Process control automation and remote on-line supervision: the strategy for wastewater treatment in an Italian piedmont.

The paper deals with the real application of a strategy, based on process control automation and remote on-line supervision, for the wastewater treatment in a piedmont. Seven existing small wastewater treatment plants were selected to be upgraded and to be included into a network remotely supervised. A consolidated bending point based alternating process was applied for the biological treatment. Further, the potentialities of the process control automation were enhanced by the appropriate design of the whole plant. The examination of a case study included into the network shows the real stable high performances of the plant in terms of total nitrogen removal. Moreover, the power requirements are significantly reduced according to a correct energy policy.