Fattoamano in Nepal uses approximately 3000-4000 liters of water per day; most of which is used for dying cashmere / wool and cotton / linen. The effluent is laden with inorganic compounds with a very high BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Content) content. This is extremely harmful to the surrounding environment if left untreated. Due to lack of available services, the production center was discharging all the untreated water directly into the open sewer in the surrounding fields. To mitigate this, SmartPaani offered a solution that would possibly be called a step up for textile industries in Nepal.
The lack of large workable area and operational situations led us to resort to chemical treatment at Fattoamano. The treatment process uses simple dosing mechanisms that were reformed, analyzed and tailored by few site assessments; providing us a module that enabled any nonprofessional to work on the system with ease.
The system is robust and highly efficient in reducing concentrations of harmful constituents. After 3 month operation, the system was able to remove 91% Total Suspended Solids (TSS), 89% BOD, 88.4%COD and Chromium levels; to non-detectable. This has allowed the production centre to meet the wastewater standards as given by the Nepal government.
A light yellowish color is seen in the treated water; which is the iron and it is not harmful at the concentration as seen in the effluent. This is removed post-dosing by the filtration system designed and installed by SmartPaani. Even before the filter, the water meets the discharge standards of the Nepal Government.
“It takes no more than 10 minutes to perform the operation and yet, the effect is remarkable”, says the person in charge of the system in Fattoamano in Nepal. The company is satisfied with the results and they are happy to promote SmartPaani work.
Table: Raw and Treated Wastewater Test Results:
| Samples | ||||
| Parameters | Unit | Raw Water | Treated Water | Standards |
| Temperature | deg. | 23 | 23 | 40 |
| pH | – | 7.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Total Suspended Solids | mg/L | 203 | 22 | 100 |
| Phenolic Compounds | mg/L | Not detected | Not detected | 5 |
| Biochemical Oxygen Demand | mg/L | 600 | 66 | 100 |
| Chemical Oxygen Demand | mg/L | 1203 | 140 | 250 |
| Chromium | mg/L | 0.03 | Not detected | 2 |
“With a wish to see other textile industries realizing the damage they are causing to the environment and the fact that they can do something about it.”