| Power |
Requires constant aeration |
Limited to filtration |
| Carbon footprint |
Air and noise pollution |
Least air/noise pollution |
| Capital Investment |
Requires large capital |
Less than a third in capital |
| Capacity utilization |
Cannot be upgraded to handle higher capacities |
Conventional plants can be upgraded with minor modification |
| Plant Footprint |
Occupies large valuable space |
Less than half the space |
| Odor |
Generally, disperses foul odour |
Minimal foul odour |
| Retention |
12+ hours |
Less than one hour |
| Sludge |
High volume |
Less than 3% in wet condition |
| Bio–sludge |
Harmful effects on vegetation |
No side effects – no residue |
| Treatment Guarantee |
Does not assure total treatment |
Reduce organics, in-organics and heavy metal contamination |
| Disinfection |
Needs chlorination |
Non-toxic, no residue, no odour. |
| Adaptability |
Single method of treatment |
Existing plants could easily be made to perform more proficiently without any modifications or investment |
| Maintenance |
Requires constant maintenance of pumps, motors, electrical components, blowers, filtration media change, monitoring of MLSS/ AERATION |
Limited number of electromechanical components (/ Moving parts), thus low maintenance. |
| Filtration system |
Bio-fouling / clogging |
No odour or clogging, doubles life of filtration media |
| Side effects |
Sludge needs decomposition or incineration causing air pollution |
No pollution or side effects |
| Temperature |
Sensitive, due to biological survival |
Works in any temperature |
| Reuse applications |
Can only be used for landscape watering |
Could be used for vehicle washing, flushing, agriculture, lake/ pond fill |
| Commercial returns |
Less demand due to unsure quality |
Could conform to discharge standards as defined by Regional Bodies |