Xylem Solution Cuts Annual Operational Costs At Italian Wastewater Treatment Plant By 65 Percent

Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, has reduced the energy consumption of a wastewater treatment plant in Italy by 65 percent. According to a comparison study conducted by Comopedur which operates the plant, Xylem’s Flygt 4530 submersible mixers have saved €50,000 in annual operational costs at the facility.

Located in the scenic Lake Como region of northern Italy, the plant treats 16 million cubic metres of wastewater annually, serving a population of approximately 200,000. Treated water from the plant is expelled back into Lake Como. This, in addition to the fact that the plant is located in a heavily populated area of the city that is challenging to access with heavy machinery, means that the reliability of the plant and a consistent high quality of wastewater is of crucial importance.

Comodepur commissioned Xylem to ascertain if operation costs could be reduced at the plant. Five mixers had been in operation for ten years in the pre-denitrification tank which, due to the particular shape of the 5,800 cubic metres tank, required a high level of energy to operate. This relatively large number of mixers was necessary due to the particular shape of the tank; ‘dead spots’, as well as the tank depth and irregular slopes made consistent mixing very challenging. The five mixers had delivered consistent and reliable mixing at the plant throughout the past decade.

However, having examined the operation using simulation software, Xylem advised that the existing mixers be replaced with the new, mid-size energy efficient Flygt 4530 model. A submersible mixer featuring a robust, high-efficiency propeller of 1.2 metres in diameter, the Flygt 4530 is specifically designed for biological wastewater treatment applications.

According to Luigi Cece, Director of the Comodepur plant, “We are committed to working with innovative and efficient technology to minimize costs for our customers. The new Flygt mixers have reduced annual operation costs at the plant by €50,000 and they paid for themselves within just 13 months.”

The new mixers consume 175,000 kWh of energy annually, a 65 percent reduction on the 500,000 kWh the old mixers required to operate.

Due to the very positive energy and cost savings Comodepur has ordered an additional three Flygt 4530 mixers to replace mixers in another equalization tank that they operate.

About Xylem
Xylem is a leading global water technology provider, enabling customers to transport, treat, test and efficiently use water in public utility, residential and commercial building services, industrial and agricultural settings. The company does business in more than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands, and its people bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on finding local solutions to the world’s most challenging water and wastewater problems. Xylem is headquartered in Rye Brook, N.Y., with 2013 revenues of $3.8B and more than 12,500 employees worldwide. Xylem was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the last two years for advancing sustainable business practices and solutions worldwide.

The name Xylem is derived from classical Greek and is the tissue that transports water in plants, highlighting the engineering efficiency of our water-centric business by linking it with the best water transportation of all - that which occurs in nature. For more information, visit www.xyleminc.com.