Mr Amit Sen Gupta, Co-convenor – energy, enviro and occupational health panel, Confederation of Indian Industry – TN, which organised the two-day seminar, said that only technology would drive the efficient use of water. Technology is evolving continuously and industries need to keep a close watch. What was once a niche application comes into wider use as costs are brought down. For example, the cost of reverse osmosis membranes used in water purification has come down by 90 per cent as compared to the cost over two decades back. Whether in agriculture or industrial use, recycling and reuse of waste water is fast becoming a viable option, he said.

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