Excreta matters:

Waste water treatment techniques and

management in buildings
Building Sense: Training programme for
Sustainable Building Policies and Practices"
Chhavi Sharda
Senior Research Associate
Email: chhavi@cseindia.org

Water Supply

Potable
requirements

Water Supply

Non-potable
requirements

Water Supply

Irrigation/Garden
requirements

Waste Water
(80%)

Water Sensitive Design Building scale

Reduction of mains (municipal supply) water consumption

Conventional wastewater treatment and reuse

Intake
Storage

Water Treatment

Water
Distribution
Network

Recycle

Wastewater
Collection
Network

River
Disposal

Wastewater Treatment
Reuse

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Conventional wastewater treatment and reuse

The Sewer System

Trunk Sewer
Main Sewer
Branch Sewers
Laterals
House Connections
Manholes

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Conventional wastewater treatment and reuse

Sewers and Manholes

Ground

Invert Level
Invert Level

Conventional wastewater treatment and reuse

Wastewater Treatment Process Schematic

Bar Racks
or
Screens

Grit
Chamber

Sump
Well

Equalization
Tank

Primary
Sedimentation
Tank

Primary Treatment

Preliminary Treatment

Reuse/Recycle

Secondary
Treatment

Tertiary
Treatment

Reuse/
Disposal

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

ASP
7.
TF
RBC
8.
SBR
MBBR
MBR

Anaerobic + Polishing
Treatment
Natural Systems (Ponds /
Wetlands)

Conventional wastewater treatment and reuse

Current sewage paradigm A journey to pollution

STP
Water Body

Centralised system serving the city centre and outskirts

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A paradigm that must change, urgently

Cannot flush
and forget
Have to find new approaches :
Affordable and Sustainable

REVOLUTION CHANGE IN MINDSET

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Revolution

Treat sewage as close to the source as possible.

Reduce water use to reduce waste discharge.
Need to cut cost.
Treat all sewage from open/closed drains.
Recycle and reuse wastewater.
Any residual waste in the drain can then be treated at the
point of drainage into river.

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Integration of DWWTS into existing system

STP
Water Body

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DWWT Application

Public toilets
Markets/Offices
Hospitals
Single house

Schools/colleges
Residential areas
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Water Sensitive Design Building scale

Grey water and treated effluent recycling

Decentralised options of recycling at various

scale can reduce water demand from
municipal supply
Internal usage: Toilets
External usage: Gardens, Car washing, road
washing etc.

Decentralised wastewater treatment system

How will it be acceptable?

1. Cost effective
2. Easy to operate semi-skilled operator
3. Easy to maintain - no or low energy
consumption, no addition of expensive
chemicals or additives
4. Doesnt cause any nuisance like noise
pollution, bad odour to the surrounding,
problems of mosquito breeding etc.
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Natural Systems Steps of treatment

Reuse of
treated
water
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Decentralised Wastewater Treatment System at Aravind Eye

Hospital and Residential Buildings, Puducherry
Parameters

Details

Year of
Implementation

2003

Type of Building

Hospital and Residential

Buildings together

Systems area

2690 sq m

Capacity of the
system

320 KLD

Re-use

Horticulture of 15 acres of
area within the hospital
premises

Capital Cost
(2003)

INR 11.2 Million

O&M Cost (per

annum)

INR 250,000-500,000

Anil Agarwal Green College

Decentralised Wastewater Treatment System at Aravind Eye

Hospital and Residential Buildings, Puducherry

Settler and Anaerobic baffled reactors

Planted filter bed with Canna indica

Anil Agarwal Green College

Decentralised Wastewater Treatment System at Aravind Eye

Hospital and Residential Buildings, Puducherry

Polishing pond

Treated wastewater reuse for horticulture

Anil Agarwal Green College

Settler Primary Treatment

Separates suspended solids from the incoming wastewater by providing

required retention time.

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Settler contd.

Two chambered settler

Typical BOD and TSS removal in primary

sedimentation tanks/ settler
Source: Metcalf& Eddy; 4th Edition; pg 405

Three chambered settler

Settler Primary Treatment

Purpose

Removal of settable
suspended solids

Land Area Required

0.5 sq m / cu m

Retention time

2-3 hours

Desludging period

1-3 years

Specification

2 3 chambers
Depth - 1 to 2.5 m
2 chambered 1st
chamber 2/3 of the
total length
3 chambered- 1st
chamber of the
total length

Gas

Inflow

Scum

Settling particles

Sludge

outflow

Improved Septic tank: Anaerobic Baffled Reactor

(ABR)

Introduction of baffles/ pipes Wastewater passes series of upflow chambers

which improves the retention time
Helps in further treatment (degradation) of suspended/ dissolved solids and
decomposition of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria.
Minimum/ No sludge handling Anaerobic bacteria responsible for sludge
digestion optimum amount is retained to maintain the livestock.
May not require de-sludging at all. However, it is suggested to clean and
recommission the system every 8-10 years to maintain treatment efficiency.

Flow of water in Anaerobic Baffled Reactor

Helps in natural biodegradation of the contaminants largely through

anaerobic biodegradation.

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Baffled reactor: Anaerobic Fixed Bed Filter

Source: BORDA

Filter is made out of gravels, slags or plastic

materials that are easily and locally available
Desludging is needed only if excess sludge is
generated.

Filter material

Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR) contd.

Purpose

Treatment through
Anaerobic
Degradation

Land Area
Required

1 sq m / cu m

Retention time

21 24 hours

Desludging
period

8 - 10 years

Specification

70 - 90 % of removal happens in reactor

Upflow velocity to
be maintained
less than 2 m/hr
Depth ranges
from 1.5 2m

Anaerobic Filter

Wastewater passes in series of upflow chambers

with filter materials at the centre.
Filter is made out of gravels, slags, cinder or plastic
materials
Desludging is needed only if excess sludge is
generated.

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Filter material
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Planted filter bed

Combination of aerobic and anaerobic treatment

Consists of plants (wetland) and filter materials (gravels/ river pebbles)
Retain sewage for 1 3 days depending on wastewater quality, area and porosity of filter
media.
Slope should be 1%

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CW: Horizontal flow

Adequate settlement
before the horizontal
flow bed will extend the
bed's life.
Area required : 4 sq m per cum

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Type of plants for PGF: Typha

Rooted emergent macrophytes

Typha angustata
Canna indica

Type of plants for PGF: Scirpus

Scirpus littoralis

Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa New Delhi

Source: Google Earth

Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa New Delhi

V-notch at the inlet

Constructed wetland bed with growing typha

(wetland plant)
Perforated inlet pipe to the bed
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Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa New Delhi

Physical appearance: Sewage vs

Treated water
Treated water tank

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CW: Vertical flow

Plants

Area required : 2.7 sq m per cum

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Polishing Ponds: Tertiary treatment

Designed to provide 1 to 3 days retention time

Area required : 1.2 sq m per cum
Normally operate at a depth of 1 to 1.5 m depth
Excessive detention time will increases effluent suspended
solids concentrations
Reduce E coli count (from around 2000 to below 20)
Tip: Use Gambusia to control mosquitoes
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Performance of DWWT

Underground anaerobic process

20%-30% BOD removal Settler
70%-90% BOD removal Baffled reactor

Above ground level aerobic process

Can be designed as per requirement
Nitrates and Phosphates removal

Odor removal
Pathogen removal

CPCB standards are met at this point, except for the smell control

The right combination and dimension of the modules make DWWT successful
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Performance of DWWT

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Recycle and Reuse

Major factors for wastewater recycle / reuse are:
Opportunities to augment limited primary water sources.
Prevention of excess diversion of water from alternative uses including the natural
environment.
Possibilities to manage insitu water sources.
Minimization of infrastructure costs including treatment and discharge costs.
Reduction and elimination of discharges of wastewater (treated/ untreated) into
receiving environment.
Scope to overcome political, community and institution constraints.

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Reuse of treatment products

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Biogas

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Conclusions
Decentralised technologies adopt the science from time tested
practices and improve the treatment process.
These technologies are devised after understanding the nature
of wastewater and are put together in different combinations as
per need.
They are designed to enhance the natural aerobic and
anaerobic processes, and
Create conditions in which wastewater can be treated with the
least use of energy or mechanical equipments.
Wastewater could be effectively recycled and reused at
institutional or community levels.

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Rainbow Society, Bengaluru

Rainbow Drive is a 36 acre neighborhood with
430 plots located in south east Bangalore. The
sloped land posed a challenge for the
residents due to excessive flooding during
monsoon. Also, due to lack of connectivity to
the municipal water supply, the residents
depended on ground water from bore wells for
their daily consumption.

Rainbow Drive

As a result of the scarcity and flooding, they opted to

conserve, reuse and recycle water through rainwater
harvesting, recharge wells and a phytorid sewage
treatment plant. This was done by creating a layout
association that worked collaboratively.
Source: Google Earth

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Rainbow Society, Bengaluru contd.

Treating and re-using wastewater (Black and Grey both)

Recharge
Structure
Capturing storm water
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Rainbow Society, Bengaluru contd.

Parameters

Details

Year of
2007
Implementation
Type of Building

Residential Campus
with 430 plots

Re-use

Horticulture

The Phytorid system is a subsurface flow type. The hydraulics is maintained in such a
manner that wastewater does not rise to the surface retaining a free board at the top of
the filled media.
The reduction on the treated effluent for the Total suspended solids(TSS) varied from 70% to
80 %, BOD from 78% to 84%, Nitrogen from 70% to 75%, Phosphorus from 52% to 64% and
Fecal Coliform from 90 % to 97%.

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Decentralised Wastewater treatment systen at a

residential Building, Sainik Farm, New Delhi

Planted filter bed with Canna

Settler and ABR

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Decentralised Wastewater treatment systen at a

residential Building, Sainik Farm, New Delhi

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Parameters

Details

Year of
Implementation

2013

Type of Building

Individual Residential Building

Capacity of the
system

0.8 KLD

Re-use

For maintaining greenery of the

garden (500 L/ day)

Capital Cost (2013)

INR 25,000/- (INR 10,000 for

plumbing)

O&M Cost (per

annum)

INR 4,000/-

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