Process optimisation proves power at wastewater plants 11 July 2012

Tighter discharge consents are forcing water firms to consider investing in treatment plant likely to increase costs and CO2 emissions, but, according to analytics instruments firm Hach Lange, its process optimisation equipment provides a powerful alternative.

Andy Thornton, a wastewater treatment specialist at the company says wastewater treatment plant managers are seeing "outstanding levels of success" after installing its real-time monitoring and control system WTOS (wastewater treatment optimisation solution).

Hach Lange has a range of real time control (RTC) modules covering, for example, nitrification control in activated sludge, denitrification control, BAFF process control and cell management, sludge age control, chemical dosing control for phosphate removal, sludge thickening and polymer dosing control, and dewatering control.

Thornton points to considerable success with re-optimised wastewater treatment processes at several plants using early WTOS systems that have now been operational for more than two years.

"All of them are reporting very significant savings – 25% reduction in energy [electricity] consumption is not uncommon," he declares.

"This represents an enormous cost saving, while also helping to meet tighter consents and lower the plants' carbon footprint," he adds.

Each RTC is implemented on an industrial PC which communicates with a controller network and the local PLC. The WTOS RTC modules continuously deliver setpoints to the PLC, which in turn applies them to the process.

Brian Tinham

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Hach Lange Ltd

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