ON TAP

BY TED J. RULSEH, EDITOR

We Cant Afford What?

A report shows that utility leaders worry about future funding for water and wastewater systems. On this issue, our society needs to grow up and get with it.

eports on aging infrastructure come out every so often, a few of them each year it seems, from different entities. The latest Report Card on Infrastructure from the American Society of Civil Engineers bore a measure of good news it assigned the nations water and wastewater systems a grade of D, after several years of D-minus. D still means poor, but at least its a step in the right direction. Another report issued last year, from the Black & Veatch consulting rm, is perhaps less encouraging. It is notable for its perspective instead of reporting the condition of the broader infrastructure, it explores the condition of water and wastewater systems and, more specically, how utility leaders feel about it. The Strategic Directions in the U.S. Water Utility Industry Report identies top challenges facing the drinking water and wastewater sectors, and it cites capital costs and funding as the industry leaders top concerns. This statement from Cindy Wallis-Lage, president of the Black & Veatch global water business, speaks volumes: Utility leaders are continuously challenged to make the most of limited budgets a situation truer today than just ve years ago. As a result, the vast majority of survey respondents doubt the sufciency of their future funding to manage and maintain their systems.

management improvement programs. Fine. If tight budgets promote greater efciency, thats not a bad thing. But then: 85 percent of respondents said average water consumers have little or no understanding of the gap between rates paid and the cost of providing water and wastewater services. This in itself is an unsettling thought. And furthermore, why is there a gap in the rst place? Shouldnt it be axiomatic that sewer and water rates cover the true costs of the services? And then this: Nearly half of utility leaders believe customers will probably be willing to pay the higher rates needed to fund capital improvements [emphasis added]. Which on the ip side means more than half doubt it!

Paying the piper

Its time for that doubt to go away. One thing I have learned from working in business and observing business is that being bashful about pricing is a form of slow suicide. If you run a business, you need to charge what your product or service is worth, including enough to earn a fair prot. If you cant do that if your customers literally wont pay it then you shouldnt be in the business.

Frightening thought

Think about what she said. The vast majority of that their services have to be cheap. That isnt true. The services people in leadership roles at water and wastewater utilhave to be efcient not the same thing as cheap. ities are not sure they can afford to run and keep up Things arent much different for a wastewater or water utility. Public their systems of piping and treatment plants. If that doesnt terrify people servants of all stripes seem to labor under the assumption that their serin the water business, it certainly should. The consequences of letting our water-related systems go to seed are vices have to be cheap. That isnt true. The services have to be efcient too dire even to imagine. If we assume, correctly, that clean water is life, not the same thing as cheap. The price of the service has to reect the true then these facilities are more important than any other public infrastruccost of providing it, and that includes enough for upkeep and future ture. And yet it appears to the industrys leadership that the public is investment. Theres just no getting around it. unwilling to pay what it costs to sustain them. As a society, weve persuaded ourselves that we cant afford the risLook, this isnt a choice. If were going to drink clean water and proing costs to support excellent services, whether that be schools, parks, tect our lakes and streams from pollution, then we have to take care of the transit, or utilities. With allowance to people who genuinely are struginfrastructure, and whatever that costs, we have to pay. Efciency initiagling in a time of recession, the reality is that most of us can well afford it tives are ne. If we can get more done with the same or less money, thats we simply prefer not to pay it. That isnt a responsible attitude, and it a plus. But cost savings only go so far. Sooner or later we have to pony up, needs to change. or face service issues, permit violations, pipe breaks, sinkholes in the In the words of John Chevrette, president of the Black & Veatch manstreets, sewage overows and worse. agement consulting division, Overcoming todays challenges requires a signicant change in how utilities develop and implement strategic and capital plans. At the same time, consumers must better understand that water Between the lines and wastewater services are not free or low-cost. Rather, these are services Lets look at some of the basic ndings listed in the Black & Veatch report. that must be paid for in an equitable and responsible manner. May it be so. For one, more than 75 percent of respondents said they had taken You can read the full Black & Veatch report at www.bv.com/survey. wso steps to cut energy usage. More than half said they were taking on asset

ublic servants of all stripes seem to labor under the assumption

WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR

Garloff draws great satisfaction from his role in delivering a reliable supply of quality water.

I oversaw the human-machine interface and made sure the features included things that actually helped the operators. I had to decide whether to add or omit things operators needed to see or didnt need to see. A lot of it was how the screens were set up. Some of the data the system was collecting was totally irrelevant to the operators. Garloff says the new SCADA system is relatively simple and does not override the need to visit the plants daily. It doesnt control valves, but its very useful in collecting data on a real-time basis and keeping a record for the future, he says. It handles all the telemetry from the plants to the overhead tanks to the home ofce. It has enabled us to ne-tune the system to adapt to changing demands. The SCADA system has also proved helpful in monitoring chlorine, pH, and pressure, especially in the hydro-tanks at the various plants. Now we can run the system based on air pressure, or the height of the water level in the tank, Garloff says. It gives us complete control. In the old days, youd adjust the nut and hope you ended up at the right pressure.

That characterization is beginning to change as more people come to the beach in all seasons and put more and more demands on the water system Garloff and his company care for. Still, the tourist season is the most hectic. As Garloff makes his way from water plant to water plant, the drivers clogging the intersections probably have no idea who he is. If they realized that the shower theyll enjoy at the end of the day is due to Garloff and his company, they might give him a bit more space on the highway. wso

MORE INFO:
Hach Company
800/227-4224 www.hach.com
(See ad page 3)

Pulsafeeder Inc.

941/575-4085 www.pulsafeeder.com

Highland Tank & Manufacturing Co.

804/893-5701 www.highlandtank.com 949/727-3200 www.iom.invensys.com 800/544-2444 www.kohlerpower.com

Schneider Electric

888/778-2733 www.schneider-electric.us

More demands
In the end, Garloffs daily efforts are not just about making water treatment easier or more efcient; theyre about assuring a reliable supply of clean water for customers in a changing environment. Theres a T-shirt out there that says Slower, Lower Delaware, Garloff observes. We used to joke that you couldnt walk across Route 1 [the main north-south highway through Garloffs territory] in summer, but you could walk 30 miles up the center line in winter.

Invensys Operations Management

Sensaphone

877/373-2700 www.sensaphone.com

KOHLER Power Systems

wsomag.com July 2013

11

ABOVE: Relief operator Jamie Dyer

sedimentation basins.

LEFT: The plants occulation

works on the plant SCADA system.

First in line
Maryville is the rst plant to draw water off the river, which begins in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Turbidity uctuates from 1.50 NTU in dry weather to as high as 500 NTU when it rains. In 2008, operators switched from alum to feeding PACl. It produces better oc in cold water, the pH doesnt drop, and we dont have to feed as much caustic soda because PACl isnt as acidic as alum, says Holder. Those were big advantages, and they helped us immensely. Those werent the only changes the plant team made they take pride in improving things wherever they see a need, and often with no outside help. A case in point was the replacement of a bar screen at the raw water intake that often clogged with leaves. We decided to replace the screen in-house, and it was a hefty chore, says Holder. We ordered a wedge wire intake screen with 1/8-inch openings and assembled the parts. The staff waited until the river dropped below 8 feet deep, but by then it was January and the water temperature was 36 degrees F. Prince hired a crane to swing the screen out over the river, and a certied diver to position it with help from a staff member. Eric is old school and will never ask

somebody to do something that he wont do himself, says Prince. However, there wasnt a dry suit large enough for his 6-foot-6-inch frame. Prince suited up to help remove the bolts holding the bar screen to the intake pipe, maneuver it out of the water, guide the new screen onto the pipe, and tighten the bolts. They also positioned and bolted bracing for the intake screen. The entire installation took 90 minutes.

One giant leap

Holder and staff also installed an air compressor to blow leaves and debris off the screen. A sensor setpoint tells when the water level in the pump station wet well begins to drop, indicating that the screen is clogged. Hitting a button on the SCADA system activates the air compressor. Improving the intake was an interesting project that really helped the plant and equipment operate as designed, says Prince. Mechanical obstacles were dwarfed by the challenge of switching from manual operations to a SCADA-controlled environment. The operators, accustomed to turning valves and ipping switches, had limited computer skills. We had never dealt with anything like SCADA, so it was a steep and rapid learning curve, says Holder. But we hung in there and no one quit. Holder not only mastered the system; he began readjusting setpoints to guarantee sufcient time for operators to respond to alarms. True operators are called on to do many different things, says Prince. When this team sees a need, they gure out what to do, then do it. After the plant upgrade, they poured and nished a concrete slab on which they installed a metal storage building. Then an operator suggested it would be handy if the chlorine building had a loading dock for the 1-ton chlorine cylinders. We all jumped in, says Holder. We built a frame from 12-inch concrete block, poured and nished the concrete, painted it, and installed a safety railing. Hiring a contractor to do the work would have cost the city $15,000.

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WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR

FAR LEFT: Ed Farber services an alum feed pump (Flowrox). LEFT: Ken Eller

performs a chlorine titration. The plant uses chloramination twice in the process, requiring a high degree of control.

to DBPs, says Miller. We rely more on sodium permanganate to replace the oxidation of iron and manganese as we try to lower chlorine dosing. Susquehanna blending is another tool, since the Susquehanna waters tend to form fewer HAAs than the Octoraro and have lower chlorine demand.

Meeting Phase IV
The plant entered the Partnership for Safe Water after Miller attended a Partnership summit in Hershey, Pa. Once the operators started working toward Phase IV, they realized they had to be more proactive in meeting stringent turbidity requirements. We have real-time trending of the settled water and individual lter turbidity on most of the computers in the plant, specically the control room computer, says Miller. Each sedimentation basin has an online turbidimeter, which gives us early warning if the coagulation/occulation process is not optimized. Operators constantly monitor these trends. If lter turbidities are trending up, a backwash is triggered before the water reaches 0.100 NTU, the Partnership Phase Stabler; 2009 Partnership for Safe IV goal. The streaming current Drinking Water Phase III Five Years detector and particle charge anaDirectors Award; 2009-2011 Area lyzer allows operators to troubleWide Optimization Program (AWOP) shoot the process early, before awards from the state DEP. turbidity goals are exceeded. We do routine filterability index (FI) testing to verify coagulant performance, says Miller. If any change is made to a coagulant dose, the results are veried using the FI test. I would say that striving to meet Phase IV goals has improved everyones understanding of water treatment techniques. Every month, the turbidity graphs (individual lter efuent, combined lter efuent, and settled) for the month are posted outside the control room. A graph for combined lter efuent from 2004 to the present shows all turbidity spikes. This gives operators visual feedback about their performance. Our plant improvements made it possible to meet the Phase IV goals from a plant conguration standpoint, says Miller. We have the tools in our toolbox, and its up to us to use them properly. A good example was last fall after Sandy. One of the basins was ofine for equipment replacement, recalls Miller. The operators quick response allowed us to meet Phase IV goals with just three basins online. In mid-November, the water temperature began to drop, and the alum performance began to suffer in treating the ne colloids left from the storm. The plant team had decided to begin feeding PACl about three weeks earlier than normal. While waiting for PACl delivery, the turbidity of a few of the lters post-backwash briey spiked above 0.100 NTU, MORE INFO: recalls Miller. Rather than wait Chemtrac, Inc. for it to drop during ripening, the 800/442-8722 www.chemtrac.com operators immediately took the lter ofine and ltered it to waste Flowrox Inc. 410/636-2250 until the turbidity dropped below www.owrox.us 0.100 NTU. (See ad page 47) Its the kind of proactive thinkMicrometrix Corp. ing and collaboration that have 770/271-1330 made the Octoraro treatment plant www.micrometrix.com a high-performing facility. wso (See ad page 23)

WINNING EFFORTS
A number of awards highlight the strengths of the staff at the

Octoraro Water Treatment Plant. Recent accolades include: 2003 AWWA Pennsylvania section Operator Meritorious Service Award to Gordon Miller; 2006 Operator Meritorious Service Award to Patricia

The operators are Raymond Brantner, Kenneth Eller, James Freese, Steven Jacobs, Ted Moran, Steve Rowlands, David Sapp and Steve Young; relief operators are Edward Farber and David Paterson. The operators take pride in their work and freely collaborate. Many times we need multiple minds working on the same issue, and I can count on the entire operations, maintenance and laboratory team for that, says Stabler. We get support from other departments, and we have access to service providers and engineers.

Beyond the plant

Operators also monitor the reservoir and dam and patrol the plant site. They remotely position and monitor valves and tank levels at a storage facility ve miles away, remotely start and stop pumps, operate other equipment at the Susquehanna pump station 13 miles away, and monitor ow, pressure, sump levels and other parameters on SCADA. They remotely monitor the levels of the two lagoons and the operation of the lagoon recycle pumps. Operators must make sure there is room in the lagoons for process water discharged to them, and that the water recycled from them to the raw water for re-treatment does not adversely affect treatment, says Miller. Operators check the dam several times a day, particularly the toe drain, for leakage or abnormalities. An important job is ood watch during rain events. If the reservoir level is rising, a maintenance person is contacted to lift the reservoir tainter gates. The plant has always complied with nitrate limits by blending the two water sources. The Susquehanna source is a better-quality water, and nitrates are generally 2.0 to 3.0 mg/L in the winter, whereas the reservoir is close to 10.0 mg/L, says Miller. We calculate the flow from the Susquehanna needed to lower nitrate to below 8.0 mg/L. Disinfection byproducts (DBPs), specically haloacetic acids (HAA5), are challenging in wet years. Storms cause organic loading, which leads

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WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR

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WINNING THEM OVER

Buried Treasure
As an entity that relies on local water sources not imports the Mesa Water District takes extra pains to teach about the importance of the resource
BY LINDA EDMONDSON

nlike many water districts in Southern California, the Mesa Water District doesnt rely on water from the California Delta or the Colorado River. Mesa Water is off the import grid, drawing solely from an aquifer and a second unique source deep underground. Accordingly, the district has invested not just in technology, but in education to help assure the community of a safe water supply for hundreds of years to come. Mesa Water is an AAA-rated independent special district serving more than 110,000 customers in an 18-square-mile area that includes most of Costa Mesa, parts of Newport Beach, and some unincorporated areas in Orange

County, including the John Wayne Airport. Its community education program has two target audiences: fth graders and adults. Both programs aim to raise water awareness and encourage people to get involved.

Starting young
Because the California State Board of Education mandates science education in fth grade that includes water, ecosystems and environments, and the forms of water, the Mesa district had the perfect opportunity. Partnering with the

Newport Mesa Unied School District, teachers from the nonprot Discovery Science Center in Orange County, and the Municipal Water District of Orange County, Mesa Water brings curriculum built around water stewardship. The districts goal is to help students understand the importance of water, not only for life, but also for commerce and industry, says Stacy Taylor, communications manager. The core message is not that they shouldnt use water, but that they understand the importance of water to future generations

An educational brochure for the Mesa districts Water Issues Study Group.

sists of evening meetings on the third Wednesday of every month

The goal for all of our educational programs is to help change how people think about this very important resource and motivate them to get engaged, be involved and spread the message.
STACY TAYLOR

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MESA WATER

and how to use water wisely today. The in-school programs include a 45-minute assembly, plus the option of two follow-up laboratory-style lessons on water quality, each about one hour long. Students receive brochures about water, including a booklet from Orange County about watersheds, stormwater and pollution prevention. The Mesa Water communications staff hands out other materials about the district and water in general.

Learning in depth
Phil Lauri, P.E., engineer with the Mesa Water District, demonstrates to an adult class the amber-colored water that the district turns clear using a unique technology.

The adult program is built around the districts award-winning Water Issues Study Group (WISG), launched in 1986. It con-

for four consecutive months. As in many California communities, environmentally conscious citizens there are concerned about the states increasingly arid climate and about preserving water for future generations. We have an incredible natural resource right under us, says Taylor. Were one of only two water districts with the technology to tap into and treat whats called redwood tea amber-colored underground water, colored by ancient buried redwood trees. The Mesa Water Reliability Facility (MWRF), returned to service in 2012 after a two-year improvement project, treats the water and removes its distinctive color.

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WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR

NEWS

INDUSTRY

Xylems Dallas facility receives ISO certication

WILO USA names director of service

WILO USA, provider of pumps and pump solutions for water management, named Ralf Peifer director of service for its new factory service center in Thomasville, Ga. He will be responsible for dening processes and procedures within the service department, assessing and auditing third-party service centers and managing sales through the service centers.

Xylems Dallas facility received ISO 9001:2008 certication. The plant designs and manufactures packaged pumping systems, controls and RO treatment systems for municipal, residential, commercial and industrial applications. The ISO audit was performed by Det Norske Veritas.

Endress+Hauser launches online instrumentation training

Endress+Hauser launched its End User Academy (www.us.endress.com/ eua), enabling eld technicians to gain training to run plant operations safely and efciently without spending extended time away from their regular jobs. Online training modules give technicians the preparation needed to begin on site and classroom training. Topics include ow, level, pressure, temperature, liquid analysis, recorders and components and solutions.

Ralf Peifer

CH2M HILL vice president, managing director receive university recognition

Blake Jeffcoat, vice president and U.S. client sector director for CH2Ms Water Business Group, was named 2013 Outstanding Civil Engineering Alumnus by Auburn Universitys Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Thomas G. Searle, managing director for Canada at CH2M HILL, received the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award from Marquette Universitys College of Engineering and the Marquette University Alumni Association.

Thomas & Betts publishes safety catalog

Thomas & Betts published the last in a series of four safety technology catalogs. The catalog includes hazardous and emergency lighting and surge suppression products. Catalogs are available through Thomas & Betts sales representatives.

Industrial Scientic opens distribution center

Industrial Scientic opened its newly leased, 19,500-square-foot distribution center in Oakdale, Pa. The Pittsburgh-area facility supports global order fulllment, regional manufacturing and instrument repair.

FCI owmeter receives approvals

The ST100 Series thermal mass air/gas owmeter from Fluid Components International received ATEX and IECEx approvals for safe operation in potentially hazardous environments. The enclosure is ame proof and protects from dust ignition.

SJE-Rhombus names sales representative

SJE-Rhombus named Northeast Sales Associates to represent its product line in Upstate New York. NESAs sales team includes six outside representatives, two inside sales/service associates, a quotation manager and an ofce manager.

Koch Membrane Systems hires regional manager

Koch Membrane Systems named Coley Ali regional manager for the western United States and Canada. He will focus on identifying opportunities for growth and developing strategic relationships as KMS prepares to launch a series of new products for the water and wastewater market.

Grundfos breaks ground on North American headquarters

Denmark-based pump manufacturer Grundfos broke ground on its North American headquarters building in Downers Grove, Ill. Pursuing LEED Silver certication, the facility will feature low-ow water xtures, Energy Star-approved ofce appliances and heating, ventilation and air conditioning free of chlorouorocarbon-based refrigerants. Up to 75 percent of construction waste will be diverted to recycling facilities, with ofce furniture, carpet and ceiling tiles made from at least 20 percent recycled materials.

Dow opens California manufacturing plant

Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., opened a manufacturing facility in Menlo Park, Calif. The plant will make Tequatic Plus ne particle lters and house a research and development department.

Penn Stainless receives ISO certication

Penn Stainless Products received ISO 9001:2008 standard certication from National Quality Assurance, U.S.A. The standard certies the company meets specic requirements for a quality management system and demonstrates its ability to consistently provide products that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Imagine H2O, WaterTAP Ontario join forces

WaterTAP Ontario signed a memorandum of understanding with San Francisco-based Imagine H2O to encourage participation by Ontario water technology companies in Imagine H2Os water innovation business strategy competitions and to access its incubator resources. Imagine H2O is a nonprot organization that helps entrepreneurs turn water challenges into business opportunities. Winners of its global business plan competitions receive access to its accelerator programs and potential investors.

Thompson Pumps holds Pumpology School

Thompson Pump & Manufacturing Co. held its 23rd annual Pumpology School in April at its corporate facilities in Port Orange, Fla. A total of 55 attendees from 15 states and seven foreign countries took part in the three-day workshop that included training sessions for sales and service professionals.

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WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR