Soil Bio Technology type vermifiltration systems developed at IIT Bombay

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  • Elisabeth
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Re: Soil Bio Technology type vermifiltration systems developed at IIT Bombay

Dear Chandrashekar,

I have moved and consolidated all the posts about this technology in the one thread (this one). Could you please scroll up (or down) and read the post by Dean in this thread from two years ago from 12 April 2017? It would be interesting to read your responses to the points that Dean made.
Thanks,
Elisabeth
Dr. Elisabeth von Muench
Freelance consultant on environmental and climate projects
Located in Ulm, Germany
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My Wikipedia user profile: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:EMsmile
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  • cshankar
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Re: Soil Bio Technology type vermifiltration systems developed at IIT Bombay

I saw this post since I recently joined the group. Want to clarify that the Soil Bio Technology patent of IIT Bombay is a process patent which defines how you can use soil ecology to reliably create an ecosystem for treatment of waste waters it does not and cannot patent natural life as Bogdan rightly mentions . It also does not use plants to treat waste water (plants are added only for aesthetics).

I am also glad to report that since 2005 Soil BioTechnology has become an important tool in the arsenal in providing decentralized waste water treatment to many communities and has been extensively deployed by our team (www.visionearthcare.com) (VEC) all across India currently with an installed capacity of 100 MLD (~1 Million People equivalents). Objective of the SBT patent and trademark is to protect the designs from being copied and provide the market with a technologically guaranteed solution that meets the treatment objectives enforced by regulatory authorities.

Many innovators have great solutions (I have personally learnt quite a bit from esteemed posters here) that have shown results fantastic in their own backyards (Prof Shankar was one such backyard inventor in 1990-2000) and did many pilots to gain process sizing knowledge. Due to a great bit of luck and support VEC was able to scale out the solution as a commercial entity. VEC is deploying its expertise, knowledge and experience to create a scalable, dependable, reliable system that will be purchased by users who want a plug and play solution that has the requisite guarantees of performance. We typically provide design, process sizing engineering, local bio-materials selection and testing protocols, project management, commissioning and post commissioning maintenance support. Most of our customers are Municipal Authoriteis and Real Estate businesses who need the treated water for reuse purposes such as flushing, gardening, cooling towers, construction and aquaculture.

Once the knowhow is standardized the crux of the matter lies in how we scale to reach millions who don't know and desperately needs such solutions. The SBT and it's advanced variant called CAMUS-SBT are now technology brands that have the confidence and approval of many regulatory authorities who have operated such unit independently. It is however true that most of the science/knowhow behind is well known to experts in this forum who I believe will appreciate the beauty of the natural system at work given that they themselves have been successful in using the same in their own projects. All such projects make such natural system more acceptable to public.

Here is a 2019 walkthrough of plant handling waste waters generated by ~25000 people for a municipal authority in western India.


A 2005 video detailing the Development of the Technology at IITB and the first pilot at Mumbai city
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  • cshankar
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Re: Promote VERMIFILTRATION Technology for WASTEWATER PURIFICATION by EARTHWORMS to produce clean water

Vermifiltration is my opinion a very powerful tool of sustainable sanitation.

We have used Soil Bio Technology type vermifiltration systems developed at IIT Bombay www.che.iitb.ac.in/faculty/hss/soilbiotech.pdf for community level (100-6000 people served) and at city level (10000-65000 people served) Waste Water Reclamation projects across India.

The big advantage is the low operating expense and the high water quality at the outlet. Some of this work has been indirectly supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation via their local partners such as Center for Science and Environment (www.cseindia.org) / (www.cseindia.org/soil-bio-technology-sbt-3774)

www.visionearthcare.com

www.visionearthcare.com/home/soil-bio-technology

Technical presentation for Sewage Treatment and Septage Treatment is below

www.visionearthcare.com/SBT-Presentation

Here are some more video links.

History of Development of Technology at IITB


ET NOW showcase of Vision Earthcare


Animated walkthrough


Technical site walkthrough

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  • goeco
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Re: Vermi-Trickling Filters for Sewage Treatment (looking for help to design)

I have to say that I treat the IIT version of Soil Biotechnology (SBT) with some considerable scepticism. I have no issues with the concept and design, it's the patent and proprietary nature of their "additives" that smells like snake oil...Basically a special proprietary culture of soil, earthworms, bacteria and special additives. Starts with a septic tank, then to the bioreactor, with rubble in the bottom as drainage layer, then proprietary rock material, special additives and soil as the filter layers. Plants are grown over the top of the SBT beds on soil bunds and wastewater is trickled on top.

There is nothing proprietary about the SBT apart from specific materials that are used, such as minerals and bacterial cultures. Check out their patent, US Patent No: 6890438 " Process for treatment of organic wastes"
www.google.com/patents/US6890438

The patent is riddled with misinformation about vermifiltration that is then used to support their approach using special proprietary additives. It reads like a comic book... the goal being to disingenuously claim superiority to set up a monopoly.

Their bioreactors use vermifiltration combined with plants to purify primary treated wastewater. I'm okay with that, but am convinced this is not the best approach. By using plants to treat wastewater, you add to maintenance and costs. In my view the best method is to treat the wastewater to a level that is safe to use for irrigating productive crops, while retaining the plant nutrients. That is, treat for the plants rather than treat with the plants.

cheers
Dean
Dean Satchell, M For. Sc.
Vermifilter.com
www.vermifilter.com
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  • zlatko
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Re: Vermi-Trickling Filters for Sewage Treatment (looking for help to design)

Thanks a lot.

Regards

Zlatko

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  • nityajacob
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Re: Vermi-Trickling Filters for Sewage Treatment (looking for help to design)

Dear Zlatko,

I am uploading another presentation on this by its developer. You can contact him directly also: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. His name is H S Shankar.

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  • zlatko
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Re: Vermi-Trickling Filters for Sewage Treatment (looking for help to design)

Hi,

this solution sounds interesting can you please share more details about it

regards

ZLatko

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  • nityajacob
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Vermi-Trickling Filters for Sewage Treatment (looking for help to design)

Dear all,

I've come across this version of an artificial wetland/vermi treatment bed developed by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. The scientist's contact information is given in the presentation. He has used it at scale at many locations. The input is municipal sewage and output is claimed as better than 5 mg/l. Hope this helps the discussion.

Regards
Nitya Jacob

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