Technology – International Water Association

Improving cyber resiliency for water utilities

Biju George — Wed, 03 May 2023 08:27:01 +0000

Water utilities are at the forefront of safeguarding public health, safety, and the environment, and play a critical role in building community resilience. Many water utilities globally have been targeted by cyberattacks, increasing concerns about sector’s vulnerability to cyberattacks. As such, industry experts are calling for more measures and new cybersecurity rules to protect critical water infrastructure and services. With a strong and sustainable cybersecurity programme in place, water utilities can protect sensitive data, defend against cyber threats, and maintain uninterrupted operations even in the face of a cyberattack. 

Cyberattacks are a reality for any organisation operating in today’s interconnected digital world. By approaching cybersecurity through the lens of community resilience, water utilities can take a proactive approach to risk management, implementing preventive measures and ensuring rapid restoration of services in the event of a cyberattack.

Types of Cyberattacks on Water Systems

A cyberattack is an attempt to compromise the function of an industrial control system (ICS) or enterprise systems or an attempt to track the online movements of individuals without their permission. Attacks of this type may be undetectable to the water utility or to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system administrator but can lead to a total disruption of a water utility’s network.

The attacks may include:

 Denial of Service: Flooding a network or web server with false requests to crash or make the resource unavailable to its intended users 
 Ransomware Attacks: The attacker locks/encrypts the ICS systems with malware and demands a ransom for it to be released
 Spyware: Monitors user activity 
 Trojan Horse: Malicious file or programme that disguises itself as a genuine programme file
 Virus: Attaches to existing programmes, then replicates and spreads from one computer to another 
 Worm: Malicious file that replicates itself and spreads to other computers 
 Sniffer: Monitors information travelling over a network 
 Key Loggers: Records and transmits keystrokes and transmits to the originator 
 Phishing: Fake websites or e-mails that look genuine and fetch confidential personal data

How To Mitigate Cyber Risk

It is important to take immediate and decisive action to mitigate cyber risk. It is a serious challenge, but with prompt action and a well-coordinated response, it is possible to mitigate the risk and minimise the impact. Here’s a step-by-step process to deal with the situation:

Identify the extent and nature of the problem as well as assess the potential impact on operations, customers and other stakeholders.

Prioritise the most critical systems and operations to ensure that they are protected and restored as soon as possible.
Communicate the situation to all relevant stakeholders, including customers, employees and local authorities. This helps to manage expectations and build trust.
Consult cybersecurity experts to resolve issues and implement measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Mitigating cyber risk requires a comprehensive and multi-layered approach that covers all aspects of a water utility’s operations. A robust cybersecurity programme should include measures to protect against cyber threats, detect and respond to incidents, and recover from any potential impact.

It is essential to have strong password policies and firewalls, but that’s just one aspect of a comprehensive cybersecurity programme. Other measures may include employee training, secure passwords, regular software updates, data backup and recovery plans, network segmentation, and risk assessments of third-party partners and vendors. Sensitive information, critical infrastructure and personal or customer data require protection.

By taking a strategic approach based on a comprehensive risk framework, water utilities can reduce the risk of cyber incidents and maintain the resiliency of their services for the benefit of the community.

Climate Smart Water in Action at Shanghai’s Industrial Park

Zhou Min — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:24:18 +0000

Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) is located in the south of Shanghai, north of Hangzhou Bay, with a managed area of 29.4 km². It is one of the largest integrated petrochemical bases in China. Shanghai Chemical Industry Park Sino-French Water Development Co., Ltd. provides water supply and wastewater treatment services to SCIP, ensuring quality utility services for all the customers in the park.

In 2021, SCIP established a sustainable development task force to address climate change, in line with the Chinese government and shareholder policy requirements. As a provider of industrial and desalinated water in the park, the utility completed the renovation of two water supply loop systems to ensure a stable water supply and diversify its water portfolio. SCIP has also adopted a smart meter network system where over 200 automatic reading meters and water quality & quantity online sensors are currently in use.

To reduce carbon emissions, the utility has installed photovoltaic panels to generate power for administration buildings, including 0.8MW photovoltaic panels at the industrial water plant with an estimated carbon reduction of 800 tons of CO2 per year. SCIP also promotes the development of the water industry’s response to climate change through technical seminars and training sessions, both online and offline, to share experiences and present good practices. As a water and wastewater utility with a strong sense of social responsibility, SCIP takes an active role in addressing climate change.

SCIP is made up of many enterprises but lacks a uniform water supply and sewage treatment system. Most of the companies there get water from the surrounding residential waterworks, which necessitates the construction of a long water pipeline, high water supply costs, and a disruption to the surrounding residential water supply. Initially, the wastewater plant was not built to have a low carbon footprint. Since most of treated wastewater is industrial, the energy consumption of SCIP is higher compared to municipal wastewater. The lack of green energy use, high carbon emissions from electricity consumption, and the carbon emissions associated with the original process pose a threat to the environment.

Adapting to climate change

As the industrial and desalinated water supply service provider in the park, the utility has completed the renovation of two water supply loop systems in 2019 to ensure stable water supply and diversify the water portfolio. Since 2020, the park has adopted a smart network system that uses over 200 automatic reading meters and water quality & quantity online sensors, along with SUEZ’s patented real-time hydraulic model, entitled Aquadvanced, which is being used to give early warnings and predictions of the water network’s operational status, monitor water loss and non-revenue water, and ensure stable industrial and desalinated water supply.

To encourage water conservation, SCIP established a corporate water-saving incentive policy in 2020. A petrochemical company in SCIP saved 350,000m³ industrial water annually, thus receiving a preferential discount on water price.

SCIPs efforts around wastewater services considers collection, treatment, and monitoring of all types of wastewater. With almost 200 km of water supply and drainage pipelines, the utility ensures that treated wastewater discharged into water bodies does not have a negative environmental impact. The wastewater treatment plant has been equipped with online instrumentations and a team of 50 analysts to monitor water quality at all times.

To cope with dramatic fluctuations in water quality and quantity for upstream customers due to climate change, a 50,000m3 buffer, emergency tank, and by-pass system are in place at the utility’s treatment plant. SCIP believes that equipment maintenance is an important pillar in ensuring compliance and stable operation of the plant. Therefore, they established a comprehensive ISO process for maintenance planning, reviewing, and updating, as well as the using a professional CMMS operation and maintenance system for asset and work order management.

Mitigation actions

SCIP focuses on initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. The industrial water plant of the utility has installed photovoltaic panels to power administration buildings, reducing approximately 800 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The wastewater plant’s aeration system contributes significantly to carbon emissions. At the end of 2021, SCIP began piloting a scheme to replace surface aeration with bottom aeration, resulting in a 40% reduction in carbon emissions from the aeration system (equivalent to about 700 tons of CO2e per year). The utility also uses Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 2800 tons of CO2e per year by discharging tail water from the treatment plant into the SCIP’s ecological wetland. Lastly, SCIP adopts a circular economy approach by recovering resources and reducing the amount of waste generated. For example, dewatered sludge is used for landfill at construction sites, and the sludge from wastewater treatment is incinerated for electricity generation.

Communication with citizens

As a socially responsible water and wastewater utility company, SCIP conducts environmental seminars that have attracted over 2,000 industry professionals in the past 10 years, providing a great platform for technical and business exchanges. The utility organises technical seminars and training sessions online and offline in order to share experiences and best practices to address climate change.

In 2022, the utility hosted several workshops on carbon reduction and carbon accounting in the water industry to disseminate relevant knowledge. The achievements in water digitalisation have been recognised with the Smart Project Leading Award in 2018 and the Smart Park Excellent Application Case in 2020 awarded by SCIP. As a result, the company’s success has become a model for the water industry.

SCIP also collaborates with academic institutions such as the Carbon Neutral Research Institute of Tongji University and the East China University of Science and Technology on climate change and carbon reduction projects. It has also signed a collaboration with the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences on carbon field measurement of wastewater treatment plants.

For more information on this climate smart story, contact: Zhou Min

Lessons learned

Large chemical parks are suitable for building centralised water supply and drainage facilities
Remote water meters in smart pipe networks can save time and resources while providing an effective response to incidents
Photovoltaic solutions are a great option for companies in the water industry to reduce their carbon footprint and generate green energy
Treatment processes should be updated in line with technological advancements
Positive experiences need to be shared in order to promote best practices more widely

Useful Links

Empowering women can drastically improve water disinfection around the world

Dana Pousty, Nathan Moore, Daniel Ma, Hadas Mamane — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:00:44 +0000

Women and water and strongly intertwined in rural communities. The empowerment of women, of new and local voices, and of new ideas, has immense potential to improve how water systems in small, rural, or developing settings are managed. Following up on a recent IWA webinar on the topic, we want to provide 3 key insights that can improve water systems by building on the connections between women and water. The ideas presented here are specific examples of how that can be done. We hope that you might find links between these ideas and your specific work in water, towards improving health outcomes for the communities you serve.

Design to empower women as the water keepers of our communities

To quote Dr. Bhavani Rao (Amrita University): women are the keepers of our communities. In many places, they are the primary caregivers for children, the elderly, and those who are ill. They are also often the keepers of our water. For example, women across the world often carry the responsibility of collecting a family’s water. Rather than water supply being something that simply falls to women, WASH systems and institutions should be designed to empower women to maintain and develop those systems and institutions. During the webinar, Dr. Rao presented an interesting case study on how this is being done today. The Women in Sustaining the Environment (WISE) Project currently works to equip women in the rural village of Dongarampur with the information and resources they need to successfully monitor and maintain drinking their water supplies, and to advocate for how money is allocated towards their water systems.

Water safety technologies are a human perception problem, not a technology problem

There are places where legacy protocols, guidelines, and institutions hinder water system improvements. Consider this from a water technology perspective. There are water disinfection technologies, like chlorine, which work very well in many contexts, and they are embedded in standard protocols or guidelines because of that (for example, protocols for disinfecting water in humanitarian response settings). However, there are cases where those deeply embedded technologies do not work as well, or where there are better options. During the webinar, Dr. Natalie Hull (Ohio State University) described remarkable ways in which we could reimagine rural or low-resource water treatment (e.g., hydro-powered UV light emitting diodes spread throughout a water distribution system). There are settings around the world where those advancements will not be explored because protocols, institutions, or public perception lag behind the state of technology. In the same way, we need to consider how legacy protocols and institutions are a barrier to new and diverse voices or stakeholders, including women, that could improve our water systems.

It’s not just about technology. Solutions must be contextualized

Ane Galdos and Cántaro Azul have worked for years to help guarantee access to safe water in rural communities across Mexico. A core tenet of their programmes is understanding how women perceive the changes in their lives as a result of a WASH intervention. In other words, their work considers how a person describes that their life has changed following the intervention. For example, they have held reflection sessions asking women how a household UV water disinfection system has affected their safety, or their mental health. Why is this important? In order to address water insecurity and improve wellbeing, WASH services need to be used consistently. Therefore, WASH services need to make life easier, and they need to fit into a person’s unique life and culture. Solutions must be local and contextualized.

This article was written by members of the International UV Association’s UN SDG Task Force. Since 2021, the Task Force has worked to support the effective and safe application of UV technology to improve public health in developing settings. You can learn more about their work at www.iuva.org. This article was written as a follow up to the recent webinar Small water disinfection systems: UV light & the role of women in remote communities, which is available on demand on IWA Connect Plus.

Project pictures by the authors

Digital sustainability in the water sector

Chema Nebot — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 00:00:45 +0000

The first-ever Digital Water Summit organised by the IWA will soon be taking place in Bilbao from 29 November – 2 December 2022. The Summit is a B2B event with key players from the water digitalisation sector. Chema Nebot, Business Development Director at Idrica, an international water technology company specialising in smart solutions and services for the industry, comments on the importance and challenges of digital sustainability in the sector.

Q: What is digital sustainability and why is it important?

Chema Nebot – Digital sustainability is a concept that is gaining increasing importance in the water sector. Nowadays, water utilities often struggle to integrate and exploit the data gathered from sensors and other digital management tools provided by different vendors. Our GoAigua platform can integrate data from all technologies and vendors to ensure water utilities can extract its value. Digital sustainability means that the data collected now and in the future is always accessible. It also means that the entire company speaks the same language, and has the same data for building indicators and making decisions.

The key to digital sustainability is forward thinking: figuring out how data can be used in the future. It’s not just about focusing on what we are managing right now, but also about the information we will need in the future to provide safe drinking water. It’s about combining all the data and indicators from different departments into a single data model in the utility.

Q: What steps can water utilities take to improve digitalisation?

CN: I believe that digitalisation within water utilities can be improved and harnessed through seamless data integration. Organisations need to speak the same language. The key is to combine data, emphasise the importance of IT departments within the utility and lever its extensive knowledge and know-how. Utilities are seeing the value of smart water solutions, and are implementing digital transformation plans.

Q: Do you have any specific projects and examples currently underway which could help utilities navigate the world of data and digitalisation?

CN: Yes, definitely. Our smart water platform is the result of the digital transformation process at the water utility Global Omnium, which started over a decade ago.

This platform is being used successfully by utilities around the world. For instance, the Spanish city of Valencia is saving 4M m3 of water per year thanks to technology. The software also optimises energy consumption, a topic which is particularly relevant at the moment due to skyrocketing energy prices in Europe. In other regions, like North America, we have reduced storm sewer overflows by over 70% in the city of Houston.

Overall, such case studies show there is a huge need for smart water solutions. Digital sustainability can be a means to use all this data for decision-making today and tomorrow.

Australia’s innovative biosolids gasification facility is operational

Johanna Johnson — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:02:34 +0000

Logan Water has pioneered an Australian and most likely a world first; a facility which transforms biosolids into renewable energy and a sustainable product called biochar.

Our biosolids gasification facility destroys chemicals in biosolids like persistent organic pollutants, and micro and nano-plastics. It will reduce carbon emissions by about 6,000 tonnes a year.

The innovation solves the age-old question of what to do with biosolids by identifying a role for it in the circular economy. In this economy, the community takes part by creating a nutrient-rich ‘resource’ which is processed to significantly reduce its volume and enhance its quality and marketability.

Logan Water will no longer pay contractors about $1.8M a year to truck 34,000 tonnes of biosolids from Loganholme Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) 300km to the Darling Downs agricultural area for disposal. Operational cost savings and carbon credits will return almost $1M a year to the City of Logan, and a new revenue stream is being created from biochar sales.

Biochar contains nutrients like those found in commercial slow-release fertilisers; making it great for healthy soil and plants. Biochar can also be added to soil, asphalt, concrete and bricks to sequester carbon for thousands of years.

Innovative design and delivery

Our biosolids gasification facility design adapts existing technologies including gasification approaches developed for the Queensland agricultural industry, and biosolids drying methods from Europe.

The design features dewatering of biosolids in centrifuges to 20% dry, drying it in belt dryers to 90% dry and then treating it in a gasifier at 650^oC to create a pelletised, charcoal-like product.

The facility captures and reuses its own heat energy to dry the biosolids, while a 1MW solar array provides additional energy.

Our team worked with local and global partners to deliver the facility. However, with COVID-19 border closures in place, international personnel were unable to visit our work site to assemble and test equipment. We improvised by using tools like augmented reality software to manage design and quality management discussions, and shipped large items fully assembled like 34-tonne dryers.

Our $28M project was opened in April 2022. It was funded by Council with a $6.2M grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

A sustainable outcome

This project will leave a legacy for the City of Logan and the Australian water industry by:

advancing the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
encouraging water businesses to take a more sustainable approach to managing the 2.3M tonnes of dewatered biosolids produced each year in Australia (AWA, 2019)
developing new legislation with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science to guide the production and use of biochar
reducing energy use for City of Logan operations, and increasing use of clean energy
helping Council to meet its target of carbon neutral operations by the end of 2022
reducing operating costs for Council, enabling funds to be redirected to other services
sequestering carbon and supporting the economy by providing biochar to industry.

Watch our video for more at https://youtu.be/JOodKYWXHbU

Water Tech Spotlight: the latest technology developments in the water industry | June 2022

sophiesu — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 13:17:21 +0000

Tech solutions and innovations are the mainstays towards a water-wise world. Water Tech Spotlight is a monthly blog that aims to highlight worldwide the latest technology developments in the water industry. Scroll down to find out more.

1. COMPACT SOLUTIONS FOR N&P REMOVAL

Storage and Reaction Tanks of BESWIFT Technology. Cover image Courtesy of BEWG

Recently, Beijing Enterprises Water Group (BEWG) publicly launched two technology products for nitrogen and phosphorus removal: BEAOA and BESWIFT. According to BEWG, after being successfully demonstrated at different scales, BEAOA proves to be an efficient process for denitrification and phosphorus removal while reducing sludge production. BESWIFT has been developed to target low C/N municipal wastewater based on BEWG’s independently developed aerobic granular sludge technology. Coupled with well-configured equipment and an intelligent control system, BESWIFT provides a fit for decentralised treatment, achieving simultaneous N&P removal and low energy consumption. Read more…

2. MACHINE LEARNING FOR MICROPLASTICS MANAGEMENT

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) plate holding microplastic samples(left) and the SEM used for the project (right). Photo by Bin Shi

Microplastics can almost be found anywhere and need to be effectively characterised and quantified to assess their impact on human health. Recently, researchers from the University of Toronto conducted two studies evaluating the use of machine learning to estimate the number of microplastic particles on the basis of aggregate particle weight measurements, and to classify the objects imaged by scanning electron microscopy. This is the first project producing a labelled open-source dataset for microplastics image segmentation. Read more…

3. NEW PORTABLE SEAWATER DESALITATION SYSTEM

Portable Desalination Unit can be driven by a small, portable solar panel. Image courtesy of Dr. Junghyo Yoon

MIT researchers have developed a portable, suitcase-sized desalination unit that can remove particles and salts to generate drinking water with no requirement for high-pressure pumps. This field-deployable system relies on the ion concentration polarization (ICP) technique and multistage electro membrane processes. Less energy is needed to power the unit compared to traditional desalination systems, and deployment in rural areas is much favoured. Read more…

4. KAUMERA EXTRACTION IN A MOBILE DEMO UNIT

Kaumera is a new bio-based raw material that is extracted from Nereda® aerobic granular sludge. Due to its unique property of being fire retardant and the ability to both absorb or repel water, Kaumera has a wide variety of applications. The first large-scale Kaumera plant is located in Zutphen, The Netherlands, and a mobile installation will be operated at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Utrecht. Read more…

5. CHINA’S 3D-PRINTED DAM READY IN 2 YEARS

Chinese scientists say the Yangqu Dam on the Tibetan plateau will be built using AI-controlled machinery applying 3D printing techniques. Photo from Weibo

According to scientists involved in the project, China is planning to 3D print a 180-metre-high hydropower dam on the Tibetan Plateau using unmanned excavators, trucks, bulldozers, pavers and rollers, all controlled by artificial intelligence (AI). The project is expected to be completed by 2024. Once finished, the Yangqu hydropower plant will be able to deliver nearly 5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year to Henan province. Read more…

Update from IWA team

Thanks for your interest in reading the monthly Water Tech Spotlight blog. Due to the preparations for the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition (11-15 September 2022, Copenhagen), we will pause the WTS issues until October 2022.

Disclaimer

The International Water Association (IWA) is not liable for any damages arising in contract, tort or otherwise from the use of or inability to use WaterTech Spotlight or any material contained in it, or from any action or decision taken as a result of using it. The contents of WaterTech Spotlight do not comprise the IWA’s views; they do not constitute legal or other professional advice. You should consult your professional adviser for legal or other advice. IWA is not responsible for the content of any linked site or any link in a linked site. IWA is not responsible for any transmission received from any linked site. The links are provided to assist readers and the inclusion of a link does not imply that IWA endorses or has approved the linked site.

Contact: Sophie.Su@iwahq.org

Water Tech Spotlight: the latest technology developments in the water industry | May 2022

sophiesu — Wed, 04 May 2022 05:00:43 +0000

1. GROUNDBREAKING GRAPHENE MEMBRANE AT COMMERCIAL SCALE

Roll of NematiQ Graphene Membrane. Image courtesy of NematiQ

The global market for membrane-based water filtration is growing substantially. NematiQ, a subsidiary of Clean TeQ Water, has been developing graphene-based nanofiltration membranes for commercial manufacturing, and has now achieved a major milestone by producing over 1,000m of 1,000mm-wide flat sheet Graphene Membrane on an industrial roll-to-roll coating machine. This energy efficient nanofiltration membrane has been tested and is able to remove contaminants such as dissolved organics for a range of feed waters.

Cover image: UBCO researchers using fluorescence spectroscopy to quickly detect key toxins in tailings ponds water. Image courtesy of UBCO

Recently, researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBCO) have uncovered a new, fast, low-cost and reliable method to quickly identify toxins from oil sands and tailings ponds. The research is published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. The results from the initial sample analysis from fluorescence spectroscopy are processed through an image modelling programme that accurately predicts the composition of the water. A convolutional neural network is used to process data in a grid-like topology, such as an image. Read more…

3. PEN-LIKE SENSOR QUICKLY DETECTS BISPHENOL-A IN WATER

Prototype of the portable device made from graphite, silver particles and polyurethane that detects BPA. Image courtesy of Marina Baccarin/USP

A new design of an electrochemical sensor in a pen-like shape has been developed by researchers from the University of São Paulo’s São Carlos Physics Institute (IFSC-USP) and São Carlos Chemistry Institute (IQSC-USP) in Brazil. Made of graphite, silver nanoparticles and polyurethane, the sensor can analyse chemical pollutants in water, such as bisphenol-A (BPA), an emerging chemical pollutant posing risks to the environment and human health. Thanks to its portability and smart-phone connection features, the device can deliver rapid results without requiring sample collection. An article describing the research is published in Materials Science and Engineering. Read more…

4. 3D TECHNOLOGY IGNITES GREATER BUSHFIRE RESILIENCE

To fortify its bushfire resilience at critical water and wastewater infrastructure sites, SA Water is now leveraging advanced 3D modelling technology based on the detailed photogrammetry captured by drones. This will lead to the development of an Australian-first water industry technical standard. By creating virtual 3D models of the infrastructure, the operators can analyse the assets and identify risks remotely, making it possible to properly schedule the upgrading of specific infrastructure features. Read more…

5. HARD TO MAKE DECISIONS? APP HELPS

A new tool named ValueDecisions has been developed by researchers from Eawag to deal with decision analysis. The original publication can be found in Environmental Modelling & Software. Based on multi-attribute value theory (MAVT), this open source application provides advanced analysis and visualization with no complex programming expected from users. The app can provide advanced cost-benefit and objective-based analyses. The app calculates and visualises the results of the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) in clear graphical representations and tables and is particularly useful to reach complex decisions involving multiple stakeholders with conflicting interests. The app has already proven itself in research practice for wastewater treatment in Paris and for flood warning West Africa. Read more…

Disclaimer

Contact: Sophie.Su@iwahq.org

Bringing reuse water to the mainstream

Ralph Franco — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 09:08:58 +0000

Population growth, urbanization and persistent drought are straining water resources in various regions around the world, while pollution and contamination compound these challenges. As this situation intensifies, water technology companies like Xylem are working to advance the conversation on sustainable water supply strategies, including the use of recycled water – or reuse water – to tackle water shortages.

The reality is that water scarcity is an issue facing communities in every corner of the world, but solutions exist to address this challenge. Advanced treatment technologies have demonstrated that wastewater can be purified well beyond drinking water standards and reused safely for both potable and non-potable purposes.

Reusing water can also have numerous economic benefits, reused water is less expensive than generating water through other technologies such as desalination, which means savings for both public utilities and citizens.

Advanced treatment technologies play key role

Advanced technologies are a key part of the foundation to support the development of potable reuse projects. New developments in oxidation-enhanced, biologically active filtration and UV disinfection are helping utilities around the world achieve reuse water quality standards, while delivering optimal performance, reliable operations and substantial energy savings.

Xylem is engaged in initiatives to build support for water reuse throughout the world:

In California, advanced treatment technologies are helping to combat water shortages due to drought. For example, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is using ultraviolet (UV) light to produce recycled water for use by commercial and industrial customers, and the city of Los Angeles is incorporating UV light and chlorine in a cutting-edge advanced oxidation process to augment dwindling groundwater supplies. Xylem’s ozone and biologically active filtration processes are also being provided to produce high-quality water to supplement surface water supplies in San Diego.
Using a multi-step disinfection process, Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) in Virginia Beach, Virginia, implemented an innovative water treatment program called SWIFT (Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow). The program puts highly treated water through additional rounds of advanced water treatment to meet strict drinking water quality standards. SWIFT water is then added to the Potomac Aquifer to help slow and potentially reverse the shrinking of land due to withdrawal, help restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay and give the region a sustainable source of groundwater.
In Saudi Arabia, a sewage treatment plant was expanded to help meet the country’s ambitious target for water reuse. An integrated wastewater treatment system from Xylem helps generate over 52 million gallons per day of treated water per day.

Expanding water reuse practices and customizing water treatment options such as Ozone Oxidation, Biologically Active Filtration, UV Disinfection and Advanced Oxidation Processes are increasingly necessary for water utilities to develop resiliency against local water challenges that range from protecting the environment to securing long-term water supply independence.

Wide-scale adoption

As climate change and continued population growth put even more pressure on already overstretched water resources around the world, water reuse applications are becoming increasingly important.

Accelerating the adoption of reuse technologies requires a combination of smart water policies and public education. As support for public policies to promote the use of recycled water and advancing technologies become more affordable, the treatment and recycling of wastewater for potable and non-potable use will continue to grow. We must spread the word that water reuse is a viable, safe and sustainable solution that will be essential to help solving the world’s future water needs. Ultimately it is the water’s quality that counts, and not the water’s history.

Water Tech Spotlight: the latest technology developments in the water industry | April 2022

sophiesu — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 10:00:54 +0000

1. NEW DNA COMPUTER ASSESSES WATER QUALITY

Testing water from an area affected by wildfires in California. Image courtesy of Northwestern University

A low-cost, easy-to-use, hand-held device that can determine if the water is safe to drink within minutes has been recently developed at Northwestern University. Using powerful and programmable genetic networks, this new device is able to mimic electronic circuits and thereby perform a range of logic functions, for example, processing an analog input (contaminants) and generating a digital output (a visual signal to inform the user). The research was published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. Read more…

2. PRODUCING GREEN AVIATION FUEL BY CAPTURING CO2 FROM MUNICIPAL WASTE

Green fuel: the conversion of CO₂ from municipal waste. Image courtesy of Veolia

An interdisciplinary consortium of LIPOR (Intermunicipal Waste Management of Greater Porto), P2X Europe and Veolia is launching feasibility studies at the Maia Energy Recovery Plant to produce green synthetic eFuel made of CO₂ from municipal waste. Up to 100,000 tons of biogenic CO₂ can be captured and recycled for conversion into eFuels in its first phase. This innovative technology will facilitate the conversion of waste into resourses and reduction of GHG emission. Read more…

3. NEW SOLAR CANALS TO BE INSTALLED IN CALIFORNIA

Conceptual rendering of spanning the 110 foot-wide TID Main Canal. Image courtesy of Solar Aquagrid LLC

Covering water bodies with solar panels can provide multiple benefits. Project Nexus is a pilot project that responds to the challenges of the energy, water and food nexus in the State of California. The deployment of solar PV panels over water canals reduces the evaporation of water and contributes to the generation of renewable electricity. A win-win game for water, energy and climate! Read more…

4. FRESHWATER FROM THIN AIR

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is one of the promising solutions for freshwater production. A team of researchers from the University of Texas, Austin, have developed a novel “salt-friendly” polyzwitterionic hydrogel that can efficiently harvest large amounts of freshwater from dry air. The study, published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, shows that the basis for the new hydrogel was a polymer constructed from zwitterionic molecules. Hygroscopic salt combined with hydrogel can capture moisture and enhance swelling, leading to enhanced moisture uptake capacity. Read more…

5. NATURE-INSPIRED REVERSE HURRICANE

Vortexing works by sending water around in a hyperbolic funnel shape. Cover image courtesy of I. Schauberger

Aeration is one of the most energy-intensive processes in water and wastewater treatment and can be costly. To improve the aeration efficiency and cost-effectiveness, researchers from Wetsus have discovered a method of dissolving oxygen into water using a nature-inspired vortex, or whirlpool, that is five times more rapid and much cheaper than the conventional oxygen distribution process using bubble diffusers. The patented method published in the journal Water shows that geometrically constrained vortices in a hyperbolic funnel are a promising aeration technique. Read more…

Disclaimer

Contact: Sophie.Su@iwahq.org

Winning with Twinning – How digital twins reduce risk by improving system understanding

Tyler Nading — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 09:37:43 +0000

From 28 March to 2 April, the International Water Association (IWA) is hosting its 17th Leading Edge Conference on Water and Wastewater Technologies, otherwise known as LET2022. I will be talking about Pure Water San Diego’s Implementation of a Digital Twin to Improve System Understanding and Support Commissioning during the “Emerging Technologies for Digital Water” session.

The Pure Water San Diego Project

The City of San Diego is in the initial stages of implementing the Pure Water San Diego program, which when completed in 2035, will supply at least 40 percent of the City’s drinking water. Phase 1 of this program includes multiple facilities: (1) Morena Pump Station, (2) North City Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), (3) North City Pure Water Facility (PWF), (4) Miramar Reservoir, and (5) Miramar Water Treatment Plant and 11 different projects that will enable the City to treat and clean recycled water to produce 30 million gallons per day (MGD) of high-quality purified water. This state-of-the-art water resource will reduce San Diego’s dependence on imported water.

A schematic of the Pure Water system is shown below. For the Pure Water system to function as planned, all of the program elements must be coordinated through a complex and integrated control strategy. A digital twin was used in the design phase of the project to better understand how the full system will operate. My presentation introduces this unique application of a digital twin and highlights the value it provided to the Pure Water program.

Implementing the Digital Twin

A digital twin model was developed for both the North City Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) and the North City Pure Water Facility (PWF) and operates in the ExtendSIM modeling platform, which is an open-source dynamic simulation environment.

A library of hydraulic blocks was developed to accurately simulate water moving through both pressurized (pumps, pipes, valves) and gravity (channels, weirs, tanks) flow systems, allowing full treatment plants to be modeled. A separate library of controls blocks was developed to simulate typical treatment process control strategies, including function blocks and PID controllers. Together, these libraries allow for the system to be modeled as it will operate in the future and for various control strategies to be tested under a variety of scenarios. A typical model run simulates a 24-hour period in approximately 20 minutes of model time, allowing for evaluation and optimization of different operational strategies.

Our primary reason for developing a digital twin was to create an integrated control strategy for the Pure Water system. This is inherently challenging as the WRP influent flows follow a typical diurnal pattern (diurnal flow patterns at collection system pump stations are shown in Figure 1.1) but the PWF requires a constant flow for the reverse osmosis system to operate well. Primary effluent equalization was designed as part of the WRP upgrades to attenuate flows. The digital twin was used to develop a control strategy that accommodates a range of influent flow profiles and provides a consistent effluent flow.

The digital twin was also used to track water quality through the PWF and WRP system where it was relevant for process control. Notably, there is a total dissolved solids (TDS) limit for several of the non-potable water users and at times the PWF effluent, which has passed through reverse osmosis, will be blended with the WRP effluent to meet the TDS demands of these users. This, among other water quality criteria was included in the model to better understand the system performance under a range of operating scenarios.

Conclusion

Digital twins are becoming more common in the water sector as the industry struggles with increasingly complex systems and an aging operational workforce. With the increase in online analyzers at facilities, we now have an opportunity to better understand system operation through evaluation of historical data. With the development of digital twins, we have realistic simulations of future plant operation as well as calibration of existing facilities using the collected data. The application of digital twins provides meaningful value for complex systems. I look forward to sharing how this project demonstrates a unique application of digital twins that reduces risk by improving system understanding and the value it brought to the Pure Water project.

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