As per Indian pollution regulators body all the distillery shall be awarded consent only if they are having ZLD scheme for treatment of waste water by the effect of regulation norms in india few of the paper industries also started operating on ZLD scheme. However for paper industry ZLD scheme is not compulsory.
They will arrange a treatment plant, and will use the water for irrigation inside the industry (if they have enough free space). If space is not available, they will discharge inside the ground through deep well. They will store the sludge separately and will make it part of municipal solid waste management program.
In this way it will be a regular source of ground water contamination. The sludge will also be a problem.
The above comment is based on my visit to one Indian industry.
Hi Ritesh Kumar ,
the long-term impact depends a number of factors such as availability of water in the region the affected company is operating. If water is scarce a ZLD policy may make sense from environmental and economical point of view. But I am sceptical about implementing ZLD non-discriminatorily. If the contaminants in the treated water are below the prescribed limits it is ok to proceed with discharge. New research may find out presence of pollutants at very low concentrations that can have harmful effect in which case the regulation needs to be updated. Otherwise the cost to treat the water (e.g. by reverse osmosis) will be much greater than any benefit to environment and humans (e.g. in savings in hospital bills).
Nafees Mohammad My self visited number of such industries but all of them having conventional (ASP) treatment process or some of them are not having any type of treatment process, both the process leads to accumulation of COD and other detrimental subtract which leads to odor in product and corrosiveness in unit operation machines.
I fully agree with Robert's reply.
If however true ZLD requiring RO is imposed, then the RO reject would need to be reused resulting in the accumulation of salinity and recalcitrant/toxic compounds in the soil/crops (irrigation) and/or in the products (process) and utilities (cooling, heating).
Bruno Peeters, I am completely agree with Robert Thomas Bachmann , but what is the future of ZLD.
True ZLD has no future considering sustainability (CAPEX, OPEX, power use, maintainance, ...), climate impact (fossil fuel combustion for steam production, evaporation, crystallization, ...), health and environment (ZLD rejects in irrigation, ...).
I studied this ZLD issue for textile industry wastewaters in South India and Bangladesh on behalf of the IFC (World Bank Group).
The most sustainable concept are the 3 R's : Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with the Recycle matching the quality requirements of the Reuse at 2 to 3 levels after segregating/splitting the raw effluents at the source in 2 to 3 streams according to their pollution levels and treatabilty using advanced activated sludge (AAS) as main final treatment to optimize NF/RO (high recovery, high permeate quality, long service life).
Iam completely agree with Robert Thomas Bachmann , but what is the future of ZLD.
Bruno Peeters what i think is to to use convention treatment technologies with additional advantages and reuse of treated water in some other streams or for some other purpose like treated water to wetland than to irrigation use or for ground water recharge if water quality is up to the mark.
In agreeing with all Authors, comment,
When authorities impose ZLD rule, they mean with earnest interest to convey its meaning to all users and abide by the Rules.
- Awareness and participation sets in causing least impacts due wastes and apt SLWM is followed.
-'In following SLD, water as a resource is also conserved and
After remediation water (effluent) is re used for secondary purposes.
- Both elements of environment and water as a resource is conserved.
Well wishes.
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