Is KSPCB against Sewage Treatment Plant in Bangalore

The new norms and guidelines for Domestic Sewage Treatment Plant shows Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is tempting apartment complex in cities to violate the norms. According to source, KSPCB is imposing “Urban Reuse Standards” for quality of treated water from Domestic Sewage Treatment Plants (STP). Apartment owners association, RWA and residents of apartment says the norms are irrational and the limit for turbidity in the treated water is so unrealistically low that most of the STP running in the apartment complexes would exceed this limit. Turbidity is a measure of the degree to which the water loses its transparency due to the presence of suspended particulates. Turbidity is measured in NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units).

Apartment communities in city plays vital role in wastewater management and reducing burden of corporation in treating wastewater. The apartment running STP should be encouraged by offering subsidies from government or offering incentives. But KSPCB Urban Reuse Standards are irrational and unrealistically low. The domestic plants are supposed to achieve better results as compared to their industrial counterparts. But the KSPCB has relaxed the limit only for the industries and not for STP run by the apartment complexes.

Urban Reuse Standards

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has in recent times started imposing “Urban Reuse Standards” for quality of treated water from Domestic Sewage Treatment Plants (STP). KSPCB has fixed desirable limit for Turbidity as less than 2 NTU on treated wastewater quality.

According to source, only tertiary treated water is used for non-potable purposes, like all gardening including parks, resorts and golf course, washing servicing and cleaning of vehicles and all civil construction activities like building multistoried apartments, commercial complexes, housing complexes of private developers and State government and Central government, including roads and bridges in Bangalore city.

Indian Standards for Drinking water quality prescribes a desirable limit for Turbidity as 5 NTU, and a Maximum limit as 10 NTU. But KSPCB started imposing “Urban Reuse Standards” for quality of treated water from Domestic Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) a limit of 2 NTU on treated wastewater quality. It would therefore appear irrational to impose this limit.

CAG report

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has revealed that 53 per cent of sewage was being discharged into storm water drains and lakes directly, resulting in their contamination. Moreover, the KSPCB has not been following the prescribed standards in testing air and water samples. The KSPCB has failed to draw up any concrete action plan to address pollution-related issues. This has led to underutilization of available funds, the report said.

Residents Voice

According to Residents and apartments owners, running a STP in city is responsibility of city’s civic body. But the BWSSB would be forced to erect massive STPs around the city on costly land. Further, BWSSB would have to lay massive sewerage lines around the city that takes the raw sewage to public STPs. Any leakage of those sewerages would mean spread of diseases. So KSPCB conveniently passed the responsibility of running local STPs to apartment complexes. Therefore, apartment communities are doing a favor to the KSPCB. But KSPCB consider domestic STP as an industrial unit and charging them exorbitantly as annual tax.

Domestic STP needs incentive and support from KSPCB or State Government for achieving its goal. Removing total suspended solids (TSS) and biochemical oxygen demanding waste (BOD) are the main goals of a sewage treatment plant. Domestic STP needs incentive. Instead KSPCB charge higher annual tax and excessively stringent limit on turbidity.

The norms are irrational and the limit for turbidity in the treated water is so unrealistically low. Apartment communities and Residents welfare association (RWA) demands following things to KSPCB and State Government.

• Get the ban on discharge revoked.

• The excessively stringent limit on turbidity needs to be relaxed officially, so that no one is harassed in the name of the law.

• Abolish annual tax system.

• Give incentives for apartment communities running STP.

• The new “Urban Reuse Standards” are neither sustainable, nor warranted under present circumstances. Therefore, KSPCB need to the relax norms and give proper consideration to domestic Sewage Treatment Plants.

Thanks to Dr. Ananth for contributing article to commonfloor.com |Dr. Ananth S. Kodavasal is Director of Ecotech Engineering Consultancy Pvt. Ltd Whitefield, Bangalore.