A sewage treatment plant managed by the BWSSB.
DH FILLE PHOTO
Bengaluru: By June 2026, Bengaluru will have 26 new sewage treatment plants (STPs) managed by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), adding 470 MLD (million litres daily) of treated water to the city's capacity.
This expansion will take Bengaluru’s total treated water generation capacity to nearly 2,200 MLD.
The city currently generates 2,300 MLD of sewage, of which 1,348.5 MLD is treated by the BWSSB’s 33 STPs, while 370 MLD is processed by private STPs— leaving 580 MLD untreated.
The 26 under-construction STPs aim to bridge this gap, with half expected to be completed by December 2025 and the rest by June 2026, BWSSB Chairman V Ram Prasath Manohar told DH.
Among these projects is the Vrishabhavathi Valley STP with Activated Sludge Process (ASP), which will have a 150 MLD capacity, along with 14 STPs (124 MLD capacity) funded by a Rs 900-crore loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The projects will also include a pipeline network to distribute non-potable water, prioritising lake-filling activities.
Expansion & funding
As part of a larger effort to generate 583 MLD of treated water, the BWSSB has sought a Rs 1,000-crore loan from the World Bank to set up nine STPs with a combined capacity of 148 MLD. This project will also include a 400-km sewer pipeline network and Rs 200 crore for operations and maintenance.
A senior BWSSB engineering official said the work is expected to begin in the 2025-26 financial year and will take approximately four years to complete. More details will be revealed in the state budget in March.
To meet Bengaluru’s future water needs, thew BWSSB has submitted proposals for 15 additional projects to generate 435 MLD of treated water.
Key projects include a 60 MLD STP for KC Valley, two 100 MLD STPs at Mylasandra and Doddabele, and a 75 MLD STP at Madiwala. The board has requested Rs 2,550 crore to fund these projects.
A senior official said 25% of the funding will come from government grants, 25% from the BWSSB’s budget, and the rest from loans.
"We have submitted the proposals, and the government is considering them. Approval is expected soon," the official added.
Rehabilitation of 24 STPs
In addition to setting up new sewage treatment plants, the BWSSB has also allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the rehabilitation of 24 existing STPs.
"This project, expected to be completed by December 2024, aims to upgrade treated water quality to meet National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines. Until now, they only complied with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) norms," BWSSB Chairman V Ram Prasath Manohar noted.