Greywater (GW) is waste water from drinking water taps, RO wastewater and handwash sinks (i.e., waste water minus toilet water & urine). GW is the cleanest wastewater and is relatively easy to recycle. Once recycled and cleaned, GW can be reused as service water i.e., cleaning, watering plants, toilet flush water, in water coolers, recharge ground water etc. thereby saving billions of litres of freshwater every year.

A school with 2000 children discharges 12,000 to 15,000 litres GW every day. In 99% schools, this GW is just mixed with toilet and urine water and discharged into sewage, untreated. This is such a huge missed opportunity to save water in these times of global water crisis.

We need funds to build GW recycling solutions with recycling capacity of 2500 to 3000 litres per day, in at least 50 under-funded schools and government schools etc. We will spend on average Rs 50,000 per school to build a fully functional, effective and efficient GW recycling solution. Obviously, our aim will be to stretch utility of every rupee and it shall be our honest endeavour to cover more than 50 schools

The funds will be used to design, build, operationalise and stabilise optimal constructed wetlands to recycle GW, purchasing water collection tanks, building GW filters (digging, water proofing, cementing, purchasing, transporting and filling natural filter material of varying sizes and quality), water quality testing (BOD/COD/TDS etc), landscaping with aquatic plants to improve aesthetic appeal, collection chambers, piping, plumbing, civil work, labour charges etc.

According to a recent study by NITI Aayog, over 600 million Indians face acute water shortages. GW reuse will reduce demand of freshwater by up to 40%, making more fresh water/ground water available for drinking purposes. In addition, the country will reap triple benefit of social-economic-environmental impact along with contribution to GDP growth. Recycling GW also contributes towards achieving at least six UN sustainable development goal targets (SDG's).

1. they are less expensive and more affordable to build than other forms of treatments
2. their cost of operation and maintenance (required supplies and energy) are low
3. operation and maintenance only require periodic and not continuous on-site labour.
4. are able to tolerate fluctuations in flow, they sustainably facilitate water recycling and reuse
5. provide favourable habitat for many wetland organisms
6. they can be built to fit harmoniously into the landscape
7. they enhance the aesthetic enhancement of open spaces
8. have limited generation of by-products.

A constructed wetland lasts for at least 15 to 30 years, thereby making them a preferred choice for recycling GW in schools.

Also, since GW is fed sub-surface into the CW, all filtration activity occurs below ground, there is no water stagnation, no odour and no risk of mosquito breeding. From the top, the CW looks like any natural landscaped area.

Lets work together to solve the global water crisis.