A Low Cost STP that Treats Water Without

Chemicals or Electricity is Helping

Communities Save Lakhs
Shreya Pareek
July 17, 2015
Environment, Water, Water management
765
This new STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) method treats water without chemicals or electricity.
There is no foul smell and the method is low cost. Check out ecoSTP and why your apartment
building should get one too!

e had a good STP, running 247 on a 9HP motor for the last few years. But this
summer, we are in trouble. Due to power cuts, our STP is running on diesel most of the time. I
have no choice, the STP stinks if I dont keep the motor on, and residents complain. I am tired of
burning diesel.
This is the typical complaint of any STP manager of a residential apartment or layout.

An ex-TERI scientist, Pravinjith, has came up with an

interesting solution to these problems. He has designed an
STP which runs without the use of power and chemicals and
treats water naturally.

Mr.Pravinjith K P, the man behind the idea.

Most STPs in use in India today work with aerobic bacteria. This requires the continuous use of
air and hence regular power is required to operate the STP. An ecoSTP, on the other hand, works
with anaerobic bacteria, which do not require any oxygen or power to function. Hence, it cleans
water in a natural and chemical-free manner.
The problem is that over 99 percent people have been using the aerobic method. They are not
open to trying new things. Those STPs require 6 to 7 HP motors just to blow air in them. Our
method is modeled on a cows stomach, using different chambers to treat the waste, says Tharun
Kumar B, Executive Director, Paradigm Environmental Strategies.

The unique ecoSTP technology does not use chemicals or

energy to treat the water. Instead, it mimics the processes of
the natural world using a combination of
microorganisms, plants and gravel to clean sewage water
and return clean water back to mother earth, completing the
cradle to cradle sustainable lifecycle.

Since no air is required in the ecoSTP method, there is no foul smell. Low operational and
maintenance costs, and no electricity requirement, are some of the other amazing factors that
make this STP more efficient and eco-friendly.
The team has already successfully used the STP in Aishwarya Amaze Apartments, Bengaluru.
The response from the residents was overwhelmingly positive.

Aishvarya Amaze Apartments are successfully using the STP.

We have been using the DTS ecoSTP by Ecoparadigm for the last six years and we are very
happy. The treated water is run through a plant bed consisting of Canna plants and Colocassia
and the final water is used for toilet flushing. The thing we like most is the minimum
maintenance involved. We also get a sense of satisfaction from doing our best for society by
using a natural process to treat our waste, says Hari Upadyaya, representing their residents
association.
The one-time cost of installing the STP is Rs. 14,00,000 for a 100 apartment community while
running cost is just Rs. 25 per family per month. All the water is treated immediately and can be
used for various purposes like flushing and gardening.

The area required to construct an ecoSTP is double that of a

regular STP. However, since it is built underground, further
construction can be done above it.

STP is constructed under the ground. Hence, it does not affect the look of the building.
While the sludge needs to be cleared on a weekly basis for the conventional STPs, one needs to
clear the same for the ecoSTP that runs on a decentralised treatment system only once in two
years, says Kumar.
Another success story for the ecoSTP can be seen at St. Marthas Hospital, Bengaluru. The
hospital had a regular STP earlier and the management would spend lakhs of rupees per year on
its maintenance, which eventually became a burden for them. As it is a charitable hospital, they
needed to cut down on costs and decided to go for a low cost and effective STP which could treat
300 KLD (1 kld = 1,000 litres) per day.

The hospital decided to go for ecoSTP as it required only Rs.

1 lakh annually for wages, labour and maintenance, as
compared to a regular STP which would cost Rs. 20 lakh for
a 200 KLD plant.

The STP is maintenance free and just requires a one time cost followed by a minimal monthly
running cost.
Today, the hospitals entire garden gets watered by water treated by the ecoSTP. The hospital has
managed to save Rs. 2.5 lakhs per month on water alone.
In the future, Paradigm Environmental Strategies wants to reach out to more apartment
complexes and change the mindset of people regarding STPs.

The company wants to install ecoSTPs in at least 5 percent

of the apartments in Bengaluru over the next few months.

If apartments install the STP, they can save a lot of money on water bills.

Even if 5 percent communities agree to do so, there will be a huge impact in power savings and
maintenance cost. We are growing gradually and once people see the impact, they will believe in
it too. The fact is that today nearly 40% of the monthly maintenance bill of residents is due to
power hogging STPs and we believe that either today or tomorrow the buyers will demand the
breakup from their builders which will create a push to look at alternative ideas to treat waste
water, says Kumar.
To know more about ecoSTP and Paradigm Environmental Strategies, contact Tharun Kumar at
tharun@ecoparadigm.com / info@ecoparadigm.com or check out their website.
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