Abstract: The invention concerns a method for regulating a wastewater or sludge treating plant. Ponds and cells provided with aerating means are used for eliminating carbonaceous, nitrogenous, and phosphate pollutants. The invention is characterized in that an automaton uses periods during which the plant is underloaded to impose on it abnormal operating conditions. The automaton analyses the response of the plant to the abnormal operating conditions to simulate and optimize the plant operating parameters for heavy-load periods, by automatically adjusting the parameters of the automaton logic.

Abstract: A method for determining the thickness of a biofilm which is developed on a support which is immersed in an aqueous medium in which a biofilm develops, characterized in that it consists in the following: a) the medium is continuously circulated in an electrochemical cell comprising a reference electrode, an auxiliary electrode and at least one working electrode, b) circulation of said medium is interrupted and the cell is isolated; c) an electrochemical tracer is introduced into the medium present in the cell; d) the medium/tracer solution is circulated in the cell in order to direct a jet of said solution, perpendicular to the working electrode; e) the value of the tracer reduction limiting current is measured and recorded according to the hydrodynamic conditions on the surface of the working electrode; and f) the thickness of the porous layer of biofilm on the surface of the electrode is calculated according to the Koutecky-Levich relation, based on analysis of the transport of material through the porous l

Abstract: A method for estimating incoming pollution loads during operation of a municipal wastewater treatment plant involves the step of continuously measuring the conductivity and turbidity of the raw water to be treated. The concentration of a pollutant in the raw water to be treated is estimated as a function of the measured conductivity and turbidity. The flow rate of the raw water to be treated is also continuously measured. The load of the pollutant in the raw water to be treated is estimated as a function of the estimated concentration of the pollutant and the measured flow rate. The estimated pollutant load allows adjustment of downstream treatment for eliminating the estimated total load of the pollutant.