Session 6: Resource recovery for circularity

Treatment systems design and standards for nutrient reuse

April 25 - 27, 2023
 Session Aim and Purpose

Resource Recovery and re use – context

 Global south countries/cities priority for nutrient recovery and reuse of treated bio
solids and used water from STPs and FSPTs. Not so much for global north countries
 Assessment of how bio solids from STPs and FSTPs in India are being re used or
disposed off. What is the demand, price points for sale and re use.
 Treatment standards for re use? Need for fit for purpose treatment standards for
faecal sludge and septage and sewage in STPs
 Crops
 Ground water recharge, Lakes and water bodies
 Lax norms and standards for chemical pesticide application.
 Precautions for application of treated used water and bio solids?
 Co treatment of septage with sewage. Prevention from contamination from
industrial effluents
 Workers/farmers safety in agriculture application
 Advocacy agenda – more incentives than penalties?
 Harvesting nutrients. Incentivising de sludging of septic tanks with tipping fees?
 More testing facilities, credible labs, information on safe application
Working towards a paradigm shift in the global south…
Water cycle and nutrient cycle start to get mixed

evapo- food consumption

rain
transpiration

Water
X Nutrient
cycle surface cycle
ocean
run-off plants digestion

X
ground soil
water excretion &
fertilization

Concept Source: Kramer, Pedro and Kumar, Avinash; (20th Jan 2014).
Workshop on ‘Establishing Operation & Maintenance Services for
Decentralized Urban Sanitation Infrastructure in Karnataka’,
CDD Society-BORDA, Bangalore, India

Working towards a paradigm shift in the global south…

Water cycle and nutrient cycle getting mixed
Water/Wastewater Treatment External Fertilizer

evapo- consump-
rain food
transpiration tion

Water
cycle Polluted
X Nutrient
cycle
Polluted surface
ocean
run-off plants digestion

Polluted
ground
water
X soil
ferti-
lization
Concept Source: Kramer, Pedro and Kumar, Avinash; (20 th Jan 2014).
Workshop on ‘Establishing Operation & Maintenance Services for
Decentralized Urban Sanitation Infrastructure in Karnataka’,
CDD Society-BORDA, Bangalore, India

Working towards a paradigm shift in the global south…

 Treatment pathways for different end-products
• Untreated faecal sludge
• Sludge from drying beds
• Compost
• Digestate from anaerobic
digestion
• Residual from black soldier
fly
• Untreated liquid faecal • Black Soldier fly • Incorporation with
sludge
process dried sludge
• Treatment plant
effluent
• Landscape irrigation
• Crop irrigation
• Parks

Soil Reclaimed Building

Protein
conditioner water materials

• Biogas from • Planted drying beds

anaerobic digestion • Stabilisation ponds
• Biodiesel from effluent for
faecal sludge aquaculture
• Pelletized faecal
sludge (Biochar)

Fodder, Fish
Biofuels
and Plants
[Harada, Strande & Fujii 2016]
Working towards a paradigm shift in the global south…
 Unused dried sludge at an FSTP in Odisha

Sludge from MBBR treatment unit Dried treated sludge from

at FSTP Warangal drying beds at FSTP Lalsot
Working towards a paradigm shift in the global south…
 Economical implications of by-products from FSTP

Taxes (Sanitation
Desludging

CapEx

Cess)
Fee • Dry Faecal Sludge
Tipping Fees FSTP Sale of By-products • Treated Water

OpEx

Working towards a paradigm shift in the global south…

 Price comparisons of various soil conditioners

Commodity Price per kg Availability Awareness

Cow dung Manure ₹ 0.50 High High

Fresh Faecal
₹ 0.12 Low High
Sludge

Chemical Fertilizer ₹ 20.00 High High

Compost ₹ 10.00 High Low

[Assessment from Devanahalli town - 2015 ]

Working towards a paradigm shift in the global south…

 Discussion Points

1. Economic and environmental implications/ benefits of reuse of recycling of

byeproducts ( Tangiable+ non tangiable)

2. Learning form what is happening on the ground at scale in Bengaluru and

other towns in India and global south countries – for re use of treated used
water and bio solids. Its beneficial or negative impact assessments and
studies if any.

3. Preferred Treatment Systems for Sewage and Septage – that maximise

nutrient recovery. Should this be a criteria for selection of treatment systems
in the tenders and bid documents?

4. Norms and Standards : what we should be advocating for. With whom.

What data and analytics gaps we need to bridge?

5. Any other?

Working towards a paradigm shift in the global south…

 Thank you !

Dr Sumita Singhal
Programme Manager
Centre for Science and Environment
Email: sumita.singhal@cseindia.org

Working towards a paradigm shift in the global south…