How we research clean water, treat and recycle all the water our campuses use, handle waste safely, and help nearby communities get clean water and better sanitation.
UPES report on Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
At UPES, clean water and sanitation are part of how the whole university works, not a single project. Our researchers turn wastewater into a resource, our campus treats and reuses every drop it uses, everyone on campus drinks safe water free of charge, and our students take water care into the villages and rivers around Dehradun, working alongside government to protect water for the future.
A first-of-its-kind microalgae plant reclaims water from a municipal canal, low-cost sensors detect contaminants in drinking water, and studies track microplastics in Himalayan rivers and lakes.
Sewage treatment plants on both campuses treat all wastewater, and the Central Ground Water Authority recognises UPES as a Zero Water Discharge campus.
UV-treated drinking water reaches every academic building and hostel, free for students, staff and visitors, without the waste of reverse-osmosis purifiers.
Treated water keeps the campus green, and metered rainwater harvesting pits put water back into the ground.
Students run hygiene lessons in government schools, water-conservation days in villages, river clean-ups and well and pond restoration.
UPES supports the Jal Jeevan Mission, builds DST-funded water technology, and hosts international water forums with the National Institute of Hydrology.
UPES researchers measure pollution in rivers and lakes, design cheap ways to test and treat water, and turn wastewater into a resource.
UPES research turns sewage into clean water and energy, and gives communities cheap, reliable ways to test their water.
These figures cover UPES research publications on clean water and sanitation (source: Scopus).
Number of papers on each theme (a paper can appear under more than one).
| Theme | Papers |
|---|---|
| Wastewater and sewage treatment | 287 |
| Heavy metals, dyes and emerging contaminants | 214 |
| Water quality monitoring and sensors | 202 |
| Adsorbents and materials for removing pollutants | 183 |
| Groundwater, rivers and water resources | 141 |
| Irrigation and water for agriculture | 94 |
| Desalination and membranes | 54 |
| Sanitation and hygiene | 7 |
The full list of publications, with links, is in the annexure.
Prof Bhawna Yadav Lamba's DST-funded microalgae plant treats sewage from a municipal canal, reclaims the water and turns the algae and sludge into bio-oil, biogas and bio-fertiliser. Built with the NGO Vikalp Nai Dishayen, it has reached Technology Readiness Level 7.
Prof Ashish Mathur's team develops low-cost sensors that detect heavy metals and harmful microbes in drinking water, presented at IFAWET-2025, which UPES co-hosted.
With Technische Hochschule Bingen, UPES researchers compiled microplastic data from German rivers, groundwater and treatment plants and proposed harmonised measurement protocols (2025). A second review of 127 studies compared Himalayan lakes with the Alps and Andes and proposed monitoring and clean-up frameworks for high-altitude lakes (2025).
HILL is working with French institutions on water quality and availability under climate change, and building a simple solar thermal water purifier for villages in hilly terrain. A separate project studies water quality and microplastics in slum communities along Dehradun's urban rivers.
UPES draws its water from its own bore wells, puts rainwater back into the ground, and has cut water waste sharply by changing how it purifies drinking water.
UPES saves tens of millions of litres a year by recharging groundwater, reusing treated water and ending wasteful purification.
After tests confirmed that the campus supply was safe to drink, UPES removed reverse-osmosis (RO) purifiers, which waste about three litres of water for every litre they purify, and switched entirely to UV-treated water. The change saves about 30 million litres a year and keeps essential minerals in drinking water. The Vice Chancellor highlighted it at Sustainability Fair 3.0 in April 2025.
UPES treats every drop of its wastewater on campus, separates its waste at source, and keeps pollution out of rivers, soil and groundwater.
Not a single litre of untreated wastewater leaves UPES: the Central Ground Water Authority recognises it as a Zero Water Discharge campus.
UPES provides free drinking water to every student, staff member and visitor on both campuses, and its buildings and grounds are designed and run to use less water.
UPES provides free, safe, mineral-rich drinking water to everyone on campus, from a supply that wastes almost nothing.
Water treatment plants on the Bidholi and Kandoli campuses, with UV filtration, supply potable water through a network of storage tanks, pumps and pipelines to academic, residential, recreational and utility facilities. UPES provides this drinking water free of charge to all students, staff and visitors.
The UPES Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy (2025)[10] requires water-efficient fixtures and technologies across campus facilities, rainwater harvesting and efficient water management systems (§5.2). New buildings and renovations follow the National Building Code of India and green building rating systems such as GRIHA and IGBC wherever feasible (§5.1.1).
The campus grounds are landscaped with native planting, and gardens, lawns and horticulture on both campuses are watered with treated wastewater from the campus sewage treatment system, more than 250 kilolitres a day, rather than with fresh groundwater. The campus is also plastic-free (see the campus water and green facilities report[12]). The policy commits UPES to maintaining green landscapes and protecting biodiversity on campus (§5.4).
UPES has a written policy to recycle its wastewater, and it measures how much treated water it puts back to use every day.
Treated wastewater, not fresh water, keeps the campus green: hundreds of kilolitres a day are reused instead of discharged.
The UPES Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy (2025)[10] commits the university to implement wastewater recycling and responsible discharge systems (§5.2) and to run rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling initiatives (§5.3.2). An Energy, Environment & Sustainability Committee monitors resource use and reports on it.
UPES students, staff and partners teach water care, restore water sources and clean rivers around Dehradun, and work with government on water security.
From village wells to international forums, UPES helps communities find, protect and use water wisely.
Four events from UPES schools, departments and student groups support this goal.
Runway Incubator and the Department of Social Outreach ran a problem-solving programme for 155 students of classes 9 to 12 at Government Inter College, Paundha, Dehradun. Water conservation and smart water use was one of five community challenges the students worked on (event report[14]).
A water-conservation day in Bidholi village during the NSS seven-day camp: a rally on rainwater harvesting, live models and a street play.
With the University of Tokyo, Tecnológico de Monterrey, NIH Roorkee and IIT Roorkee, sharing innovations in water and environment technology.
Talks by the Vice Chancellor and Padma Bhushan environmentalist Dr Anil Prakash Joshi, including UPES's switch from RO systems to UV-treated water to save water.
Goal 6 has eight targets agreed by the United Nations for 2030. UPES contributes to all eight through its campus operations, research and work with communities and government.
UPES activity reaches every Goal 6 target, with the deepest and most measurable impact on safe drinking water, water quality, water efficiency and community participation.
Targets where UPES runs sustained programmes or operations with measurable results.
UN target 6.1Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
UN target 6.3Improve water quality by reducing pollution, halving untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse.
UN target 6.4Substantially increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater.
UN target 6.bSupport and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
Targets supported through specific projects, partnerships and research.
UN target 6.2Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, paying special attention to women and girls.
UN target 6.5Implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation.
UN target 6.6Protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, rivers, aquifers and lakes.
UN target 6.aExpand international cooperation and capacity-building in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes.
UN target wording is summarised. The full official text is on the United Nations SDG 6 page[27].
Each SDG 6 indicator, and the report on this page that covers it.
The full list of UPES water and sanitation research publications indexed in Scopus, with a link to each paper.