Kerala generates about 596 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated sewage in urban areas as of January 2026. The Local Self-Government department (LSGD) reports that 435.83 MLD of this sewage is treated with sewage treatment plants (STPs). The remaining 160.34 MLD is managed through septic tanks and bio-digestors. The Secretary of LSGD shared these details before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on February 13, 2026, concerning solid and liquid waste management compliance. By 2026, Kerala's total liquid waste is estimated at 4,043 MLD, including 1,032 MLD from urban and 3,011 MLD from rural areas. The total current capacity of STPs is 247.08 MLD, up from 241.035 MLD in 2025. Additionally, 15.30 MLD capacity STPs are under construction, and 173.45 MLD capacity plants are proposed and in various implementation stages. Kerala’s strategy focuses on “network-based STPs” in core urban sanitation zones, faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) in fringe urban and rural areas. Authorities have identified 65 land parcels for these plants. Seven plants are operational, 10 are being built, while 48 are in planning or tendering. The combined capacity of existing and proposed plants is around 4,931 kilo litres per day (KLD). Institutional and establishment-level treatment capacity rose to 105.3 MLD from 99.26 MLD earlier. The LSGD noted challenges in setting up STPs due to Kerala’s unique settlement patterns, diverse geography, and limited land availability. These factors make centralised STP implementation difficult, so the state depends heavily on onsite sanitation systems like septic tanks and soak pits.