An agile benchmarking framework for wastewater resource recovery technologies

Water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) face growing pressures to balance compliance, sustainability, and cost while adapting to evolving treatment needs. To support research, development, and deployment (RD&D) of innovative technological solutions, we developed an open-access benchmarking framework comprised of 18 plant-wide simulation models. Implemented in QSDsan, the framework is validated against GPS-X™ simulations while capturing distinct system behaviors, treatment performance, energy demand, and operational costs across diverse designs. It offers a rigorous and transparent foundation for comparative technology evaluations, guiding RD&D decision-making and advancing sustainable water management.