Sustainable wastewater treatment plants design through multiobjective optimization

Abstract

Nowadays, an adequate design of wastewater treatment plants taking into consideration ail sustainability dimensions- economic, environmental and social- is fundamental. This can be achieved by implementing systematic methodologies where conceptual and mathematical tools can be used together. This contribu­tion proposes a framework that uses total cost, consumed energy, and reclaimed wastewater as sustain­ability metrics. A mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem arises from a general superstructure for wastewater treatment plants. A case study from Mexico City is solved by a hybrid multiobjective opti­mization approach that combines lexicographie and e-constraint methods. Solutions are provided in the form of a Pareto front. A modified technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (M­TOPSIS) analysis is used as a multiple criteria decision-making tool to find the best trade-off solution. The optimal sustainable configuration resulted consists of three levels of treatment and 100% of treated water reuse.