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Water Treatment

Delhi banking on ‘new water’ to meet growing demand

Tuesday, 16 April 2013 07:04 administrator
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The Hindu                 16.04.2013

Delhi banking on ‘new water’ to meet growing demand

Staff Reporter

The numbers are increasing and so is the demand for water. For the city’s water utility, the Delhi Jal Board, this is barely good news. With little possibility of finding newer sources of water for the city’s growing demand, the Jal Board is being pressed to recycle and reuse.

Three water recycling plants already adding about 30 MGD of water to the total available quantum, the Jal Board is stepping up efforts to utilise even the last drop. “Three recycling plants at Haiderpur, Wazirabad and Bagirathi water treatment plants are jointly contributing about 30 MGD to the system. We have envisaged increasing this figure to 45 MGD. By the end of the year we will be able to add another 10 MGD of water to the system when the recycling plant at Chandrawal is commissioned,” said a senior DJB official. Apart from the recycling plant at Chandrawal, which was earlier expected in 2011, the DJB has also turned to Singapore for help. It has its eye set on waste water treatment plant that will generate ‘new water’ for the city’s consumption. ‘New Water’, as it is popularly called, is treated sewage and waste water that is being increasingly used in cities where water is in short supply.

“The ‘new water’ plants are being set up to reduce the gap between demand and supply. We have already signed an agreement with the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) and Temasek Foundation, Singapore (TF), to share their experience in planning and design of recycle and reuse of treated sewage and waste water on a public private partnership (PPP) basis,” the official said.

Delhi’s population has increased from 9.4 million in 1991 to 16.3 million in 2011 and is expected to go up to 23 million by 2021. “Nearly 50 lakh people live in unplanned habitations, it is therefore necessary to bank on reclamation of waste water from treatment process,” the official said.

As on date, Delhi gets about 845 MGD from surface sources and 100 MGD from groundwater sources, the total requirement is about 1080 MGD and the shortfall 235 MGD. The only likelihood of more water is the 80 MGD that Haryana has been withholding and 60 MGD that will be extracted through non-invasive technique from the Palla floodplains. The 80 MGD was the savings from the carrier lined channel (Munak), for which Delhi has paid over Rs.500 crore to Haryana. This water was also meant for three water treatment plants, a 40 MGD at Dwarka and 20 MGD each at Okhla and Bawana.

Reusing and recycling are also important given the falling groundwater levels. “Despite our efforts, illegal boring of water continues and there are several areas that are now in the critical zone,” the official said.

 

Sewage Treatment Plants lose lake pollution battle

Wednesday, 10 April 2013 12:05 administrator
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The Times of India                  10.04.2013

Sewage Treatment Plants lose lake pollution battle

HYDERABAD: The Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) installed near 14 lakes of the city are not good enough to get rid of pollutants and most of the 'treated water' cannot sustain aquatic life and is poisonous enough to kill thirsty domestic animals.

A latest report by the Pollution Control Board (PCB) on STPs revealed that water in lakes still contain pollutants much higher than the permissible limits even after treatment. Readings of the treated water of STP at Khairatabad and at the Hussainsagar lake, between June, 2012 and February 2013, show the presence of high levels of BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) in the treated water.

The permissible levels of BOD are not more than 30 ms/l and that of COD is 250 ms/l. However, BOD levels were found to be as high as 116 ms/l and those of COD were found to be touching 284 ms/l in some of the monthly readings, which means the water still cannot support aquatic life.

Another analysis conducted at the Amberpet STP in February this year showed that the pH value of the treated water was 9.4, whereas the permissible range is between 5.5 and 9, which means the water is alkaline in nature. "The high levels of COD and BOD in Hussainsagar prove that it is highly contaminated and not fit for anything. Not only is this water poisonous to aquatic animals but also a great threat to domestic animals like cattle and dogs which may quench their thirst with the lake water," said K Babu Rao, an environmentalist and scientist.

The high alkaline levels at Amberpet STP is also pose a grave threat to the people of the surrounding areas as the Musi lake water may percolate into ground water, environmentalists say. "The usage of highly alkaline water even for domestic purpose may result in a various health conditions including skin infections to respiratory disorders," Babu Rao added.

Even in the past, environmentalists criticized about the low capacity of these STPs which render it ineffective in completely treating waste water. The existing capacities of the STPs range from 4 mld to 339 mld.

A senior official of pollution board said that only a small part of waste water is being treated at the STPs whereas most of it is getting routed back into the lake. "These STPs have low capacity and hence, it is not possible to store and hold large volumes of waste water," he said on condition of anonymity.

Power disruptions are also adding to the problem with the STPs not functioning for at least three hours everyday, thanks to the power cuts. "The administration has absolutely no back-up mechanism in place to ensure that STPs function continuously," said Thakur Rajkumar, covenor, SOUL (Save Our Urban Lakes). "These plants cannot run with generators or inverters since they need a lot of power and the result is untreated water keeps flowing into the lakes for hours together. If this goes on throughout summer, then the condition of lakes will only worsen," he added.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 April 2013 12:08
 

Diversion of sewage from Vishwamitri not anytime soon

Wednesday, 10 April 2013 11:19 administrator
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The Times of India                  10.04.2013

Diversion of sewage from Vishwamitri not anytime soon

VADODARA: Struggling to take care of the issue of sewage discharge into Vishwamitri, Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has put two drainage pressure lines. But the lines are yet to become functional as the railway is yet to give permission for making the lines across the railway tracks.

The VMC had taken up the work of laying two pressure lines from the sewage auxiliary pumping station (APS) near Kalaghoda bridge and the APS near SSG Hospital. The water from both these APS was to be taken to the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Atladara for treatment through two pressure lines.

While the VMC laid the pressure lines, the section of work under the railway tracks at Parshuram Bhattha in Sayajigunj that the lines have to cross has remained pending. VMC official said work both under and over the railway tracks can be conducted either by the railways or with permission of the railways. The drainage department of the VMC stated this in a communication to Vishwamitri project office of the civic body.

VMC in-charge deputy executive engineer (drainage) K L Patel said lines from the Kalaghoda bridge APS and SSG Hospital APS to the tracks and from thereon to the STP had been laid. He added that these had been tested as well. "Once the work under the track gets over, they can become functional," he said.

According to the drainage department, the testing of the lines has also been conducted. It states that the process of seeking permission from the railways for the line from Kalaghoda bridge APS had been taken in June 2010 while that from the SSG Hospital APS had been initiated in November 2011. The civic body has made alternative arrangements for ensuring that the water from Kalaghoda bridge APS is not released into the river, but that from SSG Hospital makes its way to the Vishwamitri.

VMC officials said the civic body has identified 36 spots where untreated sewage is being released into the river.

"These include those from a trickle to major discharges. We are in the process of ensuring that this stops. We expect that within two years no untreated waste will be released into the river," said an official.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 April 2013 11:21
 
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