Deccan Herald 24.08.2013
BWSSB to generate power using sewage water
For the first time in the State, sewage water
will be used for power generation at the Koramangala and Chalaghatta
valley in the City.
The ambitious project taken up by
the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is expected to
generate 1.05 kilo watt (kW) of power that will be used to run the 60
mld (million litres of water per day) sewage treatment plant (STP) at
the same location.
The project taken up under the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at a cost of Rs 222 crores,
including operation and maintenance, is expected to be ready by June
2015.
Using unique technology, the activated sludge process will be generating power by the methane gas generated by sewage.
the technology will include Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR), a process
where nitrogen and phosphorus is removed from the waste water before it
is discharged.
According to a BWSSB official, the BNR is a
good enough for all non-potable purposes and the Board intends to supply
the treated water to the near by industries in future.
The STP
technology will also have the provisions of treating the water at
tertiary level in case the water is required for further use, the
official added.
New pipelines
The sewage
for the proposed STP is expected to be drawn from Sarakki (20 mld) and
Agaram (60 mld) where the pipelines will be integrated with the
Karnataka Municipal Reforms Project (KMRP) where in the sanitary
pipelines are being laid for the first time at many locations.
Waste
water from nearly 40,000 houses on Bannerghatta Road will be directed
to Sarakki Intermediate Sewerage Pumping Stations (ISPS) from where the
water will be pumped through 700 mm dia pipeline for nearly three
kilometers. Later, with the existing KMRP 2000 mm dia pipeline running
four kilometers will reach Agaram.
From Agaram ISPS, 60 mld will
be sent to Koramangala and Chalaghatta (K&C) valley and another 60
mld to the proposed STP at Bellandur Amanikere passing through 5.3 kms.
The
BWSSB will have to lay fresh 1000 mm diameter pipelines in the Defence
property near intermediate ring road for nearly three kilometers from
Agaram ISPS to K&C valley.
The BWSSB had pursued to generate
power through sewage water in 1990s, but they were not able to succeed
as they did not have the technology to hold methane gas for generation
of power.
However, by 2000, sophisticated technology with
advance components in STP plants had enabled the Board to take up the
power generation project.
K&C valley already has 248 mld
capacity STP plant which is one of the biggest and treats one-third of
waste water generated in the City.
However, at present the STP
is treating just around 215 mld per day and treated water is being let
out to into the Bellandur Lake.