WATER SUPPLY AND

WASTE MANAGEMENT
ASSIGNMENT 4

HARSHIT KUMAR ARORA

2-B
MBSSPA
 1. Explain the stages in the Sewage treatment process?
Human health and environment are mainly affected by the direct disposal of industrial and human effluents
into natural resources without any treatment.  Sewage treatment is necessary to reduce the toxicity of
sewage and maintain a safe and healthy environment, as well as promote human welfare.

Sewage Treatment Process

Sewage contains a huge amount of organic matters which are toxic. Microorganisms are widely used in the
sewage treatment plant for removing this toxic organic matter. Sewage or wastewater treatment plant
consists of two stages.

 Primary Treatment
It involves the removal of large or small-sized components in the wastewater through physical processes.

 Biological Treatment:
Aerobic microorganisms are inoculated into the sewage treatment plant. These microbes utilize the organic
components of the sewage and reduce the toxicity. This can be measured by BOD (Biological oxygen
demand).
After the biological treatment, the sludge is pumped from the treatment plant into a large tank. This large
tank consists of anaerobic bacteria which lead to the digestion of sludge. During digestion, biogas is
produced and it is used as an energy source. Hence, Sewage treatment plant design and sewage
management play a crucial role in the maintenance of human welfare.
The sewage treatment consists of three processes:
1) Primary treatment: In this process, the effluent or the sewage flows through huge tanks called the
primary sedimentation tanks. 
 In these tanks, the sludge settles down while grease and oil float on the surface and are removed. 
 These tanks have scrapers that continuously push the sludge that is collected, towards the hopper
in the base of the tank
2) Secondary treatment: In this process, the biological waste from human waste, soap, food waste, and
detergent are substantially degraded. 
 Most of the municipal sewage water treatment plants treat the sewage that is settled through the
aerobic process. 
 The effluent after the primary treatment has dissolved biological matter is then converted into
clean water by making use of the bacterial and waterborne aerobic micro-organisms that absorb
the pollutants. 
 The effluents from this process are clean enough to be discharged into the rivers.
3) Tertiary treatment: This is the final stage of filtration where the effluent is treated further to its best
quality before being discharged to the environment.
 The tertiary treatment has to ensure very high standards of treating the effluents to be cleaner than
the stream or river water. 
 It reduces the phosphorous and ammoniacal nitrogen.

2.What is DEWAT system? Explain its advantages?

DEWATS stands for “Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems” • It is a technical
approach rather than merely a technology package. • DEWATS applications are based on the
principle of low-maintenance since most important parts of the system work without
technical energy inputs and cannot be switched off intentionally. • DEWATS applications
provide state-of-the art-technology at affordable prices because all of the materials used for
construction are locally available.

DEWATS complement conventional treatment systems for more sustainable and effective
service
• Provide treatment of waste of both domestic and industrial sources • provide treatment
for organic wastewater flows from 1-1000 m3 per day
• DEWATS applications are reliable, long lasting and tolerant towards inflow fluctuation
• Needs no sophisticated maintenance

Advantages of DEWATS:
• Efficient treatment for daily wastewater flows up to 1000m3
• Modular design of all components
• Tolerant towards inflow fluctuations
• Reliable and long-lasting construction design
• Expensive and sophisticated maintenance not required Low maintenance costs Hence,
DEWATS technology is an effective, efficient and affordable wastewater treatment
solution

3. What are Eco San toilets/ Explain their benefits?

Among these models, the Ecological Sanitation (EcoSan) toilet model has emerged as a
sustainable concept to troubleshoot sanitation problem in rural India.

The Indian subcontinent has a diverse topography and uneven distribution of water resources,
which requires a water-efficient toilet model to ensure mass implementation. EcoSan has
come up with toilet designs without a flush consuming less water with uncompromised
hygiene. The basic concept of EcoSan’s dry composting toilet is to manage human excreta
and urine separately by decomposing them into useful organic resources, which can be
handled safely and used in agriculture without harming our environment.
EcoSan toilets consist of two pits (one for use and one for composting) and separate outlets
for urine and anal wash water diversion. Usually, these pits are designed to suffice for a five-
member family for 5-6 months, after which the second pit is used and excreta in the first pit is
left to decompose. After every toilet use, a handful of ash has to be thrown over excreta to
create optimum conditions for waste decomposition by microorganisms into nutrient rich
fertilizer (rich in potash and nitrogen). Urine and waste water (rich in ammonia) collected in a
separate chamber can be used for vegetable and flower beds.

Variations in the design of EcoSan toilets using appropriate technology to suit local area
requirements have been done. Some examples of thriving models of these dry
composting toilets can be seen in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala,
Orissa, Bihar and Ladakh. Voluntary organizations such as Myrada, Eco Solutions, UNICEF,
WaterAction, Wherever The Need, etc. have designed toilets that are running efficiently in
urban, semi-urban, rural and coastal areas.

4. Briefly tell about SULABH SANITATION MOVEMENT?

The sanitation situation in India has been dismal both in urban and rural areas and only few
towns have provision of sewage system. A small number of people use septic tanks and only
two systems are prevalent on large scale, that is, defecation in the open and manual cleaning
of human excreta by the class of people called 'human scavengers'. The technology of two-
pit, pour-flush toilet (popularly known as Sulabh toilet) that is scientifically appropriate,
economically affordable, and culturally acceptable is developed by the researcher for the safe
disposal of human waste from households. For the safe reuse of human waste from public
toilets, housing colonies, high rise buildings, hostels, hospitals etc, the researcher also
developed the technology for complete recycling and reuse of excreta through biogas
generation and on-site treatment of effluent through a simple and convenient technology for
its safe reuse without health or environmental risk. Earlier, there was a social stigma and
psychological taboo for handling of human excreta. It could also be due to the fact that only
people of the lowest economic strata, 'scavengers', who were treated as untouchables, were
associated with this dehumanizing job. Due to the technologies and efforts of Sulabh, over a
million scavengers have been brought into the mainstream of society. Also, due to financial
viability, people from higher social status are now competing to do the job without any
psychological taboo. The initiatives taken by the Sulabh International Social Service
Organisation and the technology of low-cost sanitation advanced by it have been hailed as an
outstanding innovation in combating the menace of environmental pollution in developing
countries.

5. Explain the purpose of Sewage treatment and its disposal?

‘Sewage’ is a collective noun used to represent liquid or solid wastes carried in sewers. It consists
of domestic water-borne wastes including human and animal excrete, washing waters and
everything that goes down the drains of a town or a city. It also consists of industrial water-borne
wastes as well as ground, surface and atmospheric waters which enter the sewerage system.
The amount of sewage produced in our country is of the order of 3.61 million cubic metres/day
(about 800 million gallons/day). About 30% of the above amount comes from urban areas. It is
estimated that only about 20% of one day sewage production of our country is treated and
utilized, and the rest (about 80%) still remains untreated and unutilized.

Characteristics of Sewage:

(i) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Oxygen Consumption (OC) values are
extremely high in sewage.

(ii) The sewage organic matter undergoes anaerobic or partial decomposition resulting in the
production of obnoxious gases, namely, CH3, CO and H2S due to anoxic condition. Besides
being toxic, these gases react with water and produce acids.

(iii) Production of acids in large quantity make the sewage more acidic thus making it unfit
for supporting life activities.

(iv) Heavy metals are generally present in abnormal concentration in sewage.

All these characteristics of sewage, viz., anoxic condition, high acidity, high heavy metal
concentration, and reduced photosynthetic rate due to poor illumination cause death of
oxygen-dependent organisms such as aerobic microorganisms, plants and animals in sewage.
This is the reason why sewage is dominated by organisms capable of growing in anaerobic
environments.

Disposal of Sewage:

Sewage disposal has become of prime importance now-a-days as it brings undesirable and
harmful effects on living beings. Untreated or inadequately treated sewage is generally
disposed of into natural water reservoirs without taking its pros and cons into account.

It is so either because we are indifferent to the consequences or because we assume that the
water reservoirs are sufficiently large and so located that sewage-dilution prevents hazards.

However, we can no longer rely on disposed-sewage dilution in our natural water reservoirs;
the solution of sewage pollution is not its dilution. It is necessary, therefore, that the sewage
must be treated before its disposal so that we can, on one hand, save organisms including men
from bad effects and, on the other hand, can utilized it to the maximum for our welfare.

Disposal of sewage as such or inadequately treated one, generally leads to following

consequences:

(i) Frequent dissemination of water-borne disease causing microorganisms in large number.

(ii) Depiction of dissolved oxygen in water leading to anoxic (oxygen-less) condition which

may ultimately kill O2 dependent aquatic life.

(iii)  Creation of offensive odour and debris-accumulation due to which value of property
decreases.

(iv) Increased danger of swimming in water and diminished value of water for other
recreational purposes.