The Bhageerath Awards were given at the AQUA 2009 conference July 4-5 2009, to recognise excellence in the fields of water and wastewater management (see here for details about the conference). This year's Bhageerath was Sterlite Industries This years Bhageerath was Sterlite Industries 1ST PRIZE - Rs.100,000.00 and the Bhageerath Trophy Sterilte Ltd (Vedanta Group ) Tuticurin Innovative Treatment process – Sodium Sulfide Plant Abstract :  This case study presents details of an improved method for handling the waste acid streams containing Arsenic and other heavy metals discharged from the gas cleaning section of a copper smelter. The underlying principle of the new process is the affinity of Arsenic towards the sulphide ion and low solubility of the product at low pH. Sodium Sulphide is used for the preferential removal of Arsenic and other heavy metals from the acidic effluent. The treated acid is neutralized with lime to form gypsum. By replacing the existing Ferric Sulphate process with the Sodium Sulphide process the hazardous cake generation has been brought down by more than 50% from 0.25 t/m3 to 0.11 t/m3.   2nd PRIZE - Rs.50,000.00 Reliance Industries, Vadodara Development and commercialization of Cost-effective process for Defluoridation of Petrochemical waste. Abstract: A simple, continuous and cost effective adsorptive process for the removal of fluoride from petrochemical wastewater has been developed on a laboratory scale, and successfully scaled-up and commercialised by Reliance Industries Limited at their Vadodara Manufacturing Division (RIL-VMD), Novelty of the process is the application of an inexpensive, once used (spent) alumina (a waste generated from one of the sister complexes) for the removal of fluoride from wastewater before the final disposal of spent waste alumina, adding value to the process chain and bringing inter-complex synergy. The treatment process is inherently environment friendly and safe and does not involve generation of any liquid effluent other than the treated water stream, which can be reused.  Therefore, it is a zero effluent discharge process. Additionally this process operates at the system temperature of 80-90ºC and pH of 3.0-3.5, avoiding  the need for cooling and neutralization and therefore, results in conservation of energy (in comparison to other conventional alternatives) and results in increase in pH thereby saving on alkali required for neutralization.  After the treatment, the quality of the treated wastewater meets all the statutory requirements and the fluoride laden alumina is safely discarded after a single use, and sold fetching a value, adding further to the cost effectiveness of the process. The problem of choking of the bed due to lump formation during the initial few cycles of commercial trials could be successfully overcome and a new analytical method based on XRD was developed to check the quality of the alumina required for the purpose.   3rd PRIZE - Rs. 25,000.00 GE Water UF-RO-MB Plant at M/S EID Parry India Lt, Pettaivathalai, Trichy, Tamil Nadu Abstract: Managing boiler feed water chemistry & economics plays a major role in avoiding several forms of boiler tube failure (BTF) because of corrosion and related steam system damage. In the first part of this report, a case study will be presented that details the outline of the need for boiler feed water for a 20MW cogeneration base power plant for M/s EID Parry India Limited at Pettavaithalai for their sugar plant. In the second part we will discuss implementation of GE’s patented submerged Ultra filtration (UF), Reverse Osmosis (RO) & Mixed Bed treatment of boiler makeup water, which can substantially improve water quality consistently and can substantially reduce the operating cost of the plant. This project is unique of its kind for GE’s first submerged UF technology implementation in India.  Selecting a treatment program appropriate for the system operating conditions will reduce the Operating cost and also will reduce the maintenance for the plant. Through this review, we share the spectrum of GE’s technologies to address some of the issues faced and its solution for boiler water treatment operations. To put together an effective treatment strategy it requires thorough evaluation of the situation first (typically through a system audit) and then putting together a coordinated strategy of water treatment (RO), chemistry management and monitoring to affect a trouble free operation.