Naval Civilian Housing Colony, Kanjumarg, Mumbai

Location: Kanjumarg, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Year of Implentation: 2002
Implementing organisation: Naval Administration and IIT Mumbai

Designed Capacity: 3 MLD
Area: 500 sq.m
Capital cost :  Rs 5-6 lakhs
O&M:  Rs 2 Lakhs Approx. (per annum)
Savings: 1 Lakh (per annum)

The Naval housing colony is a residential housing neighbourhood for officers and their family. The colony has 20 blocks of buildings with residential facilities, mess, hospital, sports complex, market area and administrative offices. The colony has adopted an innovative wastewater treatment process keeping in mind the potential of reuse. Wastewater from residential buildings is treated for potential reuse to maintain the lush green landscape inside the campus.

Raw wastewater from 7 buildings (24 flats each) is collected in a trench filled with gravel. After screening, the water is circulated and distributed over the bioreactor bed with a surface area of 500 sq.m. Water trickles through the 5 distinct layer of the bioreactor for treatment which is briefed below:

• The topmost layer is a 300-400mm thick soil containing native microflora, plant life, geophagous worms and minerals.

• 5-10mm thin strip of fine river sand is planned for the next layer.

• Fine gravels and pebbles of 5mm size form another 100 mm thick layer.

• Coarse gravel and stones with a diameter of 25mm is the fourth layer.

• The bottom most 250 mm thick layer is designed by stone-masonry or soil bunds of 100mm size.

The treated wastewater gets collected in the collection tank and recirculated and reused in order to achieve the desired result. Suspended solids are removed periodically from the top layer by scrapping and then discarded into municipal solid waste. One operation cycle lasts for 6.5 hrs. The bed is then rested for drying prior to next cycle of use. The designed capacity of the system is 50KLD. However, it treats 150 KLD in three batches of 50 KLD each with an operation cycle of 6.5 hrs/batch.

The SBT system at naval housing colony has been functioning for over 12 years. The treatment efficiency and overall performance of the system has been regularly monitored.

The treatment efficiency of SBT plant reflects increase in DO in wastewater from negligible level in the absence of any external aerators that consume energy. Further the reduction of the BOD and COD by 90- 94%, lowered SS by 96% in the system reveals good performance.

Dr Avinash M Kadam
Sugam Paryavaran Vikalp Pvt. Ltd.
605, Exim Link bldg, Opp Container Yard, Mulund Goregaon Link Road,
Nahur (W), Mumbai 400078
tel: 022- 25661497
Email: avinash@sugam.in
web: www.sugam.in