By Don Jones, Xylem

Wastewater utilities can now achieve compliance targets while cutting energy consumption from aeration by up to 25 percent with Xylem Edge Control. This off-the-shelf suite of digital solutions for conventional activated sludge (CAS) plants marks the latest breakthrough in the digitization of water utilities. With Xylem Edge Control, wastewater operators can now control and monitor their assets, improve nutrient removal, save energy, and reduce costs. 

BALANCING PERFORMANCE, EFFICIENCY, AND COST

Wastewater utilities are constantly balancing the need to ensure service reliability and compliance alongside the need to manage costs. Xylem Edge Control helps wastewater utilities confidently walk that line, bringing together our digital innovation expertise and insights from the company’s deep bioprocessing experience, in a suite of solutions that maximizes process control while dramatically cutting energy consumption and supporting sustainability goals. 

Utilities around the world are well on the way to digitizing their networks and reaping major water, energy and cost efficiencies. Xylem Edge Control is a versatile, multi-functional solution that meets wastewater utilities where they are on that journey—and sets them up to unlock more of the benefits of digital transformation. 

REAL-TIME SOLUTIONS

The Edge Control solutions apply analytics to real-time data to provide rapid process recommendations to optimize chemical usage and aeration. As utilities target emissions reductions, Edge Control is the latest high-efficiency technology that can help utilities cut energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and make fast progress towards achieving net-zero targets. The platform can operate with any Programmable Logic Controller under various communications protocols and connect to existing hardware, including sensors and probes.

SOLUTIONS READY TO GO

Xylem Edge Control combines four solutions: Xylem Edge Control Pulsed Aeration, Xylem Edge Control Ammonia Removal, Xylem Edge Control Ammonia + Nitrogen Removal, and Xylem Edge Control P – Removal. Three of the solutions (Xylem Edge Control Pulsed Aeration, Xylem Edge Control Ammonia Removal, and Xylem Edge Control Ammonia + Nitrogen Removal) are now available for customers globally. The fourth, Xylem Edge Control P – Removal, will be available worldwide later this year.

Xylem Edge Control Pulsed Aeration

A digital, energy saving solution that can prevent over-aeration of underloaded treatment plants. Pulsed Aeration improves the overall biological process of CAS plants, to provide adequate mixing and ultimately achieving energy savings. Research and implementation of Pulsed Aeration has shown energy savings of approximately 25 percent can be achieved.

Xylem Edge Control Ammonia Removal

Xylem Edge Control Ammonia Removal determines a CAS facility’s ammonia target and helps meet its nutrient discharge limits while working to maximize energy savings. It uses an advanced algorithm to match various load conditions, that can provide consistent ammonia removal and further stabilize the biological process. 

Xylem Edge Control Ammonia + Nitrogen Removal

The solution offers wastewater utilities the potential to save energy while reducing nitrate and ammonia concentrations. It uses an advanced algorithm which communicates with CAS facilities’ existing assets to optimize the achievement of nutrient compliance targets. Its patented, one-of-a-kind, wastewater treatment process] has the ability to create a biological environment unlike anything the wastewater treatment industry has seen with its capacity to create a Nitrite shunt. This can allow for an expedited denitrification process and ultimately, increased energy savings. Research and implementation of Ammonia + Nitrogen Removal has shown energy savings of approximately 25 percent in addition to a reduction in total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) concentration of approximately 30 percent. 

Xylem Edge Control P – Removal

This solution controls chemical feed pumps based on real-time phosphorus concentrations to reduce chemical usage while meeting today’s stricter phosphorus limits. This option will be available globally by the end of 2022.

CASE STUDY CLOSE-UP: MUNCIE, INDIANA

The launch of Xylem Edge Control follows rigorous field testing across North America, including Washington and Indiana, including the wastewater treatment operations serving the city of Muncie, Indiana.  

“With Muncie being the home to Ball State University, the city undergoes a major swing in population from around 70,000 people while school is in session to approximately 48,000 when school is out of session,” says Jason Ingram, plant superintendent at Muncie Wastewater Treatment Plant in Muncie, Indiana, where Xylem Edge Control Pulsed Aeration has been installed. 

“That’s a decrease in population of over 30 percent. It is during these months of decreased load where we benefit from Pulsed Aeration most. With our upgrades from Xylem’s Pulsed Aeration, we are able to save $5,000 a month on energy costs,” concludes Ingram.

ANOTHER TOOL IN THE GLOBAL “RACE TO ZERO”

Global water utilities account for approximately 2 percent of global GHG emissions—the equivalent of the world’s shipping industry. However, innovative solutions like Edge Control can help mitigate a substantial portion of the emissions generated by inefficient wastewater operations, quickly and affordably. Furthermore, by deploying readily available advanced solutions, utilities could cut the water industry’s GHG emissions by 50 percent across both clean water and wastewater activities.

Xylem Edge Control can be used as a stand-alone process or as a connected, subscription-based enterprise with fees based on efficiency and savings. When connected via the cloud, Xylem Edge Control provides data visualization, allowing the customer to see the energy savings on a monthly basis; real-time data trending reports, showing details such as ammonia and TIN concentrations and alert and alarm texts/email notifications, displaying instrumentation and software status.  

Don Jones is global product manager at Xylem. Xylem is a leading global water technology company committed to solving critical water and infrastructure challenges with innovation. The company’s 17,000 diverse employees delivered revenue of $5.2 billion in 2021. Xylem is creating a more sustainable world by enabling its customers to optimize water and resource management, and helping communities in more than 150 countries become water secure. For more information, visit www.xylem.com.

MODERN PUMPING TODAY, June 2022
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