BMC struggles to find buyers for treated sewage water; proposes to slash price

According to a proposal to be tabled before the standing committee on Wednesday, around 10 Million Liters per Day (MLD) of treated water generated at the Colaba sewage treatment plant (STP) remains largely unused. To improve demand, the civic body has proposed a standard rate of ₹15 per kilolitre, down from earlier differential rates for different parties which scaled to as high as ₹21 per thousand liters

Mumbai: With few takers for treated sewage water, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is currently discharging 3-4 million litres of treated water into the sea daily and has now proposed slashing prices to attract buyers.

BMC struggles to find buyers for treated sewage water; proposes to slash price

According to a proposal to be tabled before the standing committee on Wednesday, around 10 Million Liters per Day (MLD) of treated water generated at the Colaba sewage treatment plant (STP) remains largely unused.

To improve demand, the civic body has proposed a standard rate of ₹15 per kilolitre, down from earlier differential rates for different parties which scaled to as high as ₹21 per thousand liters.

The civic body currently spends approximately ₹12 per kilolitre to produce the treated water. However, demand has been limited due to the relatively low cost of potable water in Mumbai and the additional expense of transporting treated water from Colaba to other areas. Currently, Colaba is the only STP that generates treated water, while the rest of the STP including at Bandra, Worli, Versova, Ghatkopar and Bhandup are yet to generate sewage treated water.

“Our STP is located at one end of the city at Colaba and carrying water to other parts of the city adds to the cost. Hence, though this project seems unviable for now, it is a long-term water solution to meet the water needs of Mumbai and must be sustained,” an expert on water treatment projects told HT.

The Colaba STP, commissioned in 2020 and operated by Suez India Pvt Ltd, has a capacity of 37 MLD, though only about 10 MLD is available as tertiary treated water for non-potable uses.

While there have been intermittent buyers in the past, including the Cricket Club of India, the Indian Navy and Larsen & Toubro, demand has remained inconsistent depending upon need for specific projects.

Recently, a women-led group, SR Enterprises, has shown interest in purchasing 3 MLD at a lower rate of ₹10 per thousand litres, and is willing to arrange tankers and infrastructure for transport. The water is expected to be used for construction work, including the Orange Gate tunnel project.