Periodic Reporting for period 3 - PAVITRA GANGA (Unlocking wastewater treatment, water re-use and resource recovery opportunities for urban and peri-urban areas in India)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-02-01 do 2024-01-31
The core of Pavitra Ganga is to tackle the major environmental challenges in India, especially the dead rivers, considering the limited economic resources for wastewater treatment. In collaboration with local stakeholders and supported by industrial partners we have been setting up a new pilot site at the Jajmau wastewater treatment plant at Kanpur and extending the pilot site testing at the Barapullah Drain (New Delhi). The pilot testing evaluates the performance innovative wastewater treatment and resource recovery technologies. In addition, smart water management tools (monitoring and modelling) are being evaluated for the two case areas to improve the management and planning of water resources, as well as to assess the potential impact of the wastewater treatment and resource recovery technologies. The issues around water governance are also tackled to identify the factors and the barriers to successful wastewater and resource recovery management, as well as develop protocols for wastewater safety planning. The overall objective of PAVITRA GANGA is to fulfil SDG6 by unlocking the environmental and economic potential of municipal wastewater treatment and reuse solutions for urban and peri-urban areas in India. This is achieved by the following specific research and innovation objectives: create policy and social support for innovative technologies through stakeholder engagement (WP2); evaluate & improve promising wastewater treatment, reuse and recovery technologies at lab scale (WP3); deliver smart water quality monitoring & modelling solutions for two case areas (WP4); demonstrate and validate innovative technologies in real Indian wastewater settings at pilot scale (WP5); establish long lasting cooperation in capacity building and knowledge sharing (WP6); establish future market uptake and post-project exploitation of the demonstrated technologies (WP7); and, communicate and disseminate the project activities and outcomes (WP8).
The Pavitra Ganga project, which aimed to unlock wastewater treatment, water reuse, and resource recovery opportunities for urban and peri-urban areas in India, has been a collaboration between EU and Indian partners from academia, industry and SMEs. Its primary goal has been to demonstrate innovative solutions while at the same time improving water governance, monitoring, and stakeholder engagement. The project made significant strides in water governance and stakeholder engagement. It developed policy and social support for innovative wastewater technologies, conducted co-creation workshops, and implemented multi-criteria decision analyses. Wastewater safety plans were established in Kanpur and Delhi, and the results were disseminated through various conferences, workshops and publications. In terms of water monitoring, modelling, and control, the project implemented smart water management solutions and monitoring networks. Citizen-based water quality monitoring was conducted in New Delhi and Kanpur, and a web-based water quality and quantity dashboard was developed. Additionally, water balance scenarios were modelled to assess future water demands and quality under different conditions. Several treatment and recovery technologies were evaluated in laboratory settings before being piloted in real environments. These technologies included SFD-MBR, ANDICOS, Constructed Wetlands+, Photo Activated Sludge, Clean Blocks, Structured Adsorbents and Aerobic MBR. The project identified challenges specific to Indian conditions and optimized technology performance accordingly. The project also established an EU-India Business Platform to develop a roadmap for exploiting wastewater treatment and recovery technologies. Investment and financing programs were created to support technology implementation, and commercial opportunities for EU-India partnerships were identified. Capacity building was a crucial component of the project, with workshops and open course materials developed to enhance the skills of Indian and EU water professionals. These activities focused on themes such as water management, safety planning, and innovative wastewater treatment technologies. Communication and dissemination efforts significantly enhanced the project's visibility. Information was shared through a project website, social media, newsletters, and scientific publications. Additionally, the project organized events and participated in conferences to disseminate outcomes. The Pavitra Ganga project demonstrated considerable advancements in wastewater treatment and resource recovery technologies. Recommendations were provided for policy frameworks, financing mechanisms, and stakeholder engagement strategies. Future efforts will focus on scaling up successful technologies, securing regulatory approvals, and fostering continued EU-India cooperation in water management.
Pavitra Ganga has showcased in particular the exploitation of four innovative solutions and technologies: Self-forming Dynamic Membrane Bioreactor (SFD-MBR)- this secondary treatment system, now commercialized by Xylem as TARON®, promotes water reuse for irrigation. Starting at TRL 4 and reaching TRL 8, it features low energy requirements, robust performance, and compactness, though it requires further verifications. Andicos™ Technology - this modular treatment approach that can be added to existing plants, combining organic waste and sewage for biogas and fertilizer production. Initially affected by low organic content, the technology moved from TRL 4 to TRL 6. Future steps include verifying the use of septic tank wastes, with Ion Exchange expected to commercialize it in India. Constructed Wetlands + Technology: combining vertical subsurface flow CW with granular activated carbon and zeolite, this open domain technology effectively removed contaminants of emerging concern and heavy metals, advancing from TRL 4 to TRL 6. Future exploitation involves decentralized piloting. Structured Adsorbents: designed for effluents with low contaminants as a polishing step, this technology moved from TRL 4 to TRL 5 through lab experiments. The next steps would include piloting and integration into decentralized industrial effluent treatments. These advancements highlighted Pavitra Ganga's commitment to innovative water treatment solutions. Throughout the project Pavitra Ganga engaged with scientific and policymaking communities to present outcomes related to innovative wastewater treatment, smart water management, and improved water governance.