Pune’s Abhijit Sathe started JalSevak Solutions to address an often-overlooked problem in India — greywater recycling.
It is a method of recycling wastewater from kitchen sinks, showers, and washing machines. This method can help conserve up to 40% of freshwater.
Abhijit developed a cost-effective greywater recycling system so that many people can adopt it. “The whole process cost Rs 1.25 lakh, which is 30% less compared to alternative wastewater recycling systems,” he says.
Abhijit’s low-cost greywater recycling system is a six-step process.
First, greywater from showers, kitchen sinks, and washing machines is collected. This greywater contains suspended solids, dirt, dissolved soap, and a negligible percentage of bacteria.
Second, greywater is sent through multiple layers of filters to remove all suspended solids. “Filters capture particles of up to 5 µm size,” he says.
Abhijit uses a nylon-based strainer to remove big particles like thread, hair, and paper, whereas another bucket filter comprising propylene cloth is used to clean the water.
Third, filtered greywater is stored in a temporary holding tank where aeration prevents the rise of pathogens in the stored water.
Then, a pump carries water from the holding tank to a rooftop tank, and a dosing system adds disinfectant into the outlet manifold.
In the fifth step, any excess disinfectant and residual solids in water are removed by passing the filtered and disinfected greywater through a final filtration stage of dechlorination.
The treated greywater is sent for use in toilet flushing, floor cleaning, and gardening via dedicated piping.
With his system, a family of five can save at least 500 litres of greywater daily. So far, he has helped install this system in residential complexes, schools, public toilets, and more, across 12 Indian cities.