Decision support systems in water and wastewater treatment process selection and design: a review

Abstract

The continuously changing drivers of the water treatment industry, embodied by rigorous environmental and health regulations and the challenge of emerging contaminants, necessitates the development of decision support systems for the selection of appropriate treatment trains. This paper explores a systematic approach to developing decision support systems, which includes the analysis of the treatment problem(s), knowledge acquisition and representation, and the identification and evaluation of criteria controlling the selection of optimal treatment systems. The objective of this article is to review approaches and methods used in decision support systems developed to aid in the selection, sequencing of unit processes and design of drinking water, domestic wastewater, and industrial wastewater treatment systems. Not surprisingly, technical considerations were found to dominate the logic of the developed systems. Most of the existing decision-support tools employ heuristic knowledge. It has been determined that there is a need to develop integrated decision support systems that are generic, usable and consider a system analysis approach.

Population balance models: a useful complementary modelling framework for future WWTP modelling

“…Recently, the WWTP process selection and network design problem has evolved from being a simple technical design problem to a complex integrated decision making task, and this is mainly because of the numerous aspects that are being considered in the early decision making stage (Hamouda, 2009). Currently, the early stage decision making for WWTP design -i.e.…”

Implementation of a knowledge-based methodology in a decision support system for the design of suitable wastewater treatment process flow diagrams

“…), costs and subproducts is provided. In this approach, it is crucial to consider such high number of factors since most methodologies considers only the major technical and economic factors associated with the selection of a treatment process, such as contaminant removal efficiency and capital cost (Hamouda et al, 2009). This higher number of factors facilitates an integrated assessment and enables the use of key indicators and analytical tools, including the aforementioned CBA, LCA, and MCDA.…”

“…Different units are combined and adapted in a treatment train to meet specific requirements, and this train is represented by a process flow diagram (PFD). However, the number of wastewater-related processes in a treatment train has been growing steadily as well as the number of possible combinations, which increases the difficulty of selecting the most suitable treatment train configuration (Hamouda et al, 2009;Joksimovic et al, 2006). Traditional rules used by engineers to design PFDs are often inadequate for modern configurations.…”

Wastewater treatment systems selection inside watersheds by using multiobjective analysis

“…In general, several methodologies have been developed for producing tools to assist sewage treatment systems selection processes (SOUZA; FORSTER, 1996; SOUZA; CORDEIRO; SILVA, 2009), differentiating themselves, as Hamouda, Anderson and Huck (2009) suggest, in three different approaches: (1) technical design, which considers information on treatment alternatives efficiency and effectiveness; (2) technical and economic analysis, which usually uses cost as a decision variable; and (3) system analysis, or "appropriate technology analysis", through which technological choice represents different technical, economic, social, environmental and cultural criteria point of convergence and harmonization.…”