Gurugram: 16-year-old builds greywater reuse model, saves nearly 1,000 litres daily

Gurugram teen Gouraansh Sethi's "Project Piyau" conserves 1,000 litres of water daily by recycling greywater for non-potable uses in housing complexes.

Gurugram: Every summer, as water tankers line up outside housing societies and complaints over dry taps grow louder, a 16-year-old in Gurugram has taken charge and demonstrated how a small, well-planned intervention can conserve nearly 1,000 litres of freshwater a day within a single housing complex.

Gouraansh Sethi, a Class 11 student, developed “Project Piyau” at his Central Park residence (HT)

Gouraansh Sethi, a Class 11 student of The Shri Ram School, Aravali, developed “Project Piyau,” a greywater reuse system at his Central Park residence. The initiative recycles water from sinks, showers, washbasins and laundry outlets for non-potable purposes such as flushing, gardening and maintenance. Greywater, unlike sewage, can be safely reused after basic treatment.

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority felicitated Sethi for the project on February 9. In a letter, the authority’s chief executive officer noted that the system enables the reuse of nearly 1,000 litres of treated greywater daily and described it as a practical approach to urban water management.

Sethi told HT on Thursday, that the idea took shape in May 2024 when he began observing water usage patterns around him. He realised that significant volumes of usable greywater were being discharged every day. Sethi said the planning phase concluded by June and July, followed by on-ground implementation that continued until November. By the end of the year, the impact was visible.

Working with the Central Park Resorts engineering and management teams, Sethi mapped existing plumbing lines and identified feasible separation points within the existing structure. A pilot project began with the refurbishment of 26 bathrooms to create a controlled testing zone. This allowed the system to be tested and refined under real-life conditions.

Today, the treated water is reused for flushing, gardening, cleaning and maintenance, reducing dependence on fresh water in the society, said Sethi.

“The biggest difficulty was actively finding ways to save water while designing everything to fit strict green criteria,” Sethi said, adding that resident hesitation was another hurdle.

The term wastewater raised concerns, even though the project dealt only with greywater. To address this, he organised sessions explaining the difference between greywater and blackwater and reassured families that treated water would never be used for drinking.

With support from his school, particularly in connecting him with experts and ambassadors, he said, he launched an ambassador programme that brings representatives from other residential complexes together for weekly discussions on water reuse and replication strategies.

In December 2024, Sethi was invited to a UN Summit in New York, where his work was presented as a youth-led community sustainability model.

Looking ahead, Sethi hopes to continue working in innovation and entrepreneurship, focusing on practical solutions to urban water challenges.

Gouraansh Sethi, a student of The Shri Ram School, Aravali and a resident of Central Park Resorts.