A FIELD VISIT TO GUHESHWORI

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

(The first activated sludge wastewater treatment plant in Nepal)
Group Members
Sagar Shrestha (730273)
Samir Sharma (730274)
Samjhana Rajbhandari (730275)
Samyam Niraula (730276)
Sanim Bantawa (730277)
Sanjeeeb kawan (730278)
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CONTENTS
• Objectives
Objectives of visiting the GWWTP
• Introduction to wastewater
• Classification of wastewater
• Introduction to wastewater treatment • To understand the performance and current situation of
• Wastewater treatment in Nepal Guheshwori Treatment plant
• Treatment processes and methods
• Activated sludge process • To understand the methods and processes used in that
• GUHESWORI WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT treatment plant.
• Monitoring of GWWTP
• Operational Challenges of GWWTP
• To understand about upgrading Guheshwori Treatment
• Conclusions and Recommendations
Plant.
• Upgraded GWWTP
• References

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Classification of Wastewater
Introduction to Wastewater
• Used water.
• Contains impurities or pollutants in the form of solids,
Domestic
liquids or gases or their combinations.
Wastewater
• Generated by human due to daily activities, commercial Wastewater
activities, industrial activities. Industrial
• Final discharge will normally onto the land. Receiver may Wastewater
be rivers, streams, rivers, seas, etc.
• Harmful and affects people health if disposed without
treatment.
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Classification of Wastewater
• Domestic
• Discharged from the residential, commercial and industrial area of
a city
• Contains 99.9% water and only 0.1% of organic and inorganic
solids and also microorganism(bacteria).
• Industrial
• Generated by large & medium scale industries.
• Manufacturing industries produce a large volume of high strength
wastewaters.
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Short Introduction to Wastewater treatment
• A process to remove contaminants from wastewater,
both runoff and domestic.
• Reduces pollutants in wastewater to a level, nature can
handle.
What is in Wastewater???
• Pathogens: disease-causing organisms
• Solids: suspended particles that make the water turbid
• Nutrients: such as phosphorus that can cause nuisance
plant growth
• Organic matter: that can rob the oxygen resources of
streams
• Toxics: metals and synthetic organic chemicals harmful to
humans and wildlife
Wastewater treatment systems in Nepal
• None of the municipalities have properly functioning
waste water treatment system.
• Only Kathmandu Valley has a few municipal wastewater
treatment plants.
• Of them, 3 are non-functional and one is functional, but
unable to withstand the current load.
• Construction of new sewage treatment plant at
Balkumari, Lalitpur started on Janaury 3rd, 2019 and
expected to completed in 5 years.
Source :- The Himalayan Times, 2017 and 2019
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Operating Status WWTP in Kathmandu

Valley Why Treat Wastewater???
Good reasons to keep our water clean and care for our
environment for our own health are:-
• Fisheries

• Wildlife habitats

• Recreation and quality of life

• Health concerns

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Treatment processes Treatment Methods

Treatment Methods Treatment Processes • Preliminary
• Physical process • Screening
• Screening • Skimming
• Skimming • Sedimentation
• Plain sedimentation • Primary
• Preliminary • Physical process • Chemical process • Sedimentation
• Chemical precipitation
• Primary • Sedimentation with coagulants
• Chemical process • Secondary
• Chemical precipitation
• Secondary • Biological process • Disinfection
• Biological treatment
• Tertiary
• Tertiary • Biological process
• Filtration
• Aerobic • Lagoons
• Trickling filters, Activated • Biological nutrients removal
sludge process, etc
• Nitrogen and phosphorus removal
• Anaerobic • Disinfection
• Septic tank, Anaerobic sludge • UV light
digestion • Chlorination
• Ozone
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Activated Sludge Process Activated Sludge Process

• Activated sludge = ‘Suspension’ of microorganisms. • Two phases
• Input of oxygen active microorganisms digest organic • Mineralization by
contents activated-sludge producing carbon
• Suspended growth occurs dioxides, water and
• No primary settlement chamber microbes.
• Separation of
microbes and water

MLSS = Mixed liquor suspended solids sludge

MLVSS = Mixed liquor volatile suspended solids
(mixture of activated sludge and wastewater)

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Advantages of Activated Sludge Process

• Longer emptying intervals.
• Less 'bad' sludge to remove.
Guheshwori
• Odorless throughout the process. Wastewater
• They re-seed themselves with beneficial bacteria.
• Very reliable. Treatment
• Simple process.
• Inexpensive servicing.
Plant
• No need to 'top-up' with extra bacteria
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LOCATION ABOUT GUHESHWORI WWTP

Constructed 1995
• Guheshwori
Phant, In operation 2002
Kathmandu
Coverage area 5 hectares
• Province No. 3
• Bank of Bagmati Designed capacity 17.4 MLD
river Estimated 1,98,000
• Northeastern part population(2021)
of Kathmandu city Served 58,000
population(1996)
Annual operation $167,000
cost

Area served Gokarna, Chabahil, Bouddha and Jorpati

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Influent line and Collection Chamber

Activated sludge system in GWWTP
• Pre-treatment by mechanical bar screen and grit
chamber
• Lacks primary clarification tanks
• Major Units
• Influent line
• Primary Treatment
• Biological Treatment
• Effluent Line
• Sludge Treatment
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Grit Chamber
• Settlement of pieces of rocks, metals, bones, egg shells,
Bar Rack etc
• 1st step • Prevents damage to machinery through abrasion and
• Eliminates non- clogging
biodegradable and floating • Intake 190 l/sec
objects from influent. • Not functioning properly
• Prevents clogging and
interferences in further
processes
• Presence of manual
barracks in case
mechanical bar fails

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Aerators Aerators
• 4 nos
• Biological process
• Absorbs oxygen from
atmosphere
• High BOD = High
oxygen demand
• Mechanical type
• Consists electrically
driven vanes
(Mechanical diffusers are introduced in
upgraded treatment plant)

Only one of the four aerators was in function.

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Oxidation ditch Oxidation ditch

• Biological process, Secondary method
• 80 * 20 m
• Capacity 10400𝑚3
• 2 numbers of Carrousel type oxidation ditches.
• Interaction of sunlight, bacteria, and algae.
• Mechanical aerators installed to supply more oxygen to
reduce the required size of the pond.
• Efficiently removes bacteria, biodegradable organics,
phosphorous and nitrogen

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Secondary Clarifier Secondary Clarifier

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Secondary Clarifier Secondary Clarifier

Diameter of 27 m 2 units

Capacity(cum) 1650 𝑚3

Sludge Production 40 𝑚3 /d

Grit and Sand 3 𝑚3 /d

Screening 2-3 𝑚3 /d

• Separates out sludge and clean water

• Some parts are sent back
• Up to 2,500 MLSS sludge is pumped back to the oxidation
ditches
• 25-30 times pumped back to oxidation ditches.
Fig :- Gravity sludge thickener
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Disposal of excess activated sludge Effluent line

• Treated water passes
• Disposed to one of the fourteen through tunnel to Tilganga
drying beds (27*74 m) • Diameter of tunnel, 2 m
• Drying periods – 2 to 3 weeks
• Length of tunnel, 572 m
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Efficiency of GWWTP
1.Total suspended solids

C3

fig:- Schematic diagram of Guheshwori wastewater treatment plant

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Efficiency of GWWTP Efficiency of GWWTP

2. Dissolved Oxygen 3. BOD and COD

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Year Influent Effluent

2003 April 1.19 4.28

2012 April 0.5 2.1

2013 April 0.3 1.12

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Efficiency of GWWTP Efficiency of GWWTP

4. Coliform counts 5. Ammonia Nitrogen and Nitrate

Ammonia Nitrogen Nitrate

Year influent effluent Influent Effluent

2002 58.82 43.97 0 0

2012 57.8 46 0 0

2013 140 130 35 14

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Monitoring of Activated Sludge Process Operational Challenges

Monitoring should be done for… • No have separate collection system for storm water and
sewage.
• Maximum flow of 0.5 𝑚3 /s during monsoon gets
• Flows
overflowed.
• Organic concentrations and loading • Overflow directly mixed to river.
• Solids concentration • Grit chamber’s inappropriate design, as influent should
• Settle-ability data flow using pump.
• Oxygen • No primary sedimentation tank.
• Lacks tertiary treatment so, nitrogen and phosphorus
removal is not possible.
• Routine maintenance of units were missing.
• Some equipment’s in critical conditions.
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Upgraded GWWTP includes..

Conclusions and Recommendations
1. Centrifuge Building - sludge dewatering
• Compulsory participation by locals, government and other
2. Primary Sedimentation Tank
sectors who contribute in wastewater production. 3. Aeration Tank with diffusers
4. Anaerobic Digester - 2 numbers
• Realization of serious problem i.e. contaminated Bagmati
5. Gas Scrubber Building – Air Pollution controller
river, once considered as pure and sacred.
6. Operation Building
• Public awareness 7. Digester Control Building
8. Chlorine Contact Tank
• Realization and solution to Operational challenges.

Source :- A Biannual Safeguard Report by Project Implementation Directorate (PID), Kathmandu Upatyaka
Khanepani Limited (KUKL), Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation, Government of Nepal for the Asian
Development Bank, 2018

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Upgraded GWWTP adds.. Lamella Settler

• Reduce the settling time
• Capacity, 32.4 MLD from 4-5 hours to 20-40
• 364 litres/sec diluted water flow into Bagmati River minutes, which further
• Produce Bio-gas, Electricity and Compost Manure decreases loads in
• Advanced treatment process like secondary clarifier with
• Chemical Precipitation
increase in overall
• Lamella settler
efficiency.
• Bio filters
• UV Disinfectants
• Storm Water Collection.
• Termed as Chemical-Biological Treatment

Source :- A report on Upgrading of Guheswori treatment Plant by Nabin Kharel, IMV and The
Rising Nepal
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Biogas Types Of COMPOSTING

• Will produce around 30% energy required for the
• Aerobic
operation of the plant.
• Anaerobic
• Vermicomposting
Composting • certain species of earthworms
• Biological process. • enhance the process of organic waste conversion
• produce a better end-product.
• Convert biodegradable organic matter into a humus-like
• Earthworms consume organic wastes and reduce the volume by
product.
40 to 60 % and produce Vermicompost through their digestive
• Suitable method for recycling sludge. system
• Saw dust, wooden chips, and many other agricultural
wastes are added to reduce moisture of sludge.
• Compost manure increase agricultural productivity.

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Aerobic composting in a bin References

• Quicker than anaerobic • Wastewater Engineering, Dr. BC Punmia, Arun Kumar
• No foul smell like in Jain, Ashok Kumar Jain
anaerobic • USGS, science for a changing world, www.usgs.gov
• Provides air circulation • Activated Sludge Process and biological Wastewater
treatment system by Kalpesh Dankhara,
www.linkedin.com/KalpeshDankhara
• Kathmandu Valley Wastewater Management Project (ADB
Loan No. 3000-NEP, SF) BIANNUAL SAFEGUARD
REPORTS
• A report on Wastewater Treatment in Kathmandu, Nepal
by Hillary Green, Saik-Choon Poh and Amanda Richards
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