Development of a software toolkit for assessment and visualization of municipal wastewater treatment systems


Project C3.1 within the BMBF-sponsored joint research programme “Adaptation of wastewater treatment and water reuse technologies to specific technical, institutional and financial conditions”


Project title: Joint research programme “Adaptation of wastewater treatment and water reuse technologies to specific technical, institutional and financial conditions”,
Sub project C 3.1 „Toolkit - Evaluation of treatment systems“
Project leader: Dr. Marc Wichern (TU Munich)
Co-operation partner: TU Munich (Project manager);
Ruhr-Universität Bochum; Leibnitz-Universität Hannover; ifak Magdeburg
Sponsor: BMBF - PTKA-WTE
Reference number: 02WA0575
Project term: Aug. 2005 – Oct. 2008


As part of the BMBF-sponsored joint research programme “Adaptation of wastewater treatment and water reuse technologies to specific technical, institutional and financial conditions in different countries”, a software toolkit is being developed in order to enable an assessment and visualisation of municipal wastewater treatment systems under different country-specific conditions. The project consolidates the results of all the other sub projects within the joint research programme and integrates them by steady state mathematical models into a software toolkit. Based on a list of criteria an assessment and comparison of different treatment variants becomes possible. For this purpose usual treatment technologies like activated sludge systems, anaerobic reactors, wastewater ponds and biological contactors as well as sludge treatment, disinfection and stepwise extension options are taken into consideration. The project aims not only at the assessment of single technologies but also at the evaluation of any combinations of these technologies.

Within the project easy to handle models are being developed, which allows users a preliminary assessment of different concepts regarding technical, economical, socio-economical and ecological aspects. For this purpose the results of mathematical modelling of technical processes as well as economical analysis are incorporated. Extensive data obtained from the analysis of different treatment technologies, economical analysis as well as dimensioning and modelling are being processed graphically and visualised appropriately in the software toolkit. For this purpose exemplary modules have to be developed for a simplified visualisation of activated sludge systems, biological contactors, anaerobic reactors and wastewater ponds. Users of the software toolkit can therefore take advantage of an easily understandable and visually attractive display in order to present the technical and economical data as well as the criteria for the selection of the treatment method. A specifically developed list of criteria together with the consideration of economical aspects can give information on the selection of the most reasonable treatment system.

By incorporating the large data set out of the results of other sub project of the joint research programme as well as profitability assessment, dimensioning and mathematical modelling in a practical way by means of a software product a tool can be provided which enables an integrated and holistic evaluation of different technological options. Since the practical experience shows that decision making is predominantly a question of simplified and understandable presentation of complex processes and the solution alternatives, the software toolkit is an interesting innovation as it enables not only calculation, dimensioning and consideration of technical and economical aspects but also the attractive display of the results.