54. A WIN - WIN PPP
This is a
success story of a residential community in a smallish apartment complex
consisting of 160 flats, off Hosur
Road Bangalore
This
apartment complex had a Sewage Treatment Plant ( STP) based on the Sequencing Batch
Reactor ( SBR) technology designed to handle 100 KLD, which was not performing
satisfactorily for various reasons : also a good proportion of the incoming
wastewater bypassed the STP totally.
Now,
several architects, plumbing consultants ( my favourite villains), vendors of
equipment and indeed even prospective clients and the Pollution Control Board
officials are of the opinion that I promote only the tried, time tested and
successful conventional extended aeration biological system for an STP of a
residential complex. They are right of
course. They also believe that I
actively discourage other variants of the technology ( Electrocoagulation, SBR,
MBBR, MBR etc.) for this application. Right
on the money again. Let me explain the
rationale for my preferences.
It is my
firm belief borne out of close interactions for over 25 years with the worthies
mentioned above that finer nuances of available treatment technologies and the
specific engineering challenges unique to these technologies are totally beyond
their comprehension. It requires a keen
chemical engineering brain coupled with sound knowledge of environmental
engineering principles and a large dose of common sense ( all of which with due
modesty, I claim to have in great abundance) to assess and determine the Best Available
Technology ( BAT) or Best Practicable Technology ( BPT) as the case may be for
a particular situation.
As a
student of Chemical Engineering I am fully cognizant of advantages of a batch
reactor where first order reaction kinetics prevail. Also, Fluidised Bed reactors have been in use
in chemical engineering practice for several decades now ( MBBR being the STP
equivalent ) to not overly excite me like a new kid on the block. What is new now is application of these age
old technologies in biological wastewater treatment. Similar is the case with Membrane Bio Reactor
(MBR) technology, which has now been in use for decades for milder applications
such as dialysis, osmosis etc., operating on simpler fluids ( blood, sea water
) vastly different from the harsh character of wastewater - more so under Indian conditions.
I fully
approve of these technologies, provided they are applied with appropriate
engineering principles and precepts to deliver satisfactory treatment
performance at optimal cost over the life of the STP : and when this is done,
the conventional STP stands head and shoulders above all of these technologies
as on date. I speak with some authority,
after having completed detailed studies on several STP’s with these technology variants on a specific
assignment given to us by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. So what reason would I have to recommend
second best or to offer an option to my client ? I have been tasked to give him the best
advice : not to sit on the fence.
Enough of
digression and let me get back to Singasandra.
Due to
acute constraints of space, we could not convert the SBR to the conventional
mode of treatment. Therefore, we did the
next best thing available to us : to apply better engineering principles
demanded by the SBR technology, and reengineer the plant. The total cost was
around Rs. 4.5 lakhs to revive and resuscitate this dead STP. Simple arithmetic showed that if 50 KLD of out
of the 100 KLD of treated water could be reused for purposes such as toilet
flushing, gardens and car wash, savings in fresh water purchase through tankers
will pay back this amount within six months.
The rest of 50 KLD of treated water had to perforce be disposed off
outside.
Enter
Manipal County Club in the picture.
Suffering from huge shortage of water to tend to their greenery and
lawns, this neighbour was looking for a perennial source of good quality water
for their irrigation needs. We drafted a
model Sale
Surely a
Win - Win situation for the parties where Private -Private Partnership can
prove beneficial to both and also their immediate Environment.
Have excess
treated water ? Talk to your neighbour.
The draft Agreement is ready.
Dr. Ananth
S Kodavasal September 24,
2012
DRAFT OF AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT made at Bangalore
on the _____ Day of ____________ BETWEEN
XXXXX Apartment Owners’ Association, a Housing Society registered under the Registrar of Societies, Bangalore , and having its
office at ___________
Hereinafter referred to as PROVIDER on the ONE PART
And YYYYYY, carrying
on business of a social club at ____________ hereinafter referred to as
“RECIPIENT” on the SECOND PART
NOW, it is hereby Agreed by and between the parties hereto
as follows in respect of Excess Treated
water from the STP of the Provider to be supplied to the Recipient, and the
Terms and Conditions governing same :
PREAMBLE
1. The
Provider is a residential Apt. complex with an STP of installed capacity of 100
KLD
2. The
STP is functioning satisfactorily after a recent exercise in upgradation of
physical facilities in the STP and operational practices.
3. The
treated water meets quality specifications of the KSPCB as per their “Urban
Reuse Standards”.
4. The
Provider is already utilizing treated water for their own reuse purposes such
as gardening and toilets flush
5. After
exhausting all reuse options, there remains an excess of treated water ranging
from 40 to 50 KLD from the STP at
the disposal of the PROVIDER
6. The
Recipient is a commercial Social club in the neighbourhood of the Provider, and
has sufficient garden and lawn space and is need of good quality water for
irrigation and upkeep of the green areas.
7. In
order to conserve fresh water, and to be an environmentally friendly and
responsible corporate citizen, the Recipient is desirous of procuring excess treated STP water from the
Provider for garden and irrigation use
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
8. The
Agreement shall be for a period of one calendar year from date of signing of
this Agreement
9. The
Agreement may be renewed at the end of the year for such further period by
mutual consent, incorporating any amendments, if necessary
10. The
Provider agrees to provide excess STP treated water to the extent of 40-50 KLD meeting KSPCB stds. for Urban
Reuse, on a best effort basis which is far superior to the quality of water
required for irrigation use as prescribed under the Environment Protection Act
and Rules made thereunder
11. No
liability direct, indirect or vicarious or of any other description will attach
to the Provider consequent to the Recipient transporting and using treated water on his premises for
whatsoever purpose(s) he deems fit
12. The
Recipient agrees to lift the excess treated water even in the event of
temporary failure to meet Urban Reuse quality, as long the water meets quality requirements
specified for irrigation use in Schedule VI,
Rule 3A of the Environment Protection Rules.(1986)
13. The
Recipient shall be solely responsible for loading, transportation and unloading
of the excess treated water from the premises of the Provider to and on his own
premises.
14. For
loading of the excess treated water into tankers provided by the Recipient, the
Provider shall maintain a pump with necessary piping of upto 20 m in length
15. The
Recipient undertakes to lift all excess treated water upto 50 KLD on a daily basis, and the Provider undertakes to
deliver the said quantity, without let and without exception throughout the
period of the Agreement
16. The
50 KLD shall be delivered by the Provider not as a single consignment, but
spread over 16 hours in the day as determined and dictated by hourly generation
of excess treated water
17. This
Agreement is subject to Force Majeure conditions such as scarcity of fresh
water at the Provider’s premises, Acts
of God, Civil strife, Accidents in the
STP or unforeseen breakdown of equipment(s) in the STP.
18. The Recipient agrees to pay the Provider as
consideration for above supply of treated water, a sum of Rs. ZZ per Kiloliter of
excess treated water lifted from the STP of the provider, the measure used being the volumetric capacity of the tanker
used by the Recipient for transportation
19. A
log book/ manifest shall be maintained at the STP of the Provider for the
purpose of recording the quantity of
excess treated water thus lifted by the Recipient, which shall be signed by
authorized representatives of both parties to this Agreement as necessary and
sufficient proof of delivery of the recorded quantity of excess treated water
20. Payment
for the treated water thus lifted by the Recipient shall be paid to the
Provider at the end of every month based on records maintained as above. An invoice shall be raised by the Provider at
the end of every month in the name of the Recipient, and payment shall be made
within 7 days of raising of invoice
21. The
rate as specified above shall be fixed and valid for the entire period of the
Agreement, subject to revision by mutual consent at the time of each renewal of
Agreement
IN WITENESS WHEREOF, the Parties have appended their
signatures on the Day, Month and Year mentioned above as token of having accepted above Terms and Conditions.
For XXX Apt.
Owners’ Assoc. For
YYYY
Authorised Signatory Authorised
Signatory
Witness 1 : Witness
1 :
Witness 2 : Witness
2 :
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