Integrated Operation of Drinking Water Treatment Plant

at Amsterdam Water Supply

Bosklopper, Th.G.J.*, Rietveld, L.C.**, Babuska, R. **, Smaal, B.*** and Timmer,
J.****

* Amsterdam Water Supply, P.O. Box 8169, 1005 AD Amsterdam, Netherlands

** Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5048, 2600 GA Delft, Netherlands
*** ABB b.v., P.O. Box 301, 3000 AH Rotterdam, Netherlands
**** DHV Water BV, P.O. Box 484, 3800 AL Amersfoort, Netherlands

Abstract Water treatment plants are in general robust and designs are based on the
performance of individual processes with pre-set boundary conditions. It is assumed that an
integral approach of the entire treatment plant can lead to more efficient operation. Taking
into account the developments in sensoring, automation and computation, it is a challenge to
improve quality and reliability of the treatment plants and to make maximal use of the installed
infrastructure, postponing new investments.

At Amsterdam Water Supply (AWS), the first steps are taken to come to an integral dynamic
model of the total water treatment plant and the use of this model as an instrument for integral
control. The parameters influencing the performance of the water treatment process will be
incorporated in an overall model evaluating the goal factors quality (good, constant and
reliable), quantity, costs, environmental impact (low residuals level), redundancy and
flexibility. For several individual processes at AWS models have already been developed
during the last few years, like models for the ozone process, biological activated carbon
filtration and pellet softening. For the final calibration and validation pilot reactors are
automated and on-line data are collected. Criteria for evaluation are developed to realise an
optimal control of the individual processes in interaction with the goal factors of the total
treatment process.

Keywords drinking water treatment, operation, modelling, integrated control

Background
To guarantee a high drinking water quality, extensive quality monitoring of the source and
effluent of drinking water plants is performed. In case the water quality does not meet the
guidelines, the operation of the treatment is changed on basis of operator knowledge and
experience. The quality of drinking water is influenced by day-to-day decisions of individual
operators and operation is therefore sub-optimal.
Drinking water quality is defined in national and international guidelines.
Investments, however, are made for periods of about 30 years and during this period the
guidelines are subject to changes. Therefore, projections are made for future demand and
extra safety factors are introduced during the design. Consequently water treatment plants are
in general robust and over-sized. In addition, the designs are based on the performance of

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individual processes with pre-set boundary conditions. It is assumed that an integral

approach of the entire treatment plant can lead to more efficient operation.
Taking into account the developments in sensoring, automation and computation, it
is a challenge to improve quality and reliability of the treatment plants and to make maximal
use of the installed infrastructure, postponing new investments.
Recently (January 2003), Amsterdam Water Supply, Delft University of
Technology, DHV Water B.V. and ABB B.V. started the 'PROMICIT' project, which is
subsidised by Senter, Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Netherlands. The aim is to achieve a
breakthrough in drinking water quality control by developing an integral, dynamic model of
the total water treatment plant and the use of this model as a basis for integral control of the
goal factors quality, quantity, environmental impact, cost and redundancy and flexibility. The
Weesperkarspel treatment plant (WPK) of Amsterdam Water Supply is subject of this
project.

The drinking water production plant Weepserkarspel

Amsterdam Water Supply has two production units, the River-Dune Waterworks at
Leiduin and the River-Lake Waterworks at Loenderveen and Weesperkarspel. The latter
accounts for one-third of the total drinking water production of about 94 million m3 per year.
Drinking water is distributed without residual chlorine (Figure 1).

Figure 1 The process scheme of the drinking water production plant of Weesperkarspel

Water from the Bethune Polder, sometimes mixed with water from the Amsterdam Rhine
Canal (ARC), is coagulated with ferric chloride in an horizontal settling tank, resulting in the
removal of suspended solids, phosphate, and heavy metals. The quality of the water
improves further, due to sedimentation, biodegradation and other auto-purification processes
in a reservoir of 130 hectares and a retention time of 100 days. With rapid sand filtration the
reservoir water is pre-treated (removal of ammonium, suspended solids, algae) before it is
transported to the Weesperkarspel production plant.
The first process in the post-treatment is ozonation to increase biodegradability of the
organic carbon content of the water and for disinfection. Thereafter, pellet reactors are used
to reduce hardness and as a third step biological granular activated carbon filtration is applied
to remove DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon), AOC (Assimilable Organic Carbon) and
micro-pollutants. The last step in the treatment is slow sand filtration for further reduction of
suspended solids. This process is also the second important barrier in the treatment against
pathogens and especially important to remove persistent pathogens with low susceptibility
for ozone (Cryptosporidium).
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Research at AWS; from pilot plant to integral model studies

In the past twenty years the research at AWS was focussed on improving the quality of
drinking water and the robustness of the total system. One of the improvements realised is
the distribution of a biological stable drinking water and the abolition of the use of chlorine
(Rook 1982, Kooij, 1999). The introduction of a biological activated carbon process in
combination with a pre-oxidation by ozone did have a positive effect on the DOC
concentration in the treated water (more stability), and is an efficient barrier for pesticides
(e.g. Bentazone) and pathogenic micro-organisms (Graveland 1993, Hoek 2000). In the pre-
treatment a coagulation was introduced for the removal of phosphate affecting the growth of
algae in the reservoir, resulting in an improvement in the disinfection by solar light, and in
nitrification in the reservoir (Veen, 1987). In addition, the DOC concentration was decreased.
In 1987 the softening process was introduced and since then AWS supplies drinking water
with a hardness less than 1.5 mmol/l (Graveland 1983) from WPK.
The research was generally focussed on individual process steps (improving, optimising
and selecting new processes) with an individual goal (abolishing chlorine, decreasing DOC,
lowering the hardness) and it was executed in long term pilot plant research.
The quality of the surface water varies over the seasons (temperature, algae s quantity,
DOC, micro-organisms), due to long term trends (pesticides, hormones, chloride, bromide),
but also as a result of nature events as heavy rainfall or ice formation and process related
events as removal of sludge, renovation of waterworks. The next challenge for AWS is to
realize a stable and efficient treatment based on these quality variations in surface water,
without loss of the high quality of the drinking water produced and optimised for the other
goal factors as defined. Nevertheless, choices for improvements in an individual process can
have negative effect one of the goal factors of one of the next steps (see figure 2). It was
concluded that integrated decisions can hardly be made.

Figure 2 Influence of individual processes on subsequent processes.

In an issue of the Journal of American Water Works Association (February 2000) a Next
Generation Scenario for Water utilities was published. In almost all of the predictions the
anticipation of an improved on-line monitoring of water quality and an automated or
computer assisted operation were mentioned. Computer models would therefore be needed to
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predict the quality of the source, the impact on the process, the quality of the product and the
required, most effective, control. A need for more intensive cooperation between process-
engineers and automation and ICT-engineers was also recognized.
As a consequence, the method for research should be changed from practical research to a
combination with fundamental model studies. The priorities and goals for research should be
made towards a more integral approach.
Amsterdam Water Supply implemented the change in research philosophy by setting up
the PROMICIT project started in January 2003.

Integral modelling of drinking water treatment

In the future the drinking water treatment will be automated. Data will be collected on-line
and sent to the Intelligent System (IS) of the treatment. The IS will propose a treatment
strategy based on defined goal factors e.g. the required quality and cost. Models are the basis
for the IS and will be an interface between data and control of the water supply. These
models are a reflection of the knowledge of the system and are fed by data and (new)
hypotheses. This will lead to cost effective, high performance, stable and reliable treatments.
DHV Water developed in co-operation with several drinking water companies a model to
predict the demand for drinking water, controlling the integral production of several plants
efficiently (figure 3) (Bakker, 2003).

Production/Intake conventional
1000

750
m3/h

500

250

0
0 6 12 18 24
Time [hours]

Production/Intake with OPIR

1000

750
m3/h

500

250

0
0 6 12 18 24

Figure 3 Effects on the stabilization of the produced quantity using demand models.

AWS in cooperation with Delft University of Technology developed already several

process models for individual processes (see figure 4). These models are integrated in the
Stimela environment, which is programmed in Matlab/Simulink (Helm and Rietveld, 2002).
In the PROMICIT project these models will be extended and will be integrated in an overall
process model.
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The developed models are used for model based process control and will be implemented
in an automated pilot plant simulating the full-scale plant of WPK.
In the next paragraphs two examples of integrated modelling of a water treatment based
on the impact on water quality are showed. The next research goal is to integrate the quality
models with the models for quantity, cost and environment realizing an ultimate tool for
well-founded integrated decisions.
In cooperation with IHE-Unesco the environmental impact and the development of a cost
model is in progress. A LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) is executed in which a Life Cycle Cost
Analysis is incorporated (Castrejon 2004).

Coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation

Rapid filtration

Ozone

Softening

Acid dosing

Biological activated carbon filtration

Caustic soda dosing

Aeration

Slow sand filtration

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Ready
Stim ela m odel [%]
Not ready

Figure 4 Present status of the Stimela process models

Case study: Optimal operation of pellet softening process

At AWS central softening of drinking water is carried out with pellet reactors. The pellet
reactor consists of a cylindrical vessel partly filled with seeding material (see figure 5). The
diameter of the grain is small, between 0.15 and 0.35 mm; consequently the crystallisation
surface is large. The water is pumped through the reactor in an upward direction at high
velocities, maintaining the seeding material in a fluidised condition. In the bottom of the
reactor chemicals are dosed (caustic soda). Calcium carbonate becomes super-saturated and
crystallises on the seeding material, resulting in the formation of pellets. At regular intervals
pellets at the bottom of the reactor are removed. These pellets can be reused in industry (Dijk
1991).
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The crystallisation process is highly dependent on temperature, influent water quality and
dosing of chemicals. During low temperatures, the reaction rate is slow and crystallisation
occurs higher in the reactor.
Softening in a reactor is normally deeper than the required levels. Therefore, part of the
water can be by-passed and mixed with the effluent of the reactors. In general different
reactors are installed, to increase the reliability of the system and the flexibility in operation.
In case of flow changes, reactors can be switched on and off maintaining water velocities
between 60 and 100 m/h.
The mixture of the effluents of the reactors and the by-pass water must be chemically
stable to avoid crystallisation in the filters after the softening step. To determine optimal
operation of pellet softening reactors using caustic soda (NaOH), a model has been
developed.

Figure 5 Pellet softening reactor at WPK

It can already be concluded that modelling pellet softening will lead to a different
operation and change present practice. For example nowadays the control is mainly based on
head loss that is kept between 1.67 and 1.72 m (see figure 6). For cold water and high flows
through the reactor this pressure drop is well chosen (as upper boundary). However, for
different circumstances higher pressure drops can be allowed, resulting in more seeding
material in the reactor and thus a better performance (lower super-saturation of calcium
ions). For flows through a reactor of 300 m3/h, the pressure drop can be maintained between
2.3 and 2.9 m (depending on temperature), using maximally the installed capacity (see figure
6). It is expected in the near future, using real-time modelling and control, a decrease in
operational costs of 10% can be realised.
The quality of the by-pass flow is also subject to decision making. An adapted treatment
of the bypass flow can for example lead to lower super-saturation of calcium ions in the
mixed effluent. The interaction of the different treatment processes on the kinetics within the
softening process (DOC for instance) is also an integrated research goal.
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2.9
2.7
Headloss dP (m)

2.5
2.3
2.1
1.9
1.7
1.5
300 350 400 450 500
Flow through reactor (m3/h)

Temp=1,2 Temp=10 Temp=20,4 Actual Actual

Figure 6 Head loss as a function of flow through the pellet reactor

Case study: Biological Activated Carbon (BAC)

At WPK one of the goals of ozonation is to increase the filter run times for the activated
carbon filters. Ozonation results in a decrease of absorbability and in increasing
biodegradability of DOC. The increased biodegradability is indicated by the formation of
AOC and BDOC during ozonation. At WPK the effect of the increased biodegradation in
BAC exceeds the effect of diminished adsorption; the overall removal of DOC increases with
ozone dosage (Aa, 2004).
Pilot research showed that in case no ozone is applied 10-20% of the DOC is biodegraded
in the activated carbon filters in the steady state situation. The applied ozone dosage in the
full scale plant is 1.5-2.0 mg O3 /l resulting in a biodegradation of 20-30% of the DOC
(figure 7) (Aa, 2003).
A preliminary BAC simulation model describes the removal of DOC in BAC filters by
adsorption and biodegradation processes. Increasing the fraction of biodegradable DOC, the
model demonstrates a later breakthrough of DOC. Resulting either in an improved water
quality or in prolonged filter run times. With the regeneration criteria of DOC = 3 mg C/l for
drinking water and an applied ozone of 1.5 mg/l, an increase of BAC filter run time by 70%
was demonstrated at WPK.
Oxidation also improves removal of pesticides by BAC filtration, despite pesticides are
not subject to biodegradation in BAC filters. As a effect of the reduced absorbability and the
increased biodegradation of DOC, less adsorption sites are occupied by background organic
matter and more adsorption sites remain available for organic micro pollutants like
pesticides. Pilot research showed an increase in filter run times for pesticides removal by
100% or more, depending on the type of pesticide. In the future combination of ozone and
BAC models will be used to predict DOC and pesticide removal and the regeneration
frequency in relation with the required effluent quality.
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DOC in BAC
8

5
DOC [mg C/l]

3 influent measured
EBCT 40 min measured, no ozone
EBCT 40 min measured, 1.5 mg/l ozone
2 influent simulated (interpolated)
EBCT 40 min simulated, 0% BDOC
1 EBCT 40 min simulated, 15% BDOC
EBCT 40 min simulated, 30% BDOC
EBCT 40 min simulated, 45% BDOC
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
simulation time in days

Figure 7 DOC breakthrough in BAC - pilot plant and simulation results

Conclusion
Automated, optimal integrated control is a challenge for AWS. With a case study on pellet
softening it was showed that considerable improvements in water quality and costs (decrease
in operational costs of 10%) can be reached when model predictive control is applied. This
will be further tested in an automated pilot plant in combination with the remaining
processes.
The case study for biological activated carbon (BAC) showed the positive effect of the
use of ozone on the amount of biodegradable components in the BAC and the extension of
the lifetime of the activated carbon. Nevertheless the used ozone concentration will be
limited by the side-effect of the formation of by-products like bromate.
Modelling and control will not only lead to better water quality and cost reduction, but
also to a more stable performance of the plant and a better understanding of the processes
and its interactions between the other goal factors e.g. quantity and environmental impact.
The models will be used for simulation of alternative scenarios and operator training,
improving the knowledge and insight in the treatment plant.
The models can be used for the efficient design of new water treatment plants.

AWS will communicate about the progress via internet: www.promicit.nl and
www.stimela.com.
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References
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