Long-Term Simulation of Pollutant Loads in Treatment Plant Effluents and Combined Sewer Overflows

Abstract

As a result of urbanization, the pollutant discharges from sources such as treatment plant effluents and polluted stormwaters are responsible for an unacceptable water quality in the receiving waters.In particular, combined sewer system overflows may produce great damage due to a shock effect. To reduce these combined sewer overflow discharges, the most frequently used method is to build stormwater storage tanks. During storm water runoff, the hydraulic load of waste water treatment plants increases with additional retention storage. This might decrease the treatment efficiency and thereby decrease the benefit of stormwater storage tanks. The dynamic dependence between transport, storage and treatment is usually not taken into account. This dependence must be accounted for when planning treatment plants and calculating storage capacities in order to minimize the total pollution load to the receiving waters. A numerical model will be described that enables the BOD discharges to be continuously calculated. The pollutant transport process within the networks and the purification process within the treatment plants are simulated. The results of the simulation illustrate; a statistical balance of the efficiency of stormwater tanks with the treatment plant capacity and to optimize the volume of storm water tanks and the operation of combined sewer systems and treatment plants.