Urban Wastewater Management (UWM)

Syllabus: GS1/ Challenges related to Urbanisation, GS2/ Governance

Context

• Recent incidents of sewage mixing with drinking water in Indian cities highlight serious gaps in Urban Wastewater Management (UWM), posing risks of large-scale public health crises.

About 

• Generation vs. Treatment Gap: India generates approximately 72,368 MLD (Million Litres per Day) of urban wastewater, but the treatment capacity is only about 28-44%.
• Health Implications: Untreated sewage is the primary driver of waterborne diseases (diarrhea, cholera, typhoid), contributing to nearly 80% of diseases and a significant portion of child mortality in India.
• Infrastructure Deficit: Nearly 55% of urban households are not connected to a sewer network, relying on septic tanks which often leak or are improperly managed (septage management).

Challenges in Urban Wastewater Management

• Institutional Challenges:
  • Fragmented governance with multiple departments working in silos.
  • Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) lack technical, financial, and human capacity.
• Infrastructure Challenges:
  • Inadequate physical separation between sewerage and drinking water networks increases cross-contamination risks.
  • Ageing and corroded water supply pipelines allow seepage of sewage into drinking water lines.
• Economic Challenges: 
  • High Non-Revenue Water (NRW) losses.
  • Unrealistic user tariffs and poor collection efficiency.
  • Low cost recovery discourages private investment.
• Technological Challenges:
  • Limited adoption of cost-effective and energy-efficient technologies.
  • Poor mapping and monitoring of sewer connectivity.

Impacts

• Health Impacts: Contaminated drinking water leads to waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, dysentery, and hepatitis A and E.
  • Children under five years of age face a higher risk of mortality and long-term malnutrition.
• Economic Impacts: Increased household and public healthcare expenditure reduces economic productivity.
  • Loss of working days affects livelihoods, especially among informal workers.
• Environmental Impacts: Untreated sewage entering water bodies degrades urban ecosystems.
  • Contamination undermines efforts towards sustainable water reuse and recycling.

Way Ahead

• Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS): Implementing small-scale, localized treatment units (e.g., in housing societies or parks) to reduce the burden on main sewer lines.
• Dual Plumbing Systems: Mandatory for new urban developments to separate potable water from recycled water (used for flushing/gardening).
• Real-Time Monitoring: Using IoT sensors and AI (as highlighted in the 2025-26 CPCB guidelines) to detect leaks and contamination in the water-sewage network immediately.
• Polluter Pays Principle: Strengthening the financial health of ULBs through “sewerage charges” and creating a market for treated wastewater (e.g., selling it for industrial cooling or construction).

Source: IT