As in society at large, the development within the water and sewage industry has advanced incredibly quickly over the past decades. Despite this, many wastewater treatment plants look exactly as they did during the major infrastructure expansion of the 1960s.
Climate change, technological development, and maintenance debt mean we can no longer ignore the changes that need to be made. In this article, Andreas Riedel, Technical Manager at Hydria Water, shares three important factors and insights for the future of the water and sewage industry.
Smart Machines and Built-in Technology
Even machines designed for mechanical water treatment can now be equipped with smart technology and AI to optimize results and operational reliability. And more possibilities—and challenges—are coming.
“We already offer some self-adjusting machines and particle detection, but there’s much more to come in the near future,” says Andreas Riedel.
“With technologies like camera monitoring and machine learning, we’ve made progress in reducing operational stops and improving conditions at unmanned plants. But, as with all connected technology, there is the question of cybersecurity—a concern we absolutely need to address in the water and sewage industry as well.”
Optimization of operations towards flow and redundancy activation to manage seasonal variations is also on Andreas’ list of development areas.
“We see many treatment plants designed for a future flow. Each process needs its own retention time, and today’s conditions don’t always match what facilities are prepared for. We hope and wish that lines can be ‘idle’ and only activated when the plant’s designed flow begins to be reached. This would allow budget savings on projects, and no warranties would expire before the machine is in use.”
Making the Most of Costly Investments
The maintenance debt on Swedish wastewater treatment plants means that many municipalities will need to make substantial investments in the coming years. And once the investments are in place and operational, the next challenge is taking care of the equipment.
“I am convinced that continuous consulting, optimization, and service will be crucial to carrying out these investments at all. We know that regular maintenance and adjustments extend the lifespan of all machines, which are also subjected to significant stress. This makes maintenance even more important. When developing new machines, we strive for new features to be applicable to our older models as well. This way, we can contribute to extending lifespan while continuously modernizing our equipment.”
Alongside the increased demand for consulting and maintenance is the question of skills and further education. Those born in the 1940s have retired, and the new workforce comes with a new holistic perspective, different demands, and sustainability concerns.
“Here it’s important that we as engineers and suppliers build good collaborations and dialogues with the personnel at treatment plants. We simply learn best from each other.”
More Climate-smart Solutions
Climate change, water scarcity, and extreme weather are placing new demands on wastewater treatment plants worldwide—and not just within the plants themselves but also along the water’s path in and out.
“When constructing new facilities, I believe in greater coordination with CO2 footprint data in BIM to promote greater sustainability across the entire industry. Smart control towards overflow and prepared dosing for accelerated downstream processing with a smaller footprint is also essential. Even if the cost per period is higher during extreme rainfall events, it is an overall advantage for both the climate and the treatment plant.”
Want to Continue the Discussion?
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