CSEC

Do you know?

Globally, water scarcity already affects four out of every 10 people (www.who.int).

By 2025, 1.8 billion people are expected to be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world population could be under water stress conditions. (UNESCO, 2012)

With the existing climate change scenario, by 2030, water scarcity in some arid and semi-arid places will displace between 24 million and 700 million people. (UNCCD)

90% of all natural disasters are water-related. (UNISDR)

Since 1900, more than 11 million people have died as a consequence of drought and more than 2 billion have been affected by drought, more than any other physical hazard. (FAO)

By 2050, rising populations in floodprone lands, climate change, deforestation, loss of wetlands and rising sea levels are expected to increase the number of people vulnerable to flood disaster to 2 billion. (UNESCO, 2012)

Overall, annual economic losses from weather-related disasters are estimated at between US$ 250 billion and US$ 300 billion. (UNISDR)

Asia is the region most vulnerable to water-related disasters, accounting for more than 45% of fatalities and more than 90% of the people affected by disasters between 1980 and 2006. (UNESCO, 2009)

Globally, 80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused (UNESCO, 2017).

By 2050, close to 70% of the world’s population will live in cities, compared to 50% today. Currently, most cities do not have inadequate infrastructure and resources to address wastewater management in an efficient and sustainable way. (UNDESA, 2014)

1.8 billion people use a source of drinking water contaminated with faeces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. (WHO/UNICEF 2015)

Agriculture accounts for 70% of global water withdrawal. (FAO)

Roughly 75% of all industrial water withdrawals are used for energy production. (UNESCO, 2014)

Global water demand (in terms of water withdrawals) is projected to increase by 55% by 2050, mainly because of growing demands from manufacturing (400% increase). More than 40% of the global population is projected to be living in areas of severe water stress by 2050. (UNESCO, 2014)

It typically takes 3,000 – 5,000 litres of water to produce 1 kg of rice, 2,000 litres for 1kg of soya, 900 litres for 1kg of wheat and 500 litres for 1kg of potatoes. (WWF)

20% of the world’s aquifers being over-exploited, some critically so. Deterioration of wetlands worldwide is reducing the capacity of ecosystems to purify water. (UNESCO, 2014)

Today 71% of the global population (5.2 billion people) use a safely managed drinking water service; that is, one located on premises, available when needed and free from contamination. 1 out of 3 of these people (1.9 billion people) live in rural areas. (WHO/UNICEF 2017)

263 million people spent over 30 minutes per round trip to collect water from an improved source. (WHO/UNICEF 2017)

Globally, two out of five people in rural areas use piped water supplies. (WHO/UNICEF, 2017)

70% of the Earth is covered in water out of which 2% of the planet’s water is fresh but 1.6 % of it is locked in polar ice caps and glaciers.

India has 4% of world water

More people in rural India have access to phones than to safe drinking water. It is estimated that only 18 percent of the total rural population of 833 million have access to treated water. In comparison, 41 percent of the rural population, or 346 million people, own mobile phones.(Forbes India, 2015)

Access to safe water varies greatly from state to state: 36 percent of the rural population in Andhra Pradesh has access to treated water while, in Bihar, less than 2 percent of the rural population receives treated water. (Forbes India, 2015)

India ranks a dismal 120 out of 122 nations for its water quality and 133rd out of 180 nations for its water availability. (Forbes India, 2015)

Ganga is the second most polluting river in the world.

Everyday 2.9 billion liters of waste water from industrial and domestic sources are dumped into the river Ganga without treatment

Each year around 1.2 billion pounds of plastic are dumped into River Ganga (BBC, 2018)

Water scarcity due to climate change could cost some region up to 6%of their GDP resulting in migration and conflicts.(World Bank 2018)

Wastewater As Resource

When resources are becoming scarce, reuse or recycling of resources is becoming more and more attractive and relevant. Used water has been considered as burden for disposal since long. With rising water scarcity in many regions across the globe, treated wastewater is gaining recognition as an alternative source of water. Worldwide over 80% and in some developing countriesover 95% of wastewater is released in the environment without treatment, which ultimately causes havoc water pollution and affects population. However, more sustainable economy requires to value wastewater, rather than dispose it off (WAAP 2017). Also the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasised on halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, substantially increase recycling and safe reuse globally (Target 6.3) through Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation.Wastewater is a very important and under-explored resource and can help in meeting the growing water demand in rapidly expanding cities, enhance energy production and industrial development, facilitate artificial recharge of aquifers, support sustainable agriculture and rehabilitate natural ecosystem.

Agriculture consumes the largest share of fresh water. There is increasing demand of water, especially in irrigated agriculture to ensure food security. Treated wastewater can play a major role in agricultural water demand. Throughout the world treated wastewater is the most widely used low-quality water for agriculture and aquaculture. Non-potable wastewater can be used in urban areas for irrigating public places such as parks, recreational centres, golf courses, fields, landscape areas of commercial and industrial buildings as well as for fire protection and toilet and urinal flushing. Wastewater is most commonly used in industries as evaporative cooling water, particularly for power station, boiler-feed water and process water.

Indian Scenario

In India total sewage generation including all sectors is estimated as 61754 MLD of which 62% is discharged untreated in to the nearby water bodies. 70-80% of water supplied for domestic use turns into wastewater (CPHEEO). Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi & Gujarat account for approximately 50% of the total sewage generated in the country and so, 67% of total sewage treatment capacity is installed in these states, butArunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Daman Diu, Nagaland, Assam & Tripura do not have any wastewater treatment facility.River Ganga is highly polluted due to direct discharge of industrial effluents and domestic wastewater into the river. 35 metropolitan cities in India have only 51% treatment capacity (www.sulabhenvis.nic.in). In India, the way water supply and resulting wastewater generation has increased, development of treatment capacity is completely out of pace. Therefore, there is a huge gap between wastewater generation and treatment capacity in India. However due to lack of infrastructure a significant amount of untreated wastewater is sold to the farmers by Water and Sewerage Board on charge basis for irrigation. Sewage and sewage mixed with industrial effluents can save 25-50% of N and P fertilizers and increase the crop productivity up to 15-27% (Anonymous. 2004). In Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh, along the Musi River, wastewater is used to irrigate paddy fields. In Ahmedabad and Kanpur it is used to cultivate wheat. In Delhi farmer are growing vegetables irrigated with wastewater. In Kanpur Roses and Marigold flower is grown commercially using wastewater. In Hyderabad avenue trees and public parks are irrigated using secondary treated wastewater. East Kolkata wetlands, which is also a Ramsar Site, receives domestic and industrial sewage and the nutrient content in the wastewater favours aquaculture. However, recycling and reuse of wastewater in agriculture hasfollowing limitations.

Utility of wastewater during unproductive season
Mismatch between the nutrient requirement of the crop and the available nutrient in wastewater
Location of treatment plants with respect to the land/places requiring irrigation
Incidence of weeds and pests

In spite of the limitations, in the coming years, when the projected fresh water availability is shrinking and wastewater generation is supposed to increase due to increase population and industrialization, treated wastewater has huge potential to bridge this gap provided treatment capacity is upgraded.