Online Monitoring Guidance Manual incorporating decision support tools for superior process performance

Although water utilities recognise the value of online instruments that provide real-time monitoring capability, there are problems with visualising and interpreting datasets, and with distinguishing between data resulting from real-world changes in treatment plant operating conditions, for example changed turbidity or flow, and instrument failure. There are also challenges around instrument installation and operation. This project developed tools to support data visualisation and interpretation by building a prototype visualisation platform for analysing complex online UV spectral data in conjunction with weather and lab data (see Factsheet 2 ‘Development of an online platform’). To improve differentiation between instrument failure and real-world data a Bayesian Belief Network model was developed to analyse patterns and variations within datasets. Real operational, high turbidity data was used to demonstrate that this model could accurately identify different causes for the readings which included filter ripening, backwash and other causes (see Factsheet 3 ‘Improving decision making in water plant operability through Bayesian Belief networks’). Strategies for instrument installation and operation were illustrated through case studies.