New CPCB Regulations for Sewage Treatment Plants

Q: What is CPCB?

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is a government body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It was established in 1974 to control and prevent pollution in India. CPCB sets environmental standards, monitors air and water quality, and enforces pollution control laws.

Q: What is the role of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in environmental protection?

The CPCB is a statutory organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It plays a crucial role in preventing and controlling pollution by setting standards, monitoring air and water quality, and enforcing regulations to protect the environment.

Q: What are the CPCB guidelines for waste management?

The CPCB provides comprehensive guidelines for the management of various types of waste, including hazardous, biomedical, electronic, and plastic waste. These guidelines outline procedures for collection, segregation, transportation, treatment, and disposal to minimize environmental impact.

Q: What is the difference between CPCB and SPCB?

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) operates at the national level, overseeing pollution control policies and standards across India. In contrast, the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) function at the state level, implementing and enforcing these policies locally. SPCBs work under the guidance of CPCB to ensure state-level compliance with environmental laws.

Q: How does CPCB monitor air and water quality?

CPCB monitors air quality through the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP), which tracks key pollutants across multiple stations in India. For water, it operates the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP), analyzing water bodies for pollutants to ensure they meet prescribed standards. This data helps in assessing pollution levels and enforcing corrective measures.

Central Pollution Control Board Standards for Sewage Treatment Plants

The Central Pollution Control Board of India has developed a comprehensive and detailed framework for the setting up, operation, and maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants in the country. These regulations are essential to promote sustainable urban development, proper sewage management, and public health by reducing environmental pollution caused by untreated wastewater. The guidelines by the CPCB are structured to meet the challenges of fast urbanization, increasing populations, and growing demands for water. With the framework set by the CPCB, landmark orders by the National Green Tribunal are designed to strengthen compliance with such essential norms and ensure that each stakeholder, whether a municipality, an industry, a real estate developer, or an educational institution, adheres to prescribed standards. United in their efforts, both CPCB and NGT aim to promote environmentally responsible practices, improve water resource management, and propel India’s long-term aspirations for sustainable development and ecological harmony.

As per the CPCB legislative regulation, numerous infrastructures like apartments, commercial construction projects, educational institutions, townships, and area development projects establishing new constructions and requiring adequate conditions to have sewage treatment plants are mandatory as mentioned above. The guideline regulations cover matters like the STP site, the type of STP technology to use, the functioning of STP, and the manner of maintaining STP to guarantee the efficient and safe operation of the machinery.

CPCB Sewage Treatment Regulations in India — Central Guidelines:

India’s sewage treatment laws are governed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Environment Protection Act, 1986. These environmental regulations mandate industries, residential complexes, and municipalities to install STP plants for effective wastewater treatment. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) enforces compliance by setting discharge limits and penalties for violations.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) plays a crucial role in formulating policies and ensuring effective sewage treatment frameworks across India. It collaborates with CPCB and state pollution control boards to monitor wastewater discharge, regulate STP plant performance, and promote sustainable wastewater treatment solutions. Additionally, the Virtual Concept of Environmental Flow (VCoEF) integrates real-time monitoring, policy research, and regulatory compliance to optimize STP plant efficiency and guide water resource management. Strict enforcement of MoEFCC and CPCB guidelines continues to strengthen sewage treatment regulations, ensuring better environmental protection and pollution control.

HECS Packaged Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) align perfectly with the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and are a perfect solution for urban and rural wastewater management. Designed to meet strict regulatory standards, HECS-packaged STPs provide a compact, efficient, and eco-friendly way of treating sewage for apartments, commercial buildings, educational institutions, and other infrastructure projects. With advanced technology, minimal operational requirements, and strong durability, HECS-packaged STPs will ensure compliance with environmental norms, thereby reducing the impact of untreated wastewater on natural resources. Due to their modular design, the installation, operation, and maintenance of HECS-packaged STPs are hassle-free, ensuring a reliable sustainable solution for stakeholders.

These packaged systems are not only designed to meet CPCB discharge requirements but also consider critical issues, such as site suitability, type of technology, functionality, and maintenance. Through the selection of HECS Packaged STPs, developers and policymakers can positively contribute to environmental conservation and development in a sustainable society.

A Guide to CPCB Regulations for Sewage Treatment Plants

1. The Technology of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs)

The approved STP technologies to go with are-

A. Activated Sludge Process(ASP) (only when above 500 KLD sewage is generated).
B. Membrane Bio Reactor(MBR)
C. Moving Bed Bio Reactor(MBBR)

2. Key Requirements for STP Units

S.No.	Unit	Activated Sludge Process(ASP)	Sequential Batch Reactor(SBR)	Membrane Bio Reactor(MBR)	Moving Bed Bio Reactor(MBBR)
1	Equalization Tank	Minimum holding period of 8 hours.	Same as ASP	Same as ASP	Same as ASP
2	Anoxic Tank	Return-activated sludge should be pumped into an anoxic tank for de-nitrification.	Not required	Same as ASP	Same as ASP
3	Aeration Tank	Dissolved Oxygen over 4 mg/L has to be maintained in the Aeration Tank.	Same as ASP	Same as ASP	Same as ASP
4	Membrane Tank	Not required	Not required	Membranes should be replaced regularly as per the manufacturer’s specifications	Not required
5	Sludge Holding Tank	Sludge holding should be mandatory to hold excess sludge before it dewaters.	Same as ASP	Same as ASP	Same as ASP
6	Final Treated Water Holding Tank	The capacity of the tank should be enough to hold water for 2 days minimum.	Same as ASP	Same as ASP	Same as ASP
7	Sludge Drying Bed	-For>500 KLD STPs,a horizontal centrifuge system should be used. -For<500 KLD STPs,a belt press or screw press system should be used.	Same as ASP	Same as ASP	Same as ASP

3 . Mechanical Equipment Requirements for Sewage Treatment Plants (STP)

The Bar Screen Chamber and Oil & Grease Chamber of STPs installed ideally should be quite prominently and easily accessible.
Besides, the equipment should be able to be submerged in water and, if possible, can easily be disassembled for repair at any one time. To reduce noise pollution the STP air blower should have vibration mounts and acoustic enclosures which should be correctly designed.

4. Location Requirements for Sewage Treatment Plants (STP)

A lot of attention should be paid to guaranteeing that such placement would not interfere with the comfort of the residents or even the convenience of accessing their facilities. Hence, it is still crucial that STPs are installed below driveways, play areas, or clubhouses to avoid inconvenience to residents and must be located away from residential areas. Also, STPs cannot be located in any building’s basement for the possibility of rain flooding, bad smells, or noise interferences but they can be situated in apartment basements if the area is limited. From the STP room, access to the ground or upper basement should be well-made pathways/headroom, rather than the access facility created from the lowest basement to increase its accessibility with less structural interferences.

5. Standards for Treated Sewage Quality in India

The treated sewage should meet the following standards.

Parameter	Required Standards
pH	6.5–8.5
BOD (5th day)	<10 mg/L
COD	<50 mg/L
Suspended Solids	<10 mg/L
Ammonical Nitrogen	<5 mg/L
Total Nitrogen	<5 mg/L
Fecal Coliform	<100 MPN/100 mL

6. Sensor Installation Guidelines for Monitoring Treated Sewage Quality

Sensors for monitoring sewage parameters such as BOD, COD, TSS, flow, and pH are required. The following are the CPCB’s suggested sensor types and communication protocols.

Parameter	Measurement Type	Sensor Type	Communication Protocol
pH	Inline	Ion Selective Glass Electrodes	RS 485 Communication with Modbus
TSS	Inline	Turbidity to TSS correlation with Nephelo metric technique	RS 485 Communication with Modbus
BOD	Inline	UV-Vis Spectrophotometry & combustion (Double beam with entire spectrum scanning)	RS 485 Communication with Modbus
COD	Inline	UV-Vis Spectrophotometry & combustion (Double beam with entire spectrum scanning)	RS 485 Communication with Modbus
Flow	Inline	Electromagnetic Flow Measurement	RS 485 Communication with Modbus

7. STP’s Caution Board Guidelines

Appropriate warning signs should be displayed where STP is to be implemented, and certain guidelines should be followed. The “Danger” Sign Boards must be installed in the STP area for the maintenance personnel and the community residents.

The phrase “water not appropriate for drinking” should also be marked on the taps providing sewage water.

8. Use of Treated sewage

The treated water should be used for toilet flushing, which should be done with a dual plumbing system.

9. Modular Operations Of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP)

Modular-based STPs should be developed/constructed so that they can be used depending on the load or number of people in them. The occupancy in the initial stages of large-scale projects for which higher capacity of STPs is needed is incapable of meeting the operational standards of the STP. Therefore, this element should be taken into account during the design process.

10) Waste Water Generation Standards

S.No.	Industry	Quantum
1	Integrated Iron&Steel	16 m³/tonne of finished steel
2	Sugar	0.4 m³/tonne of cane crushed
3	Pulp&Paper Industries
	(a)Larger Pulp&Paper
	(i)Pulp&Paper	175 m³/tonne of paper produced
	(ii)Viscose Staple Fibre	150 m³/tonne of product
	(iii)Viscose Filament Yarn	500 m³/tonne of product
	(b)Small Pulp&Paper
	(i)Agro residue-based	150 m³/tonne of paper produced
	(ii)Waste paper-based	50 m³/tonne of paper produced
4	Fermentation Industries
	(a)Maltry	3.5 m³/tonne of grain produced
	(b)Brewery	0.25 m³/KL of beer produced
	(c)Distillery	12 m³/KL of alcohol produced
5	Caustic Soda
	(a)Membrane cell process	1 m³/tonne of caustic soda produced(excluding cooling tower blowdown)
	(b)Mercury cell process	4 m³/tonne of caustic soda produced(mercury bearing;10%blowdown permitted for cooling tower)
6	Textile Industries
	Man-made Fibre
	(i)Nylon&Polyester	120 m³/tonne of fibre produced
	(ii)Viscose Rayon	150 m³/tonne of product
7	Tanneries	28 m³/tonne of raw hide
8	Starch,Glucose,and related products	8 m³/tonne of maize crushed
9	Dairy	3 m³/KL of milk
10	Natural Rubber Processing Industry	4 m³/tonne of rubber
11	Fertilizer
	(a)Straight Nitrogenous Fertilizer	5 m³/tonne of urea or equivalent produced
	(b)Straight Phosphatic Fertilizer(SSP&TSP,excluding manufacture of any acid)	0.5 m³/tonne of SSP/TSP

For further details on sewage treatment plant regulations and standards, we recommend consulting with the HECS Sales Experts.Our experts can provide personalized guidance and the latest updates on environmental regulations in India.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CPCB?

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is a government body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It was established in 1974 to control and prevent pollution in India. CPCB sets environmental standards, monitors air and water quality, and enforces pollution control laws.

What is the role of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in environmental protection?

The CPCB is a statutory organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It plays a crucial role in preventing and controlling pollution by setting standards, monitoring air and water quality, and enforcing regulations to protect the environment.

What are the CPCB guidelines for waste management?

The CPCB provides comprehensive guidelines for the management of various types of waste, including hazardous, biomedical, electronic, and plastic waste. These guidelines outline procedures for collection, segregation, transportation, treatment, and disposal to minimize environmental impact.

What is the difference between CPCB and SPCB?

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) operates at the national level, overseeing pollution control policies and standards across India. In contrast, the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) function at the state level, implementing and enforcing these policies locally. SPCBs work under the guidance of CPCB to ensure state-level compliance with environmental laws.

How does CPCB monitor air and water quality?

CPCB monitors air quality through the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP), which tracks key pollutants across multiple stations in India. For water, it operates the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP), analyzing water bodies for pollutants to ensure they meet prescribed standards. This data helps in assessing pollution levels and enforcing corrective measures.