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Water reuse is one of the most sustainable water augmentation option to cope up with the high water demands of the developing communities globally. It has several additional benefits such as nutrient recovery, economic gains and environmental benefits. Even though, water reuse is economical and sustainable, its practical implementation at a wide scale has many technical, social, institutional and regulatory challenges, especially in developing countries like India. In India, there is a scarcity of stringent national regulations and guidelines for the safe implementation of wastewater reuse systems. In this study, the assessment of the existing regulatory framework for treated wastewater reuse is done to understand the need of current and future policy interventions and recommendations are made based on expert consultation. The legal assessment highlights the importance of consultation, communication and education in the development of an effective regulatory structure. The analysis of the expert reviews suggests inclusion of policy directives based on funding sources and technical infrastructure to support the growth of water reuse in India.

Water availability is facing crisis throughout the world because of various factors viz., population growth, climate change, and rapid urbanization, leading to the requirement of treated wastewater as an additional source of water supply. However, the actual amount of wastewater that may be reused depends on many factors such as water demand, availability, cost and social acceptability, etc. In this study, a linear programming model has been developed to identify the amount of treated wastewater that may be used for various applications subject to water availability and demand constraints, taking Delhi city as a case study. The results suggest that wastewater reuse has the maximum potential in agriculture and landscape irrigation use followed by domestic and industrial applications. The framework developed in the study provides useful information for integrated planning and management of the reuse of wastewater in order to augment the existing water supply. It may be modified and used for the estimation of wastewater reuse potential in other areas with similar conditions.