The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to upgrade its Colaba Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) into an Advanced Tertiary Plant (ATP), making treated sewage water suitable for drinking. This marks a significant step in addressing Mumbai’s water scarcity.
Currently, Mumbai generates 2,190 million liters of sewage daily, but only 1% is recycled for non-potable uses. The rest is discharged into the sea. To tackle this, the BMC launched a Rs 28,000 crore project in 2023 to build seven new STPs, aimed at treating 2,464 million liters of sewage daily by 2026.
The Colaba STP, which treats 37 million liters of sewage per day, currently recycles 15 million liters for uses like road cleaning and gardening. The planned upgrade will allow it to produce potable water, helping to meet Mumbai’s daily water demand of 4,200 million liters, of which the BMC currently supplies 3,850 million liters.
The upgraded plant will undergo disinfection and mineralization processes to ensure the water meets drinking standards. A distribution network will be established to deliver treated water to homes and businesses. Public feedback will be sought before the plant becomes operational.
This project will serve as a model for similar upgrades at other STPs in Mumbai, while seven new STPs under construction will be designed to recycle water for potable use from the start. The BMC expects these initiatives to significantly reduce the city’s water supply shortfall.
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