Christophoros Christophoridis

Contemporary wastewater reclamation units entail several diverse treatment and extraction processes, with a multitude of monitored quality characteristics, controlled by a variety of key operational parameters directly affecting the efficiency of treatment. The conventional optimization of this highly complex system is time- and energy- consuming, frequently relying on intuitive decision making by operators, and does not predict or forecast efficiency changes and system maintenance. In this paper, we introduce intelligent solutions to enhance the operational control of the unit with minimal human intervention and to develop an AI-powered DSS that is installed atop the sensors of a water treatment module. The DSS uses an expert model, both to assess the quality of water and to offer suggestions based on current values and future trends. More specifically, the quality of the produced water was successfully visualized, assessed and rated, based on a set of input operational variables (pH, TOC for this case), while future values of monitored sensors were forecasted. Additionally, monitoring services of the DSS were able to identify unexpected events and to generate alerts in the case of observed violation of operational limits, as well as to implement changes (automatic responses) to operational parameters so as to reestablish normal operating conditions and to avoid such events in the future. Up to now, the DSS suggestion and forecasting services have proven to be adequately accurate. Though data are still being collected from early adopters, the solution is expected to provide a complete water treatment solution that can be adopted by a vast range of parties.

Un-managed surface and groundwater exploitation in coastal areas usually leads to deterioration of such sensitive ecosystems by means of water resources degradation and/or increased salinity. The coastal partof Marathon is a typical Mediterranean hydro-environment that hosts a naturally occurring coastal wetland linked to a typical coastal and today degraded hydrogeological system of a semi-arid region. A smart engineered Subsurface-Water-Solution (SWS)system composed ofan optimised Pump & Treat componentintegrated with an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) scheme in this area is envisagedcontribute to the remediationof the groundwater system and the wetland.