To bolster drinking water supply in capital, RO plants at 6 locations

The combined capacity of the six plants will be 90 million gallons per day (MGD), the official said. Each plant will have different capacities — while the plants at Okhla and Rohini will have a capacity of 20 MGD each, the Nilothi and Pappankalan plants will have a capacity of 15 MGD each, and those at Chilla and Najafgarh will have capacities of 10 MGD each.

The official said the plants are not likely to take up much space, and will be set up at the DJB’s existing premises in these areas.

At the proposed RO plants, ground water will be extracted and purified to make it potable, another senior official said. Tube wells are likely to be used to extract the ground water, going by the tender documents. After purification, the water will be transported to areas facing a shortage in supply either through the DJB’s existing network of pumping stations and reservoirs, or by setting up new infrastructure. Waste water from the RO plant will be disposed into drains or will be taken to the nearest STP.

In a separate project, lakes are being constructed at some of the DJB’s STPs, and treated water from the STPs will be transferred to these artificial lakes, with the aim that the water stored in these lakes will replenish the ground water, the official said.

The tenders are in the pre-bid stage, and the targeted deadline to set up the plants is around a year. The agencies taking up the installation of the plants will also be in charge of operations and maintenance for seven years.

The DJB has also invited bids to appoint a consultant for the project, who will be required to identify water deficit areas near the plant, evaluate the tenders received, provide technical support and supervise the sites.

In addition to the six larger RO plants, smaller ones are likely to be set up in areas with water supply shortage, according to another senior DJB official. A tender was invited for 150 such small plants, and the locations are still being finalised by zonal staff, depending on water requirement and space availability. These are likely to be set up in JJ clusters where supply is low, and water can be provided in cans of around 20 litres each, the official said.