Ziye Dai, Severn Trent Water, UK
Tijmen Dye, Xylem, Netherlands
Vanessa Acevedo, Xylem, Germany
Jose Porro, Cobalt Water Global, USA
The Strongford case study demonstrates the development and application of an advanced Digital Twin to support real-time prediction, monitoring, and mitigation of N₂O emissions. Aligned with Severn Trent’s Net Zero strategy, the Digital Twin integrates process knowledge, high-frequency operational data, and AI/ML-based analytics to predict ammonia, N₂O risk and emissions across different aeration lanes and zones without compromising effluent compliance. Knowledge-based AI, informed by peer-reviewed literature, is used to identify N2O formation risk and operating conditions associated with increased emissions, with results showing a strong correlation between predicted risk and measured N₂O concentrations. Seasonal analyses highlight low dissolved oxygen (DO) during ammonia peaks as a dominant driver of N₂O formation, providing a clear basis for targeted operational intervention. Model performance meets established predictive emissions monitoring system (PEMS) criteria, achieving relative accuracies below 20% and improving with increased multi-season training data and cross-lane validation demonstrates model transferability. By combining N₂O prediction with load-based DO control, the system generates optimized, zone-specific DO setpoint recommendations that balance energy use, effluent quality, and greenhouse gas reduction. Overall, the Strongford Digital Twin illustrates how AI/ML decision support can be practically embedded into wastewater operations to streamline N₂O mitigation and support sector-wide decarbonisation objectives.