Minutes of Meeting – 17th Water Quality India Association General Body Meeting
Date: 28th February 2024
Time: 3.30 pm – 9.30 pm
Location: Fortune Inn Haveli, Gandhinagar
Attendees: 65
Sponsors for the Meeting
| Sr No. | Sponsorship Detail | Company | Sponsorship Amount (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Principal Sponsor | Aquisense Technologies | 1,00,000/- |
| 2 | Networking Dinner Sponsor | IAPMO India Pvt Ltd | 75,000/- |
| 3 | High Tea Sponsor | Livpure | 50,000/- |
| 4 | High Tea Sponsor | Lexcru Group | 50,000/- |
| 5 | Welcome Kit Sponsor | Sarjan Watertech India Pvt Ltd | 25,000/- |
| 6 | Gift Sponsor | Gopani | 15,000/- |
Minutes
1. Welcome Speech by Dr. Neha Panjiar:
Dr. Neha Panjiar, from Water Quality India Association initiated the meeting with a warm welcome to all attendees. She emphasized the importance of the event in fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among professionals in the field.
2. Introduction and Address of President:
Mr. Suresh Redhu, the President of Water Quality India Association, took the stage to provide an overview of the association’s recent activities, achievements, and future goals. He highlighted the importance of addressing water quality challenges in India and how the association is actively contributing to this cause, and everyone present at the hall introduced themselves.
3. Keynote Speaker, Professor Chinmay Ghoroi spoke on non-electric, affordable point-of-use water disinfection filter using surface engineered particles
- Professor Chinmay Ghoroi, from IIT Gandhinagar, discussed the development of a simple, low-cost surface engineered particle (SEP) based water disinfection filter using silica particle.
- The developed SEP based filter can be used as a potable, non-electric, gravity-driven Point-of-Use (POU) water disinfection system.
- The SEP surface with minimal Ag+ loading (0.05 mM) (SEP+ ) completely inactivated (>99.99999%) bacteria and protects any bacteria recontamination in the purified water for its long-term usage.
- However, the developed filter can only be use for disinfection purpose and not for filtration of contaminants present in the water like sediments, heavy metals or pesticides.
4. Mr. Saketh Thanneeru spoke on UV-C LED disinfection: Critical considerations for technology and system design.
- Mr. Saketh Thanneeru, Sales Director at AquiSense Technologies, discussed about brief history of LED development and growth over the period.
- Then he briefed about the UV-C LED technology, its evolution.
- He compared the UV-C LED lamps with mercury vapor lamps and emphasized the advantage of the former over the later.
- Then he discussed about UV-C LED device selection criteria, reactor design and operational characteristics.
- He shared the six pillars of UV LED system commercialization.
- He suggested that we should be very careful while selecting the correct UV-C LED lamps for disinfection purpose.
Questions that were discussed during the session were –
Q1 – How can we ensure that the chosen lamp is the appropriate UV-C LED for disinfection purposes?
Ans – We can ensure by buying from reliable vendors.
5. Mr. Suresh Redhu, President WQIA, had discussed about the implementation of MoEF notification about mandatory BIS-ISI mark for RO based Point-of-Use water treatment system as per IS 16240: 2023
The MoEF has announced that the IS 16240: 2023 standard will become mandatory from 9 th Nov 2024.The manufacturer who has already got the BIS certification against IS 16240: 2015 has stopped manufacturing with BIS logo and all the RO water purifiers in India must comply with IS 16240: 2023 before 9th Nov 2024.
6. Board Members Mr. Suresh Redhu and Mr. Sunil Trivedi had discussed about the CPCB guidelines for management, storage, utilisation and disposal of reject water generated from Domestic Water Purification System (DWPS)
Mr. Suresh Redhu and Mr. Sunil Trivedi has attended meeting with CPCB officials and discussed about the guidelines management, storage, utilisation, and disposal of reject water generated from domestic water purifiers. The CPCB criteria to provide the storage tank for reject water to store and utilise it for other purposes is still in discussion. Board members have plans to meet CPCB Director in the month of March 2024.
7. Mr. Mukthesh Pathi from IAPMO India has updated about the UV and UF standards on behalf of WQIA Standard Committee
Mr. Mukthesh Pathi had updated that BIS is coming up with the revision of the IS 14724 for UV and UF – FAD 30 for UF standards. Last day to submit comments was on 31st December 2023. Therefore, WQIA standard committee had workshop on 18/12/23 and submitted comments. BIS had a meeting on 5th March 2024 to discuss the submitted comments.
Highlights of the IS 14724 are following -
- Flow rate is up to 2 LPM.
- UV LED is included.
- Test organism is different for UV Lamp and UV LED
- For UV Lamp test organism changed from Sarcina lutea to MS2 phage.
- For UV LED the test organism is Q beta
- Chlorine & Turbidity reduction is also a part of testing.
- UV failure indication is mandatory.
- Unit should stop, in case of UV failure.
- Standard does not cover the consumables like media and filters in its scope.
The key points which WQIA standard committee has raised to BIS are -
- Standard should mention the input water conditions as per IS 10500 except for microbiological testing.
- Marking of all details on product is not possible.
- The test schedule is missing is the present standard.
- Chlorine and Turbidity required testing is required or not?
- UV dosage for disinfecting contaminated water is 40000 μ W-sec/cm2 at the failsafe point and for potable water it is 16000 μ W-sec/cm2 at 50 percent of the UV lamp's normal output.
- Manual can be digital.
Highlights of the UF standard are following –
- For standalone UF
- IS number not given.
- Covers Gravity and Plumbed-in systems.
- Hourly Production rate – not less than 30LPH, Gravity based purifiers are exempted.
- Does not cover consumables.
- Covers Bacteria, Virus & Cyst (optional between live cyst and microspheres)
The key points which WQIA standard committee has raised to BIS are -
- Should mention the input water conditions as per IS 10500 except Microbiological testing.
- Capacity/ Flow should increase to 120 LPH.
- Marking of all details on product not possible.
- Cleaning and back flush is not possible/not recommended.
- No life indication.
- Manual can be digital.
- Hourly Production rate and Turbidity should be initial test only not for five days.
Another concern that WQIA standard committee has raised to BIS is in IS 16240: 2023 and UF standard, Table 2: Optional requirements for Microbiological reduction (Clause 6.3.3.2.1), Annex D is referred in the method of testing, where Inactivated Cyst AND Microspheres are mentioned instead of Cyst OR Microspheres. It makes both the test compulsory whereas the test is optional between cyst or microspheres.
8. WQIA website display by the Board member, Mr. Himanshu Budhia
Mr. Himanshu Budhia displayed the features and highlights of WQIA website to all the guests https://wqia.in/ and requested all WQIA members to actively participate by providing blogs, comments, and feedback. They may discuss their queries with the technical experts present in the WQIA committees.
9. Mr. Abhishek Garg from AA Garg & Co. had shared his experience and knowledge about the EPR framework, its Compliance Requirements & Impact to Water Purification Industry
Mr. Abhishek Garg from AA Garg & Co. had discussed about the EPR framework which is based on the principle that manufacturers (usually brand owners) have the ability and responsibility to reduce toxicity and waste in the form of plastic, etc and they should reuse, buyback, or recycle the wastes introduced by them through their products. It is a comprehensive approach that holds manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, including post-consumer waste management. He further updated that EPR is an environmental protection strategy in which manufacturers take the responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products especially for recycling, and disposal of their products once those products are designated as no longer useful by consumers. However, E-waste is not included in the EPR framework for RO purifier manufacturers. Any queries pertaining to EPR framework can be mailed to Ms. Ipsita Roy (Ipsita.Roy@aagarg.co.in).
10. Vote of Thanks was given by Dr. Suresh Sisodia from Havells and next meeting date & location to be announced soon.
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