Residential Training on Planning and Designing for Co-treatment of Faecal Sludge/Septage at Sewage Treatment Plants

Indian citiesface a serious problem of inadequate collection and treatment of sewage and faecal sludge -- only about a third of urban India is served by networked services. Many large citieseither have a sewerage system with a sewage treatment plant (STP), or plan to build one in the near future. But connecting every part of a city with a sewer network is a resource-intensive and impossible process – cities, therefore, will continue to have pockets that will dependon on-site sanitation systems. The septage/faecal sludge collected from these onsite systems requires treatment either at a stand-alone faecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP) or at an STP. 

In India, sewage treatment plants are grossly underutilised. As per the Central Pollution Control Board’s 2021 inventory of STPs in India, 1,469 STPs are operational in the country, with a treatment capacity of 31,841 million litre per day (MLD): these plants are treating only 20,235 MLD. In such a scenario, co-treatment of faecal sludge and septage in STPs is a feasible and promising solution to the problem of urban sewage/septage management. 

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) successfully completed a tailor-made three-day residential training programme on ‘Planning and Designing for Co-treatment of Faecal Sludge at Sewage Treatment Plants’. The training would aim to help the participants:

• understand the quantitativeand qualitative data/information required for assessing the technical viability of co-treating faecal sludge at STPs
• understand the technological challenges for co-treatment of faecal sludge/septage at different types of sewage treatment technologies
• understand the operation and maintenance requirements along with financial implications for co-treatment 

We are thrilled to share the remarkable success of our recent training program on "Planning and Designing for Co-treatment of FS/Septage at Sewage Treatment Plants," conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi School of Water and Waste.

Proceeding of the training

This intensive training initiative brought together 22 passionate participants from diverse regions of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Ladakh.

Day 1 set the stage for an incredible learning journey with a warm welcome and an engaging ice-breaking session. We delved deep into Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) and the co-treatment landscape in India, followed by hands-on exercises on estimating the quantity and quality of FSS. The day continued with practical exploration of sewage treatment technologies and exercises to determine co-treatment capacity. Participants also gained insights from best-case studies of co-treatment in Rajasthan and other states. The day concluded with a session on proposing co-treatment solutions at the city level and a field visit to the AAETI DWWTS system.

Day 2 started with a comprehensive recap of Day 1, leading into hands-on exercises for planning and designing co-treatment solutions under various scenarios. Participants also had the opportunity to visit CSE's Environmental Laboratory for a deeper understanding of FSS testing. The day concluded with an in-depth session on commissioning, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of co-treatment facilities.

On the final day, Day 3, participants reflected on their experiences and learnings from the first two days. This was followed by a session on statewide institutionalization and implementation, featuring compelling case studies from Uttar Pradesh. We also explored a successful case study of co-treatment in Bijnor city, Uttar Pradesh.

Our training program wrapped up with valuable feedback from participants and the distribution of well-earned certificates. 

The overwhelmingly positive response from our participants, along with their valuable suggestions and requests for future training programs, underscores our shared commitment to advancing co-treatment knowledge. We are excited about the prospect of more opportunities to learn and grow together. Let's continue on this path of sustainable solutions and environmental stewardship.

Course Coordinator

Faraz Ahmad
Deputy Programme Manager
Water Programme, CSE
Email: faraz.ahmad@cseindia.org