Launch of the "KKAOnline" project

Reduction of environmental pollution from small wastewater treatment plants through online monitoring with digital twins for sustainable water resource management

Monitoring the functionality and sustainable treatment performance of small wastewater treatment plants has so far only been possible to a limited extent due to a lack of sensor technology, limited possibilities for real-time monitoring and control and long maintenance intervals. Not only is there a risk that malfunctions and the resulting increased emissions of wastewater parameters such as COD and pathogenic germs into the aquatic environment will not be recognised, but it can also be assumed that many plants will not function properly over longer periods of time and thus have a severe impact on typically weak receiving waters or groundwater. Against this background, Batchpur GmbH & Co KG is launching the BMBF-funded research project "KKAOnline", in which the monitoring and near-real-time control of small wastewater treatment plants is to be significantly further developed through the use of "digital twins" and predictive real-time control is to be made possible. 

The digital connection via remote monitoring should make it possible to better monitor and operate small wastewater treatment plants, reduce maintenance costs and minimise the risk of environmental pollution due to malfunctions. In addition, intelligent wastewater quality control with a digital twin is the basis for the future use of treated wastewater in the sense of a circular economy. The monitoring system for small wastewater treatment plants up to 50 PE is to be developed during the project period. Batchpur as manufacturer and supplier of remotely monitored small wastewater treatment plants, WesTest as software developer, the BDZ as R&D partner for setting up demonstrators and carrying out long-term studies and ifak for implementing the digital infrastructure and the AI simulation model are involved in the realisation of the project.