Bengaluru to host India’s first direct nanofiltration water recycling plant

Bengaluru is set to establish the country’s first full-scale municipal water recycling plant using direct nanofiltration (DNF) technology. The project, led by city-based Ceramed Engineers in collaboration with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), is currently undergoing validation.

The facility will process sewage from one of BWSSB’s treatment plants and convert it into high-quality water suitable for non-drinking purposes such as cooling systems, construction, and other industrial applications. Designed to recover nearly 85 percent of treated water with only 15 percent reject, the system promises one of the highest efficiencies in the sector.

Also read: Bengaluru’s treated wastewater still unusable, while Singapore turns sewage into drinking water

Pilot project at Lalbagh

The initiative builds on a pilot unit at Lalbagh, which has been operational since March. That plant, capable of handling 1,000 litres per hour, has demonstrated that secondary-treated sewage can be upgraded into water of near-drinking standards using automated, remotely monitored systems.

Central to the project is Ceramed’s partnership with Netherlands-based NX Filtration, whose patented DNF membranes are already deployed in Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam, and parts of Europe. The hollow fibre polymeric design allows effective removal of microplastics, pesticides, bacteria, viruses, and emerging contaminants while operating at low energy levels without chemical additives.

Ceramed believes the technology could help Indian cities address rising water demand, particularly as a majority of urban consumption is for non-contact purposes. By replacing freshwater with recycled sources, the company aims to make urban water management more sustainable and future-ready.