South Platte Renew
South Platte Renew improves wastewater treatment with AVEVA PI System
South Platte Renew (SPR), Colorado's third-largest water resource recovery system, constantly strives to make its operations more sustainable. The plant had to meet increasingly strict nutrient removal regulations, maintain its ammonia setpoint despite significant diurnal fluctuations and operate within the peak limits imposed by the local power utility. SPR deployed AVEVA Advanced Process Control, complemented by AVEVA PI System, to shift from a reactive to a truly anticipatory approach. Conversion of ammonia to nitrate in the treatment basins is now far more efficient, as is control of energy demand. Process stability improved within fourteen hours of implementation, ammonia load variability dropped to less than 25%, and $80,000 in annual energy savings offset the AVEVA licenses, eliminating any additional cost for the organization.
Testimonials
FAQ
How is AVEVA Advanced Process Control transforming wastewater treatment?
AVEVA Advanced Process Control enables South Platte Renew to move from a reactive approach to genuinely anticipating load variations. The solution maintains the ammonia setpoint despite diurnal fluctuations by continuously adjusting operating parameters. Combined with AVEVA PI System, it uses real-time data to control partial nitrification in the basins, ensure compliance with nutrient removal regulations and optimize the energy efficiency of the aeration system.
What ROI can be expected from an AVEVA advanced process control project?
South Platte Renew generated $80,000 in annual energy savings thanks to AVEVA Advanced Process Control, an amount that fully offsets the cost of the AVEVA licenses. The project is therefore financially neutral for the organization. Beyond the direct gain, process stability improved within 14 hours, ammonia load variability dropped to less than 25% and energy consumption was reduced by 30%, strengthening the overall resilience of the facility.
How can ever-stricter nutrient removal regulations be met?
The wastewater treatment sector faces continually tightening environmental standards on nitrogen and phosphorus. AVEVA Advanced Process Control, combined with AVEVA PI System, makes it possible to stabilize partial nitrification year-round in solids contact tanks. This fine, automated process control ensures regulatory setpoints are met without constant manual intervention, turning environmental compliance into a reproducible industrial performance standard.
Why combine AVEVA PI System with an advanced control module in the water sector?
AVEVA PI System collects and contextualizes real-time data from the plant's sensors, creating the repository that advanced control depends on. Without this data management infrastructure, the predictive algorithm would not have reliable history to anticipate ammonia loads. This combination has become a standard for water operators aiming for regulatory compliance, energy efficiency and better situational awareness of their processes.
How can operations teams be encouraged to adopt advanced control?
Operator buy-in is a key success factor. At South Platte Renew, the results visible just 14 hours after commissioning quickly won over the teams. Process stability, fewer corrective interventions and the incorporation of domain know-how into the system's parameters fueled staff enthusiasm for long-term use of AVEVA Advanced Process Control. It is an essential lever for sustaining the digital transformation of a wastewater treatment plant.