Posted: March 12th, 2023

W

see attachment

2

A Review of Wastewater Treatment Efficiency Measures

Author

Affiliation

Course

Instructor

Due Date

Limitations

The process of making a decision to choose the best alternative for enhancing the savings of the wastewater treatment facility includes making assumptions. Accordingly, the certainty of choosing an option that would guarantee cost savings is impossible. Indeed, both internal and external variables could change over time hence influencing the potential outcomes associated with a given alternative. One of the major variables is the cost of energy. The cost of energy generally increases over time. However, the increase can slow down due to government policies and other changes within the energy industry. For example, there has been a trend toward to adoption of renewable energy, with the government willing to incentivize organizations to transition to renewable forms of energy (Qadir et al., 2021). Changes in the cost of energy would make the selection option less optimal. Indeed, the chosen option, which entails ceasing aeration, is premised on its ability to provide high savings on overall power costs, more than the expenses associated with using additional lime and coagulants.

Another factor is the cost of chemical and coagulant additives, which can reduce or increase based on the economic and political factors within the country. The rationale behind choosing ceasing aeration was based on the fact that lime coagulants are less expensive as compared to energy. Therefore, if the cost of these chemicals and additives increases beyond the cost of energy, the chosen option would be less desirable. A final variable is that the equipment utilized in the facility is susceptible to wear and tear resulting in reduced efficiency. At the same time, new equipment based on novel technologies, which can offer enhanced efficiency and effectiveness, continue to emerge (Rajasulochana & Preethy, 2016). Certainly, changes in technology would influence the best option for increasing savings. Overall, the outcomes of the chosen solution can change based on internal and external variables, which means that the desired outcomes might not be attained.

References

Qadir, S. A., Al-Motairi, H., Tahir, F., & Al-Fagih, L. (2021). Incentives and strategies for financing the renewable energy transition: A review. 
Energy Reports, 
7, 3590-3606.

Rajasulochana, P., & Preethy, V. (2016). Comparison on efficiency of various techniques in treatment of waste and sewage water–A comprehensive review. 
Resource-Efficient Technologies, 
2(4), 175-184.