Steady-State and Dynamic Simulation for Wastewater Treatment Plant Management: Case Study of Maghnia City, North-West Algeria

Abstract

Given the critical importance of addressing effluent quality concerns, the present study was dedicated to developing a dynamic simulation model based on the Activated Sludge Model 1 (ASM1) of a wastewater treatment plant located in Maghnia City, Algeria. The model calibration process involved collecting and analyzing 56 samples from the plant over a period of 18 months (from July 2021 to January 2023). Thirteen physicochemical parameters were analyzed to identify the variations in their water quality over time. Stoichiometric and kinetic parameters were adjusted during the plant calibration process. These modifications resulted in a reasonable alignment with the investigated variables, enabling the accurate prediction of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)’ steady-state behavior regarding the removal measurements of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and ammonium (NH4-N). The model was validated using 14-day measurements spanning a 4-month duration, and the results indicated good agreement between the observed and simulated effluent variable of chemical oxygen demand (COD) with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 23%. These findings highlight the utility of the ASM1 Model in comprehending and managing the intricate dynamics of the activated sludge process in wastewater treatment plants.

Excess of Nutrients in Prefabricated or Compact Wastewater Treatment Plants: Review, Solution Alternative, and Modeling for Verification

“…Conventional wastewater treatment includes physical, chemical, and biological procedures to remove solids and organic/inorganic materials from wastewater [15,31]. The activated sludge process is a biological process where microbial biomass oxidizes and mineralizes the organic matter present in wastewater and also serves for phosphorus and nitrogen removal [6,12,35,39,40].…”