EVALUATION OF EQUALIZATION AND TREATMENT CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS USING MONTE CARLO SIMULATION

Design of equalization or treatment facilities based on intermittent discharges from multiple batch operations can result in excessively conservative designs if the maximum flows from each operation are used as the design basis. Monte Carlo statistical analysis can be a useful tool for determining the equalization volume or treatment capacity needed based on the probability of occurrence of the maximum aggregate loadings from multiple processes.Monte Carlo analyses can be performed easily using commercial spreadsheet add-in programs or stand-alone statistical software. Two examples of the use of Monte Carlo analysis are described: 1. Determination of the design hydraulic loading for a cooling tower providing wastewater cooling before biological treatment; and 2. Evaluation of the adequacy of an existing equalization system to handle an additional wastewater load.