HMWS&SB Launches Green Water Tanker Programme at Telangana Secretariat
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) launched a green water tanker programme at the Telangana Secretariat on Sunday, coinciding with the board’s 37th Foundation Day. The initiative supplies treated wastewater from registered sewage treatment plants across Hyderabad for non-potable purposes, including construction, landscaping, gardening, and industrial work.
According to officials, the programme was undertaken following a directive from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to prevent the use of fresh drinking water for non-domestic needs. The treated wastewater is transported in specially branded green tanker trucks, which carry prominent stickers reading, ‘Strictly for non-domestic use and not for drinking’.
Speaking at the launch, HMWS&SB Managing Director K. Ashok Reddy stated that the initiative will conserve essential drinking water supplies, reduce reliance on groundwater, and foster sustainable water management. He emphasised that drinking water should be reserved primarily for domestic and potable requirements, while treated wastewater is channelled into suitable non-potable activities.
Officials cited the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Secretariat as an example, noting that the complex uses 250 kilolitres of drinking water daily, with 50 KLD going toward non-drinking purposes. To cut down this consumption, authorities will lay a pipeline to supply treated wastewater directly from a 20 MLD-capacity sewage treatment plant.
In the first phase, the service will function through 19 sewage treatment plants across the city using 28 green tankers, with phased expansion planned for all divisions. Priority in this initial rollout is being granted to government departments, public parks, and urban greenery maintenance.
The board confirmed that around 100 tankers belonging to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, and private firms have registered to take part in the initiative. A dedicated booking platform, GPS tracking, and e-POS systems will soon be introduced to maintain transparent operations, while special officers have been stationed at treatment plants to supervise water quality, tanker filling, allocation, and distribution.
