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Solution Advisory

Is the visible problem the actual constraint? Does it belong to one workstream, or is another part of the system contributing to it? Solution Advisory helps owners, operators and project teams examine the issue across water and wastewater, process systems, sludge and biosolids, odor, thermal requirements and controls, then identify the most appropriate advisory starting point.

Issue definition Source or symptom Connected workstreams Operating constraints Verification needs

View advisory workstreams Open the navigator

Find the right place to start

Start with the issue you are trying to resolve. Explore the workstreams to identify the governing constraint, then use the Navigator to check connected considerations and identify the most appropriate starting route.

Know the affected area? Explore workstreams Unsure what connects? Use the Navigator Know the support needed? See ways to engage Ready to discuss the issue? Start an enquiry

An issue-led starting point

Solution Advisory helps determine whether the visible problem is the governing constraint, which workstream should lead, and what other streams may affect the response. It provides orientation before the need is narrowed into a defined advisory assignment.

Where Solution Advisory fits

From an uncertain starting point to the right advisory route

Solution Advisory frames the issue and identifies a dedicated workstream or connected scope. The formal advisory work, outputs and progression into later project stages are set out under Advisory Services.

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Typical trigger

“We know what is going wrong, but we are not sure whether the cause is in treatment, residuals, odor, utilities or controls.”

Principle

Issue-led

Start with the problem to be resolved, not a preselected technology or equipment list.

Principle

Source before symptom

Check whether the visible problem is the cause, a consequence or a sign of a wider system constraint.

Principle

Connected workstreams

Consider how changes in water, biosolids, odor, thermal duty and controls affect one another.

Principle

Clear starting point

Identify the lead workstream, connected considerations and the next level of support required.

Advisory workstreams

Use these workstreams to identify where the issue appears, where it may originate and which connected considerations should be reviewed. Each can lead as a dedicated scope or be combined where the problem crosses more than one part of the system.

Useful connections

One symptom can point to several workstreams

These examples show why the issue should be checked across connected streams before the response is narrowed.

Unstable treatment performance

Source conditions, process duties, sludge returns and controls

Recurring odor or H₂S

Septicity, residuals handling, ventilation and operating conditions

Drying or reuse shortfall

Feed condition, dewatering, heat duty, storage and outlet requirements

Jump to the “how we engage” section

Engagement options

Water & Wastewater

Source conditions, discharge or reuse targets, operating constraints and residuals implications.

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Whether the treatment constraint begins with source conditions, process performance or operation
Which discharge or reuse requirement governs the route
What connected effects should be checked before the scope is narrowed

Process & Treatment Systems

Proposed or confirmed treatment routes, system duties, bottlenecks and coordination requirements.

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Whether the process sequence addresses the governing constraint
Where duties, handovers or performance requirements are unclear
What must be defined before design or supplier engagement

Sludge & Biosolids

Feed condition, stabilization, dewatering, drying, handling and outlet requirements.

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Whether the bottleneck begins upstream or in residuals handling
How liquid returns, odor, storage and heat affect the route
Which outlet requirements must be established

Thermal & Heat Integration

Heat availability, duty, integration constraints, safeguards and operating requirements.

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Whether heat is a governing constraint or an enabling input
Where thermal duty connects with process and biosolids requirements
What controls, safeguards and reliability provisions matter

Odor, Septicity & H₂S

Recurring incidents, uncertain sources, septicity conditions, monitoring gaps and mitigation needs.

View advisory

Whether odor is generated at source or transferred from another stream
What conditions and locations should be checked
Which upstream and control actions need to be considered

Automation, Monitoring & Control

Monitoring gaps, control requirements, operator response and performance verification.

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Which conditions must be made visible
Where controls can prevent recurrence or instability
Which KPIs and checks confirm improvement

Advisory Navigator

See how the workstreams connect

Select a workstream to see the issue it can address, the questions it helps clarify and the other streams that may need to be considered.

Water Process Biosolids Odor Thermal Automation

Not sure which workstream should lead? Start an enquiry with the issue, constraints and any known symptoms. We’ll help identify the most suitable starting point.

Start an enquiry

Choose a workstream

Selected

Process & Treatment Systems

coordinationretrofitstabilityplanning

Use this workstream when a proposed or confirmed treatment route needs to be checked as a connected system, or when bottlenecks, duties and handovers remain unclear.

Where we help

Check whether the proposed route addresses the governing constraint
Identify unclear duties, handovers and performance requirements
Check where one process step may create a downstream problem
Define what must be clarified before design or supplier engagement

Questions we clarify

Is the visible problem the cause, or is another process condition driving it?
Which duties or operating assumptions need to be checked?
Could the proposed change create a new downstream constraint?
Which workstream should lead the next step?

Connected considerations

Water & Wastewater: source conditions and treatment targets
Sludge & Biosolids: solids production, returns and handling
Automation, Monitoring & Control: evidence and operator response

View ways to engage Start an enquiry

Engagement routes

Ways to engage

Start with the level of orientation or scoping needed now. Defined advisory work and typical outputs are set out under Advisory Services.

Option

Advisory Call

A focused discussion to define the problem, constraints and the most sensible next step.

Clarify the issue and intended outcome
Identify the likely lead workstream and key unknowns
Confirm the minimum information needed

Option

Focused Scoping Session

A guided working session when the likely lead workstream is known but the immediate scope and information needs require clarification.

Review the issue, constraints and available information
Define the immediate questions and checks
Set the next decision and required inputs

Option

Connected Scope Review

A structured review when the issue crosses more than one workstream or the lead constraint is not yet clear.

Compare conditions across the affected workstreams
Identify the lead constraint and connected requirements
Define a coordinated starting scope

Start an enquiry

Share the issue you are trying to resolve, where it appears, any known constraints and timing drivers. Complete data is not required at this stage; we will identify the minimum information needed to determine the next step.

What helps us respond quickly

Observed issue or required outcome
Current system snapshot (flow, variability, key constraints)
Where and when the issue occurs, including any suspected drivers
Any non-negotiables (space, downtime, utilities, operator capacity)
Timeline and decision date

Enquiry form

FAQs

A few clarifications on scope, approach, and how we keep advisory practical and implementable.

What does “solution advisory” mean in practice?

It means starting with the issue rather than a preselected answer. We clarify the governing constraint, which workstream should lead and what connected conditions should be considered before the scope is taken forward.

Are odor, thermal, and automation separate topics or part of the whole?

They are both. We support each as a dedicated scope when it’s the constraint, and we also treat them as linked to water and biosolids outcomes. Odor is addressed at source, thermal requirements are considered within the wider process route, and automation provides the controls and KPIs needed to monitor performance.

How do you work with in-house teams and solution providers?

We work alongside your team and any solution providers you engage. The advisory role is to make the scope, responsibilities, handovers and performance requirements clear, so procurement and delivery are smoother and expectations stay aligned.

What information helps you move fast?

A short description of the issue or outcome, current constraints and any known drivers. If some data is missing, we can still progress. We will define the minimum information required to confirm the next step.

Do you coordinate testing and specialist inputs?

Yes. We can coordinate and arrange testing through qualified laboratories and specialists where needed, then use the results to define practical decisions and monitoring requirements.

What’s the simplest way to start?

Send an enquiry with the issue, constraints and timing. We’ll recommend the most suitable starting point, whether an advisory call, a scoping session or another route.