Water, the most important resource for the sustainability of flora and fauna on earth, is now under surveillance due to its high demand and usage. With the rapid urbanization, water has become scarce. Organizations and systems that have been operating wastewater treatment processes have long been dependent on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems to monitor water processing and redistribution systems. However, the practical limitation of the installation of SCADA points has restricted its use.
But the good news is that advancements in newer technologies like IOT and AI are helping wastewater treatment organizations to better manage the rising issues faced by the industry. In this article, we will discuss different aspects of IoT and AI in real-time wastewater monitoring.
The current wastewater treatment industry is facing major challenges that AI and IoT amalgamation seem to have the potential to solve. These are
A significant amount of energy is required by the wastewater treatment plants to power pumps, aerators, and other equipment. It is also amongst the biggest operational expenses in the industrial or manufacturing plants. The traditional treatment systems are incapable of dynamically adjusting energy use based on real-time data. This leads to high inefficiency and higher energy costs. For example, an MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) sewage treatment facility may operate at a constant capacity regardless of varying intake levels, resulting in additional energy waste.
For smooth and optimal energy consumption, the continuous monitoring of a sewage plant is required. But traditional treatment systems often rely on manual inspections or periodic data collection, making it difficult to detect issues promptly. Issues such as breakdown of components, unpredictable maintenance, and others can arise quickly. It results in costly downtime and compliance violations.
If there aren’t advanced tools like IoT sensors to analyze workflows, then it will create challenges for resource allocation. Operators frequently struggle with task prioritisation and maintenance scheduling. This inefficiency results in overstaffing or underutilisation of resources, which reduces overall plant production.
Wastewater treatment plant operators regularly face challenges of meeting environmental requirements and upholding water quality standards. In the packaged sewage treatment plants, which are generally built for smaller or decentralized setups, the variations in wastewater composition can make treatment procedures more difficult. Precise monitoring and quick adjustments are necessary to ensure compliance, and these might be challenging to do using conventional approaches.
Here are a few ways IoT technologies are bringing about lasting change for the better:
There are a plethora of applications of IoT devices in the wastewater management landscape, from improving efficiency and monitoring water levels to identifying chemical leaks and regulating usage. For example, we install smart sensors at different points along the wastewater treatment process to monitor and collect data on temperature, water quality, turbidity, pressure changes, chemical levels, and others. The IoT sensors can be further customized as per the use.
For instance, sewage treatment facilities frequently employ total suspended solids (TSS) levels, whereas industrial environments frequently use biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) measurements. Oil and Grease (O&G), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), and nutrient measurements are other metrics for which your sensors can be specially made.
The sensors will collect the data and send it to apps, which are developed using Artificial intelligence technology to help the decision-makers with data-driven insights. So, if there is higher-than-normal sulfur content in any particular component of a treatment process, the IoT system would flag that section for further testing, repair, or maintenance.
You can rely on IoT technology to detect both water and chemical leakages. After identifying a leak, there will be immediate transmission of an alert to a remote dashboard. These notifications can highly expedite responses to mission-critical issues, which can be hazardous to humans or the environment.
IoT can automate the process of identifying problems and taking corrective action. By contrast, manual methods may require hours or days to locate a problem and put a solution in place. Additionally, although people are prone to errors, engineers can automate corrective actions before irreparable harm is done by using predictive maintenance powered by sensor data.
Furthermore, IoT devices are also helpful in detecting residual chemicals following primary water treatment activities. By identifying chemical residues, a facility can optimize its treatment processes to ensure that the chemicals they are releasing do not exceed regulatory limits.
The IoT sensors can detect bacteria like legionella, which are waterborne and can enter a building through centralized HVAC systems or aerosolized mists. Employees and surrounding residents may be at risk if this kind of bacteria is permitted to proliferate within a facility.
In the wastewater treatment industry, the IoT sensors are highly helpful as they can provide on a very granular level. The SCADA systems, which employ traditional technologies, are outdated and inefficient vis-à-vis modern IoT and AI-based solutions. AI and IoT-based systems can provide faster and more efficient data collection. It will help in optimizing system performance while ensuring high safety.
For instance, a manager can identify the area of a plant that uses the most energy by tracking water flow rates and quality through a portion of the treatment process and comparing the findings to power use. The manager can begin by examining the aeration basins, which are typically the most energy-intensive component of the treatment process, to determine ways to reduce the plant’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
The role of IoT Sensors would be limited to generating real-time data and send it to the software, dashboard, or applications. Then comes the role of AI. AI technology will leverage this data to gather real-time information from multiple points across a sewage treatment plant. By analysing the data, AI can predict equipment failures and allow operators to perform proactive maintenance and minimize downtime.
Furthermore, AI can help in bringing automation and high optimization to various tasks. For example, in an MBBR sewage treatment plant, it can help in adjusting aeration levels based on real-time oxygen requirements, reducing energy consumption without compromising treatment efficiency. Similarly, packaged plants can benefit from AI-driven control systems that adapt to varying inflow rates.
While there are a myriad of possibilities with IoT and AI in wastewater treatment and monitoring, developing and deploying a smart wastewater treatment system requires experience and expertise.
At Wipro Water, we have vast experience in working with wastewater treatment plants. We can help you install a wastewater treatment plant in your industrial premises that will help you meet freshwater requirements and stringent environmental regulations. Let us know your requirements.