Innovative Solutions for Sewage Treatment:

Solid-Liquid Separation

30-06-2018 IGBC Green League, Hyderabad

Pradeep Mocherla
Pangaea TradeTeam Pvt. Ltd.
Aim and objectives
AIM:

To understand how green buildings can achieve savings by reducing the load on STPs.

OBJECTIVES:

• To understand the composition of the wastewater load on STPs

• To understand how toilet solids and liquids can be separated

• To understand how separation helps to minimize the load on STPs

• To look at alternatives to traditional STPs enabled by separation

• To estimate savings gained through solid-liquid separation and alternative ways of

wastewater treatment
Pollution indicators in wastewater

Proportion of grey water

Proportion of toilet water

E.Coli Nitrogen Phosphorus Total oxygen Oxygen Oxygen

demand demand for demand for
organic ammonium
matter
Solid-liquid
separation
 Basic operating principles
Using the momentum of the
flushing water, the liquid and
solid waste are separated by
centrifugal force and gravity.

To settling tank / leach field

Impact of solid-liquid separation
• Most pollutants are removed from wastewater instantaneously
• Need for a power-hungry traditional STP is eliminated
• Construction of many manholes is avoided
• The need for sludge removal is eliminated
• The need for a qualified operator and know-how in managing STP’s is removed.
• Solid removal at source also ensures clog-free pipes
• No smell issues like in traditional STPs
• The need for relaying pipework to a larger size in existing places is eliminated
• Achieving zero discharge in new locations becomes easier
• Need only one settling tank before taking toilet water for reuse
• Simple technology – negligible installation and operating cost
• No moving parts/chemicals – minimal maintenance effort and cost
• Economical even due to long life-span (50 years)
Alternatives to traditional STPs
enabled by solid-liquid separation
• If space is available and reuse of water is desired, solid-liquid
separation enables natural water treatment in a reed-bed
• If space is a constraint, MGF, ACF and UV can be used instead
• If reuse of water for groundwater recharge is desired and space is
available, leach field & percolation pit can be considered.
Example of costs for 10 KLD treatment
Traditional STP Solid-liquid separation & Solid-liquid separation &
CAPEX reed-bed/leach field MGF and ACF

Equipment 10,00,000 80,000 1,60,000

Reed-bed media/ 0 50,000 0

Leach field media

Civil works (tanks, 1,50,000 50,000 10,000

chambers, grease traps
etc.)
Construction of @ 3000/manhole 0 0
manholes

Installation 2,00,000 60,000* 40,000

(*only if no engineer is available
onsite)

Total 13,50,000 2,40,000 2,10,000

+ manholes

N.B. The life-span of an Aquatron-based system is 50 years whereas a traditional STP might last for 20 years.
*
Example of costs for 10 KLD treatment
Traditional STP Solid-liquid separation & Solid-liquid separation
OPEX reed-bed & MGF and ACF

Operator 3000 0 0

Power consumption 10,000 0 500

Consumables 2000 0 0

Total 15,000 0 500

•Apart from this, traditional STPs regularly need part replacements and
there might be issues with blocked pipes.
•The media in ACF need to be changed at regular intervals at the annual
cost of about Rs 10,000.
Case study 1: KGBV Jadcherla
• Aquatron solid-liquid separator with reed-bed, ACF, bag filter and
UV for 10 KLD
• Aim of treatment: PCB norms and reuse of water for gardening
• Achieved PCB standards even before reed-bed fully grown
• Total project cost Rs 3,00,000
• Monthly operating cost – Rs 500
• Maintained by school watchman
Case study 2:
Shivtara Grain Mills, Patancheru
(project in process)

• Aquatron with leach field filtration, bag filter and percolation pit

• Aim of treatment: PCB norms and recharge of ground-water table

• Treating wastewater of 80 employees and wheat-wash water

• 25 KLD capacity
 Case study 3:
Girmapur, Medchal
• Aquatron 4 x 300 in use since 2012

• 8 WCs for 12 residents + guests

• Aim of treatment: to reuse liquids for irrigation

• One chamber emptied every 4 months

• Perfect composting achieved

Case study 4:
Samson Apartments, Pune, Nov 2016

• 18m free fall successfully used (5-6 floors) 18 m

• 8 small and medium-size apartments

• 1 Aquatron separator (40 people) retrofitted

• Existing STP performance tremendously improved

 Case Study 5:
Ekalandaskolan, Gothenburg, Sweden
• 4 Aquatron 1200s

• Used by 600 people since 2000

• No smell in bio chamber room

• Composted soil transferred into a flower bed

• Harvested rain water for flushing

• Urine separating toilets

• Urine stored in underground tank

• Local farmer collects it annually for using as fertiliser.

Study 6:
Östra Tornskolan, Lund, Sweden
• Used by 250 students and teachers

• Aquatron 1200 installed in boiler room

• High composting temperatures and worms

• System has been emptied only once since 2000

Case Study 7:
The Moonstone Project, Sheltenham, UK
• Aquatron installed in 2009 in UK eco-house

• “Black water” passes through reed bed and is filtered

back into drinking quality water

• Composting worms in bio-chamber reduce the volume

of waste down to 10%

• Chamber needs emptying every 8 years

• Odourless compost ready to use on the veg patch

Further details about Aquatron solid-liquid
separation technology
• Different applications from single user to 1000s of users

• Each separator can serve up to 25 toilets

• Aquatron with a 1200-liter bio-chamber is suitable for 40-50 people in residential use
or 200 people in non-residential use (school/office etc.).

• No required minimum load

• No capacity problems even at peak loads.

• Made of recyclable polyethylene plastic and

glass-reinforced polyester

• Various options for bio-chamber construction

• Flexible placement
Certifications and awards
• Patented and CE certified product in use since 25 years

• MDWS 1st prize winner in Early Decomposition of Fecal Matter

(Swacchathon 1.0, Sept 2017)

• Adheres to Swedish Environmental Agency Protection guidelines &

Indian PCB norms

 Summary
• Most pollutants in wastewater come from the toilet

• Solid-liquid separation greatly reduces the effort and cost of wastewater treatment

• Separated liquids can be treated at almost no cost in a reed-bed if space is available

• If space is a constraint, separated liquids can be treated with MGF, ACF, bag filters

and UV at a minor cost

• Solid-liquid separation enables green buildings to achieve significant savings in

capital expenditure as well as the monthly operating cost and power consumption
of sewage treatment