Its chairman, Charles Santiago, said wastewater is a valuable resource that can be used beneficially to meet the water supply-demand gaps.
In India, he said, 30% of its wastewater is recycled and reused by industries in power generation, textiles and refineries, among others.
Santiago said Chennai in Tamil Nadu, which has a population of about 12 million people and is frequently hit with water scarcity, has turned to water reclamation to resolve its woes.
Since 2005, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has carried out projects to treat and vend wastewater for non-potable uses, ensuring water security and generating additional revenues.
A research by Anna University suggested that by 2050, Chennai could meet 50% of its water needs by recycling its sewage water, he said when officiating a forum titled “Rising to the Water Regulatory Challenge and Future Changes” in Putrajaya today.
Santiago said the national sewerage services operator, Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd, had reported that treated bio-effluent or wastewater amounted to about 6,000 million litres per day (MLD) from 7,273 sewage treatment plants under its maintenance.
This treated wastewater is being discharged back into rivers.
The volume of wastewater produced is equivalent to 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools or 5.3 times the size of the Langat 2 water treatment plant.
“This huge amount of treated effluent can be further treated as non-potable water for use in manufacturing processes, non-food-based industries or non-food crop agricultural sectors.
“Industrial areas such as Shah Alam, Pulau Indah, Batu Berendam, Bayan Baru and Pasir Gudang can benefit from reclaimed water,” he said.
Santiago said an alternative wastewater source would insulate industries from uncertainties of water supply and ensure the availability of water, making them more resilient to droughts and extreme weather patterns.
He said government intervention is necessary to ensure the proximity of treatment plants to industrial zones, and current policies must be amended to prioritise this aspect.