Online Suspended Solids Monitoring Contributes to Reduced Operating Costs - Angus Fosten

It can be a tough job for the water treatment industry, faced with the needs to ensure the effectiveness of their treatment plants and processes whilst keeping operating costs within strict budgets. Finding a solution to these challenges means not only investing in the most appropriate technologies so that treatment works fulfil their obligations, but also evaluating ways of optimising performance so as to get the best return on capital investment.

Suspended solids load is one of the most important aspects of the treatment process as it has an influence from crude sewage intake right through to final discharge. Monitoring final effluent suspended solids is a key parameter for assessing the quality of the effluent in respect of meeting consent levels. It is also an indicator of the basic performance of the treatment works as any rise in the level of suspended solids will warn of possible process problems upstream of the final effluent point.

By monitoring and recording suspended solids levels at key processing stages, works managers are able to exercise effective control of the plant and ensure that discharge consent levels are adhered to and running costs optimised. South West Water’s WWTW at Exmouth in South Devon is a great example of how the investment in an integrated suspended solids monitoring system supplied by Partech can contribute to cost-effective effluent treatment.