Pharmaceutical Effluent Treatment Plant (Pharma ETP)

API and intermediate plants generate concentrated mother liquors (COD 20,000–100,000 mg/L) alongside dilute wash water; solvents (methanol, toluene, DCM), high ammonia, sulphates and salts are common; formulation plants are milder but carry surfactants and actives. Norms include COD, BOD, TDS, ammoniacal nitrogen and, increasingly, antibiotic-residue expectations; many API units are under ZLD directions.

1. Stream segregationHigh-COD/high-TDS mother liquors separated from dilute streams at source — the single most important design decision.
2. Pre-treatment of concentratesSolvent stripping/recovery, ammonia stripping, MEE for high-TDS liquors, incineration or TSDF for residues.
3. Physico-chemicalNeutralisation, coagulation, Fenton/ozone for toxicity reduction where biology would be inhibited.
4. BiologicalAnaerobic (UASB/anaerobic filter) for high-COD streams followed by aerobic MBBR/MBR with long SRT; nitrification–denitrification for ammonia.
5. Tertiary and reusePSF/ACF, UF + RO for 70–80 % reuse to cooling and utilities.
6. ZLDRO reject to MEE/MVR + crystalliser/ATFD; condensate reused.

API and bulk-drug plants

Hyderabad, Vizag, Ankleshwar, Tarapur, Taloja clusters.

Formulation and OSD plants

Milder effluent, GMP-documented plants.

Biotech and fermentation

High-BOD spent broth, anaerobic-first design.

R&D and pilot plants

Small, highly variable streams; batch treatment.

Sampling plan and inlet characterisation → process design (PFD, P&ID, sizing, BOQ) → supply, erection and commissioning → biological stabilisation → handover with O&M manual and training → AMC if you want us to stay. We also audit and upgrade plants built by others.