The Florida Department of Environmental Protection honored Bonita Springs Utilities with the 2012 Plant Operations Excellence Award for the East Water Reclamation Facility.

Rich Hunt, a maintenance reliability manager and field operations and maintenance specialist for Woodard & Curran, won the Operator Safety Award from the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA).

The Lee (Mass.) Wastewater Treatment Plant received a 2012 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA.

Peter Laramie, chief operator of the Fair Haven (Va.) Wastewater Treatment Plant, received a 2012 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA.

Charles Tyler, project/program manager of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (Boston area) received a 2012 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA.

The Wixom Wastewater Treatment Facility received the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program Star Award from the Michigan OSHA.

Pasteurization Technology Group received the 2012 Katerva Materials and Resources Award for a wastewater disinfection technology that generates renewable energy.

The Wausau (Wis.) Wastewater Treatment Plant and Becher-Hoppe won the State Finalist Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies consin for installing microturbines to generate power from biogas.

TPO welcomes your contribution to this listing. To recognize members of your team, please send notices of new hires, promotions, service milestones, certifications or achievements to editor@tpomag.com.

Education

California
The California Water Environment Association has a Collection System Benchmarking Workshop on Aug. 21 (location TBD). Visit www.cwea.org.

Georgia
The Georgia Association of Water Professionals is offering a Pipeline Collection Workshop on June 27 in Albany. Visit www.gawponline.org.

Illinois
The Central States Water Environment Association-Illinois Section is offering a Collection System Seminar on June 27 in Aurora. Visit www.cswea.org.

The Illinois Water Environment Association is offering a Nutrient Removal and Recovery Workshop on Sept. 13 in Sandwich. Visit www.iweasite.org.

Kansas
The Kansas Water Environment Association is offering the following courses:

• June 5 – Natural Systems for Wastewater Treatment, Dodge City
• June 7 – An Examination of Your Ethics, Dodge City
• June 11 – An Examination of Your Safety, Dodge City
• June 19 – Small Wastewater Systems, Dodge City
• June 27 – Special Topics-Corrosion, Dodge City
• July 2 – Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse, Dodge City
• July 16 – Intro to Water and Wastewater Conveyance, Dodge City
• July 30 – Wastewater Stabilization Lagoons, Dodge City

Visit www.kwea.net.

New York
The New York Water Environment Association has a Pump Stations and Pump Hydraulics Seminar on Aug. 21 in Rochester. Visit www.nywea.org.

Ohio
The Ohio Water Environment Association has an Operations/Laboratory Analysts Workshop Sept. 25-26 in Grove City. Visit www.ohiowea.org.

Wisconsin
The Central States Water Environment Association-Wisconsin is offering these courses:

• June 6 – Classic Collection Systems, Watertown
• July 25 – Collection Systems, Marshfield

Visit www.cswea.org/Wisconsin.

The University of Wisconsin Department of Engineering-Professional Development has a Wastewater Treatment Processes and Technologies course Sept. 24-26 in Madison. Visit http://epdweb.engr.wisc.edu.

Calendar of Events

June 3-5
New York Water Environment Association Spring Technical Conference and Exhibition, Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center. Visit www.nywea.org.

June 9-12
Water Environment Federation/California Water Environment Association Collection Systems 2013: Gold Nuggets of Knowledge, Sacramento Calif. Convention Center. Visit www.wef.org.

June 11-14
Mississippi Water Environment Association Annual Meeting and Technical Conference, Whispering Woods Hotel and Conference Center, Olive Branch. Visit www.mswea.org.

June 12
American Public Works Association-Washington State Chapter Northwest Fog Forum, Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. Visit www.apwa-wa.org/chapter.

June 18-20
Ohio Water Environment Association Annual Conference, Great Wolf Conference Center, Mason. Visit www.ohiowea.org.

June 23-26
Michigan Water Environment Association Annual Conference, Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls. Visit www.mi-wea.org.

July 14-17
Georgia Association of Water Professionals Annual Conference and Expo, Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. Visit www.gawp.org.

July 30-Aug. 2
Kansas Water Environment Association Annual Water and Wastewater School, Lawrence. Visit www.kwea.net.

Aug. 6-8
2013 International Society of Automation Water/Wastewater and Automatic Controls Symposium, Crowne Plaza Orlando-Universal Hotel, Orlando, Fla. Visit www.wef.org.

Sept. 29-Oct. 1
Atlantic Canada Water & Waste-water Association Annual Conference, Crown Plaza, Fredericton Convention Center, Fredericton, New Brunswick. Visit www.acwwa.ca.

Nutrient removal

The Kill Creek plant was built in 2001 to serve Gardner, a city of 20,000 about 30 miles southwest of Kansas City. The city’s population has doubled every ten years since 1980. In 2001, Gardner operated just three lift stations serving a sewer network of 61 miles. Today, there are 20 lift stations and 129 miles of sewers.

The main treatment process is activated sludge, using Kruger Bio Denitro phased oxidation ditch technology. The current design capacity is 2.5 mgd. Ultimate planned capacity is 7.5 mgd, and average daily flow is about 1.7 mgd.

Four Fairbanks Nijhuis submersible pumps lift wastewater to the headworks, which consist of a Muffin Monster grinder (JWC Environmental) and step screens and a wash press provided by Huber Technologies. Grit is removed with two Mectan grit chambers and a SAM grit screw (both from John Meunier).

Wastewater then passes to the phased-flow oxidation ditch system, which removes BOD and nutrients. Treated water settles in a pair of rapid sludge removal sedimentation basins (Ovivo) and then is disinfected in a dual-channel UV light system (Aquionics).

Effluent cascades down aeration steps to Kill Creek and ultimately to the Kansas River.

A fiber-optic SCADA system (Kruger) monitors and controls all plant processes. Biological odor control keeps the plant odor-free. Odorous air passes through three chambers filled with stone-type media, and odors are stripped off using effluent water.

Biosolids are removed from sedimentation basins, thickened, aerobically digested, dewatered on a belt press (BDP Industries) and applied to area farms by Synagro.

Millholland and his staff — senior operator and lab technician Steve Duke, operators Carl Cook and Matt Solorio, and maintenance specialist Dave Birzer — also take care of the lift stations. Five have submersible pumps and the rest use vacuum primed pumps (Smith & Loveless).

Solids savings

From the time the plant was built until 2008, Gardner also operated an aging fixed-film treatment plant and a package plant. Flow then averaged just 0.9 mgd, but when the old plants were taken out of service, the flow rose to 1.7 mgd. In the process, biosolids handling costs went up 20 percent, to about $120,000 a year.

“The higher costs, plus the downturn in the economy, pushed us to examine our plant operation and look for ways to trim costs,” Millholland says. Comprehensive measures to save energy would have taken too long: “The effect would not have been felt quickly enough. Instead, we felt that fine-tuning plant operations was the most promising avenue to cutting costs.” They took several measures:

• Increasing solids wasting time in the aerobic digestion process from 40 to 60 minutes.
• Adjusting the change in wasting time slowly, at intervals of about two to three weeks.
• Alternating between sludge digester basins from month to month.
• Shutting off the air to the digesters for 24 hours and then decanting three to four feet of supernate from each side using stem pipes. As a result, about 98,000 gallons per side did not need to be processed.
• Reducing filamentous bacteria in the aerobic digestion system by alternating basins, adjusting wasting time, and lowering drawdown.

These actions have thickened biosolids in the aerobic digestion system to between two and three percent solids before the material is sent to dewatering. Millholland estimates these changes have reduced biosolids production by 40 percent, saving about $40,000 per year.

The replacement of two old drying beds with a used belt press for dewatering has increased cake solids from 7 to 16 percent, reducing solids handling costs by another $20,000 a year. “Overall, our solids handling costs are down a total of $60,000 a year, from $120,000 to $130,000 a year previously,” says Millholland.

The Gardner team saved an additional $10,000 to $15,000 a year by reviewing chemical usage for grease control in the lift stations. They’ve also started using their vacuum trucks for cleaning the stations and see much better results. The plant laboratory became a Certified Environmental Laboratory in March 2012, and that has netted even more savings, while helping with daily process control. Hach and YSI supplied most of the lab equipment.

Savings in safety

Millholland and the Gardner crew also have saved money by operating safely. “We’ve really been proactive on safety the last five years,” Millholland says. “When we boil down our worker’s compensation and insurance costs, we see significant savings. We like to have all staff get at least 40 hours a year of outside training, and this could be in the areas of operations, maintenance or safety.” Training is provided through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, area community colleges and local vendors.

Millholland believes the training develops better, safer and more knowledgeable employees. Overall, the city has reduced worker’s compensation insurance premiums by 46 percent since 2010. “We have also received all plus points from KERIT [Kansas Eastern Regional Insurance Trust] for the last five years for our work with the safety committee and our safety program,” Millholland says. “The efforts of all city departments resulted in a savings of over $200,000.”

The treatment plant has not had a lost-time accident since it opened. “We work together as a team,” Millholland says. “You can really see the dividends.”

The key to safe performance is communication: “We have daily safety tailgate meetings. We sit down every morning, and then at the end of the day before we go home. We discuss concerns or complaints, making sure we’re all on the same page. It’s a team effort.”

Cleanliness and neatness also count. “Our plant is super clean — one of the cleanest around,” says Millholland. “We host a lot of tours with students and scouting troops. Because we have a water tower on the property, a lot of people think we’re a water plant. Just because we’re a wastewater treatment plant doesn’t mean we have to look like one.”

A clean, safe plant that conserves energy, saves money, and consistently meets its permit — that’s a formula to make any city proud.

Following the flow

Wastewater from residential and industrial customers moves through the sewer system to a lift station on the north bank of the Yakima River, the plant’s receiving stream. From there, it is pumped under the river to the south side, and then another mile to the treatment facility.

In the headworks, the flow is raised by the primary lift stations, then sampled and measured with a Magmeter flowmeter (Toshiba). The wastewater passes through a fine screen equipped with a Muffin Monster grinder and auger (JWC Environmental). Screenings are collected and taken to an area landfill.

An 80-foot-diameter clarifier is available as a bypass in case the headworks is taken offline for maintenance. Next, the alternative treatment patterns at Grandview kick in. In the most common scenario, wastewater moves from the headworks to a 500,000-gallon primary clarifier, then through a splitter box to a lift station that feeds four 230,000-gallon anoxic treatment tanks that promote phosphate removal.

After anoxic treatment, the flow is directed to a straight-ditch activated sludge system (designed by the late Larry Esvelt, a Spokane engineer). The system consists of two ditches, each powered by two rotor aerators designed to operate at 100 hp. Treated wastewater then settles in a pair of circular secondary clarifiers with mechanical brush systems that clean the sides, bottom and weirs. Lorenz reports that his team runs the ditch-clarifier systems in parallel, with a solids residence time (SRT) of 10 to 12 days in summer and as long as 18 days in winter.

A UV system (UltraTech Systems Inc.) with four chambers and 160 lights disinfects the effluent, which then passes through a Parshall flume. Some water discharges to the Yakima, while another portion is returned to the facility for various uses, including hosing and rinsing the belt press, and operation of the heat pumps in the laboratory-office building.

Grandview does not yet have a SCADA system — the team uses traditional hands-on techniques to control operations. Observes Lorenz, “I’d rather have my operators in the field recording instrument values than in a control room removed from the process.” Those operators are Rick Revard, Nick Suarez, Jeff Cochrane, Kim Endicott and Ray Rodriguez.

Big on biosolids

In accepting a large volume of food processing wastewater, the Grandview facility produces a large amount of biosolids. That’s good news to area farmers who grow wheat, corn and hops: the more biosolids, the more material to augment their soil and increase crop production.

In the treatment process, waste activated sludge from the secondary clarifiers is pumped to a holding tank and then to a belt filter press (Andritz) after polymer addition. The press yields a cake containing 17 to 18 percent solids.

After dewatering, the biosolids material travels on a serpentine belt to a truck, which transports it to a staging area where it is held for about a year. Then the solids are moved to a 177,000-square-foot asphalt drying bed area on the plant grounds. There, the biosolids are spread about an inch thick to dry out to about 95 percent solids. The process achieves about a 40 percent reduction in volatile solids and near-complete pathogen reduction.

“It’s classified as a Class B biosolids,” Lorenz says. A private firm — Natural Selection Farms — hauls it to farms, where it is incorporated into the soil. Some is used to grow corn near the plant to feed deer and other wildlife. “We have a lot of wildlife around the facility — coyotes, bobcats, pheasants, maybe some elk,” says Lorenz. “It’s almost like a private game preserve.”

Different approach

While at many treatment plants the process would end there, it doesn’t at Grandview. Old lagoons, built back in the 1970s when they provided all the treatment, give the facility extra capacity for storage and more options for discharge. They’re like having more in the cupboard, as it were. “It’s what we call a directional flow pattern,” says Lorenz. “There are 27 lagoons, about 200 acres in all. Some are aerated, some not.”

Any wastewater not treated in the biological system simply overflows into the lagoons, which can store primary-treated wastewater until periods —such as at night — when flow through the plant is reduced. Then, the stored water can be fed into the biological system for full treatment.

Or — and this is what really gets Lorenz talking and no doubt contributed to the number of awards his plant has received from the Washington State Department of Ecology — the lagoon water can be brought back into the system, disinfected, and sent some four miles to the state wildlife area.

“From the middle of February through the end of March, we pump the water to the state lands — about 50 million to 80 million gallons a year,” Lorenz says. The state land encompasses about 2,500 acres and is a prime site for migrating geese and ducks on their annual treks up and down the Pacific Flyway.

“This is the time when the algae dies off,” explains Lorenz. “It’s about a 30-day window. We supply treated water, and the state wildlife area lagoons fill to capacity and are ready when the waterfowl return in the spring.”

There are up to 10,000 hatches of waterfowl on the state land during that period. The water greatly benefits the state lands, according to Robby Sak, assistant manager of the Sunnyside Wildlife Area. “The water is pumped through HDPE pipe into our Byron Unit,” he explains. “Byron is a little like a moonscape, with salt rock outcroppings and little craters. The water fills the craters, forming small ponds that became nesting areas for waterfowl. If the weather’s right, the water will stay in the ponds until summer. Without that source, we’d be dependent upon the small amount of natural water available to us.”

Adds Lorenz, “Overall, we send more discharge to the river than to the wildlife area.” But he and his staff take pleasure in achieving something beyond treating and discharging wastewater. “While we’re limited as to what we can send them, we like sending water to the state land,” he says. He and his operators can directly witness the benefits of treatment efforts and, more important, “it lets Mother Nature take her course.”

On base

Built in 1995, the treatment plant is located at the Fort Knox Army Base. In 2005, the U.S. Army turned over plant ownership and operation to Hardin County Water District No. 1, based in Radcliff, through a privatization contract signed in 2004. Veolia Water operates the plant under a 20-year agreement. The system includes the 6 mgd treatment plant, 91 miles of sewer lines, and 39 lift stations. The plant serves the city’s 29,000 residents along with portions of the Army base.

The activated sludge oxidation ditch plant consists of:

• Bar screens (Vulcan Industries)
• Influent wet well pumps (Flygt and ABS)
• Belt presses (Ovivo)
• TrojanUV3000Plus disinfection system (TrojanUV)
• Oxidation ditch aeration rotors (Lakeside Equipment Corp.)
• SCADA system (Rockwell Automation)
• Refrigerated samplers (Teledyne Isco 4700)

The UV system was installed in 2006, replacing chemical disinfection. The SCADA, added in 2007, replaced analog instruments. Collection system improvements reduced inflow and infiltration, and include:

• Lift station replacement (2012)
• Manhole rehabilitation (2006-2009)
• Cured-in-place pipe lining
• Sewer line repair and replacement (2012)

The yearly average flow is 1.8 mgd. “The plant was designed to support a full Fort Knox military mobilization effort, so we have an oversized plant for the amount of flow we normally receive,” Metz says. “We have to use different process control strategies to optimize our wastewater treatment.”

The abnormally high detention times in the plant’s oxidation ditch and clarifiers mean the operators have to maintain a low mixed liquor suspended solids concentration to keep from harboring significantly older sludge. “The challenge lies in having the mixed liquor at an age where the sludge is kept as young as possible, yet old enough to adequately remove BOD and ammonia,” Metz says.

Award-winning team

Besides the VPP award, the operations team has won an Operational Excellence Award from the Kentucky-Tennessee Water Environment Association for 2008-2011 for having no more than one NPDES permit violation per calendar year. The Fort Knox plant has had no violations in the past five years.

The operators take pride in their jobs and are a multi-talented group, making process control changes, maintaining operational computer databases, performing lab work, turning wrenches, changing oil and performing housekeeping. Metz holds a Class IV (highest) wastewater license and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Indiana University; he has been with the plant for seven years. Other team members are:

• Project manager Anthony Link, Class IV, 7 years
• Operators Marc Montgomery, Class IV, 7 years; Jeffrey Kinder, Class III, 4 years; Kenny Horn, Class IV, 3 years; Del Bradley, Class III, 2 years
• Collection system supervisor Kenny Morley, 1 year
• Administrative assistant Melody Martel, 1 year
• Electrician David Miller, 2 years
• GIS technician David Evans, 1 year
• Field technicians David Russelburg, Class IV, 7 years; Chad Saunders, Class III, 4 years; Mike Shanahan, Class III, 6 years; Bobby VanMeter, 2 years; Gene Robillard, 1 year; Bill Mills, 1 year

Operators perform process control laboratory tests for dissolved oxygen, pH and residual chlorine. They also handle preventive and corrective maintenance and perform grounds work, such as lawn mowing and concrete pressure washing.

Veolia Water pays for traveling expenses and registration fees and allows work schedule modifications so that employees can earn and maintain certifications. The company also pays for memberships in the Kentucky Water & Wastewater Operators Association.

Team members receive training during monthly safety meetings on topics such as confined spaces, hazard communication, electrical safety and personal protective equipment. They also receive outside training.

Reaching for the Star

Metz heard about the Voluntary Protection Program in 2007 from a Veolia Water project in Atlanta, Ga. “I did some research on the Kentucky VPP website and spoke with a few people familiar with VPP,” he says. “I could foresee the benefits of going through the program. I talked the VPP up to my staff, and told them it was the benchmark for a health and safety program. I presented it as a challenge for them to work toward.”

Project manager Link committed the resources for the program and led by example, taking part in every safety meeting and conducting monthly inspections. He also did job observations, watching team members perform tasks and making sure they followed safety policies and procedures. The water district supported the effort by funding necessary improvements and standing behind Veolia Water in pursuing the goal.

Monthly safety meetings allowed the staff to discuss the status of VPP goals. Acceptance requires a two-phase review. Phase I is a forensic review of plant policies, procedures, record keeping, training and culture analysis. Phase II is an extensive hazard analysis.

“During our three-year effort to get into the program, Kentucky VPP auditors visited our site about 10 times, sometimes for multiple days,” says Metz.

After the auditors pointed out deficiencies in the health and safety program, plant staff created a spreadsheet listing the issues, corrective actions, the person responsible, and completion dates. “This is where the attitude of excellence really showed up,” recalls Metz. “At regular meetings, I would review the spreadsheet with the staff, and they would volunteer to address issues they thought were within their capabilities.”

Regional safety manager Jay Ritchey facilitated necessary changes at the corporate level. Metz and Horn worked diligently to critique and revise site-specific elements of the health and safety program.

Correcting issues

While all 16 staff members were involved, the operators and collection system field technicians were responsible for correcting physical hazards the VPP audit team found. For example, the openings in the grating next to the gate valves were too wide. Horn measured and cut the angle steel, Kinder painted the steel with corrosion-resistant two-part epoxy paint, and Bradley mounted the newly fabricated toe boards by setting all the concrete anchors and bolting them in place.

The VPP auditors felt the existing slap gates, which prevented entry into the oxidation ditch rotor drive pits, were too low and could easily be stepped over. “Because of the existing hand rail design, we couldn’t simply raise the slap gates,” says Metz. “Kenny Horn designed and in-house fabricated extensions onto the slap gates to prevent the possibility of stepping over them.”

Collection system employees increased their involvement in the safety program, giving training presentations, writing new standard operating procedures, and making hazard prevention repairs. As a result of the VPP, administrative assistant Melody Martel manages the hazardous communication program, updating Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and conducting MSDS training.

Keeping it fresh

Maintaining the culture change is an ongoing challenge. “The VPP forced us to make a change from ‘This is what we have to do,’ to ‘This is what we want to do,’ ” says Metz. “Now, the attitude is ‘Let’s do a safety analysis of this job before we get started.’ ”

The VPP team came to the plant and performed a cultural analysis by interviewing each team member. “They asked them what they do and how they do it, and they came back with the results,” says Metz. “It turns out the plant had an ‘immature culture climate.’

“Our employees were looking at things reactively instead of proactively,” says Metz. “The staff scored well enough to get into the program, but the VPP administrator will want to see higher culture analysis scores when he conducts the survey again in three years.” It took time, encouragement and diligence to change the culture: “You can’t throw something out there and expect it to stick. You have to keep at it constantly.”

Today, Metz says, “More employees are taking a leadership role during safety meetings. They are contin-ually making suggestions that make our jobs easier, more efficient and safer. The process of becoming a VPP work site was eye-opening. It made our entire team better and more educated.”

The greatest challenge now is to keep interest in the VPP fresh: “We can’t let the honeymoon wear off. It’s not a one-time award. You’re in for three years, and when the three years are up, the VPP team conducts an audit to see whether you’re still worthy.”

Varied influent

With nearly one-third of the flow and loading coming from area colleges (the University of Massachusetts, Amherst College and Hampshire College), Amherst’s influent is highly variable. The treatment plant operates in a near-complete mix mode with a hydraulic retention time of about six hours. Two of three aeration trains are operated routinely, and two of three final clarifiers are typically used.

Amherst’s process control strategy starts with dissolved oxygen (DO) probes near the midpoint of the two in-service aeration tanks — they help control the cycling of the mechanical aerators. Tanks independently cycle between oxygen-rich aerobic and oxygen-poor anoxic conditions.

The plant’s SCADA system maintains aerobic conditions for a set period of time once the target DO setting is reached. During aerobic treatment, the speed of each mechanical aerator is independently controlled to maintain a target DO level and thus optimize ammonia removal. Oxygen reduction potential (ORP) probes near each of the six operating mechanical mixers provide ongoing information on tank conditions.

After aerating for the desired time, the mechanical aerators slow down to a mixing speed to provide anoxic conditions and support biological nitrate removal. Using SCADA trend graphs for guidance, Duane Klimczyk, assistant chief operator, makes frequent adjustments to the SCADA settings to optimize ammonia and nitrate removal.

Because of the relatively short hydraulic retention time, the staff found it necessary to raise the aeration tank DO to 2.0 mg/L to provide effective ammonia removal. During aeration, the ORP reading climbs above +100 mV. The facility readily removes nitrate (denitrification) with a short anoxic cycle and a relatively high anoxic ORP reading of +50 mV.

Repeatable result

As remarkable as Amherst’s achievements may seem, they are not unique. Experience demonstrates that most municipal treatment plants can get similar results by using existing equipment differently. Dozens of treatment plant managers are operating biological treatment plants not designed for nutrient removal to produce effluents with total nitrogen at 5 to 8 mg/L, or total phosphorus at 0.5 to 1.0 mg/L, or both.

For example, 10 Connecticut municipalities are achieving the same 6 mg/L total nitrogen without upgrades as 48 facilities upgraded at an average cost of $6.15 million. The equipment cost for the non-upgraded facilities averaged less than $50,000. Because most of the process changes involve the creation of anoxic zones, most are aerating less and are therefore using less electricity.

The 4.0 mgd facility in Keene, N.H., is seasonally producing effluent with total phosphorus averaging 0.2 mg/L without filtration. The team in Montague, Mass., is using a creative sequenced aeration strategy to reduce total nitrogen to 7.0 mg/L and effluent total phosphorus to 1.0 mg/L. In Conrad, Mont., cycling of aeration in a manner similar to Amherst’s produces effluent with total nitrogen averaging 4.0 mg/L.

Making it happen

In Amherst’s case, Hach ORP probes were installed alongside each of the plant’s six in-use mechanical aerators; six Hach DO probes were already in place. The new in-line instrumentation is connected to the plant’s Control Logic SCADA system.

Mike Moore, chief electrician/programmer, programmed the RSView SE software (Rockwell Automation) to provide real-time information and automatic control of the variable-frequency drives that regulate the speed of the mechanical aerators.

Daily effluent testing for ammonia, TKN, nitrite, and nitrate is performed by Ashley Warren, lab analyst, using a Hach DR3900 spectrophotometer. Effluent pH and alkalinity are monitored using an Orion 420A laboratory instrument. To support the staff in optimizing treatment, Amherst’s consultant provides almost daily data review and visits the site twice monthly to collaborate with the staff.

A 2008 computer modeling of the plant concluded, “there are no operational or minor modifications/retrofits that could be implemented at this facility to consistently achieve nitrogen removal. The existing facility has half of the necessary volume at the current flows.”

However, notwithstanding the variable flow, plant bacteria fail to recognize that they are incapable of providing nitrogen removal to an average flow of 4.2 mgd using two of the facility’s three aeration tanks and two of the three final clarifiers. Computer modeling determined that five aeration tanks and four final clarifiers would be required.

Essential instruments

Amherst’s is not the only treatment facility that performs better than computer modeling found possible. Experience with dozens of treatment facilities shows that better-than-theoretically-possible nitrogen and phosphorus removal can be realized by:

• Gathering appropriate real-time data
• Reviewing the data frequently
• Using the data to take timely and appropriate actions

Nitrogen and phosphorus removal works best when the biological habitats are closely monitored and controlled. In-line equipment recommended for tracking environmental conditions includes DO, ORP, TSS, pH and alkalinity monitors. Instruments to provide vital feedback on treatment effectiveness include:

• Nitrite, nitrate and ammonia analyzers for facilities with nitrogen removal objectives
• In-line ortho-phosphate effluent TSS monitoring for facilities with phosphorus removal requirements

Amherst is using real-time data for decision-making, backed by consultant guidance. The facility is meeting its nutrient obligations with minimal capital investment after thoughtfully experimenting with new process control strategies.

About the author

Grant Weaver, P.E., is a Class IV wastewater operator and owner of The Water Planet Company in New London, Conn. He can be reached at grantweaver@thewaterplanetcompany.com.

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Industrial Scientific Tango gas monitor

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Hayward Flow Control pneumatic actuators

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InduSoft SCADA visualization app

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GMI 5-way gas detector charger

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Force Flow polymer feed monitor

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Grundfos high-efficiency circulator pump

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Bilco automatic fire vent

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CAIG barrier hand lotion

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Hoyt power and energy meter

The Watt Dog power and energy meter from Hoyt Monitor Technologies features a touch-screen graphical display and is available with USB and Ethernet interface, WattVIEW or WattVIEW Reporter software package and custom-configured drivers. The meter, upon demand, downloads measured results for reporting and analysis. The primary screen provides energy, power and dollar information. Secondary screens can be tailored to display historic data, demand energy profiles or any measured parameter. 800/258-3652; www.hoytmeter.com.

Hammond polycarbonate enclosures

The PCJ Series of polycarbonate enclosures from Hammond Manufacturing Co. are designed for installations where NEMA 4X (IP66) environmental sealing for dust and water is required. The screw-down cover versions meet NEMA 6P sealing requirements. Sizes range from 5.93 by 6.16 by 4.91 inches to 13.94 by 12.16 by 10.82 inches. The basic enclosure is available in 80 different configurations. 519/822-2960; www.hammondmfg.com.

Blue-White diaphragm metering pump

The Chem-Pro 2 diaphragm metering pump from Blue-White Industries has a remote start/stop, optional 4-20mA output, upgradable firmware, single-piece junction box, maximum feed rate of 20.3 gph, maximum pressure of 175 psi and 166 rpm maximum strokes per minute. Other features include double ball valves, built-in priming/degassing valve, built-in diaphragm failure detection system for leak detection and NEMA 4X housing. 714/893-8529; www.blue-white.com.

Hach WIMS version 7.4

Water Information Management Solution version 7.4 from Hach is designed for water and wastewater utilities. The software platform provides enhancements for Windows 8 and iPad touch-screen use, one-click reports and additional electronic reporting capabilities. Reports include Hach SCADA cross reference, LIMS cross reference, data change and compliance status. 800/368-2723; www.hachflow.com.

Kaeser Com-pak blowers

Model BBC and FBC Com-pak blowers from Kaeser Compressors cover 3 to 175 hp and are designed, built and tested to meet international and domestic performance and safety standards. Units are available in both STC (wye-delta start) and OFC (variable-frequency drive) versions. Other features include Sigma Control 2 with Omega Control software. 877/596-7138; www.kaeser.com.

Promation Engineering linear actuators

PL Series electric linear actuators from Promation Engineering provide up to 4,400 pounds of force and up to 3.9 inches of travel. Features include field-selectable travel stops, on/off/floating/proportional control, customizable mounting system, manual override and standard voltages. The actuators are compatible with 24VAC, 24VDC, 120VAC and 230VAC power supplies. 352/544-8436; www.promationei.com.

RIDGID ABS, foam-core PVC pipe cutters

FC-Cutters from RIDGID are designed to cut ABS and foam-core PVC pipe. Available in two options for cutting 1 1/2- and 2-inch-diameter pipe, the cutters feature an extended handle for leverage and one-rotation cuts that don’t leave burrs. 800/769-7743; www.ridgid.com.

Siemon angled HD patch panel

Angled HD patch panels from Siemon are available in 24- and 48-port versions in both Category 5e and Category 6. Features include a write-on area for panel and port identification on both the front and rear of the panel, as well as a front surface uninterrupted by screw heads. Category 5e panels use S110 termination modules and Category 6 panels use S310 termination modules with pyramid wire entry. 860/945-4200; www.siemon.com.

Spire portable Btu meter

The Regal Series RH40 portable ultrasonic Btu meter from Spire Metering Technology, formerly Shenitech, is designed to deliver non-intrusive Btu and flow measurement across an array of pipe sizes and various liquids in heating/cooling applications. The 1-pound, hand-held meter uses clamp-on sensors to measure flow, temperature and heat energy/Btu consumption on pipes from 0.5 to 120 inches in diameter. 888/738-0188; www.spiremt.com.

Fortrans gas infusion aerator

The Dif-Jet gas infusion aeration device from Fortrans infuses oxygen from air or pure oxygen into wastewater, achieving 90 to 95 percent dissolved oxygen. Typically, no filters are required prior to infusion. The device reduces chemical oxygen demand and biological demand levels and eliminates COD and BOD surcharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants. The scalable device can be incorporated into existing treatment systems and is available in PVC and stainless steel designs. 866/958-7267; www.fortransinc.com/aerators.

TB Wood’s online coupling selector

The Sure-Flex and Dura-Flex online coupling selector from TB Wood’s, available at www.tbwoods.com/coupling-selector.asp, enables users to select the correct coupling for a specific application. Sure-Flex couplings utilize a rubber (EPDM), neoprene or Hytrel sleeve. Four-way flexing action absorbs shock, misalignment and end float. 717/267-2900; www.tbwoods.com.

Neptune diaphragm metering pump

The Series 7000 mechanically actuated diaphragm metering pump from the Neptune Chemical Pump Co. is designed for challenging water and wastewater applications. The pump eliminates the use of contour plates on the liquid side of the diaphragm, while the straight-through valve and head design allows for improved flow. The self-priming pump has a maximum capacity of 300 gph at 150 psi. 215/699-8700; www.neptune1.com.

Russelectric power control systems

On-site power control systems from Russelectric are equipped with dual PLC controls for automatic generator set starting and stopping, status and alarm annunciation, synchronizing and priority load control. A primary PLC control system operation with a backup PLC running the same program as the primary. If the primary fails, the backup PLC assumes operational control. If both PLCs were to fail, a manual control allows operating personnel to synchronize and parallel the generators onto the bus, as well as to add and shed load. 800/225-5250; www.russelectric.com.

Oldham fixed gas monitor

The iTrans fixed gas monitor from Oldham, an Industrial Scientific company, is compatible with WX and MX43 Series controllers. Features include an intelligent electronics platform providing one or two points of detection from a single head. Other features include non-intrusive calibration, LED displays, pr ogrammable alarms and onboard sensor life indicators. 800/338-3287; www.oldhamgas.com.

Flygt 2600 drainage pump

The 2600 drainage pump series from Flygt, a Xylem Brand, is available in four models, ranging from 4 to 18 kW. Designed for water removal in harsh dewatering conditions, the pumps feature Xylem’s DuraSpin hydraulic system, Hard-Iron impeller and plug-in cartridge seal. 704/409-9700; www.flygtus.com.

Patlite LED worklights

CLK Series LED worklights from Patlite feature micro-array lens technology for even light distribution and up to 2,100 lux. The lights maintain at least 70 percent of initial brightness for 60,000 hours of operation and have a slim profile aluminum or stainless steel body that resists water, oil and chemicals. 888/214-2580; www.patlite.com.

Sensorex fluid monitor sensors

CS615 conductivity sensors from Sensorex Corp. monitor process fluids for changes. Made of 316 stainless steel, the sensor withstands cleaning in place and steam sterilization processes up to 266 degrees F. Two models are available for 1- to 1.5-inch and 2-inch tri clamp flanges. Both sizes come with optional automatic temperature compensation. 714/895-4344; www.sensorex.com.

Pepperl+Fuchs surge protection barriers

M-LB Series surge protection barriers from Pepperl+Fuchs fit various configurations and protect 115/230-volt main power supplies against power surges. The pluggable and pre-wired protection modules can be mounted on DIN rails and feature front-side indicators that deliver at-a-glance operating state and error message outputs for quick and easy maintenance. The units are hot-swappable for in-the-field replacement without tools. 330/486-0002; www.pepperl-fuchs.us.

TorcUP industrial torque wrench

The Slimline Ratchet Link industrial torque wrench by TorcUP has a torque range of 395 ft-lbs to 3,950 ft-lbs for use on fasteners from 1 to 3 1/8 inches. The wrench fits in areas less than 1 inch wide. Powered by an electrically or pneumatically driven hydraulic pump, torque can be applied by one operator. 610/250-5800; www.torcup.com.

SEEwater adjustable pump control

The piggyback sewage and sump pump control from SEEwater has an adjustable pump run time switch for use in general dewatering, wastewater, sewage and confined space pumping applications. The control has a pump range of 10 seconds to hours. It can be used with a SEEwater WS Series control panel or as a stand-alone control. 888/733-9283; www.seewaterinc.com.

Wilden air-operated, double-diaphragm pump

Air-operated, double-diaphragm pumps from Wilden, available in metal (die-cast aluminum, stainless steel and alloy C) or plastic (polypropylene and PVDF), feature leak-free bolted construction for transferring fluids containing particulates or abrasive compounds. Pump sizes range from 1/4 to 3 inches, flow rates range from 4.4 to 264 gpm, and solids-handling ranges from 1/16 inch to 2 inches. 909/422-1730; www.wildenpump.com.

Omega hand-held dip strip photometers

The lightweight HHWT-13 series of hand-held dip strip photometers from Omega Engineering are CE-compliant and use a 4 mL water sample. Designed for monitoring pH, features include three-button control, 140-test memory and automatic countdown test time. 800/826-6342; www.omega.com.

Larson flexible UV light stand

The WALCO4X24LED-UV portable ultraviolet LED light stand from Larson Electronics, equipped with wheels and dolly-style frame, features a series of flexible arms that can position each UV LED light head in multiple angles, heights and distances from the object being cured. The UV light head can reach up to 7 feet. The entire assembly can collapse to 4.5 feet for storage. The UV light cart has a 90-amp hour SLA battery, providing five hours of continuous operation on a single charge. 800/369-6671; www.magnalight.com.

WALCHEM hand-held fluorometer

The Turner Designs Opti-Check fluorometer from Walchem, IWAKI America, ensures accurate calibration of the Little Dipper online fluorometer that measures and controls the concentration of scale or corrosion inhibitors in cooling tower and boiler applications. Available in PTSA and PTSA/Fluorescein versions, the hand-held meter features a watertight (IP 67) package and sensitivity to less than 1 ppb of fluorescent dye. 508/429-1110; www.walchem.com.

Palmer Wahl industrial thermometer

The Digi-Stem DST400 industrial thermocouple thermometer from Palmer Wahl is vibration-resistant and compatible with K, J, T, E or S thermocouples for use in temperatures from -40 to 3,200 degrees F. The thermometers are available with rigid, remote or All-Angle probes. 800/421-2853; www.palmerwahl.com.

The Aquionics InLine+ series of UV disinfection systems use highly efficient medium-pressure lamps, allowing for a small footprint and low maintenance. The system suits tight-fitting spaces without building construction or major structure modifications. It covers a wide range of water qualities needs for smaller facilities up to those with flows of several hundred million gallons per day. It comes with DVGW sensors, automatic wiping system (chemical option available), and variable power ballasts that ensure only the power required for disinfection is consumed. 859/341-0710; www.aquionics.com.

Vapor Phase Delivery System

Ecosorb vapor phase delivery systems from OMI Industries provide an environmentally friendly option for delivery of odor control products in dry mist form. They are simple to install, operate and maintain and require no nozzle maintenance, water, mixing or dilution. The technology uses a blend of natural ingredients to eliminate industrial odors without chemicals or masking fragrances. A programmable logic controller-based touch screen lets users set auto sequence startup, see real-time airflow rates, and control liquid flow. An alarm panel alerts users to issues such as low fluid and pressure levels. Options include a wind direction optimizer, remote access and control options, freeze protection for outdoor installations, and alternate voltage. 800/662-6367; www.omi-industries.com.

Fixed-Film Aerator

The Bio-Wheel fixed-film aerator from H2O Innovation is an alternative to blowers for activated sludge processes. Air is trapped within the wheel plates and slowly released as the wheel turns. The wheel also provides surface area for fixed-film growth to promote the proliferation of high SRT bacteria on the film. The result is a low-energy, versatile integrated fixed-film/activated sludge (IFAS) process that can be used for greenfield or retrofit applications. The suspended growth allows operational flexibility through the adjustment of mixed liquor suspended solids concentrations, while fixed film protects the biomass from shock loads and facilitates removal of difficult-to-degrade compounds while reducing sludge production. 888/688-0170; www.h2oinnovation.com.

Bagging system

The Longofill continuous bag system by Paxxo can connect to the discharge point of machines used to move, dewater or compact screenings and grit, which are then deposited in a continuous bag for odor containment and spillage control. The cassette is easy to seal, and the material and odors are trapped inside, reducing environmental and health issues and curtailing development of bacteria and fungus spores. 770/502-0055; www.paxxo.com.

Metering Pump

The Pulsafeeder manual-control metering pump from Cole-Parmer offers reliable metering with guided dual check valves for precise seating and priming and suction lift. It is water-resistant and can be installed outdoors. It offers an adjustable stroke rate and length, reliable timing circuits, and circuit protection from voltage and current upsets. Leak-free bleed valves provide safe and easy priming. 800/323-4340; www.coleparmer.com.

Ceramic Diffusers

Modular diffusers from Diffused Gas Technologies include a ceramic matrix and ozone-compatible gasketing. They use aluminum oxide ceramic matrixes fused at ultra-high temperatures and are nested in bases fabricated of #316 stainless steel. To assure proper sealing between parts made from different materials, gaskets such as Hypalon, Viton, or PTFE are used. They use a standard 3/4-inch male connection. 513/934-4418; www.diffusedgas.com.

Chlorine and Sodium Hypochlorite Plant

The Klorigen chlorine and sodium hypochlorite plant from Electrolytic Technologies Corp. provides production rates from 150 to 40,000 pounds per day of chlorine as gas or bleach. It uses NSF/ANSI Standard 61 materials. The sodium hypochlorite generated has low chlorate levels and meets NSF/ANSI Standard 60 requirements. Nearly the entire system is shop-fabricated to allow pre-testing before shipment. Systems last more than five years and do not require acid cleaning. 305/655-2755; www.electrolytictechnologies.com.

Closed-Vessel UV System

The 800-watt Amalgam system from Engineered Treatment Systems uses an 800-watt UV disinfection lamp to prevent the growth of algae. The system uses advanced wipers to keep the optical path free from fouling. Validated UV sensors provide real-time dose level feedback. Hatches allow access to the chamber for annual maintenance. 877/885-4628; www.ETS-UV.com.

Biotrickling Filters

The EcoFilter line of biotrickling filters from BioAir Solutions can remove more than 99.9 percent of hydrogen sulfide and more than 95 percent of total odors from collection system and wastewater treatment plant air streams. They provide process control over the critical factors of moisture content, pH and nutrients while using no hazardous chemicals or consumables. They incorporate the company’s EcoBase structured synthetic media, which delivers consistent performance across the media bed throughout the system’s 20-plus-year lifespan. 856/258-6969; www.bioairsolutions.com.

Supersaturated Dissolved Oxygen System

The SDOX-CS supersaturated dissolved oxygen system from BlueInGreen delivers dissolved oxygen within the gravity sewer or force main. The two key design parameters are oxygen uptake rate and oxygen requirements for sulfide oxidation. The system can eliminate odors in pressurized full-flow pipelines and in gravity sewers. H2S elimination also mitigates corrosion. The system can replace chemicals and their downstream byproducts. 479/527-6378; www.blueingreen.com.

Wastewater Disinfection System

The PTG X-500 from Pasteurization Technology Group combines sustainable wastewater disinfection with renewable energy generation. The integrated system can use biogas, biomass or natural gas to power a turbine or engine that generates electricity. The exhaust air is passed through a waste heat recovery unit that increases the temperature to disinfect the wastewater. Intelligent software optimizes energy usage. The system uses no toxic chemicals, electricity or UV lamps. 510/357-0562; www.pastechgroup.com.

Smart UV System

The TAK 55 Smart UV system from WEDECO – a Xylem Brand, makes the disinfection of low wastewater flows easy and cost-effective without any compromise in quality or flexibility. Equipped with ECORAY low-pressure high-intensity (Lo-Hi) UV lamps and ballasts, the system provides reliable performance while minimizing energy consumption. The system has been extensively tested in line with the recently published IUVA protocol for the disinfection of secondary treated effluents. It even meets the most stringent validation requirements as outlined in the US EPA UVDGM 2006. 704/409-9700; www.wedeco.com/us.

Micro Carbon Odor Reducer

BIO ENERGIZER from Probiotic Solutions is a micro carbon complex used in municipal and industrial systems to reduce sludge, odor, BOD/COD, FOG, operational upsets, and costs in treatment plants and lagoons. It biochemically oxidizes sludge in wastewater and reduces the lagoon sludge blanket without draining, drying, dredging, handling or hauling. When used in activated sludge plants, it increases volatile solids destruction and improves decant volume and settleability, enhancing digester and reactor capacity. 800/961-1220; www.probiotic.com.

Carbon pressure filter

Granular activated carbon (GAC) pressure filters from WesTech Engineering are an effective means for removal of low-molecular-weight contaminants from aqueous solutions. They are suited for the removal of dissolved organic compounds responsible for poor taste and odor in drinking water, as well as removal of chlorine from industrial waters. They utilize a pressure vessel, typically with a conical underdrain for convenient GAC media replacement. They are sized according to the contact time required for contaminant removal and desired media replacement frequency. 801/265-1000; www.westech-inc.com.

Peracetic Acid Microbiocide

Proxitane WW-12 Peracetic Acid (PAA) microbiocide from Solvay Chemicals provides biological control in municipal wastewaters. An alternative to halogenated disinfectants, it does not generate disinfection byproducts even if overdosed. It can be retrofitted to or work in series with existing disinfection systems. Tests show initial fecal coliform counts reduced tenfold within the first 8 to 10 minutes of estimated residence time after contact. All PAA was consumed before discharge, demonstrating lack of persistence. 800/765-8292; www.solvaychemicals.us.

Replacement UV Lamps

UV Superstore offers direct replacement UV lamps for most disinfection systems in wastewater treatment plants. The lamps meet or exceed OEM specifications. 770/307-3882; www.uvsuperstore.com.

Sludge-Eating Bacteria

Sludge Eater from Misty Mountain is a blend of organic waste-eating bacteria and barley that helps control green water and string debris. It includes heterotrophic/heterogeny enzyme-producing bacteria blended for heavy organic loads and can be used in many  applications. It is non-toxic and non-pathogenic and feeds on decomposing organic matter. The barley naturally controls string debris and allows the bacteria to further decompose it. 800/493-0564; www.mistymountainkoi.com.

• We only have money budgeted to cover the CEU training required for our operators. If an operator already had enough CEUs, the budget was used for others who did not.
• We have training money but cannot travel to your location. We can now only provide online training where the operators incur no travel expenses.
• We have no training money OR travel money; the operators are on their own to get the CEUs required to renew their licenses.
• We have training money, but no travel budget. We will pay the course fee; the operators must endure the travel expenses.
• In some instances, this situation has caused operators to attend classes where they have taken time off to do so and used their own vehicles and savings.
   

More with less?

With less staff, there is less available time for operators to attend classes. Many of our local operators can only attend evening or weekends classes. At many utilities, positions are not being filled after some operators retire. This is causing real concern among the trainers and human resource departments: Who will we get to fill these positions?

Over the last several years, I have seen an increase in people willing to join the water and wastewater industry as a second career. Some are leaving other industries to join ours due to the economy, rising fuel costs, and downsizing. I get many people from the real estate workforce, the trucking industry, and the military asking how to get jobs in the water-wastewater field.

It’s wonderful that we have folks willing and able to join the field, but how long will they be working in this job? How do we get young folks right out of high school, who do not long for a college education, to become water and wastewater operators?

In the accompanying table provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Operator Certification Program, you can see the evidence. More than 63 percent of the drinking water and wastewater operators in Florida are between the ages of 41 and 60, and fewer than 5 percent under the age of 30.

Technically advanced plants

Keeping up with the times couldn’t be more important than right now. Gone are the good old days of simple-to-control treatment units, where we just ran DO tests, settleometers, chlorine residual and pH tests. With the U.S. EPA facing litigation from environmental groups demanding stricter effluent discharge limits, our jobs have become more intense and advanced.

Facilities having to meet very low nitrogen and phosphorus limits require operators with more knowledge of the biological processes and training on how to make process control adjustments and run nutrient analysis. Today’s treatment plants have nicknames like: MBR, MBBR, SBR, Anammox process, the Sharon process, the Bardenpho process, Bio-Denipho and Bio-Denitro.

Many plants are computer-controlled, with relays, programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and automated valves. Troubleshooting these devices requires knowledge of electronics, instrumentation and 4-20 mA signals. If a valve opens at the incorrect time, or does not shut properly or fully, the whole treatment process can suffer, and so will effluent quality.

Online vs. classroom

Today, online training opportunities exist like never before. Operators can take online courses to obtain their required CEUs, get training on almost any topic imaginable, and even take courses required to sit for state exams. In very unofficial studies in my classes at the TREEO Center, I ask participants about the online training they have taken and their thoughts on the material.

Just about 9 out of 10 people say that they prefer classroom teaching. Most of them cite the inability to feel a part of the training during online sessions, the monotony of sitting at a computer for hours, and the inability to do hands-on activities. However some prefer the online method due to convenience, the absence of travel, the ability to start and stop the training at will, and the cost savings. I find it interesting that the folks who prefer online training are younger (generally under 30). My concerns about online training, including webinars, are:

• Who is validating the course material?
• Who wrote the course material: trainer or vendor/manufacturer?
• Is the operator really the person at the computer logging the time for the class and CEUs?
• How do we confirm that the training, once completed, is really comprehended?

Distracted operators

As a trainer, I see today’s operators doing much more with less time and sometimes less money. They carry cellphones, smartphones, two-way radios, laptops and various other devices. Many times, they need these devices to stay in communication with the high-tech treatment plants they operate. During training sessions, trainers must compete for the attention of distracted operators who can quickly look up any topic on a smartphone during the class.

Operators receive text messages, emails and phone calls during class, distracting them and those around them from the material being presented. I remind many students to turn off their phones, but this becomes a problem if they need to use the smartphone as a calculator. I always keep generic calculators close by for such occasions!

Great questions!

At the end of my speaking time during WEFTEC, I asked for questions from the audience. I was pleased to get several great ones. One question was: “How can we get more young people into this field?” My reply: We need to get out there and get our industry noticed! We are terrible at marketing ourselves and what we do.

Wastewater and drinking water operators seem to be behind-the-scenes people, doing our jobs every day, often unnoticed. We need to reach out to vocational-technical school representatives and high school guidance counselors, attend local job fairs at schools, go to malls and workforce centers. TPO magazine has had many articles about people who are doing all of this with their local schools and community colleges. We need to let people know that we are in a highly technical field that the human race cannot live without.

Another good question was about “reciprocity in licensing between the states, to allow more flow between the states operators.” My reply: I believe it’s time we all come together and form a nationwide licensing board for water and wastewater operators. So many of our states require course work to sit for an exam, and the most common courses used are the tried-and-true California State University Sacramento Office of Water Program’s courses on Operation of Wastewater Treatment Facilities (Vols. 1 and 2) and the Advanced Waste Treatment course.

Since this material is the main training source, why can’t we make that our reference manual for the exams, pull questions from them, and build a set of exams that would be uniform around the country?

The Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) licensing program has a table that shows reciprocity between their licensing and 36 states, territories and tribal agencies. It can be found at www.abccert.org/abc_certification_program/exam_equivalancy.asp.

My thought on this issue is: Why don’t we have a uniform base test administered in every state, covering the basic topics of treatment plant operation: safety, maintenance, general chemistry and biological theory, disinfection, basic math and EPA regulations?

On passing that basic exam, trainees could take specialized exams for the types of treatment in which they wanted endorsement: activated sludge, trickling filters, nutrient removal and others. The same could apply in the drinking water industry. An operator who wanted to move to Montana or California or Florida could then take a specialized exam covering treatment techniques used in that state or locale. I believe this would make us more valuable and marketable as operators and increase our pride and professionalism.

I hope this perspective generates some interest and discussion. Let me know if you find yourself saying, “Yes, that’s what is happening to my utility, or in my workplace, or during my training sessions.”

About the author

Ron Trygar is senior training specialist in water and wastewater at the University of Florida TREEO Center and a certified environmental trainer (CET). He can be reached at rtrygar@treeo.ufl.edu.