Prediction of Major Wastewater Characteristics of Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Fuzzy Composite Programing

Abstract

Due to fluctuations in organic and hydraulic loading in a wastewater treatment plant, the application of fuzzy logic, using linguistic variables gave a better description of performance parameters. The study describes the strength of wastewater in terms of effluent wastewater index (EWWI). The EWWI was has been developed with fuzzy composite programming (FCP). Further dissolved oxygen (DO) of effluent wastewater is correlated with EWWI to predict different parameters such as, BOD, COD, SS, and TDS. Data for eight indicators (temperature, pH, SS, TDS, BOD5, COD, oil and grease, and chlorides), were collected. Weights were assigned on expert’s perception. The index is equal to 0 if none of the eight pollutants are present in the effluent and to 1 when all eight parameters have corresponding value equal to, limits for discharge into surface water bodies defined by Gujarat pollution control board (GPCB). EWWI for irrigation and fishery was developed which is 0.5134 and 0.3205, respectively. The index is a good tool for rapidly predicting the different parameters of effluent wastewater and monitoring the feasibility of wastewater in terms of its reuse. The proposed index could be of great help for managers and decision makers when monitoring the effluent samples and planning for reuse.