Abstract
India’s escalating water scarcity, combined with declining groundwater quality, calls for decentralised and low-cost wastewater treatment solutions that can ensure sustainable household water reuse and groundwater recharge. This study developed and evaluated a laboratory-scale greywater filtration and soil aquifer treatment (SAT) system using sand and granular activated carbon (GAC) as primary filter media. Greywater was collected from kitchen and bathroom–laundry sources in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, in a 3:7 ratio and treated through a two-stage system comprising a slow sand–GAC filtration column followed by a soil infiltration pond. The filtration column achieved significant removal of suspended solids and organics, while the SAT unit provided advanced polishing through microbial degradation and ion exchange. Analytical results revealed sharp reductions in turbidity (72.4%), total solids (15.7%), COD (99.5%), nitrate (91.1%), TKN (63.6%), and chlorides (94.8%). The final effluent parameters complied with CPCB discharge and approached BIS drinking-water standards, confirming its suitability for non-potable reuse and groundwater recharge. Compared to previous natural-media filtration systems the present system which is combination of filtration and SAT achieved superior efficiency with shorter retention time and minimal operational demand. This compact, low-energy, and easily replicable unit demonstrates a promising pathway for household-scale wastewater management in water-stressed regions.
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The greywater samples used in this study were collected exclusively from the washing machine outlet and kitchen water outlet of the corresponding author’s own residential household located in Katpadi, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India, with prior permission from the landowner. Informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study. The study involved only household greywater collection and did not include any personal, sensitive, or identifiable human data; therefore, formal institutional ethical committee approval was not required.
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All sampling procedures, laboratory analyses, data processing, and statistical evaluations were conducted in accordance with the relevant national and international standards, guidelines, and regulations applicable to environmental and water quality research. Standard analytical procedures were followed throughout the study, and all methods were implemented in accordance with the respective methodological protocols and regulatory requirements.
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Rejikumar, A., Sridhar, D., Saran, S.M. et al. Integrated lab-scale greywater filtration and soil aquifer treatment for sustainable groundwater recharge.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-60267-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-60267-6
Keywords
- Greywater Treatment
- Granular Activated Carbon
- Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT)
- Decentralised Wastewater Reuse
- Groundwater Recharge
- Sustainable Water Management
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