Process Control Design

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are mainly affected by large disturbances and

uncertainties related to the influent wastewater’s composition. The plants naturally aim to

remove suspended substances, organic material and phosphate from the water before releasing it

to the recipient. Generally, there are three different steps involve in the WWTPs include

mechanical treatment, biological treatment and chemical treatment. The best technology

available to control the discharge of pollutants proved in biological process. For constructed

wetlands treatment systems, dissolved biodegradable material is removed from the wastewater

by decomposing microorganisms which are living on the exposed surfaces of the aquatic plants

and soils. Decomposers such as bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes are active in any wetland by

breaking down this dissolved and particulate organic material to carbon dioxide and water. This

active decomposition in the wetland produces final effluents with a characteristic low dissolved

oxygen level with low pH in the water. The effluent from a constructed wetland usually has a

low BOD as a result of this high level of decomposition (Spencer,1993).

The key to designing a wetland system to the right size is to know the constituency of the

pollutants, the load concentration, the desired effluent concentration and the sources and the

amounts of water being added to the wastes, yielding the total wastewater volume in the wetland

system. Constructed treatment wetlands are therefore, operated and maintained by controlling the

water’s quality, quantity, depth and flow rate,

In wastewater, there are several forms of nitrogen components include ammonia (NH 3),

ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NH3), nitrite (NO2) and organic matter (Wahab,2009). Nitrogen is an

essential nutrient for biological growth and acts as one of the main constituents in all living

organisms. The presence of higher nitrogen in effluent wastewater invites a numbers of problems
(Barnes and Bliss, 1983). Initially, the increased numbers of aquatic plants and algae are

originated from nitrogen and this leads to oxygen shortage because of degrading process. Next,

high concentrations of ammonium in the effluent possible to reduce the oxygen stored in the

recipient. It is noted that oxygen is heavily consumed to oxidize ammonia to nitrate. Thus,

minimization of nitrogen level in the incoming wastewater is strongly demanded. As a result, two

biological processes are proposed. The most common one is called a nitrification or ammonium

removal, where ammonium in aerobic conditions is converted into nitrate by autotrophic

bacteria. Secondly, a denitrification process or nitrate removal where nitrate is converted to

nitrogen gas by heterotrophic bacteria under anoxic conditions with the aids of COD as reducing

agent (Sotomayor et al., 2001). Over the long term, phosphorus storage in wetland ecosystems is

ultimately limited by sedimentation. In surface flow wetlands, the amount of phosphorus

sorption sites is based on the amount of calcium (Ca), iron (Fe) and/or aluminum (Al) in the soil

substrate. These exchange sites may become saturated. Additions of Al and Fe may be feasible,

but would need to be added upstream from the wetland, as chemical contacting is not efficient.

The main control objectives of wastewater treatment plants are addressed on effluent

quality standard and reduction of operating cost in an activated sludge process.

Dissolved oxygen instrumentation

A typical dissolved oxygen measuring instrument consist of a sensor, sensor cell and an

analyzer. The sensor measures the dissolved oxygen concentration and transmits a signal,

proportional to the oxygen concentration, to the analyzer. The analyzer provides a readout in

parts per billion or parts per million as an output that can be connected to a recorder or data

logging device.
 Constructed wetlands imitate the natural wetlands in treatment of domestic wastewaters.

They are also called natural treatment systems and contain soil, plant and microorganisms within

specially-designed and constructed basins to remove pollutants from wastewaters (EPA, 1993).

These systems are commonly composed of a compacted clay or synthetic liner overlaid with

graded sand and gravel substrate material, reed like aquatic plants and the other engineering

structures adjusting hydraulic loading rates, hydraulic retention times and water levels within the

basin (Fig. 1). Constructed wetlands are engineered systems that use natural functions of

vegetation, soil, and organisms to treat different water streams.

Constructed wetlands have been used widely for the treatment of municipal, industrial

and agricultural wastewater, as well as for urban storm water. This is owing to their high nutrient

absorption capacity, simplicity, low construction, operation and maintenance costs, low energy

demand, process stability, low excess sludge production and potential for creating biodiversity

(Korkusuz et al., 2005). They are designed to take advantage of many of the processes that occur

in natural wetlands, but do so within a more controlled manner. These systems can be used in

almost in any environment for treatment of wastewater. Properly designed and constructed man-

made wetland ecosystems are extremely efficient at utilizing and cleaning nutrient-rich waters

(Mitsch and Gosselink, 1993). Special concern in constructed wetland designing process is given

to appropriate plant selection and