DESC:FORM 2

The Patents Act, 1970 (39 of 1970)
&

The Patents Rules, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of The Invention

“HERBAL WATER TREATMENT PROCESS FOR SEWAGE / DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND SYSTEM THEREOF”

APPLICANT

Name: AMIMA PROJECTS PVT LTD. Nationality: INDIAN COMPANY
Address: Argus Chambers Premises, Plot No G-1, GUT No. 796, MAFCO Rd, Sector 18, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra PIN - 400707, INDIA

The following specification particularly describes the invention and
the manner in which it is to be performed
HERBAL WATER TREATMENT PROCESS FOR SEWAGE / DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND SYSTEM THEREOF

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for removing impurities through herbal ingredients and the method thereof. More particularly, the present invention discloses herbal-based water treatment system and a corresponding method for neutralizing the pH of water and removing impurities such as grit, particulates, floating debris, suspended solids, turbidity, pathogenic bacteria, fecal coliform, oil, grease, color, and the like, and for treating an unacceptable biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and/or dissolved oxygen (DO) by utilizing an organic, herbal treatment system.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, India has experienced significant economic growth, leading to a steady increase in urban industries and populations. Consequently, the capacity for treating urban domestic and industrial sewage has also risen. However, a by- product of this sewage treatment process is sludge, which has become a considerable challenge in addressing urban environmental pollution. After undergoing treatment in sewage plants, urban sewage is discharged into natural water bodies such as lakes and rivers, contributing to the increasing eutrophication of these ecosystems. Reports indicate that over 70% of India's lakes and reservoirs are now experiencing eutrophication, with 22% classified as heavily or excessively eutrophic.

Presently, sludge treatment relies on chemical conditioning and plate-and-frame filter pressing dehydration technologies, reducing sludge moisture content from
95% to 50-60%. This significantly decreases the volume of sludge, facilitating its treatment in sewage plants. However, addressing the issue of blue algae, which often accompanies eutrophication, poses greater challenges. Current methods for blue algae management involve manual removal and flocculation precipitation, reducing its moisture content to only 85-90%. Consequently, the difficulty and cost of treating blue algae have escalated.

In the prior art-

CONVENTIONAL SYSTEM (MBR/ MBBR/ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS) W-TECH PROCESS USING INDUS W Tech-33 & 60 also 06
Highly Power intensive process. 24/7 aeration using high power blowers is required to keep the bacterial cultures active Very less power consumption.

This process is independent of power outages and temperature variations.

The treatment is dependent on the dosing of Ecoclean-2300 NHC 50 at 40 to 50 ppm depending on the inflow rate

Outlet water quality conforms to reuse standards. The water is completely disinfected and no foul smell.

Low infrastructure. Less space requirement. Nominal treatment cost and very little maintenance and operating costs (2 to 4 paise per litre).

Natural herbal disinfection system
The effectiveness of the bacterial culture is dependent on continuous power supply and ambient temperature. Frequent power failures leads to disruption of bacterial digestion. Similarly, very high (above 45 degrees) or very low (below 20 degrees) temperatures leads to slowing down of bacterial digestion.

Periodic replenishment of bacterial culture is required to ensure 100% efficiency of the system. Conventional STPs show a high degree of failures due to failure to replenish the bacterial culture

Outlet water quality is only of soak pit standard. Further treatment (ultra-filtration and/or disinfection using chlorine or chlorine derivatives) needed for re-use (for gardening & flushing). Treated water has foul smell and contains pathogens.

Infra structure cost high. Space requirement more. High power consumption, but relatively low operation costs. Where membrane filtration is done, maintenance cost becomes prohibitive (8 to 18 paise per litre).
Disinfection involves usage of Chlorine or chlorine products which are toxic, difficult to handle and unsuitable for plants and humans.
Chlorinated water is unfit for industrial use, construction and even irrigation because of the corrosive property of chlorine and chlorine derivatives used in disinfection No corrosiveness. So the treated water can be used for irrigation, industrial applications and construction all of which are major consumers of fresh water.
Tertiary treatment using RO or ultra-filtration involves frequent maintenance and replacement of membranes making it a very expensive process. Further, it generates a large volume of high TDS reject water that is unfit to use. This is usually No tertiary treatment is required. Ecoclean-
2300 NHC 50 acts as a flocculent (for separation and sedimentation of sludge) and as a disinfectant (for eliminating pathogenic bacteria)
Unless membrane filtration is done, the effluent water contains substantial levels of pathogens including Fecal coliforms and E-coli. No pathogens. Fecal coliforms and E-coli are generally absent or well within acceptable norms

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention herein discloses a system for removing impurities through herbal ingredients from raw sewage containing impurities such as particulates, floating debris, suspended solids, turbidity, bacteria, fecal coliforms, oil, grease, color and the like, and having an unacceptable level of biological oxygen demand [BOD], chemical oxygen demand [COD], or very low level of dissolved oxygen [DO] by dosing reagents in in a prescribed manner.

In an embodiment, there is provided a Secondary Treatment zone including a Pressurized Sand Filter [PSF] to remove the particulate matter flocculating and separating from the sewage following treatment with our herbal reagents and an Activated Carbon Filter [ACF]. This process leaves the treated water crystal clear and free from pathogens without any of the negative side effects associated with chemical cleaning agents like Alum, Poly Aluminum Chloride, Chlorine, Bleaching Powder, etc.

In yet another embodiment, there is provided a method for treating which is configured to ensure an aqueous stream free of impurities such as particulates, floating debris, suspended solids, turbidity, bacteria, fecal coliforms, oil, grease, color, etc

Therefore such as herein described there is provided a herbal-based water treatment system and method for sewage and drinking water treatment plants removes impurities such as grit, particulates, suspended solids, pathogenic bacteria, fecal coliform, oil, grease, and color, while correcting biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. The system employs a herbal reagent comprising extracts of Neem (Azadirachta indica), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Moringa (Moringa oleifera), and Cleaning Nut (Strychnos potatorum), dosed at 50 ppm, to flocculate solids and eliminate 99.99% of pathogens. The process includes bar screen filtration, oil/grease trapping, pH neutralization, agitation, sedimentation, and filtration through Pressurized Sand and Activated Carbon Filters. The treated water meets CPCB and WHO standards, is non-corrosive, and is suitable for irrigation, construction, and industrial use, while the nitrogen-rich sludge serves as natural manure. The system is cost-effective, non-power-intensive, and environmentally sustainable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

Fig 1 illustrates a system for removing impurities from sewage treatment plant through herbal ingredients in accordance with the present invention;

Fig 2 illustrates a system for removing impurities from drinking water treatment plant through herbal ingredients in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Herbal-based treatment system and method for removing impurities such as grit, particulates, floating debris, suspended solids, turbidity, bacteria, fecal coliform, oil, grease, color, and the like, and for treating an unacceptable biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and/or dissolved oxygen by utilizing a herbal treatment system. The treatment system comprises a Primary Treatment zone for containing the aqueous stream for treatment by stationary bar screen filtration, followed by pH adjustment. This is followed by the Secondary Treatment Zone for dosing of herbal reagents, mixing the herbal additive through agitation or aeration, flocculation and sedimentation of all suspended solids, clarification, disinfection and particulate removal through micro- media filtration. After passing the raw waste water through the Secondary Treatment zone, the treated water may be re-used for all secondary purposes such as agriculture, irrigation, construction, industrial use, etc or can be safely discharged into rivers, lakes or water bodies. This results in preservation of precious, fast depleting fresh water resources making it an eco- friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable system of water management.

The herbal ingredients are time-tested and have 99.99% efficacy against pathogens. Result of tests conducted on mixed culture consisting of the following bacterial species:
o Staphylococcus aureus,
o Proteus sp,
o Pseudomonas sp,
o Klebsiella sp,
o E.coli

The reagents used are totally herbal-based, which are purchased from open market as value added products, capable of exterminating the following pathogenic bacterial species: Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Klebsiella sp, E.coli and there would be no usage of potentially harmful inorganic chemicals like Chlorine, Alum and other chemicals which are commonly used in swimming pools. These are totally harmless to human beings and do not even have the remote possibility of triggering allergic reactions. Sensitivity tests show that it has no adverse reaction on human skin.

It has no bleaching properties or irritating taste or smell unlike Chlorine and Chlorine derivatives like bleaching powder. So it does not bleach the hair and skin of swimmers or trigger respiratory problems on human or animal contact. There is no negative effect on aquatic animals. Since the discharged treated water is chlorine- free, it does not trigger rusting of steel or scaling of pipes, making it safe for use in Construction and/or industries. The sludge that remains, after being de-watered can be used as a Nitrogen-rich natural manure.

The system for removing impurities through herbal ingredients from raw sewage containing impurities such as particulates, floating debris, suspended solids, turbidity, bacteria, fecal coliforms, oil, grease, color and the like, and having an unacceptable level of biological oxygen demand [BOD], chemical oxygen demand [COD], or very low level of dissolved oxygen [DO] by dosing our proprietary reagents in the manner detailed below. A schematic drawing of the treatment process is shown in Fig 1.

The Secondary Treatment zone includes a Pressurized Sand Filter [PSF] to remove the particulate matter flocculating and separating from the sewage following treatment with our herbal reagents and an Activated Carbon Filter
[ACF]. This process leaves the treated water crystal clear and free from pathogens without any of the negative side effects associated with chemical cleaning agents like Alum, Poly Aluminum Chloride, Chlorine, Bleaching Powder, etc.

This method for treating ensures an aqueous stream free of impurities such as particulates, floating debris, suspended solids, turbidity, bacteria, fecal coliforms, oil, grease, color, etc. It also ensures that unacceptable biological oxygen demand [BOD], chemical oxygen demand [COD] and dissolved oxygen [DO] levels are corrected to standards approved by the Central Pollution Control Board [CPCB] by treating in the treatment zone positioned in the STP.

Table 2 :
Assured Quality Of Outlet Water

PARAMETER VALUE
pH 6.5-7.5
BOD <10 mg/L
COD <40 mg/L
TSS <5 mg/L
Oil & Grease <5 mg/L
E-coli and Fecal coliforms Absent

Power Consumption:

A 1 HP motor consumes 18 units of power per day when run continuously 24/7. A regular 10 MLD STP requires at least 4 aeration blowers of 25 to 35 HP.
Assuming the lower capacity of 25 HP, the plant would consume 4 x 25 x18 =

1800 units of power per day or 54000 units per month. Even at a conservative rate of Rs 8.50 per Unit, the power charges incurred would be almost Rs
5,00,000 per month. In comparison, and W-Tech STP would require hardly 100 units of power per day or 3000 units per month. At the same rate of calculation, this would work out to less than Rs 30,000 per month.

Land Requirement:

Large STPs (upward of 10 MLD) are normally required in cities and towns where real estate rates are extremely high. Conventional STPs, on an average, require
30 cents of land per MLD of water treated. In other words, a 10 MLD plant would require a minimum of 3 acres of prime real estate. An W-Tech STP can be constructed in 1/3rd of the area resulting in huge savings on land costs, especially in urban centers.

Construction Cost

Construction of an MBR or MBBR STP is estimated to cost about Rs 2 Crore per MLD treated. So, a 10 MLD plant involves a cap-ex of Rs 25 Crores for its construction excluding the cost of land on which the STP is to be located. The cost of an W-Tech STP would work out to only Rs 1.25 Crores per MLD treated, resulting in substantial savings in cap-ex.

Process Description: Primary Treatment :
The primary treatment consists of the following steps :

Bar Screen Filtration : Mechanical removal of large floating materials such as plastics, wood, tin, glass, wires, paper, sanitary pads, etc by passing the sewage stream through a bar screen.

Oil/Grease Trap : This involves skimming out excessive oils and grease by passing the sewage stream through an oil trap which takes advantage of the relative specific gravities of the water and the oil/grease contaminants.
pH Neutralization : This involves the dosing of the appropriate quantity of Indus W Tech-06 to raise the pH of the raw sewage from <7 to around 8.5. The influent pH and the neutralized pH can be constantly monitored through automated sensors, which can also control the dosing of Indus W Tech -06 according to requirements.

Secondary Treatment :

This consists of the following steps :
? Based on the inflow rate of water, the herbal flocculent-cum-disinfectant, Indus W Tech-33 & 60 may be dosed at 50 ppm (50 ml/KL).
? The reagent has to be mixed well by using an agitator.
? The suspended impurities begin to flocculate and settle down in the hopper bottom of a Tube Settler.
? A settlement time of 2 to 3 hours is allowed during which all the

suspended impurities settle down leaving the top water clear.
? The Neem and Tulsi content in the reagent also destroy the pathogenic bacteria in the water, including stubborn species such as Fecal coliforms and E-coli. The Tulsi extracts also act as oxygenating agent and increased the dissolved oxygen content in the water, automatically causing a reduction in BOD and COD.
? After allowing sufficient time for settlement and disinfection, the treated
? water is passed through a combination of Pressurized Sand Filter and
? Activated Carbon Filter to yield potable grade water.
? Since there is a natural mental block to drinking treated sewage, this treated water can be safely used for all secondary purposes such as irrigation, construction, industrial applications and for recharging fresh
water reserves such as rivers, lakes, ponds and even the groundwater table.

Inventive step

•Indus W Tech-33 & 60 is a combination of herbal extracts (Neem, Thulasi, Moringa and Cleaning Nut) with proven water-purifying capabilities, bound together using a water- soluble organic solvent.
•It is totally non-toxic and safe to use.

•Used at very low dosages of 50 ppm (50 ml for 1000 litres), it causes flocculation and sedimentation of sludge and also kills harmful bacteria including fecal coliforms and E-coli, bringing the water to potable grade after filtration with sand and carbon filters.
•The treated water has low BOD and COD; it does not have an offensive odour; it is clear and has low TSS; it contains no harmful salts and conforms to all the standard parameters for re-usable grade water set by the World Health Organization and the Central Pollution Control Board of India.
•Extremely cost-effective with the reagent cost working out to less than 5 paise per litre of sewage.
•Allowing for the mental block to drinking treated sewage water, this water

can be used for all secondary purposes like :

? Flushing
? Washing of vehicles and pathways
? Washing and swabbing of floors
? Gardening and irrigation
? Construction

Industrial uses such as boiler coolant AC Plants, etc

•The dosing process is extremely simple and can be built into existing STPs with minimal infrastructural changes. It can also be designed as an exclusive W-Tech Process design which will cost less than half of the conventional treatment plant.

•The technology is non-power intensive and does not require constant aeration, harmful or toxic chemicals or expensive micro/nano filters.

•It is a technology that enables reclamation of more than 95% of

waste or contaminated fresh water.

The herein disclosed Green Technology is a solution for the looming fresh water crisis confronting the world.

While the present invention has been described with reference to a specific preferred embodiment, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes could be made to this embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. The above-mentioned description is provided to serve the purpose of clarifying the aspects of the invention, and it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that they do not serve to limit the scope of the invention. By way of example, the total arrangement of the different sections is customized. All modifications and improvements have been incorporated herein for the reference.
,CLAIMS:We Claim:
1. A herbal-based water treatment process for removing impurities from raw sewage and producing potable-grade water, comprising the steps of:
(a) passing an aqueous stream through a bar screen to remove large floating materials;
(b) skimming oils and grease using a gravity-based oil/grease trap;
(c) neutralizing the pH of the aqueous stream to approximately 8.5 using a herbalbased pH reagent;
(d) dosing a herbal reagent comprising extracts of Neem (Azadirachta indica),
Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Moringa (Moringa oleifera), and Cleaning Nut
(Strychnos potatorum) bound with a water-soluble organic solvent at a concentration of 50 ppm (50 ml/kL);
(e) mixing the herbal reagent into the aqueous stream using an agitator;
(f) inducing flocculation and sedimentation of suspended solids in a hopper bottom Tube Settler over 2–3 hours; and
(g) filtering the treated aqueous stream through a Pressurized Sand Filter (PSF)
and Activated Carbon Filter (ACF) to achieve potable-grade water.
2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the herbal reagent achieves 99.99% elimination of pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Klebsiella sp., and E. coli, within 5 hours at a 0.5% concentration.
3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the treated water meets Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, with pH 6.5–7.5, BOD <10 mg/L, COD <40 mg/L, TSS <5 mg/L, oil & grease <5 mg/L, and no detectable E. coli or fecal coliform.
4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pH neutralization is monitored and controlled by automated sensors to maintain optimal conditions for the herbal reagent.
5. A herbal-based water treatment system for sewage and drinking water treatment plants, comprising:
(a) a Primary Treatment zone including:
• a bar screen for removing large floating materials;
• an oil/grease trap for skimming oils and grease;
• a pH neutralization unit with automated sensors for dosing a herbal-based
pH reagent;
(b) a Secondary Treatment zone including:
• a dosing unit for administering a herbal reagent comprising extracts of Neem (Azadirachta indica), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Moringa (Moringa oleifera), and Cleaning Nut (Strychnos potatorum) bound with a water soluble organic solvent;
• an agitator for mixing the herbal reagent;
• a hopper-bottom Tube Settler for flocculation and sedimentation;
• a Pressurized Sand Filter (PSF) and Activated Carbon Filter (ACF) for final filtration.
6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the herbal reagent is dosed at 50 ppm (50 ml/kL) and achieves 99.99% pathogen elimination.
7. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the treated water is non-corrosive and suitable for irrigation, construction, industrial applications, and groundwater recharge.
8. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the dewatered sludge is nitrogen-rich and suitable for use as natural manure.
9. A herbal composition for water treatment, comprising:
(a) extracts of Neem (Azadirachta indica) for antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity;
(b) extracts of Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) for antimicrobial activity and water oxygenation;
(c) extracts of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) for flocculation of suspended solids;
(d) extracts of Cleaning Nut (Strychnos potatorum) for water clarification and
pathogen elimination;
(e) a water-soluble organic solvent for binding the extracts into a stable, non-toxic reagent.
10. The composition as claimed in claim 9, wherein the composition is dosed at 50 ppm (50 ml/kL) and produces potable-grade water with low BOD, COD, and TSS after filtration.

(PAWAN KUMAR MAHESHWARI) IN/PA-761
FOR APPLICANT