Hydraulic optimization of the inlet system of the wastewater treatment plant Chur

The wastewater system in the city of Chur is an essential part of the urban infrastructure and plays a crucial role for the environment. The current project deals with the geometry optimization of the wastewater inlet to the treatment plant of Chur. TK CONSULT AG was assigned to perform the simulation of the new design. Hereby, it is checked whether the sewer system works efficiently during peak loads caused by external factors, such as heavy rainfall, and does not cause flooding of the municipal infrastructure. Furthermore, it is ensured that coarse matter is removed from the discharged mixed wastewater by the screens and therefore does not end up in the receiving water.

Validation is performed for different volume flows using OpenFOAM. The results of the simulation show how high the water builds up under different conditions and that the intended safety mechanisms are effective to a sufficient extent. In addition, general design criteria for further planning can be derived from the results.