Bengaluru is going vertical with the construction of high-rise apartments. The amount of sewage generated by these high-rises runs into crores of litres. However, guidelines for treatment and reuse for high-rises exist only on paper. Very few comply with them religiously. However, Bengaluru also has a significant presence at ground level, in the form of independent homes built in multiple layouts. Since there is no mandate for sewage treatment, everyone simply dumps sewage into the BWSSB sewer grid, eventually polluting one fresh water body or another.
However, the drought of the years 23-24 is a wake-up call. It’s time to consider sewage water as a resource rather than waste. There’s a saying, ‘There is no wastewater; there is only wasted water.’ This article aims to provide some simple suggestions for treating sewage in homes without complex equipment. Additionally, there is no point in using water for non-potable needs, such as flushing, for which we pay a cost.
However, the drought of the years 23-24 is a wake-up call. It’s time to consider sewage water as a resource rather than waste. There’s a saying, ‘There is no wastewater; there is only wasted water.’ This article aims to provide some simple suggestions for treating sewage in homes without complex equipment. Additionally, there is no point in using water for non-potable needs, such as flushing, for which we pay a cost.
“The key to achieving good sewage reuse is ‘Dual Plumbing.’ Dual plumbing involves separating the plumbing lines in bathrooms”.
Black Water and Grey Water should be separately diverted from bathrooms. Black water consists of human faeces, while Grey water includes bathwater, kitchen water, and washing machine runoff. Separating these two types of sewage, each with different characteristics, ensures they can be treated efficiently. Additionally, flush inlet lines should be separate and sourced from a dedicated overhead tank meant for treated water. Dual plumbing is easily implemented with proper planning before construction. Retrofitting can be challenging, but not impossible.
Grey water is relatively simple to handle; it can be passed through a combination of readily available filter mats (such as Matala Mats, which are also available on online marketplaces). The filtered water can then be stored in underground tanks via gravity and used for purposes like flushing and gardening. There are visual examples demonstrating how Grey water filters can be installed inside the chambers.
Black water is tricky to treat and reuse but a valuable resource if used for ground water recharging. I would suggest 2 ways of handling Black Water.
Grey water is relatively simple to handle; it can be passed through a combination of readily available filter mats (such as Matala Mats, which are also available on online marketplaces). The filtered water can then be stored in underground tanks via gravity and used for purposes like flushing and gardening. There are visual examples demonstrating how Grey water filters can be installed inside the chambers.
Black water is tricky to treat and reuse but a valuable resource if used for ground water recharging. I would suggest 2 ways of handling Black Water.
1. Create a series of interconnected recharge pits (Number depends on volume of Black water). The interconnection is at top, so that the first one overflows into the next one. Let the black water in through the first of the pits. And add a good culture of inoculum (Inoculum is good bacteria which degrades sewage naturally). Inoculum is also readily available on online marketplaces. Inoculum degrades sewage, while water slowly trickles into earth. This is good for ground water recharge as well.
2. Use Solid Liquid separators (Like Aquatron). These devices use vortexing and gravity to separate solids from black water and send it for natural composting and water can be fed into recharge pits for recharging needs. These devices don’t require power or regular maintenance.
Following these approaches, the demand for fresh water reduces drastically and borewells start yielding more water even in peak summer. Also, consciously these approaches lead to cleaner water bodies around us.
2. Use Solid Liquid separators (Like Aquatron). These devices use vortexing and gravity to separate solids from black water and send it for natural composting and water can be fed into recharge pits for recharging needs. These devices don’t require power or regular maintenance.
Following these approaches, the demand for fresh water reduces drastically and borewells start yielding more water even in peak summer. Also, consciously these approaches lead to cleaner water bodies around us.
