Urban Wastewater Treatment for Recycling and Reuse in Industrial Applications: Indian Scenario

Urban wastewater management has become a challenge in many countries because infrastructure development and regulations have not kept pace with population growth and urbanization. This chapter focuses on urban wastewater management and the possible use of treated water for industrial applications in India. The figures on India's annual urban population are rising and expected to reach about 600 million by 2030, making India more peri-urban than rural. It is realised that Indian industry has not taken a neutral stance on the required quality and quantity of water. The current national water share for Indian industry is only about 8%, which is far lower than in developed countries with respect to higher reuse and recycling applications. However, the water share of Indian industry will be growing along with the growing GDP. According to a recent Industry/Commerce & Government assessment, the water requirement for industrial use will increase from the current 30 billion m³ to-120 billionm³ by 2025. India is already an almost water-stressed country. The huge water demand of industry can be balanced by recycling and reusing urban wastewater, which would also provide an opportunity for the growth of Indian industry should this type of program be adopted. It would be possible to reuse 40-50% of secondary sewage for industrial and indirect potable use. If the sustainability of resources was maintained in light of increasing industrial water demand, the present reuse of less than 8% would be increased to 30-40% toward the projected water demand of 2030. Industrial water production from secondary sewage of urban and semi-urban areas can increase the water availability to Indian industrial sectors by establishing a joint municipal-industrial collaboration.