Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation moves to sell recycled water at lower price to reduce waste and save resources
In a step towards sustainability, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved a plan to sell treated wastewater from the Colaba Sewage Treatment Plant at a uniform rate of ₹15 per kilolitre. The aim is simple—reduce water wastage, promote reuse, and conserve precious freshwater in Mumbai.
Currently, a large portion of treated water—nearly 3 million litres daily—is being discharged into the sea due to low demand. Even though the Colaba plant can treat up to 10 million litres per day, much of it remains unused. By lowering the price from ₹21 to ₹15 per kilolitre, the BMC hopes to attract more buyers, especially for non-drinking purposes like construction and industrial use.
Under the new plan, about 3 MLD of water will be supplied to a private firm. Interestingly, a women-led company has also shown interest in purchasing treated water at an even lower rate, planning to use it for construction projects such as the Orange Gate tunnel.
However, the proposal didn’t come without concerns. Some officials raised questions about monitoring, logistics, and accountability—especially how the actual use of water would be tracked once supplied. Others wondered why more of the treated water couldn’t be utilised instead of being wasted.
Despite these debates, the proposal was approved, with officials assuring that proper agreements and procedures would be followed. The civic body believes this move will not only reduce waste but also encourage private participation in water reuse.
Still, challenges remain. The cost of transporting treated water and the easy availability of cheaper potable water in Mumbai have limited demand so far. The success of this initiative will depend on how effectively these hurdles are addressed in the coming months.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
