FROM THE STANDPOINT OF AN OPERATOR — WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED IN THE AUTOMATION OF A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

ABSTRACT A number of wastewater treatment facilities have had expensive and complex specifically designed computer control systems installed. These have worked well at first but quickly become obsolete and unrepairable. Operator acceptance was therefore poor. Computer control is desirable, but systems must be programmable, as well as maintainable and repairable by operational forces. Expensive complex systems must be considered as capital items which should last 20 to 40 years. Specially designed computer control systems cannot meet this criterion. A system sophisticated in its simplicity using either personal computers or programmable logic controllers will allow computer control without the expense, obsolescence, programming and maintainability problems of the specially designed systems. Such a system is recommended for wastewater systems.