Computerized Methodology for Evaluating Drinking Water Treatment Technologies: Part I

A computer based system, Best Available Technology Evaluator (BATE), has been developed for the evaluating cost and performance of the best available technologies for removing volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) from drinking water. The treatment processes considered are air stripping tower (AST), and air stripping with off-gas control by gas phase granular activated carbon (GPGAC) and liquid phase granular activated carbon (LPGAC). BATE is unique in its ability to model multicomponents, optimise total cost for different process configurations and yield the best process design for a given VOC scenario. This paper, the first in a two-part series, highlights a new cost optimization method for the AST with GPGAC system and a technique for combining mathematical models for efficient process design of AST and GPGAC processes. Discussion of LPGAC simulation results and comparison of an LPGAC system with AST and GPGAC processes for a variety of VOC scenarios will follow in the next paper.