Bhilwara Textile Units To Use Treated Sewage Water, Save Groundwater

Textile processing units in Bhilwara are set to reduce their dependence on groundwater by switching to treated sewage water for industrial operations, a move expected to save lakhs of litres of groundwater every day.

The initiative will initially cover 21 textile processing units in the textile cluster along Chittorgarh Road. Treated water from the municipal corporation’s sewage treatment plant (STP) will be supplied to the units through a dedicated pipeline at a nominal charge.

The initiative is aimed at reducing the textile industry’s dependence on groundwater and promoting the reuse of treated wastewater for industrial applications. It could also strengthen environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices among textile processing units.

Desire Energy Solutions has been entrusted by the Bhilwara Municipal Corporation with the responsibility of supplying treated STP water to the industrial units. The project will initially serve 21 process houses, with plans to extend the network to other industrial clusters in the district in subsequent phases.

Bhilwara is expected to become the first district in Rajasthan to introduce treated sewage water on this scale for use by textile industries. The initiative comes as groundwater levels across the state continue to face pressure.

Bhilwara currently has a combined sewage treatment capacity of 60 million litres per day (MLD). Around 30 MLD of sewage is currently treated every day in the city.

Of the total capacity, 10 MLD is operated by Jindal Saw, while another 10 MLD municipal STP is under construction. A further 10 MLD plant operated by Jindal Saw is also available, with the company currently using around 5-7 MLD of treated water for industrial purposes.

At present, treated sewage from the city’s STPs is discharged into the Kothari River after treatment. The new initiative will redirect a portion of the treated water towards industrial use, reducing the need to extract fresh groundwater.

The move follows earlier efforts in Rajasthan to promote the use of treated sewage water for industrial purposes. The Jodhpur administration had floated tenders for a similar initiative, but the project could not proceed after no contractor participated.

For Bhilwara’s textile industry, the shift is expected to provide an alternative water source while helping conserve groundwater and promote greater reuse of treated wastewater within the industrial ecosystem.