New Recycling Plant in Delhi to Boost Supply by 11 MGD

The second water recycling plant was recently launched by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) at Wazirabad to improve the supply system by feeding two underground reservoirs in the area. The 11-million-gallons-per-day project is in addition to a 16-MGD recycling plant that was commissioned at Haiderpur last year.

The plant will be the first in the country to recycle water used in the initial stages of treatment so that there is no wastage. About 8% of water goes waste in various stages of treatment. At Haiderpur, it is this eight per cent that is recycled. Only sludge will remain as a byproduct and that too will be transported to Sonia Vihar for use in landfilling.

‘‘The Wazirabad treatment plant was built at a cost of Rs 27.8 crore, a sum that will be recovered within three years of operation. The water will feed two underground reservoirs at Burari and benefit about 2.5 to 5 lakh consumers in their command areas.

DJB’s old plants will now be equipped with recycling units. ‘‘The new plants, including Sonia Vihar, will have an in-built recycling unit. By the time all the four old treatment plants become functional, Delhi will have an additional 45 MGD water at its disposal.

Water from the two already-commissioned recycling plants will benefit about 7-8 lakh residents. A 10-MGD recycling plant at Bhagirathi is undergoing trial runs, while another 8-MGD plant at Chandrawal is likely to be commissioned by March this year.

Delhi Jal Board is setting up two more recycle water treatment plants, the first of their kind in the country, in Bhagirathi and Chandrawal complexes. It already commissioned one in Haiderpur last year. By March 2010, these plants will collectively add a total of 45 MGD to the city’s water supply.

The new recycling plant at Wazirabad complex, which gets 80 per cent of its raw water from river Yamuna, recycles “once treated water” and not raw water. So, the water is more potable.