Key Tech used in Sewage Treatment Plants India

With urban Indian population exploding, one of the major civic concerns is the management of
sewerage. Although almost all Indian cities and towns have a sewage treatment plant, there is a
growing deficit between the requirement and our capabilities. This is worrying because untreated
sewage has grave consequences for the quality of human life and the environment in general.

In sewage treatment plants contaminants are removed from wastewater. Contaminants are
mostly from household waste mixed with some amount of industrial effluent. Most sewage
treatment plants in India use a mix of chemical, physical and biological processes to treat
sewage. Much of the sewage that reaches treatment plants in India undergoes some sort of pre-
treatment.

An Alarming Situation

There is a desperate need for more sewage treatment plants in India. According to government
data, urban areas generate approximately 62,000 million litres per day (MLD) sewage. However,
treatment capability is limited to 23,277 MLD. This is just 37% of sewage generated, putting our
capacities well short of the requirement.

On top of this, not the existing STPs are not functioning. Of the 816 municipal plants, only 522
are working. These numbers indicate that a whopping 70% of the sewage generated is left
untreated in India. This is an alarming situation, one that can prove catastrophic if left
unresolved.
Untreated sewage usually ends up polluting water sources. Three-fourth of the countrys surface
water, about 80%, is possibly heavily polluted. This is a staggering number, indicating that all our
water sources are extremely unfit for consumption. Over time, the contaminated water ends up
polluting groundwater as well.

Sewage Treatment Plants in India

There is obviously a dire need for a more effective waste management policy. Although sewage
treatment is seen as part of wastewater management, given the magnitude of the problem in
India, we need a more focused policy in managing our sewage treatment plants. The policy must
address some basic requirements:

Building new sewage treatment plants

Undertaking repairs for malfunctioning plants
Ensuring regular maintenance of the plants
Maintaining the ratio of treatment plants to population
Creating public-private partnerships
Ensuring pre-treatment at source, such as bringing mandatory policies on sewage treatment
tools like septic tanks at homes, STPs at hotels etc.

Technologies in Sewage Treatment Plant in India:

A number of methods are used at sewage treatment plants:

Read More: Why we need More Waste Water Treatment Plants India

Activated sludge process: In this method water is treated with air and biological flock. It is usually
used where organic pollution is high and there are no issues regarding land allocation. However,
it does need skilled labour to perform this process. This is quiet a flexible method. Many STP
manufacturers in India will customise it according to requirements. It is also very effective in
removing contaminants. This makes it one of the most popular methods in municipal waste
management.

Membrane Bio Reactor: Or MBR uses membrane filtration along with biological treatment. This is
an advanced procedure, more effective than activated sludge process. MBR is used in the
Industrial sector as well. A micro-porous membrane is used to purify the water. Where the
activated sludge process removes the pollutants,the MBR not only treats the water, it also retains
purifying bacteria. Hence, the treated water has high reusability quotient. It is sometimes sent for
further RO treatment for further purification. Other advantages include its compact design,
Energy efficiency, zero water discharge,efficient energy management, and consistent
performance.

Fluidized Bed Bio Reactor: Or FBBR scores in practically every field over other technologies. It
utilises a bio film along with biological carriers for better filtration and treatment. This method has
multiple advantage, such as:

Less labour force to run the plant and no need for skilled manpower.
Higher removal of contaminants
Has self regulatory system in place, which makes maintenance easier.
No need for the return of activated sludge stream
Less power consumption
Compact design
Easy to use
Economic
Sequential Batch Reactors: This is a kind of wastewater treatment. This is again a highly
effective solution that also meets every strict guidelines of sewage treatment. With minimum
operating costs and low maintenance issues, it also provides consistent high performance. The
resultant water is good enough to be discharged for various process. The method is ideal for
industrial effluents, high load municipal plants and places with stringent sewage treatment rules.
With its low cost of operation and installation, it is also the recommended method when
overhauling old sewage treatment plantsin India

Source: Key Tech used in Sewage Treatment Plants India