Bhubaneswar: The state govt has notified the ‘Policy on Reuse of Treated Used Water (TUW) of Urban Odisha, 2026’, laying out an ambitious, time-bound roadmap to convert used water from a waste by-product into a valuable economic resource.The policy comes amid growing seasonal and spatial water stress across urban centres. Odisha currently generates about 1,104 million litres per day (MLD) of used water, but only around 190 MLD is treated, exposing a significant treatment and reuse gap.Under the policy, the state aims to achieve 100% collection and treatment of used water across all urban local bodies (ULBs) by 2047. It has set a target of reusing at least 20% of treated water by 2030, with a further scale-up to a minimum of 50% reuse by 2036.The policy promotes utilisation of treated water across multiple sectors to reduce dependence on freshwater sources. These include municipal and institutional uses such as road washing, firefighting, sanitation and gardening, among others.To encourage adoption, the state has introduced an innovative TUW Tariff Model, ensuring treated used water is priced lower than potable water. Incentive mechanisms include water credits for farmers, tariff rebates and viability gap funding support.It will be for industries and rebates for residential societies using treated water for flushing and landscaping. The new policy also provides for performance-linked incentives and disincentives to ensure compliance and sustained reuse.A multi-tier governance structure has been instituted for effective implementation. A state high-powered committee will act as apex body for policy oversight and pricing decisions, supported by a state-level technical committee and a dedicated TUW cell.At the district-level, district coordination committees will facilitate local execution and demand aggregation. The housing and urban development department will regulate the standards and implementation, a department statement reads.Notably, the policy mandates that in cities where sewerage systems and sewage treatment plants are already operational, at least 20% reuse must be achieved within six months of the notification.In cities where infrastructure is under development, the reuse targets will apply within six months of commissioning. Officials said the policy is aligned with the national framework on safe reuse of treated water and the objectives of AMRUT 2.0.
