Integrated models are valuable planning tools that can be used to investigate upgrades and configuration modifications to wastewater treatment systems.

A team of Geosyntec wastewater treatment process modeling specialists recently authored a white paper that describes Geosyntec's novel integrated modeling approach for estimating the cost of compliance decisions and optimizing capital/O&M costs based on the permittee's preferred spending plan and risk tolerance.

Geosyntec's approach can also estimate risks of non-compliance based on uncertainty in feed characteristics/equipment performance and identify potential future residuals management issues (e.g. hazardous waste). The same model that is constructed for compliance purposes can also be updated with operational data after implementation of a compliance alternative to further optimize operations based on actual performance.

Modeling to Balance Compliance and Capital/O&M Costs

Permitting and compliance decisions can have significant cost implications for permittees. However, quantifying cost impacts of these decisions can be challenging due to a variety of factors, including: uncertainty in wastewater quality or quantity, availability of treatment equipment alternatives, uncertainty in equipment performance/reliability, and different management methods for internal streams/treatment residuals. Quantitatively evaluating alternative treatment approaches and identifying the associated risks and costs for these wastewater treatment systems can be challenging. Wastewater treatment systems typically involve components that are interrelated – increasingly so with the rise of water reuse, where soluble constituents like chloride can be cycled up over time to create future operational or compliance issues.

Read more in the whitepaper: Modeling for Wastewater Treatment Process Design and Optimization (PDF 2MB)