Effluent quality control in small biological process treating domestic wastewater

The problem of fl uctuating infl uent fl ow and pollution concentration is a serious concern in small wastewater treatment plants. In this study, a simple mathematical simulation of an activated sludge process has been utilized to derive operational controls to stabilize process disturbance effects on effl uent quality. The sensitivity of the model has been tested for several factors known to have signifi cant variability with time and occasion. The variable factors were chosen from previous operational records of a small-scale process. The model was tested on a small process serving a university campus through extreme fl ow and pollutant conditions. Data collected during the applications of the controls was used to test the effectiveness of the model. The results were encouraging.