The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is set to introduce the Reclaimed Water Policy, 2026, with the government likely to sharply increase charges for water connections and supply to farmhouses to encourage treated wastewater use and reduce groundwater dependence, officials said on Tuesday.
The policy aims to make treated sewage a reliable resource for non-potable requirements. The DJB will notify service areas and improve treatment quality. Authorised officials can inspect premises and collect samples, with violations attracting penalties, they added. The DJB will hold stakeholder consultations before sending the policy to the government for approval.
The cost of laying a water connection for farmhouses is likely to rise from around ₹ 10,000 to ₹ 1 lakh per acre, while the water bill will be ₹ 10,000 per acre, officials said. Delhi currently treats around 750 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage. After accounting for environmental flows, around 483 MGD is available for reuse, but only about 120 MGD is currently reused, largely for irrigation, leaving nearly 363 MGD with potential for wider use. Treatment capacity is expected to rise to 1,015 MGD, with a longer-term target of 1,500 MGD, she said in a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat on Tuesday. Construction sites of 500 sq metres or more in notified service areas will be required to use treated wastewater, while bulk consumers will target 100% reclaimed-water use for eligible requirements by 2036, they added.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said the government wanted to move towards a system where water could be used more than once. Reclaimed water will progressively replace potable water and groundwater for construction, horticulture, landscaping, washing, cooling, flushing, irrigation, dust suppression and other non-potable uses, officials said. The framework will include fit-for-purpose standards, colour coding, separate infrastructure, metering and physical separation from potable systems, officials said.
The policy was approved by the DJB at its board meeting on Monday.
