Delhi Plans 250 Water ATMs and Expansion of Decentralised Sewage Treatment

The Delhi Jal Board has approved a package of water-supply and wastewater-management initiatives that includes 250 water-dispensing units, decentralised sewage treatment facilities and projects intended to improve drain-water treatment and raw-water storage.

The planned water ATM programme has a reported allocation of approximately ₹58 crore. Initial installations are expected to focus on government schools before the programme is extended to other selected public locations. The facilities remain at the approval and implementation-planning stage and should not yet be described as operational.

Water ATMs Planned for Schools and Public Areas

Water ATMs are automated or semi-automated dispensing units designed to provide treated drinking water at accessible public locations.

An earlier version of the Delhi plan described units equipped with multiple taps, multistage filtration, automated flushing, remote monitoring and location tracking. Final technical specifications, operating arrangements and installation schedules will need to be confirmed through procurement documents and implementation contracts.

For the programme to provide dependable service, the installation of equipment will need to be supported by:

• A reliable source of raw or treated water

• Routine water-quality testing

• Cartridge and membrane replacement

• Cleaning and disinfection

• Continuous power availability

• Preventive maintenance

• Public reporting of service interruptions

• Clear responsibility for operation and maintenance

The water supplied must be regularly monitored against applicable drinking-water quality requirements. Water ATMs should supplement reliable piped supply rather than become a permanent substitute for household water connections.

Decentralised Sewage Treatment Capacity Proposed

The latest announcement also reports approval for 15 decentralised sewage treatment plants, with an estimated investment of approximately ₹2,000 crore. The plants are reported to add around 103.5 million gallons per day of treatment capacity.

Decentralised sewage treatment plants are generally positioned closer to wastewater-generation areas than large centralised facilities. They can be useful in peripheral settlements, villages, unauthorised colonies and areas where conveying sewage to a distant treatment plant would require extensive pumping and trunk sewer infrastructure

Their effectiveness, however, will depend on whether sewage is successfully intercepted and delivered to the plants. Building treatment capacity without completing the connecting sewer network, pumping arrangements and household connections may result in under utilisation. The facilities will also require suitable land, uninterrupted electricity, sludge-management arrangements, laboratory monitoring and long-term operation and maintenance contracts.

Reported Capacity Requires Official Clarification

An earlier report from September 2025 also referred to 15 decentralised plants planned for Narela, Bawana and Mundka. That package was estimated at approximately ₹1,965 crore but was reported to provide around 39 MGD, together with about 785 kilometres of sewer infrastructure.

The latest report describes 15 plants with a substantially higher combined capacity of 103.5 MGD. Publicly accessible documentation confirming whether this is an expanded version of the earlier programme, a separate package or an updated capacity calculation was not located during verification.

Water Today should therefore attribute the 103.5 MGD figure to the latest announcement and avoid presenting it as independently confirmed until detailed project schedules or official board documents become available.

Drain-Water Treatment Also Approved

A separate project valued at approximately ₹65 crore has reportedly been approved for in-situ treatment in the Najafgarh and Delhi Gate drain systems. The work is expected to be implemented over three years, with payments linked to performance

In-situ treatment involves treating polluted water within or near a drain using biological, chemical, aeration or hybrid processes. It can help reduce organic pollution, odour and suspended matter under suitable operating conditions.

However, in-situ treatment should be treated as a supporting intervention rather than a complete replacement for:

• Preventing sewage from entering stormwater drains

• Extending sewer connections

• Intercepting untreated wastewater

• Providing adequate sewage treatment capacity

• Managing sludge and solid waste

• Controlling industrial discharges

Performance-linked contracts should include measurable requirements for parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, dissolved oxygen and microbial quality.

Raw-Water Storage and Conveyance Under Study

The Delhi Jal Board has also reportedly approved restoration work at the Wazirabad pondage area, with the objective of increasing raw-water holding capacity from approximately one day to two or three days

The pondage area provides temporary raw-water storage before water is transferred to treatment facilities. Restoration could improve operational resilience during fluctuations in river flow, canal interruptions and periods of high turbidity.

Separately, a pre-feasibility study by IIT Roorkee has been approved for a proposed main water-conveyance line from the Munak regulator to Haiderpur. The preliminary cost cited for the potential project is approximately ₹7,240 crore, with a proposed conveyance capacity of 1,050 cusecs.

This remains a study-stage proposal. Approval of a pre-feasibility assessment does not constitute approval to construct the pipeline. Route selection, environmental considerations, hydraulic design, land requirements, cost estimates and regulatory permissions will require further examination.

Integrated Planning Will Be Critical

The group of proposals addresses different parts of Delhi’s urban water cycle: public drinking-water access, sewage treatment, drain remediation, raw-water storage and bulk conveyance.The long-term benefits will depend on coordinated implementation rather than the installation of individual assets in isolation.

Water ATMs will require reliable maintenance and quality assurance. Decentralised treatment plants will require functioning sewer connections and sustainable operating arrangements. Drain treatment will require pollution-source control, while raw-water projects must be supported by technically and financially viable designs.