TITLE:
Problems in Water Environmental Control—Sense and Nonsense in Measurement of Water Protection
AUTHORS:
Stig Morling
KEYWORDS:
BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), Flow Control, Measurement, Nitrogen, Nitrification, Phosphorous, Sampling, Suspended Solids
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.6 No.15,
November
19,
2014
ABSTRACT: Water
environmental control and process refinement inside a wastewater treatment
plant (WWTP) is fundamentally based on sampling, analysis and on-line
measurements on water and sludge streams. The problems related to an accurate
and reliable control and thus an efficient water protection are addressed in
the following. Four different crucial points whenever a sampling and control
scheme is planned: 1) Where should a sampling and on-line measurement take place?
2) When should sampling take place? 3) How should the sampling and on-line
measurement take place? 4) Which variables should be controlled? Examples are
given from different plants demonstrating ways to address the questions.
Especially the relevance of the adopted parameter BOD (Biochemical Oxygen
Demand) is discussed. It is finally suggested to even abandon the use of BOD as
consent variable in favor of on-line measurement of Suspended Solids, Nitrogen
and Phosphorous.