Recycled water new mantra to solve water woes

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Recycled water may soon become the new mantra to resolve water woes arising due to rising population and scarcer availability of the commodity due to shrinking water table.

As water is becoming a scarce governments as well as water firms are working on various technologies and strategies to supply recycle water with a top government official from the state even suggesting  a need for structural modification in water treatment facilities in buildings and flats so that waste water can be reused.

Talking to Express on the sidelines of the session on Integrated Water and waste-water management during the three international conference on Municiplika Making Cities Work, Metro Water managing director Dr K Gopal said the dual pumping of water in residences as well as hotels and flats is the need of the hour so that potable waste water can be reused.

Interestingly, the state government which was till now focusing on dual treatment of water is now setting up a tertiary treatment plant in Koyambedu to supply treated water to fulfil the need of industries.

Gopal feels before the recycled water could be brought to use in homes, there needs to be a decentralized approach which should come from the bottom like resident welfare association.

Meanwhile, there are many firms vying to have a share in the pie of recycled water business in the state which the experts claim is worth thousands of crore.

Michael Carter, trade commissioner and consul commercial of Australian Trade Commission while highlighting that Australian water firms are evincing keen interest in supplying recycle technologies to the state and talks are on with the state government.

Interestingly, even GE is offering its ZeeWeed Memrane technology for municipal waste water treatment. “The state is using conventional technology and this technology can be used for expansion and retrofitting of existing plants,” said Girish Kale, marketing manager of GE Power and Water. He also stressed the need for government to regulate industries on treatment of waste water.

Sumit Goel, general manager of klgsystel, told Express his firm is in talks with Metro Water to digitize the entire water distribution network so that there is equitable distribution of water across the city. The firm has already done a pilot project for Metro Water in Ice House, Goel said.