Case study of NaWaTech Project

Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Amanora Park Town

Pune, Maharashtra, India

biowaste faeces/manure urine greywater rainwater

collection
treatment
Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) and
Membrane Bioreactor (MBR)

reuse
Reuse for toilet flushing and gardening
irrigation

Fig. 1: Project location Fig. 2: Applied sanitation components in this project

1 General data 2 Objective and motivation of the project

Type of project:
The following objectives have been defined:
Treatment and reuse of mixed domestic wastewater from • To explore, assess and enhance the potential of compact
residential buildings in an existing urban area - pilot scale wastewater treatment systems (sequencing batch reactor
Project period: (SBR) and membrane bioreactor (MBR)) in order to
Start of construction: May 2014 improve their performance and reliability to deal with
End of construction: June 2014 water shortages in India
Start of operation: June 2014 To optimise the combination of SBR and MBR (SMBR)
•
Ongoing monitoring period planned for: Not defined into a robust system to cope with the needs of the Indian
Project end: December 2015 urban population
Project scale:
Number of people covered: 200-300 population equivalent • To minimise the urban water footprint and enhance the
3
Water flow: 30 m /day water security of the area
2
Size of treatment plant: 52 m of land footprint (including The main motivation for this project is the necessity to provide
housing for the equipment) adequate water supply and sanitation in urban areas, a
Total investment (in EUR): 73,200.58 EUR challenging task for governments.
Address of project location:
Sector R-3, Amanora Park Town, Hadapsar,
Pune, Maharashtra 411028
India
Planning institution:
BIOAZUL S. L. (Spain)
ESF (Ecosan Services Foundation) (India)
Executing institution:
BIOAZUL S. L. (Spain)
ESF (Ecosan Services Foundation) (India)
Supporting agency:
Amanora Town Authority (India)

Fig. 3: Combined wastewater treatment system (SBR and

MBR) for wastewater reuse in Amanora Park Town (source:
BIOAZUL, 2014)
3 Location and conditions

The selected site is a residential area within Amanora Park

Town, a sprawling 400 acre township located in Pune (the
second largest city of the state of Maharashtra). The
surrounding area consists of several towers for apartments,
buildings, school, hospital, fire station, parks, and power and
water supply stations. The township has been awarded with
many recognitions/awards in categories such as urban
design, green projects and women empowerment.

1 Last updated: 24 November 2015

 Case study of NaWaTech Project
Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Amanora Park Town
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Furthermore, Amanora Park Town has a local sewage
treatment plant (STP) treating 3.5 million litres per day (MLD)
at present.
Fig. 4: Sky view of Amanora Park Town (source: Amanora
Park Town, 2015)
Fig. 5: Surrounding buildings of selected test site in Amanora
Park Town (source: BIOAZUL, 2014)
The region has a hot semi-arid climate, bordering tropical wet
and dry climatic features, offering an average temperature
ranging between 20 to 28 ºC. Three seasons take place in the
region: summer (March-May), monsoon (June-October) and
winter (November-February). Most of the 722 mm of annual
rainfall in the city of Pune falls during the monsoon period.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
Maharashtra is the state of India with the highest risk related
to floods.
Amanora Park Town is part of the Hadapsar suburb, an IT,
manufacturing and entertainment hub of Pune city, which has
emerged as the cultural capital of the state of Maharashtra.
Moreover, Pune city represents the sixth highest income per
capita in the country.
However, the city is also an example of the water crisis
suffered in urban areas of India, as a result of the increasing
automobile and IT industry, the rapidly increasing population,
and the growing demand for drinking water. It is estimated
that 17 million inhabitants in the state of Maharashtra have no
or unsafe access to water. In addition to this, only 68% of the
wastewater generated in Pune is treated, contributing to water
pollution in the Mula and Mutha Rivers.
2 Last updated: 24 November 2015
4 Project history
The execution of this project is part of the NaWaTech
collaborative project, and it is one of the selected six case
studies in urban sites of India.
BIOAZUL, partner in charge of designing this particular
wastewater treatment plant, visited the site in April 2013. The
construction of the treatment system started in May 2014 and
was finalised in June 2014, starting to operate straight
afterwards. The systems used for wastewater treatment were
first delivered in Spain and tested by BIOAZUL, and then
shipped to India for installation. Currently, the project is
running and treated wastewater is stored prior entering the
reuse network.
Some obstacles encountered prior implementation of the
system were related to local conditions, including features
such as wastewater pollution load, power supply or area
availability. These issues were tackled by researching and
implementing adapted technology to the region, demanding
less energy and adjusting equipment to be financially feasible.
For the near future, trained personnel is required for operation
and maintenance of the treatment systems.
5 Technologies applied
The selected treatment system – Sequential Batch Reactor
(SBR) and Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) - is currently treating
mixed domestic wastewater (black water and grey water)
collected for the existing STP, and it is designed to generate
an effluent to be reused in toilet flushing and gardening. SBR
and MBR systems represent intensive water treatment
systems, allowing the effective treatment of heavily
contaminated municipal wastewater, as stand-alone systems
or in combination with natural extensive systems.
SBRs are a variation of the well-known activated sludge
system, but undertaking carbon degradation, conversion of
ammonia to nitrate (nitrification) and conversion of nitrate to
nitrogen gas (denitrification) in a single reactor tank. All steps
occur along a specified sequence of aerobic and anoxic
periods, followed by settling and decanting to separate treated
water from active biomass. Phosphorus removal is possible
as well. The entire cycle ends when treated water is pumped
to a treated water tank passing through a sand filter, which
removes remaining suspended solids. Then the plant is ready
for starting a new treatment cycle. The system is easy to
control; it has a small land footprint, and a reliable
performance for various raw wastewater qualities.
Fig. 6: Overview of SBR system (source: BIOAZUL, 2014)
 Case study of NaWaTech Project
Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Amanora Park Town
Pune, Maharashtra, India
The MBR is a combination of biological treatment (normally
aerobic, although anaerobic is also possible) with membrane
filtration. The retention of biomass is not achieved by settling,
but by using a membrane as a physical barrier. Not only
biomass is retained but also viruses and bacteria (depending
on pore size). The permeate pump drives water from the MBR
tank to the treated water tank through the membrane,
achieving a water quality good enough for reuse, considering
that the treated water tank is equipped with an UV lamp
working in continuous recirculation to assure a good
disinfection rate. Very small footprints and stringent treatment
requirements can be achieved with this system.
Fig. 7: Overview of MBR system (source: BIOAZUL, 2014)
Both systems share a buffer tank since they are placed at the
same location. Inside the buffer tank, pre-treated wastewater
is collected and stored before undergoing the selected
treatment. The buffer tank is used in order to reduce space, to
ensure the continuous availability of wastewater and to
facilitate a previous oxidation of the organic matter before
undergoing the main treatment in each reactor. All these
systems were installed close to an existing wastewater
treatment plant, from where the pre-treated water is being
pumped to the buffer tank. A rotary screen is installed at the
beginning of the treatment so that large particulate matter
such as toilet paper and other solids are removed. Waste
sludge removed from SBR and MBR systems is sent to the
existing STP for further treatment.
The MBR and SBR systems were selected and adjusted
considering characteristics of the area such as amount of
wastewater to be treated, wastewater pollution, area available
and effluent requirements.
Table 1: Average contaminant load of untreated wastewater
and expected results after treatment for certain parameters.
Contaminant Expected Performance
load [mg/l] results [mg/l] [%]
SS 198.00 35.00 94.62
BOD5 210.00 25.00 95.59
COD 470.00 125.00 90.07
Grease 10 1.00 90
N 12.30 2.00 83.33
The reason for the inclusion of this combined system is the
demand for water re-use at high quality requirements in the
urban context as well as the targeted removal of trace
contaminants (micro pollutants) that would pass other stages.
Furthermore, both systems are also seen as complementary
components of the natural systems applied in the NaWaTech
project to enlarge the modular flexibility.
3 Last updated: 24 November 2015
6 Design information
General data provided for the design of the treatment system
corresponded to the following aspects:
- water resources: 120 l/p.e.day & 30 gBOD/p.e.day
- people equivalent: 205 PE
3
- flow: 30 m /day
- type of reuse: gardening and flushing
- energy supply: 380/3/50 V/Phases/Hz
The adaptation of the technology was essential to enhance its
applicability. Research and development for designing both
systems was concentrated on reduced energy demands and
lower maintenance requirements. Therefore, low energy
membranes, hydrostatic filtration and simplified reactor
designs were considered in this project.
For the design of the MBR, the following data has been
considered:
- water resources: 120 L/p.e.d & 30 gBOD/p.e.d
- people equivalent: 250
3
- flow: 30 m /d
Considering the capacity of the MBR in terms of daily flow (30
3 3
m ), at least 25% of this volume (7.5 m ) is needed in order to
store enough water during low sewage production periods. In
order to avoid nitrogen level of treated effluent exceeding
allowed values recommended by the World Health
Organisation (WHO), a denitrification tank was considered
and installed.
For the design of the SBR, the information considered is the
following:
- water resources: 120 L/p.e.d & 30 gBOD/p.e.d
- people equivalent: 85
3
- flow: 10 m /d
Taking into account the capacity of the SBR in terms of daily
3 3
flow (10 m ), at least 25% of this (2.5 m ) is needed in order to
store enough water during low sewage production periods.
Since denitrification step occurs in the same tank, an
additional tank for nitrogen removal is not necessary.
Materials
Both systems share a buffer tank as they are placed in the
3
same area. The total volume of the buffer tank is 10 m , which
3 3
is enough for feeding 30 m /day to the MBR and 10 m /day to
the SBR. The total footprint of the combined treatment system
2
(including housing for the equipment) has resulted in 52 m
2 3
(1.3 m /m of treated water).
All construction materials and most of the equipment used for
this treatment system (e.g. pumps, motors, blowers, probes,
etc.) are available in India. Only specific parts such as tailor
made membranes (for the MBR) may be shipped from
Europe, if not provided in India.
 Case study of NaWaTech Project
Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Amanora Park Town
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Fig. 8: General overview of the systems (source: BIOAZUL,
2014)
7 Type and level of reuse
For this project, domestic grey water and black water are
mixed and treated for direct reuse applications. After
wastewater is collected and treated, effluents are stored in a
separated tank and are fully available to feed the reuse
network. The two different types of reuse chosen in this
project are irrigation and urban reuse. Specifically, the
activities considered for reuse are garden irrigation and toilet
flushing, taking place in the proximities of the treatment plant
and residential buildings.
8 Further project components
This project will produce knowledge, technologies, guidelines
and tools for skilled service providers, SMEs, research
partnerships and enabled institutional environments for the
application of SBR and MBR systems (implementation and
operation) to cope with water shortages in urban areas of
India.
Likewise, it will bring stakeholders together sharing an interest
in urban water management, creating learning alliances
(institutionalised in the NaWaTech community of practice,
CoP) in order to achieve an impact beyond the project on the
implementation of research and dissemination activities, by
taking into account local problems and needs. This will
contribute to a reduction of the vulnerability of Indian cities
and their capacity to cope with water shortages.
Social and institutional aspects will be studied in order to
include the approach in an integrated urban (water)
management plan and to ensure the enabling institutional
framework to prepare for up-scaling.
For dissemination, take-up and mainstreaming of the project
outcomes, a framework for design, implementation and
operation regarding local conditions will be developed to
transfer gained knowledge into the practical activities of local
SMEs.
End-user acceptance for reuse activities and awareness will
be stimulated in order to enhance business opportunities. A
decision support tool part of this project (i.e. the NaWaKit) will
incorporate all actors relevant to support SMEs, end-users
and decision makers in selecting the best technology
combination for a given setting.
4 Last updated: 24 November 2015
The impact on reduction of fresh water consumption will also
be assessed as a result of treated wastewater being used for
toilet flushing.
9 Costs and economics
Detailed information regarding investment, operation and
maintenance costs is illustrated in the following table.
Table 2. Investment, O&M and total treated water costs (in
EUR) per treatment system in Amanora Park Town project
COST MBR SBR
Investment
49,944.44 EUR 23,256.14 EUR
(equipment)
Operation & 3.5 – 0.1 2 – 0.065
maintenance* EUR/p.e.year EUR/p.e.year
Total treated 20 – 7.5 15 – 5.5
water * EUR/p.e.year EUR/p.e.year
(*) Estimated costs in Europe
10 Operation and maintenance
SBR and MBR systems require trained personnel for
operation and maintenance. For this purpose, BIOAZUL S.L.
has trained Amanora staff to be fully responsible for operation
and maintenance of the systems, following the “NAWATECH
O&M Manual MBR + SBR systems” specifically tailored to the
treatment plant components provided by BIOAZUL S.L.
Maintenance works for the MBR are relatively similar to other
secondary treatment systems, with the exception of
membrane cleaning, which should take place one/twice per
year. Normal maintenance of pumps and motors following
manufacturer instructions is required as well. A remote control
of the system is highly recommended as then the
maintenance staff can monitor and manage the plant from
anywhere.
As for the SBR, despite the system being fully automatised,
some maintenance activities are necessary, mainly related to
solve problems with flow meter, the level transmitter or
pressure sensors.
The institutions responsible for the coordination of the safety
planning process (planning, implementation, revision) are
ESF and SERI (during the project duration), and Amanora
staff (after hand-over). Furthermore, ESF is responsible for
the performance of foreseen analyses.
11 Practical experience and lessons learnt
Although the project is still running and in the monitoring
phase, some valuable experiences can already be described.
In order to facilitate the implementation of the selected
technologies, local site conditions must be identified and
analysed from the early stages. In this sense, surface area
availability, volume of wastewater to be treated, reuse
activities expected, or power supply are just some of the local
features to be considered.
MBR and SBR systems are suitable for most urban settings,
only power supply and hydraulic connections must be
carefully considered. Short electrical power cuts may cause
some problems, especially in the SBR, as it may mean that
the process is stopped in the middle of a concrete stage.
 Case study of NaWaTech Project
Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Amanora Park Town
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Nevertheless, such kind of incidence has not occurred and is
not expected at Amanora Park Town. In addition, internet
connection has to be considered as an indispensable
requirement and its availability should be checked at all
potential installation sites right from the planning stage, as it is
required for carrying out the remote control. Once more, this
has never been a problem in Amanora, and it is not expected
for the future either, due to the fact that the profile identified
as typical customer for these kinds of technologies coincides
with urban settlements similar to Amanora township. Other
than these, no special requirements were needed since shape
and size of the systems were adapted to land surface
availability.
In general, spare parts needed for the construction of both
technologies are locally available (providers can supply the
needed equipment both in Europe and in India). Customs duty
can be a problem, as costs of the materials sent can increase
a lot (occasionally up to 150%). Therefore, local
manufacturers should be preferred (for instance, there is a
good membrane manufacturer close to Pune). For Amanora,
critical parts such as the membrane or the control panel were
brought from Spain, although they were available in India as
well and providers are already known by BIOAZUL staff.
Hence, they will be definitively bought there next time.
Regarding the control panel, perhaps some specifications
would be necessary when using an Indian provider, but this
should nevertheless be possible. In addition, the existing local
technical service is suitable for reparation and maintenance.
For the installation phase of the equipment, minor problems
occurred due to certain delay of materials to be delivered (e.g.
tanks and motors) and the construction of the basement. As a
consequence, the construction process suffered some delay
although it did not affect the inauguration date for the plant.
Concluding, the time to be considered for design, land
preparation, construction and commissioning, may have to be
increased in comparison to the European context. Potential
issues with providers, permits to be conceded by authorities,
etc. may prolong the time needed for such tasks. Taking this
into account, can help avoid delay when calculating the
project delivery date.
Possible hazards with respect to technical components and
their impacts are related to membrane clogging and
puncturing, break-down of software/control panel, break-down
of pumps, break-down of valves, and contamination of
drinking water distribution pipes.
Local climate conditions are not expected to have any impact
on the treatment performance, although specific parameters
such as MLSS in reaction tanks must be carefully monitored
during monsoon periods.
Due to the ongoing collaboration between international
partners (Indian and EU), it is important to make sure all
stakeholders use the same nomenclature regarding
equipment, construction materials, etc. in order to avoid
potential misunderstandings.
Regarding gender aspects, NaWaTech principles have been
followed to contribute to an increased enrolment of women in
the research and development sector in India.
Up to now, the acceptance of the technology implemented
has not been an issue for any of the stakeholders involved.
The operation of the SBR requires less technical skills to be
operated than the MBR, what in principle makes it more
suitable for India. However, the profiles of typical costumers
for using these technologies are those from townships like
5 Last updated: 24 November 2015
Amanora, where skilled operators can be hired, so in this
case there is no need to object neither of the systems.
Moreover, considering concretely the Amanora case study,
the MBR is preferred by the local staff in comparison with the
SBR as they can train already skilled personnel to operate the
MBR, it takes less space and its efficiency is better.
Regarding operation and maintenance, it became clear that
things become much easier and fluent when dealing directly
with the client. Operators on site usually work on a memory
basis, and not using extensive manuals where all answers
can be found. These are of importance, nevertheless, but
even more is to have the overall focus on teaching and
learning besides providing and having all needed information
available. Training is needed not on an academic basis, but
interacting with the operators in their working environment
(hands-on). Furthermore, it is important to always consider
who your end user is.
Short reaction times for solving punctual problems with the
systems are required, so appropriate responsibilities have to
be established from the very beginning (it is needed to
determine which operator is in charge of what).
Committing mistakes with the MBR can be much more
serious than with the SBR; however, the MBR gives faster
adaptation responses when the operation conditions have to
be re-established (e.g. when the plant has to be restarted).
This is another reason justifying Amanora’s preference for the
MBR.
Decisions taken to solve any anomalous circumstances have
to be in line with the manufacturers’ guidelines, which have to
be known and frequently used by the operators.
Finally, regarding sampling, taking into account that in this
case study the outflow from both systems ends in one
common tank, the different parameters should be measured
more strictly.
Fig. 9: Recognition from Indian partners to a member of
BIOAZUL, after the treatment plant was successfully installed
(source: BIOAZUL, 2014)
12 Sustainability assessment
and long-term impacts
A basic assessment (Table 3) was carried out to indicate in
which of the five sustainability criteria for sanitation (according
to the SuSanA Vision Document 1) this project has its
strengths and which aspects were not emphasised
(weaknesses).
 Case study of NaWaTech Project
Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Amanora Park Town
Pune, Maharashtra, India

Table 3: Qualitative indication of sustainability of system. A • NaWaTech Compendium of Technologies:

cross in the respective column shows assessment of the o Available here.
relative sustainability of project (+ means: strong point of
project; o means: average strength for this aspect and – • Mid-term meeting NaWaTech:
o Available here.
means: no emphasis on this aspect for this project).
collection treatment transport • Hingorani, P. 2011. The Economics of Municipal
and and Sewage Water Recycling and Reuse in India. India
transport reuse Infrastructure Report, pp 312-322.
Sustainability criteria: + o - + o - + o - • Lahnsteiner, J., Klegraf, F., Ryhiner, G. and Mittal, R.
• health and 2007. Membrane bioreactors for sustainable for
X X X
hygiene sustainable water management (WABAG). Published in
• environmental and Everything about Water, Issue December 2007.
X X X
natural resources
• Asano, T., Burton, F., Leverenz, H., Tsuchihashi, R. and
• technology and
X X X Tchobanoglous, G. 2007. Water reuse: Issues,
operation
Technologies, and Applications. Metcalf & Eddy Inc.
• finance and New York: McGraw Hills.
X X X
economics
• socio-cultural and • UNEP & Murdoch University. 2004. Environmentally
X X X
institutional Sound Technologies in Wastewater Treatment for the
Implementation of the UNEP/GPA. Guidelines on
Municipal Wastewater Management. The Hague: United
Sustainability criteria for sanitation:
Nations Environment Programme Global Programme of
Health and hygiene include the risk of exposure to pathogens and
hazardous substances and improvement of livelihood achieved by
Action (UNEP/GPA), Coordination Office.
the application of a certain sanitation system.
Environment and natural resources involve the resources needed
in the project as well as the degree of recycling and reuse practiced
14 Institutions, organisations and contact
and the effects of these. persons
Technology and operation relate to the functionality and ease of
constructing, operating and monitoring the entire system as well as
its robustness and adaptability to existing systems. Contact details of partners involved in this project:
Financial and economic issues include the capacity of households
BIOAZUL S.L.
and communities to cover the costs for sanitation as well as the
benefit, such as from fertiliser and the external impact on the Avda. Manuel Agustín Heredia nº 18 1º4, 29001 Málaga
economy. (Spain)
Socio-cultural and institutional aspects refer to the socio-cultural Phone +34 951047290
acceptance and appropriateness of the system, perceptions, gender E-mail info@bioazul.com
issues and compliance with legal and institutional frameworks. Website: http://www.bioazul.com/en
For details on these criteria, please see www.susana.org: the ESF (Ecosan Services Foundation)
SuSanA Vision document "Towards more sustainable solutions" First floor, Flat no 1.24 Prashant Nagar, 721/1, Sadashiv
(www.susana.org).
Peth, Pune.411030
Phone: +91 9820 441 979
The main expected impact of this medium-scaled project is
Website: http://www.ecosanservices.org/esf
the development of tools and technologies for the
implementation, monitoring and mainstreaming of technical • Contact details related to the NaWaTech project:
wastewater treatment systems such as MBR and SBR
systems, in order to cope with water shortages in urbanised Indian Coordinator: NEERI
areas of India. Dr. Pawan Labhasetwar
Water Technology and Management Division – NEERI
Besides the positive impact of implementing this system in Nehru Marg, Nagpur - 440 020, India
Amanora Park Town, the results from this project are also Phone: +91(0) 71 22 243 797
relevant for other Indian regions as well as for EU countries E-mail: pk_labhasetwar@neeri.res.in
facing similar challenges (e.g. rapid urbanisation or failure of
conventional water treatment systems). European coordinator: ttz-Bremerhaven
Ms. Lucía Doyle / Ms. Katie Meinhold
In addition, expected and global impacts caused by this Water, Energy and Landscape Management –
project are i) substantial reduction of freshwater abstraction ttz Bremerhaven
and pollution, ii) more efficient use of limited water resources Fischkai 1 - 27572 Bremerhaven - Germany
and iii) improved resilience to water shortages and climate Phone: +49 (0) 471 4832 204 / +49 (0)471 80934 192
change. Email: LDoyle@ttz-bremerhaven.de / KMeinhold@ttz-
bremerhaven.de
13 Available documents and references

The following websites and bibliography have been gathered

and are related to the project:
• Official website of NaWaTech:
o http://www.nawatech.net/

6 Last updated: 24 November 2015

 Case study of NaWaTech Project
Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Amanora Park Town
Pune, Maharashtra, India

Case study of NaWaTech project

NaWaTech – Natural water systems and treatment
technologies to cope with water shortages in urbanized
areas in India
Author: Pilar Zapata Aranda (Bioazul S.L.,
pzapata@bioazul.com),
Editing and reviewing: Gerardo González (Bioazul S.L.,
ggonzalez@bioazul.com), Alejandro Caballero (Bioazul S.L.,
acaballero@bioazul.com); Guenter Langergraber (BOKU
Wien, guenter.langergraber@boku.ac.at); Leonellha Barreto
Dillon (SEECON gmbh, leonellha.barreto-dillon@seecon.ch)
© NaWaTech

7 Last updated: 24 November 2015