SDG 11 Targets and Strategy for Urban Water Supply by 2030

SDG 11 Targets and Strategy for Urban Water Supply by 2030
1. Introduction
India is experiencing rapid urbanisation, placing increasing pressure on housing, transport, water supply, sanitation, solid-waste management and other urban infrastructure. The central objective of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 is to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” In the Indian context, achievement of SDG 11 is particularly important because infrastructure deficiencies can directly affect the quality of life, environmental sustainability and economic productivity of cities.
India monitors SDG 11 through the National Indicator Framework (NIF) developed by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), while NITI Aayog assesses state and Union Territory performance through the SDG India Index.
2. Major Targets of SDG 11 in the Indian Context
The major SDG 11 targets relevant to India’s urban and infrastructure development are:
SDG Target
Target in the Indian Context
Major Infrastructure Relevance
11.1
Ensure access to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
Housing, water supply, sanitation, drainage
11.2
Provide safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems and improve road safety
Public transport, roads, NMT infrastructure
11.3
Promote inclusive and sustainable urbanisation and participatory, integrated settlement planning
Master plans, land-use planning, urban governance
11.4
Strengthen protection of cultural and natural heritage
Heritage conservation and urban renewal
11.5
Reduce deaths, affected population and economic losses resulting from disasters
Flood management, drainage, resilient infrastructure
11.6
Reduce the adverse environmental impact of cities, particularly air pollution and municipal waste
Solid waste, sewage treatment, air quality
11.7
Provide universal access to safe, inclusive, accessible green and public spaces
Parks, open spaces and public realm
11.a
Strengthen economic, social and environmental linkages among urban, peri-urban and rural areas
Regional and metropolitan planning
11.b
Promote integrated policies for resource efficiency, climate mitigation/adaptation and disaster resilience
Climate-resilient urban infrastructure
11.c
Support sustainable and resilient buildings using local materials, particularly in least-developed countries
Sustainable construction
These priorities are reflected in India’s SDG monitoring framework. For example, India monitors indicators such as inadequate urban housing, road-accident deaths, waste processing, drainage and sewage-treatment capacity.
3. Selected Infrastructure Sector: Urban Water Supply
Water supply is selected because reliable access to safe water is fundamental to sustainable urban settlements. It directly supports SDG 11.1 through access to basic services and is closely interconnected with SDG 6, particularly universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water.
Urbanisation increases demand for water while simultaneously reducing groundwater recharge, increasing wastewater generation and creating competition among domestic, industrial and environmental uses. The problem is therefore not simply to construct more water-supply infrastructure, but to establish a safe, equitable, efficient, circular and climate-resilient urban water system.
India should consequently move from the traditional linear model of:
Source → Treatment → Supply → Consumption → Disposal
towards an integrated circular model:
Source → Treatment → Efficient Supply → Consumption → Wastewater Treatment → Reuse → Groundwater Recharge/Resource Recovery.
4. Proposed Targets for Urban Water Supply by 2035
While the formal SDGs use 2030 as their target year, a 2035 infrastructure strategy can consolidate SDG achievements and address the needs of India’s continuing urban expansion. The following targets are proposed:
100% household coverage with functional piped water connections.
100% access to safe drinking water meeting prescribed water-quality standards.
Progressively achieve continuous and reliable (24×7) water supply in urban areas.
Reduce non-revenue water (NRW) to below 15% through leakage detection, metering and network rehabilitation.
Ensure 100% metering of major urban water connections.
Achieve 100% water-quality monitoring at source, treatment, distribution and consumer levels.
Ensure treatment of urban wastewater and maximise its safe reuse for non-potable purposes.
Introduce rainwater harvesting and groundwater-recharge systems in all suitable public buildings and large developments.
Provide affordable minimum/basic water services to slums, informal settlements and economically weaker households.
Develop climate-resilient water-security plans for all major urban local bodies.
These should be treated as proposed 2035 planning benchmarks, rather than existing official SDG targets.
5. Strategy to Achieve Urban Water-Supply Targets by 2035
5.1 Universal and Equitable Network Coverage
The first priority should be universal household-level access. Urban local bodies (ULBs) should undertake GIS-based mapping of existing pipelines, households, informal settlements and unserved areas. Network expansion should prioritise slums, peripheral settlements and low-income neighbourhoods rather than only high-demand commercial areas.
A basic quantity of affordable water should be protected for vulnerable households through appropriate tariff structures and targeted subsidies.
5.2 Reduction of Distribution Losses
A significant improvement in urban water security can be achieved without continuously developing new water sources if physical and commercial losses are controlled.
Cities should establish District Metered Areas (DMAs), install bulk and household meters, undertake pressure management and use sensor-based systems for real-time leakage detection. Old and damaged pipelines should be systematically replaced.
A city losing 30–40% of treated water should therefore prioritise network efficiency before investing heavily in distant new water sources.
5.3 Smart Water Management
Digital technology should form the backbone of the 2035 system. Cities can employ:
GIS-based water-asset databases;
smart water meters;
SCADA systems;
IoT-based pressure and flow sensors;
automated water-quality monitoring;
AI-based demand forecasting; and
digital dashboards for ULB decision-making.
Such systems can identify leakage, abnormal consumption, contamination and infrastructure failure more quickly.
5.4 Water-Quality Security
Universal connection alone cannot constitute successful service delivery unless the supplied water is safe.
Water should therefore be tested regularly from the source to the consumer tap. Water Safety Plans should identify contamination risks throughout the supply chain. Public disclosure of water-quality results can also improve transparency and accountability.
5.5 Rainwater Harvesting and Groundwater Recharge
Urban development frequently increases paved surfaces while reducing natural recharge. Building regulations should therefore integrate mandatory rainwater harvesting for appropriate plot sizes and building categories.
Cities should also restore lakes, ponds, wetlands and natural drainage channels. These measures simultaneously support water security, groundwater recharge, biodiversity and urban flood management.
5.6 Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
Water supply and sewerage should not be planned independently. Treated wastewater represents an important urban water resource.
Treated wastewater can be reused for:
landscaping;
construction;
industrial cooling;
road washing;
agriculture around cities; and
other appropriate non-potable applications.
This would reduce pressure on freshwater sources while contributing to SDG 11.6. Sewage treatment remains a significant infrastructure issue: NITI Aayog reports that installed sewage-treatment capacity as a proportion of urban sewage generation increased from 38.86% in 2018 to 51% in 2020–21, demonstrating progress but also the scale of the remaining gap.
5.7 Climate-Resilient Urban Water Systems
Climate change increases the likelihood of drought, extreme rainfall and water-source uncertainty. Every major city should therefore prepare an Urban Water Security and Resilience Plan.
Cities should diversify their water portfolio rather than depend excessively on a single reservoir or groundwater source. Surface water, groundwater, rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse and aquifer recharge should be integrated according to local conditions.
5.8 Institutional and Financial Reforms
Urban water infrastructure cannot become sustainable through capital investment alone. ULBs require stronger technical and financial capacity.
Tariffs should progressively reflect operation and maintenance costs while maintaining lifeline tariffs or subsidies for low-income households. Performance-based contracts, municipal finance, public-private partnerships where appropriate, and central/state urban missions can support investment.
Importantly, accountability should shift from measuring only infrastructure created—such as kilometres of pipelines—to service outcomes, including hours of supply, pressure, water quality, NRW, affordability and consumer satisfaction.
6. Suggested Implementation Roadmap
Period
Major Action
2026–2028
City-wide water audits, GIS mapping, baseline assessment, identification of unserved households and NRW assessment
2028–2030
Universal network expansion, slum coverage, metering and rehabilitation of high-loss networks
2030–2032
Expansion of smart meters, DMAs, SCADA, water-quality monitoring and wastewater reuse
2032–2034
24×7 supply pilots scaled city-wide, recharge infrastructure and climate-resilience improvements
2034–2035
Independent performance audit, remaining gap closure and establishment of long-term asset-management systems
7. Monitoring Indicators for 2035
Progress should be measured annually through a small set of measurable indicators: percentage of households with functional piped connections; average hours of water supplied per day; per-capita availability; percentage of samples meeting drinking-water standards; NRW percentage; percentage of connections metered; percentage of wastewater treated and reused; percentage of low-income households receiving adequate service; and consumer grievance-resolution time.
This outcome-based monitoring is important because infrastructure availability does not automatically imply adequate service delivery.
8. Conclusion
SDG 11 provides India with an integrated framework for addressing housing, basic services, transportation, environmental quality, resilience and inclusive urban development. India’s SDG monitoring system already recognises housing, sanitation, sewage treatment, drainage, transport and waste management as important components of sustainable cities.
For the urban water-supply sector, the strategy to 2035 should go beyond simply increasing infrastructure capacity. India should pursue universal access + water quality + network efficiency + wastewater reuse + groundwater recharge + digital management + climate resilience + social equity.
Thus, the central objective for 2035 can be expressed as:
“Every urban household should have equitable access to safe, affordable and reliable water through an efficient, circular and climate-resilient urban water-management system.”
Achieving this objective would contribute not only to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) but also directly support SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

References
Government of India, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. (2023). Sustainable Development Goals: National Indicator Framework 2023.
NITI Aayog. (2021). SDG India Index & Dashboard 2020–21: Partnerships in the Decade of Action. Government of India.
NITI Aayog. Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Government of India.