Hyderabad: In a push towards sustainable water management and the circular economy, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has proposed two large-scale public-private partnership (PPP) projects to supply treated greywater to industrial and commercial hubs, reducing dependence on freshwater resources.The water board has invited expressions of interest (EOI) from developers, infrastructure companies, investors and other agencies to design, finance, build, operate and maintain treated wastewater conveyance and distribution systems under the design-build-finance-operate-transfer (DBFOT) model.The proposed projects would cater to two high-growth corridors in the Hyderabad metropolitan region. The first project would connect the Attapur Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) to Chandan Valley, supplying treated wastewater to data centres, manufacturing industries and logistics parks. The second corridor would link the Nagole STP to Future City, where the recycled water would cater to IT parks, data centres, commercial establishments and institutional developments.According to the EOI, the estimated treated water demand by 2035 is projected at 233 million litres per day (MLD) for the Attapur–Chandan Valley corridor and 290 MLD for the Nagole-Future City corridor. The initiative is aimed at promoting the reuse and recycling of secondary treated wastewater for industrial and other non-potable applications, while conserving freshwater resources and strengthening Hyderabad’s long-term water security.Officials said the projects would also help generate sustainable revenue for HMWS&SB through a revenue-sharing model with private concessionaires. The initiative also seeks to encourage environmentally sustainable and resource-efficient wastewater management in line with circular economy principles.Under the proposed PPP framework, the selected concessionaire would be responsible for designing, financing, developing, operating and maintaining the treated wastewater supply infrastructure, including laying pipelines, distribution networks and associated facilities required to transport secondary-treated wastewater from HMWS&SB’s STPs to end users, throughout the concession period.As part of this, the private firm would collect a fee from treated water consumers, and share royalty with the water board.Meanwhile, the state govt is set to formulate and notify a comprehensive Wastewater Reuse Policy, along with guidelines and regulatory measures, to encourage industries, commercial establishments, institutions and other eligible consumers to adopt treated wastewater as an alternative water source.Officials believe the initiative would reduce pressure on Hyderabad’s potable water supplies while creating a reliable and commercially viable recycled water network to support the city’s rapidly expanding industrial, IT and urban infrastructure sectors.“The board currently operates an extensive sewerage network and multiple STPs with an aggregate installed treatment capacity of approximately 1,878 MLD, enabling large-scale wastewater treatment and reuse. This initiative will help us promote the reuse and recycling of treated wastewater for industrial and other non-potable applications and enhance long-term water security through efficient utilisation of treated wastewater,” a HMWS&SB official said.
