According to Statista.com, as of 2024, India had 1,093 operational sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a combined capacity of 26.9 billion liters per day. However, the country generates approximately 72.4 billion liters of sewage daily, indicating that only about 37% of the total sewage is treated. Additionally, around 400 STPs were either non-operational or under construction. This leaves a significant portion of wastewater untreated, exacerbating environmental and public health challenges. In comparison, In North America and Europe, 86.5% of household wastewater flow is treated safely. (Statista.com).
India also has Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS), specific nationwide data is limited. These systems have been implemented where installing and maintaining large-scale plants is not feasible. Studies have shown that DEWATS can effectively treat wastewater.
More on the topic: https://www.statista.com/chart/32296/development-of-number-of-operational-sewage-treatment-plants-and-annual-sewage-generation-in-india/
Rather than viewing wastewater as a burden, India has the opportunity to transform it into an economic asset. By shifting from conventional STPs to Resource Recovery Plants (RRPs), wastewater can be harnessed for energy production, agriculture, infrastructure, and industrial use. This transition not only promotes sustainability but also creates immense employment opportunities, attracts investment, and fosters a self-sustaining economic model.
From Waste Disposal to Wealth Creation: Rebranding STPs to RRPs Matters
The shift from STP to RRP has the potential to drive policy change, attract investment, and spark entrepreneurial innovation. Consider the psychological difference between an “STP manager” and an “RRP entrepreneur.” One operates a treatment plant; the other runs a resource-recovery business. This change in identity could open the door to venture capital, public-private partnerships, attraction of talent, and foreign investment.
The employment potential in this sector is vast, ranging from engineering, biology, and scientific research to operations in biogas and fertilizer production, water purification, and potential electricity generation.
Transforming Wastewater into Economic Value
India can harness wealth from wastewater through six key avenues:
Biogas Production
Wastewater contains organic matter that, when processed through anaerobic digestion, produces biogas—a clean energy source that can replace conventional fuels. Startups like Mogul Biogas (India) and Waste2Tricity (UK) have already demonstrated the commercial viability of biogas from wastewater. Scaling such initiatives can provide decentralized energy solutions while reducing methane emissions.
Biofuels
Certain algae strains thrive in wastewater and can be converted into biodiesel. For instance, Gen3Bio, a Purdue University-affiliated startup, has developed technology that transforms wastewater-grown algae into bio-based chemicals, including biofuels and bioplastics. Also, certain plants in USA are harnessing ammonia from wastewater. Adopting similar models in India could create a new revenue stream while reducing pollution and advancing clean energy goals.
Fertilizer Production
Wastewater is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—key nutrients required for agriculture. Companies like Sungrow Biotech (India) are pioneering microbial technologies to recover these nutrients and convert them into organic fertilizers.
The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (USA) produces a biosolid fertilizer called Metrogro from treated wastewater solids (see MADSEWER.ORG). Also, since 1926, the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility in Milwaukee, USA, has been producing “Milorganite,” a fertilizer derived from treated wastewater solids.
For India, this approach not only reduces dependency on chemical fertilizers but also prevents harmful nutrient runoff into water bodies, promoting environmental sustainability.
Sustainable Infrastructure Materials
Permeable roads and highways made from wastewater-derived materials can allow rainwater absorption, reducing flooding and replenishing groundwater. Integrating wastewater into building materials can provide a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to conventional infrastructure development.
Industrial and Agricultural Water Reuse
With the right filtration and treatment technologies, treated wastewater can be safely reused for industrial cooling, irrigation, and even potable water. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has pioneered nanofiltration membranes that remove contaminants and make high-salinity wastewater reusable. Implementing such solutions in India’s water-stressed regions could alleviate freshwater shortages and enhance industrial sustainability.
More on the topic: https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/nanofiltration-membrane-wastewater-treatment/
Electricity Generation from Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs)
At Malvankar Labs, Yale University, researchers have demonstrated that wastewater can be used to generate electricity through microbial fuel cells. Certain bacteria, like Geobacter sulfurreducens, break down organic compounds and transfer electrons to electrodes, creating a renewable power source. Scaling this technology could provide decentralized electricity while simultaneously treating wastewater.
Strategic Roadmap for RRP Implementation
To make Resource Recovery Plants (RRPs) a national reality, India must adopt a comprehensive, state-level strategy. Key steps include:
Rebranding STPs as RRPs
The Government of India should officially rebrand Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) as Resource Recovery Plants (RRPs) to reflect their broader role in sustainability. Entrepreneurs and public will shift their thinking to innovation and a resource centric approach. The Startup India initiative could take a more active role in promoting this concept.
Action Plan to Accelerate RRP Development Across India
Business Plan Focused on RRP, Not STP
Each state should engage a consulting firm specializing in resource recovery to develop a comprehensive business plan. This plan must quantify resource potential, establish research collaborations, drive public-private partnerships, explore privatization, enable technology transfer, and propose tax and regulatory incentives. It should also define funding mechanisms, set clear milestones, and be tailored to local conditions, incorporating both centralized and decentralized systems.
States should leverage the business plan to privatize existing STPs and decentralized wastewater systems, converting them into fully functional Resource Recovery Plants (RRPs). Holding a shareholder stake in these ventures could offer states long-term financial and strategic benefits.
Globally and in India, several companies specialize in wastewater treatment with a strong focus on resource recovery and water purification. Many also upgrade and redesign existing STPs to improve efficiency and sustainability.
Decentralized RRP and Direct Potable Reuse (DPR)
State governments should actively promote decentralized RRPs. For instance, Boson Whitewater, a Bengaluru-based company, treats wastewater at its source and supplies 10 lakh liters of high-quality treated water daily to industries and agriculture (Sustainability Next, Jan 31, 2025). Encouraging similar models will maximize water reuse and strengthen resource recovery efforts nationwide.
Some regions in India face severe water crisis resorting to tanker supplied water. Instead they should adopt Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) which involves treating wastewater to drinking water standards and directly returning it to the public water supply. One of the earliest examples of DPR is in Windhoek, Namibia, where treated wastewater has been used for drinking since 1968. In the U.S., El Paso, Texas, is set to open the country’s first large-scale DPR facility by 2028, marking a significant step forward in water reuse technology.
Create an International Wastewater Resource Recovery Alliance (IWRRA)
Drawing inspiration from the success of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) founded by India and France, these learnings should be applied to form a new IWRRA. This alliance would help catapult India and global talent by fostering the sharing of best practices, unlocking new financing opportunities, and driving innovation to transform Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) into true Resource Recovery Plants (RRPs).
Establishing a Specialized Vocational Training Institution
Explore the creation of a dedicated vocational institution that trains individuals after 10th or 12th grade in wastewater transformation and resource recovery. Entrepreneurs should emulate the Zoho educational model founded by Zoho Corporation in Tamil Nadu. Alternatively, specialized certificate programs can be designed by the existing institutes focused on water. The following section delves deeper on how RRPs can create a multidisciplinary workforce on a single platform.
Building a Skilled Multidisciplinary Workforce
The transition from Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) to Resource Recovery Plants (RRPs) is not just about sustainability—it is also a platform for building a highly skilled, multidisciplinary workforce. RRPs integrate expertise from multiple fields, including engineering, microbiology, materials science, biotechnology, and water management. By working within this ecosystem, professionals gain hands-on experience across six asset classes—biogas, biofuels, fertilizers, infrastructure materials, treated water, and electricity—making them proficient in circular economy solutions.
This presents an opportunity for India to create specialized training programs in wastewater resource recovery, equipping students, entrepreneurs, and researchers with cross-disciplinary skills. Vocational institutes, industry collaborations, and government-supported initiatives can ensure that RRPs become innovation hubs, fostering the next generation of clean-tech pioneers.
Transforming Waste into Opportunity
Rebranding STPs as RRPs is more than a name change—it represents a fundamental shift in mindset that transforms wastewater from a burden into an economic asset. By fully harnessing its potential, India can drive resource recovery, generate employment, and cultivate a skilled workforce poised to lead in clean technology. With the right policies, investments, and training, RRPs can become catalysts for sustainability, innovation, and global leadership in wastewater management. Now is the time for policymakers, governments, and entrepreneurs to take bold action toward building an “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India).
Further Reading
A comprehensive review paper below informs decision-makers about the vast technical possibilities and market supply potentials related to designing or redesigning municipal wastewater treatment processes from a resource recovery perspective. It also addresses the challenges and bottlenecks in implementing these technologies.
See link: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/ew/
Ram Ramprasad is a passionate advocate for sustainability, having authored two books and numerous articles on sustainable strategies for reputable publications. He previously served as the Global Marketing Director for a leading multinational company in the USA. Ram holds degrees from Madras University in India and Yale University in the USA.
