India’s construction industry is one of the largest consumers of water, relying heavily on groundwater and municipal supplies for activities such as concrete mixing, curing, dust suppression and worker amenities. As urbanisation accelerates and water scarcity worsens, reducing freshwater use during project execution has become an important sustainability goal and a regulatory necessity. In recent years, several policy measures, public investments, research innovations and industry initiatives have emerged to promote water-efficient construction. These are instrumental in shifting from broad sustainability targets to concrete and scalable practices that make it possible for projects to conserve and reuse water more effectively.
Policy and regulatory drivers
The introduction of government policies has been central in the transition towards water-efficient construction in India. The Liquid Waste Management Rules, 2024 introduced phased reuse targets for large water consumers using more than 5,000 litres per day, which includes the construction sector. These rules set the groundwork for mandatory water reuse planning, with the government suggesting that projects must achieve around 20 per cent water reuse by 2027-28, scaling up to about 50 per cent by 2030-31. This also makes water reuse a compliance requirement for new infrastructural developments involving large-scale construction activities.
To support this transition, the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Bureau of Water Use Efficiency have been conducting workshops and consultations with developers and engineers. In January 2025, a series of national workshops focused on domestic water use efficiency, plumbing segregation and on-site reuse systems, indicating that these standards need to become integral to all new project approvals. With these policy signals, contractors and implementing agencies of construction projects are now required to include detailed water budgets, dual plumbing systems and provision for either on-site wastewater treatment or sourcing of treated water from nearby utilities in their designs and tenders.
Sector-wise protocols and practices for water-efficient construction
Initiatives ranging from compliance-based water management to integrated resource optimisation are being undertaken during different construction phases across infrastructure sectors. The adoption of decentralised wastewater treatment, condensate water recovery and non-potable reuse systems is reflective of water-sensitive construction practices in diverse infrastructure projects.
Airports
Recent airport development and expansion projects in India have increasingly embedded water use efficiency and wastewater reuse within construction operations. The Airports Authority of India has prioritised using treated wastewater for non-potable applications to reduce dependence on fresh water during large-scale construction. For instance, about 400,000 litres of treated wastewater per day is being channelled from the Vellaikal sewage treatment plant (STP) to the Madurai airports’ construction site since April 2025. This is being done for curing, dust suppression and landscaping works. Similarly, Trichy airport’s new integrated terminal project has been planned with a dedicated water supply line from the Cauvery river to minimise groundwater extraction during its construction and subsequent operation. Large airports, such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, are advancing on-site reuse through modular treatment units, enabling recycled water use for curing concrete, site maintenance and green belt development. These examples indicate a shift towards circular water use in airport infrastructure, with on-site treatment and reuse measures aiding in cost and resource optimisation.
Metro rail
Metro and urban rail construction projects are increasingly deploying decentralised water recycling measures to manage high daily water demand during tunnelling, concreting and station construction. In June 2025, Chennai Metro Rail Limited introduced an Air Conditioning condensate water recovery and reuse plant at its Nandanam facility, collecting condensate from cooling systems to offset freshwater use in ongoing building works. Similar initiatives are being replicated in the Delhi and Pune metro projects, where wastewater from site offices and temporary labour colonies is treated through compact mobile units and reused for dust control and batching plants.
Ports and shipping
Construction at major ports is increasingly aligned with national sustainability guidelines, emphasising water resource efficiency. Several Indian port projects, such as the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority expansion and Paradip port’s terminal modernisation, have mandated the use of treated wastewater and rainwater harvesting systems at construction camps. The Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines also underline these requirements. Contractors are required to use on-site effluent treatment plants for concrete washing and machinery cleaning. Further, the new Visakhapatnam fishing harbour redevelopment project is incorporating a water recycling system to process wastewater generated from site activities. These interventions mark a growing policy-driven effort to institutionalise water recycling norms in port infrastructure construction.
Railways and allied infrastructure
Indian Railways has extended water optimisation practices into its station redevelopment and corridor construction projects under its green certification framework. As of 2025, several redevelopment projects, such as the Surat, Gandhinagar and Ayodhya stations, have integrated on-site STPs to recycle wastewater for curing and landscaping. Such measures not only lower construction-phase freshwater consumption but also ensure long-term sustainability of railway assets through an integrated water reuse mechanism.
Efforts by major construction players
The private sector has responded quickly to these regulatory and technological shifts. Major contractors and developers now include water use efficiency and reuse targets in their sustainability reports, aligning with both compliance requirements. Key construction companies such as Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Tata Projects and Shapoorji Pallonji have begun offering modular wastewater treatment packages that can be deployed on construction sites or shared among nearby projects. They are increasingly prioritising circular water use and efficiency within their operations.
L&T exemplifies this through its commitment to achieving water neutrality by 2035. The company’s Water Technology Centre (WTC) is advancing sustainable wastewater management by developing cost-effective tertiary treatment solutions to enable large-scale water reuse. Its research and development division focuses on enhancing sludge valorisation and biomethane recovery in the treatment processes while improving desalination performance through patented nano-bubble technology. Leveraging proprietary digital platforms for leak detection and smart utility management, the WTC supports L&T’s broader goal of optimised resource use. A key outcome of these efforts is the implementation of zero liquid discharge systems across all its 16 campuses, manufacturing units and select project sites. As part of its water neutrality road map, the company has also deployed modular STPs at its MAHSR T3 track slab manufacturing facility, enabling the treatment and reuse of over 3,900 kilolitres of water.
Similarly, Tata Projects has adopted comprehensive water management strategies aimed at reducing water consumption and preventing its contamination. The company has accordingly aligned its key performance indicators, targeting water neutrality by 2030 and a net-positive freshwater impact by 2040. Related efforts include achieving 100 per cent wastewater recycling and reuse by 2030, alongside continuous reductions in total water withdrawal. Furthermore, it has introduced an internet of things-based metering system to monitor both real-time and cumulative water consumption across project sites. This centralised monitoring framework, with features for remote access and automated reporting, enables data-driven water conservation and operational efficiency. These market responses are also reflected in these companies’ procurement strategies. Project tenders increasingly specify either on-site modular STPs, using membrane bioreactors, anaerobic filters or constructed wetlands, and contractual sourcing of treated water from decentralised plants. This approach offers flexibility as firms can minimise capital costs by buying treated water when it is available or install compact and relocatable plants where utility networks are lacking.
Mitigating challenges and mapping the road to resolution
Despite encouraging progress, the shift towards water-efficient construction still faces some key challenges. The availability of decentralised treated water varies greatly across cities. Delhi has made strong progress with the roll-out of decentralised STPs, but many other urban local bodies have yet to commission similar facilities. As a result, construction firms must often rely on tanker-supplied water, which can be logistically and financially demanding. Regulatory harmonisation is also a concern. Different states and municipalities have their own norms for wastewater reuse and groundwater extraction, which can cause confusion during project approvals.
Aligning these frameworks and setting consistent enforcement timelines will be crucial to mainstream adoption. Project contracts should include a clear water budget and mandatory metering of water consumption. Design specifications should also include separate pipelines and storage tanks for recycled water and rainwater harvesting systems. Moreover, there is a continued need for capacity building for water budgeting, plumbing segregation and modular plant operation among contractors and engineers to make these standards workable on the ground.
Shubhangi Goswami
