Utilities urged to share data with suppliers

By sharing data with wastewater treatment equipment providers, water companies would not only support the design, build and operation of their own plants, they could also reduce costs and drive innovation. WPL’s technical director  Andrew Baird  explains that by closer collaboration, utilities could get even more from their suppliers.

Huge benefits are available to those water companies prepared to share data with the companies designing their wastewater treatment plants. By having sight of specific site data ahead of a project’s design, as well as operational information post-completion, manufacturers and suppliers can ensure the best system is installed and that it is operating optimally. 

The reluctance or inability of some water companies to share relevant data can hold back progress. With Ofwat calling on closer collaboration between the utilities and supply chain in AMP7, now could be the time to review processes so comparable data, such as final effluent quality and power consumption, can be shared more easily. 

As a design, build and install company, WPL supplies wastewater treatment equipment and in most cases, treatment plant design is based on theoretical criteria; usually generic data that can be up to 20 years old.  If water companies made it possible for designers to base their designs on actual data, significant savings could be made, particularly around sizing and power consumption. 

Once a new treatment solution is in place, having insight into how the process is operating, including flow and load information and treated effluent quality, would offer a number of benefits. 

From a product improvement perspective it would allow the designers to make minor alterations ensuring optimum performance. In terms of research and development, the information could help shape the supplier’s ongoing design work, enabling further refinements to the technology offered to customers, while driving innovation.    

WPL’s biggest data-led research project is at Petersfield wastewater treatment works’ environmental technology field station and is being carried out in conjunction with Portsmouth University. We are supporting a three-year PhD research project examining the data around energy consumption and process efficiency in WPL’s Hybrid-SAF wastewater treatment technology.

The researcher is exploring how much power could be conserved at night when flows are low. Could smaller blowers be used?  Information like this has real value - if a blower half the size could be fitted, significant savings could be made, savings that water companies are potentially missing out on by not sharing their own power consumption data.

A recent project with Welsh Water opened up new opportunities for collaboration when the onsite operations team provided practical feedback on WPL’s conical settlement tank. WPL subsequently redesigned the outflow weir resulting in an installation that is easier to clean and maintain.

Another example of successful data sharing between client and supplier is at Wessex Water’s Sherborne wastewater treatment works where existing infrastructure was retrofitted with WPL’s Hybrid-SAF technology.  By close collaboration from the outset, WPL was able to fully understand the objectives of the client, leading to a cost-saving of 75% in capital expenditure. 

Water quality data from the first year of operation shows that discharge from the plant is well within the Environment Agency’s permit. Ammonia levels in the discharge effluent are below the level of detection on a consent of 10mg/l. Parameters on biological oxygen demand, turbidity and temperature have also been met.

WPL is still getting valuable performance data from the site, which is allowing the team to look objectively at the next steps.  This really proves the value of openness and collaboration.  I would encourage all utilities to consider working with their supply chain in this way. Ultimately, feedback and data helps companies improve their products, which supports clients in delivering long-term goals - enabling the whole sector to move forward.

www.wplinternational.com

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1 Comment

1. Are you really telling us that anno2020 most of treatment plant ​design is based ​on theoretical ​criteria; ​usually generic ​data that can ​be up to 20 ​years old ?

   2 Comment replies

   1. Hi Caroline,

      Many thanks for your comment and in answer to your question.

      Treatment plants up to 1,000 population equivalent for commercial applications are generally designed around British Water code of practice (4). This gives manufacturers theoretical loading rates produced for various applications. This code of practice has changed little over the last 15-20 years with primarily a reduction in the amount of water used per person, from 200 lts per person down to 150litres per person. The BOD and ammonia however have remained fairly constant, as this is the load calculated for biological treatment the only thing that has really changed is retention time in both the primary and clarification stage. These figures were originally agreed by the British Water PTP focus group, primarily made up of package plant manufacturers, with some European influence. The code of practice produced is referenced by the E.A., SEPA and natural Resources Wales. This is the source data or guide for a large number of plants both domestic and commercial. Larger commercial plants on green field sites tend to be designed on these parameters as true effluent strengths can not be measured until the development is complete, existing sites, usually industrial (dairies etc) can be designed using site data as they tend to already exist.

       Having established where the guidance started as to effluent strength we then looked at loading requirements of the biological phase,  ie how much capacity do you need to grow sufficient bacteria to oxidise the effluent down to the correct standard for environmental discharge. When dealing with Utilities a large percentage have set figures generally based on data and information produced some time ago, up to 20 + years, especially for traditional technologies. With regards SAF in a lot of instances we are prescribed the loading rates in mg/l of contaminant removed per square meter of media provided, an arbitrary figure for air requirements based on the square meterage of the surface area of the plant is used ie15m3 of air per M2, again this can be in excess of 20 years old, it has however meant that they have ended up with an over conservative design but not consider advancements in traditional technologies or changes in how we consume and contaminate water.

       So for traditional technologies used for over 20 years the base design criteria has changed little, obviously this does not apply to new technologies, however these have to be well proven before adoption by the Utilities. This is an important sector as it influences both development and design. Whilst I am not saying ALL technologies, processes and companies follow these guide lines a large majority do, especially when designing sites for up to 10,000 population, this represents around 95% installed in the UK with the remaining being large purpose designed municipal works.

       

   2. Natasha Wiseman over to you!