Modeling of full-scale drinking water treatment plants with embedded plant control

In general, the available control actions in drinking water treatment plants are not directly related to the process objectives for water quality. Model based optimization of operation of a drinking water treatment plant by direct control of water quality objectives is discussed. Plant control with PID controllers is embedded in the model of a drinking water treatment plant and the ozonation process in the plant is used as a case study. It is concluded that direct control of water quality objectives, e.g. Giardia inactivation for ozonation, can largely reduce uncertainty and variation in process performance and leads to improvements of drinking water quality. In the discussed case it led to less bromate formation at the same disinfection capacity. Embedded plant control with PID controllers in the model of drinking water treatment plants through the use of code for writing control functionality has a large potential for model based optimization of operation.