This document summarizes the wastewater treatment process at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Srinagar, India. The wastewater treatment plant has two phases, with phase 1 including primary sedimentation, aeration, and secondary clarification and phase 2 including screening, grit removal, aeration, and secondary clarification. After treatment, effluent is sent to sludge beds and soak wells before final discharge to a nearby lake. However, the current facility is insufficient for fully treating hospital wastewater and poses health risks, as screens, grit, and sludge are not properly maintained or disposed of.

1. TREATMENT OF HOSPITAL WASTEWATER
Name- Tabish.I.Malik
Enroll- 190/11
Roll no.- 52
Sec- A

2.  Wastewater composition refers to the actual amounts of physical,
chemical and biological constituents present in wastewater.
 Hospital wastewater may contain various potential hazardous materials
including, microbiological pathogens, radioactive isotopes, disinfectants,
drugs, chemical compounds and pharmaceuticals.
 The major aim of wastewater treatment is to remove as much of the
suspended solids as possible before the remaining water, called effluent,
is discharged back to the environment.
 The selection of suitable treatment technology and proper treatment of
hospital wastewater is essential.

3.  As solid material decays, it uses up oxygen, which is needed by the
plants and animals living in the water.
 Fisheries -Clean water is critical to plants and animals that live in water.
 Wildlife Habitats-Our rivers and ocean waters teem with life that
depends on shoreline, beaches and marshes.
 Recreation and Quality of Life-Water is a great playground for us all.
The scenic and recreational values of our waters are reasons many people
choose to live where they do. Visitors are drawn to water activities such
as swimming, fishing, boating.
 Health Concerns

4. If wastewater is not properly treated, then the environment and human
health can be negatively impacted
 decaying organic matter and debris can use up the dissolved oxygen in a lake so fish and
other aquatic biota cannot survive
 excessive nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen (including ammonia), can cause over-fertilization
of receiving waters, which can be toxic to aquatic organisms, promote
excessive plant growth, reduce available oxygen, alter habitat and lead to a decline in
certain species
 chlorine compounds and inorganic chloramines can be toxic to aquatic invertebrates, algae
and fish
 bacteria, viruses and disease-causing pathogens can pollute beaches and contaminate
shellfish populations, leading to restrictions on human recreation, drinking water
consumption and shellfish consumption
 other substances such as some pharmaceutical and personal care products, primarily
entering the environment in wastewater effluents, may also pose threats to human health,
aquatic life and wildlife.

5.  Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, located at Soura, Srinagar
(J&K) is a reputed post graduate institute for training, research and
patient care.
 The construction of SKIMS commenced in the year 1976 & the institute
was partially commissioned on 5th December 1982.

6. This waste water from the main supply sewer is directly fed to the sewage treatment plant
(SPT). The feeding is done in two phases. The various components and the various
operations that are carried out are described as follows:-
MAIN SEWER –
 A sewer is an underground conduit or drain through which sewage is carried
 For carrying the waste water in SKIMS Hospital, cement concrete main sewer has been
provided.
 The main sewer carries wastewater from laboratories, toilets, kitchens, bathrooms,
wastewater from other domestic and medical activities.
Main sewer in SKIMS

7.  The water from the main sewer is then divided and distributed in two phases.
Phase 1 consists of a primary sedimentation cum storage tank, an aeration tank and
a clarifier/secondary sedimentation tank. The phase 2 consists of a screening
chamber, a grit chamber, an aeration tank and a clarifier/secondary sedimentation
tank. The description of these two phases has been provided as follows.
PHASE 1
 PRIMARY SEDIMENTATION TANK CUM STORAGE TANK
 They are usually rectangular or circular
 Most sedimentation tanks are constructed with gently sloped bottoms
 The present sedimentation tank as is a rectangular type reinforced concrete primary
sedimentation tank
 The tank is 13 m long , 2 m wide and 2.6 m deep
 The detention period corresponding to the tank is 2.5 hours
 The sludge moves to hoppers by gravity, where it is removed
Primary sedimentary tank cum storage tank

8.  AERATION TANK
 the water that overflows from the primary sedimentation tank is allowed to fall to the
aeration tank
 Two mechanical horizontal axis type aerators are provided in the tank
 The water in the aeration tank is aerated for about 6 hours.
 There are pontoon aerators also present which are used whenever the need arises.
Aeration Tank Pontoon Aerators

9.  SECONDARY SEDIMENTATION TANK/CLARIFIER
 Activated sludge process is undergone in this tank as the efficient
separation of the biological waste is necessary
 The secondary clarifier is a rectangular cement concrete structure with a
length of 2.8 m breadth 2.4 m and depth 3 m
 The Phase 1 of the treatment plant has a capacity of processing 12 lac liters
of wastewater per day
Secondary Sedimentation Tank/Clarifier

10. The part of wastewater that does not go into the phase 1 is treated in phase 2
 SCREENING CHAMBER
 The main sewer feeds all the waste water to a rectangular conduit called
screening chamber. Screening is the first treatment station, both for surface and
wastewater. Its purpose to:
 Protect the structure downstream against large objects which could create
obstructions in some of the facility's units,
 Easily separate and remove large matter carried along by the raw water, which
might negatively affect the efficiency of later treatment procedures or make their
implementation more difficult.
Screening Chamber

11.  GRIT CHAMBER
 Sewage consists of a considerable amount of grit which consists of sand, gravel,
silt, ash, cinders, clinkers, egg shells etc.
 Grit removal is necessary to protect the moving mechanical equipment and pump
elements from abrasion and accompanying abnormal wear and tear, to reduce the
formation of heavy deposits in pipes, channels and conduits, and to reduce the
frequency of the cleaning of sludge digesters.
Grit Chamber

12.  AERATION TANK
 After the grit chamber, the waste water is allowed to pass into an
aeration tank
 The principle of working of this aeration tank is similar to that of
phase 1
Aeration Tank

13.  SECONDARY CLARIFIER TANK
 The secondary clarifier tank in phase 2 is similar in working and construction to
that of phase 1. Only the capacity is different
 The phase 2 of the treatment plant has a capacity of treating about 6 lac liters of
wastewater per day
 The treated wastewater from the two phases is then separately taken to the sludge
beds and from sludge beds to the soak wells
 SLUDGE BEDS
 The sludge in both the phases is applied on the sludge drying beds.
 The purpose of the sludge drying beds is to dewater the sludge
 There are 7 no. of beds provided at the present site and each bed has the
dimensions of 4.5mx6m.

14.  These beds consist of a 30 cm thick layer of sand and gravel on specially
prepared open beds. The sludge is applied on this layer and is allowed to dry.
 All the drainage from the beds/drains is collected in a pipe and returned to the
secondary clarifier tank of the phase 2 and again processed as discussed above,
and the cycle continues
 Pick-up trucks are used for hauling the sludge cakes.
Sludge Beds

15.  SOAK WELLS
 The effluents from the secondary clarifier tanks in phases 1 and 2 are allowed to
enter the soak wells
 There are 8 no. of soak wells present at the present site.
 Only a little amount of effluent is absorbed in the soak pits and a major portion
remains unabsorbed.
 The unabsorbed wastewater effluent is collected and discharged directly into the
adjacent Anchar Lake
Soak Well

16. SHORTCOMINGS IN THE PRESENT WASTEWATER
TREATMENT FACILITY
•So all the units are lacking the potential required for the treatment of the
wastewater from the SKIMS complex.
•Sludge from the primary sedimentation tank of Phase I is disposed off in
open. This may result to be hazardous for the occupants.
•The screens of the screening chamber are not cleaned at regular intervals and
they were found to be clogged.
•Grit from the grit chamber is not taken out regularly
•Sand is not replaced in the sludge beds regularly.
•The soak wells are not cleaned at regular intervals. This has resulted in their
clogging. So the effluent remains unsoaked and almost all the effluent is
disposed off in the nearby Anchar Lake.
•Since the effluent from the treatment facility has to be finally discharged into
the neighboring Anchar Lake, it must be free from all virus and other infectious
elements. The present treatment plant is lacking such a facility.

17. THANK YOU