Design support tool for flexible drinking water treatment plants

<p dir="ltr">The increasing challenges posed by climate change and emerging contaminants necessitate a more adaptable and resilient approach to drinking water treatment. This paper presents a novel Design Support Tool aimed at guiding, assisting and simplifying the preliminary design of small-scale and flexible Drinking Water Treatment Plants, with the selection of the “best” combination of treatment trains adapted to their specific needs (water quantity and quality). The tool integrates a comprehensive database of treatment technologies, considers various water sources. In its final version, the tool will incorporate a multi-objective optimization of treatment processes based on cost and spatial footprint. The current Python-based prototype and development of the web application are discussed, highlighting its potential to aid process technologists and decision-makers in achieving high water quality standards with enhanced adaptability and robustness.</p><p dir="ltr">This paper was presented at the 21st Computing and Control in the Water Industry Conference (CCWI 2025) at the University of Sheffield (1st - 3rd September 2025).</p>