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Cost Optimization of Wastewater and Septage Treatment Process

Author

Listed:
  • Beata Karolinczak

    (Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 20 Nowowiejska St., 00-653 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Rafał Miłaszewski

    (Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Cardinal Wyszyński University in Warsaw, 1/3 Wóycickiego St., 01-938 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Wojciech Dąbrowski

    (Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, Bialystok University of Technology, 45E Wiejska St., 15-351 Bialystok, Poland)

Abstract

Analysis of the current knowledge has revealed the lack of a method for increasing the cost-effectiveness of wastewater and septage treatment in plants overloaded by contamination. This was the premise for undertaking research on the process of septage pre-treatment in a subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland (SS-VF) prior to its input into the biological section of a municipal treatment plant. In previous research the authors have indicated that this allows for a significant reduction in the value of pollution indicators. The objective of this paper is to assess the cost-effectiveness of this process by means of an optimization model. The decision variable was the coefficient of septage stream distribution into the quantity directed to the SS-VF bed in relation to its total quantity. The optimization criterion was the minimization of the expected annual cost of wastewater and septage treatment. Verification of the model has shown that it is reasonable to subject all septage to the pre-treatment in a SS-VF bed for small wastewater treatment plant (WWTPs) located in rural areas. The bigger the septage pollution load is, the greater the reduction in the treatment costs. The proposed solution is less cost-effective in urban areas, where the construction of a SS-VF bed requires land purchase and additional costs of its adjustment. Optimization results largely depend on the cost function, so it is important to build it on reliable local data.

Suggested Citation

  • Beata Karolinczak & Rafał Miłaszewski & Wojciech Dąbrowski, 2020. "Cost Optimization of Wastewater and Septage Treatment Process," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:23:p:6406-:d:456051
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. TYTECA, Daniel, 1981. "Nonlinear programming model of wastewater treatment plant. And Daniel TYTECA and Yves SMEERS. Nonlinear programming design of wastewater treatment plant," LIDAM Reprints CORE 452, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
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    Cited by:

    1. Magda Dudek & Marcin Dębowski & Joanna Kazimierowicz & Marcin Zieliński & Piera Quattrocelli & Anna Nowicka, 2022. "The Cultivation of Biohydrogen-Producing Tetraselmis subcordiformis Microalgae as the Third Stage of Dairy Wastewater Aerobic Treatment System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Joanna Kazimierowicz & Marcin Dębowski, 2022. "Aerobic Granular Sludge as a Substrate in Anaerobic Digestion—Current Status and Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Bartosz Szeląg & Szymon Sobura & Renata Stoińska, 2023. "Application of Multispectral Images from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Analyze Operations of a Wastewater Treatment Plant," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-18, March.

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