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Introduction
A sewage treatment plant (STP) can be described as a water pollution control plant consisting of an arrangement of pipes, equipments, devices, tanks, structures etc., for treating wastewater and industrial wastes. The various components (units and processes) of a Sewage Treatment Plant are provided with main emphasis on the influent sewage quality and quantity (expressed as discharge)

Domestic sewage experiences large variation in flow rate which hampers the optimal performance of the Sewage Treatment Plant. Generally, the sewage treatment plant is designed for peak flow and a number of parallel units or processes are provided which are put into use with the increase in influent discharge. A lower value of influent discharge necessitates the shutting of redundant units or processes.

The nature treatment to be provided also depends upon the quality of the influent sewage. Depending upon the quality of influent sewage (in terms of BOD5, Suspended Solids, Settleable Solids etc.), the treatment scheme is varied.

Hence, the various units and processes in a Sewage Treatment Plant function in accordance to the influent sewage quality and quantity.

The detention time, quantity of chemicals required, use of mechanical equipment are few of the various Sewage Treatment Plant issues that are to be addressed properly. Heavy expenditure is incurred every year on Sewage Treatment Plant activities due to mismanagement. Apart from the quality and quantity of the influent sewage, the decision relating to such issues are based on the condition of plant components, climatic factors (temperature, precipitation, etc), manpower availability, degree of treatment desired, outfall requirements, sewage hydraulics, process cost, process time, etc. An improper functioning plant component may cause to compromise on the quality of sewage treatment, which may ultimately result in the pollution of the environment. Moreover, improper management of treatment activities escalates the total cost of treatment, which is otherwise avoidable.

Therefore, to arrive at the best possible combination of the various components of the plant for a particular condition, it is important for the concerned plant incharge to have immediate access to information related to the following:

• Condition of plant components
• Features/requirements of the plant components (chemicals, mechanical equipment, detention time, etc.)
• Strength and qualification of the manpower available to handle the various plant components
• Possible variation in influent discharge due to a breach in a sewer line, closing of a valve or penstock gate, etc.
• Spatial location of the faulting sewer or plant component
• Quality of the influent sewage
• Other physical factors
• Related past records

Thus, the selection of the best possible combination of the plant components commensurate with the over all performance of the treatment plant becomes a tedious task.

This necessitates the development of a computer tool which can collect, manage and display Sewage Treatment Plant specific data, evaluate various wastewater flow configurations through the treatment plant and generate the result in spatial and non-spatial form. GIS can provide the mechanism by which the management of the Sewage Treatment Plant can become more efficient and cost effective at multiple levels.

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