Digital transformation, key to improving operations in WWTPs

Integrating all data sources into a single environment is a fundamental step in the digital transformation of wastewater treatment plants to provide them with comprehensive control of all their processes, according to Idrica’s report “Digital transformation of WWTPs: key to a more sustainable future”.

The most advanced digital transformation uses data to create, train and feed predictive models, simulations, anomaly detection algorithms and decision-support systems.

The primary goal of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) management is to satisfy the required requirements of treated water quality while minimizing operational costs and environmental effect.

This difficulty is especially relevant in a scenario where WWTP operators must be able to evaluate and turn massive amounts of data from diverse and disparate sources into real-world actions.

In light of this, implementing Information Management Systems (IMS) in WWTPs is the most effective way to capture, standardize, and unify this data.

As a result, a single source of interconnected data is developed in order to fully exploit the potential of the information that is already available.

This is addressed in a recent paper titled “Digital Transformation of WWTPs: Key to a More Sustainable Future” by the multinational Idrica.

These IMS become even more critical in a context where WWTPs are relentlessly pursuing digital transformation through the introduction of new technologies that provide operators with a more accurate understanding of their treatment processes via LIMS, CMMS, and SCADA, augmented by cutting-edge sensors.

Real-time data capture enabled by the increased deployment of sophisticated instrumentation, in particular, is revolutionizing the way infrastructures operate, enabling faster, more informed decision-making.

Integrating sources into a single environment

The next phase in the digital transformation journey must be enabled by new platforms, which will integrate all of these data sources into a unified environment.

This is essential. “This enables the WWTP operator to comprehensively control all its processes through dashboarding, alert systems, data quality controls, and real-time calculation of operational KPIs to monitor compliance with operational quality and financial objectives,” says Jacobo Illueca, a Wastewater Specialist at Idrica.

Furthermore, the expert stressed the importance of having a single repository where all data from the wastewater treatment facility is available, regardless of its nature or source, “so that we can move forward quickly and deliver robust results.”

This data is used to construct, train, and feed predictive models, simulations, anomaly detection algorithms, and decision support systems in a later stage of digital transformation. All of these are intended to improve plant operation in terms of quality, cost, environmental effect, and transparency.

Stages prior to digital transformation

In its research, Idrica advises two initial stages to enable optimal digital transformation of WWTPs: preliminary consultancy work at the WWTP and the adoption of data management systems.

In the initial consultation step, a digital diagnosis of the WWTP is performed by examining its starting point and creating particular objectives tailored to the plant’s reality in collaboration with the operator. The end result is a tailored action plan to achieve these goals.

Second, the adoption of data management systems allows for the integration of all WWTP data, standardization with advanced intelligence, and presentation of the most relevant system information to the user via a single holistic dashboard. “WWTP managers can monitor all plant operations from a single interface,” thanks to this solution.

Furthermore, this type of system may be used to develop rules of various kinds to automate the treatment plant’s activities, creating alarms for each one,” said Jacobo Illueca, an Idrica Wastewater Specialist.

Eight characteristics of the best WWTP technology

Not all technologies are appropriate for the digital transformation of WWTPs. It must meet a set of requirements in order for operators to create the key use cases listed below. According to the Idrica study, the technology must be:

  • Adaptable, enabling integration with multiple user authentication systems (auth/login) and taking different data repositories into account.
  • Flexible, enabling standard customizations and specific behaviors according to the established business processes.
  • Scalable, capable of responding as the number of users increases.
  • Multi-environment, enabling on-premise, private cloud and cloud-based (service-based) deployments.
  • Competitive, capable of operating with third-party technologies and affordable licenses, with a low initial hardware footprint, and high availability if required.
  • Easy to deploy, with automated pipelines, and available both on-premise and in the cloud, with reliable roll-back processes.
  • Easy to maintain, with efficient logging, enabling remote and centralized monitoring.
  • Easy to implement, having rich and well-documented APIs, without direct access to the database and business logic to prevent damage to the system.

The digital transformation of WWTPs is thus a critical process that must be carried out in order to reduce costs while enhancing production and efficiency. This is especially important in today’s world, as population expansion and climate change are influencing water management.

Source: Idrica

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