Energy efficiency in wastewater treatment plants

The requirements for wastewater plant operators are ever-increasing: with strict legislative guidelines to adhere to and the need for economical plant management, operators have never had to be more careful when dealing with resources. 

 

In Austria, investment in the regulation system and its integration into the existing central process management system (PMSX) is often too high for many small and medium-sized sewage plants. To combat this, Endress+Hauser has developed a controller that can be integrated in the PMSX and is also a cost-effective stand-alone solution for the smaller plants.

Evaluation of the energy consumption

The first step for successful process improvement is to carry out a detailed study of current energy consumption in order to determine the optimization potential. Endress+Hauser is experienced in this field and will work with you to evaluate the energy usage of your wastewater treatment plant. By evaluating energy usage and associated costs for all key processes in a wastewater plant, the basis for a sound plant optimization strategy can be formed.

 

The priority for every wastewater treatment plant manager is to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements in terms of discharge quality. The legislative situation differs considerably from Austria to Germany. In Austria, fixed predefined discharge values (average values) are applied, whilst in Germany plant operators can declare the lower value achieved and thus save on wastewater charges. This again requires accurate and cost-effective evaluation of effluent values, often down to low levels.

Test installations feature positive results

Our test installation in Eisenstadt, Austria, proved the control philosophy ensured plant efficiency and regulation compliance. Even in situations with unexpected high loads, it was possible to react quickly and effectively. With the Endress+Hauser solution installed, extreme ammonium loads were eliminated much quicker than previously. Although some events required additional energy for the quick and safe ammonium degradation (as would be expected in a batch process), compliance was assured. During times of low load, energy requirements reduced in line with reduced aeration times. Plant efficiency was also increased using SMS or email alerts to warn operators of potential problems.

A good return on investment

The investment in ammonium/nitrate regulation pays off in several ways: the processes can be traced online, you can obtain an overview of process changes in the aeration basin and using Endress+Hauser control solutions, plant efficiency is significantly increased and the biology/energy balance optimized.