PHYTORID technology UWTP of capacity 1 MLD was planned and constructed by Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Drainage Board (KUWS&DB) on behalf of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) under Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation & Transformation (AMRUT). The following interventions were made:
1. The existing trunk main of capacity 4-5 MLD near the lake was tapped to draw 1 MLD used water to the proposed UWTP
2. Construction of a decentralized UWTP of 1 MLD capacity of Phytorid technology which is system based on natural treatment methods and has distinctive advantages over conventional treatment plants. In this technology, treatment occurs via natural methods such as filtration, sedimentation, nutrient uptake by plants and microbial action in a constructed system which is filled with filter media. Specifically identified species of plants which are known to have good nutrient uptake are planted in the filter media.
3. Re-using the treated used water after tertiary treatment by discharging into the lake as an alternative source of water to maintain the water body and bio-diversity of the lake.
Tolanakeri is a lake located in Akshay Park area of Hubballi city in Dharwad district of Karnataka state which usually dried up during the summer and thereby affecting the bio-diversity of the lake and also the ground water table. Further, the Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Limited had taken up the works of beautification of the lake and recreational facilities. Hence, there was a need to explore alternative arrangements to fill the lake with water and maintain the water level at FTL even during the summer. In this context an alternative arrangement of water source for the lake was thought by establishing a decentralized Used Water Treatment Plant (UWTP) near the lake to treat the Used Water from the surrounding areas collected through an existing sewer line and replenish the lake with treated Used Water as per KSCPB/CPCB norms. Further the Used Water Treatment Plant was required to blend into the background of the lake environment and development works of gardens.
Hence, Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Drainage Board (KUWS&DB) took up the work of construction of 1 MLD capacity Phytorid UWTP under AMRUT on the upstream side of the lake to draw used water from a nearby sewer trunk main (as a source of used water) to treat the used water and discharge the treated used water (after tertiary treatment) into the lake for replenishment of the lake.
Replenishment of Tolanakeri lake which has a capacity of about 900 ML with the following objectives:
1. Maintain water level in the lake at FTL throughout the year.
2. Provide alternative source of water to the lake in absence of rains.
3. Improve the ground water table.
4. Improvements in the bio-diversity of the lake.
5. Improvement of recreational activities.
The UWTP was put into operation during May 2020 and the effluent parameters are being continuously monitored which confirm to the requirements of KSPCB/CPCB. With the discharge of the treated Used Water into the lake, the water body is continuously replenished to maintain the water level of the lake at FTL even during summer. This has resulted in the following improvements:
1. The lake never dries up due to daily discharge of about 1 ML of treated used water which maintains the water level of the lake at FTL. This has resulted in becoming an alternative source of water to the lake in absence of rains.
2. Increased the ground water table.
3. Recreational activities in the the lake surroundings have increased.
4. Helped in improving the Aesthetic aura because of plants (ornamental as well as flowering).
5. Improvements in the bio-diversity of the lake.
1. Construction of a decentralized UWTP in the vicinity of a water body/lake where usually the sewer mains are carried as per natural topography can be a potential water source for a water body/lake.
2. PHYTORID TECHNOLOGY FOR USED WATER TREATMENT PLANT:
It is a self-sustaining technology developed by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), CSIR that works on the principle of natural wetland. It has been developed and patented by CSIR- National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR - NEERI). This technology has also obtained the authorization from Council of Scientific & Industrial Research.
PHYTORID system is based on natural treatment methods and has distinctive advantages over conventional treatment plants. In this technology, treatment occurs via natural methods such as filtration, sedimentation, nutrient uptake by plants and microbial action in a constructed system which is filled with filter media. Specifically identified species of plants which are known to have good nutrient uptake are planted in the filter media.
Further, this system being a natural system operation is mostly passive and requires harvesting of roots once in 6 months and loosening of filter media once in a year. The requirement of power is also less in comparison to the electro-mechanical STPs.
Benefits of PHYTORID system:
Very less requirement of power
Simple in design & operation
Aesthetic aura because of plants (ornamental as well as flowering) and subsurface flow of water)
No application of chemicals for treatment process
Lower costs of treating sewage
Increased presence of birds and other fauna
Extra gardens and landscaping features not required for beautification
More diverse biota
