In the heart of the Netherlands, the Ede wastewater treatment plant faced a common challenge that many facilities encounter: growing capacity demands threatening to push infrastructure beyond its limits. However, their innovative approach to this challenge offers valuable lessons for the water industry.
Over the years, Ede WWTP, operated by Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe, experienced steady increases in plant load, leading to concerns about meeting EU effluent standards. With projections indicating a further 20% increase in plant load over the next five years, the facility stood at a crossroads.
The traditional solution would have been to extend the plant with a third process line, which is a capital-intensive undertaking that would require significant investment and construction work.
Instead of immediately opting for physical expansion, the facility took a forward-thinking approach by implementing Hubgrade Wastewater Plant Performance, an advanced online control system. This holistic, data-driven digital solution replaced the traditional PLC-based control system, offering real-time optimization of process efficiency through a user-friendly interface. The digital transformation represented a strategic shift in how the plant approached capacity management.
The implementation of Hubgrade proved to be a game-changing decision. The digital solution not only ensured compliance with EU effluent quality standards but also delivered significant environmental benefits by reducing total nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent by 35%. Perhaps most impressively, the solution helped the facility avoid over €10 million in capital expenditure that would have been required for constructing a new treatment line. Additionally, the plant achieved ongoing operational cost savings through reduced energy and chemical consumption.
⭐ Digital solutions can provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional infrastructure expansion
⭐ Advanced control systems can optimize existing capacity, postponing or eliminating the need for physical plant extensions
⭐ Real-time process optimization can simultaneously improve compliance and reduce operational costs
⭐ Facilities can achieve significant CAPEX savings through smart technology adoption