Intelligent control of the wastewater system is currently being tested in the greater Copenhagen area. The capacity of the system can be better utilised if the system is controlled intelligently. The project is the first of its kind in the world.
When it rains, the combined sewers fill with a mixture of stormwater and wastewater. In some situations, the sewage system is unable to cope with the large amounts of stormwater, and the contaminated water ends up elsewhere than at the treatment plant. In Copenhagen and Vestegnen, stormwater primarily flows directly into the sea in the bay south of Copenhagen and into the Sound, but some of the water also ends up in the inner part of the port and in watercourses. When this happens, the quality of the bathing water is affected such that bathing from beaches and sea swimming pools is no longer possible.
New system predicts peak periods
In order to minimise the risk of this type of overflow event in the future, Avedøre Wastewater Services, the treatment plants in Lynettefællesskabet, the utilities company HOFOR, and the wastewater treatment consultancy Krüger together have developed and tested a new intelligent system for controlling the stormwater drainage system. The new system is being tested in the METSAM project ('environmentally efficient technology for intelligent coordinated control of the wastewater system'). Using weather radars, the new system can predict how to best utilise the capacity of the Greater Copenhagen wastewater system, one to two hours in advance of a rainfall event.