Questionnaire survey and data acquisition 

on
Status of Wastewater Management in India

R.M.Bhardwaj,
Scientist ‘C’
Central Pollution Control Board,
Parivesh Bhawan, East Arjun Nagar,
Delhi-110032 (INDIA)
rmbdelhi@yahoo.co.in, scrmb.cpcb@nic.in
 Increase in Urban Population
300 285

250
POPULATION, million

218

200
156
150
107
100 78
62
44
50 26 26 28 33

0
1901 1921 1941 1961 1981 2001
YEAR
Steps followed for Questionnaire survey on Water
Supply, Wastewater Generation, Collection,
Treatment in Urban Centres in India and
limitations of study

Step 1
• List out candidate Cities/Towns for data collection-various
classes categorised by Census Deptt.(Calcutta case)
• Information is available for city specific rather than outer
growth/urban agglomeration.civic agencies does not keep
record for non municipal areas.
• Information is difficult to obtain for development
region/authority area as the census is held once in a
decade.Growth rate figures are used for estimation wherever
information gaps are observed.
Step 2
Identification of Civic Agency & Dispatch of Questionnaire
• Multiple agencies are involved in providing civic
services and the administrative set up varies from State
to State. The civic agency may be Municipality/
Corporation/ State Water Board/ Public Health
Engineering Deptt or Private Agencies.There may be
gaps in information/data
• Dispatch of Questionnaire for Data Acquisition to one
and all possible sources, followed by reminders
periodically. Persuasion and follow up through
concerned Ministries of State Govt. and Union
Ministries. Ultimate option-use of Statutory power.
• Personal visit to urban centres for Questionnaire survey
and to verify contents wherever doubt arise.
Step 3
Data receipt, entry,Checking, Validation and Processing
• Data received from Civic agencies is entered in dbase/ Excel
format.Replies received from multiple agencies for the same
city needs careful integration.
• Data checking to find errors in reporting of population
figures, units on volume of water supply/ wastewater
generation, per capita figures, checks on the ratio of water
supply v/s wastewater generation, level of % wastewater
collection, treatment capacity, type of treatment process and
mode of disposal(irrigation, recipient water body etc.)
• Checking, if data is within the limits of national norms, if the
data is within the expected ranges for a parameter, if data are
physically or scientifically possible(general checks),if the
correlation of parameters(some conditional checks) does
exist.
 Step 3(Contd.)
• Data verification/validation by using maps/atlas, topo
sheets, past records for each city, water mission reports on
per capita level of water supply for different classes of
urban centers in the country and various studies carried out
by the organisation on environmental issues
• Personal experience of Scientists/Engineers on specific
urban centers
• Data processed to prepare National,State wise and river
basin wise tables on class I cities and Class II towns
covering a number of parameters i.e population, volume of
water supply in a city,per capita water supply,source of
water supply, % of population covered with water supply,
wastewater generation, sewered population, wastewater
collection, treatment and place of disposal.
 Step 3 (Contd)

• Another study on performance evaluation of sewage

treatment plants(STPs) is carried out to assess the efficiency
of units and compliance level for discharge of pollutants
such as pH,Suspended Solids, Chemical Oxygen Demand
and Biochemical Oxygen Demand in the treated wastewater,
apart from a number of other parameters.The performance
of the STPs is inconsistent due to a number of reasons and
frequent monitoring is not possible.
 Trend of Water Supply, Wastewater Generation and
Treatment in Class-I Cities
35000

29782
30000

25000 23826

20607 1978-79
20000
1989-90
16662
15191
1994-95
15000
2003-04
12145

10000 8638
7007 6955

5000 4037
27562485
1870
10231281
603
142 212 299 423
0
Number Popn (100,000) Water supply (mld) Wastewater(mld) Treatment(mld)

generation
 Trend of Water Supply, Wastewater Generation and Treatment in Class-
II Towns

3500

3035
3000
1978-79
2500 2428 1989-90

1936
1994-95
2000

1622 1650 2003-04

1533
1500
1226 1280

1000

498
500 345 375
190 241 207 236
128 89
67 27 62
0
Number Popn (lakh) Water supply Wastewater Treatment
generation
Discussion on Questionnaire and Data
Collection Exercise
Data on Water Supply
• Source of Organised Water Supply and Volume
(mld/mgd)-River / Canal /Lake / Subsurface/Sea-
need caution on the unit/source/multiple source
• % of population covered-information not précised
• Source of unorganised water supply
• Proposed plan for augmentation of water Supply
(source/Volume) and target year of commissioning
• In case of multiple supplying agencies-verification
of figures/ sources/ jurisdiction is difficult,
estimation based on pumping hours are made-Case
of NCT of Delhi-DDA/CPWD/Private builders
Data on Treatment of Raw Water for municipal
supply
• Type of treatment-Conventional/only Chlorination/
Raw water Supply
• Number and name of Treatment Plant(Govt.owned or
under BOOT)
• Design Capacity of each Plant
• Actual Volume of Water Treated (not metered only
pumping capacity and period of pumping is available)
• Disposal of back wash water(Volume/Place) and does
alum recovery process adopted
• Continuous/Intermittent Supply
Generation of Wastewater
• Volume of Wastewater Generation (mld/mgd) –Municipal
Domestic/Industrial-information provided is based on engineering
estimates i.e 80% of water supply-industrial figures are based on
production that is under reported.
• Volume of Wastewater reaching pump houses through sewers
(mld/mgd)- calculated figures are based on pumping hours.Pumping
capacity reduce considerably by ageing of pumps.
• % of population covered by sewers-information is estimated zone wise.
• Volume of wastewater flowing in open drains (old city
areas/unplanned growth) is difficult to account
• Specific studies undertaken indicates wastewater generation is more
than the water supply figures- unaccounted water-bore wells by
individuals due to inadequate supply from civic agency.Official figures
of water supply in Delhi is 640 mgd whereas measured flow of drains
is 727 mgd. Possibility of effluent from subsurface does not arise in
case of Delhi because the water table is quite deep and going down
further due to over abstraction.
 Waste water Collection
• Volume of Wastewater Collected through sewerage
system(mld/mgd) –Municipal Domestic/ Industrial-estimated
figures-Total generated volume is not collected due to
settlement/choking of sewers and disruption of pumping due to
power shortages.
• Volume of Wastewater collected through open drains/storm water
drains and pumped for irrigation or pumped for treatment
(mld/mgd)-objective of data is to prioritise efforts for sewerage.
• Is there separate sewers for domestic and industrial wastewater-only
planned industrial estates have separate sewers
• % of wastewater collected-figures are not available with civic
agencies.Attempt made to estimate in Delhi during the performance
assessment of sewage treatment plants indicates that only about 42%
wastewater is collected through sewers rest is flowing in open
drains.Figures varies widely from city to city.
Sewage (Wastewater) Treatment
• Installed Treatment Capacity (mld/mgd)
• Number and name of Sewage Treatment Plant (Govt.owned
or under BOOT), specify agency
• Level of treatment plant-Primary/Secondary/Tertiary
• Treatment Technology and Design Capacity of each Plant
(mld/mgd)-Primary/Secondary/Tertiary. Activated Sludge
Process/Trickling Filter/Upflow Anaerobic Sludge
Blanket/Other Anaerobic (Bio Filter) process, Oxidation
pond,any other process
• Actual inflow of Wastewater in each Sewage Treatment
Plant (mld/mgd)
• Actual volume of wastewater (Sewage) Treated (mld/mgd).
• Experience of Delhi indicates that despite having sewage
treatment capacity of 2300mld only about 1400 mld is treated
upto secondary level through ASP.
Performance Evaluation of Sewage
Treatment Plants
• Sewage treatment plants evaluated based on
composite sampling of each treatment unit to assess
the efficacy of system and compliance to prescribed
standards.
• Intermittent Power Supply is one of the main
constraint in activated bio mass treatment systems
that reduces the performances to a great extent.
• It is observed that non energy intensive technologies
such as Oxidation Pond/Facultative Pond are
performing relatively better than mechanised
systems.Reduction percentages vary from parameter
to parameter.
Harmonisation with International Questionnaires
and availability of data
• Methodology adopted in India is quite similar to International pattern
however there are number of issues needs to addressed for data gaps in
respect of developing economies.
• Population is growing at fast pace and process of infrastructure
development is a dynamic in developing economies.Frequent updating
of information is not possible as being followed in EU.Records are not
computerised, Data variation are evident.
• Statistics on water/wastewater management is not compiled,collated
and published by civic agencies and State Govt.Hence methods for
gross estimates are required to be designed .
• Infrastructure development for municipal water supplies is priority, in
contrast to wastewater collection and treatment.Hence data is broadly
lacking for the letter part.
• Data related to treatment of wastewater and their performance may be a
difficult proposition.
 Thanks to UNSD for giving me
this opportunity to share findings.