Hyderabad Launches Green Water Tanker Service to Promote Treated Wastewater Reuse

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has launched its ‘Green Water Tanker’ initiative to supply treated wastewater for non-drinking purposes, aiming to conserve potable water amid this year’s rainfall deficit.

The initiative was launched on Sunday at the Telangana Secretariat, coinciding with the Board’s 37th Foundation Day. The programme follows directions from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to encourage the use of treated sewage water for landscaping, gardening, construction activities, industrial purposes and maintenance of public parks.

In the first phase, 21 green tankers will operate from 19 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). The initial deployment covers facilities including Attapur, Amberpet, Mir Alam, Nagole, Hussainsagar, Saroornagar, Kokapet and Gopanpally. GHMC and HMDA tankers will also participate, while 100 private tankers have registered with HMWSSB.

The participating tankers, with capacities of 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 litres, will carry green branding and display the warning, ‘STP Treated Water – Not for Drinking’. Special officers have been appointed at individual STPs to supervise water filling, tanker allocation and quality.

The Board is also working towards improving transparency through online booking, GPS tracking, electronic Point of Sale facilities and monitoring through its Command Control Centre dashboard. Water quality inspections, additional filtration systems, filling stations and water meters are among the infrastructure measures planned to support the initiative.

The programme will initially prioritise government departments, municipal bodies, public parks, construction projects and commercial establishments, with plans to extend supplies across Hyderabad in phases.

HMWSSB Managing Director Ashok Reddy said the Board’s jurisdiction now covers 2,053 square kilometres. The Board is also targeting the utilisation of up to 500 million litres per day (MLD) of treated wastewater.

Revanth Reddy congratulated HMWSSB employees and urged government departments, construction companies and commercial organisations to use treated wastewater wherever drinking-quality water is unnecessary.

Hyderabad generates around 1,950 MLD of sewage, highlighting the importance of expanding wastewater treatment and reuse to reduce dependence on freshwater resources.