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Water Treatment
Think water differently: Unlock the hidden energy
What if your wastewater treatment plant could be more than a cost center?
What if it could become an energy hub — treating water, producing biogas, integrating renewables, and adapting to external temperature dynamics?
With energyPRO, this isn’t a distant vision; it’s an actionable reality. This use case illustrates how energyPRO can model and optimize a flexible, modular water treatment system with minimal assumptions and high adaptability.
Design an efficient and economically viable water treatment plant.
Why water-treatment matters
Consider these risks
Energy costs make up 30–50% of the operational expenses in many treatment plants.
Wastewater contains 2–3x more energy than it takes to treat it.
Up to 3% of global electricity is consumed by the water sector – yet less than 10% of WWTPs recover energy.
Biogas recovery from sludge can offset up to 70% of plant energy needs.
Sector coupling with local industry or district heating grids creates circular loops for energy and water reuse.
Overview of the System Modeled
This use case highlights how energyPRO models two distinct wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) configurations — from traditional setups to advanced, energy-integrated systems.
Base model: Traditional WWTP
A simplified model of a conventional plant handling:
- Domestic wastewater inflow
- Rainfall-driven inflow variations
- Basic sludge processing
-
Overflow modeling for stormwater capacity checks
Future-ready model: Energy-optimized WWTP
Building on the base model, this configuration adds:
- Biogas production from sludge digestion
- Wastewater heat recovery
- Overflow modeling under extreme weather conditions
- A Reverse Osmosis (RO) unit serving a nearby industrial facility
- Dynamic biogas reduction during heavy rainfall due to organic load dilution
Both models are climate- and temperature-sensitive, with real-time rainfall inputs — showing how energyPRO enables flexible, adaptive energy planning.
What’s modeled in energyPRO: Key system components
Scenario inputs and assumptions
Parameter
Value
Population
10,000 persons
Wastewater generation
103 L/person/day
Rainfall catchment area
50,000 m²
Rainfall intensity
Timeseries (example provided)
Sludge yield
0.2 kg TS/m³ WW
VS content
Approx. 75% of TS
Retention time (primary basin)
12 hours
Temperature dependency
Activated as cleansing efficiency factor
Volume of Wastewater basin
650 m3
1
Wastewater & rainwater inflow
- Influent is divided into a daily domestic base load and a rainfall-driven variable component
- Rainwater acts as a diluent, reducing sludge yield per cubic meter
- Helps simulate storm-driven surges and overflow behavior
2
Sludge and Biogas Production (Alternative)
- Sludge output is tracked from wastewater processing
- Methane production is temperature-dependent, reflecting seasonal efficiency
- Biogas can be used in a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) module to generate renewable energy
3
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Unit (Alternative Scenario)
- Sized for an industrial customer’s demand (~30 m³/hr)
- Requires a stable electricity supply, modeled as a fixed load
- Demonstrates integration of WWTPs with industrial water reuse systems
4
Wastewater Heat Recovery
- Assumes a 5°C temperature drop across treated effluent
- Thermal energy recovered using the formula: Q = m × c × ΔT
- Recovered heat can be reused internally or exported, improving overall plant efficiency
How energyPRO adds value
Your challenge
What you can do
What it gives you
Slow prototyping process
Component-based structure (add/remove units with minimal reconfiguration)
Speeds up prototyping
Performance varies with weather
Weather-dependent performance (link cleansing performance to ambient temp.)
Reflects seasonal variation
Complex tariff structures
Tariff modeling (schedule RO and digestion load)
Lowers operational cost
Integrating renewables
Renewables integration (test PV or biogas-fired CHP)
Supports climate goals
High energy costs at peak times
Load shifting (balance industrial water vs. energy loads)
Avoids peak tariffs
Limited system insight
Visualization (time-resolved overview of inflow, sludge, energy)
Improves system understanding
The modules you need
Key modules for Water Treatment use case
Learn. Apply. Succeed: Your energyPRO Training Hub
This use case is illustrative, not prescriptive. Proper dimensioning requires hydraulic and biological expertise. Still, it shows how engineers can use energyPRO to simulate dynamic, modular water-energy systems — a vital step toward smart, cost-effective infrastructure.
Dive into our comprehensive courses, webinars, and tutorials to master energyPRO’s powerful features.
