Design of Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems

Assignment No. 1
Course: Chemical and Biotechnology Roll no.: CB20M11

Case study: Sewage Treatment Plant in Pebbles society

Introduction
Water is a vital resource. It is the basic necessity for the survival of all life forms that exist on
earth. We need water for various activities - domestic, agriculture, industrial purposes etc.,
but we are using it indiscriminately, due to which the water is constantly getting reduced.
In many parts of the world, the demand for water has exceeded the supplies of traditional
water sources like groundwater and surface water. Wastewater is now, becoming recognized
as a significant water resource.
With today’s ever-evolving technology there are some of the ways wastewater could be
treated, helping us regain as much as reusable water as possible. One such process for
treating wastewater is STP- Sewage treatment plant.
Pebbles society
Spread across seven acres, Pebbles located in Bavdhan, is a residential complex with 235
flats across five buildings. The society was completed in 2013. The society relies on the Pune
Municipal Corporation (PMC) for supplying an approximate 1.8 lakh litres of water per day.
Since 2011, housing societies in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad with more than 80 or more flats
have been mandated by the state government to set up standalone sewage treatment plants
(STPs) to treat the sewage produced there.
Pebbles employs an advanced Sewage Treatment Plant for treating Grey Water (domestic
used water that has low organic loading).
Sewage Treatment Plant (STP)
 It was developed by Deccan Water Treatment Pvt. Ltd.
 It uses the SBBR (Sludge Return Bio Reactor) based technology.
 Sewage treatment plant involves four stages – the preliminary treatment, the primary
treatment, the secondary treatment, and the tertiary treatment. The conventional STP
includes screening and grit removal from the wastewater in the preliminary stage.
Sedimentation in the primary treatment follows the previous stage. In the secondary stage,
activation of sludge takes place. And in the last stage, the disinfection, nutrient removal,
and solids removal occur. The whole process at the end results in treated water which is
reusable.
A. Basis of design:
Total no. of tenements 235
Estimated average daily flow 155m3/day
Influent sewage Residential
Min. influent BOD 250-350 mg/lit
Min. influent COD 300-350 mg/lit
Influent pH 6-8
Min. influent Total Suspended Solids 200-450ppm

B. Product Water Quality:

The STP delivers following quality product water

Effluent BOD <10mg/lit
Effluent COD <50mg/lit
Effluent pH 7-8
Effluent Total Suspended Solids <5ppm
Effluent Oil and Grease Nil

Fig 1. Layout plan of STP unit at Pebbles society

 Fig 2. STP unit at Pebbles society

Applications of treated grey water

The quality of water obtained after treatment is not fit for drinking, but is employed for:
• Toilet flushing
• Garden Irrigation
• Car washing
• Fire Hydrants

The society estimates they are saving up to 28 lakh litres of water every year through this
initiative. It is affordable and simple. It also increases the standard of living of the society.
Sewage treatment is a one-time investment. It cost around twenty lakh rupees for the society
but it just takes 25 rupees per family per month to keep it running. The efforts, as well as the
money, are all worth it, in the end.

Conclusion
Water should be recognized as a great priority. Wastewater treatment should be highly
emphasized not only in apartments but also hospitals, malls, restaurants, etc as it not only
saves water by making water eligible to reuse but also stops the damage caused when
wastewater is directly released into the environment.