Wai FSTP (based on pyrolysis Technology)

Capacity	70 KLD	Area of installation (Sq.ft.)	19,602
Inlet	Faecal Sludge and Septage (FSS)	Outlet	Treated water and Biochar
Year of Installation	2018	Capital investment (INR)	1.8 Cr
Scale of service	City-wide coverage of 8500 HH approx. within municipal boundary	Treatment time	12 hrs
C.O.D. (outlet)	34-80 ppm	B.O.D. (Outlet)	18-24 ppm

 

Location of technology:

The FSTP of Wai is located at the existing solid waste management site which is 3.4 km away from the city center. The coordinates of the FSTP location are 17°58'22.6"N 73°53'46.9"E

Need for technology

In Wai, detailed studies had shown that septic tanks were not emptied regularly as prescribed by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization. Most of the septic tanks were emptied only once in 8 – 10 years when they are completely full leading to backflow into the toilet seats. Effluent from containment systems and faecal matter were released into drains without treatment or dumped on solid waste disposal site causing widespread pollution. This posed a huge threat to public health and the environment.

Wai Municipal Council had achieved ODF (Open Defecation Free) status in the year 2016. The city didn’t stop there just and aimed towards sustaining it and moving towards ODF+/++. For this, it was essential to move beyond toilets by collecting and treating faecal sludge and septage regularly in a safe manner. Thus, Wai Municipal Council (WMC) with the support from CEPT University, is the first city in India to formulate and implement schedule emptying plan of 3 years cycle with a dedicated FSS treatment facility. WMC allocated land for installing FSTP of 70 KLD capacity. The FSTP has been set up by Tide Technocrats Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore with the funding supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The technology adopted for Wai FSTP is the Thermal Treatment process.

System description

• In Wai, septic tanks of household toilets are emptied by a private contractor (Sumeet Facilities Pvt. Ltd.), and septic tanks of community and public toilets are emptied by WMC’s vacuum tankers.

• The collected faecal sludge and septage is taken to the 70 KLD treatment facility consisting of the following components:

  • Septage receiving station

  • Holding tank

  • Dewatering unit

  • Pasteurisation unit

  • Dryer and Pyrolysis unit

  • Wastewater treatment unit

• Pyrolysation of septage with a limited oxygen supply destroys all pathogens present in excreta, and provides fast volume and mass reduction, a net energy output (heat and electricity) and a usable end product in the form of biochar is produced

• Biochar provides excellent soil enrichment when used with compost

• The treated liquid from the treatment plant is used for landscaping within the premise and for washing vacuum tankers and solid waste collection vehicles

Operation and maintenance:

Electricity consumed (kWhr)	560 – 830 units per month
Maintenance of the installation	Tide Technocrats Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore is responsible to operate FSTP facility for a period of 2 years from the date of commencement Monitor quality of output and byproducts regularly as per standards Share performance report of inlet and outlet information with WMC for their monitoring purpose.
O&M cost (INR)	₹24 lakhs per year

 

Technology provider perspective:

• The Wai FSTP is modular and can be placed as per space availability
• The size and capacity of the plant can be easily augmented with the existing modular units in future
• The system is suitable for varying climatic conditions
• The overall site is compact unlike a typical treatment plant consisting of physically oversized units. This would provide a simpler understanding to the visitors
• The plant doesn’t produce odour. Safety and Hygiene in the plant is maintained for workers as well as visitors

 

Social aspect

Perspective towards the technology/plant: 

Pros

Cons

Scientific treatment of collected faecal sludge and septage. Re-use potential of treated water and biochar is utilized Reduction in usage of potable water for non-potable purposes. Biochar is used for landscaping and plantation and can be used for agriculture in future Significant reduction in the pollution level of the land, water bodies and rivers. Compact treatment facility with easy maintenance Health improvement of the people by prevention of various water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, jaundice, typhoid, etc. saving a huge amount of money which would have been spent for treatment of these diseases Creation of employment opportunities for semi-skilled local citizens Clean and green environment overall

Inlet characteristic of septage determines the processing time of treatment. Septage with a high concentration of solids does take longer time.

 
Process Flow:

 

Contact details:

Mr. Sampath Kumar
Tide Technocrats Pvt. Ltd.
Address: 768, 1st & 2nd floor, 14th cross
33rd main, JP Nagar 1st Phase
Bengaluru - 560078, India
Email: sampath@tidetechnocrats.com
Mob: +91 80 2665 6191
Website: www.tidetechnocrats.com