Part of running STPs is to ensure their smooth operation. The major reason for the wastewater treatment disaster in India is the mismanagement of the present STPs. Many of the STPs are malfunctioning. With the government now focusing on rectifying the situation, it is important for us to understand the challenges faced by sewage treatment plants India and find appropriate solutions.
It is not just the authorities that need to understand the running of STPs. As the government decentralises wastewater management, the general public also has to understand its functioning before installation. With housing complexes, commercial buildings like malls and hospitals now required to invest in wastewater management, this becomes critical to ensure that the plants run at optimum capacity.
These are some of the most common problems faced by STPs in India:
Errors in initial set-up: Contrary to popular perceptions, STPs actually need a minimum load. Below this, it cannot function properly and will leave the sewage untreated. This becomes a problem when a plant is being set-up in a growing community, such as a residential complex in its initial stages.
The plant capacity estimation is calculated as per the complex's full occupancy. However, since the plant is still at its initial stages, these estimations are often far more than the actual usage. In other words, the sewage falls critically short of the minimum required load. The sewage treatment is almost non-existent and the plant itself suffered from mismanagement. Many plants do not stabilise as a result.
Badly designed STPs: The under-capacity STP problems are compounded by the often badly designed plants. An STP has many components and each has to be carefully designed to fit the function. Sometimes a plant has to be customised according to the requirements. When not properly designed, the plant struggles to cope with the functioning and may never stabilise.
Just like under-loading, overloading is also a common problem in sewage treatment plants in India when the design is simply not equipped enough to process the sewage received. The balancing or aeration tank is often left undersized, there are not enough filtration screen or the process is handled wrong.
Poor personnel training: Running an STP requires expertise. You need people who can be responsible for its daily functioning. These are people who can read and understand elementary instructions. A large plant may also need a supervisor, especially if there is more than one person who handles the day-to-day functioning of the plant.
Yet, many plant owners shirk on hiring the right people either because of budgetary constraints or because they are themselves ignorant of the importance of running a plant properly. Many will hire O&M (operation and management) firms that charge the least. The low running costs is because of the poorly trained personnel some of whom are not even literate. This can be really jeopardise the working of the plant, since they have to rely on written instructions.
While there may be people who can handle the everyday functioning, there are very few people who have expertise in the working of the plant. These are engineers who can handle repair work or carry out small modifications when needed. This means that plants continue to run with small misalignments with no one correcting these. A badly managed plant hence, often develops snags that become irreparable with time.
Inherent problems: Then there are problems that are inherent in STPs, such as odour and noise. Sewage plants can have a strong smell, which is unbearable for most people. The plants can also be quite noisy, especially when built at a large scale. This makes the installation of STPs difficult in housing complexes and malls where the smell and noise stops people from installing it at the premises.
In addition, STPs need optimum space for the right installation. In many existing buildings like housing complexes, the only space available is in the basement. However, this is not ideal for an STP that needs open air for aerobic reactions to take place. Repair and maintenance in underground locations is also far from ideal.
These are some of the most common challenges faced by sewage treatment plants in India. The solution lies in better treatment technology and better trained personnel.
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