CONTENTS

Vol 01 No 8 July 2018 Pages60 MARKET

Chairman of the Board

Viveck Goenka DESALINATION IN INDIA IS

Sr Vice President - BPD INEVITABLE!
Neil Viegas
Editor
16 - INTERVIEW WITH DEVESH
SHARMA, MD, AQUATECH
Mayur Sharma* INTERNATIONAL

DESIGN
FOCUSSING ON INCREASED
National Design Editor AWARENESS OF WATER
Bivash Barua STANDARDS AND BEING A
VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY
Assistant Art Director

Pravin Temble
20 - INTERVIEW WITH SUNIL
Chief Designer TRIVEDI, PRESIDENT,
Prasad Tate WATER QUALITY INDIA
ASSOCIATION (WQIA)
Senior Designer

Rekha Bisht

KNOWLEDGE
STORMWATER
Graphic Designer

Gauri Deorukhkar

DIGITAL TEAM YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

Head of Internet ARE NOT THE ANSWER TO

MANAGEMENTAND FLOODS
FUTURE PROBLEMS...
Viraj Mehta
Web Developer 18 - INTERVIEW WITH DR.
MRITUNJAY CHAUBEY,
Dhaval Das GLOBAL VP -
Senior Executive - Online
ENVIRONMENT &
SUSTAINABILITY, UPL LTD
Pushkar Worlikar
Executive - Online
As our cities are facing increasingly frequent and
Salil Sule severe cases of flooding, Express Water reviews the
SCHEDULING & COORDINATION
challenges in addressing urban flooding and managing OUT OF THE BOX
Santosh Lokare the stormwater. THE MENTAL HEALTH

23-31 33
Photo Editor IMPACTS OF DROUGHTS
Sandeep Patil ON RURAL POPULATIONS

MARKETING PIONEERING FUNDING

Kailash Shirodkar
WATER DATA 34 INITIATIVES IN WATER
SECTOR
CIRCULATION

Mohan Varadakar

PRODUCTION
13 INSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE, AND
WATER DATA: LEARNING FROM THE
AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE
TECH FOCUS - WATER
General Manager

B R Tipnis - INTERVIEW WITH PROF. ROB VERTESSEY,

SUPPLY
ENTERPRISE PROFESSOR AT THE
Manager
UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE AND
Bhadresh Valia PRINCIPAL, GLOBAL CHANGE ADVISORY SECURING RELIABLE
WATER SUPPLY TO
Express Water
TM
38 VILLAGES IN RURAL INDIA -
24X7 WATER SUPPLY IN
REGD. WITH RNI NO. MAHENG/2017/74894. MALKAPUR,
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*Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act

4 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 EDITOR’S NOTE

Managing Stormwater & Floods

As our cities are facing increasingly frequent and
severe cases of flooding, Express Water magazine this
month reviews the challenges in addressing urban
flooding and managing the stormwater. Unsustain-
able urban growth combined with the poor manage-
ment is a major causing factor. A well-planned, sus-
tainable and green infrastructure can help a lot in the
long run. By reducing stormwater runoff and protect-
ing floodplains, green infrastructure can help man-
age both localized and riverine floods.
As per National Geographic, in a developed coun-
try like the United States, where flood mitigation and
prediction is already advanced, floods do about USD
6 billion worth of damage and kill about 140 people
every year. A 2007 report by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development found that
coastal flooding alone does some USD 3 trillion in
damage worldwide. In China's Yellow River valley,
where some of the world's worst floods have oc-
curred, millions of people have perished in floods dur-
ing the last century. We can, therefore, understand of
implications of these floods in the developing and un-
der-developed countries where the impact is severe
not only on the economy but on the overall health, and
the growth of a nation. We talked to Dr. Kapil Gupta,
Professor at IIT Bombay about the urban flood dis-
aster management methods. After the Mumbai
megafloods of 2005, he had actively helped in setting
up of Flood Early Warning System in Mumbai using
60 automatic weather stations and designing many
flood mitigation works on the Mithi River in Mumbai.
His advice is clear - infrasturcture-improvements
must be a the top priority in coastal cities and flood-
prone regions.
In our Tech Focus section this month, we have fo-
cused on ‘Water Supply’. There are two case studies.
First is based on the ‘One Water LA 2040’ plan in Los
Angeles to ensure the city’s water future through col-
laboration, integration of work and resources, and
public involvement. The citywide efforts are ex-
pected to change the way Los Angeles residents
think about and manage their water. The second case
study is based in Malkapur - a small village near
Karad in the State of Maharashtra, India. Here, the
Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP), owner of
the local water utility ensured a secured & reliable
24x7 water supply by reducing water loss from 35% to
5%.
In every country, there are several agencies which
collect water data for different reasons. This data is an
invaluable asset to analyze the problems in different
regions and solving the water scarcity problems ac-
cordingly. Professor Rob Vertessey, in his interview in-
side, talks about the process of gathering and cen-
tralizing such water information. He shares his
experience of working in India, where he has helped
AWP (Australian Water Partnership) in developing
“When the flood a Country Strategy. The focus areas ranged from
WASH and water quality problems to water scarcity
submerges the whole and flooding, etc.
country, no raindrop may In our next issue (August 2018), we will focus on
“Water Infrastructure” and “Water Safety & Secu-
feel responsible."
rity Threats”. I welcome editorial contributions on
-Erik Pevernagie these and all other topics which you find significant
for the water sector.
MAYUR SHARMA
Editor
mayur.sharma@expressindia.com
@TheExpressWater

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EXPRESS WATER July, 2018 5

 IN THE NEWS

India & Tajikistan Agree to Enhance Mutual Indian Government to Team up with
Cooperation for Sustainable Water Development Google for Flood Forecasting
EW Staff information to the masses
EW Staff Nitin Gadkari, the Union enhance mutual cooperation India widely using the dissemina-
India Minister for Water Resources, in the area of sustainable tion platforms developed by
River Development & Ganga water development. UNION MINISTER FOR Google. This initiative is likely
India and Tajikistan have Rejuvenation, on an official Sirodjidin Muhridin said Water Resources, River to help crisis management
reaffirmed their commitment visit to the central Asian that India was one of Development and Ganga agencies to deal with extreme
to promoting bilateral rela- republic, held wide-ranging Tajikistan’s reliable political Rejuvenation Shri Nitin hydrological events in a better
tions and agreed to enhance talks with Sirodjidin and strategic partners and Gadkari has expressed hope manner.
economic cooperation, partic- Muhridin, Foreign Minister of would also like to expand its that collaboration with Google Under this Agreement,
ularly in sustainable water Tajikistan in Dushanbe. economic ties with Indian gov- will help in effective flood CWC and Google will share
development. The two leaders agreed to ernment. management in India. Central technical expertise in the
Water Commission (CWC), fields of artificial intelligence,
India’s apex technical organi- machine learning, geospatial
zation in the field of Water mapping and analysis of
Resources, has entered into a hydrological observation data

Agreement Signed with IOCLfor Reuse of 2 collaboration agreement with

Google. CWC would use state-
to collaborate on (i) improving
flood prediction systems,
of-the-art advances made by which will help provide loca-
Crore Litres of Treated Wastewater for Google in the in the field of
Artificial Intelligence,
tion-targeted, actionable flood
warnings, (ii) high priority
Machine Learning and research project utilizing
Mathura Refinery geospatial mapping for effec-
tive management of water
Google Earth Engine to help
visualize and improve flood
resources particularly in the management and (iii) a cultur-
field of flood forecasting and al project to build online exhi-
dissemination of flood-related bitions on the Rivers of India.
Masani, the work for which has
been awarded to the Triveni
Engineering & Industries Ltd.
at an estimated cost of Rs.
437.95 crore on Hybrid Annuity
Mode. World BankApproves Rs.6,000 Crore
A 20 MLD Tertiary
Treatment Plant (TTP) will
also be set up for the supply of Atal Bhujal Yojana
The Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga treated wastewater to Mathura
Rejuvenation, Nitin Gadkari and the Union Minister for Petroleum & refinery of IOCL. The cost for
Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra the development and operation
Pradhan Witnessing the Signing of Agreement with IOCL of the TTP for 15 years is Rs. EW Staff ment in priority areas in the
162.38 crore. IOCL will bear the India country through community
EW Staff on One City - One-Operator entire operations and mainte- participation.
India concept, which means that the nance cost of the TTP amount- THE WORLD BANK has The priority areas identified
project integrates building of ing to Rs. 82.38 crore for a peri- approved Atal Bhujal Yojana under the scheme fall in the
UNION MINISTER NITIN new STPs and maintenance of od of 15 years. Over and above (ABHY), Rs. 6000 crore central states of Gujarat, Haryana,
Gadkari presided over the sign- the existing infrastructure this, IOCL will pay Rs. 8.70 per sector scheme of the Ministry Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh,
ing of an agreement between under one operator for the kilo liter towards the partial of Water Resources, River Maharashtra, Rajasthan and
NMCG and Indian Oil whole city. Secondly, under this capital cost for the develop- Development, and Ganga Uttar Pradesh.
Corporation Limited (IOCL) project, the treated sewage ment of the TTP. This will save Rejuvenation. The scheme is to These states represent
for the reuse of 2 crore liters water is going to be reused by 2 crore liters per day in the be implemented over a period about 25% of the total number
per day of treated sewage IOCL, and thirdly, the project is water-stressed Yamuna river of five years from 2018-19 to of over-exploited, critical and
water by IOCL’s refinery in based on Hybrid Annuity which was earlier being used 2022-23, with World Bank assis- semi-critical blocks in terms of
Mathura, which has so far been Mode, the third of this kind in by IOCL. This will also pro- tance. groundwater in India.
using water from the over- this sector after the HAM mote the market for Atal Bhujal Yojana has been They also cover two major
stressed Yamuna. based STPs being developed in recycle/reuse of treated waste- formulated by the ministry to types of groundwater systems
The Mathura sewage proj- Haridwar and Varanasi. water in India, which will fur- address the criticality of found in India - alluvial and
ect is special in three respects. The components of the ther help in sustaining the groundwater resources in a hard rock aquifers and have
This is the country’s first Mathura project include con- operation of the infrastructure major part of the country. varying degrees of institutional
Integrated Sewage struction, operation, and main- created, a need-of-the-hour in The scheme aims to readiness and experience in
Infrastructure project based tenance of a 30 MLD STP in the sewage sector. improve groundwater manage- groundwater management.

6 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 IN THE NEWS

Gradiant Corporation Expands Presence in China

China leader named to further Gradiant’s commitment to bring industrial wastewater
treatment technology to market.

EW Staff
China
ON THE HEELS of commis-
sioning its latest zero liquid
discharge (ZLD) plant in
China, Gradiant Corporation,
a leader in innovative solu-
tions for industrial waste-
water treatment and desalina-
tion, unveiled its plans to fur-
ther strengthen its presence in
the country. Gradiant China
will provide industrial water
solutions and ZLD technology
to treat waste streams from
coal-fired power plants, textile
processors, chemical produc-
tion, oil and gas operations
and other industrial facilities.
Given the growing empha-
sis on water reuse and recy-
cling, Gradiant foresees signif-
icant opportunity to offer cus-
tomers the benefit of its inno-
vative products. The Gradiant
China team will provide local
leadership, sales and service
personnel, while product and
technology development will
remain within the parent,
Gradiant Corporation. This
approach ensures focus on in-
country customer needs while
centralizing innovation and
intellectual property develop-
ment.
With proven experience in
establishing a new business
division in China, Jason Tao
Yu has been appointed
Managing Director of
Gradiant China and will be
charged with leading the team.
“Reliable, cost-effective
wastewater treatment tech-
nology is in demand across
China as the country’s strict
environmental regulations for
industrial wastewater dis-
charge have impacted a wide
variety of industries,” said Yu.
“The future is bright in China
where there is ample opportu-
nity for Gradiant’s innovative
wastewater treatment tech-
nology to help Chinese indus-
trial facilities meet ZLD
requirements.”
“Bringing ZLD to life in
Jiangsu at a coal-fired power
plant marks a major step for-
ward to support China’s indus-
trial sector,” stated Anurag
Bajpayee, CEO of Gradiant
Corporation. “We look forward
to further commercializing
Gradiant’s cutting-edge tech-
nology for wastewater treat-
ment under Jason’s leader-
ship, to help China’s industrial
sector achieve critical ZLD
requirements.”

IRCTC Chooses Swajal for its CSR Water ATM Endress+Hauser Launches e-
Deployments Commerce Platform
The platform is now available on
The IoT-driven platform to spearhead operations and company’s website, provides
maintenance for two RO water vending machines over customers ability to purchase
the next 1 year at the National Rail Museum in Delhi. online and access order history.

Mayur Sharma filtration and can dispense up

India
IRCTC - THE INDIAN
Railways-subsidiary has
sourced two IoT-enabled
water ATMs for the rail muse-
um through the UNDP-
(United Nations Development
Programme) and Vienna-
based REEEP (Renewable
Energy and Energy Efficiency
Partnership)-recognized IoT-
driven water purification
organization ‘Swajal’. Swajal
will spearhead the mainte-
nance of the water ATMs at
least for 1 year.
In line with the initiative,
Ministry of Railways and The
National Rail Museum has
provided the land for the
water ATMs and Swajal has
deployed its state-of-the-art
machines enabled with IoT
technology. The two indige-
nous water purification sys-
tems have also been equipped
with display units that simul-
taneously provide accurate
data on water quality and the
health of individual machines.
Both water ATMs, despite
delivering RO water, have
minimal water rejection owing
to its innovative 10-stage UV
to 200 liters of water per hour.
The water dispensed will be
free of cost for The National
Rail Museum tourists and
staff.
At the development, Mr.
Mahendra Pratap Mall,
Chairman & Managing
Director at Indian Railway
Catering and Tourism
Corporation Ltd (IRCTC)
said, “Clean drinking water is
a basic day-to-day need and
should always be easy on the
pocket. Our major objective
through this initiative was to
cater to this fundamental
need for everyone at The
National Rail Museum, while
also fulfilling our ecological
duties.”
EW Staff
USA
ENDRESS+HAUSER HAS
announced its e-Commerce
platform. The platform offers
customers a personalized
shopping experience with a
wealth of new features. The
platform allows customers to
purchase online and provides
24/7 access to detailed infor-
mation directly on the web-
site, for both online and offline
orders.
Its features include the
ability to access RFQs, quotes,
and orders all in one place.
Customers now can easily add
products to a shopping cart
and see their own pricing
details. The new experience
streamlines customer pro-
curement processes both
online and offline.
All transactions are avail-
able online, including all pur-
chase documents. It's easy to
check the status of current
orders and to see order histo-
ry. Products can be saved in
favorite lists for easy reorder-
ing and users can assign their
own references to products as
well. When users would prefer
to request a quote first or to
ask for technical support in
configuration -
Endress+Hauser's broad net-
work of sales representatives
can easily be contacted to
finalize selection for the user.

8 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 IN THE NEWS

Innovation Prize Winners Announced at BlueTech Forum 2018

The wastewater treatment and operational intelligence technologies take awards.

EW Staff
Ireland
TECHNOLOGIES FOR
WASTEWATER treatment
and plant optimization were
the winners of the Innovation
Showcase at BlueTech Forum.
The event attracted 200 dele-
gates and took place in
Vancouver, Canada.
Aquacycl, which is based in
California, won Best
Technology Innovation for its
bioelectrical treatment tech-
nology - BETT - which can
directly convert sewage to elec-
trical energy without methane
generation. Two pilot projects
Orianna Bretschger, Chief
Executive of Aquacycl Receives
the BlueTech Forum Innovation
Award from BlueTech Chief
Executive Paul O’Callaghan
processing municipal and
swine wastewater have demon-
strated much faster treatment
times than standard aerobic
and anaerobic processes and a
massive reduction in operating
expenditure.
Canadian start-up Emagin
won the Best Market Strategy
award for its operational intel-
ligence platform that enables
utility operators to manage
infrastructure in real-time. In a
recent demonstration project
with United Utilities in the UK,
the platform leveraged
machine learning to generate
real-time pump schedules,
minimizing the cost of opera-
tions while guaranteeing com-
pliance and maintenance
requirements.
Paul O’Callaghan said,
“BlueTech Forum has a strong
track record of selecting tech-
nologies for the Innovation
Showcase that go on to succeed
in the global market. These two
winning companies came from
a very strong field and stood
out for the exceptional efficien-
cies they can deliver in terms
of both cost and energy, along
with their scalability.”
Hans-Ulrich Buchholz, envi-
ronmental compliance manag-
er at cosmetics company
L’Oreal, said the company is
rolling out a ‘dry factory’
approach to reduce municipal
water consumption across its
production facilities and was
now looking for “disrupting
technologies that are more eco-
efficient” to improve treatment
processes and reduce energy
consumption and waste.
Eddie Corwin, sustainabili-
ty programme manager at
Google said the tech giant was
looking for ways to optimize
water use within existing
municipal structures for water
supply and wastewater collec-
tion across its real estate port-
folio. “Figuring out opportuni-
ties to go beyond efficiency
within our operations and fur-
ther reduce our potable water
use is one of our biggest chal-
lenges,” he said.

AquaVenture Holdings Extends Long-Stop Date on Ghanaian Acquisition

EW Staff
USA
AQUAVENTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED, a leader
in Water-as-a-Service™ (WAAS™) solutions, has
announced that it has entered into an agreement
with Abengoa Water Nungua, S.L.U. to extend the
long-stop date to September 30, 2018 on its pending
acquisition of a majority interest in a desalination
plant in Accra, Ghana. The long-stop date was previ-
ously June 30, 2018.
Doug Brown, Chairman and CEO of AquaVenture,
commented: "We are pleased with the significant
progress made with this transaction, particularly in
light of the number of stakeholders involved, as well
as the significant conditions precedent. This exten-
sion signifies the continued commitment of all partic-
ipants to push this deal across the finish line. We look
forward to becoming a long-term partner to the
Government of Ghana for water treatment and serv-
ices."

IAPMO Group Acquires Aquadiagnostics Laboratoryin India

Mayur Sharma
India
THE IAPMO GROUP has
announced the acquisition of
the Aquadiagnostics Water
Research and Technology
Center Ltd, an independently
accredited testing laboratory
in Bengaluru, previously
owned and operated by
Eureka Forbes Limited.
Aquadiagnostics will become
part of The IAPMO Group,
specifically with IAPMO
India.
The addition of
Aquadiagnostics gives
IAPMO India the ability to
immediately provide services
to key clients that manufac-
ture water filtration products
and produce packaged drink-
ing water, while also verifying
potable water supply within
India.
The new laboratory joins
The IAPMO Group’s other
internationally accredited
labs - Ontario, California;
Guangzhou, China; Jakarta,
Indonesia; and Melbourne,
Australia.
“The acquisition includes
12-15 staff members, who will
now become IAPMO employ-
ees, including the lab’s direc-
tor, Dr. S. Muralidhara Rao,
Ph.D.,” said GP Russ Chaney,
CEO of The IAPMO Group.
“Dr. Rao will join numerous
other qualified staff enhanc-
ing IAPMO India’s services to
the plumbing, water treat-
ment, and water supply sec-
tors in India.”
As a result, IAPMO India
also plans to immediately
expand Aquadiagnostics’ test-
ing capabilities to include
plumbing products testing,
not unlike that which the
IAPMO Group performs at its
other laboratories in key mar-
kets worldwide.
Further, the acquisition
enables The IAPMO Group
and IAPMO India to now offer
such one-stop-shop services
as model code and standard
development, personnel cre-
dentialing, education, water
filtration, and plumbing prod-
uct testing, and product certi-
fication all integrated in a
manner maximizing product
compliance, acceptance, and
public confidence with a pre-
mier independent third-party
provider.
“With the continued global
growth of IAPMO R&T’s
product certification pro-
gram, customers located in
India are excited to have a
new option to have their prod-
ucts tested locally,” said Tom
Palkon, Executive Vice
President IAPMO R&T -
Water Systems.

EXPRESS WATER July, 2018 9

 IN THE NEWS

British Water Celebrates Best Year Ever

Membership at record levels and the most profitable year in recent history.

EW Staff
UK
BRITISH WATER HAD its
“best performance ever” in
2017-18, Chief Executive Lloyd
Martin told members attend-
ing British Water’s annual gen-
eral meeting. “We saw a record
number of new members join
in the year and those new
members brought in a record
level of new-member income,
exceeding the internal target
British Water’s Chief Executive
Lloyd Martin Said that the
Association had its ‘Best
Performance Ever’ in 2017-18
we had set ourselves by over
50%,” he said.
The organization now
boasts nearly 200 member
companies and organizations
and reported its most prof-
itable year in recent history.
Martin said he was delighted
that water utilities are now
coming into membership,
describing the benefits as a
“win-win relationship” at the
meeting, which was held at
Stamford Bridge stadium.
The trade association’s UK
Forum has worked closely with
the economic regulator Ofwat
on key issues for the supply
chain this year - examining the
proposed methodology for
PR19 (the 2019 periodic review
of investment) and reviewing
the issues of cyclicality and
direct procurement for cus-
tomers, Martin told attendees.
He also praised British Water’s
international team, which has
also strengthened benefits to
members and secured grants
enabling 34 companies to
attend events in the Gulf,
Brazil, Vietnam, and France
over the last year.
“We continue to be the go-to
organization for international
water delegations wishing to
visit the UK,” he said.
Some 230 members joined
the British Water Annual
Lunch, held after the AGM,
which also raised over £1,400
for WaterAid through a raffle.

International Desalination Association Establishes HonoraryCouncil

Leveraging knowledge, experience, and volunteerism to strengthen advocacy for desalination
and advanced water treatment solutions.

EW Staff
USA
THE BOARD OF Directors of
the International Desalination
Association has named seven
prominent members of the
global desalination and water
reuse community as its
Honorary Council.
“Through the support of
the Honorary Council mem-
bers, who will act as ambassa-
dors for the Association, IDA
will intensify the engagement
with the world’s policymakers
to help ensure sustainable
solutions to growing water
scarcity challenges,” said
Shannon McCarthy, IDA
Secretary-General.
The IDA Board of
Directors welcomed the dis-
tinguished members for the
2017-2019 term:
Dr. Jim Birkett: He is a
Past President and Director of
IDA, recipient of IDA Lifetime
Achievement Award.
Eng. Ghassan Ejjeh: Past
President and Director of the
IDA, and a great advocate of
its activities, especially in
water reuse.
Dr. David Furukawa: Past
President and Director of
IDA, Dr. Furukawa is a highly
respected member of the
global desalination communi-
ty for more than 50 years.
Dr. Emilio Gabbrielli: Past
IDA President and the cur-
rent Comptroller of IDA.
Eng. Mutaz Ghandour: A
past Director of IDA,
Chairman, and CEO of Metito
Holdings Ltd.
Dr. Masura Kurihara: A
former IDA Director, he is the
recipient of the IDA Lifetime
Achievement Award and has
also been honored with two
Presidential Awards from
IDA.
H.E. Fouad Makhzoumi:
Past President and Director of
IDA, H.E. Makhzoumi found-
ed Future Pipe Industries in
1984 and has served as its
Executive Chairman since
2003.
Eng. José Antonio Medina:
Engineer Medina served the
IDA as President and was a
Director of Association.

NewTop Award for Modern Water’s Continuous ToxicityMonitor

EW Staff
USA
MODERN WATER HAS won
a coveted 2018 New Product
Innovation Award from Frost
& Sullivan, an internationally
recognized market research
firm.
Based on its strong overall
performance, Modern Water’s
Microtox® Continuous
Modern Water’s Toxicity Monitor (CTM)
Microtox CTM, Series was recognized for how
which Reduces it reduces risk of missed toxic-
the Risk of ity events by taking two meas-
Missed Toxicity urements per second - com-
Events pared to conventional on-line
toxicity monitors that only
take intermittent samples and
provide only one test result
typically in 15-30 minutes.
Doug Workman, President
of Modern Water’s Monitoring
Division, commented: “This
Innovation Award from Frost
& Sullivan is recognition of
the technological develop-
ments we’ve made in our
advanced bioluminescence
technology Platform. Our
Microtox® CTM offers a fully
autonomous operating cycle
for monitoring water quality,
yet only requires a low level of
skill for operation & mainte-
nance. Its capabilities are
bringing us continued success
in Europe, North America, the
EU, and Asia.”

10 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 IN THE NEWS
Jyvaskylä EnergyFinland Signs 3-Year Contract with TaKaDu to Enhance
Efficiencyof its Water Network
TaKaDu will be deployed in the Finnish utility to improve network efficiency and customer
service while reducing costs.
EW Staff
Finland
FINLAND’S JYVÄSKYLÄ
ENERGY Group, Central
Finland’s largest city’s water
utility, has turned to TaKaDu
to increase the visibility of its
water network, making it
TaKaDu’s first customer in
Finland. As part of a three-year
contract, TaKaDu’s central
Tamworth Environmental Labs Receives NATA LANXESS Raises its Guidance
Accreditation for TECTA-B16 Automated
Microbial Detection System
EW Staff
Canada
A U S T R A L I A N
T A M W O R T H
ENVIRONMENTAL
Laboratories has received
NATA accreditation effective
from May 2018 to use
Canadian technology from
Tecta-PDS in order to auto-
mate their water testing for e-
Coli and total Coliforms.
The Tecta-PDS automated
microbial detection system,
Tecta-B16, is the only US EPA
approved the automated
method for drinking water
compliance testing and pro-
vides the fastest time to detect
while also being the easiest
test to conduct. The portabili-
ty and complete testing capa-
bilities, including interpreta-
tion of results and full reports
sent immediately via email,
will provide lab grade quality
results instantly for
Tamworth Laboratories who,
EXPRESS WATER
event management solution
will be deployed in the Finnish
utility to improve network effi-
ciency and customer service.
The project is being overseen
and implemented by Pisara,
for Fiscal Year 2018 After
Strong First Quarter
being in a regional area, were
previously outsourcing their
micro samples to an external
lab and having to wait several
days to receive the results,
which caused operational
delays for both them and their
customers. With the Tecta-
B16 instrument, supplied
through Tecta-PDS’ regional
distributor Thermo Fisher
Scientific, Tamworth has been
able to shave off a minimum of
1-day time-to-result as well as
lowering shipping costs for
Jyväskylä Energy’s smart
water solutions unit.
With Finland’s extreme
weather conditions and high
service standards, TaKaDu’s
data-driven solution is set to
improve the utility’s opera-
tional efficiency, save energy
and water, and reduce repair
costs by detecting, analyzing
and managing potential events
and incidents, such as leaks,
samples. From an operational
perspective, Tamworth has
embraced the ease of use and
limited training required for a
lab technician to run aseptic
microbial samples.
Tim Adams, EVP Tecta-
PDS says “This is a fantastic
step forward in the Australian
market. We are very proud to
be adopted in over 35 coun-
tries and look forward to con-
tinuing to work closely togeth-
er with Tamworth
Laboratories and in
Australia.”
James Anderson, Senior
Laboratory Technician at
Tamworth Environmental
Laboratory says “The require-
ment for timely microbiologi-
cal analysis for drinking water
was identified as a public
health issue in our region and
TECTA-B16 provided the
solution with the added bene-
fits over other methodologies
of rapid detection and notifi-
cation.”
bursts, faulty assets and other
anomalies. This will give field
teams early notice of develop-
ing events and a far greater
knowledge of the type and
urgency of the problems they
need to fix before venturing
out.
Ziv Zaretsky, EVP Sales
and Business Development,
TaKaDu, said, “We are delight-
ed that Jyväskylä Energy in
Sales up by almost 7 percent to
around EUR 2.6 billion in Q1 2018
EW Staff
Germany
SPECIALTY CHEMICALS
COMPANY LANXESS has fol-
lowed up its successful fiscal
year 2017 by posting the best
quarterly result in its history
and has raised its earnings
guidance for 2018.
In the opening quarter, glob-
al sales rose by almost 7 per-
cent to EUR 2.565 billion, com-
pared with EUR 2.401 billion in
the previous year. EBITDA pre
exceptionals improved signifi-
cantly by 14 percent to EUR
375 million, compared with
EUR 328 million in the prior-
year quarter.
Negative currency effects
curbed the positive EBITDA
performance. The EBITDA
margin pre exceptionals was
up by almost one percentage
Finland has chosen TaKaDu,
bringing our worldwide pres-
ence to 13 countries. Finland is
clearly not a territory with
water scarcity, but the need for
water and energy efficiency is
universal. That’s why TaKaDu
has an important role to play
everywhere - in such diverse
climates as Australia and
Finland and other countries -
as a single knowledge layer.”
Matthias Zachert
point on the previous year at
14.6 percent. Net income
improved significantly by 23
percent to EUR 96 million,
compared with EUR 78 million
the year before.
“LANXESS remains firmly
on the track. We have made a
dynamic start to the new fiscal
year and improved our prof-
itability again. This shows that
our efforts to move the compa-
ny forwards are increasingly
paying off,” said Matthias
Zachert, Chairman of the
LANXESS Board of
Management.
July, 2018 11
 PRODUCTS

Evoqua
Design and control of
C o n t i n u o u s
Electrodeionization
(CEDI) water systems
have become more effi-
cient and economical,
with the use of fewer
power controllers,
using an efficiency-
strategy proposed by
Evoqua Water
Technologies.
Following recent design
innovations, many
Ionpure® CEDI mod-
ules, require half the
input voltage, or less, of the previous generation
CEDI modules and some can now be controlled in
pairs by a single 3-phase DC power controller (DC3).
This gives OEMs a greater flexibility to work with a
reduced plant footprint or cost limitations when
designing a CEDI purification train. Space savings
can, therefore, be made by reducing the size of the
power cabinet for a given CEDI flow specification.
Simultaneously, the cost of controllers, ancillary elec-
trical components, and panel assembly work can also
be saved, while cutting overall build time.
Advantages are not limited to single stack modules.
Two-stack VNX modules (VNX55, and CDIT vari-
ants), with two sets of electrodes, still require an indi-
vidual power supply but benefit from lower power
consumption and greater efficiency under DC3 con-
trol. In addition, with DC3, Evoqua’s NEXED®
Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) modules can also be
paired under parallel control to achieve footprint and
cost savings in the same way as a CEDI system. The
new DC3 power controllers, LX, VNX and NEXED
modules are designed and manufactured in the USA.
Mueller
Mueller Water Products,
Inc. is expanding its
250/300 Resilient Wedge
Gate Valve product line
with a new end design.
The expansion of
Mueller’s 350psi,
AWWA/UL/FM rated
Resilient Wedge Gate
Valves (RWGV) product
line with new end design
conforms to the
ASME/ANSI dimensional requirements for Class
250/300 valves. Specifically, the flange and lay length
(end-to-end) of the new Class 250/300 RWGV com-
plies with ASME/ANSI B16.1, B16.42, B16.10, and
PN25 drilling standards. This ductile iron valve is
available in standard sizes from 3 to 12 inches, com-
plies with the requirements of AWWA C509/C515
and NSF 61/372, and retains all competitive features
of other 350psi rated RWGVs including integrated lift
lugs, a self-activating wedge seal and grade 316 stain-
Bentley Systems
Bentley Systems has announced the availability of
OpenPlant CONNECT Edition, the latest of
Bentley’s plant design offerings that allow users in
the process and manufacturing industries to
improve design and operations with a collabora-
tive, intelligent, 2D and 3D plant design environ-
ment based on open data standards. OpenPlant
CONNECT Edition now provides owner-operators
and engineering, procurement, and construction
companies the ability to design and manage their
plant data through cloud-based services, while sup-
less steel fasteners. Typical applications include
mechanical rooms of high-rise buildings, pump sta-
tions, reservoirs, and water processing facilities that
operate at higher pressures. Class 250/300 RWGVs
are available in the non-rising stem (NRS), post indi-
cating (PI), and outside screw & yoke (OS&Y) config-
urations, in both Mueller® and U.S. Pipe Valve &
Hydrant® brands.
Seeq Corporation
Seeq Corporation has announced the release of its
second update to their Seeq Software Application
in 2018, staying on plan to provide four new releases
each year. Seeq is an advanced analytics solution for
engineers and scientists in process manufacturing
organizations to rapidly wrangle, investigate, and
share insights on manufacturing data. Target mar-
kets include oil & gas, pharmaceutical, chemical,
energy, mining, food and beverage, and other process
industries. Recent releases of Seeq have focused on
enabling larger deployments through scalability fea-
tures in the software by making the Seeq application
easier to use. New R20 features include the ability to
have live updates to Seeq Topics, which are a way to
publish insights from Seeq to other users; expanded
machine learning functionality for customers doing
porting reliable and asynchronous project visibili-
ty, anytime, anywhere.
OpenPlant CONNECT Edition is the first applica-
tion in Bentley’s multi-discipline plant design to
utilize iModelHub, Bentley’s cloud service, which
tracks all changes made to project designs and
notifies users of changes. Participants can choose
to synchronize to and from particular timeline
milestones and can visualize, summarize, analyze,
and interpret the impact of ongoing changes.
Utilizing the integration between OpenPlant and
iModelHub, users can synchronize 3D models from
OpenPlant with iModelHub, to view and query the
model data in a web-based interface. Users can also
perform 2D and 3D consistency checking through
integration with OpenPlant PID. A full history of all
the changes made to the 3D model and 2D designs
are synchronized to iModelHub, including who
made changes, what was changed, when changes
were made, and the date the changes were com-
pleted.
predictive analytics with Seeq; and an improved
query model for customers bringing in contextual
data from SQL-based data sources to provide faster
connections to big data sources. These leading fea-
tures are in addition to addressing requests from
users in the Tools Panel, scripting, and administra-
tion capabilities. Finally, Seeq R20 includes new inte-
gration support for Inductive Automations’ Ignition
SCADA system including integrated display window
capabilities.
Val-Matic
Va l - M at i c ’s
C a m -
Centric®
Plug Valve is
an excellent
choice when
you have
more than
just water
f l o w i n g
through your
system. The
C a m -
Centric®
Plug Valve is the solution for systems when slurries,
grit or solids are present. Its eccentric action allows
the plug to rotate and lift out of it seated position
minimizing rubbing or scraping. Features such as a
heavy-duty fully rubber encapsulated plug, welded
nickel seat, grit-seals and V-Type packing provide
reliable operation. Cam-Centric® Plug Valves are
built using advanced manufacturing technologies
and are certified to rigorous industry standards to
assure reliable performance. Fusion Bonded Epoxy,
Rubber Lining or Glass Lining coatings are available
when necessary.

12 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 WATER DATA

Institutional Governance,and Water Data:

Learning from the Australian Experience
Professor Rob Vertessey, Enterprise Professor at the University of Melbourne and Principal,
Global Change Advisory, speaks about his perspective on the leadership, water data, and the
model that Australia has experienced can possibly be transferred to other countries apart
from supporting the data initiatives in India with the Australian Water Partnership.
By Karen Delfau, IWC for the Australian Water Partnership (AWP)

Prof. Rob Vertessey
Tell us a bit about your
background and your pre-
vious work leading up to
what you do today.
Prof. Vertessy: For my
first degree I trained as a geo-
morphologist, at Monash
University in Victoria, and for
my Ph.D. studies I was based
at the Australian National
University in Canberra. My
Ph.D. was all about large tidal
river systems in Northern
Australia, understanding how
they function, how they
change over time, how they
transport sediment and the
like. There was a huge knowl-
edge gap about how those
northern rivers function. It
was an exciting experience,
with very intensive fieldwork
for quite a few years, in spec-
tacular and dangerous places -
full of crocodiles.
After that I spent 20 years
working in CSIRO, Australia’s
national science organization,
first chiefly as a Research
Hydrologist exploring water
balances. I specialized in for-
est hydrology but also worked
across different types of sys-
tems, and I really focused on
experimentation in catch-
ments, making water balance
measurements and then mod-
elling how those catchments
were functioning. About
halfway through my career at
CSIRO, I started getting into
leadership and executive lead-
ership positions. I became the
Director of the Cooperative
Research Centre for
Catchment Hydrology, and
later the Chief of CSIRO’s
Land and Water Division.
Then, during Australia’s
major drought, there was a
great sense of panic around
the country about how we
were going to get through this
‘Millennium Drought’. I was
seconded to the federal gov-
ernment Department of
Prime Minister and Cabinet to
contribute to the development
of some national water reform
policies. I spent four months
there, working on the National
Plan for Water Security,
specifically to do with reforms
around water information.
That ultimately resulted in a
new function for the
Australian Bureau of
Meteorology to undertake a
National Water Information
Service. When that policy was
enacted, I joined the Bureau
to implement it in a ten-year
implementation program, and
after the first five years, I
became the CEO of the
Bureau. I stayed in that role
for almost five years, until
semi-retirement.
Nowadays I do two things:
research on water security
and climate change through a
Research Professorship at the
University of Melbourne,
part-time; and consulting
work, most of which have
been framed around
Australian Water Partnership
(AWP) activity overseas,
which has enabled me to come
full circle, in a way.
What led to the idea of
gathering and centralizing
water information? What
were the main factors in
achieving success?
Prof. Vertessy: Through
much of my research career I
was utterly frustrated by the
lack of good reliable data on
our water situation in
Australia. If you are a mod-
eller and you’re trying to
model water balances, you are
constantly chasing down dif-
ferent shreds of data that are
held by different agencies. In
Australia, it’s literally over 100
agencies, probably closer to
170 in fact. Often, they would-
n’t give us the information,
which was a problem.
We are seeing this also in
many other parts of the world.
One can ask: “Why bother-
ing to pull this data togeth-
er?”. The answer is that, quite
apart from its value to scien-
tists, water information that
people have gathered has very
great utility value when you
can ‘repurpose’ it, into servic-
es to help people make deci-
sions. In the Bureau of
Meteorology, we spent a lot of
time thinking through how to
do that because we under-
stood that that was the way to
garner support from the end
user community. And if you
have the end user community
support then you, by defini-
tion, have got the
Government’s support as well.
A surprising number of
countries that are thinking
about getting their data in
order are not thinking enough
about that end use. They are
not giving attention to how
they are going to use the infor-
mation to make a difference.
Rather, they are thinking
about the technical issues,
such as: Where’s the data?
How do we get it? What kind
of technology do we use to pull
it all together?
An important first step in
achieving our national water
information service was the

EXPRESS WATER July, 2018 13

 WATER DATA
legislative reform, the regula-
tory framework that Australia
put in place. In fact, many col-
laborative, negotiating-type of
approaches had been tried in
the years prior to these
reforms, to try and get the
states pulling in the same
direction, but they’d not suc-
ceeded. For the people that
own the data, who really only
want it for their own business
interests, there was very little
incentive to provide it to
someone else for the ‘national
good’. There were a few
enlightened souls of course,
but most people were reluc-
tant to participate in anything
which added to the burden of
their day jobs. Some jurisdic-
tions and some organizations
did not want to be involved at
all. They just wanted to hold
onto their data - maybe they
were embarrassed about their
quality of it. There could have
been all kinds of reasons.
To achieve a radical break-
through, I proposed that there
should be firm legislation, but
it couldn’t be just a ‘stick’ - a
heavy-handed approach with
an Act. We needed it to be bal-
anced with a ‘carrot’, and the
carrot was a major funding
program, which the Bureau
administered on behalf of the
Government.
It was $80 million, a lot of
money, and that was passed
out to all the data owners, to
help them do their jobs better,
to make better primary meas-
urements and also to help
them build technologies to
send the data to the Bureau in
a way that was not burden-
some for them. In other
words, it was to automate the
process. This program has
been a tremendous success.
From all of this, I realized
that fundamentally everyone’s
chief concern is that they lack
the resource capability to
actually help. Most of these
organizations have had their
funding and staffing levels
reduced over the years. They
find it difficult to keep adding
new tasks and responsibilities
on top of their day to day jobs.
So, by finding a way to help
them do their jobs better and
more efficiently, we were able
14 July, 2018
to free people up to want to
help.
Tell us about the interna-
tional work you’ve been
doing with the Australian
Water Partnership (AWP).
Prof. Vertessy: Through
the opportunity to work with
AWP, I’ve had five missions
abroad in 2017. I’ve been to
Iran and Jordan, and to India,
Pakistan and most recently
Lao. They all, of course, are
different, with different chal-
lenges. I have gone there gen-
erally to talk about my spe-
cialty area: how water infor-
mation can be used by govern-
ments to help them navigate
the often-diabolical imbal-
ances between water supply
and water demand.
The first four of those
countries are undergoing
acute water scarcity at the
moment, partly because they
are in difficult hydro-climates,
and also partly because they
don’t have the appropriate
policy and governance struc-
tures to limit water extrac-
tions. So water information
has turned out to be an
absolutely fundamental
requirement.
If you are going to balance
your water supplies and
demand, you need good data
and answers to questions such
as: Where’s the water coming
from? Where is it? What’s its
supply trajectory in the future
going to look like? Where are
the demands? How’s it being
utilized? And so on. Yet most
of these countries that have
these problems have rather
poor water information
arrangements. Even though
Australia was in a similar situ-
ation a few years ago, we were
never quite as badly off as
these countries. Some of them
lack even fundamental moni-
toring networks.
Australia may still not be
doing everything right, and
still making lots of mistakes,
but we have some wisdom
that we can share. I’m finding
that there’s a great appetite
for that abroad, in the coun-
tries I’ve visited. The people
are really motivated to
improve their arrangements.
I’m also finding it fascinat-
ing to work through the differ-
ent ‘boundary conditions’ in
these countries, to work out
how progress can be made.
You can’t just bring in the
Australian model, because
we’ve got completely different
boundary conditions – that is,
the (for example) political, or
cultural or geographical con-
ditions that limit what can be
done. So understanding those
boundary conditions in-coun-
try, and working with them
and their particular con-
straints is something that I
find really interesting.
As an example, the Water
Guide which AWP published
in 2017 focuses on water
scarcity, but when we started
talking about it in Laos, while
they liked the ideas at first, it
turned out to be framed in a
way that was not really rele-
vant to their situation. There
is tremendous opportunity to
broaden and deepen the value
of Water Guide by considering
other types of use cases, not
just water scarcity.
Can you give an example of
any situations you’ve seen
overseas?
Prof. Vertessy: Well each
country is different and has
different situations that it has
to deal with. India offers some
interesting illustrations.
For example, in India,
there is a strong built-in reluc-
tance to share information
between the Indian States and
the State and the Federal
Governments. It is an impor-
tant cultural problem that
needs to be surmounted in the
context of water information,
Yet, many people there are
trying to address water infor-
mation problems by thinking
about them only as related to
information systems.
It seems to me that to
make substantial long-term
progress in India, to make real
inroads there, it will be essen-
tial to prove the ‘value propo-
sition’. That is, how everyone’s
lives can be enriched by better
water information and shar-
ing what is available.
We’ve certainly proved
that here in Australia. We’ve
been able to create services
that bring real economic
value. In fact, already
although the water informa-
tion program here has only
just completed the ten-year
implementation phase, it is
already returning a cost-bene-
fit of somewhere between 3
and 8. And that return on
investment is only going to be
improving in the future.
In India, I think it’s very
important to go back to basics
to talk about the inherent
value proposition, to conceive
the services which will have
real appeal to the stakehold-
ers, the owners of the infor-
mation, and to incentivize
them to participate, to think
through policy instruments
that could help. They might be
partly regulatory, they might
be partly financial. Again,
many agencies have frustrat-
ing limitations on their
resources. Incentivising them
to cooperate may sometimes
just take money, for instance.
I think it’s important for
India to think deeply about,
and work through, those non-
technical-design matters first.
I think strong institutions are
absolutely vital in this, partic-
ularly where there are com-
plex inter-jurisdiction or
inter-agency arrangements.
It’s essential that someone
stands up and takes on the
leadership...and that they are
properly resourced to do so,
and can manage the conversa-
tions and can devote them-
selves to creating the ‘X-fac-
tor’ out of what is currently
available as assets.
In other words, I believe
they need to create an institu-
tion with a mandate and a
rationale to address the
broader good of the country,
of the sector, of the region, for
whatever function you are
talking about. However, even
though that approach suc-
ceeded here, it takes a large
amount of money - and it
might not work as a new insti-
tution. Australia gave that
function to a long pre-existing
institution, the Bureau of
Meteorology.
I have made quite a point of
this idea recently in guidelines
I have written for the high-
level panel on water, to be
released in 2018. There is a
chapter on institutions and on
how you go about thinking
through what their mandates
are, and how you go about pre-
senting propositions to gov-
ernment - considering how to
create new institutions to
serve these purposes.
That was the magic of the
Australian formula and I think
the principle is generic and is
going to apply wherever you
go – because why should a
particular single agency with
a very discrete set of business
objectives and mandates
bother itself about other peo-
ple’s concerns? That’s the
essential problem in a way.
How might other countries
set up their own water in-
formation institutions
with the resources, author-
ity, and ability to create
the necessary shared vi-
sion?
Prof. Vertessy: As I said,
Australia did not create a new
institution: we gave the func-
tion to the pre-existing insti-
tution, the Bureau of
Meteorology, and I think that
could be a good approach for a
country - i.e. to consider aug-
menting its national weather
service.
When you look at all the
national weather services
around the world, in many
countries (though far from all
countries) the weather service
already has some hydrologic
functions. Many national
weather services are respon-
sible for flood forecasting, for
instance. Not many are
responsible for water
resource information roles,
but I would argue that they
are fit for purpose for that
task. Even in Australia, we
needed to bring a whole new
cadre of water resources spe-
cialists into the Bureau of
Meteorology to do this job
properly.
Weather services have
many characteristics that I
think are beneficial for this
type of role. First of all, they’re
very independent; they are
not strong ‘policy shops’, for
EXPRESS WATER
 WATER DATA
instance. Also, they tend not
to be driving a particular poli-
cy agenda, and they are gener-
ally respected for their techni-
cal prowess.
They have a lot of common
infrastructure including high-
performance computers,
databases, communications
systems. They have respected
qualifications in measuring
things because they are run-
ning weather station net-
works and similar equipment.
And weather services are sta-
ble organizations because the
information they provide is so
critical and there is a sover-
eign requirement to have that
kind of information at hand.
That is what you need for
long-term environmental
monitoring of any kind.
I believe that weather serv-
ices can do much more in
most countries than they are
doing. In our Bureau, as CEO,
I was trying to reimagine the
organization as a broad-based
environmental intelligence
agency, rather than just a
weather service. Our bureau
does oceans monitoring, space
weather monitoring, long-
term climate change and
other measurements, as well
as the water information and
the weather. And also it has a
natural inclination to interface
with the public.
In short, you find that
weather services have many
of the characteristics that are
needed for the water informa-
tion tasks, which is why the
Australian Government
assigned water information as
an adjunct function to the
Bureau. It has now been made
a permanent function, which
is fabulous.
In similar countries I’ve
visited, I’ve seen similar
opportunities present them-
selves with the weather serv-
ices as well. So, I would exhort
most people to start there and
explore that opportunity.
Tell us more about your
work with AWP, especially
finding out how to engage
productively and support-
ively for India.
Prof. Vertessy: The way
the AWP has initiated a coun-
EXPRESS WATER
try strategy for every partner-
ship that they have overseas
is, I think, very important
because countries have differ-
ent motivations, or con-
straints - ‘boundary condi-
tions’.
India is the first country
where the AWP has sought to
develop a Country Strategy,
and I have had a go at produc-
ing one (it’s still work-in-
progress) by doing an exten-
sive set of interviews with
around 30 people who had
been working in India for
AWP or, in a few cases, inde-
pendently of AWP. My aim
was to get a sense of their
rich body of experience
gained over last few years.
Initially, the draft just sets
down the main things to think
about in India. It’s clear they
have a series of diabolical
water challenges: everything
from WASH and water quali-
ty problems to water scarcity
and flooding. You don’t have
to look far for a problem to
focus on, but working out how
to interface with them and
finding a productive opportu-
nity in a sea of opportunity,
that’s a different thing. And
that’s what the country strat-
egy tries to do. There are a
few things we need to be
mindful of in India.
First, trying to understand
the dynamic between States
and Central Government
agencies is very, very impor-
tant when it comes to water
reform. It’s a complex federa-
tion, like Australia but much
more complex. It’s got some
30 objects rather than six or
seven. Of course, it’s a vast,
giant country with many,
many people and thus many
institutions as well. So, navi-
gating your way through that
maze and working out the
productive alliances to work
with is very important.
Also, although it’s beset by
many problems it’s also a
highly capable country. It has
nuclear power, a space race.
They have a very strong tech-
nical capability, and in the
water sector as well. And so
working out how we can add
value to that is a very impor-
tant consideration.
Third, they have an unhap-
py colonial history and there-
fore they don’t react well to
colonist-type mentalities in
people coming into their coun-
try and telling them how to do
things. I have heard of a num-
ber of cases that have mis-
fired, where an Australian
team went in heavy-handed to
try and sell an approach that
the Indian people did not
want. So working out a way in
which to work with them, help
them to help themselves, is a
really important thing I dis-
covered.
Fourth, there is a lot of sen-
sitivity to carpet-bagging.
India’s a massive country and
its water sector is huge. It will
be spending literally trillions
of dollars on water in the next
50 years. And many countries
look at this as a kind of busi-
ness opportunity, and they are
in India because of commer-
cial interests. However, when
you speak to our people in the
federal government
Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (DFAT), you find
that although they would like
to see improved trade
between India and Australia,
they are approaching India’s
water issues from a water-
diplomacy point of view. The
attitude at DFAT is: ‘Look
we’ve got some interesting
and useful skills in this area,
and they’ve got some big prob-
lems. It would be really good
for our bilateral relationship if
we could find a way to help
them meaningfully.’
The AWP approach, of
building a country strategy,
and going to India with an
authentic long-term, patient
and honest approach, is a real-
ly good thing to be doing. We
are not setting-up expecta-
tions of any great commercial
return. Anyway, it is very hard
doing business in India.
And another thing I’ve
learned through the AWP
interviews is that, although
India has many deep problems
– with terrible filth and some
terrible WASH issues and
they are way behind on their
Sustainable Development
Goals – they are not an aid
country. So Australia cannot
go there with an aid mentality. want of a better term, the
In short, finding a way to ‘burning platform situation’.
interface with them that is You speak to technical special-
authentic and resonates with ists and they’ll quickly explain
them is the key, and the how they are facing a ‘cliff’ at
Country Strategy offers help- some point in the near future,
ful viewpoints for that. and yet that sense of urgency
It has been a master- or crisis is not being explained
stroke, I think, to appoint a to the Minister nor the public
person on the ground in India, in ways compelling enough for
‘VJ’. He’s building a consistent them to understand it and
relationship for AWP there. embrace it. All these special-
VJ is a guy who has tremen- ists crave a solution to this
dous networks and experi- problem, and water informa-
ence. Virtually every person tion turns out to be one of the
that I interviewed thought magic ingredients.
Water Information Reforms in Australia
There are about 170 government agencies in Australia
that collect water data, each with different mandates and
business interests. At the national level, the availability of
this data is vital for solving water scarcity problems and is
much more valuable than individual research items. This is a
scenario that exists in many countries.
In this interview, Rob suggests that many countries don’t
consider end users of the data and information is communi-
cated to affect change. Instead, they focus on technical
issues. Create financial and policy incentives for the owners
of data to collaborate is important for addressing water
scarcity, however, overcoming reluctance is not a simple
process. Organizations need mechanisms to make them com-
fortable to share information.
In Australia, a response to overcome resistance to change
was needed. This involved legislative reform through the
Water Act (2007) as a stick and an AU$80 million govern-
ment-funded program called the Modernisation and
Extension of Hydrological Monitoring Systems Program as a
carrot.
that it was fabulous that AWP You certainly also need
has appointed this person. I’m individuals with great com-
sure that is going to yield a lot munication prowess, but the
of fruit. common point is the need to
Personally, I find working get their water information
in India to be intensely inter- assets working for them, to
esting. It’s a privilege and an catalyze change. That is one
honor to go into a country and reason why they are all inter-
learn about it and meet fabu- ested in trying to reform their
lous smart people in agencies water information.
and discover what their issues I like to work with their
are and find a way to help. governments and senior offi-
cials to start them thinking
Have you seen any com- more about how a solution can
monalities in terms of wa- be a kind of business proposi-
ter data among the coun- tion. That’s the key, quite
tries you have worked in? apart from having generic
Prof. Vertessy: In virtually technical-focused conversa-
all the situations I’ve gone tions on how to get data sort-
into, I have learnt that it’s ed out.
been very hard for these coun- The Australian Water
tries to execute water reform Partnership (AWP) is an
in a general sense because Australian Government devel-
they lack a compelling narra- opment initiative enhancing the
tive around their most urgent sustainable management of
issues – what I might call, for water across the Indo-Pacific.
July, 2018 15
 MARKET

Desalination in India is Inevitable!

Devesh Sharma is the Managing Partner at Aquatech International - a global leader in water
purification technology for industrial and infrastructure markets. Established in 1981,
Aquatech helps some of the world’s most recognized companies solve their water scarcity
challenges by providing solutions in desalination, wastewater reuse, and zero liquid
discharge. He has been with Aquatech since 1997 and he has worked in virtually every facet of
the company from commissioning to process engineer, project manager and business
development manager. From 2006 to 2013, he was responsible for Aquatech’s business
activities in Asia. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of the International
Desalination Association (IDA) and chairs IDA’s Energy and Environment Committee. Mayur
Sharma interacted with him about his experiences in the seawater desalination market and
the strategies and performance of Aquatech in the desalination projects.

How can desalination best
mitigate and address the
high energy, cost, and toxic
effluent from membrane
problems? And what is the
best way to reduce the en-
vironmental impact of pol-
luted membranes after
use?
Devesh: The best way for
the industry to address these
issues is to move to a true life-
cycle-based approach and
steer clear of evaluating only
the capital cost of the plant.
It is important to note that
in desalination, an optimized
design approach is completely
aligned with environmental
stewardship.
The largest costs of desali-
nation over the lifetime of a
plant are power consumption,
membranes & consumables,
Devesh Sharma and chemicals.
If the focus is on lifecycle
costs then those who have
developed more reliable and
low energy consuming sys-
tems will have longer mem-
brane lives and less chemical
cleaning, so these facilities will
not only have less energy con-
sumption, they will also have
in less waste.
All of this ultimately
results in the lowest total cost
of water. This should be every-
one’s ultimate focus.
In the desalination market,
the latest studies and ad-
vances are aimed at cost
savings, both in energy
consumption and in the fi-
nal cost of desalinated wa-
ter. In addition to the in-
corporation of renewable
energies, what all tech-
nologies would contribute
to further reduce these
costs?
Devesh: This is why
Aquatech developed LoWatt™
technology. Our initial aim
was to reduce energy con-
sumption.
The goal was simple: devel-
op a plant with “low energy by
design”, and to do this effec-
tively, one would have to oper-
ate the system as clean as pos-
sible, as fouling of the mem-
brane is a significant contrib-
utor to energy consumption.
Through innovations such
as our Nutrient Removal
Filters (NRF™) and Osmotic
Cleaning™ we met our goal
and created a process that can
reduce power by 20-25% over
conventionally designed
SWRO plants.
In addition to this, we dis-
covered many added advan-
tages that amount to lower
lifecycle cost and higher relia-
bility.
In the LoWatt™ process,
membranes last longer and
cleanings are less frequent.
The result is higher uptime
and less waste - which equals
less cost.
Tell us about any ‘one’ cut-
ting-edge technology
which you believe will set
the trend for the future of
desalination?
Devesh: This is a very diffi-
cult question to answer. I’ve
been in this industry long
enough to have learned that
there are no shortcuts or cut-
ting-edge technologies that
will solve problems with a
snap of a finger.
It seems that every month
we read about something new
and revolutionary, but when it
comes to proof and practice -
either technologically or eco-
nomically - the wheels fall off
the wagon, so to speak.
When it comes to seawater
desalination, I think there is
still tremendous scope in
improving the performance of
reverse osmosis and this will
lead to significantly improved
economics as I have described
with LoWatt™ technology.
With regards to desalina-
tion of industrial brines, I do
see Vacuum Membrane
Distillation as a cutting-edge
technology that could make a
significant impact in the
space. This technology has the
potential to reduce capital as
well as operating costs of zero
discharge.

16 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 MARKET
With regards to
desalination of
industrial brines, I
do see Vacuum
Membrane
Distillation as a
cutting-edge
technology that
could make a
significant impact
in the space.This
technology has the
potential to reduce
capital as well as
operating costs of
zero discharge.
Please shed some light on
the product and services
portfolio of your company
related to seawater desali-
nation. How does your
product & technology
compare to other desalina-
tion products & technolo-
gies in the market? And
which are the new
launches that you have
come up with recently?
Devesh: Aquatech has the
most comprehensive desalina-
tion technology portfolio in
the industry.
For seawater desalination,
we are one of few companies
in the world that has signifi-
cant experience in thermal
and membrane technologies.
We have MSF, MED, as well as
Reverse Osmosis in our tool-
box.
When it comes to waste-
water desalination, we also
have the complete technology
line starting from biological
treatment through mem-
brane-based treatment and
thermal evaporation for Zero
Liquid Discharge (ZLD).
We have several differenti-
ating technologies, LoWatt™
for seawater being a case in
EXPRESS WATER
point. The best place to gain a
better understanding of our
various differentiations would
be our website at www.aquat-
ech.com, but I would like to
say our biggest differentiator
is our deep operating experi-
ence in all of these waters.
Experience is the bedrock of
anything we do, and in dealing
with difficult to treat waters,
there is nothing more valu-
able.
How long have you worked
in the field of seawater de-
salination? Could you tell
us something about your
own experience in this
field?
Devesh: I have worked in
seawater desalination for over
20 years. Aquatech has always
worked on seawater reverse
osmosis project for our indus-
trial clients.
When we acquired Aqua-
Chem in the year 2000, it
brought a thermal capability
for wastewater as well as sea-
water, and we catapulted into
a bigger league when it came
to addressing seawater proj-
ects around the world. We
have participated in desalina-
tion projects on 6 continents
and are passionate about
bringing excellence in this
space.
What is the state of your
company’s current and up-
coming seawater desalina-
tion programs and proj-
ects?
Devesh: Our approach to
seawater desalination is to
partner with clients and off-
takers that understand the
importance of power con-
sumption, plant longevity, and
total lifecycle cost. We can
work with them to implement
a project completely, from
intake to outfall, as we say, as
a technology and O&M part-
ner, or even financing the
facility and selling water by
the liter.
What were the achieve-
ments of your company in
2017-18? How has the com-
pany grown?
Devesh: Two keystone
achievements this past year
have been the commissioning
of a project for one of the
largest consumer products
manufacturing companies in
India. In addition, we complet-
ed three years of operation at
the Ghalilah desalination
plant in Ras Al Khaimah,
UAE. Ghalilah is one of our
major “low energy by design”
facilities, and after three years
of operation, almost no mem-
branes have been replaced
and the power consumption is
even lower than what we
guaranteed when we were
awarded the project. We take
great pride in this, as our com-
plete focus as a company is to
ensure that plant KPIs are
met years into operation and
not just through the initial
performance test. The Indian
company project is significant
as it is our first LoWatt™
installation in the country and
I feel this is a very exciting
technology for India.
What are some of the ma-
jor orders won by your
company in the past few
years?
Devesh: In addition to the
landmark projects noted
above, we’ve had many other
noteworthy achievements in
recent years. These include
wastewater recycle and ZLD
for several projects in China,
commissioning of the first
integrated ZLD plant in
Egypt, and wastewater-recy-
cle and ZLD facilities for a
gold mine in Colombia. Two
very noteworthy projects
include taking the waste-
water-reject from a sewage
recycling facility in Kuwait
and converting it into high
purity water for oilfield steam
flood. The other is a complete-
ly biological, water reuse and
ZLD facility for a municipal
solid waste (garbage) to jet
fuel facility in the United
States. Each of these projects
leverages our vast experience
in treating challenging waters
and wastewaters and our
focus on optimizing the life-
time cost of projects for our
customers, but more impor-
tantly, most of them include
long-term operations where
we partner with our clients to
ensure they achieve their
operational objectives.
What are your growth and
expansion plans for the
next five years?
Devesh: Overall, Aquatech
has more than 1,000 installa-
tions in 60 countries, distin-
guished by a high percentage
of repeat business. While we
are headquartered in the
United States, we have opera-
tions in India, Europe, the
Middle East and China. We
have a very strong presence in
India including R&D facilities
and a membrane innovation
center where our QUA™ sub-
sidiary develops and manufac-
tures advanced membrane
technology products.
We look forward to contin-
ued growth in our key indus-
try and infrastructure sectors,
and ongoing innovation in
technologies and systems that
further enhance energy effi-
ciency, lower lifecycle costs,
and improved reliability.
What is the future of sea-
water desalination in India,
in your opinion? Is seawa-
ter desalination a suitable
technology for Indian con-
ditions considering the
huge costs involved?
Devesh: Desalination in
India is inevitable. The water
A keystone
achievement this
past year has been
the commissioning
of a project for one
of the largest
consumer
products
manufacturing
companies in India.
It is significant as it
is our first LoWatt™
installation in the
country and I feel
this is a very
exciting technology
for India.
scarcity situation is severe
and all approaches, including
conservation, redistribution,
water reuse, and desalination
will be needed to address
these challenges. We are very
much active in this field hav-
ing done seawater desalina-
tion for over 20 years in the
country. We only intend to
grow our desalination foot-
print in India and expect our
low energy approach to be
very valuable to the market.
Established in 1981,
Aquatech is a global leader in
water purification technology
for industrial and infrastructure
markets with a focus on desali-
nation, water recycle and reuse,
and zero liquid discharge (ZLD).
Headquartered in Canonsburg,
Pennsylvania, Aquatech has
offices throughout North
America, and has a significant
presence worldwide through
subsidiaries in Europe, the
Middle East, India and China.
Through its network and world-
wide operations, Aquatech has
successfully executed more than
1,000 water management proj-
ects in over 60 countries around
the globe.
July, 2018 17
 KNOWLEDGE

Yesterday’s Solutions are Not the Answer

to Future Problems...
The United Nations (UN) had adopted the ‘Agenda 2030’ with a total of 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure
prosperity for all. In this issue, Mayur Sharma talked to Dr. Mritunjay Chaubey, Global Vice
President - Environment & Sustainability, United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) about his
company’s ambition and plans for reducing 30% environmental footprint in its
manufacturing plants by 2020, and the significance of SDGs for all the industries. Dr.
Chaubey has nearly 22 years of professional experience in renowned MNCs like Shell,
Unilever, UPL, and Pentair in the field of sustainability, environmental engineering, and water
& wastewater treatment. Currently, more than 100 environmental protection technologies,
designed by him, are successfully working in the Asia, Africa, Europe, and the USA.

Dr. Mritunjay Chaubey
First, tell us in brief about
United Phosphorus Lim-
ited (UPL) and its activi-
ties.
Dr. Chaubey: UPL is
world’s second largest post
patented crop protection
agrochemical manufacturing
company and was incorporat-
ed in the year 1969. UPL is a
global company present in
more than 130 countries.
Winning farmers’ hearts
across the globe, while leading
the way with innovative prod-
ucts and services that make
agriculture sustainable, we
are the fastest growing com-
pany in the industry. Our busi-
ness includes the production
of crop protection products,
intermediates, specialty
chemicals and other industri-
al chemicals.
What is the “Water Con-
sumption Reduction Plan”
of UPL?
Dr. Chaubey: Two years
ago, UPL had launched UPL
Sustainable Development
Plan to reduce 30% environ-
mental footprint by 2020.
Under this development plan,
30% specific water consump-
tion reduction plan by 2020
was included. We have adopt-
ed structured approach
toward water consumption
reduction at UPL. In the past
two years, we have achieved
20% specific water consump-
tion reduction and in future,
we are committed to reducing
it further.
Sustainable industrial
water management plays a
vital role in achieving future
water security in a world
where water stress will
increase. The optimum uti-
lization of all natural
resources is an integral part
of UPL’s commitment to sus-
tainable development. Aiming
to decrease abstracted water
demand in our operating
plants, we have taken follow-
ing initiatives this year:
• Reduced the water con-
sumption in ALP Red
Phosphorus production in
our Vapi Unit 0.
• Reduced the water con-
sumption in Clomazone,
Devrinol production in our
Ankleshwar Unit 2.
• Utilized the hot water bath
water in drum detoxifica-
tion in ou Ankleshwar Unit
3.
• Enhanced the RO water uti-
lization by 57% in last two
years at Jhagadia Unit 5.
• Implemented water-effi-
cient equipment in manu-
facturing processes.
• Implemented Metering,
Monitoring & Targeting
(MMT) to ensure the effi-
cient performance of the
system.
• Dedicated technology-
group worked to reduce the
water demand.
How are you connected
with the environment and
sustainability? Please tell
us about your background.
Dr. Chaubey: I am con-
nected with environment &
sustainability since my aca-
demic career. I was passionate
to work for environmental
protection since childhood. I
have done B.Tech., M.Tech.,
Ph.D. in Environmental
Engineering from Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT),
Delhi. I have nearly 22-years of
professional experience in
renowned MNCs like Shell,
Unilever, UPL & Pentair in the
field of sustainability, environ-
mental engineering, water &
wastewater treatment.
Currently, more than 100 envi-
ronmental protection tech-
nologies are successfully
working in Asia, Africa,
Europe and America designed
by me. I have also worked in
the cross-cultural environ-
ments - Netherlands, Italy,
Turkey, Singapore, Brunei,
Malaysia, Dubai, USA, Libya,
Indonesia, Russia, China,
South Africa, etc. My contri-
bution towards the research
work of fixed film bioreactor
technology, fluoride removal,
extreme modularization of
WWTP, OH radical technolo-
gy, forward osmosis technolo-
gy, and low-salinity water
flooding was also well appreci-
ated by the industries. I am a
member of various interna-
tional bodies. I am also a
member of advisory board of
World Business Council for
Sustainable Development.
More than 50 technical
papers have been published in
renowned international jour-
nals and conferences with my
name. I was awarded “CSO of
the Year Award” at Air
Quality Control & Monitoring
Summit 2017, New Delhi.
I believe that yesterday’s
solutions are not the answer
to future problems. At pres-
ent, I am heading environ-
ment & sustainability of UPL
Limited globally and working
to reduce its 30% environmen-
tal footprint by 2020 by
embedding sustainability into
UPL business strategy.
What are your major con-
tributions to the environ-
ment and sustainability?
Dr. Chaubey: I believe that
sustainability is the best
opportunity for business to
drive smarter innovation and
the profitable growth.
Sustainability ensures a fair
society, living within environ-
mental limits and creating a
sustainable and profitable
business. We are constantly
working to reduce environ-
mental footprint and find

18 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 KNOWLEDGE
17 Sustainable Development Goals (Photo credit: United Nations Department of Public Information and UPL)
innovative product solutions
that benefit the environment.
Till date, I have made fol-
lowing contributions toward
sustainable development:
• Reduced industrial CO2
emissions 198471
ton/annum which is equiva-
lent to planting 9.7 million
large trees.
• Reduced industrial water
consumption 3136 million
liters per annum which is
equivalent to provide drink-
ing water to 1.7 million peo-
ple for 1 year.
• Designed water and waste-
water treatment plant to
treat 10452 million liters per
annum which is equivalent
to provide drinking water to
5.7 million people for 1 year.
Currently, more than 100
water & wastewater treat-
ment plants are successful-
ly working in Asia, Africa,
Europe and America
designed by me.
• Contributed to get LEED
certification of 13 factories
(Silver-10 nos. and Gold-3
nos.)
• Published more than 50
technical papers - related to
sustainability, environment,
water, and wastewater
treatment.
How do you think ‘sustain-
ability’ contributes to a
business?
Dr. Chaubey: Again, I
EXPRESS WATER
believe that sustainability is
the best opportunity for busi-
ness to drive smarter innova-
tion and profitable growth. It
ensures a fair society, living
within environmental limits
and creating a sustainable
profitable business.
How does technology play
an important role in it?
Dr. Chaubey: Technology
plays an important role in
reducing the environment-
footprint of any company. At
present several technologies
like MBBR, OH Radical,
Volute, Forward Osmosis, and
Scaleban are playing a very
important role in the treat-
ment of complex industrial
effluent. By using above tech-
nologies not only we are able
to treat our effluent but also
able to achieve 100% recycling
& reuse. We also able to
achieve reduction of power,
chemical, footprint and capi-
tal cost by using above tech-
nologies. Let me brief you on
some good technologies which
we implemented recently:
Scale Ban recycle ETP
treated water into cooling
tower up to 1,00,000 ppm
TDS. This will reduce cooling
water demand and decrease
treated wastewater discharge
in our operating plants.
OH radical technology is
advance oxidation technology
to treat high TDS (70000
ppm) effluent. This technolo-
gy uses minimum power, and
chemical, with minimum area
occupancy.
Volute is an efficient sludge
dewatering equipment operat-
ed on a continuous basis. This
will help us in the efficient
management of sludge gener-
ated from our wastewater
treatment plants.
Moving Bed Bioreactor
(MBBR) process is a combina-
tion of suspended growth and
attached growth process. It
uses the whole tank volume
for biomass growth. It uses
simple floating media, which
are carriers for the attached
growth of biofilms. Biofilm
carrier movement is caused
by the agitation of air bubbles.
This compact treatment sys-
tem is effective in removal of
organic as well as nitrogen
and phosphorus while facili-
tating effective solids separa-
tion.
What are the UN Sustain-
able Development Goals
(SDGs)?
Dr. Chaubey: In
September 2015, more than
190 countries signed up to the
UN Global Goals for
Sustainable Development
(Global Goals), which set out a
vision for ending poverty,
hunger, inequality and pro-
tecting the Earth’s natural
resources by 2030. UPL also
aims to align its goals with the
global targets for sustainable
development. The 17 goals
were identified by UN to
achieve the sustainable devel-
opment goals (see graphic).
What is the role of WBCSD
(World Business Council
for Sustainable Develop-
ment) to achieve UN Sus-
tainable Development
Goals?
Dr. Chaubey: WBCSD is a
global, CEO-led organization
of over 200 leading businesses
working together to acceler-
ate the transition to a sustain-
able world. WBCSD helps its
member companies become
more successful and sustain-
able by focusing on the maxi-
mum positive impact on the
shareholders, environment,
and societies. WBCSD mem-
ber companies come from all
business sectors and all major
economies, representing a
combined revenue of more
than USD 8.5 trillion and with
19 million employees.
One of the aims of UPL is
to achieve the 17 UN Sus-
tainable Development
Goals by 2020 - as per
Agenda 2030. How do you
align your own sustainable
development plan with
these goals?
Dr. Chaubey: The United
Nations (UN) adopted the
“Agenda 2030” with a total of
17 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) in September
2015 to end poverty, protect
the planet, and ensure pros-
perity for all. Our ambition is
to achieve the “UN
Sustainable Development
Goals" to transform our
world. To align our UPL
Sustainable Development
Plan with UN Sustainable
Development Goals, our ambi-
tion is to reduce 30% environ-
mental footprint in our manu-
facturing plants by 2020.
How is UPL contributing to
reducing its environmental
footprint?
Dr. Chaubey: Since we
implemented UPL
Sustainable development plan
in 2015-16, we are able to
reduce 30% specific CO2
emission, 20% specific water
consumption, and 25% specif-
ic waste disposal at our oper-
ating plants.
What are the key issues
with wastewater treat-
ment in industries? And
what are the best solutions
for wastewater recycling &
reuse?
Dr. Chaubey: The key
issue with industrial waste-
water treatment is the com-
plexity of effluent characteris-
tics and its variation. At this
moment, biological treatment
is the most popular treatment
technology for wastewater
but its treatment efficiency
decreases with the increase of
total dissolved salts inside the
effluent.
We must carry-out effluent
stream identification, charac-
terization, and segregation
before finalization of a treat-
ment technique. High TDS
stream must be segregated
and treated separately with
either OH radical or forward
osmosis technology. Scaleban
technology can help us a lot
for treated effluent recycling,
and reuse in the cooling tower.
Vedanta's Sterlite Copper
industrial plant in Tuti-
corin, Tamil Nadu has re-
cently been in news due to
protests and the unfortu-
nate death of 13 people in
subsequent police firing.
What are the learnings
from this overall episode?
Dr. Chaubey: From this
episode, we should learn that
we must percolate the mas-
sage of good work done by a
company for environmental
pollution control in the nearby
community. We must take
note of shifting trends in pub-
lic opinion about environmen-
tal sustainability and reputa-
tional consequences of not
doing so. We should not go on
satisfying only government
authorities regarding environ-
mental compliances but we
should also spread awareness
in the nearby communities
regarding good work done by
the company for environmen-
tal pollution control.
July, 2018 19
 MARKET

Focussing on Increased Awareness of Water

Standards and Being a Voice of the Industry
Sunil Trivedi is the new President of Water Quality India Association (WQIA). Earlier he has
served Water Quality Association as Vice Chairman-India Task Force. He was the treasurer in
WQIA and a Panel Member in C11 Gujarat for energy & environmental committee. He is the
MD at Sarjan Watertech India Pvt. Ltd. Mayur Sharma recently interacted with him in
Ahmedabad and discussed his journey in the water sector so far, the new set of challenges for
WQIA, and his strategies for the same as its new President. Here are the excerpts...

Taiwan, the water quality is

Sunil Trivedi, President, Water Quality India Association (WQIA)
Please tell us about your
journey in the Indian water
sector so far. How has been
your experience?
Mr. Trivedi: In 2003, I
started with the trading activ-
ity. At that time, the penetra-
tion of the RO systems partic-
ularly and our awareness of
water division was very low.
People had just started under-
standing the need of purifica-
tion, or RO, particularly in
case of Gujarat where the
water is very hard. We
thought that there should be
options within the country. All
our requirement was sup-
posed to come from outside
India. People used to import
their needs but lacked real
application knowledge. The
major issue was that we were
getting things from outside
India that were suitable for
those countries but not for
Indian conditions. If you take
the example of China and
moderate, not bad in all loca-
tions. The TDS is around 500-
ppm or 1000-ppm. Some con-
ditions are very minimal
where even UV or UF will
work. In India, there are con-
ditions like the hardness of
water or presence of too much
Arsenic or Fluoride. To com-
bat the problems, we might
just need RO for some areas
whereas only UV is needed for
other areas. So there was no
awareness. Initially, even
when we started the trading, it
was difficult. Even small man-
ufacturers who wanted to
enter into this sector or even
companies who wanted to
venture this space did not
have enough knowledge as to
where to start with, what
component must be used, how
would they make a difference.
So initially, in trading also, I
was doing more of an educa-
tion programme. Say for
example in Sarjan, if I wanted
to attend the business, first it
would start with the educa-
tion - what we should do, what
are the Indian water condi-
tions, what components
should be used. We started
with customization from the
first day itself. We never used
to import components with-
out customizing it. When we
tied up with big giants like
multi-nationals, we always
tried to get components that
were suitable to Indian condi-
tions. And that’s how we

20 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 MARKET
became very excited about the
industry even with the OEM
also. We started with the trad-
ing of the components and
slowly moved to the OEMs.
Since we were keen on cus-
tomization, we were the first
choice of all the OEMs and
ODMs to get their compo-
nents. We used to provide
them with customized solu-
tions for their needs. That’s
how we started and slowly
moved to the manufacturing
of complete unit systems. So
right now from components,
we are complete manufactur-
ers of systems for OEMs and
ODMs. Today, we are like one
of the largest OEM and ODM
manufacturers in India as we
are catering to almost 10-12
brands.
So you have come a long
way from then and now.
How will you summarize
your experience? What are
the biggest changes you
have seen in the market?
Mr. Trivedi: There have
been huge changes in the mar-
ket. It has a current growth of
20% to 30%. But it has been
always growing. And particu-
larly awareness is now wit-
nessing growth like never
before. People understand the
need for purification. Still, I
would say a major concern is
the penetration level which is
very low compared to what it
should be ideally. Still, it is not
in double digits. It is floating
between 10% to 11%. I would
say we are at par with wash-
ing machine penetration. It is
still an area of concern, but
when compared to the previ-
ous figures of 1% to 2%, the
growth is considerable. Still,
there is a huge scope. When I
compare the situation with
the times when we had start-
ed entering this business, a lot
of innovation has come into
the market. The two major
areas of concern as an associ-
ation are that the market pen-
etration is still very low and
secondly the technical ability
is also very low, and the entry
and exit is very easy in this
industry. There are particular
norms that are not available.
Due to that, the product level
EXPRESS WATER
or the product standard that
we have to maintain is still an
area of concern.
Please give us a back-
ground of WQIA for our
readers, and its activities
in the past 2-3 years.
Mr. Trivedi: WQIA (Water
Quality India Association) was
incepted in 2014, in mid-2014.
Earlier, it was in the form of a
task force. The legal entity
Water Quality India
Association was formed in
mid-2014. The need of this
kind of formation is basically
to create a legal entity so that
one can represent their activi-
ty or in case of legal require-
ment, it should have that legal
entity. Otherwise, it was diffi-
cult for us to take it to the gov-
ernment or BIS, for any kind
of issue related to the indus-
try. It was difficult for us to
take it to any legal identity
without having the guarantee.
Therefore, it was decided by
all the members to have such
an entity which was finally
formed in September 2014.
And the mission was kept to
have reliable source and infor-
mation, ethical practices, and
education & training. Keeping
that in mind, it was decided
that we would have this
Association, and we will work
on all those areas.
Can you give us a few ex-
amples?
Mr. Trivedi: After the for-
mation, we immediately
launched a product certifica-
tion standard which was very
affordable compared to other
internal standards available
for 15 to 10 lakhs rupees. We
came out with standards that
you could obtain in around 5
lakhs or below 5 lakhs rupees.
For product certification, if
you applied for international
standards, since there were
no Indian standards available
at that time, it charged more
than 20 to 30 lakhs rupees
against what we came out
with in accordance with the
Indian conditions, which is in
accordance with the Indian
needs and which is available
at 5 lakhs or below 5 lakhs
rupees.
So that is actually a major
achievement…
Mr. Trivedi: Yes, and
along with that, we conducted
a lot of programmes also. We
conducted programmes in
Gujarat, Mumbai, etc. We
trained company team staff
members too. We have worked
with almost all large organiza-
tions. We train their sales
team and service team for
basic water treatment, etc.
So can you give me a figure
of how many people you
must have trained?
Mr. Trivedi: We have
trained more than 500 people
and this year around we
intend to train 500 more.
Another thing that we have
done in last 1 year, a break-
through that we have done
majorly is the NGT case which
the Association is reporting.
So if you can give me a
background on the case as
to what it is all about.
Mr. Trivedi: There is an
NGO that has filed the case
with a request that RO should
be banned because it is wast-
ing a lot of water.
When did this happen?
Mr. Trivedi: This hap-
pened around 2 years back.
They filed the case stating
that RO should be banned as it
is wasting a lot of water and it
is harmful to the environment.
These two were the major
concerns. But later on, the
NGO has added a couple of
applications to their case say-
ing that the water has been
used for the cricket ground,
and it should not be used for
it, or the kind of water avail-
able is not good. Community
projects which government is
installing,, there they should
impose some restrictions. So,
there are a couple of applica-
tions that the NGO came up
with and the application was
given to the RO manufactur-
ers association. This kind of
association does not exist in
the country. So again in the
interest of the members of our
Association, The WQIA took
the decision that since this
kind of association does not
exist, and it is not known what
will happen to the case in
absence of such an associa-
tion, it voluntarily decided to
take the case and fight it. So,
we took the case in the inter-
est of all the members of our
association.
What is the status of the
case right now?
Mr. Trivedi: As I either drinking, or
explained earlier also, that a
couple of applications got
added to this case later. Last
year, they have added one
more application stating that
BIS merge should be made
mandatory since standards
are available now. And they
should put some standards
that RO should produce a
minimum of a particular TDS
water. They also want a lot of
things to be listed on the prod-
ucts.
What is WQIA’s take on it if
you could summarize it?
Mr. Trivedi: WQIA is
working on this right now. As
far as certification of the prod-
ucts is concerned, yes, defi-
nitely, every member is in the
interest of the consumers and
as the code of conduct or
ethics, the goal of the organi-
zation is to give good products
to the consumers. But there
are certain limitations also
that we need to address too.
We are trying to find out ways
of how it could be done. For
instance, in one of the stan-
dards, Live Cyst Test is given
to be tested for RO standards.
If you want to go for RO certi-
fication, that facility is not
available in India. Even if it is
available somewhere, it is very
costly which no one can
afford. We have submitted our
response with the NGT trying
to take a stand which is in the
balance of entire industry -
both the small manufacturers
and the large manufacturers.
What was the role of WQIA
in the GST?
Mr. Trivedi: On behalf of
the Association, we have rep-
resented a request to the gov-
ernment to reduce the tax
structure as earlier it was the
excise and VAT that was going
We should stick to
the minimum
norms and product
standards for water
that is used for
treatment. I would
request water
professionals to
take the advantage
of training
programmes that
we are conducting
in the interest of
their business and
in the interest of
consumers.
very high. If the product is
more beneficial for the con-
sumers, it can help the gov-
ernment also since it is not
able to provide pure drinking
water to every human being.
So, we requested the govern-
ment and we took up this
issue with all GST committee
and councils and the members
and they have accepted our
proposal. Thankfully, our
product was slotted in 18%
water purifiers categories
against all consumer durables
of 28%. QWP (Qualified Water
Professionals) Programme is
another achievement. The
basic understanding is that if
you are new to the water
industry, or if you have joined
a job and you don’t know what
is to be done, this programme
will help you to understand
how the industry works. So,
the Qualified Water
Professionals programme
gives them a broad idea.
Currently, the programme
duration is four hours.
What will be your role as
the President of WQIA?
Mr. Trivedi: The major
activity that I would like to
July, 2018 21
 MARKET
take up is sticking to the core
activities like training, educa-
tion, having product stan-
dards and certifications. The
main task that I would want to
take is that whichever activity
we are doing, the advantage
should be taken to the grass
root level as we have reached
the water fraternity, whether
they are members or non-
members. Any activity being
worked upon such as stan-
dards, programmes, or train-
ing programmes, will be open
for non-members also. There
may be some price differentia-
tion, but we want to make this.
Earlier it was for members
only, now we want to make it
for non-members also.
Ultimately, we also want to
take advantage. Our purpose
is to take this down to every
individual, every organization
irrespective of whether they
are members or non-mem-
bers. That is the first thing I
will do.
Please tell us about the re-
cent MoU signed between
WQIA and IAPMO India.
What were the objectives
of this agreement?
Mr. Trivedi: Major objec-
tive to sign MoU with IAPMO
India is better management of
the Associations because
IAPMO India already has its
presence in the country, and
they have good experience in
managing these associations.
We have taken their help to
manage our association. The
strategic guidelines and
inputs have been borrowed
from WQIA only and IAPMO
will work accordingly. The
day-to-day activities will be
managed by IAPMO.
What is the duration of
this MoU?
Mr. Trivedi: Currently, we
have signed it for one year.
Definitely, it will extend to a
couple of years based on the
mutual comfort.
I will come to the water
sector now. How do you
see the future of Indian
water sector as President
of WQIA?
Mr. Trivedi: As far as
22 July, 2018
water sector or water indus-
try is concerned, I still see
scope for growth. The pene-
tration is still very low.
Government, infrastructure,
CSR, if you look at all the
areas, there is still ample
scope for growth in the water
industry, and that can be any
segment whether it is drink-
ing water, or water treatment,
or the STP, or ETP - in all the
segments it is still growing
and it is likely to grow rapidly
for maybe another 10 years.
Looking at this growth, WQIA
would see how it can bring in
innovation because as growth
happens, you need to make
the technology affordable to
the users. If you see the news
which feature water scarcity,
recycling of water, STP, and
the need for water, affordabili-
ty is a major concern why peo-
ple are not opting for it. So
reaching that, bringing those
kinds of innovations that can
be connected with the right
people, is what we can bring
through the platform of
WQIA. People must come to
know that this kind of technol-
ogy is available. Even if you
want it in a commercial place,
it can be converted. So that is
one aspect.
On a broader level, how do
you see the role of WQIA in
the coming 2-3 years?
Mr. Trivedi: We have
already begun with our activi-
ties like training and educa-
tion. Right now, we have start-
ed with the QWP 1 and we
intend to upgrade that in a
year or two to QWP 6.
Starting from the basic water
understanding, we will go to
the level where the person is
technically qualified. Today,
there is a shortage of techni-
cally qualified manpower. The
first thing is how we can help
our members in the industry
to train and educate their peo-
ple and making technically
certified people available to
them. We will create a force of
skilled people for the industry
in terms of both technical abil-
ity and after sales course. We
will upgrade to industrial
ETP/ STP. So it will be gener-
al as well as technical. We are
going to work on both fronts
and we wish to cover the
entire gamut of the water
industry where we can pro-
vide them with trained profes-
sionals.
WQIA Milestones
• Organized six WQIA
industry meetings in
Bangalore, Ahmedabad,
Chennai, Delhi, Goa and
Mumbai in last 3 years.
• Currently 32 Gold mem-
bers/associates and 141
ordinary members.
• Development of new
standards for product cer-
tification.
I will now come to the part
about the WQIA member-
ship benefits. What are the
benefits of being a WQIA
member?
Mr. Trivedi: The person
who becomes a member of
WQIA gets the advantage of
gaining knowledge about the
water industry. They get an
opportunity to network with
the members of the same fra-
ternity, have business expan-
sion as we give huge opportu-
nities through the website
where we have published
membership lists. Anyone
who wants to purchase certi-
fied or good quality products
can approach good suppliers.
We have provided facility to all
the members to connect
through WhatsApp services
which helps in generating
business leads. It helps them
in business development, net-
working, etc. They can take
advantage of our education
programmes and training pro-
grammes. We conduct two
meetings in a year of which
they can be a part. Not only
these, they can be a part of the
Association too if they have
the zeal to do something for
the water fraternity. We pro-
vide the opportunity to the
members to be a part of the
sub-committee. They can be
members and they can serve
the industry.
Now I will come to the
awareness part. How is
WQIA creating awareness
on water quality and stan-
dards?
Mr. Trivedi: To members
or non-member companies,
our people are approaching to
create awareness of the stan-
dards that should be available.
This year, we intend to take
help of CII, FICCI, and gov-
ernment organizations related
to drinking water and envi-
ronment to help us and work
out programmes that reach
the ground-level understand-
ing. Not only national bodies
like CII and FICCI, we will
take help from local bodies
like Rotary Clubs and Lions
Club as they conduct such
kind of programmes. We will
reach out to NGOs to help our
members and to help create
awareness within the commu-
nity. So not only national pro-
grammes, we will go to the
regional level programmes.
We are working out ways to
find out how we can be helpful
to the regional associations as
they are a big strength of the
local members. We want to
take them into the main-
stream through our training
programs and seminars so
that the advantage can go
down to the basic level.
What are the biggest chal-
lenges WQIA faces right
now?
Mr. Trivedi: The challenge
is getting everyone in India to
join us in whatever activities
we are doing. I would say the
main challenge is to create
awareness. Though we have
worked out many plans, tak-
ing it to the ground level is a
big challenge. Passing on the
advantages to the ground level
is another biggest challenge.
As you can see, it is not a
proper organization.
Everyone needs to come vol-
untarily.
Thirdly, there are a lot of
good professional pro-
grammes that we have con-
ducted and we know there is a
need for awareness of such
professional programmes. But
to convey the importance of
these programmes within and
outside the membership is
another challenge.
Are you planning any
events in 2018 and 2019?
Mr. Trivedi: In 2018-2019,
we have started with QWP
and solicitation programmes.
We have planned to train at
least 500 people for QWP pro-
gramme. And similarly, there
are certified trained techni-
cians, around 200, which we
want to train for the country.
Currently, we are starting
with the Residential Service
Technician Programme and
Certified Service Technician
Programme. We will be start-
ing with Bangalore, Mumbai,
Ahmedabad, Delhi, Tamil
Nadu, and Chennai. We will
try to cover all big cities in the
first phase and then given the
opportunity to tie up with the
regional associations, we will
take it to the Tier 2 cities. We
plan to have our convention
somewhere in August. Other
than that, in association with
IAPMO and CII, we wish to
conduct some programmes,
not only training and educa-
tion but more of social aware-
ness programmes related to
water conservation with a
couple of NGOs and other
bodies.
Your message for water
professionals in India as
President of WQIA.
Mr. Trivedi: I would say
that associations are life-
savers for a code of conduct. I
would expect that every mem-
ber or non-member should fol-
low ethical practices since we
are serving the industry for a
good cause.
We must not dilute that
cause. We should stick to the
minimum norms and product
standards for water that is
used for either drinking or
treatment. I would request
them to take the advantage of
training programmes that we
are conducting in the interest
of their business and in the
interest of consumers. Once
they have their qualified per-
sonnel, that will be an advan-
tage for them. And similarly,
the consumer will also be ben-
efitted with the help of trained
people which will ultimately
help in the growth of business
and industry.
EXPRESS WATER
 COVER STORY STORMWATER & FLOODS

As our cities are facing

increasingly frequent
and severe cases of
flooding, Express Water
reviews the challenges in
addressing urban
flooding and managing
the stormwater.

EXPRESS WATER July, 2018 23

 COVER STORY

To Avoid Urban Flooding,Several

Infrastructural Improvements
Are Required!
Dr. Kapil Gupta is Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Bombay, Mumbai,
India. He is currently advising the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Govt. of
India on urban flood disaster management. He is also advising many cities such as Guwahati,
Hyderabad, Mumbai, etc. on urban flood mitigation issues. Following the Mumbai megafloods
of 2005, he has been responsible for setting up the Mumbai Flood Early Warning System
using 60 automatic weather stations and designing many of the flood mitigation works on the
Mithi River in Mumbai. For the Disaster Risk Management Master Plan for Mumbai, he has
carried out the flood risk assessment for Mumbai. He has been the Convener and Member of
Expert Committee for drafting NDMA Guidelines on Urban Flood Disaster Management and
Member, Expert Committee for drafting Manual on Urban Drainage, Ministry of Urban
Development, Government of India. For our cover story on the stormwater management and
floods, he shared his views on various aspects of urban floods with Mayur Sharma.

Prof. Kapil Gupta, Department of
Civil Engineering, Indian Institute
of Technology Bombay
It is now recognized that
the urban flooding is very
different from other
floods. What are the rea-
sons and causes of urban
flooding? And how much
should we blame on our ur-
ban planning and prac-
tices?
Prof. Gupta: The term
urban flood consists of two
parts "urban" and flood". An
urban area has been defined
as (according to Census of
India 2011): (a) All statutory
places with a municipality,
corporation, cantonment
board or notified town area
committee, etc; or (b) All
other places satisfying all
three conditions: i) a mini-
mum population of 5,000; ii)
at least 75 percent of male
working population engaged
in non-agricultural pursuits;
and iii) a density of population
of at least 400 per sq. km.
Flood is defined as "an over-
flow of a large body of water
over areas not usually inun-
dated". Thus, flooding in
urban areas is caused by
intense and/or prolonged rain-
fall which overwhelms the
capacity of the drainage sys-
tem. As our cities are major
international centers for trade
and commerce, they are
densely populated, and an
urban flood affects a large
number of people in a very
small area. In addition, there
is inundation and damage to
vital infrastructure, disrup-
tion to rail, road, and air serv-
ices, thereby affecting all
walks of life.
Urban flooding often leads
to major economic losses
which have both local and
global implications.
Outbreaks of diseases is
another major hazard after a
major urban flood. In rural
flooding the flood extent may
be quite large, there may be
agricultural losses but the
number of people affected is
not much in comparison to
urban areas.
Moreover, the flood peaks
in urban areas are about 2-8
times and flood volumes are 6
times the predevelopment
(rural) levels. Urban flooding
is caused by three main fac-
tors - meteorological factors,
hydrological factors and
human factors.
Meteorological factors include
heavy rainfall, cyclonic
storms, and thunderstorms.
Major hydrological factors
include presence or absence
of overbank flow channel net-
works and occurrence of high
tide impeding the drainage.
Human factors include land
use changes, surface sealing
due to urbanization which
increases run-off, occupation
of the floodplains and obstruc-
tion of the flood flows, urban
heat island effect which has
increased the rainfall in and
areas surrounding the urban
areas, sudden release of water
from dams located upstream
of citizen towns and even fail-
ure to release water from
dams resulting in backwater
effect. The causes of urban
flooding are well documented,
the main causes being: a)
Rapid urbanization, b)
Concretization of surfaces, c)
Loss of holding ponds/low
lying areas to development, d)
Construction in low lying
areas, e) Blockage of drainage
channels, and f)
Encroachment on drainage
channels/river floodplains.
The indiscriminate disposal of
solid waste into the urban
water drains and channels is a
major impediment to water
flow during the monsoon.
Unfortunately, very few
urban planners are aware that
water channels should be left
alone. The old drawings show
only property boundaries
without showing the water
channels/drainage paths.
They should draw up the
development plan only after
physically visiting the site and
clearly demarcating the water
bodies and water channels.
Why are we seeing fewer
but more intense rainy
days which, in a way, are
behind these flood crisis?

24 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER


Prof. Gupta: The IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change) has indicat-
ed that we are going to wit-
ness increased rainfall in
smaller amounts of time
which means that our existing
drainage systems have to be
redesigned to accommodate
the flows that will be coming
in from the increased rainfall.
These can be done by resizing
the drains where possible and
by judiciously providing best
management practices into
the drainage infrastructure.
Why our cities are not pre-
pared for these extreme
rainfalls with sufficient
drainage systems? What
should be done to aug-
ment the drainage capac-
ity of a big city?
Prof. Gupta: The Ministry
of Urban Development is yet
to bring out a dedicated man-
ual on urban drainage.
They had started the work
8 years ago but are yet to
release it. The old manual
specifies that cities be
designed for at most once in 2
years flood - which means our
drains will overflow every two
years! This needs to be
increased to at least once in
10/25/50 years. The
Netherlands is upping it from
once in 100 to once in 1000
years event.
Only 50% of the Nether-
lands is more than a few
feet above sea level. Major
floods have occurred there
for hundreds of years. Ten
years ago, they developed
the concept of “room for
the rivers”, in which they
give more space to the wa-
ter. Can we build similar
flood protection systems
in our cities? What could
be the practical challenges
and solutions?
Prof. Gupta: Definitely.
The people living in the flood-
plains and low lying areas will
need to be relocated or they
should construct at least
above the high flood level and
provide sufficient waterway
for the floods. Our local lead-
ers should be made aware of
this and with their support,
this can happen.
EXPRESS WATER
Can you tell us about simi-
lar best practices and proj-
ects from around the world
- which we can replicate in
our country, in part or full?
Prof. Gupta: Best manage-
ment practices such as the
construction of storage tanks
either at the rooftop level, at
the intermediate level, at the
ground level or underground.
Storage/Holding ponds
should also be provided at
judicious locations to store
water during heavy rainfall so
that it does not cause down-
stream flooding. The water
can be released gradually
once the rain subsides. Porous
pavements have been imple-
mented in various cities
around the world. These allow
the water to gradually infil-
trate into the underlying soil
thereby maintaining the pre-
development sub-soil water
conditions.
Several best management
practices have been practiced
in India in the past. We have
forgotten these. We should
wake up and revise the simple
practices like storage of water
in rainwater tanks, rooftop
storage, underground tank
storage, temple tanks, recre-
ational holding ponds in parks
and residential estates, etc.
Mumbai and Chennai are
India’s two big flood-prone
metro cities. What should
be the plan for an effective
‘Storm & Flood Water Man-
agement’ in your opinion,
for such coastal cities?
Prof. Gupta: To avoid
urban flooding, several infra-
structural improvements are
required. First, the existing
drainage path should be well
demarcated. There should be
no encroachments on the nat-
ural drainage channel in the
city. Secondly, we see that a
large number of bridges, fly-
overs, and metro projects are
being constructed and the
columns are located in the
existing drainage channels.
These can be avoided using
proper engineering designs
such as cantilever construc-
tion thereby preventing block-
age of existing drainage
widths. One more thing that is
seen is that the roads are sur-
faced and resurfaced several
times thereby increasing the
levels of the road above the
plinth levels. The Indian
Roads Congress has recom-
mended that whenever a road
has to be resurfaced, the exist-
ing layer should be scraped
through and then the new
layer should be laid so that the
plinth level and the road level
are maintained to the pre-
development levels.
Mumbai has also devel-
oped a flood drainage master
plan and it is being slowly
implemented.
MCGM (Municipal Corpo-
ration of Greater Mumbai)
has identified parts of
Mumbai and its suburbs
which are more prone to
urban flooding. What
should be done at such
identified spots to prevent
or reduce the damage of
floods?
Prof. Gupta: With current
available instrumentation
technology and information
on the internet, it is quite easy
to forecast an urban flood and
issue early warnings. For
example, Mumbai Municipal
Corporation has installed 60
automatic weather stations
for recording the rainfall
every 15 minutes. This infor-
mation is disseminated
through the GMDMA
(Greater Mumbai Disaster
Management Authority) web
portal in real -time during the
monsoon. Water level meas-
urements can be made on the
receiving river or drain using
ultrasonic water level meters.
The methodology that should
be adopted is - one can look at
the satellite maps for move-
ment of weather systems, one
can simultaneously monitor
the Indian meteorological
department's 'Nowcasting’
forecasts. Looking at the
satellite, one can estimate
when the rainfall or heavy
rainfall is likely to take place.
Once the rainfall takes place,
automatic weather stations
record the rainfall and simul-
taneously, the flow gauges are
also recording the water level.
Now, by the time the water
falls on the rain gauge and it
reaches the river or stream of
STORMWATER & FLOODS
the affected area, there would
be a delay of about 20 minutes
(in Mumbai) for the water to
flow from the upstream rain
side to the downstream side.
So, if we know that heavy rain-
fall is happening at the
upstream point, we have a 20-
minute lead time to inform the
people living in the down-
stream area that a heavy rain-
fall is happening and that the
river levels are likely to rise.
20 minutes is enough time, as
was in the case of Mumbai
during the 2013 heavy rainfall
event, for the people to evacu-
ate with their belongings.
What are the significant
infrastructural changes
that should be made in ur-
ban areas’ planning at the
macro and micro levels?
Prof. Gupta: At the
macro-level, reserved green
spaces should not be dere-
served. Adequately sized
drains should be provided for
at least 1 in 10 year/25 year/50
year design period. At the
micro-level, people should
install one or more of the best
management practices in
their apartment blocks/resi-
dential estates/institutional
areas.
The Government of India is
focusing a lot on the Smart
City projects right now.
How can a smart city in-
clude a master plan in
readiness for the urban
floods?
Prof. Gupta: Only a small
fraction of a city is being cov-
ered under smart cities. The
practices mentioned earlier
are adequate if implemented
in the proper spirit.
We hear about so many ad-
vanced methods and tech-
niques on flood forecast-
ing systems which already
exist (for prediction, data
assimilation, and post-pro-
cessing, etc.), why are we
not able to implement
them in our operational
systems? What is your ad-
vice for the researchers
and operational forecast-
ers?
Prof. Gupta: A dedicated
team of trained and compe-
tent personnel to operate the
flood forecasting systems as
well as the operation of the
gates of reservoirs and dams
within a watershed area is
required. This should be
developed similar to the air
traffic control dedicated staff.
Last year, the Massachu-
setts Institute of Technol-
ogy (MIT)’s Urban Risk Lab
had launched a flood re-
porting app called
RiskMap - where people af-
fected by flooding and wa-
terlogging can add their
location, flood depth &
photos, etc which could be
seen by other residents as
well as government offi-
cials. Do you think we can
develop more of similar
apps and services?
Prof. Gupta: An app is
only as good the developer of
the app and the understand-
ing of the user. The user
should be prepared to act on
the information provided in
the app. One should remem-
ber that power supply is the
first casualty of urban flood-
ing and the user may be left
without power/charge in his
phone to update the app.
Anything else which you
would like to add, looking
at the upcoming monsoon
season here?
Prof. Gupta: The people
should also not dump debris
in the stormwater drains.
Destruction of holding ponds
and green areas should be
controlled. In most cities, we
see that after the flood water
recedes breakout of epidemics
such as malaria, chikungunya,
dengue propagated by mos-
quitoes and leptospirosis due
to mixing of rat’s urine with
water. So, immediately after
the floods, people should take
measures such as consuming
boiled water or if possible,
bottled water to avoid these
diseases and also to avoid gas-
troenteritis. Water should not
be allowed to stagnate to pre-
vent breeding of mosqui-
toes.And the guidelines on
urban flood disaster manage-
ment can be downloaded from
www.ndma.gov.in. It is advis-
able to read them.
July, 2018 25
 COVER STORY
Retrofitting Older Neighborhoods
Infrastructure BoundaryConditions - Social
and Environmental Construction Issues
By Deodat Budhu
THE BEEMAN PARK subdivi-
sion, one of Orange County’s
oldest neighborhoods, was plat-
ted and constructed in the
1920’s with very limited
stormwater infrastructure dur-
ing area development. Sue
Harbor subdivision, on the
other hand, platted in the 1970's
includes more traditional
stormwater conveyance fea-
tures such as curb and gutter as
well as and curb inlets. Both of
these neighborhoods are within
close proximity (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Location Map
Figure 2: Standing Water
26 July, 2018
Due to the relatively flat ele-
vation of the south portion of
the subdivision and lack of
stormwater infrastructure,
localized street flooding can
occur within the Beeman Park
and Sue Harbor neighborhoods
during rainfall events. The
majority of the street flooding
concerns are in the Beeman
Park area, near the roadway
intersections and around the
Woodlawn Drive/ Lake Sue
Drive vicinity area. Over time
the standing water in the
streets have caused deteriora-
tion of the limestone roadway
base course under the asphalt
pavement, which has created
numerous potholes in several
areas (Figure 2).
The subdivision also lacks
curbing or the existing curbing
is in poor condition along most
of the roadways with the excep-
tion of Sue Harbor Cove. Some
of the curbings have also been
heaved by nearby tree roots,
causing damage to the curbing
as well as impeding drainage Figure 3: Tree Heaving, No Curbing
along the roadway flow paths.
Additionally, the tree roots have drainage, non-existing curbing, than the roadways and some
also heaved or cracked the side- tree growth into the paving residences have 3-4 feet of con-
walk in several areas, primarily areas, and flooding among oth- crete, wooden, or brick retain-
within the Beeman Park subdi- ers. ing wall(s) which would be
vision (Figure 3). Moreover, the The first prospective solu- impacted by any proposed curb
sidewalk ramps do not meet tion is to remove tree con- or gutter solution given the lack
current Orange County, Florida straints to allow for a holistic of easement and narrow road-
Department of Transportation solution but this was not some- way. These boundary condi-
(FDOT) or Americans with thing the affected resident tions compounded with lack of
Disabilities Act (ADA) stan- desired; however, the utility(ies) areas for water retention
dards for handicap access. within limited roadway right of reduced the options for many
The area is occupied with way, would result in construc- solutions except a combination
mostly affluent residents who tion rehabilitation impacting of odds and ends improve-
are happy with their natural resident yards. The elevation of ments. As part of project evalu-
environment, of many trees, yards in many places are higher ation a detailed topographic
narrow street and somewhat
private and low traffic neigh-
borhoods. However, due to
many deficiencies which poses
safety hazards to the older and
younger residents alike, such as
walkers and joggers as well as
the standing water nuisance
due to improper drainage as
well as the roadway needing
resurfacing are all issues that
needed to be addressed. It
would not be prudent to resur-
face the subdivision without
addressing all the affected
infrastructures such as Figure 4: Exfiltration System
EXPRESS WATER

Figure 5: Historical Oak Tree
survey was performed together
with a subsurface utility survey.
The evaluation and survey
revealed:
• Widespread drainage prob-
lems exist within Beeman
Park subdivision, where the
generally flat terrain along
the southern half of the sub-
division does not properly
drain north to the storm
sewer system which dis-
charges into Lake Sue.
• Due to the age of Beeman
Park subdivision, a majority
of the curbing and many side-
walk sections are damaged
and in need of repair.
• The Sue Harbor subdivision
is in generally good condition,
without obvious drainage
deficiencies and only limited
curbing and sidewalk dam-
age.
• The ADA accessibility
Figure 6: Roadway Milled
throughout both subdivisions
does not meet current guide-
lines, primarily at sidewalk
ramp locations, where proper
detectable warning (truncat-
ed dome) surfaces have not
been installed.
EXPRESS WATER
To address the observed
deficiencies, the following were
suggested recommendations:
• Repair or replace the dam-
aged curbing throughout
both neighborhoods.
Repaired curbing should be
fixed to its original condition,
whereas new curbing should
be FDOT Type D curb.
• Replace sidewalk with signifi-
cant cracking or damage.
Grind sidewalk joints that
have been lifted due to tree
roots to create smooth, uni-
form sidewalk surface.
• Regrade portions of the exist-
ing asphalt surfaces to create
positive drainage flow to
storm sewers catch basins. It
is assumed that this regrad-
ing effort will be part of a sep-
arate milling and resurfacing
contract for Beeman Park
and Sue Harbor subdivision.
• Install new storm sewer and
curb inlets to intercept and to
collect stormwater from
additional ponding areas
within Beeman Park subdivi-
sion. The limited storm sewer
analysis conducted suggests
that 24-inch storm sewer
lines could accommodate the
10-year 24-hour design storm
for subdivision roadways.
The analysis makes general
hydrologic assumptions in
regard to the drainage char-
acteristics within the
Beeman Park and Sue
Harbor subdivisions.
• Install ADA detectable warn-
ing surfaces at the sidewalk
ramps in both the Beeman
Park and Sue Harbor subdivi-
sions. Limited sidewalk
improvements are also
included to widen or other-
wise be modified to create
greater ADA accessibility.
Sidewalk widths of three (3)
feet meet the minimum clear
width criteria within the ADA
guidelines. Sidewalks that
have their effective width
reduced to less than 3 feet
due to canopy tree encroach-
ment are proposed to remain
as is, because widening the
sidewalk may damage or
destroy the established
canopy tree.
• Install an exfiltration system
at the intersection of
Woodlawn Drive and Boyd
Avenue within the depres-
sional area located along the
southwest portions of the
Beeman Park subdivision
(Figure 4). The design of the
exfiltration system includes a
perforated pipe style system
that infiltrates water directly
into the sub-soil. A geotechni-
cal investigation and hydro-
logic and hydraulic analysis
of the exfiltration system was
also conducted, and it was
determined that the pro-
posed exfiltration system
would accommodate the 25-
year 24-hour flooding levels,
and would improve the rou-
tine flooding conditions. The
County will need to maintain
this exfiltration system by
routinely monitoring the sed-
iment levels within the sys-
tem and jet clean and vacuum
the system as sediment accu-
mulates within the trenches.
Construction of these retro-
fits commenced in April 2017
with an expected completion
date of December 2017. Within
the first three months of con-
struction, various site condition
constraints became evident,
including but not limited to util-
ity conflicts, narrow roadways,
construction equipment
maneuverability issues and res-
idents’ delay to exit their drive-
way. Moreover, citizen com-
plaints about dust from the con-
struction; not wanting the con-
tractor to work at more than
one street at a time and the clo-
sure of Woodlawn Drive
became convenience con-
straints inhibiting the progress
of the project. In addition,
adding valley gutters, addition-
al inlets and pipe to offset site
conditions as well as preserving
STORMWATER & FLOODS
Due to relatively flat elevation of
the south portion of the
subdivision and lack of stormwater
infrastructure, localized street
flooding can occur during rainfall
events.
a large historical oak tree have About the Author
all been part of the growing
pains (Figure 5). To make mat-
ters worse from those
described above, Hurricane
Matthew passed our way and
created further delay with fall-
en trees, ponding and area
clean up, etc.
The experience thus far to
retrofit these older areas has
been a balancing act. On one
hand to achieve a meaningful
construction progress and
shorter schedule while on the
other mitigating the citizen
inconvenience, preventing any
mishap and maintaining high
safety standard. To enable rea-
sonable progress in the areas,
several after-hours meetings
and briefings were held with
affected residents on project
progress and incorporating
their recommendations into our Deodat Budhu, P.E., is the
operation. Manager for Roads and Drainage
To minimize setbacks from Division at Orange County Public
noise impact, utility conflict, Works Department. He has more
and dust control while keeping than 36 years of experience in con-
vocal citizen complaints to a sulting, contracting, teaching,
minimum was very challenging research and public works in a
but thankfully, for the most variety of Civil Engineering disci-
part, the residents in the area plines. He is currently responsible
were very practical and accom- for daily administration and
modating. Due to the many var- management of 233 employees
ied issues both from an environ- and an annual Operation and
mental standpoint and social Capital budget totaling USD 85
inconveniences, the milling and million. His division is responsible
paving resurface operation was for managing the construction,
performed by in-house paving maintenance & operation of
crews because the resurfacing Orange County’s roadway and
required minute adjustment of drainage system infrastructure.
grades to accommodate a posi- He has a Bachelor of Science in
tive flow of water (Figure 6). Civil Engineering and a Master of
The construction retrofit was Science in Water Resources
completed in April 2018 at a Engineering. He is a registered
cost of USD 1.4 million. Professional Engineer in Florida
Although late by a stretch, the and Virginia with memberships in
residents were pleased overall. several professional organizations
Our operation staff was thrilled including ASCE, FSA, APWA,
to be out of the area. amongst others.
July, 2018 27
 COVER STORY
Storm Chambers SatisfyNewConstruction
Needs to Support HeavyLoads
The design engineers used StormTech® MC-4500 chambers to meet the significant volume
requirement.
By Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS)
A NEW NURSING home com-
plex here required four
stormwater drainage units in
order to meet the volume
requirement of more than
79,000 cubic feet of water.
Installed under parking lots, the
ability to handle top load
strength was another critical
design criteria for the contrac-
tor, especially with heavy equip-
ment being used during con-
struction. Scheduled to be com-
pleted during the fall of 2018,
the five-acre Brightview Senior
Housing Development will
include 140 apartment homes,
69 independent living apart-
ment homes, 45 assisted living
apartment homes and a 26
28 July, 2018
apartment unit designed for
dementia and Alzheimer’s Care.
Design engineers used
StormTech® MC-4500 cham-
bers, a product of Advanced
Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS)
to meet this significant volume
requirement.
The large chamber design of
these chambers allowed design
engineers to maximize the stor-
age volume provided in a limit-
ed footprint, an important con-
sideration on this site where
space constraints required effi-
ciency in each square foot. The
ability to handle top load
strength was another critical
design aspect met by the
StormTech chambers, which
can be installed under parking
lots.
A total of 458 chambers
were used to construct the
underground sub-surface
detention basins. System A1
with a capacity of 36,158 cu. ft.
and A2 with 11,872 cu. ft. are
connected while Systems B and
C are separate with a capacity
of 17,000 and 14,000 cu. ft
respectively. The footprint for
System A1 is 240.98 x 37.58 feet
with 213 chambers. System A2
with 69 chambers is 108 x 28.5
feet and connects to System A-
1. System B, in the southeast
corner of the site, is 112.18 x
37.58 feet and has 96 chambers. top of the corrugation and has a applications.
System C has 80 chambers base of more than eight feet. "The stormwater collection
installed in a 120 x 28.50 foot According to ADS, StormTech area spanned five-acres, with
pit. chambers exceed AASHTO limited detention space"
Each system had 12 inches of 12.12 LRFD requirements for explained Tori Durliat, Director
stone and 12 inches of backfill both live load and dead loads for of Marketing for ADS. "An
and has a StormTech Isolator® a 2-1 safety factor. underground detention system
Row that catches sediment in ADS N-12® corrugated High- was the least invasive and most
the rainwater preventing it Density Polyethylene (HDPE) cost-effective choice. The
from settling at the bottom of pipe was used for connections, StormTech chambers are
the bed and slowing the infiltra- in addition to Nyloplast® inline designed to easily split the sys-
tion rate. This Isolator Row can drains. ADS is a leading global tem into multiple beds, allowing
be cleaned out using the JET- manufacturer of water manage- design engineers to direct the
VAC® process. ment products and solutions for pipe to multiple locations where
The StormTech chamber is commercial, residential, infra- the water is stored until it is
designed in accordance with structure and agricultural infiltrated back into the
ASTM F2787 and AASHTO
standards and manufactured in
accordance with ASTM F2418,
"Standard Specification for
Polypropylene (PP) Corrugated
Wall Stormwater Collection
Chambers", making it a quali- The stormwater collection area
fied choice for use in commer- spanned five-acres, with limited
cial and municipal projects. The
chambers have a 75-year design detention space. An underground
service life and are manufac- detention system was the least
tured using a high-performance
impact modified polypropylene invasive and most cost-effective
(PP). The MC-4500 measures
five feet from the bottom to the
choice.
EXPRESS WATER

ground.”
"Designs using the pipe or
other sub-surface detention
systems would have required
larger excavations. Using the
chambers proved to be cost-
effective and provided a struc-
turally robust design, which
was required in order to with-
EXPRESS WATER
stand loads from heavy con-
struction equipment such as
cranes, concrete pumps, and
dump trucks."
Advanced Drainage
Systems (ADS) is the leading
manufacturer of high-perform-
ance thermoplastic corrugated
STORMWATER & FLOODS
The StormTech
chambers are
designed to
easily split the
system into
multiple beds,
allowing design
engineers to pipe, providing a comprehensive lished a leading position in many
direct the pipe to suite of water management prod- of these end markets by leveraging
ucts and superior drainage solu- its national sales and distribution
multiple tions for use in the construction platform, its overall product
locations where and infrastructure marketplace. breadth and scale and its manu-
Its innovative products are used facturing excellence.
the water is across a broad range of end mar- Founded in 1966, the company
stored until it is kets and applications, including operates a global network of
non-residential, residential, agri- approximately 57 manufacturing
infiltrated back culture and infrastructure appli- plants and over 33 distribution
into the ground. cations. The company has estab- centers.
July, 2018 29
 COVER STORY
Innovative Pumping Solutions for Flood
Control
Flooding is unavoidable and often unexpected, but it can be controlled to minimize losses and
damages. Flood control places stringent demands on the pumping solution, not least with
regards to reliability.
By Grundfos India
idea was to create an ‘urban
wetland’ which roots the new
city in the landscape. What an
impressive landscape it is, with
the Han River running through
it and a steep mountain back-
drop.
Bound by an elevated motor-
way, that also acts as a dyke, the
city is constructed on two lev-
els: a dense street level, which
accommodates the activity of
the city itself, and a sparser
upper level. Here a series of
rooftop pavilions, elevated pub-
lic spaces and buildings crown-
ing bigger buildings below look
over the road and out to the
river and mountain landscape
beyond.
The Situation/ Challenge
The fact that Paju Book City
is built on marshland, former
Paju Book City, South Kora Planned New Pumping Station to Prevent floodplains and paddy fields
Flood During Monsoon Season means that it is always at risk of
flooding, particularly during the
heavy rains in the summer.
Project Highlights: Grundfos Pumps Help Protect Paju With just one pumping station
Book City from Flooding built 20 years ago, the munici-
Location: South Korea pal authorities quickly realized
Customer: Paju City that this was insufficient for the
Grundfos Provided: A complete solution from audit and new city, especially as average
flood control consulting to engineering services. rainfall was on the rise.
• Pump data: 10 x Submersible KPL Propeller Pumps Grundfos was well placed to
• Total capacity: 4,104m3/min (246,240m3/hr) help them increase capabilities.
• Discharge diameter: 1800mm In 2008, Grundfos acquired KJI
• Motor power: 730kW Co of Korea, a company with a
• Voltage: 3300V long history of manufacturing
flood control pumps. Moreover,
Case-I: Flood Control Solu- architectural endeavor. Located the company boasted an
tion Keeps Book City High 30-km north-west of Seoul, it impressive R&D facility and a
and Dry features buildings by some of team with extensive experience
Overview the finest architects working in of the complexities of flood con-
South Korea’s Paju Book the world today. trol.
City, an ambitious new town But the master plan for the
based exclusively around the city, created by London-based The Solution
business of publishing, is a Architectural Research Unit, is Grundfos Korea was
remarkable and unexpected unique in another way too. The involved with the Paju project
30 July, 2018
right from the start. It helped
with the analysis and audit of
the situation and advised that a
new pumping station was need-
ed. As the project developed,
team Grundfos provided engi-
neering and consulting servic-
es, flood control expertise and,
of course, the Grundfos pumps.
The first phase of the proj-
ect, in 2007, was to significantly
boost the capacity of the exist-
ing pumping station with the
addition of 3 Grundfos KPL sub-
mersible propeller pumps.
When the Munbal Pumping
Station was ready in 2011, these
pumps were transferred to the
new facility, which was already
equipped with 7 KPL pumps.
The completion date for the
entire project, which included
an eco-park was in 2012.
The Outcome
Flood control places strin-
gent demands on the pumping
solution, not least with regards
to reliability. Through a combi-
nation of technical know-how,
industry leadership and solu-
tion-oriented product develop-
ment, Grundfos was able to sup-
ply pumps for high volume
water handling, tailored and
optimized for the new Munbal
Pumping Station.
The 10 Grundfos sub-
mersible KPL propeller pumps
provide a total pumping capa-
bility of over 4,000 cubic
meters (that’s roughly the
amount of water contained in
two Olympic-sized swimming
pools) a minute. The pumps
combine quality elements inside
a compact design and despite
their power, they require sur-
prisingly little space. They are
Inside the Pumping Station
also easily installed, drastically
reducing construction costs.
But what’s unique about the
Munbal Pumping Station is that
it’s designed to complement the
stunning architecture and natu-
ral environment of Paju Book
City. Walkways and an observa-
tion platform were built on top
of the station so visitors can
look over the Han River on one
side - a great spot for watching
migrating birds - and on the
other side, the eco-park and
reservoir.
In line with its commitment
to green principles and sustain-
ability, Grundfos helped the
Paju municipal authorities turn
what could have been a run-of-
the-mill pumping station into
something that not only pre-
vents flooding but also comple-
ments the environment of an
extraordinary modern city.
Case-II: Pump Gate - An In-
novative Solution to Flood
Control in Densely Popu-
lated Areas
In Poglar, Indonesia,
Grundfos has installed a new
innovative solution that pro-
tects the local community from
flooding without the traditional
space requirements for a pump-
ing station, floodgate, and
EXPRESS WATER
 STORMWATER & FLOODS

Project Highlights: Pump Gate for Flood Control in Densely

Populated Areas
Location: Poglar, Indonesia
Grundfos Indonesia Supplied:
• Consultancy with local partners
• Supervision of installation
• Resolution of all issues prior to commissioning
• Commissioning of the Pump Gate
Grundfos Supplied:
• 3 gates with 2 pumps per Pump Gate
• Pump flow 6 m3/s and total head 4.2 m
reservoir. Combining floodgates
and axial flow pumps give a
‘Pump Gate’ solution on an
existing waterway, relieving
flood pressure with a very easy
operation and maintenance.
Flooding is unavoidable and
often unexpected, but it can be
controlled to minimize losses
and damages. Flooding is a
common issue facing most of
the low-lying areas in major
cities in Asia, and in Jakarta,
Indonesia, this is compounded
by population growth, high
annual rainfall, and limited
space. Soil surface subsidence
accompanied by industrializa-
tion and urbanization further
aggravates the situation.
Flooding is the main prob-
lem in many areas in Jakarta,
and one of them is Poglar, locat-
ed at Kapuk, Cengkareng, West
Jakarta. Flooding is a common
issue at Poglar, where high tides
frequently inundate the area.
The flow conditions of the
Angke River also have a major
influence on the area. The low-
lying geography of Poglar
means that controlling the out-
fall of the Angke River and
avoiding backflow up the river
from high tides is essential for
protecting the local community.
As is always the case with
flood control measures in at-
risk areas, flooding cannot easi-
ly be overcome, but measures
can be taken to minimize losses
and damages. In cooperation
with the Public Works depart-
ment for Jakarta, This is what
Grundfos Indonesia has done,
by installing a Pump Gate.
How Pump Gate Works
A Pump Gate consists of a
floodgate on an existing water-
way equipped with pumps. This
removes the need for a separate
floodgate, pumping station and
reservoir, all of which take up
disruption to the local com-
munity
• A straight-forward installa-
tion on an existing waterway
and with a small construction
footprint
• A simple operation, as the
pumps are integrated into
the floodgate
• A low maintenance solution,
because the installation con-
sists only of the floodgate
with pumps and a screen; site
infrastructure is significantly
reduced.
The Outcome - The Pump
Gate Installed at Poglar
For the low-lying area of
Poglar and with the added prob-
lem of the Angke River flowing
through the area, the Pump
Gate performs the following
functions in one space-saving
installation:
• In situations of low tidal pres-
sure, gravity ensures that
Angke River water drains out
to sea.
• When the tide is sufficiently
high to cause flooding, the
floodgate can be closed, until
seawater levels fall and the
gravity feed of river water
“
A traditional pump station requires a large
scale site area for the pump station and
reservoir, with high costs resulting in the
purchase of land and a long time to prepare
the site. By using a Pump Gate, no sump pit
and pumping stations are required, with
minimum space requirements. Compared
with the cost of an ordinary pump station
with a floodgate and reservoir, we achieved
great time and cost reductions.
Supriyadi Supriyadi
Operations Manager, Grundfos Indonesia
the pump is integrally equipped ly involved in the first Grundfos
with the gate, the operation & Indonesia flood control project
maintenance of the Pump Gate for the Surabaya Urban
is very simple and easy. Development, which ran from
In the company’s role as a 2000 to 2006. Grundfos
business partner for the Indonesia received an award in
Jakarta Provincial appreciation for its outstanding
Government, Grundfos contribution to this flood con-
Indonesia has applied the Pump trol project from the local gov-
Gate system at Poglar, the first ernment. is satisfied.
such installation in Jakarta.
Although there are other flood
control systems that would give
the same results, the Pump
Gate is most suitable for Poglar,
considering the limited land
area required and the flow con-
ditions from the Angke River
flow.
In Indonesia, Grundfos has
worked with flood control at a Grundfos Engineers Supervise the
number of sites and was active- Installation

The Grundfos Pump Gate Solution
was the Most Suitable for Poglar,
Considering the Limited Land
Area Required and the Flow
Conditions from the Angke River
in Poglar, Indonesia
space. Building the submersible
pump directly into the floodgate
means that the function of a
floodgate can be combined with
the function of a pumping sta-
tion and reservoir.
The floodgate and screen
can be opened to discharge the
retained water by gravity flow.
And if the water outside the
floodgate gets higher, the Pump
Gate can be closed to block
backflow. If the retained water
reaches a certain level, the
pump starts operating to
forcibly discharge the retained
water.
This approach offers tangi-
ble benefits:
• No need for extra land with
the costly process of land
acquisition, legal delays and
can resume.
• If river levels are high at the
same time as a high tide, the
pumps can be started to force
water through the floodgate
to the sea, at the same time as
tidal pressure is held back.
Three gates and six pumps
have been installed at Poglar.
The existing waterway where
the Pump Gate is installed has a
channel width of 12 m and a
height of 4 m. Under normal
conditions, water levels varied
from a low of 0.6 m to a high of
2.5 m. Installed are six sub-
mersible pumps capable of 6
m3/h flow and 4.2 m head.
Integrating the pumps into
the floodgates means there are
no requirements for other
parts, such as a column pipe
and a separate water gate. As
“
Flooding is the main problem in many areas
in Jakarta, and one of them is Poglar, where
flooding is a common issue because of high
tides. It is not easily overcome due to
geographical conditions.Therefore, one of
the strategic programmes of the
Government of Indonesia is to minimize
flood damage through integrated water
resource management.We needed high
technology and a perfect solution, so
Grundfos was selected as our business
partner.
Toni Sudarsono
Field Supervisor, Water Resources Management, Public Works
Department, Jakarta

EXPRESS WATER July, 2018 31

 OUT OF THE BOX
The Mental Health Impacts of
Droughts on Rural Populations
By Klaus Reichardt
Klaus Reichardt
TYPICALLY, WHEN WE dis-
cuss droughts impacting dif-
ferent parts of the world, our
discussion is about the follow-
ing:
• What steps governments
and communities are taking
to cope with drought condi-
tions
• What industries are affect-
ed and how they are dealing
with it
• Data, such as how much
potable water is in dams and
how much water there is
now compared to one or
more years ago
• If the drought might be
related to climate change
• What water restrictions are
in place along with other
steps being taken to reduce
consumption
• How people have managed
to “carry on,” but doing so
using far less water.
But one aspect of droughts
that does not get as much
attention as it should is how
droughts can impact people
emotionally. Possibly one rea-
son for this lack of discussion
is the fact that most of the peo-
ple in the world are now living
in moderate-sized to vast
urban areas.
While those living in urban
areas may fret and complain
about being asked or required
EXPRESS WATER
to use less water, very often
they find doing so is surpris-
ingly easier than they initially
thought. Maybe the car isn’t
washed as often as before;
transferring from 15-minute
showers to five-minute show-
ers wasn’t as hard as antici-
pated; and while vegetation
may suffer, very often people
use the drought as an opportu-
nity to install landscaping that
requires less water, and with
it, far less care, time, and
attention.
But those living in rural
areas often find drought con-
ditions much more difficult to
cope with. A great deal of this
is because these people use
the land, in one of many ways,
as the source of their liveli-
hood. And to make this work,
for them to generate income
and meet their costs and
expenses, their land invariably
needs water, and all too often,
plenty of it. If water is in short
supply, anxieties and an array
of emotional problems can
soon result.
But let’s look at this situa-
tion in greater detail.
People in rural communi-
ties, indigenous groups, and
those that depend on their
land for their livelihood, tend
to be very stoic. There is a cul-
ture of self-reliance in these
areas of the world. We wit-
nessed examples of this sto-
icism in North America during
what was called “The Dust
Bowl,” which was the result of
drought conditions that
impacted much of the central
U.S. during the 1930s. But sim-
ilar examples of this stoicism
have been and are now found
in rural and farming areas
around the world.
Stoic people, according to
several studies over the years,
tend not to seek help when
they are experiencing difficul-
ties, whether it involves their
land, their business, or their
emotional lives. And if they do,
they are often frowned upon
by their neighbors.
For instance, during the
just mentioned Dust Bowl of
the 1930s, government agen-
cies started delivering food
and supplies to rural people
and farmers struggling to get
by. While these people wel-
comed and almost always
needed the supplies, what they
did not welcome were the
brown trucks that delivered
them. Their neighbors would
see the brown trucks and
ridicule these recipients for
not being more self-sufficient.
This ridicule along with
their stoicism further margin-
alized these people, especially
the men. Men are supposed to
be the breadwinners for their
families, especially at that
time. If they are not able to do
this and their neighbors see
this, then for many, their self-
value has been reduced or
eliminated.
Often, they are then placed
in a no-win situation as to their
mental health. If mental health
services are available in rural
and farming communities,
which they often are not, and
their neighbors find out they
are seeking help for emotional
issues, they are further
mocked and frowned upon.
The same can and does
happen today in many parts of
the world, and because of this,
many of these people experi-
ence serious mental health
issues, all compounding their
ability to address their situa-
tion in more positive ways.
How to Address These Is-
sues
Before continuing our dis-
cussion, I must say I am not a
psychologist and likely have no
more training in this field than
most of the people reading this
article. However, some steps
can be taken that should help
minimize the emotional
impacts of droughts, both in
rural areas of the world as well
as in urban areas. The three
that are most important are
education, technology, and
realization.
Education
In many parts of the world,
drought conditions are viewed
as temporary. “We’re going
through a drought now, but
things should be better next
year.” That is something we
hear people frequently say
during drought conditions.
But what we see more and
more of is that droughts are
lasting longer, are often more
serious, and even more, reflect
changing climate conditions.
In other words, some of
today’s “droughts” are actually
reflections of the “new nor-
mal.”
We need to educate people
starting at a very young age in
both rural and urban areas
that the generous ways we
consumed water in the past
may be coming to an end. An
unlimited supply, and in many
cases, a very inexpensive
unlimited amount of water,
may no longer be the case in
many parts of the world in the
21st century. If people know
this and realize this, then they
are often better able to cope
with drought conditions, with
fewer emotional impacts.
Technology
Another step is to encour-
age the development of tech-
nologies that help us use water
far more efficiently and - very
important - make sure people
are aware of these technolo-
gies. Being aware that steps
are being taken to help us
reduce consumption, use
water more wisely, eliminate
water waste, remove some of
the traditional ways we use
water - for instance by replac-
ing water using urinals with
no-water urinals - or turning
seawater into drinking water
far less expensively than in the
past, brings people hope.
When people have faith, they
see the future as brighter.
Realization
Finally, we must recognize
that droughts can take a
severe toll on people and their
mental health. While the two
steps just mentioned can help
ease the situation, much more
may be necessary, especially in
rural areas of the world, to
help people handle such situa-
tions. This includes more than
just those living in rural areas,
but people living in developed
regions, emerging countries,
as well as third-world areas.
Mental health facilities and
resources must be available to
those impacted by drought.
Mood disorders caused by
droughts can and have caused
physical illness, and to a lesser
extent, violence and even sui-
cide. Mental health facilities
and resources can help pre-
vent this.
About the Author
Klaus Reichardt is a fre-
quent speaker and author on
water conservation issues. He is
Founder and CEO of Waterless
Co. Inc., based in Vista,
California, USA.
July, 2018 33
 OUT OF THE BOX

Pioneering Funding Initiatives in

Water Sector
With a rise in funding options globally, improving outcomes, existing potential as well as
reducing costs with the advent in relevant technologies, there is every reason to win the
confidence of investors, funding agencies, and proven technology players.
By VA Tech WABAG Limited

sector. However, financing in incentives, low-cost recovery

the water sector has been
hampered by a couple of rea-
sons. First, water as a sector
may not be as prominent as
the other infrastructure sec-
tors in terms of size and vol-
ume. Second, the sector is
undergoing a maturity curve
to ensure bankable projects
with timely execution, sus-
tained performance and good
returns backed by guarantees
and clear contractual terms
for payment and performance.
Driven by such concerns of
the perceived high risk of long
gestation periods and poor
cost recovery in water sector;
due diligence and subsequent
commitment to disbursement
is a long drawn process. Water
resource management and
desired return on investment
in the sector stand out as one
Dambulla Integrated Water Supply Scheme of the major challenges in the
and inadequate funding cou-
pled with lack of capability for
proper maintenance, ulti-
mately leading to poor per-
formance of assets and a
wastage of financial
resources. Water tariffs need
to be rationalized and water
purchase agreements need to
incorporate a take-or-pay
clause to ensure that the utili-
ties as well as the investors
are protected commercially,
be it an annuity model or a
revenue generation model.
In order to progress
towards the ambitious target
of Sustainable Development
Goal-6 of United Nations -
Clean Water and Sanitation
by 2030, we must focus on a
comprehensive framework
taking into account different
stakeholders: For investors,
one which comprises an inno-

TODAY MORE THAN 2 bil-
lion people lack access to safe
drinking water. Demand for
water is expected to increase
by nearly one-third by 2050 in
view of the burgeoning global
population. This results in
accelerated consumption fol-
lowed by increasing environ-
mental degradation due to the
low percentage of sewage
treated and the all-round
impact of climate change. In
order to manage the challeng-
ing demand for our extremely
valuable freshwater
resources, setting up of sus-
tainable water and waste-
water infrastructure coupled
with capacity building to man-
age such infrastructure effec-
tively emerges as a priority in
the list of requisites.
Imagine this scenario: A
comprehensive water trans-
mission, treatment, distribu-
tion model followed by com-
plete wastewater treatment
incorporating efficient and
modern technologies, resilient
green infrastructure, and
complete resource recovery
with minimum footprint and
conformance to global envi-
ronmental standards. Couple
this solution with low life-
cycle cost, extremely good
cost recovery and returns
with maximum project life.
Sounds too good to be true?
Maybe it isn’t. In fact, the
doubt that this may be an
overly optimistic context does
keep people away from taking
advantage of excellent oppor-
tunities especially considering
the current scenario of the
global water industry.
Private financing (through
infrastructure bonds) can aid
in bridging the demand-sup-
ply gap by supporting sustain-
able infrastructure with long
project life. The state of infra-
structure in most of the
emerging markets globally
has been improved with such
funding mechanisms. The
challenge faced by utilities in
terms of operational and
financial sustainability can be
largely alleviated by the
involvement of the private
Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) Project in Valenzuela,
Philippines
The contract value of the order was around EUR 25 mil-
lion and World Bank funded this project. WABAG designed
and built the 60,000 m3/d Valenzuela sewage treatment plant
for Maynilad Water Services Inc. using the activated sludge
process. The contract also included operation and mainte-
nance of the plant as part of performance proving period of
one year.
water sector today. The situa- vative and guaranteed financ-
tion is further aggravated by ing model, for utilities, one
inefficient usage at the con- which augments their vision
sumer end which in turn for sustainable infrastructure
increases the cost defeating and capacity building, for con-
the objective to bridge tractors, one which provides
demand-supply gap. To sum weightage for technical
up, the current scenario com- expertise, not just commercial
bines weak performance competitiveness and

34 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 OUT OF THE BOX

Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) Project Under JICA

Funded Ganga Action Plan in Varanasi, India
This order had the value of around EUR 30 million
for design and construction of 140,000 m3/d Sewage
Treatment Plant (STP) at Dinapur, Varanasi including oper-
ation and maintenance for 10 years. The scope for WABAG
included design, engineering, supply, installation, testing and
commissioning of the sewage treatment plant whereas the
civil construction is to be carried out by its JV partner.
The order is part of JICA - Funded Ganga Action Plan
Project and the implementing agency for this project is
Ganga Pollution Prevention Unit of UP Jal Nigam, Varanasi.
WABAG is to employ the activated sludge process with
biogas based Power Generation for this project. This process
will help the plant to generate power from biogas and the
plant would largely be self-sustainable using this “green ener-
gy”. This will not only help the project to reduce its opera-
tional costs but will also reduce the carbon emissions and
thus will qualify for carbon credits.
Upper Ruvvu Water Treatment Plant, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

enhances their accountability EXIM India. This project has Million) represents a leading multina- logical know-how, based on
and performance. ensured access to drinking • 19,200 m3/day WWTP in tional player with a workforce of innovative, patented technolo-
One such financing model water for over 7 lakh people in Polatli, Turkey funded by over 1,600 and has companies gies and long-term experience.
to benefit the water sector Tanzania. European Union and offices in more than 20 Since 1995, WABAG has
would be funding through the In addition to government- With a rise in funding countries. completed over 900 water and
Buyer’s credit mechanism. funded projects, WABAG has options globally, improving It disposes of unique techno- wastewater plants worldwide.
WABAG pioneered this initia- also been championing in outcomes, existing potential
tive and availed Buyer’s credit projects funded by multilater- as well as reducing costs with
(Commercial Credit) of EXIM al and bilateral institutions advent in relevant technolo- Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Project Near
Bank of India for a Drinking like World Bank, Asian gies, there is every reason to Ankara in Turkey
Water Project in Sri Lanka of Development Bank, Japan win the confidence of This project for the construction of Polatli
value 78 million USD. This International Cooperation investors, funding agencies Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wastewater Collection
project is an ideal combina- Agency, and European Union, and proven technology play- Network and Collectors”, had a total value of around EUR 13
tion of competitive financing etc. ers who want to expand in million. The plant was co-financed by the European Union
for an emerging market in • World Bank funded the global emerging markets with and the Republic of Turkey.
need of developing sustain- 60,000 m3/day STP in a vision to be partners in set- The project was related to the building of a new municipal
able water infrastructure by Valenzuela, Philippines and ting up sustainable infrastruc- wastewater treatment plant and sewerage network in Polatli,
partnering with a company 100,000 m3/day STP in ture. As thought leaders, it is a city with a population of 120,000, which is located in central
with proven technological Illugin, Philippines incumbent on us to initiate Anatolia in the vicinity of Ankara, the Turkish capital.
expertise which helped secure • JICA funded 140,000 discussions and drive actions The wastewater treatment plant is equipped with conven-
access to safe drinking water m3/day STP in Varanasi, at all relevant levels to move tional mechanical/biological treatment technology on the
for over 5 lakh people in Sri India under Ganga Action towards a more sustainable basis of the activated sludge process and also incorporated
Lanka. Plan and 90,000 m3/day management of water carbon and nitrogen removal. In addition, the plant is operat-
Moving over to the western STP in Bengaluru, India resources. It is this collective ed using aerobic sludge treatment, sludge dewatering, and a
hemisphere, WABAG also exe- • Asian Development Bank effort from all stakeholders biological waste air filter. The facility corresponds with EU
cuted a drinking water project (ADB) funded 32,400 that alone can help realize the regulations regarding environment-friendly wastewater
in Upper Ruvvu, Tanzania m3/day WWTP in 2030 vision of achieving uni- treatment and in particular with the Environmental Impact
under the line-of-credit from Guheswori, Nepal (EUR 20 versal and equitable access to Assessment Report.
safe and affordable drinking The treatment plant had a capacity of roughly 20,000
water for all coupled with m3/d. However, overall plant design and parts of the build-
Guheshwori WWTP Plant Project in Kathmandu, Nepal comprehensive wastewater ings and electro-mechanical equipment was designed and
This Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) project in treatment. installed to accommodate a planned subsequent extension to
Kathmandu, Nepal had the value of Rs. 141 crores (>18 million 27,800 m3/d.
Euro). The order was funded by the Asian Development As an internationally WABAG partnered with an experienced, local specialist
Bank (ADB) and included operation & maintenance of the respected expert group, WABAG company ECETAS for the completion of the “collection net-
WWTP for a period of 10 years. This was the second order is a systems specialist and full work and collectors” section of the contract. An optimized
secured by the company from Nepal, the first one being the service-provider with a focus on process design, the high quality of the quotation and last, but
Melamchi Water Treatment Plant order which was funded the planning, installation, and not least, the competitive offer proved convincing for the cus-
by JICA. operation of drinking and tomer. As a result, during an international tendering process,
The scope of the order included rehabilitation and expan- wastewater plants for local gov- the WABAG and ECETAS consortium was able to beat off
sion of wastewater treatment plant at Guheshwori in Nepal. ernment and industry in the challenges from twelve competitors.
WABAG carried out rehabilitation and expansion of the growth markets of Asia, Turkey invested roughly EUR 13 million in the project of
WWTP while the existing plant was kept operational. The North Africa, Middle East, which WABAG’s share will amount to some EUR 6 million.
salient feature of the plant included generation of power from the Central and Eastern The financing was provided by the national government and
biogas produced out of the sludge. Europe. The WABAG Group the EU within the framework of the IPA programme.

EXPRESS WATER July, 2018 35

 OUT OF THE BOX
The Touchless Story of a Startup
By Realment Labs Private Limited
Bhrigu Chadda, CEO - Realment Labs Private Limited
The Story Behind the Inspi-
ration
Project Almanac, a lesser
known Michael Bay movie was
the first breath of inspiration
behind the experimentation
with touchless and gesture
control technologies for a
young inventor in 2015. The
scene shows three nerdy
friends flying a drone using
just their hand gestures, with-
36 July, 2018
out touching a button or a joy-
stick.
This was the eureka
moment for the inventor and
futurist Bhrigu Chadha. The
simplicity and yet graspable
reality portrayed in the scene
inspired Bhrigu to not only let
his imagination run wild but
also create this technology
himself.
Having been a veteran
from the tech-field, he had
already seen similar gesture-
control devices such as the
Microsoft Kinect earlier, how-
ever, they lacked seamless and
versatile implementation.
This sparked the process of
researching various other
available technologies to see if
any could be fine-tuned to a
finger level control.
After some experimenta-
tion and pilots in Bhrigu’s pre-
vious job, he started gesture-
control services for response-
based marketing for clients,
using platforms such as
XTR3D, Leap Motion, and
Kinect. Combined with the
IoT, the initial goal was to put
up a great show for an audi-
ence to market a brand in the
offline events.
This received great sup-
port and admiration but
lacked the ability to deliver
actual value and improvement
of life.
Having imagined the tech-
nology that could have such
wide-ranging effects on socie-
ty, Bhrigu wanted to work on a
problem that had not been
solved adequately yet. Seeing
that the technology was more
than just a novelty but lacked
mass appeal, Bhrigu started
leaning towards trying to iden-
tify everyday issues to solve
with this technology. It was at
this point that he saw large
scope for this kind of technolo-
gy in the healthcare sector in
India, and across the world.
Being an inventor by pas-
sion, he knew the technology
and the solution but couldn’t
yet identify where he wanted
to ideally implement this solu-
tion.
During a casual conversa-
tion, while lying in bed one day,
Bhrigu asked his wife “What
do you think would be useful
for you at home or at your
office if you did not have to
touch it?”
She replied ‘Washroom
taps, dustbins, and drinking
water dispensers!’
Initially having been given
the inspiration to the path of
touchless technology by
Micheal Bays movie, Bhrigu
had just been provided the
first very milestone on this
path by his wife in a casual
conversation.
Research showed a variety
of dustbins operated by sen-
sors that exist in the market
but haven’t been successful
and lacked mass adoption.
Touchless equipment in
washrooms in malls, hotels,
and offices have been preva-
lent for many years all over the
world. Yet there were none in
the drinking water segment.
There were some brands out-
side India that make touchless
equipment, but these were not
really compatible with how
most people across the world
store and dispense drinking
water.
Wanting to expand on his
wife’s suggestion and explore
the market to better under-
stand the needs, Bhrigu then
started surveying and taking
feedback from more people.
Being clear about wanting
to solve an existing problem
instead of providing a solution
irrespective of the nuances of
the market, Bhrigu started
with taking his design to a pro-
totype stage.
The first prototype was
made at home using Atmega
based Arduino and key
mechanical components with
minimum cost. This was to try
and understand the actual
working of the parts. This ini-
tial process brought with it a
variety of unseen possibilities
in terms of improvement in
parts and process. Yet, instead
of spending too much time on
the drawing board, Bhrigu
decided to display this product
and include the end-user in
the innovative process by pro-
EXPRESS WATER
 OUT OF THE BOX
viding insights or reviews they
had on the product.
Using this basic homemade
prototype, Bhrigu interacted
with over 1400 urban decision-
makers via phone, WhatsApp,
emails, surveys, and even exhi-
bitions. He was pleasantly sur-
prised on seeing the support
for the product with more
than 90% of the people
acknowledging that the prob-
lem was being solved.
The responses and feed-
back were recorded and evalu-
ated to improve the product as
well as to meet a convenient
and acceptable price-point for
the market.
Seeing an actual future for
this specific product, finally,
Bhrigu took the help of a busi-
ness consultant to further
understand the market, and
applied for a provisional
patent.
This is when Bhrigu quit
his job and together with
Mohith Manjunath, an already
seasoned entrepreneur with
over 9 years of experience in
successful entrepreneurship,
formed Realment Labs Private
Limited to forever change the
landscape of the tech market
using touchless technologies.
The first target was to start
with the production and mar-
keting of their first product
the, MoPure - Touchless
Dispensers for Drinking
Water.
What Does it Do?
Problems which we are
addressing:
• We see people in offices,
hospitals, schools and even
at home using water dis-
pensers. What they don’t
know is that there are over
7,000 different types of bac-
teria on our cell phones and
3,200 bacteria from 150 dif-
ferent species on our hands.
• We see ‘no’ education on
EXPRESS WATER
washing hands before inter-
acting with a drinking water
source like we do with food
or other consumables which
can then cause diarrhea,
influenza, common cold,
pneumonia, abdominal pain,
stomach infections, allergic
reactions, skin rashes, and
even pimples.
Yet, with time we have seen
a growth in the adoption of
touchless technologies both
locally and globally with a
slowly growing understanding
of sanitation and hygiene.
With more emphasis on the
process of carrying and trans-
mitting bacteria, people have
understood how unavoidable it
can be in everyday life. People
come across a range of differ-
ent germs when interacting
with other people, touching
commonly interacted-with
surfaces, using toilets, han-
dling cash, and other public
interfaces.
As a result, modern wash-
rooms are equipped with
touchless faucets, soap dis-
pensers, and hand dryers.
Some airports, western hospi-
tals, and universities also have
touchless drinking water foun-
tains and bottle filling stations.
Realment Labs has created
MoPure (touchless drinking
water dispensers) to be able to
solve this same problem but
with a cheaper and more ver-
satile solution. It uses a
patent-pending technology
that dispenses drinking water
through a tap just by placing a
hand over the sensor. It is food
grade and is tested in a water
quality lab.
Existing touchless systems
have limitations when used
with drinking water at low
pressure and in portable sys-
tems. Our solution, MoPure,
overcomes these limitations.
MoPure is cheaper, safer,
convenient and highly compat-
ible with the most commonly
used drinking water dis-
pensers globally. It will help in
reducing the spread of infec-
tions in rural and urban areas.
The implementation of this
solution will see an improve-
ment in the quality of life and
increase in the education
regarding sanitation.
Especially in schools and
hospitals where there are
more contaminants as well as
more vulnerable individuals,
there will be an improvement
compared to the current anal-
ogy technologies being used.
We will notice that over a
period of time a simple solu-
tion like this will not only
improve individual life but
also improve the productivity
and attendance of employees
and students by reducing
their chances of falling ill com-
pared to the conventional
method.
This is also something very
useful for the people who have
infants and young children.
The reduction in germs, that
they are exposed to, would
improve the health of these
children. The touchless option
has also proved to be conven-
ient in households, especially
while cooking and handling
uncooked food.
We want to create a culture
of improved sanitation in our
drinking water eco-system
and educate the public about
touchless solutions. To deliver
a social impact, we are looking
to collaborate with organiza-
tions and individuals who
would like to contribute to the
implementation of this touch-
less healthcare solution in var-
ious parts of India in govern-
m e n t
schools/hospitals/offices/rural
establishments.
The long-term goals
encompass the further educa-
tion of society towards higher
standards of hygiene, especial-
ly in underdeveloped and
poorer countries. We have
seen the need for multiple
campaigns like the “Clean
India” campaign, and this a
prime example of technology
being used to solve problems
in an inexpensive manner.
The MoPure touchless dis-
penser package includes a
storage container (capable of
holding a 20-25 liters water
can), the integrated touchless
tap unit (removable for clean-
ing) and a 5V 2A DC power
supply adapter.
Remember - no touching
equals more hygiene.
Big Break
During the process of set-
ting-up the manufacturing of
the product, we were lucky to
partner up with one of Indias
largest water dispenser manu-
facturers, Veeline Media Ltd.
They have 25 years of man-
ufacturing experience along
with a great R&D team to help
us further with the manufac-
turing process. They are cur-
rently manufacturing our
products and with growth
over time we see ourselves
expanding the range of prod-
ucts with their assistance.
Technology Behind the De-
vice
Ours is a hardware product
using proprietary mechanisms
for controlling the flow of
drinking water externally
using a microcontroller and
electro-magnetic actuators.
Growth Strategy
At the core of the company,
Realment Labs is an R&D
company. We have been work-
ing on a range of different
products and fields using
touchless and other forms of
technologies. There are a vari-
ety of new innovations cur-
rently in the pipeline that we
are testing on and improving.
Due to our range of expertise,
we have chosen a multi-
pronged strategy. Firstly, our
objective is to show substan-
tial traction in the B2B and
B2C segment of our current
product. Secondly, we sell our
technology via licensing and
royalty deals since we hold the
patent behind it. Thirdly,
white-labelling our product
and selling as OEMs to exist-
ing brands for integration with
their line of dispensers.
Fourthly, providing R&D serv-
ices to different companies
over a range of products as
consultants for specific prod-
ucts. We can achieve all this
because of our dedicated team
and the precise delegation of
work. Apart from this, we con-
tinue to focus on our in-house
R&D to provide more solu-
tions in the form of products
or services to problems that
haven’t been tackled before or
addressed inefficiently previ-
ously and to improve society in
our own touchless way.
Challenges Being Faced
Negotiating with investors
to retain maximum control
over the company becomes a
highly time-consuming
process as trust levels are low
in India off-late. The focus of
the entire board in such times
moves away from R&D and
core development. To add to
that, closing deals with organi-
zations and corporate is a long
bureaucratic process in some
cases. Irrespective of the size,
organizational clients take
time to trust startup products
and delay their payments.
Future challenges in retail
might even include the fight
over space, and a consumer
goods startup would require a
heavy financial muscle to be
able to get into that segment.
Remarkable Highlights
We are recognized by DIPP
Startup India and Karnataka
Biotechnology and
Information Technology
Services (KBITS) for our inno-
vation. We are supported by
the DERBI Foundation, an
incubator affiliated to DST.
We were the top 10 finalists in
Headstart Kickstart contest in
May 2017 in South India.
We have participated in big
trade shows recently with our
beta version, such as India
Manufacturing Show and
Invest in Karnataka
Tradeshow.
We have received over 1000
pre-production inquiries from
distributors, offices, factory
owners, gyms, schools, and
individuals, and are currently
closing orders for our market
version. We are currently get-
ting interests from investors
for mass production of the
product.
July, 2018 37
 TECH FOCUS
Securing Reliable Water Supplyto Villages in Rural
India - 24x7 Water Supplyin Malkapur,Maharashtra
In rural India, there are many villages with intermittent and inadequate water supply systems.
This often means that villagers spend many hours queuing for their meager share.
By Chanchal Dasgupta
Malkapur in 2008
Malkapur is a small village
near Karad in the State of
Maharashtra, 400-km to the
south of Mumbai. In 2008, the
population of 30,000 was
served by a water supply sys-
tem which was installed in
1988. This system was
designed to supply a popula-
tion of 14,000 by 2010.
However, being located in
the rich sugar production belt,
there had been a rapid growth
in population far exceeding
the water infrastructure.
38 July, 2018
Piped water was supplied only
a few hours in the morning
and evening. Hence the resi-
dents had to store water every
day. Many of them had to
stand in a queue at public taps
every day for fetching water.
Due to leakage in the exist-
ing DI and PVC pipe network,
about 35-40% of treated water
was lost, which was a substan-
tial revenue loss for
Maharashtra Jeevan
Pradhikaran (MJP), owner of
the water utility.
For many years, villagers
WATER SUPPLY
of Malkapur had to live with
an irregular and unsustain-
able supply of drinking water.
Their dependence was always
on the supply of water
through water tankers which
operated few days a week or
walking every day to fetch
water for their daily consump-
tion. Sometimes, villagers had
to spend hours during the day
or in the middle of the night to
waiting their turn to fill the
water buckets and walk back
to their houses.
Requirements for a New
24x7 Water System that whenever we store and worry every day. They
The objective of the project water, we store more than can utilize their time in eco-
was to provide every house- required. The excess water nomic activities.
hold in the village with fresh is thrown away the next day • Due to use of PE pipes and
water round the clock seven when fresh water is avail- welded fittings made of
days a week. A completely able. Therefore, More water specified PE100, Borouge
new water distribution net- storage = More wastage. was confident that the
work was required to distrib- • It has been seen that if water wastage will come
ute the water among the 3,000 water is made available down from 35-40% to <5%.
homes and minimize the round the clock, the water This could be monitored
water loss from the system. consumption/ wastage through smart metering
MJP, who was financing and comes down. And when the and water-audits.
taking ownership of the proj- supply is with volumetric • Reduction in leakage also
ect had set a requirement for billing, consumers are much meant more water revenue
the new network to reduce less likely to waste water, as for the authorities for the
water loss from more than it costs money to them. same volume of water
35% to less than 5%. The sys- • It gives peace of mind to the pumped. This was expected
tem was designed to supply a residents and saves them to help pay for the project to
projected population for 2030 considerable time, effort be more cost-effective in the
of 67,000 people. The govern-
ment officials in the State of
Maharashtra carefully moni-
tored the project in order to
gain experience which they
would use to implement a
24x7 water supply projects in
many other villages and
towns.
Why 24x7?
• It is the human psychology
EXPRESS WATER
 TECH FOCUS
medium to long-term.
Design & Construction of
Network
To meet the requirements
of the project it was an MJP
requirement to use pipes of
the highest quality and dura-
bility to ensure the long serv-
ice life without interruption
and minimize the water loss
caused by leakages in the sys-
tem. Therefore it was agreed
that high quality compounded
black PE100 material would
be provided by Borouge to
produce the 53.55 km of water
mains ranging in sizes from
75mm to 140mm OD (outside
diameter).
Kimplas Piping Systems
manufactured all the pipes
using Borouge HE3490LS
PE100 black material.
Kimplas also manufactured
the electrofusion fittings
which were selected as no
local technicians had experi-
ence with butt fusion jointing.
EXPRESS WATER
All the pipes were supplied in
50-meter coils, which signifi-
cantly reduced the number of
joints and thereby the possi-
bility of leakage along with
speeding up the installation of
the system. EPC Industries
installed the pipes and jointed
them using electrofusion fit-
tings in six different water dis-
Rajendra Holani, Chief Engineer -
MJP, Receiving Prime Minister’s
Award for the Project
tricts around Malkapur vil-
lage.
The other best practices
MJP introduced were Bentley
systems water network soft-
ware, 100% metering, and
remote data collection. This
was indeed a showcase of best
practices in water systems.
The water storage tanks were
located on the hill and the
entire water distribution was
fed by gravity without any
need for pumping.
"Success Story of
Malkapur 24X7 Water Supply
System" - the sustainable
project developed with techni-
cal excellence and with the
complete motivation of benefi-
ciaries achieved water and
energy conservation - won
Prime Minister’s Award for
Excellence in Public
Administration out of 64 proj-
ects shortlisted from all over
India. The architect of the
Project, Rajendra Holani,
Chief Engineer (T) and
Member Secretary - Manager at Borouge (India) Pvt
Maharashtra Jeevan
Pradhikaran received the
award on 21.4.2011 on the
occasion of "Civil Services
Day" at the hands of Dr.
Manmohan Singh, Prime
Minister of India. This project
has paved way for other towns
in India and many city man-
agers, professionals and politi-
cal leaders from across the
country are visiting to repli-
cate.
Borouge along with EPC
Industries & Kimplas sup-
ported the project through
special pricing under
Borouge’s CSR project “Water
for the World”. The project
was telecast by CNBC world-
wide in their programme
“Beyond Business” along with
4 other global projects.
Fresh Water for Every
House in Past 10 Years
By the summer of 2008,
every one of the 3000 houses
in Malkapur village was con-
nected to the new water sys-
tem, saving enormous
women-hours and allowing
WATER SUPPLY
The Maharashtra State government was
determined to improve this situation and
provide a continuous supply with a
much-improved leakage rate. Borouge
together with a local pipe supplier and
installer worked to meet this challenge by
providing high-quality PE100 material for
a new water supply network. By the
summer of 2008, Maharashtra Jeevan
Pradhikaran (MJP) had installed a new
24/7 “leak free”water supply system to
the 3000 homes in the village of
Malkapur following the best practices for
a modern water supply network and a
recent survey has shown that it is running
perfectly after 10 years.
Malkapur residents to enjoy About the Author
the precious fresh water dur- Chanchal Dasgupta is
Application Marketing
Ltd. A Chemical Engineer from
Jadavpur University, Calcutta,
he started his career at Indian
Petrochemicals Corporation
Limited, the first mega
Petrochemical Company in
India, in Technical service and
Application development for
ing the hot summer. Malkapur Polyolefins in various applica-
water project was India’s first tions, where he worked for 14
rural 24X7 project, carried years. For past 18 years, he is
out under the Maharashtra working for Borouge for market
State government’s program development of Borstar
to improve the water supply Technology PE and PP grades
to its rural population. for film, moulding, pipe applica-
During a recent survey tions.
undertaken by the Borouge is a joint venture of
Maharashtra Govt officials, it Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and
was found that the network is Borealis, Austria, manufactur-
still working fine in 2018, while ing 4.5 Million Tons of
the population of Malkapur Polyethylene and Polypropylene.
has increased to 40000. It has Currently, as Application
helped bring prosperity to the Marketing Manager (Pipe), he is
villages, reduced the UFW in charge of marketing of
losses and brought down per Borouge PE and PP pipe prod-
capita water demand and cost ucts in the Indian subcontinent.
of water. He leads the market develop-
People from nearby areas ment for Steel Pipe coating for
have migrated here due to whole Borouge territory. He is
24x7 water availability mak- the winner of Borouge innova-
ing it a model project for other tion award on 4 occasions and
villages in India. has 3 application patents.
July, 2018 39
 TECH FOCUS WATER SUPPLY

One Water LA2040: Planning for a

Resilient Water Supply
Los Angeles has an ambitious plan to ensure the city’s water future through collaboration,
integration of work and resources, and public involvement. The citywide effort will change the
way Los Angeles residents think about and manage their water.
By Lenise Marrero and Inge Wiersema

dependence on imported wastewater, stormwater, recy- Angeles water system seemed

water. Additionally, the city cled water, and water conser- close to impossible. Although
initiated a comprehensive vation efforts. However, what the city had commissioned
water planning effort to made the IRP special was its multiple studies over the
update its 2006 Water outreach program. The IRP years that looked at pieces of
Integrated Resources Plan actively enlisted and engaged the puzzle, there wasn’t a sin-
(IRP), officially known as the stakeholders from across the gle unifying tool that could
One Water LA 2040 Plan. city, including regulators, aca- bring all this valuable infor-
Simply put, the One Water demia, business leaders, and mation together in one place.
LA 2040 Plan is a collabora- members of the community. Now a user-friendly water bal-
tive, citywide planning effort Unprecedented in its scale, ance software tool has been
that will change the way the the outreach program went a specifically developed and tai-
city of Los Angeles thinks long way toward the IRP’s lored for the city’s One Water
about and manages its water success. LA 2040 Plan by an engineer-
resources. Although the plan The One Water LA 2040 ing consultant.
sounds simple in theory, in Plan builds on the success of City staff members use the
practice, it isn’t so straightfor- the IRP’s outreach efforts and water balance tool for multi-
ward. extends its planning horizon ple purposes. Because it con-
from 2020 to 2040. To date, tains information on the
From Silos to Integration the city has established a entire urban water cycle
The Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant Combines Advanced Traditionally, different Steering Committee made up (including wastewater,
Wastewater Treatment Technology with the Beauty and Tranquility of its types of water in Los Angeles of representatives from 14 Los potable water, groundwater,
Japanese Garden. The Plant’s Recycled Water Irrigates the Garden, have been handled by differ- Angeles city departments and and recycled water), users can
which is Open to the Public Year Round. The Plant Provides Recycled ent city departments. Potable six regional agencies; created prepare dynamic plans and
Water to Many Users in the San Fernando Valley, and the City of Los water, recycled water, waste- five Special Topic Groups to what-if scenarios to respond
Angeles Department of Public Works is Collaborating with Other City water, stormwater, surface tackle key plan components; to changing conditions. These
Departments to Expand the Program. water, and groundwater have and brought in more than 350 conditions might include
all had one or more depart- stakeholders representing increased water demands,
FOR MORE THAN a century, sources have their own relia- ments in charge. Although more than 200 organizations, water conservation results,
the city of Los Angeles, as an bility issues, and the last sev- there has been cooperation, including neighborhood coun- wastewater flows, stormwater
organization, has relied on dis- eral years of intense California true integration is kind of the cils, nongovernmental organi- flows, and estimated annual
tant and unpredictable water drought conditions have taken last frontier. The One Water zations, businesses, academia, rainfall. The tool can also esti-
supplies to provide to their toll on even the most his- LA 2040 Plan looks to change and other members of the mate the average costs for dif-
Angelenos. Attracting people torically reliable water that by breaking down tradi- public. This wide range of per- ferent combinations of future
to the city hasn’t been much of sources. Despite heavy rainfall tional water “silos” and put- spectives, experiences, and projects and flow conditions.
a challenge, but finding suffi- in late 2016 and early 2017, ting projects, programs, and agendas has helped build and Equally important, the water
cient water to keep the city California isn’t out of the policies in place to make it shape the One Water LA 2040 balance tool can summarize
thriving and growing has kept desert yet. easier for departments to Plan and moved the city the estimated costs of all
city managers and public In response to these condi- integrate their respective toward its goal of a plan that planned projects and deter-
agencies exploring new tions, on Oct. 14, 2014, Los water management practices fosters cooperation and buy-in mine if the level of planning
sources and solutions. Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and get the most out of the from all stakeholders. complies with Mayor
Over the past several issued Executive Directive city’s water supplies. Garcetti’s water-related initia-
decades, Los Angeles has Number 5 that called for A precursor to the One Building the Right Tools tives.
imported most of its water reduced demand and the Water LA 2040 Plan, the From a practical stand-
supplies from hundreds of development of local water Water IRP outlined the first point, getting a good big-pic- New Operations Require
miles away. The distant supplies to reduce the city’s steps toward integrating ture view of the overall Los New Skills

40 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 TECH FOCUS WATER SUPPLY

SEVEN OBJECTIVES PROVIDE A PICTURE OF SUCCESS

Sometimes, keeping all the numbers straight in a plan like One Water LA 2040 can be difficult. The
plan’s Steering Committee consists of 14 city departments and six regional agencies; additionally,
the Advisory Group has 10 members who represent the One Water Stakeholder Group, which in turn
ONE WATER LA 2040 has 350 stakeholders from more than 200 organizations. Together, they participated in more than
30 focus meetings to kick around ideas, suggestions, and possible solutions. Out of all that collabo-
ration came the One Water Vision, seven objectives, and 38 guiding principles. For simplicity’s sake,
let’s focus on the seven objectives and what they mean for the One Water LA 2040 Plan.

Integrate management of water resources

1
and policies. This speaks directly to the city’s OBJECTIVE
desire to increase the level of coordination,
cooperation, and integration among all city
departments, partners, and stakeholders - a
key component for the future. Balance the environmental, economic, and
societal goals. This means looking for affordable

2
OBJECTIVE and equitable projects and programs that
provide multiple benefits to all communities. For
example, if a stormwater capture facility can
also be part of a public park, then it meets
Improve the health of local watersheds.
multiple objectives and might be worth doing.
Projects under this objective would look at
ways to replace or reduce impervious covers,

3
OBJECTIVE
such as parking lots, streets, and sidewalks.
Other projects would focus on restoring local
ecosystems, minimizing pollutants in the
waterways, and reducing the risk and effects
Improve local water supply reliability. This
of flooding.
objective identifies ways to increase stormwater

4
OBJECTIVE capture, as a large percentage of Los Angeles
area’s wet and dry weather runoff is lost to the
Pacific Ocean. Other efforts under this objective
look at ways to expand the city’s water conser-
Implement, monitor, and maintain a reliable
vation program and make potable reuse a
wastewater system. As wastewater flows
practical, affordable and acceptable reality.
decrease because of greater conservation,

5
opportunities to use the excess sewer
OBJECTIVE
collection system capacity to capture and
convey dry weather runoff and stormwater for
treatment and reuse will turn up. Beyond that, Increase climate resilience. The ongoing
maintaining the sewer system to reduce drought is only one example of how climate
overflows and odors is a top priority. change can negatively affect the city’s water

6
OBJECTIVE supply and infrastructure. Milder winters reduce
snowpack levels, intense rainstorms lead to
flooding, and sea level rise makes coastal
Increase community awareness and advocacy facilities (like treatment and belowground
for sustainable water. A key factor of the One pumping plants) more vulnerable to storm
Water LA 2040 Plan’s success hinges on surges and tsunamis. Building mitigation

7
public and stakeholder engagement and OBJECTIVE strategies into the city’s overall plan is an
outreach. As educational and informational important step to making the overall system
programs are implemented to help the city’s more resilient and reliable.
citizens think differently about where their
water comes from, everyone can be a part of
achieving the One Water LA 2040 vision.

The One Water LA 2040
Plan will usher in a new era of
interdepartmental coopera-
tion and true integration. The
city’s water and wastewater
treatment plant operators -
the people who maintain,
operate, fix, and work with the
city’s complex water infra-
structure every day - will see
some big changes. This is par-
ticularly the case when it
comes to indirect potable
reuse and stormwater cap-
ture.
Turning wastewater treat-
ment plants into advanced (or
similar) water treatment facil-
ities for potable reuse isn’t an
overnight operation. There
will be changes to treatment
processes, and the host of reg-
ulations that come along with
potable reuse will require
engineers and operators to
bring new skills and knowl-
edge to their jobs.
For example, one of the key
regulatory issues surrounding
direct potable reuse is real-

EXPRESS WATER July, 2018 41

 TECH FOCUS
The Tujunga Spreading Grounds is One of 27 Los Angeles Groundwater Recharge Facilities That Lie Adjacent to River Channels and Soft-Bottom
Channels and Permit Water to Percolate into Groundwater Basins for Later Pumping.
time water quality monitoring.
Simply put, operators must
constantly verify that the
water leaving the treatment
plant and entering the potable
water distribution system
meets stringent quality stan-
dards. That will require addi-
tional training and technology
as well as new operator certi-
fication methods. As direct
potable reuse moves closer to
regulatory approval, opera-
tors will see more stringent,
though streamlined (it’s
hoped), training and certifica-
tion protocols.
However, potable reuse is
only one piece of the puzzle.
Truly integrated water man-
agement will also entail imple-
menting new practices with
unprecedented implications.
Potentially, operators must be
42 July, 2018
able to manage wet-weather
flows and divert dry-weather
runoff into treatment plants
while ensuring the city’s pipes
and pumps continue to oper-
ate as intended.
In short, One Water LA
2040 operators will need to be
able to react, respond, and
adapt to changing conditions
to make sure the city’s
stormwater, wastewater, and
recycled water systems inte-
grate with one another.
To do this successfully will
require additional training
and a paradigm shift - a high-
er level of collaboration and
communication to ensure
operations staff have owner-
ship and buy-in on the new
policies and procedures gen-
erated from the One Water LA
2040 Plan.
Next Steps
Since kicking off the One
Water LA 2040 Plan in late
2015, the city has made a lot of
progress in meeting the seven
objectives formed during the
plan’s development (see
“Seven Objectives Provide a
Picture of Success” in the box
above). From establishing
stakeholder groups and devel-
oping project “triggers” to
preparing studies on Los
Angeles River flows and ana-
lyzing climate change
impacts, the city’s plan is tak-
ing shape. The city, with input
from departments and stake-
holders, has identified a series
of near- and long-term oppor-
tunities in the form of proj-
ects, programs, and policies
that will fold into its overall
implementation strategy,
which picks up where plan-
ning leaves off and serves as a
roadmap to guide the city’s
decision making regarding
project scope, timing, costs,
and benefits.
City staff members recog-
nize there’s a long road ahead,
and it won’t be an easy one.
Yet the spirit of collaboration,
cooperation, and communica-
tion fostered thus far by the
One Water LA 2040 Plan’s
innovative approach will go a
long way toward ensuring Los
Angeles can achieve its vision
of implementing “an integrat-
ed framework for managing
the city’s watersheds, water
resources, and water facilities
in an environmentally, eco-
nomically, and socially benefi-
cial manner.”
Photo Credit: City of Los
WATER SUPPLY
The One Water LA
2040 Plan’s
innovative
approach will go a
long way toward
ensuring Los
Angeles can
achieve its vision of
implementing ‘an
integrated
framework for
managing the city’s
watersheds, water
resources, and
water facilities in an
environmentally,
economically, and
socially beneficial
manner’.
Angeles
About the Authors
Lenise Marrero is assistant
division manager, Wastewater
Engineering Services Division,
Los Angeles Bureau of
Sanitation. Inge Wiersema is
regional planning manager with
Carollo Engineers, Los Angeles.
Source: This article original-
ly appeared in the June 2017
issue of Opflow, the water indus-
try’s most popular resource on
operations issues published by
the American Water Works
Association (AWWA). The
award-winning monthly maga-
zine presents new and estab-
lished technologies and ideas
that readers can apply to water
treatment and distribution as
well as wastewater operations.
Opflow is a benefit for members
of AWWAIndia and a valued
resource for water professionals
around the world. To join
AWWAIndia, visit
awwaindia.org. To view the
original article, see
http://dx.doi.org/10.5991/OPF.2
017.43.0035.
EXPRESS WATER
 COLUMN
Water & Wastewater Services in Asia-Pacific
By Frost & Sullivan
IN A RECENT REVIEW OF
the global growth landscape,
the World Economic Forum
(WEF) has highlighted water-
related risks as the top threat
to global governments and
industries. This means that,
both in the short- and long-
term, the demand for water
resources will outpace supply
across the world and that
water-related risks will create
major disruptions in business
and daily life.
Among the global regions,
Asia-Pacific (APAC) is expect-
ed to face the highest risk of
water crises given the high
demand and low-supply envi-
ronment. APAC is undergoing
rapid population growth and
urbanization, at a rate that is
much higher than the World
average. In addition to this,
the continued migration of
manufacturing operations to
low-cost Central China and
Southeast Asia (SEA), is lead-
ing to further stress on water
resources and environment.
Given these circum-
stances, the region is expect-
ed to see strong growth in
treatment penetration and in
the adoption of advanced
technologies and processes
such zero liquid discharge
(ZLD) and water data analyt-
ics as a means to increase
resource availability and effi-
ciency. This will present the
APAC Water & Wastewater
Services market, which con-
sists of design & engineering
(D&E) and operations & main-
tenance (O&M) services
offered to municipal and
industrial water and waste-
water entities, with strong
growth opportunities in the
next 5 years.
Current Market Landscape
APAC’s municipal water
sector is chronically under-
funded and faces mounting
losses due to high non-rev-
EXPRESS WATER
enue water (NRW) and low
water tariffs. The Asian
Development Bank (ADB)
estimates that the APAC
region currently spends just
$18.5 billion on water and san-
itation, against the nearly $50
billion required annually to
ensure sustainable develop-
ment. In addition to this,
strong growth in the region’s
manufacturing and consumer
sectors is expected to bring
with it a host of environmental
concerns.
The good news is that
regional governments are cog-
nizant of the need to balance
growth and long-term sustain-
ability. Governments have
been working to strengthen
regulations to ensure a clean-
er, safer water and to safe-
guard existing water
resources for future use.
Many governments have also
revamped foreign direct
investment (FDI) policies to
ensure further investment in
infrastructure development,
and have created transparent
platforms for interaction
between policy makers, stake-
holders and investors to help
quicken the pace of growth.
FDI-Friendly Policies
After official developmen-
tal assistance (ODA), FDI is
expected to be the next
biggest contributor to the
market’s investment demands
in the next decade. Through
major FDI reforms in recent
years, regional governments
have been able to facilitate the
smooth entry of foreign funds
into critical sectors.
Some early milestones
include Indonesia’s 2016
restructuring of its water sec-
tor allowing investment in
pre- and post-consumer treat-
ment, Australia’s 2016 opening
up of the water extraction and
supply sector, and China’s
2017 deregulation of the water
sector.
As a result of the invest-
ment-friendly high-growth
markets, the region’s FDI
inflow has been largely
immune to the global decline
in FDI flows over the past 2
years. These positive develop-
ments are expected to result
in continued deregulation of
the water sector across the
region in the next decade, and
a resultant growth in FDI
inflow into the region.
Stronger Regulatory Land-
scape
The Asia Pacific has histor-
ically lagged in the enforce-
ment of water-legislations,
given the more pressing
developmental needs in the
region. Many developing
nations in the region lack
defined standards and fees for
wastewater discharge, with
end-users often paying only a
fixed fee regardless of dis-
charge levels. This is, however,
changing in recent times with
many regional governments
picking up cues on environ-
mental management from
more conscientious neighbors
such as Japan and Singapore.
In a bid to balance growth and
sustainability, high-growth
economies such as India and
Vietnam have adopted indus-
try-specific standards for
effluent discharge and for
high-impact wastewater treat-
ment. Ambitious targets for
water supply and pollution
prevention set by China and
India in their 5-year plans
highlight an increasing focus
on water security.
Some regional govern-
ments, such as those in
Indonesia and India, have also
restructured and liberalized
their water sector, enabling
easier market entry and a
decrease in the time-to-mar-
ket for various technologies
and services, resulting in fur-
KNOWING OUR WATERS
ther sectoral growth. While
there are still enforcement
challenges and a lack of suffi-
cient investment in the APAC
water sector, treatment adop-
tion continues to improve
given concerns regarding
long-term business sustain-
ability and environmental
impact.
Spotlight on Southeast
Asia
Recent years have seen the
mass exodus of local and
international market partici-
pants from the slowing water
markets in China and India, in
favor of other emerging mar-
kets in nearby Southeast Asia
(SEA). With the availability of
water being a key restraint of
this incoming growth, there is
an ongoing push in the region
to secure reliable, sustainable,
and economical sources of
clean water.
These factors are expected
to make the SEA market the
top growth region for the
Water & Wastewater Services
in APAC. Within SEA,
Vietnam and Indonesia will
offer the best growth opportu-
nities given the rapid econom-
ic development and industrial-
ization. The Design &
Engineering services segment
is expected to perform espe-
cially well in the SEA as the
pace of new greenfield proj-
ects picks up in the next 5
years. Among end-user seg-
ments, the SEA industrial
water and wastewater servic-
es segment, worth $3 billion in
2017, will make up for its lack
of size by offering market par-
ticipants high-growth oppor-
tunities throughout the fore-
cast period. The SEA indus-
trial segment will experience
the strongest growth in APAC,
clocking a CAGR of 13.45%
between 2017 and 2022.
Clear Skies Ahead for
APAC Market
As more governments and
industries seek to ensure long-
term water security, regional
demand for water and waste-
water treatment and associat-
ed services is expected to con-
tinue its upward trend.
Innovation in business deliv-
ery, through the adoption of
flexible business models such
as Anything-as-a-Service
(XaaS) and through value-
addition in service offerings,
will be critical to success in
the APAC market. Developing
capabilities in the implemen-
tation of smart water meter-
ing and leak detection tech-
nologies will prove to be a
major competitive advantage
given the regional efforts
towards water network reha-
bilitation and NRW reduction.
Also, with the growing
amount of water data being
generated by today’s technolo-
gies, participants offering
data services such as predic-
tive analytics and integrated
data management systems
can capitalize on the rapidly
transforming landscape.
Overall, the APAC Water
and Wastewater Services
market will achieve a robust
5.82% CAGR over the next five
years, growing from $147.58
billion in 2017 to reach $195
billion in 2022.
Hari Ramanathan is a
Research Analyst at Frost and
Sullivan.
@FrostSullivanEE
July, 2018 43
 COLUMN
Understanding Supply-Side and Demand-Side to
Support Water Management in the Asia Pacific
By Karen Delfau, IWC for the Australian Water Partnership (AWP)
WATER, AS A RESOURCE,
is finite. While the earth
seems to be covered in water,
only a small percentage of it is
actually available for human
use and consumption, posing
a challenge when it comes to
water management. How can
stakeholders ensure that
resources are used and man-
aged appropriately when
demand increases while sup-
ply stays the same?
Therefore, to adequately
manage water assets, stake-
holders must consider both
supply-side and demand-side
management. Both have bene-
fits and drawbacks, and
regardless of what approach
is taken, education is key.
In the Asia Pacific region,
the Asian Development Bank
estimates that 80% of water
resources are used for agricul-
tural irrigation. This high per-
centage has management
implications, as demand-side
efficiency and supply-side
augmentation solutions must
take into consideration how
the agriculture water is being
used, and for what exact pur-
poses.
New technologies and
approaches, when applied to
agricultural water, can have
significant implications for
water use, reduction, and
reuse, allowing for farmers to
better prepare for and man-
age water scarcity challenges.
Supply-Side Water Man-
agement
Supply-side water manage-
ment works by increasing the
amount of available water,
which can be done in a num-
ber of ways:
• By finding new sources,
• Increasing storage capaci-
44 July, 2018
ties,
• Diverting water to increase
supply at a particular asset,
or
• Using technology to create
clean, potable water from a
previously unusable source.
Supply-side water manage-
ment does not usually place a
burden on users to change
their own usage of the avail-
able water, at least initially,
when the costs are borne by
the government. However,
these techniques are often
expensive, meaning places
with fewer financial and tech-
nological resources are unable
to implement them easily, and
those that do have the
resources may still eventually
be pressured to recover costs
of maintenance and upgrades
from water users.
Examples of agricultural
supply-side augmentation or
storage solutions that may be
suitable for the Asia Pacific
context could include the
development of small farm-
sized dams or implementing
water reuse for crops that can
use water that may be run-off
from other crops.
Demand-Side Water Man-
agement
Demand-side water man-
agement can be defined as
reducing the amount of water
that is being used by people
for specific purposes, such as
household use, for farming, or
for municipal or industrial
needs.
To reduce demand, stake-
holders can implement vari-
ous measures. A structural or
operational change, such as
fixing leaky systems or
upgrading existing infrastruc-
ture to reduce waste is one
technique. Economic
approaches focus on financial
incentives for use reduction,
or disincentives for overuse.
Public education works to
change user behavior based
on sharing knowledge about
why reducing demand is
important. Water manage-
ment professionals may use
one, or many of these tech-
niques.
For demand-side water
management to work, water
managers must understand
both the water resource and
its users, in full. To reduce the
burden on any given asset,
those working in water man-
agement must explore how
reducing demand will impact
the user population, and if
reducing demand is even fea-
sible.
For example,
Hydronumerics’ Chris O’Neill
saw this challenge play out in
India, noting many large com-
panies wanting to invest in
infrastructure to add supply-
side management, without
understanding the demand
side of the equation.
Similarly, according to
O’Neill, some water users do
not understand their own role
in demand-side management,
experiencing a disconnect
between how they use the
water supply, and how that
affects the overall availability
and longevity of the resource.
Education and under-
standing water values are key
to implementing effective
demand-side water manage-
ment processes.
Demand-side management
measures are successful when
water managers understand
how water is used by the peo-
ple depending on the
resource, and they work to
educate users on best prac-
MARKET INSIGHTS
tices to reduce demand, for
example by introducing effi-
ciency measures that are suit-
able for the specific water use.
In an agricultural setting,
demand-side measures may
include replacing inefficient
pumps, or using drip irriga-
tion when appropriate. Many
of the demand-side manage-
ment approaches for agricul-
ture look at how both water
and energy demand can be
addressed when implement-
ing new technologies.
Successful demand-side man-
agement interventions also
have a community capacity
building element. Individuals
need to understand why the
measures and important and
what benefit they will receive
before they sign on to any
behavior change or new tech-
nology.
Focusing on the long-term
health and availability of a
water resource can help show
users why it is so important to
manage water carefully.
Which Approach is Best?
To effectively handle water
management, stakeholders
have to be willing to look at
both approaches and consider
what will work best, whether
that will be supply-side man-
agement, demand-side man-
agement, or a combination of
both.
The first step to imple-
menting any supply-side or
demand-side program is to
speak with the stakeholders
involved, and fully analyze the
data and information avail-
able.
This initial scoping may
take a fair amount of time, but
a comprehensive understand-
ing of the situation is essential
to implementing an effective
solution. Decisions and proj-
ects that take place with
incomplete knowledge can
waste precious money, human
resources, time, and even
have the unintended conse-
quence of damaging trust.
Various reports, white
papers, and industry guide-
lines emphasize the critical
value of stakeholder engage-
ment for water management,
and a good starting point, if
you are looking for more infor-
mation, is the OECD 2015
Stakeholder Engagement for
Inclusive Water Governance
publication.
It has been demonstrated
that reducing demand is usu-
ally somewhere between three
to ten times less expensive
than developing water-supply
options, such as building
reservoirs or importing water
from distant places.
In Australia, community
engagement has helped to
identify opportunities for
demand-side management
approaches, which has
allowed for governments to
avoid costly new infrastruc-
ture projects.
The Australian Water
Partnership (AWP) is an
Australian Government devel-
opment initiative enhancing the
sustainable management of
water across the Indo-Pacific.
@WaterPartnersAU
EXPRESS WATER
 COLUMN
The Rise of Blue-Green Infrastructure
By Robert C. Brears
FACED WITH CLIMATE
change and environmental
degradation many cities are
turning to Blue-Green
Infrastructure (BGI) solutions
to enhance climate resilience
as well as restore the health of
ecosystems.
BGI is a strategically
planned network of natural
and semi-natural areas, rang-
ing in size from rain gardens
right up to green streets, that
are designed and managed to
deliver a wide range of envi-
ronmental, economic, and
social benefits including
improved water quality (BGI
captures and cleans stormwa-
ter, ensuring waterways are
healthier), reduced potential
for flooding (BGI slows down
and holds stormwater allow-
ing it to soak into the ground),
enhanced resilience to climate
change (BGI can use water as
a resource for communities
and natural habitats), reduced
infrastructure costs (BGI
reduces the volume of water
entering the sewer system,
increasing the lifespan of the
sewers and reducing infra-
structure maintenance costs),
and increased space for com-
munities and wildlife (BGI
provides multiple mental and
physical health benefits to
communities as well as a sanc-
tuary for urban wildlife and
pollinators).
Amsterdam Implementing
BGI at Different Spatial
EXPRESS WATER
Scales
Amsterdam, facing rapid
population growth and cli-
mate change threats, is devel-
oping various types of BGI at
different spatial scales in both
existing and new neighbor-
hoods to achieve a variety of
benefits including enhanced
climate resilience, increased
biodiversity, and improved
human health. Specifically,
Amsterdam’s BGI will
increase the retention and
reticulation of rainwater, all
the while having a cooling
effect on surface tempera-
tures, provide habitats for
indigenous plants and animal
species, and provide opportu-
nities for recreation and relax-
ation. The city’s range of BGI
being developed includes
green pocket parks and neigh-
bourhood parks, which are
small parks designed to not
only manage stormwater but
also invite activity; green play
streets which are streets that
have been closed to traffic and
turned into green spaces for
people to meet and play in;
and sidewalk gardens where
residents are encouraged to
create green facades or plant
vegetation in bare soil around
street trees.
LA’s Green Streets
Each year Los Angeles
loses 58 trillion gallons of
water to the ocean. To collect
some of this excess water off
the city’s impervious surfaces
the Los Angeles Department
of Water and Power (LADWP)
is developing a stormwater
incentive programme for the
infiltration and on-site use of
Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) is a strategically
planned network of natural and semi-natural areas,
ranging in size from rain gardens right up to green
streets, designed and managed to deliver environ-
mental, economic, and social benefits.
stormwater from industrial
facilities as well as designing
and constructing ‘green
streets’, which are streets that
reduce, treat, and capture
stormwater runoff close to its
source. Both initiatives align
with the Sustainable City
pLAn’s goals of reducing the
purchase of imported water
by 50% by 2025 and producing
50% of LA’s water locally by
2035. Regarding the stormwa-
ter incentive programme, all
industrial facilities regulated
by the Industry General
Permit and within LADWP’s
service area/areas of interest
will be eligible to participate
in the program. The total
rebate amounts will be based
on yield for each respective
facility, with the rebate
amount of USD 1,100/acre foot
(AF) for infiltration and USD
1,550/AF for onsite reuse.
Meanwhile, one green street
being implemented is the
Laurel Canyon Boulevard
Green Street Project that will
see a series of vegetated infil-
tration swales and dry wells
installed. During storm
events, these BGI solutions
will capture and treat
stormwater runoff from an
approximate 123-acre
drainage area and infiltrate it
into the San Fernando
Groundwater Basin. During a
normal year, the project will
be able to replenish 13 million
gallons of rainwater into
underground aquifers.
Oslo Restoring its Water-
ways
The City of Oslo is one of
Europe’s fastest-growing
cities with its population in
2030 projected to be 30%
higher than today. With a
greater number of people fac-
ing climatic risks, Oslo is
implementing a range of BGI
strategies to create a more
resilient, greener city includ-
ing the restoration of its
waterways. Oslo has 10 main
waterways that run through
its urban areas. Up until
recently, these waterways
were considered problematic
for sewage and an obstacle to
development. As such, large
sections have pipes and cul-
verts. However, these have
predefined capacities and
with more frequent and heav-
ier rainfall the city faces
increased urban flooding
risks. In response, Oslo has
decided to restore these
waterways by reopening
closed rivers and streams to
handle stormwater more
effectively as well as create
recreational spaces for people
and facilitate increased habi-
tat for biodiversity. One exam-
ple is the Teglverksdammen
Project which is a reopening
of around 650 meters of the
stream Hovinbekke.
The project has been
planned and designed as a
natural cleaning system with
several sedimentation basins,
a stream with water rapids, a
small lake, and shallow waters
with dense vegetation.
Stormwater from a nearby
school is also safely led into
the newly reopened stream.
New York City Incentiviz-
ing BGI on Private Prop-
erty
New York City’s BGI aims
to reduce Combined Sewer
Overflows (CSO) into New
York Harbour, in addition to
providing multiple community
and environmental benefits to
the city’s neighborhoods and
residents in a cost-effective
URBAN WATER
way. These secondary benefits
include increased urban
greening, urban heat island
reduction, and more habitat
for birds and pollinators. To
incentivize BGI retrofits on
private property, the city’s
Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) will be
releasing a Request for
Proposals to procure a
Program Administrator to
launch and administer a new
BGI Private Incentive Retrofit
Program.
The five-year contract will
have a value of USD 43-58 mil-
lion with a goal of retrofitting
200 greened acres. DEP has
also released a streamlined
fast-track review process for
private green roof projects
funded through its Green
Infrastructure Grant
Program. The funding sched-
ule sets reimbursement rates
for green roof projects based
on growing media depth and
planted area.
These upfront reimburse-
ment rates eliminate uncer-
tainty over how much funding
is available for potential proj-
ects and by giving this infor-
mation to applicants in
advance it means DEP can
fast-track green roof grant
applications, with anticipated
design approval within 90
days from the submittal date.
Moving Forwards
A range of policies can be
implemented by cities around
the world to implement BGI
solutions including retro-
fitting public areas as well as
encouraging the uptake of
BGI solutions on private prop-
erty.
Robert Brears is the author
of Urban Water Security,
Founder of Mitidaption, and
Our Future Water."
@Mitidaption
July, 2018 45
 APPLICATION
Howto Choose the Right Concrete Wedge Anchor for
Your Water/ Wastewater Facility
By Bob Carlisle
WATER AND WASTE-
WATER maintenance staff
and contractors are looking
Confast Stairs
for ways to avoid long-term
maintenance problems for
their projects can take time to
carefully examine the environ-
mental conditions of an appli-
cation using wedge anchors.
Choosing the correct type
of wedge anchor to fasten an
item to concrete can reduce
the negative impacts of rust
and corrosion. In fact, a few
ounces of moisture plus its
substance will tip the scale
toward the use of the 304
stainless steel wedge anchor,
316 stainless steel wedge
anchor, or use of the hot-
dipped galvanized wedge
anchor.
Wedge Anchors Come in
Varied Materials and Types
• Zinc plated carbon steel
wedge anchors are among
the most common.
• Other types include stain-
less steel wedge anchors
and hot dipped galvanized.
When choosing wedge
anchors made from specific
materials or with particular
finishes, it's important to con-
sider the environmental
demands of the end installa-
tion. In the moist environ-
ments, a careful judgment is
critical to ascertain whether
stainless steel or hot dipped
46 July, 2018
galvanized wedge anchors
would provide the longer last-
ing corrosion resistance.
Is it a Wet or Moist Environ-
ment?
When an application of a
wedge anchor is needed, a
practiced installer will inspect
the environment carefully to
decide if it is moist or wet.
These few minutes of scrutiny
will translate into years of
rust resistance and durability
for the completed job.
Wet environments can be
either indoors or outdoors,
and are submerged in liquid.
This wet area will never be
completely dried out, i.e., a
sump pump. The 304 stainless
steel wedge anchors will pro-
vide effective rust resistance
in this type of atmosphere.
Zinc wedge anchor might be
used in wet applications but
will rust over time.
Moist environments are
also found both indoors and
outdoors and are places that
are temporarily submerged.
The hot dipped galvanized
wedge anchor will have more
rust resistance than even the
mechanically galvanized
wedge anchor, but not more
than the stainless steel vari-
ety.
Is It a Caustic Type of Liquid?
Once the decision has been
made that places the setting
on the continuum of wet to
moist, the next assessment
concerns the liquid itself.
Attentiveness to this detail
will have long-ranging conse-
quences on the endurance of
the wedge anchor application.
Caustic, chemical and salt
liquids will need the additional
corrosion resistance offered
by the 316 stainless steel
wedge anchor, regardless of
whether the application will
be in a moist or wet environ-
ment. Food processing plants
where cleaners are present
are examples of where the 316
stainless steel wedge anchor
is the most intelligent choice.
Wedge Anchor Compar-
isons:
304 Stainless Steel Wedge
Anchors
• Used in submerged, wet
environments
• Used only in solid concrete
• Spacing between each
anchor must be more than
10 anchor diameters apart
Confast Stainless Steel Sleeve
Anchor
316 Stainless Steel Wedge
Anchors
• Used in caustic, wet and/or
moist atmospheres
• Used only in solid concrete
• Minimum distance from an
unsupported edge is five
anchor diameters
Hot Dipped Galvanized
Wedge Anchors
• Used in moist environments
• Used only in solid concrete
• Holding value depends on
the diameter of wedge
anchor, depth of embed-
ment; the hardness of con-
crete base material increas-
es holding value
Available Diameters for
Wedge Anchors
Concrete wedge anchors
come in nine different diame-
ters ranging from 1/4" to 1-
1/4". Each diameter of con-
crete wedge anchor is avail-
able in different lengths from
1-3/4" in the 1/4" diameter to
12" long in all diameters larger
than 1/2".
Determining Diameter
The diameter of concrete
wedge anchor to use for any
particular application
depends on the weight of the
object being fastened, on the
diameter of the hole size in the
object being fastened, and on
any specifications of diameter
recommended by an engineer.
The rule of thumb is that the
larger the diameter than the
better the holding values.
Holding values concrete
wedge anchors can be found
at technical specifications for
wedge anchors.
Length to Use
The length of concrete
wedge anchor to use is based
on the thickness of the materi-
al being fastened plus the
embedment depth of the con-
crete wedge anchor into the
concrete. Each diameter of
concrete wedge anchor has a
minimum embedment depth
that the anchor must be
inserted into the concrete for
it to obtain minimum holding
values. Adding the minimum
embedment of the diameter of
concrete wedge anchor being
used to the thickness of the
material being fastened plus
the thickness of the nut and
washer will give the minimum
length of concrete wedge
anchor that should be used.
Minimum embedment depths
for each diameter of concrete
wedge anchor are listed below.
Confast Water Fittings
Concrete Fastener Solu-
tions
Due to the high moisture
content that is common in the
water and wastewater envi-
ronments, items can be effec-
tively anchored down for
improved rust resistance
using 304 or 316 stainless steel
wedge anchors. Caustic,
chemical and salt liquids will
need the additional corrosion
resistance offered by the 316
stainless steel wedge anchor.
The electrical conduit
applications on the block,
brick or concrete can be done
with stainless steel tapcons,
stainless steel wedge anchors
or stainless steel sleeve
anchors. Control boxes fas-
tened to concrete can use
stainless steel wedge anchors,
while stainless steel sleeve
anchors are recommended for
use with block walls. An addi-
tional way for water and
wastewater maintenance staff
and or contractors to reduce
the cost even further is to pur-
chase wedge anchors directly
from the manufacturer by
ordering online.
About the Author
Bob Carlisle is President of
Concrete Fastening Systems.
EXPRESS WATER
 MARKET
Beautifully Remote Smaller Local Authority
Shows How to Handle Wastewater with Low
Environmental and Energy Impacts
By CST Wastewater Solutions
Lord Howe Beach
THE COST-EFFICIENT
wastewater treatment system
is currently being assembled
(first half of 2018) by
Australian company CST
Wastewater Solutions for
installation on World-Heritage
listed Lord Howe Island in the
second half of the year, to
replace the existing waste
management facility on the
Island, 900 km off the coast of
Eastern Australia.
The two-stage system -
suitable for smaller, remote
and ecologically sensitive
community, municipal,
agribusiness and industrial
applications - was selected by
the Island Board of Lord
Howe after extensive testing
to determine the best solution
for the management and dis-
posal of waste generated on
the island.
It uses a combination of
coarse and fine screening and
advanced dry compaction
KDS separator technology to
produce a more hygienic and
more compact output that is
EXPRESS WATER
easier to handle and trans-
port. The system is more eco-
nomical, compact and uses
less energy and minimal
water compared to alternative
systems,’ says CST
Wastewater Solutions’
Managing Director, Michael
Bambridge.
“The installation on Lord
Howe illustrates the efficiency
of the best screening technol-
ogy now available as well as
the clog-free automatic liquid-
to-solid waste KDS separa-
tor.”
Advanced Grit Removal
The company is also high-
lighting Smith & Loveless
PISTA® 360 fine screening
technology, which removes 95
percent of grit as small as 105
microns (140 mesh).
The technology, which
CST is distributing through-
out Australia, sets an entirely
new benchmark for grit
removal, which has typically
been set at 95 percent as small
as 250 microns, says
Bambridge. The technology
also:
• Reduces the enormous cost
of de-sanding downstream
aeration basins, channels
and digestors
• Reduces damage to down-
stream equipment from
wear
• Eliminates the loss of effi-
ciency of downstream
processes through loss of
active volume
• Enhances Waste Water
Treatment Plant reliability
• Reduces OH&S hazards
involved in unclogging sys-
tems
• Helps to prevent environ-
mental spills from blocked
and flooded systems.
Waste Streams
The existing waste man-
agement facility for Lord
Howe Island sorts various
waste streams including food
waste, paper & cardboard,
green waste, recyclable mate-
rials re-usable materials and
general waste. Septic Waste
from the residential and com-
mercial system is also treated
at this facility, drawn from
about 220 wastewater sys-
tems on the island, 25 of which
are commercial operations.
Currently, the pumpouts are
delivered to the facility via a
1,800-liter wastewater tanker.
CST Wastewater Solutions
was tasked by the Lord Howe
Island Board to review a “best
fit” sludge dewatering system
for the septic waste because
the current infrastructure is
becoming outdated and the
existing drying beds are to be
decommissioned. Working
with Lord Howe Island
Board’s Project Manager, CST
Wastewater Solutions devel-
oped an optimal solution that
combined outstanding envi-
ronmental performance with
equally strong OHS perform-
ance - and which has a much
smaller footprint than the
drying rack system used cur-
rently.
CST’s new two-stage sys-
tem comprises:
• The first stage is a CST
Screen Extractor with a
coarse screening at 6.0mm
up front to remove plastic,
rags and other disposals
typically found in the com-
munity, commercial and
industrial wastewater treat-
ment plants.
• The second stage employed
CST’s new KDS Separator
technology for fine screen-
ing and dewatering of the
fines. The KDS system was
developed in Japan, a coun-
try which is highly focused
on food and water purity.
CST Wastewater Solutions
engineers KDS’ latest tech-
nologies into Australian-
engineered packages speci-
fied to achieve best results
in individual locations, such
as Lord Howe Island.
The compact KDS multi-
disc roller separator features
a unique self-cleaning dewa-
tering and conveying system
with oval plate separation and
transfer structure that pre-
vents clogging and permits
automatic continuous opera-
tion that handles oily and
fibrous material with ease.
“This simple-to-maintain
separator offers a high
throughput within a small
body, with the smallest model
being just under 350 mm wide
and weighing 50 kg. It is ideal
for applications such as Lord
Howe Island and other small-
er communities and industrial
applications throughout the
Asia-Pacific, including coastal,
remote and ecologically sensi-
tive areas. It is more hygienic
and produces an output that is
twice as light and half the cost
to transport for disposal, com-
pared to other systems. It is
also extremely compact, ener-
gy efficient and uses minimal
water.”
Designed for efficiency,
sustainability, and conserva-
tion of resources in small-to-
medium applications, the
energy-efficient KDS separa-
tor consumes as little as
0.06kW hr of electricity and
uses no wash water, says
Bambridge.
Compared to alternate
technologies it saves on
power, space and money.
“The KDS separator uses a
fraction of the power of a cen-
trifuge and involves no water
usage during operation, unlike
a belt press or a screw press.
For a relatively low invest-
ment cost, it offers a high-per-
formance alternative for
example to sludge drying beds
and geobags, says Bambridge.
The KDS technology can
also be used for thickening of
dissolved air flotation sludge -
a very common application
throughout wastewater oper-
ations.
July, 2018 47
 MARKET
Highly-Effective Containerized Units for
Biological Wastewater Treatment
By Cornelia Harmsen and René Trübenbach
IN ORDER TO meet the glob-
ally increasing requirements
on flexible, biological waste-
water treatment plants, Multi
Umwelttechnologie AG
(Mutag) is now offering their
basic engineering support in
the form of a franchise-con-
cept. In this way, companies
engaged in marketing and/or
operating this technology, or
being interested in using this
technology as additional
know-how can benefit from
Mutag’s many years of experi-
ence and development work.
What is Different with the
Mutag MBBR Power Pack™
Unit and what is Essential?
In Germany, the produc-
tion of standardized water
treatment plants is currently
not profitable due to high
manufacturing and transport
costs.
In case that the steel struc-
tures and the pipework are
manufactured according to
construction plans directly at
the site in the respective desti-
nation country where the
plants are urgently needed,
suchlike plants can be pro-
duced at significantly lower
costs. Additionally, such a
support is contributing to the
further development of the
destination countries.
In a franchise concept,
companies in these countries
are given the possibility to use
the long-term know-how and
48 July, 2018
engineering basic guidelines.
They will hence neither need
any additional development
nor highly-skilled employees.
Thanks to this franchise
concept, the business idea of
offering the production and
the operation of compact, flex-
ible wastewater treatment
plants is possible to be
brought into price-conscious
markets and developing coun-
tries.
It is essential that highly
efficient and flexible plants
can be produced and operated
directly on the spot. In this
way, any potential further
costs can be kept as low as
possible.
The efficiency of the Mutag
MBBR power pack™ unit
becomes obvious when com-
paring it directly to other con-
tainerized plants which are
available in the market.
A Mutag MBBR power
pack™ unit in the framework
of a 40-ft container having
dimensions of 12.0 m x 2.3 m x
2.5 m (L x W x H) is designed
for municipal wastewater
treatment at a capacity of
2,400 m³/d, the load of 6,600
PE and 400 kg/d BOD at 15°C.
Hence, the removal perform-
ance of the Mutag MBBR
power pack™ unit at the same
MBBR reaction tank volume
is a double or a multifold of
other available containerized
plants which are comparable
in size.
For the operator, it is also
essential to know that only
one Mutag MBBR power
pack™ unit will be required
instead of 2 or even more con-
tainers. As a result, additional
costs can be further reduced
by providing savings in both
capital and operational expen-
diture.
What are the Benefits Pro-
vided by this Franchise
Concept?
The franchise is not only
supplied with the Mutag
BioChip™ high-performance
carrier media and the mem-
brane air diffuser panels. He
also is brought into the posi-
tion to use the long-term
know-how of MBBR-process-
and application technology,
biofilm-technology & support,
starting from the designing of
plants up to the calculation
and layout of the particular
components.
Also, the constructional
design of retention screens, as
well as mass balance, flow-
sheets, basic P&ID,
datasheets of equipment com-
ponents, and construction
plans are included in the
scope of supply of the fran-
chisor (Mutag).
Of particular importance is
the operational support after
the construction of the plant.
For this purpose, the fran-
chisor Mutag provides com-
plete commissioning- and
operation manuals, as well as
documents, and supports the
operating staff by means of
evaluation of the operating
data and by giving recommen-
dations for an optimal plant
operation.
Why is the Efficiency
Higher Compared to Other
Containerized MBBR
Plants?
The removal efficiency in a
smallest possible MBBR reac-
tion tank (-volume) can be sig-
nificantly enhanced by using
and combining certain select-
ed components.
By using highly effective
membrane aeration panels,
very fine-bubbled process air
is being supplied, ensuring
that the oxygen quantity
required for the high biologi-
cal removal performance can
be transferred into the water.
If the supply of this high oxy-
gen mass would not be
ensured, the aerobic removal
process would not take place.
It is of particular impor-
tance that sufficient active
biomass is maintained inside
the MBBR tank in a controlled
manner. Compared to other
carrier media in containerized
plants, controlled biomass
growth is realized by using the
highly efficient Mutag
BioChip™ carriers. It is essen-
tial that the biomass fixed in
the pore structure of the
approx. 1.1 mm flat chip (disc)
is sufficiently being supplied
with substrate and oxygen
from both sides by diffusion.
Consequently, the entire bio-
mass is kept active and no
inactive sludge will clog the
pores.
Due to the carriers con-
tacting very smoothly with
each other in the moving bed
bio-reactor, the biofilm (bio-
mass) inside the pore system
of the Chip is constantly kept
at a layer thickness of approx.
0.5 mm on both sides of the
Chip. Any excess biomass is
sheared off. Hence, the
defined depth of the pores
ensures that the biofilm is
optimally controlled in its
thickness and provides hence
a very high biological activity.
This effect provided by the
Mutag BioChip™ is unique in
its nature. It is indeed very
surprising to see that this pos-
itive effect with its highly
advantageous features is
being recognized rather
rarely among experts.
Contrary to the Mutag
BioChip™, the biomass on
other carriers made of PE is
highly susceptible to being
flushed off the carrier surface.
Furthermore, the biofilm on
such carriers cannot be con-
trolled in thickness. The posi-
tive, advantageous effect of
the Mutag BioChip™ is impos-
sible to reach with injection-
molded plastic carriers.
Conclusion
The highest efficiency is
reached by the combined
application of the two key
components: the oxygen
transfer system and the
Mutag BioChip™ carriers.
This combination allows for
the highest possible biological
removal rates in the smallest
possible reactor volume, as
well as for significant savings
in capital and operational
expenditures.
The production of units on
the spot in accordance with
the construction plans pro-
vides cost savings on the one
hand, and it promotes the
wastewater infrastructure in
the destination countries on
the other hand. At the same
time, the franchisor Mutag
provides support to the fran-
chisee/operator in all process-
technological, biological or
operational matters.
Cornelia Harmsen and
René Trübenbach work for
Multi Umwelttechnologie AG.
EXPRESS WATER
 MARKET
POSTEVENT
Social Entrepreneurs and Enterprises (SEE)
Conference on Water: Act or Perish
The 1-day conference organized in IIM Bangalore is an initiative by the alumni of IIT Kanpur,
supported by the alumni of IIT Kharagpur, IIM Ahmedabad, and IIM Bangalore.
By Express Water
S O C I A L
ENTREPRENEURS & (IIM Bangalore) and Pradeep
Enterprises (SEE), a volun-
teer-driven initiative by alum-
ni of IIT Kanpur & supported
by alumni of IIT Kharagpur,
IIMA & IIMB that fosters &
nurtures entrepreneurs in the
social sector while attempting
to solve burning issues having
a critical social impact. It cov-
ers various domains and
invites experienced practi-
tioners to share their journey,
their challenges and how they
have overcome them and the
opportunities they see.
SEE organized its 4th
event at IIM Bangalore on
28th April on Water. The
event featured 34 prominent
speakers with the impressive
background in the area of
water and was attended by
around 250 people.
The event was inaugurated
with the lamp-lighting by K
Kumar (IIM Bangalore),
Pawan Kumar (IIT Kanpur),
Deepankar Khasanbis (IIT
EXPRESS WATER
Kharagpur), Parthasarthy S
Bhargava (IIT Kanpur).
Umesh Joshi (President
IITKAA Bangalore chapter)
gave the welcome address
which was followed by the
address by K Kumar,
Professor of
Entrepreneurship at IIM
Bangalore.
The keynote address was
then given by Tushar
Girinath, IAS, and Chairman
of BWSSB articulating gov-
ernment perspective and ini-
tiatives and answering ques-
tions from the audience. This
was followed by SEE
Research on water by Gayatri
Chauhan (IIT, ISB alumnus
and expert on sustainability)
who spoke about entrepre-
neurship opportunities and
challenges on water.
This was then followed by
story session in which Dr.
Rajendra Poddar (Director of
Water and Land Management
Institute, Dharwad),
Vishwanath S (popularly
known as Rainman, Advisor of
Biome Environmental Trust,
Argyam, Rainwater Club) and
Sudesh Menon (CEO,
Waterlife) shared their stories
with audience which was fol-
lowed by questions.
The event then had four
panel-discussions. First panel
discussion was on drinking
water treatment and water
conservation, which had
Shweta Tripathi (Global Head
of Knowledge and Water
Strategist, Enzen Global),
Padma Venkat (Faculty, the
University of Trans
Disciplinary Health Sciences
and Technology), Saurabh
Shresth (Genesis Director
Water Management, Unilever
R&D) and Peeyush Kothari
(Neo Systek Aerators) as
speakers. The panel was mod-
erated by Shweta Tripathi.
Second panel-discussion
was on wastewater treatment
and recycle and was moderat-
ed by Amit Sengupta (ex-
Promoter VA Tech Wabag).
Apart from him, other speak-
ers in the panel were Rajesh
Shah (Executive Director,
Peer Water Exchange),
Varadu Seshamani (Director,
ISA Impex Pvt Ltd), Ananth
Kodavasal (Owner, Ecotech
Engineering Consultancy),
and Rajesh Jain (CEO,
Enhance Wapp Systems).
The third panel was about
water preservation, rainwater
harvesting, and lake rejuvena-
tion. AR Shivakumar
(Principal Scientific Officer,
Karnataka State Council for
Science and Technology) was
a speaker and the moderator
of the panel. The panel was
addressed by Michael (Owner,
Farmland Rainwater
Harvesting System), Ankit
Magan (Director, Retas
Enviro Solutions), Ravi
Prakash (Principal
Coordinator for Engineers,
Advanced Center for
Integrated Water Resources
Management), Ekta Bhaskar
(Expert Lead-
CSR/Commercial Project,
Ministry of Water Resources
and Transport) and Seema
Garg (CEO, Karnataka Lake
Conservation and
Development Authority).
This was followed by a
panel on innovations in water.
This featured 10 speakers,
each talking about their inno-
vations and subsequent exe-
cution in various fields of
water. The panelists were
Ashok Das (CEO,
SunMoksha), Anjan
Mukherjee (Owner, Taraltec
Disinfecting Reactor), Kasturi
Rangan (Co-founder & CTO,
SmartrHomes Technologies),
Yatin Tayalia (Business
Leader South Asia Suez -
Water Technologies & Stalls were put by Bubblenut
Solutions), Vibha Tripathi
(Founder & MD, Swajan and
IIT Kanpur alumnus), Vijay
Bhaskar (Founder, KisanRaja
- IOT for Agriculture),
Mughilan T Ramasamy (Co-
founder & Partner, Skylark
Drones), Samuel Rajkumar
(Product Manager,
Foundation for Environmental
Monitoring), Madan Iyengar
(MD, Ozo Nano Sciences), and
Swapnil Potdar (Co-founder,
Ira Sustainable Water
Solutions). The panel was
moderated by Ashok Das.
There was a brief presen-
tation by NSRCELL (IIM
Bangalore Entrepreneurship
Cell) informing the audience
about itself. This was followed
by the last panel on the fund-
ing and impact of investing in
water. The panel was moder-
ated by Ashish Dutt (Social
Alfa). Apart from him, other
panelists were Biswadeep
Ghose (Director Programmes,
Arghyam) and Pawan
Sachdeva (Consultant, Public
Policy - Urban Water Sector).
The panel brought our key
challenges, opportunities and
actionable items for making
enterprises in water more
lucrative for investors.
The program was conclud-
ed by a vote of thanks by
Prathmesh Kant, Program
Lead SEE and Secretary,
IITK AA Bangalore chapter. A
total of 9 stalls were put in
outside the main event hall.
Wash, Wappsys, Irawater,
Suez, Farmland, Tide
Technocrats Pvt Ltd, Sharun
Emmanuel Saju, E Water
Harmonizer, and IITACB.
July, 2018 49
 MARKET
POSTEVENT
Water Loss 2018 - Conference & Exhibition
By Jurica Kovac
THE INTERNATIONAL
WATER Association (IWA)
Water Loss Specialist Group
had their biennial Water Loss
world conference this May in
Cape Town, South Africa. The
conference was organized
together with City of Cape
Town, with accompanying
exhibition from 7-9 May 2018
at the Century City
Conference Centre and Hotel.
More than 400 people from
50 countries attended the con-
ference and we had more than
100 presentations.
Many of the world’s leading
experts in the field of Non-
Revenue Water Management
presented latest develop-
ments, strategies, techniques,
and applications in the field of
water loss management.
A one-day pre-conference
workshop was also held on 6th
May, with close to 100 partici-
pants who had a chance to
learn in more detail the wide
50 July, 2018
scope of issues of Non-
Revenue Water Management
and an overview of the latest
IWA Methodology for reduc-
ing water losses.
Besides the benefits that
the conference brings, partici-
pants had the opportunity to
witness and learn how to face
challenges of water scarcity,
first hand, since Cape Town
was faced with serious water
shortages. Massive programs
for reducing water consump-
tion were launched by the city
of Cape Town, that can be
very instructive for the rest of
the world.
However, the plight of the
drought-hit South African city
with the population of 4M is
just one extreme example of a
problem that experts have
long been warning about -
water scarcity. The interest-
ing story hit mainstream
media recently, describing
problems of insufficient
potable water in 11 major
cities around the world.
An important point to
mention is that during the
conference, a full 90-minute
session was devoted to the
water crisis in Cape Town as
well as similar crises that have
been experienced elsewhere.
The issue that was discussed
concerns the recent press
reports that “The City of Cape
Town is set to become the first
major city in the world to run
out of water”. Before the rep-
resentative for the City of
Cape Town was asked to pres-
ent details of the current
water crisis, three other
speakers were asked to high-
light what happened in their
cities when faced with serious
drought.
The first speaker up was
Francisco Paracampos from
Brazil who presented some
details of the water crisis
experienced recently in Sao
Paulo which is the main city in record and how they managed
Brazil supplying some 20 mil- to reduce their daily per capi-
lion people. ta demand (across all usage
Second speaker up was sectors) to less than 140 liters
Bambos Charalambous from per person per day.
Cyprus who presented a very
crisp and clear picture of the IWA and Water Loss Spe-
water crisis that engulfed cialist Group
Cyprus a few years ago. The IWA members and staff
situation was so bad that are situated in 130 countries
water had to be transported to worldwide, forming the
Cyprus by tanker ships from largest international network
Athens in Greece. For a period of water professionals work-
of two years, the main city of ing towards a water wise
Lemesos and its environs world. One of the most popu-
were forced to operate on lar groups within IWA is
intermittent supply which Water Loss Specialist Group,
means that the water is cut off with more than 1400 individ-
completely for hours or days ual members.
at a time and the supply
restored for short periods on a About the Author
rotational basis. Mr. Jurica Kovac is a consult-
Charalambous highlighted ant in water loss management.
that this approach was to He is current Secretary of the
some extent forced onto the IWA Water Loss Specialist
water managers and in hind- Group and lives in Croatia.
sight was a poor strategy. The
net reduction in the supply
into the system during the
drought was only 10% and
after the system was restored
to continuous supply, the sup-
ply into the system increased
to 10% above the pre-drought
levels. The increase was due
mainly to the increase in burst
pipes which took almost 2
years to resolve and Mr.
Charalambous is now the
main critic of intermittent
supply and Chairman of the
new IWA Intermittent Water
Supply Specialist Group. His
message is simple “Don’t go
there!”.
Third speaker up was Tim
Waldron from Australia who
presented some facts and fig-
ures on the recent drought
that gripped the Eastern
seaboard of Australia. He pro-
vided details of how the major
cities in Australia grappled
with their worst drought on
EXPRESS WATER
 MARKET
POSTEVENT
2018 Going Digital Event Series by Bentley Systems
By Express Water
BENTLEY SYSTEMS,
INCORPORATED, a leading
provider of comprehensive
software solutions for advanc-
ing infrastructure launched
2018 Going Digital Event
series in India. The event
highlights included: executive
keynote, technology keynote,
reality modeling presentation,
concurrent industry tracks,
and the user presentations
highlighting ‘Be Inspired’
Award Winners and other
outstanding projects from
around the globe.
Industry Track: Water &
Wastewater
The Bentley Institute
Going Digital Event was a full-
day event which was organ-
ized on 5th June in Mumbai
and 7th June in Delhi. It
received a warm response
from project owners, consult-
ants, Government officials
EXPRESS WATER
and media with over 360 par-
ticipants at each location. The
event featured thought-pro-
voking keynotes and informa-
tive sessions featuring award-
winning infrastructure proj-
ects with best practices used
in engineering projects of all
sizes. The event brought the
expertise and knowledge
sharing from the annual Year
in Infrastructure Conference
to cities around the globe.
The morning keynote pre-
sentations at each event high-
lighted the benefits of Going
Digital and explored the next
generation cloud platform for
digital workflows - the
iModelHub for a better solu-
tion for synchronizing work in
infrastructure projects. The
event showcased advantages
to transform from a loose col-
lection of heterogeneous engi-
neering files and documents
into a truly reliable, reusable,
and scalable database result-
ing in high performing proj-
ects and improved asset per-
formance.
The afternoon session had
Water Industry track. Water
industry leaders shared their
rich experience and presented
about the application of tech-
nologies to improve project
outcomes for both owner-
operators and project delivery
firms. The session helped par-
ticipants to discover how
Going Digital will have a
direct impact on project and
business outcomes.
At the Mumbai event,
Kailash Shirodkar - Business
Head of Express Water mod-
erated the session and set the
floor for industry leaders with
thought leadership presenta-
tions. Dr. Sanjay
Dahasahastra (Ex-member
Secretary of MJP) shared his
outstanding work and best
practices of the industry with
his amazing passion for the
industry. He pointed out the
need for technologies to deliv-
er water projects of today. He
shared his recent work of
water supply project from
Dehradun and sewerage mas-
ter plan of Aurangabad.
Virant Joshi, the General
Manager from Ceinsys, pre-
sented on Digital Information
for Water & Waste Water
Solutions and it’s imperative
for the Future. He entrusted
their project offerings with
work carried out with three
case studies. He shared
Jagdalpur Water Supply
Scheme Under AMRUT
Mission to achieve 24x7 Water
Supply project, Bhandara
Underground Drainage
Scheme. Ceinsys did the
design of sewerage scheme
covering all areas of the
Bhandara Municipal Council.
And last success story was
from Sinnar Municipal
Council. Sinnar project was a
classic example of the integra-
tion of requisite technologies
to deliver project outcomes.
At the Delhi event, Sanjay
Kumar (CEO) of Geospatial
Media and Communications
chaired the session. He shared
his insights and handed over
the session to speakers. J
Venkatesh, Senior Deputy
General Manager from L&T
shared his project execution
on water loss management
projects. He mentioned the
need for modelling tools for
identification and rehabilita-
tion of network. He put for-
ward scientific engineering
approach adopted by L&T for
diagnostic water management
from planning to construc-
tion. He presented UFW proj-
ect of Bangalore water board,
Moga water supply project
from Intake to distribution
with great insights.
Deepak Kr Mohta, IT
Consultant from Shah
Technicals presented innova-
tive project experience with
Rajasthan Urban
Infrastructure Development
Project (Unit of RUDSICO).
The project developed Smart
Check – a mobile application
on top hydraulic models of
water and sewerage networks
to engage stakeholders from
engineers, contractors, and
local communities. Smart
check application facilitated
real-time monitoring of proj-
ect execution activities by
clicking site pictures. Deepak
showed facilitative stakehold-
er’s involvement in project
progress and transparency.
Participants from the
industry from project owners
to consultants actively partici-
pated in the sessions and got
engage in fruitful discussions.
Participants also recognized
the importance to leverage
data to support better deci-
sion-making and employ new
digital technologies to
improve your business
processes and outcomes.
Session entrusted digital
movement is real and repre-
sents a tremendous opportu-
nity for water organizations. It
put forward necessary for
adaptation of holistic techno-
logical solutions to simplify
the hydro-social contracts
needed to effectively expedite
transition towards sustain-
able water cities/towns.
Bentley is dedicated to pro-
viding engineers, architects,
geospatial professionals, con-
structors, and owner-operators
with comprehensive software
solutions for advancing infra-
structure. Founded in 1984,
Bentley has more than 3,500 col-
leagues in over 50 countries and
is on track to surpass an annual
revenue run rate of USD 700
million during 2018. Since 2012,
Bentley has invested more than
USD 1 billion in research, devel-
opment, and acquisitions.
July, 2018 51
 MARKET

POSTEVENT
5th Watertech Wastetech India 2018 - National Summit on
Water,Wastewater Treatment,and Solid Waste Management
By Express Water

2018 - a National Summit on

Water, Wastewater Treatment
and Solid Waste Management
was organized in Mumbai
from June 6-7, 2018.
The Watertech Wastetech
India 2018 was well attended
by around 140 technical
experts, government officials
and utilities, end users, engi-
neers, academicians, technol-
ogy solution provider compa-
nies, NGOs and international
development assistance bod- (Left to right) Gabriele Boner, Deputy Consul General, Federal Republic
ies involved in water, waste- of Germany; KP Bakshi, Chairman, Maharashtra Water Resources
(Left to right) YB Sontakke, Joint Director, Water, Maharashtra Pollution water and solid waste man- Regulatory Authority; Ramdas Kadam, Minister of Environment,
Control Board; KP Bakshi, Chairman, Maharashtra Water Resources agement to exchange knowl- Government of Maharashtra; and Dr. P Anbalagan, Member Secretary,
Regulatory Authority; BR Naidu, Director, Central Pollution Control edge and gain insights in cut- Maharashtra Pollution Control Board
Board; Gabriele Boner, Deputy Consul General, Federal Republic of ting-edge technologies on a
Germany; Dr. Ajay Deshpande, Member, Compliance Review Panel, Asian unique platform to network partners for collaboration and Kadam, Minister of
Development Bank, Manila; and Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Director CSIR, with all stakeholders, to estab- technology. Environment, State
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute lish business and research The chief guest of the Government of Maharashtra
relations and to find global event was Mr. Ramdas India.
OVER THE YEARS, attended, enabling active dis-
Watertech Wastetech India cussions, deliberations, and Excerpts from the speech made by Mr. need immediate attention. We urge you to help
has established itself as an networking at the highest Ramdas Kadam, Minister of Environment, us with investments and the right technology
important gathering for top level. It serves the prime State Government of Maharashtra: and we will clean Mithi and other rivers our-
government authorities and objective of bringing together The subject of Water and Wastewater is of selves. We need to pay serious attention to pol-
decision makers, international various key stakeholders in extreme importance. Unfortunately, all our lution issues of these rivers, and I personally
partners, industry leaders, the sectors of water, waste- rivers are polluted today. Unsustainable indus- feel that this is of utmost importance.
end users, technology pio- water, and solid waste from trialization and pollution are having long-term We have enacted a law stating that every
neers, eminent subject-matter India and abroad in one com- effects on our environment. Municipal corporation will have to spend 25%
experts and key stakeholders. mon platform. I asked for 14 proposals during the tenure of funds on sewage and solid waste. Unfortunately,
Past four successive editions The 5th edition of previous government, from our environment at many places it is not yet spent. I recently vis-
of the summit have been well Watertech Wastetech India department. If we chalk out a time-bound pro- ited 8 districts of Marathwada, there is no pro-
gram to clean these rivers, I will consider it as a cessing of sewage, all the sewage is released in
good beginning. the rivers. We are looking for more financial
Most of the rivers are getting pollut- support from central government.
ed due to solid waste or wastewater water dis- Clean drinking water as the most essential
charge from industries. We have had a meeting element of life and we urge you to help us with
in Mantralya to discuss some portion of the 27 investments and the right technology and we
rivers in Maharashtra being polluted, and how will clean Mithi and other rivers ourselves. We
these rivers should be cleared of contamina- enacted a law stating that every Municipal cor-
tion. We have been trying since the past two poration will have to spend 25% funds on
and half years. Godavari River which originates sewage and solid waste.
in Nashik and flows directly to Nanded, is con- Maharashtra pollution control board is
sidered to be pious, but is still polluted. working for last 70 years and we need to move
(Left to right) Chanchal Dasgupta, Application Marketing Manager, I have organized about 50 meetings to dis- two steps forward in pursuance of it. Together,
Borouge (India); Vivek Wankhade, All India Radio; KP Bakshi, Chairman, cuss the Mithi river plan and this is an issue the all of us can certainly take this responsibility
Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority whole country is witnessing. All these rivers and the movement ahead.

52 July, 2018 EXPRESS WATER

 MARKET
POSTEVENT
4th Smart Cities India Expo 2018
The event co-organized by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), NASSCOM Centre
of Excellence - IoT and Exhibitions India Group saw its grand launch at Pragati Maidan in New
Delhi.
By Express Water
THE 4TH SMART Cities
India Expo 2018 was organ-
ized from May 23-25, 2018 at
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
The inaugural session of the
event saw the presence of H.E.
Daniel Carmon, Ambassador
of Israel to India, CR
Chaudhary - Minister of State
for Commerce & Industry,
Ashwini Kumar Choubey,
Minister of State for Health
and Family Welfare, Durga
Shanker Mishra IAS,
Secretary, Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs
and LC Goyal, IAS (Retd.),
Chairman, India Trade
Promotion Organisation
(ITPO).
The Water Conference
during this mega event had
the following sessions:
Implementing Smart Cities -
Transforming India for our
citizens; strengthening access
to clean drinking water; river
rejuvenation: innovative prac-
tices, and the socio-economic
impact; smart solutions for
wastewater management in
liveable cities; industrial lead-
ership collaboration for
secure water future; plastic
EXPRESS WATER
waste crisis in urban water-
ways; and the best practices in
wastewater reuse.
Durga Shanker Mishra
(IAS), Secretary, Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs
said, “The concept of smart
cities is not simply about inte-
grating technology into urban
infrastructure, but about
improving the overall quality
of life of citizens residing in
the country. The Mission aims
to undertake a complete
urban transformation to meet
the demands of more than
50% of the population which is
expected to reside in cities by
2050. Since the launch of the
Smart Cities Mission, we have
flagged off projects worth INR
2.04 lakh crores towards
developing urban infrastruc-
ture and living spaces for
more than 90 cities that have
been selected for the mission.”
CR Chaudhary, Minister of
State for Commerce &
Industry, said, “Being involved
with the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, it
fills me with great hope when
I see new-age start-ups and
entrepreneurs contributing
towards the development of
new technologies that can
help us solve key problems in
the country. These young men
and women, with their
ground-breaking ideas and
extraordinary vision, are mak-
ing great strides with smart
and innovative technology-
driven solutions. Hence, I
believe that it is these start-
ups and businesses that will
play a key role in helping the
government and institutions
in realizing the goal of trans-
forming India into a smart
and sustainable country.”
Ashwini Kumar Choubey,
Minister of State for Health
and Family Welfare, said,
“The government’s goal is the
holistic development of the
nation, which we believe must
start with our villages and
cities. Smarter villages and
cities can not only help in pro-
viding the higher quality of
basic infrastructures such as
health and education but also
create job opportunities for
marginalized sections of the
society and uplift them.”
Delivering the inaugural
address at the event, H.E.
Daniel Carmon, Ambassador
of Israel to India, said, “I feel
privileged to participate in
this prestigious event as Israel
joins India for the second time
at the One Mega Event. While
each country across the world
faces unique challenges, they
also possess a diverse set of
competencies and tools. No
country has all the solutions,
but with the combined abili-
ties of these various tools and
diverse intellectual capital, we
can work together to build a
better world. Israel has con-
tributed immensely to the
world by providing various
nations with tailored tech-
nologies to meet diverse chal-
lenges, and I’m proud to see
our technological partnership
with India reaching new
heights.”
The City Leaders’
Conclave, a dynamic and
exciting business programme
for industry and government,
was held during where multi-
ple stakeholders addressed
the needs of urban sustain-
ability. Panelists at the discus-
sion emphasized that smart
city development need to be
truly holistic, encompassing
everything from technology to
policy to enablement to gov-
ernment action and citizen
participation.
The last day of the three-
day expo also saw the Smart
Cities India Awards, an annu-
al event designed to felicitate,
recognize and encourage indi-
viduals, policy-makers, com-
panies, government bodies
and associations working
towards developing over 100
smart cities and rejuvenating
500 cities in India. The Smart
Village Conclave served as a
platform to bring together vil-
lage heads (pradhans,
sarpanches), MPs, innovators,
influencers, NGOs, etc., work-
ing towards developing smart
villages in India.
The 4th Smart Cities India
2018 expo offered a platform
for key decision makers,
industry experts, and thought
leaders from around the world
to connect and engage in con-
structive dialogue to lead sus-
tainable development. The
expo also helped attendees
access funding, business, and
partnership opportunities,
with participants from over
40 countries and the biggest
brands in the space attending
the event, spread over 20,000
square meters in the heart of
New Delhi. The expo initiate
conversations around new-age
technologies such as Internet-
of-Things (IoT), renewable
energy, artificial intelligence,
Big Data, and VR/AR, which
are expected to be instrumen-
tal in creating the Smart
Cities of the future.
July, 2018 53
 MARKET
PRE EVENT
IWAWorld Water Congress,Tokyo
At the upcoming World Water Congress taking place in Tokyo, Japan from September 16-21,
2018, IWA will launch the Basin-Connected Cities Action Agenda. This agenda builds on the
principles for Water Wise Cities.
By Katharine Kross
IWA Principles for Water Wise Cities
Basin Connected Cities Action
Agenda
In 2016, ten cities endorsed the IWA
Principles for Water-Wise Cities at the
IWA World Water Congress in
Brisbane, Australia. This official sign-
ing signaled their dedication to under-
take actions to improve resilience to
floods, droughts and the challenges of
growing water scarcity, and to inte-
grate water in city planning to provide
increased liveability, efficiencies, and a
sense of place for urban communities.
Since then more than 50 institutions
including cities, utilities, governments,
basin agencies, and universities have
endorsed the principles.
At the upcoming World Water
Congress taking place in Tokyo, Japan
from September 16th to 21st, 2018,
IWA will launch the Basin-Connected
Cities Action Agenda. The agenda
builds on the Principles for Water
Wise Cities, with a focus on how cities
can be active water stewards in their
wider water basins. The agenda aims
to influence and activate urban stake-
holders to protect and invest in water
resources with basin and catchment
organizations, including securing the
water resource, protecting water qual-
ity and preparing (and responding) to
54 July, 2018
extreme events. downstream. The Basin-Connected
Global projections show that urban Cities Agenda outlines the rationale
populations will continue to rise, thus for urban stakeholders to lead the way
improving water security and protect- in realizing their role as water stew-
ing water resources which cities rely ards and the different pathways and
on is a priority. Pressures on water activities towards achieving more inte-
sources can result in, for example, the grated water resources management.
disruption of the production of treated This includes the drivers for action
water for distribution, which has seri- such as flooding, water scarcity, and
ous health as well as economic conse- pollution; followed by the pathways for
quences. Such problems cannot be action through assessment, planning
solved by individual entities alone, as and implementation; and the founda-
the wider catchment is often beyond tions for action from developing a
their mandate. Utilities and city gov- vision to building capacity to improv-
ernments can, however, take the lead ing governance.
by engaging with and influencing other To support the agenda, IWA has
relevant stakeholders. developed and is developing Basin Katharine Kross, IWA
Consequently, it is critical to Stories to document some of the best
encourage urban leaders (cities, utili- practices and approaches that demon- and other stakeholders are working to
ties, and industries) to champion strate how stakeholders especially introduce principles and practices to
water resources protection by con- those in urban areas (e.g. city govern- create water-wise basins. Or how a
necting with basin and catchment ment, water and wastewater utilities, water fund is bringing together major
organizations, which also manage the industries) are taking part or con- water consumers in Nairobi - compa-
connection between all relevant stake- tributing to sustainable management nies and government agencies with a
holders across the basin such as the of water resources. For example, how vested interest in high quality and reli-
agriculture and mining sectors that SUNASS, the national water regulator able water supply - and creating link-
impact water quantity and quality in Peru, together with water utilities ages to non-urban communities.
A Global Event for Water Professionals The Forum will focus on the resilience of water supply,
The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2018 drainage and wastewater systems in cities. It is a unique
will be held in the phenomenal Tokyo Big Sight, 3 Chome- opportunity to learn about the Japanese experience from
11-1 Ariake, Koto, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan. the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 in recovering
The event brings over 5,500 water, environment, and the functions of their water and sewerage works. The ses-
related professionals from more than 100 countries and sions also share practical experiences of several cities in
offers new insights into how pioneering science, techno- the world on building water resilience strategies, under-
logical innovation and leading practices shape the major standing resilience as the capacity to recover after a dis-
transformation in water management that is underway. ruptive event (disaster or crisis) or slow changes (dimin-
The 2016 edition took place in Brisbane, Queensland, ishing resources, social changes, climate change).
Australia, and covered 5 programme themes: Cities, Lessons learned on how to assess the risks, how to
Utilities and Industries Leading Change; Re-Charting the reduce the risks and prepare for the emergency response
Course of Water Resources; Enabling Progress with will be shared throughout the three complementary ses-
Good Governance, Sustainable Finance, and ICT; Water sions on the following topics:
Quality, Safety and Human Health and Water and • Lessons learned from the Great East Japan earth-
Wastewater Processes and Treatments. quake, the recovery of water and sewerage works,
The 2018 edition taking place in Tokyo will have the • Enhancing water security, and
key focus on digital economy, megacities, diffusion of • Wastewater and drainage as opportunities to enhance
innovation, disaster resilience and sustainability. resilience.
EXPRESS WATER
REGD.NO.MCS/219/2018-20, PUBLISHED ON 5TH OF EVERY MONTH & POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL
SORTING OFFICE, DUE DATE 07, 08 & 09 OF EVERY MONTH, REGD. WITH RNI UNDER NO. MAHENG/2017/74894