The Punjab government has planned a Rs31 billion project to shift Lahore's water supply from groundwater to surface water by drawing and treating 54 million gallons per day (MGD) from the BRB Canal, in a move reported on 4 September 2026 Independent News Pakistan. The work is being driven by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Lahore, with the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) already approving the project's PC-I and final sign-off now sought from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) | Associated Press Of Pakistan.
Key takeaways
- Project budget: Rs31 billion, with 54 MGD from the BRB Canal treated at a new Surface Water Treatment Plant (SWTP) near Bhaini Road Independent News Pakistan.
- WASA Lahore currently runs 594 deep tube wells supplying 329 million gallons of water daily | Associated Press Of Pakistan.
- WASA obtains 99% of its water from the aquifer; groundwater levels in parts of Punjab, including Lahore, are falling by three to five feet annually Independent News Pakistan.
- Initial SWTP capacity 100 cusecs (54 MGD), planned to scale to 1,000 cusecs (540 MGD) ProPakistani.
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is providing a $235 million financing package under the Lahore Water and Wastewater Management Project | Associated Press Of Pakistan.
What happened
Punjab's planners are pitching the SWTP as the centrepiece of a wider Lahore Water and Wastewater Management Project that aims to ease pressure on the city's aquifer while cutting untreated sewage discharges Independent News Pakistan. WASA Lahore Vice-Chairman Chaudhary Shahbaz Ahmad, who is also a member of the Punjab Assembly, told Wealth Pakistan: "After getting the final nod, execution of the project will start" Independent News Pakistan.
Under the plan, the SWTP near Bhaini Road will initially treat 100 cusecs (54 MGD) drawn from the BRB Canal, with a subsequent expansion to 1,000 cusecs (540 MGD) ProPakistani. The package also includes laying a trunk sewer from Larech Colony to Gulshan-e-Ravi using trenchless technology, intended to take load off stormwater drains in central Lahore Independent News Pakistan.
WASA's 594 deep tube wells currently deliver about 329 million gallons of water daily, and Dr Ghulam Zakir Hassan Sial, Director of the Irrigation Research Institute (IRI), Punjab, said that "WASA Lahore currently obtains 99 per cent of its water from the aquifer to meet the needs of Lahorites" | Associated Press Of Pakistan. Dr Sial framed the situation bluntly: "Our groundwater budget is negative. We are drawing more water while recharging less," and called groundwater levels in Lahore falling by three to five feet annually "highly alarming" Independent News Pakistan.
Financing is being channelled through the AIIB's $235 million package, with CDWP clearance already in hand and the file now with ECNEC for the final go-ahead | Associated Press Of Pakistan. Dr Sial added that the surface water scheme might look expensive up front but should pay off over time by conserving groundwater reserves Independent News Pakistan.
Specification read
Reported plant scale: 54 MGD (about 204,570 m³/day) at start, scaling to 540 MGD (about 2,045,700 m³/day) Independent News Pakistan. Converted to buyer units, the first-phase surface water feed alone offsets a substantial slice of the 329 MGD that WASA currently lifts from the aquifer | Associated Press Of Pakistan. A canal-fed supply of this class typically runs through screening and pre-chlorination, coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation (or DAF), filtration, and disinfection, with the surface water treatment stage effectively substituting for, rather than adding to, the biological train used on sewage; the project's reported trunk sewer from Larech Colony to Gulshan-e-Ravi is the separate wastewater leg and points to a downstream need for secondary biological treatment and tertiary polishing Independent News Pakistan. For an operator looking at a similarly canal-sourced intake in the 50–200 MGD range, the immediate specification pressure is on the intake works, the coagulation/clarifier sizing, and a filtration step robust to raw-water quality swings, while longer-term plans will hinge on the wastewater treatment train, where suppliers such as those listed on our Municipal and Industries We Serve pages are typically evaluated. A useful buyer-side analogue in cooler-climate surface water work is the engineering logic covered in our guide to DAF vs Clarifier for Petroleum Wastewater in Lowell: 2026 Factory Guide and the comparable DAF vs Clarifier for Mining Wastewater in Fairbanks, 2026 comparison, both of which speak to the same clarifier-versus-DAF decision that will shape the pre-filtration stage on a 54 MGD canal feed.
FAQ
What exactly is being built in Lahore?
A new Surface Water Treatment Plant near Bhaini Road that will treat canal water drawn from the BRB Canal, with a first-phase capacity of 54 MGD and a planned scale-up to 540 MGD Independent News Pakistan.
How big is the contract value and who is funding it?
The project is budgeted at Rs31 billion, funded through a $235 million financing package from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank under the Lahore Water and Wastewater Management Project | Associated Press Of Pakistan.
Where does the project sit in the approvals pipeline?
The CDWP has approved the PC-I and the file has been forwarded to ECNEC for final approval; WASA says execution will start after that final nod | Associated Press Of Pakistan.
What is the lead time an operator should plan for on a 54 MGD canal-fed SWTP?
The sources do not state a construction timeline. As a general industry range, not from the sources, a greenfield 50–100 MGD surface water treatment plant typically runs 24–36 months from financial close to commissioning, with the intake, clarifier/DAF train and filtration package on the critical path.
