The feature asses the type of pollution present during an event and displays it within the event details panel.
This assessment leverages upstream data and Kando's suspect finder algorithm.
The pollution assessment algorithm is grounded in established industry knowledge of wastewater characteristics across various industrial sectors. Its accuracy improves as additional data is gathered on the sewer network GIS, the sectors of industrial users (classified by NAICS, NACE, or local business codes), and their discharge volumes or water consumption patterns.
Pollution assessment is not presented when its accuracy is expected to be low, for instance when there are over 10 unmonitored upstream factories.
The assessment includes 11 pollution types:
1. High COD levels reflect concentrated industrial discharges that require elevated oxygen levels in the treatment process. These discharges generate extra sludge and are sometimes, depending on the source, harder to treat (for instance, when presented alongside “refractory compounds” pollution type assessment).
2. Refractory compounds, which reflect a low BOD/COD ratio, are hard to treat and can inhibit the biological treatment process.
3. Salts pass through the treatment process to the environment where they can pollute natural waterways.
4. Metals can inhibit the biological process and cause biosolids disqualification when sludge is applied in agriculture.
5. Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) cause blockages in the collection system.
6. PFAS, a family of compounds with increased focus in recent years, are resistant to the treatment process and end up in both the sludge as well as the effluent.
7. Surfactants, used in materials such as detergents, can interfere with the treatment process.
8. High pH levels, caused by alkaline compounds, which can damage the collection system, increase corrosion, etc.
9. Low pH levels are caused by the discharge of acid compounds and the degradation of organic compounds, which can damage the system.
10. Nutrients, Nitrogen and Phosphorus, which in excessive amounts can lead to eutrophication in receiving waters.
11. Pesticides, designed to be toxic to certain organisms, can pass through the treatment process since they are often resistant to biological treatment and pose a risk to aquatic life in the environment.
Example
A manhole has three factories upstream: a steel mill plant, a restaurant, and a paper plant.
The table below summarizes the industries' characteristics and likelihood of different pollution types for the manhole:
Industrial User | A | B | C |
Sector Name | Steel | Restaurant | Paper |
Sector NAICS | 331110 | 722513 | 322291 |
Discharge flow (m3/day) | 100 | 5 | 50 |
Metals likelihood | high (1) | low (0.2) | high (1) |
FOG likelihood | low (0.2) | high (1) | low (0.2) |
Salts likelihood | medium (0.5) | low (0.2) | high (1) |
Low pH likelihood | high (1) | low (0.2) | medium (0.5) |
The accumulated likelihood for each pollution type is calculated, and the pollution types with the highest assessment scores are presented to the client.
For example, the accumulated assessment score for the pollution type “salts” from all 3 (A, B, and C) contributors is calculated as follows:
Accumulated pollution assessment score for the pollution type “salts” =
The pollution assessment score ranges from zero to one. A score of zero indicates that the pollution type is improbable to be present in wastewater. In contrast, a score closer to one suggests a greater likelihood of finding that type of pollution.
In Kando UI, under Events View > Click on one of the Event Cards Listed (in orange) > Event Details > “Pollution Assessment.”