Industries in Mangalore to get ultra treated sewage water

Special Economic Zone, Corporation set up tertiary treatment plant

The Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) is setting up mega tertiary treatment plants (TTPs) for sewage water, in collaboration with the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC), to meet the increasing demand for water from industries, especially during summer.

The sewage water undergoes primary and secondary treatment in four secondary treatment plants (STPs) in the city, from  where they are let into the TTPs.

The treated water is further purified for industrial use. The STPs in the city account for a total capacity of 89 million litres per day (MLD). A TTP has already been set up at the Kavoor STP premises with a capacity of 22.7 MLD (five MGD).

Unique features

Though one MGD tertiary treatment plants are functioning in India and two MGD plants are under construction, it is for the first time that a plant with a capacity of five MLD has been installed.

The plant has state-of-the-art GE membrane technology worth Rs seven crore. The water from the STP will undergo biological treatment, followed by processing in ultra-filtration membrane technology to remove suspended solids and disinfection for bacteria removal. In the ultra-filtration process, even the finest particles are separated, making the water potable, an MSEZ official told Deccan Herald.

The SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) software system is another feature of the plant where monitoring and control take place automatically. The tertiary treatment will not only lessen the financial burden on MCC in operating and maintaining STPs, but also reduce the environmental load by making the water, which is otherwise flown to the sea, suitable for industrial use.

“The total expenditure for the Kavoor TTP is Rs 70 crore, which includes installing the plant (Rs 17 crore), pumping and piping infrastructure to transport treated water from the plant to the MSEZ project area,” the official said.

The TTP will be operated and maintained by a Special Purpose Vehicle, which is formed based on an agreement between MCC and MSEZ. The plant, which is currently undergoing testing and commissioning, will be handed over to the company soon after it starts full-fledged operations.