March 17, 2026
From Drain to Resource: Rethinking Wastewater in India
Water issues in India rarely make headlines unless there’s a drought or a dramatic incident involving water tankers. Yet the larger crisis is much quieter. It begins after water is used. Wastewater moves through aging sewer networks, treatment plants often operate without real-time monitoring, and the quality of treated water can change without timely detection.
In a country where a significant share of diseases is linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation, the challenge is not just scarcity but how wastewater is monitored, treated, and reused. As cities and towns grow rapidly, this hidden crisis is becoming more serious.
This is where smart water management, sensors, and IoT-based monitoring can play a crucial role in bringing visibility, compliance, and accountability to wastewater systems. This article explores India’s wastewater challenges, expert insights, and how technology could reshape the future of wastewater management.
The Data Behind India’s Wastewater Challenge
India’s wastewater problem is as much about management as it is about infrastructure.
Key numbers illustrate the scale of the issue:
India generates about 72,368 million litres per day (MLD) of urban sewage • Installed treatment capacity is 31,841 MLD • Effective operational capacity is only 26,869 MLD
This means that a large share of wastewater remains untreated, eventually entering rivers, lakes, and groundwater systems.
The consequences are significant:
Over 70% of surface water sources in India are polluted • A substantial share of diseases are linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation • Untreated wastewater continues to degrade ecosystems and drinking water sources
The challenge is not just the lack of treatment plants. It is also the absence of real-time monitoring, leakage detection, efficient treatment operations, and systematic wastewater reuse mechanisms.
Without smarter monitoring systems and stronger operational oversight, pollution levels are likely to continue rising.
https://cpcb.nic.in/sewage-treatment/,https://www.cseindia.org/reusing-treated-wastewater-can-help-ease-india-s-growing-urban-water-crisis-12531, https://www.niti.gov.in/composite-water-management-index, https://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/, https://cgwb.gov.in
We Have the Technology So What’s Holding Us Back? Insights from Industry Experts
To gain deeper insight into these challenges, we spoke with several industry experts who shared their perspectives on the barriers slowing the adoption of wastewater technologies in India.
India is not lacking in technology when it comes to wastewater treatment. The country already possesses cutting-edge treatment capabilities, and major Indian EPC companies execute advanced water treatment projects globally. The treatment process typically includes primary, secondary, and tertiary stages, with tertiary treatment enabling reuse for applications such as gardening and non-potable purposes. However, tertiary treatment and large-scale reuse systems are not uniformly implemented across all cities, especially in Tier 1 and Tier 2 regions.
The primary challenge India faces is scale. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion and only 4% of the world’s water resources, the volume of water consumption and wastage is extremely high. While recycling is happening, it is not sufficient to meet demand.
Another key issue is limited enforcement and awareness regarding reuse. Many industries and commercial activities continue to use potable water instead of treated water. Stronger regulations and public awareness are essential to shift toward mandatory reuse practices.
Therefore, when comparing India with countries that have highly efficient STP and ETP systems, the gap is not technological. India is lagging due to population pressure, high demand, insufficient reuse implementation, and the need for stronger political will and public awareness. – Prasad Rao, Regional manager, Supreme Technology
Another industry expert has mentioned that India has made notable progress in wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure over the past decade, supported by major initiatives such as the Namami Gange Programme and the Swachh Bharat Mission. Modern treatment technologies like Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR) and Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBR) are increasingly being adopted across treatment plants. However, a significant gap still exists between the volume of wastewater generated and the available treatment capacity. Moving forward, the focus needs to shift from merely building infrastructure to ensuring efficient plant operations, continuous monitoring, and sustainable reuse of treated wastewater.
Despite these developments, several challenges remain. These include insufficient treatment capacity, high maintenance costs, limited infrastructure for reuse, and a shortage of skilled operators to manage treatment plants effectively. Many facilities face operational inefficiencies due to inadequate maintenance practices and a lack of trained manpower. In addition, public awareness and acceptance of treated wastewater reuse remain relatively low.
Another key issue is the lack of strong regulatory enforcement and consistent monitoring of treatment and reuse practices. Fragmented institutional responsibilities, limited distribution networks for treated water, and weak enforcement of reuse mandates further slow large-scale adoption. Strengthening plant operation and maintenance practices, improving monitoring systems, and establishing clear accountability mechanisms will be essential. Enhancing regulatory oversight and integrating wastewater reuse into long-term urban water planning will also be critical, as the future of water management lies in recognizing wastewater not as waste but as a valuable and reusable resource. – Prashant Kulshreshtha, Neer Envirotech
Digital Infrastructure for Water Systems
While physical treatment infrastructure remains essential, the next transformation in wastewater management will come from adding digital monitoring systems to existing treatment plants. Advances in sensor technologies, edge intelligence and IoT platforms now allow facilities to continuously monitor important water quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, TDS, BOD, and COD in real time.
At present, Gyrfalcon Intelliedge Solutions is implementing integration of PLC and SCADA systems with IoT platforms for STP/ETP plant, water quality and water level monitoring along with cloud analytics and intelligent dashboards enabling generation of alerts and notifications to help utilities detect operational issues early, optimise treatment processes and reduce operational costs.
Over time, such data-driven monitoring systems can enable predictive maintenance, improve energy efficiency, and support more effective water reuse—turning wastewater treatment plants into smart, continuously monitored infrastructure rather than purely mechanical systems.
Rethinking Wastewater as a Resource
India’s water future will depend not only on conserving freshwater resources but also on reimagining wastewater as a valuable resource. With the inputs received from industry experts, we can conclude that strengthening plant operations, improving monitoring systems, and establishing clear accountability mechanisms will be essential to strengthen the use of wastewater technology.
The transition from “wastewater disposal” to “wastewater resource management” could become one of the most important shifts in India’s water strategy.
Because the real solution to India’s water crisis may not lie in finding new sources of water but in better managing the water we already use.
