Process Design and Optimization for Wastewater Treatment Efficiency and Resilience

This white paper explores the benefits of using digital twins and mathematical programming techniques to optimize energy consumption in wastewater treatment processes, thereby enhancing resilience and efficiency. Key challenges faced by current facilities include high energy consumption, regulatory compliance for water quality, system resilience issues, and the underutilization of operational data that could help decision-makers improve operational efficiency. Development of site-specific wastewater treatment models presents a near term opportunity, utilizing open-source platforms such as WaterTAP and IDAES. By creating digital twin flowsheets and applying real operational data, facilities can simulate various scenarios to uncover energy-saving opportunities and improve process efficiency. Success will be gauged by the adoption of advanced modeling techniques, with metrics such as energy savings, regulatory compliance rates, operational cost reductions, and resilience metrics serving as indicators of improved performance.