Analytical Hierarchy Process in Concept Selection of Wastewater Treatment Plant

Abstract

In most Engineering designs concept selection is a critical stage of the design process. This study focuses on the concept selection for the design of a proposed wastewater treatment facility for a settlement (Forcados-Yokri) located in Burutu Local Government Area (LGA), Nigeria. Three wastewater treatment concepts (Completely Mixed Activated Sludge (CMAS), Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) and Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB)) were proposed. Also, based on seventeen sub-criteria which were grouped into four major criteria (Environmental Impact, Social Impact, Operability and Economic/schedule), Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied for the selection of the best concept. Among the seventeen sub-criteria were ten boundary conditions generated with respect to the study area and the acceptable effluent discharge standards (FEPA, DPR-EGASPIN & WHO).The parameter weight was done with respect to data from literature and project stakeholders (interested parties involved in the selection process). The total relative score with respect to the ten sub-criteria (which also served as boundary condition) for CMAS, SBR and UASB were correspondingly 9.11, 30.40 and 25.63 respectively. This makes SBR the recommended choice of the three proposed wastewater treatment concepts.