wastewater recycling business plan

Water is a major component on earth that makes life possible. Out of 9 planets in our solar system only earth contains water and that is why life is possible hear. On a normal note the earth comprises of 71% of water and 29% of land but majority of water is sea water that cannot be used for consuming purpose.

Only 0.3% of water is known to be useful which is called fresh water. Fresh water is available in the form of lake, river, rain water, glacier and ground water. With the rising population there has been a rise in consumption of fresh water. Nearly all aspects of our life where water is involved is covered by ground water.

There has been a fall in ground water level in last one century with overuse of ground water. In India, the situation is worse. Most of the rivers in India are polluted enough that their water cannot be used for any purpose. Therefore all the load comes on the ground water. There are many places in India where there is scarcity of water.

Wastewater recycling is the only way:

Majority of water that is wasted is not even utilized properly. If one knows how utilize these waste water then the scarcity of water can be reduced. Water is a natural resources that deserves preservation and sustainable usage. To compensate the requirement of water one can recycle water. Recycling water is not only for the purpose of water saving but it also is a good source of income. There are many water recycling businesses that are working to recycle water for drinking purpose.

Scope of water recycling business:

Water recycling business has huge prospects presently and it will continue to rise in future. As the population will rise and the demand will rise so will the consumption of water. As one knows that water is a natural resource therefore it is limited. Recycling water is the only way to generate water for drinking purpose.

In India, there are many companies that are doing great in water recycling. If one takes the example of a packed drinking water company then one can easily see that how almost free water is sold at Rs 20 per bottle. These companies derive huge profit from water recycling and packaging where you can also try.

Water recycling business plan

There are many things that one needs to keep in mind when investing in this business. For this one needs to come up with a comprehensive plan on water recycling. Here are few things that you need to consider as you start your business.

Water that can be recycled:

Not all waste water can be recycled and can be used for drinking purpose. You need to first do a proper testing of water that you are going to recycle. Do the testing from professionals who can certify that the waste water can be recycled for drinking purpose or not.

There are many categories of waste water that can be treated and there are many categories of waste water that cannot be treated. Only after your expert certifies that the water can be recycled for drinking purpose you should recycle it.

Hire some experts for checking water quality:

You need to hire some experts who can check the water quality after recycling. They will testify whether you can sell the water for drinking purpose or not. They will also determine what kind of water can be recycled what kind of water cannot be recycled.

Arrange the waste water for Recycling:

To start your water recycling plant you need to arrange waste water for recycling purpose. In India you may get it easily. There are many small ponds filled with water that can easily be used by you. You can even try taking water from sewer if it can be treatable but in normal case you should take water that is waste but not extremely filthy or toxic.

Where should I setup my wastewater recycling plant?

If your source of waste water is a pond or lake then your plant should be situated near the pond as it would be better to withdraw water from it. Your water recycling plant should certainly be close to the source of waste water as the supply would be easily or you would have to arrange some transportation for accessing waste water.

Do I need some Permission to start my recycling plant?

Yes. You need to have proper documents regarding your water recycling plant. Not all water can be fit for drinking purpose after recycling therefore the concerned authorities conduct a test to check the waste water and recycled water. If both pass the test of recycling then they are given green signal.

There are also other permissions and certificates regarding your recycling plant which requires some inspection. You need to register yourself as a recycling business and fulfil all the required conditions.

Apart from this registration of your business as a tax payer in GST is important. Taking required permission from your municipality for recycling business is also a part of documentation which you must fulfil.

What is required to start the water recycling business?

Here is a detailed explanation of what you require to start a waste water recycling business.

  • Waste Water: As mentioned above you need waste water which should come under certain quality that can be treated. There are toxic waters that can’t be treated therefore you need to do a comprehensive research on the water that you are using for recycling.
  • Water Recycling Plant: It is where you will recycle your waste water. A water recycling plant consists of chains of machines and equipment. The first thing is a recycling machine.
  • Recycling Machine: Water recycling machine comes in variety based on the requirement. There are different processes through which water is recycled. Based on it water recycling machine is required. The basic job of this machine is to purify water by removing dirt through filter, removing foul smell, boiling the water, separating dissolved heavy minerals and so on.
  • Equipment: For recycling waste water you require different types of equipment apart from recycling machine. There are machines that come all in one while there are machines that come for different purpose. For example, you need separate filters for cleaning water, purifier, chlorinator, smell remover, boiler, distillatory equipment and many more.

Process of water recycling:

The process of water recycling starts with segregating waste materials from water using filter. Then the water is passed through a chamber that removes tiny particles and filthy elements. The next stoppage comes where the water is boiled in the boiler and is allowed to cool down.

When the water is settled, the water is then transferred using filter to another vessel. Boiling the water ensures that harmful elements, toxic substances, bacteria and other such elements can be removed. The other benefit is that it makes the hard water soft by removing minerals like silica.

From there the water is chlorinated in order to remove any kind of bacteria. There are other chemicals that are also used based on requirement and affordability.

The basic process involved here is distillation through which water is purified. Apart from this, there are many other methods much more advanced for water purifying. You can choose any based on your budget, capacity and requirement.

Utilities Required:

You need to have basic amenities for starting a waste water recycling business. Power connection, water supply, transportation, packaging and storage of water are few important amenities. You need to have an expert, labors, packaging expert, accountant, tax consultant for handling your business.

Investment required in recycling waste water:

Waste water recycling is a bit expensive business that required good amount of investment. Firstly you need to have a water recycling plant that you can either rent or purchase. It would be better if you rent it. The second thing you require is a pipe connection that will carry the waste water from the site to your plant.

You also need a water pump for that. Next requirement is machine that costs around Rs 4 lakhs to 30 lakhs based on your requirement. Apart from this there are many other equipment required like filter, container, chlorinator, RO plant, distillation plant, and boiler and so on.

If you calculate the price of all of them then you at least need Rs 50 lakh for installing a waste water plant. The better option for you is to rent maximum items if possible as it will save your investment and will enhance your rate of investment.

The next is man power and expert expense that will be around Rs 1-3 lakhs per month if your team is small. The next is packaging water in container or bottle that will have additional expense of few lakhs. Lastly you may also have to supply your goods to the market for which you require transport vehicle, driver and transportation expense. You can add additional few lakhs. Try to rent them all.

Market and opportunities:

Network with water suppliers, manufacturers, sellers and distributors. Though you will be new in the market then sell your product to crowded market place like the railway stations, bus stands, busy markets and tourist spots. For this you need to make good contacts with the sellers and give them additional profits in comparison to branded water manufacturers so they can also take your order.

Care to package your water well as it matters while selling to customers because most of them do not by local water bottles and even when they buy they look it by the packaging which should be up to the mark.

Return on Investment:

Whatever expense you will have in the investment and installation period, maximum will be spent in the first few months of installation. The later expense will be reduced to recycling charges, power supply, water connection, packaging and transportation in additional to wages of your employees.

Therefore you can expect return after 9-15 months. If your market picks up well then you will have steady profit. A 1 liter bottle of water is sold at Rs 20 and a 5 liter container is sold at Rs 60. Similarly a 20 liter water gallon is sold at Rs 80-120.

If you are able to sell 500 one liter bottle per day then you will get a return of Rs 7500 per day. In additional selling 200 gallons of water will give you a return of Rs 20, 000. The profit will keep on increasing as your productivity and demand will rise.

The only thing that will mater is the initial days of hardship where investment and hard work will be higher than return. So patiently move on and you will definitely do well as this business is one of the most successful business with great profit margin.

1 COMMENT

  1. Sir,

    I am really interested in opening a business in line to this article, it would be great if you could help with the below:
    1. Should VC / Angel investors be considered as an option for the initial investment.
    2. Space (sq kms.) needed for the plant
    3. Any institute to refer to for the experts

    Thanks

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