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Updated: Dec 17, 2025
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Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff
Published on: May 15, 2017
11.0K
Integrated pollution-based real-time control of sanitation systems.
Congcong Sun1, Luis Romero1, Bernat Joseph-Duran2
1Advanced Control Systems Group at the Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (CSIC-UPC), Llorens i Artigas, 4-6, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
Journal of Environmental Management
|June 21, 2020
Summary
This study introduces an integrated pollution-based real-time control (RTC) for sewer networks and wastewater treatment plants to reduce pollution from combined sewer overflows. The new approach effectively lowers pollutant loads released into the environment.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Resource Management
- Control Systems
Background:
- Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) release pollutants into ecosystems.
- Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and sewer networks (SNs) require integrated management.
- Existing control strategies for sanitation systems (SS) are often suboptimal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose an integrated pollution-based real-time control (RTC) for sewer networks and WWTPs.
- To mitigate the ecological impact of CSOs.
- To optimize SS management considering quantity and quality dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Model predictive control (MPC) selected for optimal control.
- A feedback coordination algorithm developed for SN and WWTP integration.
- A closed-loop virtual-reality simulator used for assessment.
Main Results:
- The proposed integrated pollution-based RTC approach reduces pollutant loads.
- MPC demonstrated efficacy in optimizing SS management.
- The approach was successfully assessed in a pilot case study in Badalona, Spain.
Conclusions:
- The integrated pollution-based RTC approach is effective in mitigating CSO pollution.
- MPC offers a superior control strategy compared to rule-based and volume-based methods.
- This approach enhances the environmental performance of sanitation systems.
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