Technology aids waste water planning

A new computer program could aid waste water planning in the future, helping town planners and residents pick the best and most cost-efficient waste water solution for their residential area.

A public meeting in Cape Cod, America, saw a new piece of software being unveiled as commission staff and residents deliberate over the best way to clean their wastewater. The prototype allows town officials, planners, and even interested residents to type in a variety of wastewater solutions from small pipe to big pipe, accounting for neighbourhoods or individual lots, to see which one will do the best job of cleaning up the waters at the cheapest cost.

The new technology is recognition that there is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to wastewater, and infrastructure must be planned in relation to the job, and not just the first cleaning device that is found.

This new software combines GIS mapping, land use, water use, costs and rate projection models which allows a full-view of the problems and treatment options. Cape Cod's commission executive director Paul Niedzwiecki unveiled the prototype, explaining to Wicked Local Cape Cod that “there is no one answer” when it comes to wastewater treatment. He added: “The solution will be as diverse as the problem is complicated.”

If successful, similar programs could be unveiled across the country and even across the world, empowering towns to find the best solutions for them.

Posted by Claire Manning