BiOWiSH™, a new clean technology for wastewater treatment, has completely eliminated the use of chemicals at the Synthite industrial wastewater treatment plant in India.
Synthite, the global market leader in spice oleoresins, engaged in a three-month trial with BiOWiSH™ distributor IWA/Environment to improve the plant's effectiveness in treating wastewater by adopting the new technology. In addition to eliminating chemicals for settling solids, the trial reduced aeration energy consumption by over 30% and rendered the plant totally sludge-free. Collectively, these outcomes reduced the plant's annual operating costs by almost 50%.
"In less than three months, we achieved process stability and chemical free operation in our plant. We've saved money on energy and chemical costs, and no longer have solid waste."
The Synthite plant deals with very challenging circumstances: wastewater varies substantially on a daily and often hourly basis due to the wide variety of raw materials processed in its factory. Prior to the trial, plant operators had to diligently track wastewater pH (acidity) values and make corresponding adjustments to lime dosing – a chemical treatment. According to Synthite Engineering Manager B. Shavanas, the company wanted to eliminate the use of chemicals altogether because it was a key source of process instability.
"Anytime we got the pH wrong it would take days to recover from a spike in suspended solids," Mr. Shavanas said.
The use of chemicals at the plant also transformed Synthite's sludge from purely organic to hazardous, subjecting the company to strict regulatory controls. The plant also required substantial energy input for aeration to sustain the natural microbial population in the system that digests waste.
BiOWiSH Technologies, based in Chicago, IL, USA, owns exclusive rights to a 100% organic culture that uses a high-speed enzyme cluster to break down organic waste into its final end compounds. Using its proprietary technology, the company developed a product called BiOWiSH™-Aqua for wastewater treatment applications.
The trial began on May 2009 when BiOWiSH™-Aqua was dosed into the plant's secondary collection tanks on a daily basis. Stable nutrient removal curves were achieved in less than three weeks and the plant's four aerators were then turned off progressively on a 30-minute on/off cycle to capture energy savings. After three months, a second dosage device was installed in the plant's equalization tank and chemical dosing was stopped completely. Shortly thereafter the plant eliminated all sludge and its drying beds have been re-allocated for other uses.
More information on the technology may be found at www.biowishtechnologies.com.
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