The project primEAU, supported by John Meunier Inc. (JMI) and Veolia, aims at the development of a new dynamic model for primary clarification. Since the particulate removal capacity of primary clarifiers directly influences the performance of the subsequent treatment units, primary settler can be considered as a fundamental component of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The objectives of this project can be summarized as:
The identification of the main mechanisms taking place inside primary tanks is very important for the conception of the model, especially regarding the hydraulics and chemical-biological phenomena which may affect particles, their settling velocity and, as a consequence, their removal.
A pilot primary clarifier was specifically provided by JMI for the project and installed in the Eastern WWTP of Québec City.
modelEAU applied to a NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) grant to add emerging contaminants to primEAU. For this purpose, modelEAU collaborates with Sébastien Sauvé, associate professor in environmental analytical chemistry at Université de Montréal.