Worm o’ Filter

Wastewater Treatment Technology

 Introduction
• Vermifiltration is an natural biological waste water treatment system which works with
live earthworms and microbes.
• The earthworms’ gut act as a bioreactor whereby there is reduction in the sewage
wastewater’s solid and liquid organic wastes through ingestion and expelling these as
vermi-compost.
• Vermifiltration significantly decreased the sewage water’s physicochemical parameters.
• The vermi-treated sewage achieves the pollution control board set standards for
irrigation water.
• Vermifiltration technology can therefore be applied as an environmentally friendly
and an economically viable technique for treatment of sewage water & use it in
Irrigation purposes.
 Cont…
• It has been found that Municipal wastewater when treated with
vermifiltration technology, there was a considerable reduction
in the
• Biological oxygen demand (BOD5) by 95%,
• Chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 85%,
• Total soluble solids (TSS) by 95%,
• Turbidity by 95%
• Increase in Dissolved oxygen levels up to 4 and
• No odour.

• Vermifiltration significantly decreased the sewage water’s

physicochemical parameters.
• The vermi-treated sewage water compared well with the set standards
for irrigation water.
• Vermifiltration technology can therefore be applied as an
environmentally friendly and an economically viable technique for
treatment of sewage water treatment for & use it in irrigation purposes.
Photographs
Photographs
 Process block diagram
Vermi-Filter
Bed
•Collection of Sewage •Treated water highly
after Preliminary rich in nutrients like
screening •Pumping & spraying NPK can be used in
of sewage water from Irrigation &
Equalization tank into Gardening.
Vermifilter bed

Equalization Tank Treated water

Tank
Process flow diagram
 Performance
Before After
Parameters % Reduction Remarks
Treatment Treatment
pH 7.0 - 7.8 7.5 - 8.0
TDS due to Nitrates &
TDS (ppm) 1500 - 2000 1200 - 1800 up to 15%
Sulphates
TSS (ppm) 300 - 350 < 20 > 95 %
Turbidity (NTU) 25 - 100 <2 > 95 %
COD (ppm) 200 - 400 50 - 80 > 85 %
BOD (ppm) 100 - 200 10 - 20 > 95 %
DO (ppm) Nil 3-4 Good for farm Irrigation
Odour Strong Odourless
Ammonical Nitrogen
25 - 40 <1 NH3-N Causing Odour
(ppm)
Fecal Coliforms
> 106 < 103 > 99%
(MPN/100ml)
Total Phosphorous (ppm) 4-8 1-2
 Nutrients conversion
Parameters Before After Remarks

Bio Available Nitrogen NO3 (ppm) 10 - 20 >50 Good for Crops

Bio Available Phosphorous P2O5 (ppm) 1-2 5-7 Good for Crops

Bio Available Potassium K (ppm) 10 - 15 20 - 25 Good for Crops

Nutrient conversion in process of Sewage Water treated with Vermifiltration make

it highly Nutritive for Crop Irrigation & Good Farm Productivity
 Performance
Left: Raw Sewage water

Right: Vermifilter Treated water

Note: The treated water can further be subjected to

membrane systems for making it suitable for applications
like flushing, washing etc.
 Benefits
 Decentralized system
 Green Technology (No chemicals used)
 Biological process working with live Earthworms  Very less Hydraulic retention time required

and Microbes  Lesser Footprint

 Easy to Operate  Meets Pollution control board norms

 No requirement of Blowers  Treated water highly rich in nutrients hence
 Low in OPEX & CAPEX essential for Gardening & Irrigation
 No Sludge Generation & No Odour  No requirement of highly skilled manpower
 Comparison
Assessment UASB
Vermi-
Parameter/ ASP MBBR SBR + MBR WSP
filter
Technology ASP
Operating Cost ( per MLD)

Low: + Power Cost + +++ +++ ++ ++ ++++ +

Medium: ++ Annual Repairs costs + +++ ++ ++ +++ ++++ ++

Chemical Cost 0 +++ +++ ++ +++ ++++ ++++

High: +++

Salary costs + +++ +++ ++ +++ ++++ +++

Very high: ++++

Annual O & M costs + +++ +++ +++ +++ ++++ ++

 Thank You !

Get in Touch:
Darshan Bhadiyadra
Mobile no.:+91- 9426161484
Email: darshaan.soni@gmail.com