AMIID HIGH WATER SCARCITY IN DELHI DJB SETS UP RECYCLING PLANT AT ITS H.O

Delhi Jal Board to set up a Recycling Plant at its Headquarters

New Delhi: Water and wastewater utilities across the globe are facing many common challenges such as rising costs, aging infrastructure, population changes etc. Effective utility management can help utilities to respond to both current and future challenges. Delhi Jal Board has consistently adopted effective utility management approaches to improve its services, increase community support and ensure a strong and viable utility.

Delhi’s water supply demand is around 1080 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) whereas; only 840 MGD of water is available from all sources. There is a very remote hope of adding more raw water in the near future. The solution lies in either reducing water losses or supplementing non-potable water demand with recycled water. The treated effluent (Recycled water) has the potential of being utilized in several areas such as irrigation, horticulture, cooling and power plants, flushing construction industries and washing systems.

To supplement filtered water at Delhi Jal Board Headquarters, a recycling plant is being set up with the technical support of the Center for Science and Environment (CSE). Around 115 Kilo Liters per Day (KLD) sewage generated from DJB’s Headquarters will be treated and reused within the campus. This will help in reducing the overall demand of filtered water supply. The work is expected to be completed by December 2014.

The recycling plant to be set up in the Delhi Jal Board Headquarters is based upon the alternate approach of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment (DWWT). DWWT works on the important principle of devolving level of application so that sewage can be treated at affordable costs, cutting the cost of pumping long distances and promoting local reuse of treated sewage. DWWT is an appropriate wastewater treatment alternative and is a more integrated approach for diverse ecosystems as opposed to the conventional technologies of wastewater (sewage) collection and treatment which are natural resource intensive (use water first to flush, then to carry the waste), capital and energy intensive.

In the recycling plant to be set up at DJB’s Headquarters, the Sewage Treatment process will not consume electricity. Sewage collected from the building will pass through well-designed septic tanks for anerobic reaction, which will decompose organic matters resulting into reduced BOD. Further effluent will pass through filter media and roots of plants, which will further reduce BOD. Treated effluent received through this process will be of good standard, odor free and shall be used for horticulture and flushing purpose. The existing tube well shall be abandoned and will be used for the purpose of rainwater harvesting.

Delhi Jal Board is encouraging other departments i.e. DTC, DMRC and railways to use treated effluent for horticulture and irrigation purposes. NDPL and PPCL are already using treated effluent for cooling purposes. Delhi Jal Board has been instrumental in promoting Wastewater treatment and local reuse- at community, institutional and individual building level, and applying locally adequate treatment technology as it can help achieve the twin objectives of equity and sustainability.

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