DCM Process Control Proactive Risk Management System (PRMS) for WWTP influent

Many WWTPs have industrial sites in their catchments. Unrecognised pollutants which can poison or inhibit WWTP biomass are often discharged by standard practice and accidental spills to drain from these sites.

DCM Process Control’s toxic shock risk study is a comprehensive analysis of influent composition and concentration. The tool provides operators and plant management with a clear picture of the activity and discharge patterns of industries and, more importantly, the process response of the receiving WWTP.

Real-time monitoring of clients’ wastewater structure is the first stage of the study, which allows DCM to define what is normal activity and assists in capturing conditions which deviate significantly from this normal. The online sensing data produced by the s::can UV/Vis spectrometer allows the company to recognise signatures of certain industry types and compounds. Where needed, the system can grab sample the waste during events to allow laboratory verification. Combining plant inflow, s::can data and laboratory verification information enables mass loads to be provided.

Determination of the impact of high loads or biological toxicity on the client’s WWTP process is crucial to defining the operational cost of an event. By integrating inlet flow data, nutrient levels and aeration input power, the cost of high load and toxic effects can be calculated. Once configured this can occur in real time with automated feedback to trade waste, operations and management to ensure correct trade waste charging.

The Proactive Risk Management System (PRMS) provides the opportunity to improve operational control of the WWTP. Control set points can be changed in response to varying loads and costs of treatment/kgCOD can be minimised by the process for the incoming load in real time.

Other gains include the potential to reduce sewer asset degradation from sulfide formation and mitigate OSH issues caused by the presence of sulfide surges, VOC and BTEX compounds.