how to make water treatment plant more efficient

^{5 Ways To Improve Water Treatment Plant Efficiency}

• Conduct a self-assessment. Benchmarking has become a key practice in the industry, to set, promote and achieve performance targets.
• Evaluate technology. Armed with an understanding of the effectiveness of current water practices, the next step is to evaluate the technology used for producing water.
• Perform a pump audit. Many of the process technologies used for water involve pumps. ...
• Install smart technology. When it comes to water management practices, water treatment plants should consider implementing smart metering technology to monitor their distribution network.
• Review the data. The last step is to access and analyze the data to evaluate infrastructure performance and identify what adjustments are needed to further improve efficiencies.

How to improve the performance of your water treatment plant?

Water treatment plant operators should regularly analyze the plant's water treatment performance and ensure systems are operating with the most efficient equipment and technology. Plants should retrofit their constant speed pumps with VFDs to reduce water waste and energy consumption.

Are wastewater treatment plants becoming more energy efficient?

While essential, it is also one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world, which is why many wastewater treatment plants are turning to energy efficiency. How are these plants becoming more energy-efficient and what technology is already in the works?

What happens when a water treatment plant is not working efficiently?

When water treatment plants are not operating efficiently, it can be extremely costly. The combination of inefficient and older pumping and process equipment, combined with outdated water management practices can result in higher operating costs and lower revenue collected, which can negatively impact a treatment plant’s bottom line.

Why do water treatment plans vary across the US?

EPRI noted in its study that there are significant variations in treatment approaches and treatment objectives across the US. Plans can vary significantly even within individual sites and are often driven by the condition of local water resources.

How can we improve the efficiency and sustainability of the treatment plant?

Even if your plant is operating at peak efficiency, you might benefit now or in the future from the following suggestions for reducing your plant's carbon footprint.Upgrade Pump Stations. ... Optimize Aeration. ... Recover/Recycle Essential Nutrients. ... Go Light on Disinfection. ... Update Lighting and HVAC Systems. ... Maximize Gravity.More items...•

How efficient are water treatment plants?

In general, primary and secondary treatment are those that have the greatest ability to remove microplastics, with values ranging from 78% to 98% and from 7% to 20%, respectively [2,16]. Tertiary treatment, on the other hand, does not seem to have significant effects on reducing the concentration of microplastics.

Which one is more effective in wastewater treatment?

Chlorine is the chemical most often used in treating sewage and other types of wastewater. The process is called chlorination. This is the most effective means of destroying a variety of viruses and bacteria.

What are three critical things you would need to consider when designing a water treatment facility?

Major factors to be considered are: (1) type of the water source, (2) desired finished water quality, (3) skill of facility operators, and (4) the relative size of available funds.

How can we reduce energy consumption in wastewater treatment?

Noting that aeration of activated sludge can account for 30 to 80% of total plant electricity demand, NYSERDA says energy use can be reduced by either using fine-pore diffused air systems and aeration process controls or lowering the sludge treatment age from 10 to 12 days to three to four days.

What is treatment efficiency?

1. The treatment efficiency of any natural treatment system is the basic indicator of its phytoremediation potential. It depends on the amount and composition of wastewater, type of plant species used, climatic and other conditions.

Which is the best method for water treatment?

Here are some of the most effective water purification methods that have stood the test of time:Boiling. The simplest method to purify water is to boil it for a good time. ... Water Purifier. ... Reverse Osmosis. ... Water Chlorination. ... Distillation. ... Iodine Addition. ... Solar Purification. ... Clay Vessel Filtration.More items...

What are the four basic principles for water treatment?

4 Steps of Community Water TreatmentCoagulation and Flocculation. ... Sedimentation. ... Filtration. ... Disinfection.

What is COD test?

COD. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) test is commonly used to indirectly measure the amount of organic compounds in liquid waste. It is expressed in milligrams/grams per liter, which indicates the mass of oxygen consumed per liter of solution. Older references may express the units as parts per million (ppm).

What are the factors need to be considered while designing and operating an industrial water treatment facility?

This paper contains some examples where most of these concerns existed, but were addressed to the satisfaction of concerned neighbors.Choosing a Plant Name. ... Designing the Layout. ... Selecting the Appropriate Wastewater Treatment Processes. ... Controlling & Mitigating Odors. ... Public Relations for Wastewater Treatment Plants.More items...•

What are the 7 stages of water treatment?

They typically consist of several steps in the treatment process. These include: (1) Collection ; (2) Screening and Straining ; (3) Chemical Addition ; (4) Coagulation and Flocculation ; (5) Sedimentation and Clarification ; (6) Filtration ; (7) Disinfection ; (8) Storage ; (9) and finally Distribution.

What are the 5 stages of water treatment?

Public water systems often use a series of water treatment steps that include coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection.

Is wastewater treatment more efficient?

Plant More Efficient. Wastewater Treatment plants are not usually the source of innovation - with many continuing to operate much as they did a few decades ago.

Does Oxymem work on municipal wastewater?

OxyMem offer a number of entry level trial options which will demonstrate the power of the MABR application on your existing municipal or industrial process wastewater. Having run a pilot test and gained confidence in the MABR technology first hand, clients are then able to scale up to larger plants with ease, and with the knowledge that their advanced technology system will be brought online and meet effluent consents with minimal process and minimal financial risk.

Can you drop MABR into legacy tanks?

MABR can be dropped into legacy tanks, where available, to deliver additional treatment capacity ( IFAS style) without interfering with the current treatment process. Up to 50% additional capacity may be obtained within a matter of days, offering all of the MABR benefits noted above.

Why do wastewater treatment plants ignore smart technologies?

Employ Smart Technology: It is often seen that wastewater treatment plant operators tend to ignore smart technologies due to misconceptions such as high operational costs and lack of technical knowledge. However, in reality, these smart technologies are easy to use.

Why is water management fatal?

Here is how you can achieve better efficiency and improve your cost savings.

Why is aging equipment so expensive?

Against this, working with aging equipment can be expensive as they require regular repairs, maintenance, and may experience downtimes, too. High Chemical Costs: Chemicals are being used in large amounts of treat the wastewater.

Do oversized pumps use more water?

Most times, these pumps operate at variable flow, based on the demand. So, it is common to see oversized pumps in action. Then there are pumps that work at a constant speed and may use more water and demand more energy.

What is the responsibility of wastewater treatment plants?

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in its publication, “Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities,” reports that wastewater treatment plants are responsible for up to one-third of the energy costs a municipal utility must be responsible for.

What has changed in the water industry?

Much has changed in recent years in the water and wastewater industries: evolving environmental regulations, increasing oper­ating costs, technology advancements, and improved opportunities for load management, according to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).

What is the EPA Portfolio Manager Tool?

The EPA has also published the “EPA Portfolio Manager Tool for Wastewater Facilities.”. Other agencies have also published tool kits and guidelines offering guidance to water and wastewater treatment agencies on how to reduce energy use.

What is the capacity of a JWPCP?

The JWPCP is the largest of the 11 treatment plants with a capacity of 400 mgd.

What is the EPA's guideline for wastewater?

The EPA’s publication provides a guideline describing how managers can develop strategies for energy efficiency in their wastewater facilities.

What happens if biosolids are dewatered?

If it is dewatered, requiring natural gas use, costs could be significant. If the biosolids are dried in beds, energy costs are small.

What is wastewater aeration?

Advanced wastewater treatment usually includes aeration for removing dissolved organic matter and nutrients. Thus, EPRI writes, aeration is the principal energy-using process in wastewater treatment, representing half the cost of total wastewater treatment, followed by biosolids processing and pumping.

How to make wastewater plants more energy efficient?

One of the best ways to make wastewater plants more energy-efficient is to equip them with the means to generate their own electricity. You might be picturing solar panels on the roof or wind turbines lining the exterior of the plant.

What is the importance of wastewater treatment plants?

Wastewater treatment plant energy efficiency and renewability are crucial, especially when you consider the sheer amount of sludge produced by the industry every year. It’s often a challenge to find safe and eco-friendly ways to dispose of this sludge.

How much energy is used in wastewater treatment plants?

What are the benefits of utilizing renewable energy in wastewater treatment plants? Right now, wastewater treatment uses roughly 4% of all the energy generated in the United States. If you look at the operational costs of a typical treatment plant, 40% of it is usually dedicated to power alone.

Why is wastewater treatment important?

While essential, it is also one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world, which is why many wastewater treatment plants are turning to energy efficiency. How are these plants becoming more energy-efficient ...

How much energy does wastewater use?

According to the Department of Energy, in the United States alone, the wastewater industry uses more than 30 terawatt-hours of energy every year, costing upwards of $2 billion. This might not seem like a huge expenditure in the developed world.

How long can a water plant run without electricity?

Without purification, wastewater can become dangerous. Some facilities, such as those in New Jersey and Georgia, can keep themselves running for up to 10 days without the support of the primary power grid. Adding solar energy and other renewable options doesn’t just keep these plants running.

How much does solar energy reduce operating costs?

It’s also a useful tool to reduce overall operating costs. In most cases, experts estimate that adding solar alone can reduce operating costs by upwards of 57%, making the entire industry more cost-effective in the long run.

Why is water scarcity important?

As government officials and water authorities continue to stress the importance of water conservation, it is important for treatment plants to evaluate their water management practices.

What is water pump?

Many of the process technologies used for water involve pumps. Traditional practice, especially in plants which are ten years and older, is to design pumps based on the peak plant flow, when in reality these pumps operate at a variable flow, based on seasonality and system demand. For this reason, many pumps are oversized.

Why do we need an audit for water treatment?

If you’re looking for ways to lower the cost of your water treatment system, consider a system “audit” to improve efficiency. Understanding how to improve the efficiency of your water treatment system begins with a brief chemistry lesson. More specifically, it requires knowledge ...

How much does RO reduce water quality?

Generally, RO is the system’s workhorse, reducing the total dissolved solids in the water by 85 – 90 percent. While an 85 – 90 percent reduction in total dissolved solids is a good start, it will not meet the water quality standards ...

What is reverse osmosis?

Reverse Osmosis. In our environment, there’s a pressure known as “Osmotic Pressure.”. In nature, this pressure is created when a less concentrated solution is adjacent to a higher concentrated solution, separated only by a thin semi-permeable membrane. Osmotic pressure is part of our environment.

How much water can be purified in a minute?

These canisters can purify anywhere from a quarter gallon of water per minute all the way up to 500 gallons per minute.

What is the process of removing all of the charged ions in water?

Together, these ions make H2O. When considering water’s purity, anything in water besides the water molecule is an impurity. Deionization (DI) is the process of removing all of the charged ions in water and exchanging them for (H+) and (OH-) ions.

How many microns does reverse osmosis have?

This process forces a less concentrated solution (tap water) through a reverse osmosis membrane with a pore size of one – ten-thousandth of a micron (a human hair is approximately 80 microns).

Is deionization necessary for purified water?

While larger purified water systems depend on this dual-functionality of deionization and RO, it’s not necessary for all. Many facilities have the need to produce smaller amounts of purified water and the deionization process alone will normally get the job done.