Amid Growing Water Crisis, Chandigarh University Biotechnology Researchers Get Patent for Innovative Device to Kitchen Wastewater Reuse, Save Potable Water
CU Researchers' Patent Two-Stage Filtering Device to Address Water Scarcity
with Recycling of Kitchen Wastewater for Gardening, Cleaning and Other Uses
CHANDIGARH, India, Aug. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when 80% of water supplied to households in India is released as wastewater even as over 60 crore people in the country are facing severe water crisis due to extreme groundwater over-extraction, erratic monsoons and rapid urbanisation, a team of Chandigarh University (CU) researchers has conceived and patented an innovative wastewater filtering device designed to provide a two-stage treatment for kitchen wastewater before it enters the drainage system, while also enabling collection of the filtered water for suitable domestic uses including gardening, irrigation and outdoor-area cleaning, thus reducing the demand for fresh potable water.
Chandigarh University researchers including Prof (Dr) Anu Kumar, Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology, CU along with two students of Biotechnology, Bhanu Krishan and Shivani have been granted a patent for this invention titled 'Waste Water Filtering Device' by the Patent Office, Government of India in April 2026.
Sharing details, Prof Kumar said, "The idea for this Device came from the water scarcity experienced in Shimla in 2018. This water crisis made me think that while water is an essential and limited resource, yet much water gets wasted in household activities which don't require potable water. According to Economic Survey 2025-26, India is among the top generators of wastewater in the world, with almost 112 billion litres of urban wastewater being generated daily but only 8% of wastewater generated was being recycled and reused. So there is a need to reuse wastewater wherever possible rather than allowing it to directly go into the drainage system as over 60 Crore people in India are experiencing high to extreme water stress in India. The device was therefore designed as a simple, affordable solution to treat commonly generated household wastewater, particularly kitchen wastewater and collect it for suitable reuse. The broader aim was to make the best possible use of available water, reduce wastage and contribute to water conservation,".
Explaining the working of this Device, Prof Kumar said, "When wastewater get generated during washing of utensils, it enters the modified strainer, the main housing of the filtering device. From there, the wastewater passes through two successive treatment sections. The first section contains multiple polyurethane sheets coated with silica along the inner walls of the strainer. These sheets serve as the primary filtering and absorbing material and are intended to absorb oily constituents and soap micelles present in kitchen wastewater. The wastewater then passes through a second section containing activated charcoal which provides second adsorption stage for contaminants in the wastewater,".
"Thus, the two sections work sequentially, with the first stage primarily addressing oil- and soap-containing constituents while the activated charcoal providing further adsorption of contaminants. The filtered water is then conveyed through a tail pipe connected to the strainer and directed into an attached storage tank where the treated water is collected for further suitable non-potable domestic uses," he added.
Prof Kumar said this treated wastewater collected in the storage tank can be used for watering household plants, lawns and other vegetation. It could also potentially be used for toilet flushing, floor and outdoor-area cleaning, washing of courtyards or other utility areas, thereby reducing the demand for potable water. The basic idea is to divert relatively less-contaminated household wastewater from the drainage system, remove major constituents such as oil, grease and soap micelles through the polyurethane and activated-charcoal stages and collect filtered water for appropriate non-drinking applications, he said.
"The 'Waste Water Filtering Device' is designed specifically for wastewater generated during routine washing activities in a kitchen. It integrates filtration and water collection into a single device and uses a sequential treatment concept combining silica-coated polyurethane sheets and activated charcoal. Overall, this device offers a potential preliminary treatment and water-reuse approach for domestic settings, especially for works which don't require potable water," Prof Kumar added.
Congratulating Chandigarh University researchers for getting the patent for the 'Waste Water Filtering Device', Deepinder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director, Chandigarh University said, "This achievement reflects the strong research and innovation eco-system at Chandigarh University to support research excellence and intellectual property generation for advancement of technology. Chandigarh University's students and faculty members have filed more than 6,100 patents out of which 5800 patents have been published and 260 patents have been granted. Chandigarh University has been ranked number one as a single institution in India for filing highest number of patents. CU's 44 faculty members featured in Stanford University–Elsevier list of the world's top 2% scientists,".
"The range of research activities at Chandigarh University is both wide-ranging and profound. CU scholars conduct research in practically every domain, and pursue to develop human knowledge through investigation, invention, and understanding. Chandigarh University is recognized as Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) for promoting and advancing the research," he said.
Sandhu further said to further strengthen its research eco-system, Chandigarh University has dedicated an annual budget of Rs 15 Crore for research and has also 60 Research Centres and 15 Centres of Excellence. CU's research initiatives are further strengthened by 67 projects funded by the corporate sector and government bodies with Rs 90 Crore.
"Making research a core pillar of education, Chandigarh University nurtures next-generation leaders in emerging domains with its research-intensive, innovation-driven and unique experiential learning model. CU has established a strong presence in global academic databases by producing over 25,000+ scholarly documents in key areas including engineering, computer science, life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences and management, according to Scopus. These research publications have received more than 1.53 lakh Scopus citations which reflect the growing impact of CU's diverse research output," he added.
Chandigarh University
Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.
Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/
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