Optimal design of water treatment processes

Predicted water shortages assign water treatment a leading role in improving water resources management. One of the main challenges associated with the processes remains early stage design of techno-economically optimised purification. This work addresses the current gap by undertaking a whole-system approach of flowsheet synthesis for the production of water at desired purity at minimum overall cost. The optimisation problem was formulated as a mixed-integer non-linear programming model. Two case studies were presented which incorporated the most common commercial technologies and the major pollution indicators, such as chemical oxygen demand, dissolved organic carbon, total suspended solids and total dissolved solids. The results were analysed and compared to existing guidelines in order to examine the applicability of the proposed approach

Source catchments as water quality treatment assets

The Catchment Management Investment Standard has been prepared to assist water utilities make the case for catchment management as a water quality treatment asset. Operating in an economically regulated environment where consumer affordability is paramount and where the regulator puts the burden of proof on the water provider to illustrate successful mitigation of water quality risk, there are two critical challenges: How can a sound business case be made for investment in catchment management as a water quality ‘treatment’ option, using best practice approaches in triple bottom line cost benefit evaluation? How can it be demonstrated, in the geographic context of the catchment under consideration, that mitigation measures can be successfully implemented and water quality improvement achieved? The Catchment Management Investment Standard was developed in close collaboration with the Water Research Foundation and water utilities from both Australia and the United States to enable stronger business cases for catchment management as a viable alternative to more capital intensive (traditional) investments.&nbsp