Hyderabad’s green tanker service, supplying treated wastewater for non-potable use, will be launched by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board on November 1 as the city prepares measures to conserve drinking water amid concerns over a potential shortage in urban parts of Telangana.
The service will initially draw treated water from 11 sewage treatment plants and distribute it through 21 green tankers. Although 100 tankers have been registered for the programme, the first phase will operate with the initial fleet, according to the Board.
HMWSSB Managing Director Ashok Reddy said priority would be given to government departments, parks and landscaping requirements. The treated water will also be supplied for construction sites and industrial use, reducing the need to use potable water for activities that do not require drinking-quality supplies.
The initiative is being introduced as one of the measures aimed at conserving natural resources amid the possibility of drinking-water stress in Telangana’s urban areas under the impact of El Nino. The Board’s plan separates non-potable demand from the drinking-water network by directing suitable users towards treated wastewater.
The service will require controls at multiple points in the supply chain. Special officers have been appointed to monitor water quality, supervise activities at filling points, oversee tanker allotment and track the distribution of treated water, the report said.
The tankers will be painted green and marked clearly with the caution: “STP TREATED WATER – NOT FOR DRINKING.” The labelling is intended to distinguish the vehicles from regular water tankers and prevent the treated supply from being used for drinking or other potable purposes.
The programme also places sewage treatment plants at the centre of Hyderabad’s water-management operations. Instead of treating wastewater only as a disposal challenge, the Board is creating a separate supply stream for public landscaping, construction and industrial activities. The immediate scope, however, is limited to the 11 plants and 21 tankers identified for the first phase.
The launch follows earlier plans to involve sewage treatment plants operated by gated communities in a proposed “dial-a-green-tanker” service. The current rollout is being led by HMWSSB and is focused on making treated water available through registered tankers for identified non-potable uses.
For government agencies, parks and landscaping teams, construction companies and industries, the service is expected to provide an alternative source for operational water needs. The Board’s monitoring arrangements will determine how quality checks, filling-point operations, tanker allocation and delivery are managed as the service begins.
HMWSSB is scheduled to commence the green tanker service on November 1, with the first phase covering treated water from 11 sewage treatment plants and distribution through 21 tankers.
