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Title: Costs and water quality effects of wastewater treatment plant centralization

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5302820· OSTI ID:5302820

The costs and water quality impacts of two regional configurations of municipal wastewater treatment plants in Northeastern Illinois are compared. In one configuration, several small treatment plants are consolidated into a smaller number of regional facilities. In the other, the smaller plants continue to operate. Costs for modifying the plants to obtain various levels of pollutant removal are estimated using a simulation model that considers the type of equipment existing at the plants and the costs of modifying that equipment to obtain a range of effluent levels for various pollutants. A dynamic water-quality/hydrology simulation model is used to determine the water quality effects of the various treatment technologies and pollutant levels. Cost and water quality data are combined and the cost-effectiveness of the two treatment configurations is compared. The regionalized treatment-plant configuration is found to be the more cost-effective.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Chicago Univ., IL (USA). Center for Urban Studies
DOE Contract Number:
W-31-109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5302820
Report Number(s):
ANL/ES-98
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English