October 2013

wso
WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR

TM
Managing Our Most Valuable Resource

October 2013
www.wsomag.com
BRIGHT IDEAS:
Saving water in Broward County, Fla.

Page 32
TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE:
Insight through analytics

Page 30
William Dusty Martin Operations Supervisor Carrboro, N.C.
Focused on Achievement
DUSTY MARTIN BUILDS HIS OWN SKILLS WHILE INSPIRING THOSE AROUND HIM
Page 16
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE:
Automation for efficiency in Colorado Springs

Page 13
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October 2013
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Published monthly by COLE Publishing, Inc. 1720 Maple Lake Dam Rd., PO Box 220, Three Lakes, WI 54562 Call toll free 800-257-7222 / Outside of U.S. or Canada call 715-546-3346 Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. CST Website: www.wsomag.com / Email: info@wsomag.com / Fax: 715-546-3786 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: A one-year (12 issues) subscription to WSO TM in the United States and Canada is FREE to qualified subscribers. A qualified subscriber is any individual or company in the United States or Canada that partakes in the consulting, design, installation, manufacture, management or operation of water treatment systems. To subscribe, return the subscription card attached to each issue, visit wsomag.com or call 800-257-7222. Non-qualified subscriptions are available at a cost of $60 per year in the United States and Canada/Mexico and $150 per year to all other foreign countries. To subscribe, visit wsomag. com or send company name, mailing address, phone number and check or money order (U.S. funds payable to COLE Publishing Inc.) to the address above. MasterCard, VISA and Discover are also accepted. Include credit card information with your order. ADDRESS CHANGES: Submit to WSO, P.O. Box 220, Three Lakes, WI, 54562; call 800257-7222 (715-546-3346); fax to 715-546-3786; or email nicolel@colepublishing.com. Include both old and new addresses. Our subscriber list is occasionally made available to carefully selected companies whose products or services may be of interest to you. Your privacy is important to us. If you prefer not to be a part of these lists, please contact Nicole at nicolel@colepublishing.com. ADVERTISING RATES: Call 800-994-7990 and ask for Kim or Phil. Publisher reserves the right to reject advertising which in its opinion is misleading, unfair or incompatible with the character of the publication. EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE: Address to Editor, WSO, P.O. Box 220, Three Lakes, WI, 54562 or email editor@wsomag.com. REPRINTS AND BACK ISSUES: Visit www.wsomag.com for options and pricing. To order reprints, call Jeff Lane at 800-257-7222 (715-546-3346) or email jeffl@colepublishing.com. To order back issues, call Nicole at 800-257-7222 (715-546-3346) or email nicolel@cole publishing.com. CIRCULATION: Average circulation is 36,471 copies per month.
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Contents
October 2013
QUALITY LEADERS
Agency: Sustainable Excellence
Page 22
A long-term sustainability program at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority saves substantial water and energy through dedicated team effort.
BY TRUDE WITHAM
Plant: Tackling Turbidity

BY SCOTTIE DAYTON
Page 8
An experienced and highly qualified team and a newly upgraded treatment plant keep quality water flowing in Clifton Forge, Va.
ON THE COVER: William Dusty Martin is on a mission to interest young people in careers in water. As operations supervisor at the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant, he wants them to know water is a good career path. He has found ample rewards in his own 21-year water career. (Photography by Mark Perry)
Operator: Focused on Achievement

BY JACK POWELL
Page 16
Dusty Martin has built a rewarding career by furthering his education, enhancing his skills and inspiring those around him.
ON TAP Page 6
the chemical and physical processes at work.

BY JOHN ROWE, PH.D.
PRODUCT FOCUS Page 38
Where Would You Invest?
Researchers asked: What would you do with $100 billion for U.S. infrastructure? Maybe more to the point, what would you do with $1 million more in your budget?
BY TED J. RULSEH, EDITOR
Pumps, Drives and Valves

BY CRAIG MANDLI
INDUSTRY NEWS Page 27 PUMPS DIRECTORY 2013 Page 28 TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE Page 30
WORTH NOTING Page 42 People/Awards; Education; Events
EDITORS CHOICE Page 7
Find other useful and timely information at www.wsomag.com

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE Page 13
Water Wisdom
Real-time monitoring and analysis of multiple parameters can help utilities operate efficiently and provide reliable, affordable service.
BY TED J. RULSEH
Coming Next Issue: November 2013

FOCUS: Metering and Security
Quality Leaders Plant: Diatomaceous earth filtration in Kalama, Wash. Quality Leaders Plant: Burnt Store Water Treatment Plant, Punta Gorda, Fla. Quality Leaders Operator: Judy Adams, Brownsville, Texas Tech Talk: Surface sealing issues and answers Winning Them Over: Conservation education in Durham, N.C. Technology Deep Dive: Monitoring and analysis software from GE Sustainable Practice: Systematic approach at Las Vegas Valley Water District
Data Driven
Colorado Springs Water Utility keeps energy costs down by using automated systems to predict water demand, identify efficient processes and maximize off-peak pumping.
BY LISA BALCERAK
BRIGHT IDEAS Page 32
Flush With Success
A cooperative water conservation program based largely on rebates for water-saving toilets places big dividends in Floridas Broward County.
BY SCOTTIE DAYTON
WINNING THEM OVER Page 14
Sticking to Principles
Three basic ideas permeate Joanne Ruffts presentation for Artesian Water Company on the value of groundwater resources.
BY PETE LITTERSKI
PRODUCT NEWS Page 34 Product Spotlight: Digital panel meters provide visibility, versatility
BY ED WODALSKI
TECH TALK Page 20
A Look at the Basics
CASE STUDIES Page 36
Coagulation and flocculation are fundamental to drinking water treatment. Heres a look at
Pumps, Drives and Valves

BY CRAIG MANDLI
ON TAP
BY TED J. RULSEH, EDITOR
Where Would You Invest?

Researchers asked: What would you do with $100 billion for US infrastructure? Maybe more to the point, what would you do with $1 million more in your budget?
hat would you do if you had $100 billion to spend on the nations water infrastructure? Last June, the Johnson Foundation at Wingspread posed that question to five water infrastructure experts. The question matters because citizens, ratepayers and policymakers face significant challenges around water. The U.S. EPA has estimated that it will take an additional $384 billion of infrastructure investment over the next 20 years to ensure safe drinking water for Americans.
maximum efficiency. In fact, far from costing money, many of these investments would actually save money in the medium to long term.
Paul Fleming, manager of the Climate Resiliency Group with Seattle Public Utilities, observed, The challenges of a changing climate require us to cultivate a deep, vertical understanding of how climate will exacerbate existing and create new risks for our water systems. At the same time, we must look horizontally across multiple systems energy, transportation, agriculture to understand and assess the interconnections between those systems and water systems and prepare for, and manage, any shared risks that arise. And this from Edwin Piero, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer with Veolia Water, North America: When most people think about water infrastructure, the immediate image is of pipes, valves, pumps and treatment plants in short, traditional, man-made infrastructure. To transform the future course of infrastructure resilience and reliability, this type of thinking has to change. We need to think broadly of how to leverage our ecosystem the natural worlds
Of course, thinking nationally, globally, is fine but most water utilities have more immediate concerns, like staying in regulatory compliance and continuing to produce a reliable supply of high-quality water in the face of unending budget pressure. In that light, what would you do if given not $100 billion, not $1 billion, but a $1 million windfall to invest in your operations? Or if you preWhat leaders said fer, pick a dollar figure that represents, say, 10 percent beyond your The exact question the researchers asked was: Looking at the intersecannual operations budget. Where would you invest it? tion of water and climate change, where do you see the biggest opportunities to To be sure there are priorities. Aging pumps that need replacement or reimagine, rethink and recalibrate our approach to water infrastructure? How rebuilding. Renewable energy to reduce reliance on utility power and would you spend the next $100 billion? fuel. More energy efficient buildings. A new and more effective chlorinaThe answers were thought-provoking. For example, John Dickert, tion system. A new compensation plan that more properly provides incenmayor of Racine, Wis., stated, I believe that its critical we identify tives for excellence. approaches and actions to prepare ourselves for what comes next. In the I doubt there are many water utility leaders who feel they have all the area of water infrastructure, just like other climate challenges, we must financial resources they need to operate at optimal quality and maximum thoughtfully plan for the future, not simply react as it happens. efficiency. In fact, far from costing money, many of these investments would actually save money in the doubt there are many water utility leaders who feel they have all medium to long term. So much could be done if only the financial resources they need to operate at optimal quality and the purse strings could be loosened.
integrated processes and mechanisms with water resource management.
But what about you?
Share your wish list
So, what are your investment priorities? If the water fairy godmother came and bestowed an extra million dollars on you, how would you invest it to improve your facilities? Please share your thoughts by sending a note to editor@wsomag.com. I promise to respond, and well report on the comments in a future issue. Meantime, if you want to read the full answers to the Johnson Foundations $100 billion question, visit www.johnsonfdn.org/aboutus/inspiring solutions. wso
ITS YOUR
MAGAZINE
Tell your story.
WSO welcomes news about your water system for future articles.
Send your ideas to editor@wsomag.com or call 715/277-4094
EDITORS CHOICE
Find other useful and timely information at www.wsomag.com

ater System Operator aims to bring stories that help you and your plant perform better. Now we do more of the same at www.wsomag.com. There youll find stories that appear only online and that are current, because theyre not subject to the lead times involved in the print magazine. Here are a few online exclusives recommended by the WSO editorial team:
Overcoming Barriers to Water Innovation

Making a process better is nothing new, but often it faces resistance. New technology is scrutinized, questioned, and even purposefully avoided until advocates break the barrier of skepticism. The AWWA and other organizations aim to change that. The AWWA has formed a committee of experts and concerned citizens to identify, analyze and overcome the chief obstacles to innovation. They started by identifying the top five barriers and then elected subcommittee chairs to oversee each area.
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Madison Water Utility Takes Product on the Road With Water Wagon
The Madison (Wis.) Water Utility reckoned that delivering water in an old-fashioned cart would help promote the value of its product. The Water Wagon, which delivers ice-cold water to attendees at major events, began with a brainstorming session headed by engineer Kelly Miess in 2011. We were watching people buying bottled water at a price almost 5,000 times the cost of tap water, says Amy Barrilleaux, public information officer. This was our chance to compete head-to-head with bottled water by offering residents a free taste of our own quality water, right from the Madison Aquifer.
Iowa Cities Track, Wage War On High Nitrate Levels in Drinking Water
It took nearly three months and $525,000, but Des Moines Water Works prevailed over record-setting nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, two primary water sources. The 85-day battle to return to levels considered safe by the U.S. EPA raised issues ranging from drought to land management and even touched Cedar Rapids. The EPA limits nitrate to 10 mg/L for drinking water. At one point last summer, Des Moines saw record levels at 18.62 mg/L.
3 Storage Tank Components to Consider on Your Next Plant Upgrade

Are your tank components beginning to show their age? It might be time to consider an upgrade. Assuming a limited budget, which three components should you choose? There are numerous factors to consider. What you choose depends on where you draw your water surface sources or aquifers as well as plant size and location. Rick Garloff of Tidewater Utilities in Delaware, says a welded storage tank, mixing system and geodesic dome would make his list, while Rob Gray of Chester (Pa.) Water Authority, would consider a roof hatch, mixing system and welded storage tank. wso
Check out all these stories at www.wsomag.com/ec/2013/October
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wsomag.com October 2013
TACKLING
TURBIDITY
An experienced and highly qualified team and a newly upgraded treatment plant keep quality water flowing in Clifton Forge, Va.
STORY: SCOTTIE DAYTON PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF REID
T
8
he Clifton Forge Water Treatment Plant is one of very few surface water facilities with no population, industry or agriculture upstream from its intakes on spring-fed Smith Creek. Originating in the heart of George Washington National Forest in Virginia, the cold, pristine water is the plants biggest challenge. When the plant opened in 1960, operators thought they were doing something wrong because the water wouldnt flocculate properly until they replaced the standard ground alum with activated alum. Cold raw water and low turbidity combined to make floc formation extremely difficult in winter, says Bobby Irvine, plant manager. Even in summer, water temperatures hover between 54 and 57 degrees F. The plant was not designed with turbidity as a top priority, and water conditions deteriorate in direct proportion to rainfall and snowmelt. Our greatest accomplishment was producing quality water with outdated equipment in an aging facility, says Irvine. We kept things going when there was little money to buy what we needed. The plant has never lost a day of service since Irvine became plant manager in 1986. The long overdue upgrade arrived in 2008, but not before the Virginia Rural Water Association named Clifton Forge the 1999 State Water SysWATER SYSTEM OPERATOR
tem of the Year. The association named Irvine the 1998 State Operator of the Year. John Riley, assistant plant manager, earned the 2010 State Operator of the Year award, and Tony Kimberlin won 2011 State Technician of the Year, also from the VRWA. Clifton Forge also received the 2011 Excellence in Water Treatment award from the Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water Waterworks Recognition Committee. The Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project presented the plant with the 2011 and 2012 Turbidity Removal Award.
The team at the Clifton Forge Water Treatment Plant includes, from left, E.R. Gilbert, Class 1 operator; Jeff Johnson, Class 3 operator; John W. Riley Jr., assistant plant manager; Tony Kimberlin, Class 1 operator, and Bobby Irvine, plant manager. Not pictured is Wayne Walton, Class 3 operator.
QUALITY LEADERS
PLANT
First line of defense
Turbidity has been a battlefront for the plant as regulations have become steadily stricter. Raw water turbidity averages 0.9 to 1.1 NTU in dry weather, 2.0 to 4.0 NTU in wet weather, and more than 200 NTU on rare occasions, such as after hurricanes. The $2 million renovation in 2008 included installation of a streaming current monitor (HF scientific) in the raw water line and a flash mix basin between the coagulant injection point and the rapid mix basins to optimize floc formation. Tube settlers (Meurer Research) were added in the settling basins to enhance turbidity removal, and the four rapid sand filters were upgraded to dual-media filters using anthracite (Roberts Filters). The original filters had hydraulic valves, says Irvine. After 50-some years, they were mean. Operators had to tap them with hammers to open and shut them. One of the happiest days of my life was when we installed the electronic valve actuators [AUMA Actuators].
The fact that a town of less than 4,000 people can boast four Class I operators in a small Class II plant epitomizes our long-term investment in quality drinking water.
BOBBY IRVINE
John W. Riley Jr. backwashes a filter at the Clifton Forge Plant. Riley was the 2010 Virginia Operator of the Year.
Clifton Forge (Va.) Water Treatment Plant

BUILT: | 1960
(upgraded 2008)
Today, the plant draws water via screened intakes on one of two inline dammed reservoirs, delivering 1.3 mgd through 35 miles of mains to more than 8,000 customers in Alleghany, Botetourt and Bath Counties. A daily average of 15 gallons of DelPAC 2020 polyaluminum chloride (PACl) solution (USALCO) and 10 pounds of sodium bicarbonate are added to the raw water. When turbidity is high, operators use a Praestol N 3100 polymer feed system (Ashland). The mixed water then flows to two 45,900-gallon flocculation basins, each with rapid mixers. Leaving the flocculators, the water enters two 269,000-gallon settling basins before flowing to the media filters. From the filters, water passes to a 126,500-gallon clearwell, where it is finished with 6 pounds per day of chlorine gas and 25 pounds per day of fluoride. Finished water is stored in four above-ground tanks and one elevated tank totaling 1.5 million gallons capacity. Recently, we retrofitted the flocculators with automatic frequency controllers and began using a coagulant charge analyzer [CHEMTRAC] as an aide to jar testing, says Irvine. These steps made life much easier for operators during major storms.
POPULATION SERVED: | 8,000 SERVICE AREA: | Alleghany, CAPACITY: | 3
Botetourt and Bath counties mgd design TREATMENT PROCESS: | Conventional SOURCE WATER: | Smith Creek INFRASTRUCTURE: 35 miles of water mains, four above-ground storage tanks, one elevated storage tank, two pump stations KEY CHALLENGE: | Turbidity ANNUAL BUDGET: | $1.1 million (operations) WEBSITE: | www.cliftonforgeva.gov
By any other name

The plant operates 16 hours per day the time it takes to fill the clearwell then shuts down for lack of sufficient storage. Adequate stor-
age is near the top of my wish list, says Irvine. With it, we could shut the intakes when the creek is a muddy torrent, let it flow past, and lick most turbidity problems. Were strapped by so many bothersome regulations, yet we dont have one that mandates storage capacity based on population. In the 1950s at the height of the railroad influence in Clifton Forge, the citys population averaged 6,800. Residents used all the water they wanted for a flat rate of less than $20 per month, which also covered sewer service and trash collection. January and February were the plants busiest months, as people opened their spigots at night instead of insulating their pipes to prevent freeze-ups.
10
E.R. Gilbert collects samples from the settling tanks.
Our greatest accomplishment was producing quality water with outdated equipment in an aging facility. We kept things going when there was little money to buy what we needed.
BOBBY IRVINE
Then the railroad left and half the residents went with it, leaving high unemployment and an aging population. By 2000, officials wanted to change the citys status to that of a town to receive beneficial tax rates and perks unavailable to cities. When the referendum passed a year later, voters were promised that their water would never be metered. As the plant upgrade loomed, officials discovered that becoming a town did not guarantee substantial grant money. The only way to get it was to meter the water an unpopular prospect. After the town installed automatic-read brass water meters (Hersey Water Meter), monthly utility rates increased in July 2011. Two things happened, says Irvine. First, water usage dropped substantially. Second, the grant money went away and hasnt come back entirely.
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Little gold mine

What has remained steadfast and propelled the plant to repeated award status is employee continuity. Irvine is only the second superintendent in the facilitys 53-year history. The team has a combined 83 years of experience. Irvine has been with the town for 41 years, and assistant Riley for 24 years. The newest operators are Kimberlin (seven years), E.R. Gilbert (five years), and Wayne Walton and Jeff Johnson (three years). Walton and Johnson are Class 3 operators; the others are Class 1 (most advanced). Any of them could do my job, says Irvine. The fact that a town of less than 4,000 people can boast four Class I operators in a small Class II plant epitomizes our long-term investment in quality drinking water. That commitment began when the community realized it had a unique asset and built the water plant, scheduled to open New Years Day 1960. The excitement was palpable as everyone watched their spigots for those first drops of water and nothing happened, says Irvine. The system was air locked. Operators went up and down the raw water line installing air blowoffs, and thats why the plant opened a day late. From that day forward, the town council encouraged plant team members to involve and improve themselves. The town pays all expenses for training and licensing, including gasoline, lodging, meals and the operators salaries while they are in class. Today, our biggest challenges are the economy and increasing regulations, says Irvine. My prayer is that the community continues to recognize that quality potable water is its greatest asset.
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11
HE LEADETH THEM
Bobby Irvine may be the only water plant manager in Virginia who is an ordained minister. He stumbled upon his avocation while accompanying his wife on her long commutes to ministerial school on weekends. Since I was there, I decided to take the classes with her, he says. Bobby Irvine Irvine performs an occasional wedding and now and then a funeral. He officiated the marriage of his assistant superintendent, John Riley, and his fianc on Halloween 2000. His marriage has worked out quite well, says Irvine. Irvines wife, Pamela, is the associate minister of a church in Clifton Forge. One criterion of the congregation is volunteering at hospitals. We were in a cancer ward for children, Irvine says. They taught us more about life and courage than we had learned in our lifetimes. Irvine intends to assist his wife in her full-time ministry when he retires in three years.
Jeff Johnson (foreground) runs turbidity samples while Tony Kimberlin checks pH levels.
This little water plant produces a product that will always be in demand, but we need their continued support to make it happen.
eight hours before swinging around and repeating the performance. Irvine, then an operator, left home for work on Tuesday afternoon and Distant thunder didnt return until Saturday. Next in line for financial support are the reservoirs. The primary (upper) It was nip and tuck the whole time, he says. A small chunk of wood reservoir has the best water, but small capacity it is about 100 yards had wedged itself in the raw water valve and we couldnt shut it comacross at the widest point. Dredging it takes two or three days, during which pletely. The mud eventually overwhelmed us and we had to shut down for time the plant draws water from an intake upstream in a coffer dam. three days. The state health department was here nonstop, and workers The secondary intake is in the larger (lower) reservoir, about 250 from the Westvaco paper mill in yards across at the widest. No one neighboring Covington provided My prayer is that the community continues knows what the capacities are, help and equipment. It was a bad to recognize that quality potable water is its says Irvine. Because of that, the situation that could have been engineers dont know how much avoided if wed had sufficient storgreatest asset. This little water plant produces a capacity weve lost. Back in the age capacity. product that will always be in demand, but we need 1970s, we pulled from the lower The dynamics of a commureservoir year-round. Now, its capactheir continued support to make it happen. nity-owned water plant generate ity is an issue. far-reaching ripples. School kids BOBBY IRVINE As sediment built up, algae remember Irvine from their plant proliferated in the shallower water. Customers objected to the musty tours and greet him on the streets. Riley and Kimberlin get recognition taste algae imparted to the water, and our phone rang off the hook, through their work with the town fire and rescue department. Everysays Irvine. The solution was switching to the upper reservoir by mid- to body feels as if they know everyone else, just like in Andy Griffiths Maylate-June before the algae bloomed, but that subjected the plant to higher berry, says Irvine. While the rest of the state faces a shortage of water turbidity, arriving more rapidly because the lower reservoir wasnt there to plant operators, once ours arrive, they usually stay for a long time. Clifact as a clarifier. ton Forge is that special. wso We have a four-and-a-half-hour detention time between when muddy water roars into the intake and when it reaches the filters, says Irvine. MORE INFO: Thats sufficient treatment time with the polymers and PAC, which have been a godsend. Ashland, Inc. Hersey Meters The Roberts Filter Group 859/815-3333 800/323-8584 610/583-3131 Dredging of the lower reservoir, last cleaned in the late 1960s, is in the www.ashland.com www.herseymeters.com www.robertsfiltergroup.com planning stages and will be a major undertaking. Besides the expense of dredging, it will be a challenge to obtain permits from the state departAUMA Actuators, Inc. HF scientific USALCO 724/743-2862 888/203-7248 410/354-0100 ments of Forestry, Game and Inland Fisheries, and Environmental Qualwww.auma-usa.com www.hfscientific.com www.usalco.com ity, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (See ad page 7)
Perfect storm
Floodwaters from three hurricanes were the largest contributors to the silt buildup in the lower reservoir, but a storm in early November 1984 was the water plants severest test. The storm delivered 6 inches of rain in
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12
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE
Data Driven
Colorado Springs Water Utility keeps energy costs down by using automated systems to predict water demand, identify efficient processes and maximize off-peak pumping
BY LISA BALCERAK
or the last 15 years, the city of Colorado Springs has used autoOperators in control mated control systems to help system control operators see the The water treatment plants are highly automated and fully integrated big picture and make operational decisions with energy efficiency into a single control system. Operators can view data remotely from a lapin mind. Using detailed data and accurate forecasting, operators top, which means fewer staff members are needed on site during nights take control over the entire water system and can significantly and weekends. The SCADA system collects data so that system control reduce energy costs with efficient operations and off-peak pumping. staff can monitor the entire system, from the raw water reservoirs to the The city, at the base of Pikes Peak in the eastern edge of the Southern treatment plants and distribution system. Team members use that data to Rocky Mountains, takes advantage of gravity to move snow-melt-sourced make 24-hour forecasts of water demand. water from 27 reservoirs in the mountains to six treatment plants through The analysis includes looking back at data from previous years and 300 miles of raw water transmission pipeline. As needed, the city pulls up considering city-imposed watering restrictions. With a 10-year bank of to 2 mgd from two groundwater wells. Forty pump stations and 2,000 miles of pipeline distribute proSustainability is very important to us. We are the stewards cessed water to a population of 425,000, in Colorado of our ratepayers dollars, and we have an obligation to provide Springs and three nearby communities. The six treatment plants have a total capacity of the highest quality water at the lowest possible cost. 232 mgd. Average peak processing is 182 mgd, 150 JEFF CROCKETT mgd in summer and 50 mgd in winter. The conventional treatment plants use coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filhistorical data, the system control operators forecasts are highly accutration and disinfection. Colorado Springs Utilities Water Treatment rate. A benefit of forecasting is minimizing flow changes at the plants, Section employs 45 people for operations, maintenance, instrumentation which can surge the filters, use unnecessary electricity and upset the and control; its annual water treatment budget is $5.5 million. treatment process. If a plants flow changes from 30 mgd to 60 mgd, it might knock out a filter for a while and require additional filter Steve Aumiller, left, and Ron Smith are operating the entire CSU water system. washing or more turbidity pushing through a filter, says Jeff Crockett, water treatment manager. Before we had access to in-depth system data, our operators might have made five flow changes in the plant every day. Now with our 24-hour forecasts, our treatment operators know what levels the plant should treat for the entire day, so if they make a flow change, it will be a small one. Forecasting also allows for staff to reduce pumping costs by filling tanks in off-peak hours when electric rates are lowest. Operators have experimented with different time frames to withhold washing filters until off-peak hours, while still optimizing processing effectiveness. Its hard to do off-peak pumping in summer when flows are high, Crockett says. But operators did some trial and error in spring and fall by holding off a certain number of hours to wash a filter. We did a lot of experimentation and spent a lot of time figuring out how to make it work. (Continued on page 15)
PHOTOS COURTESY OF COLORADO SPRINGS WATER UTILITY
13
WINNING THEM OVER
LEFT: When she makes school visits such as this stop at Marbrook Elementary in Wilmington, Del., Joann Rufft stresses three key principles: Preserve it. Protect it. Conserve it. BELOW: Artesian Water lets high school students know about career opportunities in the water/ wastewater field.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARTESIAN WATER COMPANY
Sticking to Principles
Three basic ideas permeate Joanne Ruffts presentation for Artesian Water Company on the value of groundwater resources
BY PETE LITTERSKI
hen Joanne Rufft visits a fourth grade classroom on Delawares Delmarva Peninsula, she brings along a couple of models, some handouts, a video or two, and three phrases she repeats as often as possible during her 90minute presentations. We talk about three principles when it comes to water: Preserve it. Protect it. Conserve it, says Rufft, director of community relations and environmental initiatives for Artesian Water Company, an investor-owned utility based in Wilmington, Del. Those are the buzzwords that run through the whole program. We fit a lot of information into an hour and a half, and if the students can learn those principles, they can remember a lot more about their water supply.
Models and more

When it comes to education programs, tours and community events, Rufft generally serves as the public face of Artesian Water. The company, principal subsidiary of Artesian Resources Corp., has provided water service in Delaware since 1905. It serves communities in all three Delaware counties and one Maryland county. Besides water services, the parent company has divisions offering wastewater treatment, utility development, engineering and wastewater management. The education program, launched in 1992, was designed to fit into the Land and Water Unit of Environmental Science for Delaware schools. When the company acquired a water utility in Marylands Cecil County several years ago, Rufft met right away with school officials there: We
found our Delaware curriculum was a good fit for them, as well. The visual aids Rufft uses include an EnviroScape Non-Point Source Model and a Sand Tank Groundwater Model built and marketed by members of the student chapter of the American Water Resources Association at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. On most classroom visits, Rufft also shows all or part of the AWWA educational video The Story of Drinking Water, and hands out its accompanying booklet.
Whats underground
Ruffts program focuses heavily on the companys primary source of water. We explain what an aquifer is and what can affect the quality of our groundwater, she says. We explain the importance of being a good steward of the
water. She uses more than science and models to help students understand the water cycle: She likes tangible examples. When I tell kids that the water they drank this morning could be the same water their great-grandmother washed her laundry in 100 years ago, it has a great Ooh effect, Rufft says. That helps them to refer back to history and understand why we want to protect the water. The program also goes beyond the Delmarva Peninsula to educate students about the importance of safe drinking water: I talk about how there are people in the world who dont have water in their homes; that some have to walk miles to get to a source of water and then have to carry it back home for their families. I talk about how water is our most precious resource. Rufft uses that approach to reinforce why she keeps turning back to her three principles. In an average year, she presents to fourth graders at up to 24 schools in Delaware and Marylands Cecil County.
14
Tyrone Hall inspects the soda ash system at the Pine Valley WTP.
(Continued from page 13) A new 50 mgd water treatment plant and delivery system are under construction and will be online in 2015. The new system will include 60 miles of pipeline, three pump stations and a reservoir that takes source water from the Arkansas River. The new plant has energy-saving design features beyond high-efficiency pumps and motors. For example, the raw water holding tanks are oversized so that they can be filled off-peak.
CSU System Control staff, from left, Steve Aumiller, Jeremy McBeain and Val Carberry.
Armed with data

Although todays technology automates treatment plants, operators are still important for making many decisions throughout the day, including those that take energy-efficiency into account. Real-time data helps operators to make better choices. System control operators can see the reservoir levels and which pump stations are running, Crockett says. They can see in real time how turning on a particular pump will affect the cost of the system. They can decide whether to turn on that pump at that time or not. The data gives them a really good idea of how every piece of equipment affects the overall system and overall costs. In the coming years, Colorado Springs will update its entire water treatment system so that real-time data is more accessible than ever. All operators and mechanics will be issued iPads that can access the SCADA system, so that they can continue to remotely control the plants. They will
have access to operation and maintenance manuals and drawings for any part of the plant. Equipment will be tagged with quick-response (QR) codes so that staff members can scan the code with the iPad and quickly bring up the data history of any device for analysis and condition assessment. Staff will be able to pull up information on a particular motor, look at the vibration data and spot a problem sooner than we normally would, Crockett says. Having this level of data at their fingertips will allow them to make quicker, better decisions. Keeping customers in mind has been the driving force behind the energy-efficient philosophy at Colorado Springs Utilities. Sustainability is very important to us, Crockett says. We are the stewards of our ratepayers dollars, and we have an obligation to provide the highest quality water at the lowest possible cost. I always tell our operators that these are our ratepayers treatment plants, and we have to treat them as such. We are the stewards of their utility system. wso
Artesian Water takes part in community events throughout its service area on the Delmarva Peninsula. Its float was an award winner in the 2012 Peach Festival in Middleton, Del.
We explain what an aquifer is and what can affect the quality of our groundwater. We explain the importance of being a good steward of the water.
JOANNE RUFFT
Since the beginning, she has reached more than 22,000 students.
Plenty of company
Rufft and other members of the Artesian staff are available to more than just fourth grade science classes. Rufft puts together programs for other grades if teachers contact her with specific requests. She has talked to students in all grades, including high
school and college environmental science classes. Local Girl Scout troops have often called on Rufft to arrange programs, and shes not the only Artesian employee who has supported the girls: One year we had several troops come to our CEO Dian Taylors house for day-long programs on water. And then we took them to a water treatment plant for a tour.
Joe DiNunzio, executive vice president of Artesian, says the organizations Rufft speaks to and the types of programs runs the gamut. Requests vary widely in a territory with 300,000 residents and 1,200 miles of water lines. The water utility maintains more than 50 wellfields on the peninsula and operates one surface water treatment plant. Civic groups and community organizations have varied interests, which is why Rufft keeps a list of Artesian employees who can serve as a speakers bureau. She can call on water plant, wellfield and wastewater operators, customer service managers and more.
Supporting parents
She gets frequent requests from groups who want someone from
the business office to discuss billing and other service matters. Artesian employees also speak to teachers organizations, at programs of the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin, and events on campuses of Delaware Technical & Community College. Rufft even serves as backup for parents on the Artesian payroll. Sometimes, I will go in with an employee whose child has asked them to come and speak to their class, she says. The employee will talk all about his or her job, but wants me along to answer questions about areas of the operation outside their expertise. Whatever it takes to get across those three principles: Preserve it. Protect it. Conserve it. wso
15
QUALITY LEADERS
OPERATOR
FOCUSED
Dusty Martin has built a rewarding career by furthering his education, enhancing his skills and inspiring those around him
STORY: JACK POWELL PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK PERRY
ON ACHIEVEMENT
illiam Dusty Martin is a man on a mission: to interest young people in careers in water. In his role as operations supervisor at the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant in Carrboro, N.C., he wants them to know water is a good career path, with opportunities for personal growth and recognition. Martin should know: He has spent his professional life expanding his
knowledge and competencies. I started at a small 1 mgd plant in Lee County that mainly provided water for a chicken processor, says Martin, who has been in the water industry for 21 years and in his current role for six. Of course, his primary mission is to deliver high-quality water to community residents and he and his team of operators do that well. As part of OWASAs membership in the Partnership for Safe Water, Martin and colleagues have driven finished water turbidity down to extremely
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Dusty Martin, left, operations supervisor, serves as a mentor to team members like Derrek Martin, water treatment plant operator, at the Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant.
low levels. They do it with a combination of old-fashioned teamwork and current treatment technology.
Humble start
Martin got started in the water industry after a decade as an emergency medical technician. The head operator took a chance on me, and I really liked it, he recalls. Back then, you could work without being certified, but I wanted to do more. I went to school, got my certifications in water treatment and distribution and wastewater treatment and collection systems, and moved up. He became an operator at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Plant and was promoted to water system operator, responsible for both the distribution piping and the treatment plant. In 2001, he took over as water distribution supervisor in Chatham County and managed daily operations of the water treatment plant. From 2004 to 2007, he was water treatment plant superintendent for the Town of Siler City, and since April of 2007 he has overseen operations and seven operators at OWASAs 20 mgd Jones Ferry Road plant, serving
Carrboro, Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina. With his personal drive and commitment to providing clean drinking water to 80,000 people, Martin is determined to help attract the next generation of operators. Through plant tours for high school and college students, teaching at operator schools sponsored by the North Carolina Waterworks Operator Association (NCWOA) and presenting at its seminars, Martin delivers a clear message: water is a great career choice.
Attracting the young

A lot of operators I know are beginning to get up in age, which is why were working on bringing more young people into the business, Martin says. We tell them Everybody drinks water; everybody needs water. Over the years, the pay has gotten better and the benefits are excellent, so we encourage them to get into this industry, where you can make a difference and make a name for yourself. Martin certainly has built his own reputation. He received the 2012 A-Surface Operator of the Year award from the NCWOA. A-Surface is the states highest certification for operating plants that treat water from a
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Martin, right, and Jaime Barajas, plant operator, inspect the plants 9210e online TOC analyzer (OI Analytical).
THOUGHTS ON LEADERSHIP
William Dusty Martin,

POSITION: | Operations EXPERIENCE: | 21
Orange Water and Sewer Authority, Carrboro, N.C.

supervisor, Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant years in water industry EDUCATION: North Carolina Waterworks Operators Association operator courses CERTIFICATIONS: Grade A Surface Water, Grade A Distribution System Operator, Grade C Well Operator, Grade 1 Physical Chemical, Grade 2 Wastewater Collection GOALS: Continue serving the community; interest young people in water careers WEBSITE: | www.owasa.org
What makes a good leader? Dusty Martin has thought a lot about that subject. Its important to him as he strives to improve his management skills and bring new people into the water treatment business. Treating operators as the professionals they are and being receptive to their ideas is critical, he says. When I teach at an operator school, I tell my students, Your job is important; you have the health of a lot of people in your hands. The decisions you make can affect lives. Martin practices what he preaches, giving the seven operators on his team plenty of opportunity to do things their way to make the best water they can. That includes everything from adding a little alum to the top of the dual-media filters to keep turbidity levels in check, to extending a filters life by removing air bubbles during washing. Says Martin, I like it when operators come to work and enjoy their day. Theyre busy and they like what they do. When I see the water that comes in raw and the water we send out, it still always amazes me. Thats the same feeling I want my operators to have.
Building by listening
When it comes to team building, Martin is a standout, according to the operators. Most of them are A-Surface rated, and one, a former meter reader, is a trainee now working toward getting Grade A certification. Dusty is real good to work for; he pretty much gives us free rein to do what we want [to get the desired result], says operator Jaime Barajas, who has worked at the Jones Ferry Road plant for three years. If we have trouble, he helps us, and he listens to us. Nine-year plant veteran Terry Burkhart echoes that sentiment: If you have an idea about something that will improve a process or the way we do something, Dustys attitude is Go ahead, test it and try it. One example was a program to reduce turbidity. Normally, the finished water turbidity limit is 0.3 NTU, but because of OWASAs participation in the Partnership for Safe Water, the limit is 0.1 NTU. Martin and his team decided to shoot for 0.06 NTU. They set alarm limits for the plants gravity dual-media filters (sand and anthracite coal), so that if turbidity reaches 0.09 NTU, the filter goes out of service, and the operator prepares a filter excursion report to determine why turbidity rose. If the reason cant be found, the team runs a filter assessment. The result has been lower turbidity and few, if any, filter problems. Martin shrugs, They know they can come to me with ideas for making the plant more efficient or producing better-quality water and Ill work with them to make that happen. I have some of the absolute best operators Ive ever worked with here, and I trust them completely in running the plant and putting out the best water possible.
lake or stream. He also leads the treatment plant team that in May 2011 earned the Partnership for Safe Waters Excellence in Water Treatment Phase IV Award the ninth facility in the nation and first in the state to do so. I tell the young people I talk to: Heres something you can shoot for that will not only make you look good and make your operators a more cohesive team but will also allow your customers to see what youre doing to make the water better, Martin says.
Producing quality
How good is the water produced by the Jones Ferry Road plant? Martin says its the best he has seen in his 21 years as a water professional. Raw water comes from two primary reservoirs in the 32-square-mile Cane Creek watershed and the 30-square-mile University Lake watershed. The University Lake reservoir, which goes back to the 1930s, has a capacity of 450 million gallons. Cane Creek Reservoir, which OWASA built in the early 1990s, holds 3 billion gallons.
Martin, second from right, with members of his team: water treatment plant operators (from left) Derrek Martin, Jaime Barajas and Donald Boggs.
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OWASA also owns the Quarry A lot of operators I know are beginning to get up in age, which is why were Reservoir, an emergency backup working on bringing more young people into the business. We tell them supply with a 209-million-gallon Everybody drinks water; everybody needs water. capacity, and is expanding it to add 3 billion gallons of capacity WILLIAM DUSTY MARTIN by 2030. The agency also has an Ready for anything allocation of 5 percent of the water supply from Jordan Lake, which can In typical fashion, Martin deflects such praise and points out that hes yield 5 to 6 mgd. Jordan Lake will become increasingly important in case just doing his job. I come in at 8 a.m. and the first thing I do is check of severe drought or some other emergency until the expanded Quarry with my operators to see if theres anything strange going on or anything Reservoir is on line. I can help them with, he says. Drawing from two sources, with a third in the offing, gives Martin Then I go about my day, checking chemical inventories, making and his team flexibility to choose one reservoir or another to maintain orders, preparing our monthly report to the state. Im also responsible for quality. Plants that draw from a single river dont have that luxury, as (Continued on page 21) heavy rains can have big impact on source quality.
Good technology, good people

The Jones Ferry Road plant itself uses a dual treatment process to ensure quality finished water. The University of North Carolina built the plant in the 1940s and operated it until 1977, when OWASA was formed and took over water and wastewater operations. The plant has expanded over the years and is one of few water plants in the state to use both conventional sedimentation and Superpulsator clarifiers (Infilco Degremont), added in 1988. The Superpulsator pushes the flocculated water up through a sludge blanket that absorbs the flocculated particles; the water clarifies and is drawn off at the top. As the sludge blanket thickens, it spills into concentrators and is removed to the plants solidshandling facility. Solids run over a belt press and are sent to a facility that makes landscape-grade compost. Jones Ferry Road is one of two plants in the state that recycles all of its process water back to the headworks so that, as Martin says, We dont have to discharge our processed water into a stream and have someone else handle it. Drinking water is pumped from the Jones Ferry Road plant through a system of about 400 miles of pipe and water storage tanks. Its all designed and operated to deliver an adequate volume of water at sufficient pressures to meet customer demand and provide adequate flow for fire protection. Technology aside, Ken Loflin, water supply and treatment manager, credits Martin and his team with keeping the plant running smoothly and providing excellent water to the community. Martin, in fact, replaced him as operations supervisor when the previous plant manager retired and Loflin was promoted. Dusty is an excellent employee and great to work with, says Loflin, an OWASA employee for nine years. If you ask him to do something, hell get it done in a timely manner, and he always does it well. He cares about his job and doesnt have to be watched over because hes completely self-motivated. From a management standpoint, he does a great job; his operators like and respect him.
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TECH TALK
A Look at the Basics

Coagulation and flocculation are fundamental to drinking water treatment. Heres a look at the chemical and physical processes at work
BY JOHN ROWE, PH.D.
small community water system asked the staff at Florida Gateway College how to remove color and organic materials from the surface water system that was the drinking water supply. College personnel explained that after the source water is screened and passed through the optional steps of prechlorination and aeration, it is ready for coagulation and flocculation. In theory and at the chemical level, coagulation/flocculation is a threestep process, consisting of flash mixing, coagulation and flocculation. However, in practice in the treatment plant, there are only two steps: The water first flows into the flash mixing chamber and then enters the flocculation basin.
clumps. The final step is flocculation, in which gentle mixing brings the fine particles formed by coagulation into contact with each other. Flocculation typically lasts 30 to 45 minutes. The flocculation basin often has a number of compartments with decreasing mixing speeds as the water advances through the basin. This compartmentalization allows increasingly larger floc to form without being broken apart by the mixing blades.
Testing for dosage

The product of a well-regulated coagulation and flocculation process is water in which the majority of turbidity has collected into floc: clumps of bacteria and particulate impurities that have formed clusters. The floc settles out in the sedimentation basin, and remaining floc is removed in the filter. The best floc size is 0.1 to 3 mm. Larger floc does not settle as well and is more subject to breakup in the flocculation basin. Smaller floc may not settle. We explained to the community staff that jar tests are used to determine dosage requirements for chemicals added to remove particulates. Coagulation is always considered along with flocculation; the process removes particles that cannot be removed by sedimentation or filtration alone. These particles, usually less than 1 m in diameter, are called colloids. They have poor settling characteristics and are responsible for the color and turbidity of the water.
Taking out turbidity
The primary purpose of the coagulation/flocculation process is to remove turbidity, the cloudiness caused by small suspended particles. Coagulation and flocculation describe the charge neutralization and aggregation of colloidal particles in raw water. Coagulation reduces turbidity, color, organic substances, phosphorous and trace metal precipitates, such as iron, manganese and chromium. Turbidity is more than an aesthetic problem in water. Water with a high turbidity can be difficult or impossible to disinfect properly. As a result, the maximum allowable level of turbidity in water is 0.5 NTU, while the recommended level is about 0.1 NTU. actors that can promote coagulation/flocculation are velocity gradient, time Coagulation and flocculation and pH. Time and velocity gradient are important to increase the probability of have benefits beyond removing the particles coming together, and pH is a prominent factor in removal of colloids. turbidity. The process also removes suspended bacteria and can be used to remove color and heavy metals from raw water. Turbidity Colloids include clays, metal oxides, proteins, microorganisms and and color are much more common in surface water than in groundwater. organic substances from peaty catchment areas that give the brown color When surface water flows over the ground to streams and rivers, the water to water. The important property they all share is a negative charge picks up large quantities of particles. As a result, while aeration is more which, along with the interaction between the colloidal particles and the commonly required for groundwater, treatment involving coagulation water, prevents the particles from aggregating and settling in still water. and flocculation is typical for surface water. The particles can be aggregated by adding either multivalent ions or colloids with an opposite (positive) charge. The positive charges are added as chemical coagulants. Three steps The chemistry of coagulation and flocculation consists of three processes. In the flash mixer, coagulant chemicals are added, and the water Adding coagulants is mixed quickly and violently to distribute the chemicals evenly. Flash Chemicals commonly used as coagulants are aluminum and ferric mixing typically lasts a minute or less. If the water is mixed for less than salts, in the form of Al3+ and Fe3+ ions. These positively charged mul30 seconds, the chemicals will not properly mix into the water. On the tivalent ions neutralize the negatively charged particles, allowing the other hand, if mixing lasts more than 60 seconds, the mixer blades will particles to aggregate. shear the newly forming floc into small particles. At high concentrations of aluminum or ferric salts, and in the presAfter flash mixing, coagulation occurs. During coagulation, the coagence of sufficient alkalinity, insoluble hydroxides of aluminum or iron ulant chemicals neutralize the electrical charges of the fine particles in are formed. In the precipitation reaction, the colloidal particles are the water, allowing the particles to come closer together and form large enmeshed within the precipitate and removed. Most facilities use ferric
20
(Continued from page 19)
salts. There must be about 50 mg/L of alkalinity in the water for coagulation and flocculation to be effective. If alkalinity is inadequate, it can be added as lime, calcium hydroxide or soda ash. In some waters, even with the optimum coagulant dose, coagulation is poor, and extra substances known as coagulant aids must be added. These include clay, silica and polyelectrolytes, which are long-chain organic molecules with chemical groups attached along the length of the chain. These become charged when the molecule is dissolved in water. The negative colloidal particles are attracted to positively charged polymer groups on the polyelectrolyte and settle. In small plants, coagulants are often added upstream of a weir so that the resulting turbulent motion aids in mixing. Once coagulation has taken place, a very fine precipitate or floc will form. To help this floc coalesce with neighboring particles and grow into larger flocs with more settleable masses, the water is gently stirred. After this, the water is passed for sedimentation.
Martin believes its essential to interest younger people in water careers, because the existing pool of operators faces a wave of retirements.
If you have an idea about something that will improve a process or the way we do something, Dustys attitude is Go ahead, test it and try it.
TERRY BURKHART
our wastewater permit. Even though we recycle all our process water, we still have to have a wastewater discharge permit, in case theres an emergency and we have to discharge it. Other than a drought in 2007-08 that left reservoirs at 38 percent capacity, Martin has had few crises to handle in recent years. He stays plenty busy managing the treatment plants day-to-day operations. A graduate of Lee County High School, he is married and has two sons, one age 27 with his own business and the other 13, attending a charter school in Siler City and dreaming of going to Duke University.
Eye on talent
Martin also chairs the North Piedmont Section of the NCWOA and serves its executive committee. He also teaches water and wastewater courses around the state, always looking for young talent. Finding promising operators has been difficult because in the past, to work alone at a plant, an operator needed at least a C-Surface certification. Now NCWOA and the North Carolina Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board have begun developing an apprentice-level grade. That means an entry-level person could go to school, take the C-Surface exam and, upon passing, get an apprentice license. He or she would then need only six months experience to become a certified MORE INFO: operator. Says Martin proudly, We think Infilco Degremont Inc. 800/446-1151 its a great way to attract people to www.degremont-technologies.com water plants such as ours because OI Analytical they know they will be certified 800/653-1711 once they get the six months expewww.oico.com rience thats my goal. wso
Success factors
Factors that can promote coagulation/flocculation are velocity gradient, time and pH. Time and velocity gradient are important to increase the probability of the particles coming together, and pH is a prominent factor in removal of colloids. Coagulation and flocculation are basic steps in the treatment of potable water. Coagulation produces clear water with reduced color, taste and odor issues. The process also allows essential disinfection processes to work efficiently, resulting in reliably safe drinking water. ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Rowe, Ph.D., is a professor of Water Resources at Florida Gateway College in Lake City, Fla. wso
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SUSTAINABLE
STORY: TRUDE WITHAM PHOTOGRAPHY: ED COLLIER
EXCELLENCE
A long-term sustainability program at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority saves substantial water and energy through dedicated team effort
hen the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) embarked on a long-term sustainability program in 1984, its goal was to conserve precious water resources. It ended up achieving much more. As of 2012, the Authority has saved $350 million in avoided costs from water efficiency, saved $24 million annually on energy and improved the quality of rivers and aquifers. Starting in the 1970s, water demand increased with the growing population, says Stephen Estes-Smargiassi, director of planning. Water was inexpensive and not well managed. As a new agency in 1986, rather than try to expand our water resources, we decided to focus on demand management. The focus on water efficiency evolved into controlling costs for customers and enhancing environmental sustainability. Programs such as leak detection and repair, improved water metering and monitoring, energy audits at facilities and renewable energy projects have had a huge impact on customers, the environment, water and wastewater treatment plants, and the people who operate them. Almost 50 percent of the energy used at the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant is generated on site, and solar panels at the John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant produce 5 percent of the electricity used each year, says Estes-Smargiassi. Dave Coppes, Carroll plant manager, adds, The green power and increased efficiency have been embraced by our staff, and were proud of them. We think about energy from reservoir to outfall. Meeting regulatory targets is a given, but meeting energy targets is a way for operators to excel.
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Boston, Mass.

FOUNDED: | 1984 POPULATION SERVED: | 2.5 SERVICE AREA: | 51
Highly decorated
The MWRA has been rewarded for its conservation efforts. It received a U.S. EPA renewable energy award in April 2010 that recognized the photovoltaic project at the Carroll plant. The authoritys long-term sustainability program won an award in 2013 from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE).
million Massachusetts communities (water services) SOURCE WATER: | Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs TREATMENT PROCESS: Ozonation, chloramination, corrosion control, fluoridation (Carroll plant) TRANSMISSION: | 150 miles of active and standby aqueducts and tunnels DISTRIBUTION: | 300 miles of wholesale water mains (6,000-plus miles of local mains) SYSTEM STORAGE: 477 billion gallons (reservoirs); 262.7 million gallons (covered storage) KEY CHALLENGE: | Continuing the sustainability program ANNUAL BUDGET: | $636 million WEBSITE: | www.mwra.com
22
Dave Coppes, plant manager, in the ozone room at the Marlborough treatment plant.
The green power and increased efficiency have been embraced by our staff, and were proud of them. We think about energy from reservoir to outfall.
DAVE COPPES
QUALITY LEADERS
AGENCY
BRINGING THE MESSAGE BACK

When the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) started a long-term sustainability program, it sought the cooperation of its water and wastewater treatment plant staff. The 405 mgd John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant in Marlborough jumped on board. Installing solar panels, eliminating soda ash mixers and optimizing ozone feed were just a few ways the plant reduced energy consumption. As with the other MWRA facilities, the Carroll plant installed setback thermostats, motion sensors that turn the lights on and off, and a heating system with intermittent circulation. The program has saved money and improved employee awareness of energy. We are always thinking about how we can operate more efficiently, says Dave Coppes, plant manager. That ranges from tweaking the ozone disinfection process to being aware that if you hold the door open you will waste heat or air conditioning. Coppes attends meetings at MWRA headquarters in Boston and brings the message back to his team. When we first started with the program, the improvements were like low-hanging fruit where youre able to pick things off. Now, were making improvements like upgrading the controls to heat the facility. We received credit from our power supplier to replace the lights with more energy efficient ones, and add motion sensors. That alone saved $24,000 a year in electrical costs and has paid for itself in two years. While the solar panels havent affected the operators jobs, except for SCADA system monitoring, other energy-saving improvements are a bit more noticeable, says Coppes. Because my office lights are on a timer, sometimes I have to wave my arms to make them go back on. The team at the MWRA water plant in Southboro includes, clockwise from bottom: Russ Armstrong, supervisor transmission and treatment; Ken Perry, senior program manager operations; Frank Miller, senior transmission and treatment operator; Al Parker and Ned Pesce, transmission and treatment operators; Geoffrey Beyer, instrument technician; Jim Muri, senior program manager process control; John McNulty, senior transmission and treatment operator; and Gil Machado, supervisor transmission and treatment.
sodium carbonate, aqueous ammonia and carbon dioxide addition. Water for Chicopee, South Hadley Fire District No. 1 and Wilbraham is treated at the Ware Water Treatment Facility with chlorine disinfection only. Besides the two water plants, MWRA operates the Clinton wastewater treatment plant and Bostons Deer Island facility, which also houses the MWRA central laboratory.
MWRA received the Leading by Example Award from the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs in 2007 and 2011. The agency also received awards for its renewable programs from The Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Besides saving energy, the Carroll plant produces a quality product, winning the 2011 New Englands Best Drinking Water taste test from the New England Water Works Association. The plant also won the Massachusetts Public Drinking Water Award from the state Department of Environmental Protection in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and a number of water fluoridation quality awards over the years from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Reducing water demand

The MWRA and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation keep a daily watch on levels at the Quabbin (412 billion gallons) and Wachusett (65 billion) reservoirs. Although Wachusett levels are kept relatively stable, Quabbin levels fluctuate with precipitation and watershed runoff. The system is large enough to withstand short and medium droughts, but from 1969-1988, MWRA customers drew more than the safe yield of 300 mgd. MWRAs long-term sustainability program reduced levels below the safe yield by 1989, through a number of initiatives: Leak detection and repair on MWRA and other community pipes. Retrofitting of 370,000 homes with low-flow plumbing devices. Water management for businesses, municipal buildings and nonprofit organizations. Extensive public information and school education programs. Change in the state plumbing code requiring new toilets to be 1.6 gallons per flush. Meter improvements that helped track and analyze community water use. New water-efficient technology that reduced residential water use. Water pipeline replacement and rehabilitation projects.
Serving the community

The MWRA provides wholesale water and sewer services to 2.5 million people (890,000 households) and more than 5,000 large industrial users in 61 metropolitan Boston communities. It supplies about 200 mgd on average and treats 350 mgd of wastewater. Water is sourced from the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs and is treated for most MWRA communities at the 405 mgd Carroll plant in Marlborough. Built in July 2005, the plant treats the water with ozonation and sodium bisulfite, sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydrofluorosilicic acid,
24
Ned Pesce inspects the seal on a sodium hypochlorite tank that was being repaired at the Southboro treatment facility.
The MWRA generates a weekly status report on plants green power devices, so they can track how much energy they save. Explains EstesSmargiassi, We review the charts and say to the staff, You did a great job how did you do it? Lets write about it and get the message out there. Or, Whats the story with this unit being offline all week? Renewable energy projects and on-site power generation have yielded savings and revenue of some $177 million since 2001. Facility energy audits, energy efficient design for new facilities, and green technologies in power, vehicles and computing have saved $1.95 million a year over the past five years, with a $2 million capital investment. Biogas cogeneration at Deer Island replaces 5 million gallons of diesel fuel a year and 27 million kWh ($2.8 million) in utility electricity. Hydroelectric power supplies 23 We wanted to reach the maximum number of homes and GWh ($1.8 million savings), while wind energy saves give people the opportunity to do the right thing. We wanted 5 GWh ($580,000) and solar 1.4 GWh ($240,000). them to use the water they needed, but to think about how they Money for energy projects has come from the Federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, state could be more efficient in the process. grants and energy efficiency rebates from electricity STEPHEN ESTES-SMARGIASSI suppliers. devices. Our staff went door to door, and those who were interested in The reduced energy demands of the water systems and high use of water-saving devices like low-flow shower heads and toilet displacement renewable energy have reduced the systems carbon footprint, which is devices could have someone there in 15 minutes, says Estes-Smargiassi. only 0.04 grams of CO2 per liter of water produced. The authority boasts 59 percent penetration from the program and high approval ratings. We wanted to reach the maximum number of Efficient operation homes and give people the opportunity to do the right thing, EstesEnergy efficiency has reduced operating expenses at MWRA faciliSmargiassi says. We wanted them to use the water they needed, but to ties. Carroll staff questioned whether they needed mixers that were think about how they could be more efficient in the process. designed for lime addition, but were being operated with sodium carbonwsomag.com October 2013
These efforts reduced average water system withdrawals from 340 mgd in 1980 to less than 200 mgd in 2012. This dramatic reduction in demand allowed MWRA to reduce water supply stress on the areas rivers and aquifers by reevaluating existing supply arrangements. The authority was also able to extend service to adjacent communities. A major challenge was motivating towns to fund water conservation projects. In the 1980s, we were losing a lot of water from leaks, says EstesSmargiassi. We wrote regulations that required leak detection every two years. A survey of the towns showed that many water superintendents really wanted to do this. MWRA made it easy for people to change their behavior, hiring contractors on an as needed basis to repair leaks and install water-saving
Saving energy
25
ate. We tried an experiment and shut off the mixers. We found there were no undissolved chemicals at the bottom of the tanks, recalls Coppes. MWRA owns many below-grade structures, such as valve chambers the size of a football field. Chamber ventilation and heating are SCADA controlled or monitored. Explains Coppes, We turn on the ventilation and heat before an operator gets there, and shut it off after they leave, or in some cases we can check to see that locally controlled ventilation and heating was turned off. We are very cost conscious. Rates have increased quite a bit and we want to show that we are efficient and not wasting energy. When we take someone on a plant tour, we stress that its not just a water plant but one that uses green power and saves energy. MWR A wants to keep the momentum going. The temptation is to say, I saved energy by doing such and such, and now Im done, says Estes-Smargiassi. Management needs to say, That was great, but what have you done for me lately?
Alex Fallavolita, Mike Joyce, John McNulty, Frank Miller, Tom Patriarca, Len Pelletier, Ted Stavropoulos and Jay Polk, senior treatment and transmission operators Chuck Beike, Paul Flaherty, Brian Hunt, Mark Landolphi, Bill Lewis, Al Parker, Ned Pesce, Derek Pesce, Jim Riley, Dave Rota and Vanessa Smith, transmission and treatment operators. The plant treats drinking water for 2.3 million people in 44 commu-
Balancing act
Balancing the job of water and wastewater treatment with water and energy sustainability is tricky. Bottom line, our job is treating water and wastewater, says EstesSmargiassi. We cant compromise that. We could operate where we just meet the permit, but we dont want to fall below our safety threshold. The Carroll plant has mastered From left, Tim Smith, Frank Miller and Ken Perry discuss the UV treatment units (Calgon Carbon) at the Southboro plant. this balancing act, meeting regulatory requirements and winning nities. Equipment consists of four ozone generators with diffusers, four water-quality awards while saving substantial energy. The plants 496 kW concrete contact chambers (1.3 million gallons each), and two 22-millionsolar array generated $77,000 worth of electricity in 2012, and the plant gallon storage tanks. A rigorous maintenance program keeps the equipsaves $200,000 a year from eliminatment clean. ing the sodium carbonate mixers. Bottom line, our job Its an unfiltered plant with a lot of large tanks, says Coppes. Things Ozone disinfection consumes is treating water and settle in the tanks and we have to clean them. The challenge is to take around two-thirds of all the eleconly portions of the plant out of service while we perform maintenance. tricity we use, says Coppes. Optiwastewater. We cant When we make modifications, we try to engage the operators as much as mizing our ozone feed to reduce compromise that. we can. Its all about ownership. If the plant looks good and runs well, you ozone use by as little as 0.1 mg/L STEPHEN ESTES-SMARGIASSI feel better about your job. can save us $56,000 a year in oxyOperators perform bacteria sampling and chemical delivery tests. gen and electrical costs. To meet We receive 90 to 100 chemical loads a month, and we want to make sure new regulations, the plant will add UV disinfection (Calgon Carbon) in we are getting the right chemicals, says Coppes. MWRA laboratory staff early 2014. The increase in energy for the UV process will be almost fully members perform regulatory testing. offset by energy savings from reducing the ozone dose. The operators greatest strength is their ability to troubleshoot or In good hands adapt to conditions, figure out whats important and put things back on The operations staff, including management, and many of the maintrack, says Coppes. They take tenance staff hold drinking water operator licenses. An instrumentation pride in their plant and the qualMORE INFO: engineer and four instrument technicians supplement the operations ity of water they deliver. wso Calgon Carbon Corporation team. Operations team members are: 800/422-7266 Ken Perry, senior program manager of operations www.calgoncarbon.com Jim Muri, senior program manager of process engineering Russ Armstrong and Gil Machado, operations supervisors
26
NEWS
ARCADIS names vice presidents
ARCADIS promoted 10 staff members to vice president. Jack Hartigan, P.E., BCEE, and Barry Quinn were named senior vice presidents. Wendy Stoveland and Roger Eisenbarth were promoted to vice president and Amy R. Dant, Edward Kowalski, P.E., PMP, Carolyn A. Lowe, P.E., Sandra K. Ralston, Mike Wooden, P.E., and Anwar Zahis, Ph.D., were promoted to associate vice president.
INDUSTRY
Sauereisen named Entrepreneur of Year

J. Eric Sauereisen, president of Pittsburgh-based Sauereisen, a third-generation manufacturer of corrosion-resistant materials, was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in the Family Business category in the Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia region.
J. Eric Sauereisen
Red Valve offers product catalog

Red Valves 28-page product line catalog includes pinch valves, check valves, air diffusers, expansion joints and other flow control products. The catalog is available by calling 412/279-0044 or visiting www. redvalve.com.
Harris Utilities names executive vice president

Harris Utilities named Chris Lewis executive vice president of Harris Utilities SmartWorks. He will be responsible for bringing new smart grid offerings to market, meeting the evolving needs of utilities and leveraging opportunities. Lewis previously served as vice president of business development.
Franklin Electric rebrands Cerus Industrial

Franklin Electric rebranded its latest acquisition, Cerus Industrial, as Franklin Control Systems. Based in Hillsboro, Ore., the company will focus on the design and production of electronic drives and controls for water pumping and industrial systems. Products made by Franklin Control Systems will carry either the Franklin Electric or Franklin Control Systems brand.
Kohler Power Systems receive seismic certifications

Kohler Power Systems, manufacturer of generators up to 3,250 kilowatts, transfer switches, switchgear and related accessories, received preapproval from Californias Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development for its large generator enclosures and tanks (1,250 to 2,000 kW). The enclosures also are International Building Code (IBC) seismic-certified.
American Water CFO participates in White House Council discussion

Susan Story, senior vice president and chief financial officer for American Water Works Co., participated in a discussion on the nations water infrastructure with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Environmental Protection Agency. The discussion focused on financing the water infrastructure of the future.
Fluid Imaging expands management team

Fluid Imaging Technologies expanded its senior management team, naming Becky Metivier vice president, marketing, and Barry Godowsky, vice president, industrial sales. Rob Chatfield Pictured, from left, are Kent Peterson, was promoted to vice president, Fluid Imaging Technologies president and CEO, Barry Godowsky, Harry Nelson, chief financial officer, and Harry Becky Metivier and Rob Chatfield. Nelson was promoted to vice president, aquatic markets. Metivier will be responsible for the marketing team, including global marketing strategy, brand management and corporate communications. Godowsky will be responsible for developing new business. Chatfield, former CFO, will be responsible for the companys overall economic strategy. Nelson, formerly director of aquatic sales and marketing, will be responsible for leading the aquatics division.
Bilco releases architectural products catalog

The Bilco Co. released its 2013 architectural products catalog, including roof hatches, automatic fire vents, floor, vault and sidewalk doors, and safety products. The catalog is available by calling 800/3666530 or emailing commercial@bilco.com.
Brown and Caldwell receives safety award

Brown and Caldwell received the National Safety Councils 2013 Industry Leader Award. The award recognizes the top 5 percent member companies with the best safety performance.
FreeWaves wireless transceiver named product of year

FreeWave Technologies GXM 2.4 GHz global wireless transceiver module received the 2012 Product of the Year Award from M2M Evolution Magazine.
Wilo Group has record sales year

The Wilo Group, parent company of Wilo USA, provider of pumps and pump solutions for water management, had 11 percent sales growth in 2012, marking the third consecutive year of record growth for the German-based company.
Asahi/America redesigns website

Asahi/America redesigned its product website, www.asahi-america.com. The site offers engineers, designers, installers and plant managers technical and product information.
Toshiba completes control plant expansion

Toshiba International Corp. completed a $20 million expansion of its control plant in Houston, Texas. The project provides 107,000 square feet of new manufacturing and office space.
(Continued on page 29)

27
Fee d
Ce ntr ifu gal
2013
PUMPS
Ali gn Vib men rat t/ ion
Ch em ica l
Gri nd er/ Su
ep We ll
mp Dia ph rag Ch opp er
Blue-White Industries
See ad page 4
5300 Business Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92649 714-893-8529 Fax: 714-894-9492 sales@blue-white.com www.blue-white.com
EBARA Fluid Handling
1651 Cedar Line Dr., Rock Hill, SC 29730 803-327-5005 www.pumpsebara.com
Fluid Metering, Inc.
5 Aerial Way. Ste. 500, Syosset, NY 11791 800-223-3388 516-922-6050 Fax: 516-624-8261 pumps@fmipump.com www.fmipump.com
Flygt - a Xylem brand

See ad page 2
14125 S Bridge Cr., Charlotte, NC 28273 704-409-9700 Fax: 704-295-9080 www.flygtus.com
Gorman-Rupp Company
600 S Airport Rd., Mansfield, OH 44903 419-755-1011 Fax: 419-755-1251 grsales@gormanrupp.com www.GRpumps.com
LUDECA, INC.
1425 NW 88th Ave., Doral, FL 33146 305-591-8935 Fax: 305-591-1537 info@ludeca.com www.ludeca.com
Nidec Motor Corporation

See ad page 3
8050 W. Florissant Ave., St. Louis, MO 63136 888-637-7333 314-595-8000 christine.lampe@nidec-motor.com www.nidec-motor.com
Pentair Myers
740 East 9th St., Ashland, OH 44805 888-416-9513 Fax: 419-281-9980 info.meyers@pentair.com www.pentair.com
Phoenix Contact
586 Fulling Mill Rd., Middletown, PA 17057 800-888-7388 717-944-1300 info@phoenixcon.com www.phoenixcontact.com
Precision Digital Corporation

See ad page 7
89 October Hill Rd. Ste. #5, Holliston, MA 01746 800-343-1001 508-655-7300 Fax: 508-655-8990 sales@predig.com www.predig.com
seepex, Inc.
511 Speedway Dr., Enon, OH 45323 937-864-7150 Fax: 937-864-7157 sales@seepex.net www.seepex.com
Sulzer Pumps/ABS
140 Pond View Dr., Meriden, CT 06450 800-525-7790 203-238-2700 Fax: 203-238-0738 info.abs.usa@sulzer.com www.sulzer.com
28
Me
De
DIRECTORY
ter
ing
ols Pu m Co p Par mp t s one / nt s Pu m Se p Rep r vi ce air/
me rsi ble
Ve rt Lif ical/ tS tat ion
NEWS
Aquionics names municipal regional manager
mp
INDUSTRY
Co n tr
O th er
Su b
Pu
Peristaltic
Industrial Scientific sells Oldham

Industrial Scientific Corp. sold its Oldham fixed-point gas detection business to Industrial Safety Technologies. The sale includes Oldhams headquarters in Arras, France, and support operations in China, Germany, India and the United States.
Aquionics named Bob English municipal regional manager. He will be responsible for promoting the companys drinking water, wastewater and reuse products to the Eastern United States.
Bob English
FCIs ST100 flowmeter rated SIL compliant

The ST100 Series thermal mass air/gas flowmeter from Fluid Components International has been rated compliant for Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 1 service. The meter is classified as a Type B subsystem in accordance to IEC 61508-1 with a hardware failure tolerance of 0. wso
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BRIGHT IDEAS:
Automated meter reading in Davie County, N.C.

Page 36
Plant upgrades in Rockville, Md.

Page 30
GreaT!
STORY: Ted J. RulSeh PHOTOGRAPHY: John BoRge
TasTes
Water plant supervisor Kris Knutson adjusts an ozone gas feed valve. ozonation has helped Moorhead Public Service correct recurring odor issues caused by source water variation. (gas flowmeter by erDCo engineering Corporation, valve by Modentic industrial Corp.)
Technology and teamwork help Moorhead Public Service deliver consistently high-quality water from a highly variable source in Minnesotas Red River
TECH TALK:
Keys to success with wireless SCADA

Page 38
Troy Hall Water Division manager Moorhead, Minn.
Tastes Great!
MOORHEAD PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERS HIGH-QUALITY WATER FROM VARIABLE SOURCES
Page 10
Quality leaders
PLANT
he Red River is best known for periodic floods that afflict North Dakota, most notably around Grand Forks. Much farther south, in Moorhead, Minn., the river is known for something else, though mainly to the staff at the water treatment plant. Up here, its not a big river, says treatment plant operator Dan Haman. Local events can have a large impact on it. A rain event can often wash interesting water into the river, especially if the weather has been dry for a while. Years ago, that led to complaints from customers about odor and bad taste in the water coming from the tap. That no longer happens. In 1995, Moorhead Public Service added ozonation to its treatment process, and it proved to be a reliable cure. In fact, for the past two years, Moorheads water has been voted the best tasting in the state in a competition held by the Minnesota section of the American Water Works Association. Troy Hall, Water Division manager, credits the treatment technology, along with a talented operations team, with keeping the process on track. When we look at the SCADA and see our water-quality trends, we want to see flatlines everything just humming along, says Hall. Through teamwork, thats what weve accomplished.
Variable source
What the Moorhead team calls the North Treatment Plant (10 mgd capacity) was built in 1995. The old 6 mgd treatment plant is now rarely used: The staff operates it periodically just to make sure it remains functional and available for emergencies. When the plant operates, it treats well water only. The new plant, with 10 full-time and two part-time staff members, was designed specifically to deal with variable source water in the Red River. The utility also draws well water from the Buffalo Aquifer, but the river provides about 85 percent of the source water on an annual basis. Theres a reason its called the Red River, says Nate Halbakken, lead treatment plant operator. Which is to say its not what one would call
POSTERS
Starting At
The MPS TeAM
Staff members at the Moorhead Public Service water treatment plant are: Troy Hall, Water Division manager, 19 years of service, Class A license Kris Knutson, water plant supervisor, six years, Class A Nate Halbakken, lead water treatment plant operator, nine years, Class A Jason Yonke, lead water treatment plant operator, 14 years, Class A Gena Dahl, water plant chemist, four years Dan Haman, water plant operator, six years, Class C Daryl Brahos, water plant operator, four years, Class C Christopher Capecchi, water plant operator, one year Christopher Knutson, water plant operator, one year, Class D Alan Neer, water plant operator, four years, Class A Leslee Storlie, part-time water plant operator, one year Kevin Young, part-time water plant operator, one year
When we look at the SCAdA and see our water-quality trends, we want to see flatlines everything just humming along. Through teamwork, thats what weve been able to accomplish.
TRoy hAll
Water treatment plant operator Dan Haman adjusts gas flow on ozone generator from WeDeCo, a division of Xylem.
Hall cites SCADA work as an example of the teams cooperation. For the past decade, we have done all our SCADA work internally, he says. Its not a perfect SCADA, but it has been built by people who really care about the end result. When we want to make a change in how a process works, we all work together. Ive done some SCADA work in the office. Kris and Dan have done screen development for various purposes. It has evolved almost entirely inhouse. We also select and install our own instrumentation.
Problem solvers
Teamwork has helped the Moorhead staff resolve a variety of process issues. Several years ago, pH variability was a constant challenge. Working together, staff members made the correction by installing pH probes, making plumbing changes, and doing SCADA programming. In another instance, rising non-carbonate hardness in the Red River was taking a toll on the soda ash feed pumps. A former operator located a peristaltic pump model (Watson-Marlow) that appeared better suited to the task. Operators, an instrument technician and electricians from the utilitys electrical side worked together to test and install the new pumps. In a few months, we went from having to service the pumps every week to having almost no problems, says Haman. Another improvement involved installing a meter in the intake line to sample Red River water for conductivity as a way to predict total hardness in the river in real time. The team did the job, including data analysis and SCADA programming, entirely in-house, installing a used instrument purchased on the Internet for a few hundred dollars. Future plans include installing instrumentation at the river pumping station, about three miles (two hours of in-pipe travel time) from the plant. Im excited about that, says Haman. Well be able to see changes in the water before it gets to the plant and so deal with them more effectively. Hall calls it a privilege to lead a staff with many and diverse talents. The strengths of our people make it all work, he says. We try our best every day to use the strengths of the people we have. The results show up daily in the water glasses of Moorhead residents. wso
Part-time water treatment plant operator leslee Storlie uses a Thermix stirrer from Thermo Scientific Water Analysis in a lab testing protocol. Members of the MPS Water Division team are, back, from left, water plant staff members Dan Haman, Kris Knutson, Nate Halbakken, Troy Hall, Jason Yonke, Chris Knutson, Alan Neer, Chris Capecchi and Daryl Brahos; front row, distribution crew members Jared Heller, Chris Perlichek, Matt Andvik, Phil Shequen and Matt Mehl.
Moorhead (Minn.) Public Service

FouNDeD: | 1896 PoPulATioN ServeD: | 42,000 TerriTorY: | Cities CAPACiTY: | 16
SYSTeM STorAge: | 7.9 SourCe WATer: | Red TreATMeNT ProCeSS: iNFrASTruCTure:
KeY CHAlleNge: | Source ANNuAl BuDgeT: | $4.5
of Moorhead and Dilworth, Oakport Township mgd million gallons River (85%), Buffalo Aquifer (15%) Lime/soda ash softening, ozonation, dual media filtration 190 miles of water mains, three water towers, two ground storage tanks, two reservoirs on plant sites water variability million (operations)
activated carbon were fed at the river pumping station, but at times that wasnt enough. When taste and odor problems arose, complaint calls came in bunches.
Reliable process
The MWH engineering firm (then known as Montgomery Watson) designed the new treatment plant. The Moorhead team has steadily improved on the design with instrumentation and updates to the SCADA system, originally supplied by Instrument Control Systems (ICS). One river pump station and two well pump stations deliver raw water directly into the plant. The waters mix in an influent chamber, and the flow then enters two 5.5 mgd softening basins (Infilco Degremont). Typically, only one basin operates at a time, and when both operate, they work in parallel. Water in the basins is fed with lime and soda ash, along with ferric sulfate as a coagulant and polymer for flocculation. Ammonia is also added in the softening stage for bromate control in the downstream ozonation process. The WEDECO ozonation/recarbonation chamber (Xylem) has six cells fed with variable amounts of ozone and carbon dioxide, depending on raw water conditions. Residual ozone is sampled at various points in the chamber. Before final filtration, fluoride is added, along with sodium hexametaphosphate for heavy metal sequestration and corrosion control. The
plants four dual-media filter cells each hold two feet of anthracite coal atop 12 inches of sand. The filtered water goes to the clear well, where chlorine is fed to combine with ammonia and form chloramines for disinfectant residual. The water is then delivered to the reservoirs and water towers (7.9 million gallons total system storage).
ozone does it
WeBSiTe: | www.mpsutility.com
clean. The Red is subject to wide variations in organic matter and hardness, related to weather and the nature of the watershed, Hall observes. Normal flows range from about 3,000 to 5,500 cubic feet per second. The main feeder streams include the Otter Tail River, with generally high water quality; the Bois de Sioux River, with very poor water quality; and the Wild Rice River. Every river system that feeds the Red is variable, depending on how much rain were getting at the time, says Hall. At the old treatment plant, which used lime and soda ash softening and dual-media filtration, the wide source water variations overwhelmed the process. At the time, the source water included about 60 percent river and 40 percent well water. Potassium permanganate and sometimes
Hall notes that ozonation is KRIS KnuTSon the key to odor and taste control. We ozonate at very high pH [at times 11 or higher] so that we benefit from some advanced oxidation, he says. Ozone has been a really big improvement since it came online in 1995. It helps break down the organic material. Sometimes we feed CO2 with the ozone as the pH is dropping down close to that of the product water. That helps with taste and odor, too. But it wasnt technology alone that conquered the variability of Red River water. The plant staffs diligence had a lot to do with it. Since we started this plant, we have probably doubled or tripled the amount of online instrumentation, says Hall. Our SCADA gives us a lot of information about water quality and whats happening in the process, and were constantly trying to improve that. The systems programmable logic controllers and other control hardware are from Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation), and the SCADA software is from IntelliSys Inc. Online instrumentation in the treatment plant and water system includes:
We dont like to keep secrets between positions. We expect all our operators to be very familiar with the SCAdA. As a supervisor, I try to involve the operators so they can help me out with data analysis, maintenance tasks, or whatever happens to come up.
Water from Moorhead, Minn., won the first two Best in glass taste competitions held by the state section of the American Water Works Association at its annual conference in September in Duluth. The event includes a vendor show where water samples from communities that enter the competition are subjected to a taste test and a popular vote among the attendees. The field is narrowed to the top three vote-getters, which go to a second round of tasting by a panel of three from Minnesota section members and a celebrity judge. in both 2009 and 2010, we won both the popular and the panel vote, says Troy Hall, Water Division manager for Moorhead Public Service. The official winner is the sample selected by the panel of judges. Another honor awaits: The plant is to be featured during 2012 on an episode of the Discovery Channels Dirty Jobs program, showing the process of cleaning the softening basins. Says Hall, it has been a fun year.
Water Division manager Troy Hall
The strengths of our people make it all work. We try our best every day to use the strengths of the people we have.
TRoy hAll
The SCADA is programmed with the U.S. EPA ozone contact time (CT) requirements for disinfection. The ozone analyzers feed data directly into the SCADA, which calculates the actual CT value in real time. In operations, we adjust the ozone, pH or whatever parameter is necessary to make sure the actual plant CT value is above the EPA requirements, says Haman. Once we meet the disinfection requirement, 99 percent of the time the odor and taste issues are taken care of.
MoRe InFo:
Emerson Process Management
800/854-8257 www.raihome.com 800/553-0550 www.erdco.com 800/227-4224 www.hach.com
35
OI Analytical
800/653-1711 www.oico.com
(See ad page 29)
ERDCO Engineering Corporation
Rockwell Automation
Hach Company
414/382-2000 www.rockwellautomation.com
Three total chlorine analyzers from Wallace & Tiernan (Siemens Water Technologies Corp.) Monochloramine/ammonia analyzer, five pH monitors, and eight turbidimeters from Hach Company Two pH controllers (CO2 auto control), four ozone analyzers and two conductivity meters from Rosemount Analytical (Emerson Process Management) Organic online analyzer from s::can Measuring Systems Benchtop lab equipment includes a turbidimeter and spectrophotometer from Hach Company, total organic carbon analyzer from OI Analytical, an IC chromatograph from Dionex, now sold as Thermo Scientific Water Analysis, and an Orion pH meter from Thermo Scientific Water Analysis. The team tests raw water for hardness and alkalinity every four hours and tests the finished water every eight hours. The ozone analyzers test the water in the ozone contact chamber every 20 seconds. Ozone dosage is adjusted manually based on monitoring for ozone residual. We have to adjust the ozone feed rate as water quality changes on a good day, just a couple of times; on a bad day, once an hour or more, says Haman.
As a team
The staffs success derives in part from the team atmosphere its leaders try to create. Theres a lot of overlap in the way we do things a lot of cross-training, notes Kris Knutson, water plant supervisor. We dont like to keep secrets between positions. We expect all our operators to be very familiar with the SCADA. As a supervisor, I try to involve the operators so they can help me out with data analysis, maintenance tasks, or whatever happens to come up. Halbakken adds, We communicate with each other. If one of us sees a problem, we alert the others. Everybody is always looking to keep the best product going out of the plant at all times. If that means someone has to be called at three in the morning to deal with a problem, everybodys open to that. Everyones willing to help out. Notes Haman, We try to work to each others strengths and shore up our weaknesses. For example, Nate is better at plumbing than I am, so Ill give him plumbing jobs. In turn, he can give me data to analyze to find out when is the best time to order lime. We each have our little projects and our specialties.
s::can Measuring Systems

888/296-8250 www.s-can.us
ICS Healy-Ruff
763/559-0568 www.icshealyruff.com
Siemens Water Technologies Corp.

866/926-8420 www.water.siemens.com
Infilco Degremont, Inc.
804/756-7600 www.degremont-technologies.com
Thermo Scientific Water Analysis

800/225-1480 www.thermoscientific.com/water
IntelliSys, Inc.
800/347-9977 www.intellisyssoftware.com
Watson-Marlow Pumps Group

800/282-8823 www.wmpg.com
Modentic Industrial Corp.

www.modentic.com.tw
Xylem
MWH Global
303/533-1900 www.mwhglobal.com
704/409-9700 www.xyleminc.com
Reprinted with permission from WSO / Month 0000 / 2012, COLE Publishing Inc., P.O. Box 220, Three Lakes, WI 54562 / 800-257-7222 / www.wsomag.com
wso
TM

January/February 2012
www.wsomag.com
BRIGHT IDEAS:
Automated meter reading in Davie County, N.C.

Page 36
Water plant supervisor Kris Knutson adjusts an ozone gas feed valve. ozonation has helped Moorhead Public Service correct recurring odor issues caused by source water variation. (gas flowmeter by erDCo engineering Corporation, valve by Modentic industrial Corp.)
Plant upgrades in Rockville, Md.

Page 30
TECH TALK:
Keys to success with wireless SCADA

Page 38
Troy Hall Water Division manager Moorhead, Minn.
Tastes Great!
MOORHEAD PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERS HIGH-QUALITY WATER FROM VARIABLE SOURCES
Page 10
GREAT! GREA
STORY: TED J. RULSEH PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN BORGE
TASTES
Technology and teamwork help Moorhead Public Service deliver consistently high-quality water from a highly variable source in Minnesotas Red River
When we look at the SCADA and see our water-quality trends, we want to see atlines everything just humming along. Through teamwork, thats what weve been able to accomplish.
TROY HALL
QUALITY LEADERS
PLANT
he Red River is best known for periodic oods that afict North Dakota, most notably around Grand Forks. Much farther south, in Moorhead, Minn., the river is known for something else, though mainly to the staff at the water treatment plant. Up here, its not a big river, says treatment plant operator Dan Haman. Local events can have a large impact on it. A rain event can often wash interesting water into the river, especially if the weather has been dry for a while. Years ago, that led to complaints from customers about odor and bad taste in the water coming from the tap. That no longer happens. In 1995, Moorhead Public Service added ozonation to its treatment process, and it proved to be a reliable cure. In fact, for the past two years, Moorheads water has been voted the best tasting in the state in a competition held by the Minnesota section of the American Water Works Association. Troy Hall, Water Division manager, credits the treatment technology, along with a talented operations team, with keeping the process on track. When we look at the SCADA and see our water-quality trends, we want to see atlines everything just humming along, says Hall. Through teamwork, thats what weve accomplished.
THE MPS TEAM

Staff members at the Moorhead Public Service water treatment plant are: Troy Hall, Water Division manager, 19 years of service, Class A license Kris Knutson, water plant supervisor, six years, Class A Nate Halbakken, lead water treatment plant operator, nine years, Class A Jason Yonke, Y Yonke, lead water treatment p reatment lant o reatment p lant perator, 14 years, 14 y 14 years, Class A Jason Yonke, lead water treatment plant operator, 14 years, Class A Gena Dahl, water plant c lant hemist, four y lant c our years our y years Gena Dahl, water plant chemist, four years Dan Haman, water plant o lant perator, six y lant o ix years, ix y years, Class C Dan Haman, water plant operator, six years, Class C Daryl Brahos, water plant o lant perator, four y lant o our years, our y years, Class C Daryl Brahos, water plant operator, four years, Class C Christopher C Christopher apecchi, water plant o lant perator, one year lant o y year Christopher Capecchi, water plant operator, one year Christopher Christopher K nutson, water Christopher Knutson, water plant operator, one year, Class D Alan Neer, water plant o lant peralant o Alan Neer, water plant opera tor, four years, Class A Leslee Storlie, part-time water Leslee Storlie, part-time water plant operator, one year Kevin Young, Y Young, part-time water Kevin Young, part-time water plant operator, one year
Hall cites SCADA work as an example of the teams cooperation. For the past decade, we have done all our SCADA work internally, he says. Its not a perfect SCADA, but it has been built by people who really care about the end result. When we want to make a change in how a process works, we all work together. Ive done some SCADA work in the ofce. Kris and Dan have done screen development for various purposes. It has evolved almost entirely inhouse. We also select and install our own instrumentation.
Problem solvers
Teamwork has helped the Moorhead staff resolve a variety of process issues. Several years ago, pH variability was a constant challenge. Work Working together, staff members made the correction by installing pH probes, making plumbing changes, and doing SCADA programming. In another instance, rising non-carbonate hardness in the Red River was taking a toll on the soda ash feed pumps. A former operator located a peristaltic pump model (Watson-Marlow) that appeared better suited to the task. Operators, an instrument technician and electricians from the utilitys electrical side worked together to test and install the new pumps. In a few months, we went from having to service the pumps every week to having almost no problems, says Haman. Another improvement involved installing a meter in the intake line to hardsample Red River water for conductivity as a way to predict total hard analyness in the river in real time. The team did the job, including data analy sis and SCADA programming, entirely in-house, installing a used instrument purchased on the Internet for a few hundred dollars. Future plans include installing instrumentation at the river pumping station, about three miles (two hours of in-pipe travel time) from the plant. Im excited about that, says Haman. Well be able to see changes in the water before it gets to the plant and so deal with them more effectively. Hall calls it a privilege to lead a staff with many and diverse talents. The strengths of our people make it all work, he says. We try our best every day to use the strengths of the people we have. The results show up daily in the water glasses of Moorhead residents. wso
Variable source
What the Moorhead team calls the North Treatment Plant (10 mgd capacity) was built in 1995. The old 6 mgd treatment plant is now rarely used: The staff operates it periodically just to make sure it remains functional and available for emergencies. When the plant operates, it treats well water only. The new plant, with 10 full-time and two part-time staff members, Water treatment plant operator Dan Haman adjusts gas ow on ozone generator from was designed specically to deal with variable source water in the Red WEDECO, division of Xylem. River. The utility also draws well water froma the Buffalo Aquifer, but the river provides about 85 percent of the source water on an annual basis. Theres a reason its called the Red River, says Nate Halbakken, lead treatment plant operator. Which is to say its not what one would call
LASER REPRINTS
Starting At
Water Division manager Troy Hall
Moorhead (Minn.) Public Service

FOUNDED: | 1896 POPULATION SERVED: | 42,000 TERRITORY: | Cities CAPACITY: | 16
Members of the MPS Water Division team are, back, from left, water plant staff members Dan Haman, Kris Knutson, Nate Halbakken, Troy Hall, Jason Yonke, Chris Knutson, Alan Neer, Chris Capecchi and Daryl Brahos; front row, distribution crew members Jared Heller, Chris Perlichek, Matt Andvik, Phil Shequen and Matt Mehl.

We dont like to keep secrets between positions. We expect all our operators to be very familiar with the SCADA. As a supervisor, I try to involve the operators so they can help me out with data analysis, maintenance tasks, or whatever happens to come up.
Water from Moorhead, Minn., won the rst two Best in Glass taste competitions held by the state section of the American Water Works Association at its annual conference in September in Duluth. The event includes a vendor show where water samples from communities that enter the competition are subjected to a taste test and a popular vote among the attendees. The eld is narrowed to the top three vote-getters, which go to a second round of tasting by a
The strengths of our people make it all work. We try our best every day to use the strengths of the people we have.
TROY HALL
of Moorhead and Dilworth, Oakport Township mgd million gallons River (85%), Buffalo Aquifer (15%) Lime/soda ash softening, ozonation, dual media ltration 190 miles of water mains, three water towers, two ground storage tanks, two reservoirs on plant sites water variability ANNUAL BUDGET: | $4.5 million (operations) WEBSITE: | www.mpsutility.com
SYSTEM STORAGE: | 7.9 SOURCE WATER: | Red TREATMENT PROCESS: INFRASTRUCTURE:
activated carbon were fed at the river pumping station, but at times that wasnt enough. When taste and odor problems arose, complaint calls came in bunches.
Reliable process
The MWH engineering rm (then known as Montgomery Watson) designed the new treatment plant. The Moorhead team has steadily improved on the design with instrumentation and updates to the SCADA system, originally supplied by Instrument Control Systems (ICS). One river pump station and two well pump stations deliver raw water Part-time water treatment plant directly into the plant. The waters mix in an inuent chamber, and the operator Leslee Storlie uses a Thermix stirrer from Thermo Scientic ow then enters two 5.5 mgd softening basins (Inlco Degremont). Typi Water Analysis in a lab testing cally, only one basin operates at a time, and when both operate, they work protocol. in parallel. Water in the basins is fed with lime and soda ash, along with ferric plants four dual-media lter cells sulfate as a coagulant and polymer for occulation. Ammonia is also each hold two feet of anthracite ozoadded in the softening stage for bromate control in the downstream ozo coal atop 12 inches of sand. The nation process. ltered water goes to the clear well, The WEDECO ozonation/recarbonation chamber (Xylem) has six where chlorine is fed to combine cells fed with variable amounts of ozone and carbon dioxide, depending with ammonia and form chloraon raw water conditions. Residual ozone is sampled at various points in mines for disinfectant residual. The the chamber. water is then delivered to the reshexametaBefore nal ltration, uoride is added, along with sodium hexameta ervoirs and water towers (7.9 milphosphate for heavy metal sequestration and corrosion control. The lion gallons total system storage).
The SCADA is programmed with the U.S. EPA ozone contact time (CT) requirements for disinfection. The ozone analyzers feed data directly into the SCADA, which calculates the actual CT value in real time. In operations, we adjust the ozone, pH or whatever parameter is necessary to make sure the actual plant CT value is above the EPA requirements, says Haman. Once we meet the disinfection requirement, 99 percent of the time the odor and taste issues are taken care of.
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clean. The Red is subject to wide variations in organic matter and hardness, related to weather and the nature of the watershed, Hall observes. Normal ows range from about 3,000 to 5,500 cubic feet per second. The main feeder streams include the Otter Tail River, with generally high water quality; the Bois de Sioux River, with very poor water quality; and the Wild Rice River. Every river system that feeds the Red is variable, depending on how much rain were getting at the time, says Hall. At the old treatment plant, which used lime and soda ash softening and dual-media ltration, the wide source water variations overwhelmed the process. At the time, the source water included about 60 percent river and 40 percent well water. Potassium permanganate and sometimes
Ozone does it
Hall notes that ozonation is KRIS KNUTSON the key to odor and taste control. We ozonate at very high pH [at times 11 or higher] so that we benet from some advanced oxidation, he says. Ozone has been a really big improvement since it came online in 1995. It helps break down the organic material. Sometimes we feed CO2 with the ozone as the pH is dropping down close to that of the product water. That helps with taste and odor, too. But it wasnt technology alone that conquered the variability of Red River water. The plant staffs diligence had a lot to do with it. Since we started this plant, we have probably doubled or tripled the amount of online instrumentation, says Hall. Our SCADA gives us a lot of information about water quality and whats happening in the process, and were constantly trying to improve that. The systems programmable logic controllers and other control hardware are from Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation), and the SCADA software is from IntelliSys Inc. Online instrumentation in the treatment plant and water system includes:
The staffs success derives in part from the team atmosphere its leadICS Healy-Ruff ers try to create. Theres a lot of overlap in the way we do things a lot 763/559-0568 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. of cross-training, notes Kris Knutson, water plant supervisor. We dont www.icshealyruff.com 866/926-8420 like to keep secrets between positions. We expect all our operators to be www.water.siemens.com Inlco Degremont, Inc. very familiar with the SCADA. As a supervisor, I try to involve the oper804/756-7600 Thermo Scientific Water Analysis ators so they can help me out with data analysis, maintenance tasks, or panel of three from Minnesota section members and a celebrity judge. www.degremont-technologies.com 800/225-1480 whatever happens to come up. www.thermoscientic.com/water In both 2009 and 2010, we won both the popular and the panel Halbakken adds, We communicate with each other. If one of us sees IntelliSys, Inc. vote, says Troy Hall, Water Division manager for Moorhead Public Service. 800/347-9977 Watson-Marlow Pumps Group a problem, we alert the others. Everybody is always looking to keep the The ofcial winner is the sample selected by the panel of judges. www.intellisyssoftware.com 800/282-8823 best product going out of the plant at all times. If that means someone has www.wmpg.com Another honor awaits: The plant is to be featured during 2012 on to be called at three in the morning to deal with a problem, everybodys Modentic Industrial Corp. an episode of the Discovery Channels Dirty Jobs program, showing www.modentic.com.tw Xylem open to that. Everyones willing to help out. the process of cleaning the softening basins. Says Hall, It has been 704/409-9700 Notes Haman, We try to work to each others strengths and shore up MWH Global www.xyleminc.com a fun year. our weaknesses. For example, Nate is better at plumbing than I am, so Ill 303/533-1900 give him plumbing jobs. In turn, he can give me data to analyze to nd www.mwhglobal.com out when is the best time to order lime. We each have our little projects rom Wallace Wallace & Tiernan (Siemens W (Siemens and our specialties. Three total chlorine analyzers from Reprinted with permission from WSO / January 2012 / 2012, COLE Publishing Inc., P.O. Box 220, Three Lakes, WI 54562 / 800-257-7222 / www.wsomag.com Water Technologies Corp.) nalyzer, five pH monitors, and and eight eight Monochloramine/ammonia analyzer, urbidimeters from Hach Company turbidimeters Two pH controllers (CO2 auto control), four ozone analyzers and two conductivity meters from Rosemount Analytical (Emerson Process Management) Organic online analyzer from s::can Measuring Systems s::can Measuring Systems Benchtop lab equipment includes a turbidimeter and spectrophotometer from Hach Company, total organic carbon analyzer from OI Analytical, an IC chromatograph from Dionex, now sold as Thermo Scientic Water Analysis, and an Orion pH meter from Thermo Scientic Water Analysis. The team tests raw water for hardness and alkalinity every four hours and tests the nished water every eight hours. The ozone analyzers test the water in the ozone contact chamber every 20 seconds. Ozone dosage is adjusted manually based on monitoring for ozone residual. We have to adjust the ozone feed rate as water quality changes on a good day, just a couple of times; on a bad day, once an hour or more, says Haman.
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TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE
1) The WaterWiSe probe uses a sensor array to measure key hydraulic parameters. 2) Probes are mounted securely at strategic points in the distribution system. 3) Customers can view the WaterWiSe data on a GIS-based display.
3 1
Water Wisdom
Real-time monitoring and analysis of multiple parameters can help utilities operate efficiently and provide reliable, affordable service
BY TED J. RULSEH
C
30
omplex water distributions systems can be difficult to manage without comprehensive data. The question then becomes how to collect the necessary data, analyze it, and turn it into meaningful information that can drive day-to-day operating decisions. To address that need for information, Xylem and Visenti have developed the WaterWiSe Advanced Water Network, a monitoring, diagnostics and control platform based in the cloud and using sensor arrays (supplied by YSI, a Xylem brand) deployed at strategic points around the distribution system. The solution provides real-time overview and control of water distribution networks, with benefits that include early detection and location of leaks and valve failures, online hydraulic modeling, automated analysis and operating recommendations based on customer demand, and energysaving, automated, demand-based pump optimization. Tim Finegan, director of environmental monitoring products for Xylem, talked about the solution in an interview with Water System Operator.
wso: How would you describe the need for an offering of this kind?
Finegan: Right now, distribution monitoring is typically done by sampling at discrete points on the network. Samples may be taken only on a monthly basis. What we offer is the benefit of continuous, real-time information. One benefit is the provision of decision support tools in real time. That can give a utility automatic, early warning, so they can respond to a main break before customers are affected. It can allow them to optimize energy usage by developing pumping models based on demand. And it can provide an entire model of the distribution network so they can really understand the dynamics of the entire system.
wso: From a physical equipment perspective, what does this system consist of? Finegan: Above the ground, there are simple enclosures, each with a Radio Telemetry Unit (RTU), a battery, a cell modem and a solar panel. That is cabled underground to the heart of the system, which is a sensor
array. We deploy two types of sensor arrays measuring hydraulic parameters, such as pressure and acoustics, and water-quality parameters including turbidity, dissolved organic matter, redox, pH, temperature and conductivity. These units are placed at critical points on the distribution system.
wso: With this offering, do utilities receive technical help, such as in selecting locations for the sensor arrays? Finegan: As part of the engagement, we provide utilities with recommendations on optimal sensor The system is really turnkey. They dont have to install anything locations. Xylem Water Solutions team has a fleet of on their computers or even work with their IT department, because service personnel who work with utilities globally. We can provide turnkey installation and mainteall the data gets transmitted directly to the cloud data center. nance. Also, on a routine basis, we can go out to the TIM FINEGAN field and do sensor calibrations. And because the system is smart, if it detects any device malfunctions, we receive mesconstantly aggregates the data, modeling it and comparing it to historical sages and can respond and perform the needed maintenance in the field. data. All this information is then presented to users in a password-protected web interface. One challenge in collecting real-time water system information is dealing with the volume of data that can be produced. The wso: How would utility personnel experience system data on a WaterWiSe system automates the interpretation and helps turn the data computer screen? into meaningful information. Finegan: Typically well use a GIS API to present data, so users can geospatially reference where the information is coming from. One feature we can provide is water source tracking to show where the water supply is wso: Why is it important to collect real-time data? being pulled from. We can overlay that information on a map of the disFinegan: Its difficult to make decisions based solely on samples tribution system. The same thing applies when we detect events or anomtaken periodically at several locations. Its a lot easier to make decisions alies: We can flag each monitor location on a map, then go to one of those when you can look at a continuous stream of data. For example, typically positions, click on the flag and see what the anomaly is, or view the realtheres not a lot of available data about water quality in the distribution time data. system yet its common for disinfectant levels, turbidity and other quality parameters to change over time. This system helps provide a baseline for understanding the chemical and physical dynamics of the system. wso: Does it take extensive training for utility people to learn this system? Finegan: The system is really turnkey. They dont have to install wso: How can utilities use this system for hydraulic modeling? anything on their computers or even work with their IT department, Finegan: We first look at historical data to understand what the norms are, so that we can then predict what usage and other expected values are going to be. The challenge with Right now, distribution monitoring is typically done by sampling any water system is that its variable. Pump pressures at discrete points on the network. Samples may be taken only change, water quality changes, so its hard to flag an on a monthly basis. What we offer is the benefit of continuous, alarm or detect an event based on a change alone, because maybe that change is expected as normal. real-time information. What we do is analyze that historic data to see what TIM FINEGAN the expected values are. Then we continually compare that to the real-time data coming in. When those two dont match, thats because all the data gets transmitted directly to the cloud data center. how were able to flag events. Once they set up an account, they have a secure login where they can go and view the information through a web portal. Some of our more advanced customers are interested in directly integrating to the database wso: What are some common uses of the modeling information? so they can view the data through their own GIS or SCADA system. wso Finegan: Predicting demand is a big one. Naturally in a drinking water distribution system the amount of water you need to supply is variable. If we can model and predict demand, then we can use that information to optimize how we operate pumps and open and close valves. Also, if were going to need to shut down sections of line, we can model the impact to customers. We can predict based on the maintenance were going to perform how many customers at what points on the system are going to feel the impact.
wso: How is all this data managed once it is collected? Finegan: The data from all the sensors is transmitted directly to a secure cloud-based server. There a Data Management and Analytics tool
We did a pilot project for the Public Utilities Board of Singapore, where the leadership was interested in a pump optimization strategy aimed mainly at energy reduction. They needed to understand the impacts of running pumps and operating valves on certain schedules and frequencies. After they implemented the WaterWiSe solution, they were able to document through an energy audit a 20 percent energy savings.
wso: How can this system help utilities save energy? Finegan: In a water system, a lot of excess energy can be used driving pumps that dont need to be on that are not increasing pressure or providing more supply. This system can help identify where the peak demands are, where the pressure points are and where excess capacity exists. Once you get that 100,000-foot view, youre able to identify improvement projects and set priorities based on network dynamics.
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31
BRIGHT IDEAS
Flush With Success

A cooperative water conservation program based largely on rebates for water-saving toilets places big dividends in Floridas Broward County
BY SCOTTIE DAYTON
Tim Welch, director of Sunrise Utilities, uses a rain barrel painted with colorful scenes to discuss water conservation methods with Sandpiper Elementary School students.
Strength in numbers
s the Sunrise (Fla.) Utilities Department worked to advance its water conservation plan among customers, Broward County proposed a more attractive alternative with broader marketing and outreach elements. The county collaborated with the many cities within it and formed the Broward Water Partnerships Water Conservation and Incentives Program, says Tim Welch, P.E., utilities director. The program is more efficient than if each city did its own thing. The partnerships five-year goal is to save 30 million gallons of water a day through rebates on water-saving toilets, distribution of free watersaving devices such as showerheads and community education. Customers who replace their old toilets with U.S. EPA-approved WaterSense high-efficiency toilets (HET) using 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf) are eligible for a $100 rebate for up to two toilets. Nonprofits and businesses may also participate. Since October 2011, the partnership has distributed more than $266,000 in rebates, equating to nearly 260 million gallons of water saved.
Broward County, population 1.8 million, is the second-most TIM WELCH, P.E. populous county in the state and the 18th largest in the country. Sunrise Utilities operates three water treatment plants that draw from the Biscayne Aquifer. To calculate how much water the conservation program is saving, the county used census data. It showed that 69 percent of homes were built before 1980 (toilets in these homes were assumed to use 5 gpf) and 31 percent were built after (these were assumed to use 3.5 gpf). The census placed average household size at 2.59 inhabitants. Based on literature from the South Florida Water Management District, the regional water regulator, each person flushes 5.1 times per day. Welch learned of the water conservation program while attending a monthly meeting of the Water Advisory Board Technical Advisory Committee with two dozen other municipalities. We have a sensitive regional water supply and welcomed a better way to promote water conservation throughout our service area, says Welch. Sunrise also supplies water to the cities of Weston, Davie and Southwest Ranches. While some municipalities signed onto the county program but rejected rebates, 19 cities fully adopted it. They signed a contract, agreeing to finance the rebates and distribute prerinse spray valves for commercial food service providers, low-f low water faucet aerators, and water-efficient showerheads. Those devices are not part of the watersaved equation. Sunrise Utilities water conservation account annually invests tens of thousands of dollars toward conservation. Water and sewer revenues from 200,000 customers fund it. In 2013, the rebate program cost $85,000.
I believe the students understand the message that we dont have a choice. We cant afford mistakes. We have to be right every time, and that costs money.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUNRISE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
How it works
Only Sunrise Utilities customers qualify for the program. After the county approves the purchase of WaterSense-certified HETs, applicants must provide proof of purchase and validate installation. Households are eligible for two rebates, while commercial, nonprofit and multi-family establishments qualify on an individual basis.
32
Tim Welch dispenses water conservation literature to people visiting the Sunrise Utilities outreach tent during Earth Day.
Career Days at district elementary schools. Besides talking about water conservation, the water cycle and the use of rain barrels, Welch encourages youngsters to tell their parents about the rebates and water-saving devices. The utility also takes part in Earth Day and the countys Water Matters Day. We invite children to paint colorful scenes on a rain barrel, and then schools compete to win it, says Welch. Delivering the prize to the classroom gives us an additional opportunity to discuss water conservation methods. Utility workers save water by conducting meter calibrations, detecting leaks and monitoring check valves. The department typically accounts for 93 percent of the water it produces. During summer, an ordinance restricts residential irrigation to twice a week. The utility also takes part in the countys NatureScape program, which analyzes irrigation systems and optimizes their efficiency. They make sure our sprinkler heads are working properly, the piping isnt leaking and were not over watering, says Welch.
Model for success

For utilities debating whether to begin a conservation program on their own or do it as a collaborative effort, Welch recommends the latter: A consortium enables members to share expenses and hire a marketing consultant to manage the media outreach campaign. Its easier to learn from the successes and failures of others: how to organize, locate the equipment, provide the communication and process all the requests and rebates. While individual utilities can qualify for incentives and grants, they could receive larger grants collectively. Broward County has received grants on behalf of this program, and funds are coming back to the cities, says Welch. That is one big benefit of working together. Another is the amount of documentation available for adoption. If its all done for you, why not use it? wso
The county purchases the other water-saving devices, delivering them to the utilities administration buildings where customers pick them up. They must bring a copy of their water bill and photo identification and surrender their old showerhead before qualifying for new ones. We ration all the devices, giving one or two per customer, says Welch. The response to this portion of the program and the rebates has been outstanding. The second half of the water conservation effort invites customers to become media partners by spreading the word to other residents about the rebates and free devices. Its working very well, says Welch. People tell us they heard about the program from neighbors and friends. Broward County also tracks the campaign through a questionnaire customers complete when they validate their rebates. Welch sees the program as an opportunity for operators to discuss with customers the importance of conserving water, and what it costs to guarantee that quality water comes out when they open the tap. People are often surprised when their utility bills increase, says Welch. But the cost of water and the scarcity of it in certain regions are becoming bigger concerns. Operators may be the best candidates to educate the public about them.
Starting young
The utility also conducts plant tours for elementary, middle and high school students. After seeing the magnitude of equipment and what it takes to operate and sustain a facility, they gain a real feel for operating expenses. Welchs operators emphasize that monthly water bills enable the utility to purchase $5 million of electric power annually, buy hundreds of thousands of dollars of chemicals, and spend millions on plant expansions to guarantee reliable, safe drinking water. I believe the students underWSO welcomes stories about your plant and stand the message that we dont have system innovations for future a choice, says Welch. We cant afford Bright Ideas articles. mistakes. We have to be right every Send your suggestions to time, and that costs money. editor@wsomag.com or Other utility outreach efforts call 715/277-4094. include taking part in 20 to 25
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Corp. feature two relays, 4-20mA analog output and 24-volt DC power supply in one meter. The PD765 is housed in a 3.6-inch deep, 1/8 DIN enclosure with NEMA 4X front panel. Two display heights are available: 0.56 inch (Trident) and 1.2 inch (Trident X2). Each display is adjustable to lighting conditions, including direct sunlight. The Trident X2 meter can be read from 30 feet. For hazardous applications, the PD8-765 has an explosion-proof, die-cast aluminum enclosure with through-glass Safe Touch buttons and worldwide safety approvals. Because both of the products use the same electronics at their core, they share the same unique characteristics, says Joe Ryan, product marketing engineer for Precision Digital Corp. The most prominent is the availability of our PD765 X2 models with the 1.2inch display on the front. Ryan says the larger display is essential for operators who need to be aware of ongoing processes or critical measurements. You need a display thats large enough and bright enough to be viewed in sunlight and one that operators are going to notice in a control panel full of other, less relevant, information. The meters can be field programmed to accept process voltage and current inputs, 100 Ohm RTS RTD and the four most common thermocouples: J, K, T, and E. Power options include 85 to 265 VAC or 12 to 36 VDC. It also can provide 24 VDC to power the transmitter, if needed. The Trident is capable of taking in a process or a temperature input, Ryan says. Lets say you have a filtration panel. You might from a single head. When in RS485 bus configuration, one system is capable of accommodating more than 200 transmitters and can monitor any combination of gases for a specific environment. Other features include nonintrusive calibration, HART and Modbus communication, programmable relays and explosion-proof aluminum or stainless steel housings. 800/338-3287; www.oldhamgas.com.
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34
Trident Series digital panel meter, left, and model PD8-765 ProtEX-MAX explosion-proof meter from Precision Digital Corp.
and loading areas. The OSHA-compliant gates require 10 inches of floor space when closed at the mezzanine ledge and are counterbalanced for ergonomic, easy manual operation. Optional powered operation includes remote controls. Units can be customized to accommodate various load and space restrictions. 440/934-2180; www.benkoproducts.com.
9|SEL power quality, revenue meter with IEC
have flow rates and differential pressures in the filtration system that need to be used by the operators, and youve got a flow meter, maybe with a display, and differential pressure transmitter with a 4-20mA output. Well, operator is obviously not right at the flowmeter site, and the DP meter needs a display. The Trident accepts the 4-20mA signals from the transmitters and displays them on the filtration panel. If water temperature is critical, a Trident also can be used to accept the RTD or thermocouple probe directly, so youre taking the 4-20mA filtration panel and displaying it on the Trident. The Trident meter can be used in level applications to display data from transmitters at underground sumps and wells or aboveground water storage tanks to a meter that can be mounted at eye level next to the tanks and sumps or at a central monitoring station. The meters also can be connected to any flow, level, temperature or pressure transmitter. 800/343-1001; www.predig.com. measurements and alarm status. It also can query for service diagnostics. 800/854-1993; www.fluidcomponents.com.
The SEL-735 power quality and revenue meter with IEC functionality from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories supports systems built from multivendor intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) networked to perform protection, monitoring, automation, metering and control. IEC 61850 features include up to six manufacturing message specification client sessions for logging and reporting data, the ability to publish and subscribe to generic object-oriented substation event (GOOSE) messages and support for device configuration using substation configuration language (SCL) and configured IED description (CID) files. 509/332-1890; www. selinc.com.
10|Universal Flow Monitors vortex-shedding flowmeters
P420 vortex-shedding flowmeters from Universal Flow Monitors are designed for process water, membrane permeate, brine and corro-
sive fluids in water treatment, desalination and chemical treatment applications. The meters include models with wetted parts made entirely of PVC or CPVC for greater heat resistance. The CPVC body meter has a maximum operating temperature of 180 degrees F and the PVC meter has a maximum operating temperature of 140 degrees F. Both meters are available in five pipe diameters (1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/2 and 2 inches), providing a flow range from 12 to 200 gpm. 866/542-9641; www.flowmeters.com.
7|Hach handheld colorimeter 8|
The DR 900 handheld colorimeter from Hach Co. is designed for testing water in harsh and challenging field environments. Waterproof, dustproof, drop tested and shock resistant, the colorimeter has a backlit display option for low light conditions. It can store 500 tests and comes with a USB port for data transfer to a PC or laptop. 800/227-4224; www.hach.com.
11|Lowell valve key sockets
The three-size valve key sockets kit from Lowell Corp. can handle from 1 13/16-inch Boston gates nuts to 2-inch standard square nuts. It includes a compact case, attachment plate and 3-inch screw for mounting the socket on any standard key. 800/456-9355; www.lowellcorp.com.
Protect-O-Gate Clear Aisle mezzanine safety gates from Benko Products feature a double-gate design and three-sided load access
Benko mezzanine safety gate
12|RIDGID SeeSnake with self-leveling head
to ensure against falls and other accidents associated with mezzanines
The SeeSnake Max rM200 camera system from RIDGID with self-leveling head takes the guesswork out of inspections, providing clear, right-side-up images or video. 800/769-7743; www.ridgid.com. (Continued on page 37)
9 7 8 10
11 12
35
CASE STUDIES:
BY CRAIG MANDLI
PUMPS, DRIVES AND VALVES

Retrofit kit used to update faulty actuators
Problem
Water-operated cylinders in the City of Norman, Okla., were antiquated, unreliable and no longer supported with spare parts. The actuator needed modification to accommodate new open/close or modulating inputs that control the valves in the filter gallery.
Solution
The city purchased high-performance rotary vane actuator retrofit kits from K-TORK designed to operate any quarter-turn AWWA valve, such as butterfly, ball or plug valves. While the valve remains in the line, the actuator bolts directly to the valve, replacing the nonperforming equipment. Each kit includes the actuator, solenoid valve, manual override, limit switches, visual indicator, and speed controls or throttling positioner, along with the mount kit to adapt to valves of any make or brand. In the tight confines of the pipe gallery, it is a compact solution with high torque output and adjustable travel stops to ensure that the valve is fully closed.
BEFORE AFTER
RESULT
The new actuators have greatly increased reliability and reduced maintenance costs, says Brian Hapke, supervisor at City of Norman Water Treatment. There were also significant savings in not replacing the valve and not having to remove if from the pipe. 214/343-9980; www. ktork.com.
Vibration analyzer reveals loose bolts and bearings on pump station

Problem
The water treatment facility in Fairfield, Ohio, uses vibration analysis as part of a condition monitoring planned/predictive maintenance program. Vibration analysis identified severe mechanical looseness on a pumping station pump. mounts and flanges or, in a worstcase scenario, internal looseness of the bearing components themselves.
RESULT
Inspection found that most of the mounting bolts associated with the pump-bearing flange and pump supports were very loose. Inspection of the motor-pump shaft coupling also revealed a lack of proper lubrication around the steel grid component. After repairs consisting of tightening flange-mounting bolts and pump support bolts, follow-up vibration measurements verified satisfactory results. 305/591-8935; www. ludeca.com.
Solution
Initial baseline measurements revealed the mechanical looseness and a possible coupling problem with the pump and motor assembly. The vibration data collected with the VIXPERT 2-channel vibration analyzer and later plotted with the OMNITREND software from LUDECA showed severe impacting with high-frequency harmonics characteristic of looseness in both pump bearings. Utility personnel believed the looseness could be related to loose bolts on the bearing
New pumps upgrade obsolete water system

Problem
The obsolete water system of Higuey, Dominican Republic, was not able to pump enough clean water to meet the demands for a population of 100,000 people. hp H14XHC four-stage high-service pumps (capacity 4,000 gpm) to transport treated water to the holding tanks.
Solution
Four National Pump Company 200 hp M14HC three-stage raw water pumps, each with 2,000 gpm capacity, were installed at a river pump station. From there, the raw water is pumped to the treatment plant, which has been upgraded with two National Pump Company 75 hp H24LC single-stage backwash pumps (capacity 4,000 gpm) and four 400
RESULT
A total of 10 pumps were installed to modernize the water system and deliver water successfully to the people of Higuey. 800/966-5240; www.nationalpumpcompany.com.
36
Hose pump helps plant reach its potential

Problem
Madison County Water, a 10 mgd water plant in rural Alabama, utilized traditional diaphragm-style metering pumps to chemically dose reservoir water with sodium hypochlorite prior to distribution. Over time, the diaphragm pumps lost the ability to self-prime, and when the sodium hypochlorite tank level dropped below 5 feet, the pumps did not operate. However, because there are no flowmeters, it took two hours or more for the problem to show up in residual analysis. Due to this suction efficiency problem, the plant decided it was time for a change.
NEWS
13|HEMCO emergency shower
The emergency shower from HEMCO is designed to protect individuals working with hazardous chemicals. Constructed of one-piece fiberglass composite, the showers are fully assembled and ready for installation to water supply and waste systems. The unit includes a pull-rod activated shower and push-handle eye/face wash for immediate drenching of personnel who have been exposed to harmful chemicals. Options include grab bars, hand-held body wash and curtains. The unit is ANSI and OSHA compliant. 800/779-4362; www.hemcocorp.com.
PRODUCT
Solution
The plant decided on a Verderflex Dura 10 hose pump from Verder. It is capable of pulling suction lift up to 31 feet of liquid, which was more than ample to drain the sodium hypochlorite tank entirely. The installation was able to reuse the mounting shelf, platform, all suction and discharge piping and appurtenances like gauges and valves. They were also able to reuse the motor and VFD as well.
14|Xylem WEDECO Quadron UV systems
WEDECO Quadron medium-pressure ultraviolet water treatment systems from Xylem are designed for drinking water disinfection and wastewater reuse applications. The 600 and 1,200 units manage flows to 8.6 and 13.3 mgd. Multiray UV lamps provide 8,000 hours of life, even in dimmed mode. 704/409-9700; www.wedeco.com/us.
15|Adalet flameproof screw cover meter enclosure 16|Omega mini plastic flow switch
The XJ_X series of screw cover flameproof meter enclosures from Adalet feature 68 standard sizes approved to gas group IIB+H2 with an IP66 rating. The enclosures are available with solid cover or viewing windows. 216/267-9000; www.adalet.com.
RESULT
The plant not only saved equipment cost, but because the pump was now able to empty the tank entirely, the frequency of sodium hypochlorite deliveries was also substantially reduced. 877/7837337; www.verder-us.com. wso
The FSW-120 series of compact PPS switches from Omega Engineering are designed for use with water and water-based solutions
and high-volume OEM applications, including coolant or chemical monitoring. Switch points are based on water flow. 800/826-6342; www. omega.com. wso
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37
PRODUCT FOCUS:
BY CRAIG MANDLI

Clean-water operators depend on quality pumps, drives and valves to move clean, fresh water out to their customers. Here are several of the products on the market designed to keep the water flowing smoothly and efficiently.
Diaphragm dosing pump

The MEMDOS LP motor-driven diaphragm dosing pump from Lutz-JESCO America Corp. offers capacities to 270 gph; a 115 VAC, positive 5 or negative 5 percent, 60 Hz power supply; pressures up to 232 psig; greater than 90 percent motor efficiency; dosing control and diaphragm rupture inputs; batch dosing with interval and timer functions; infinitely adjustable stroke frequency from 0 to 100 percent; and external control via standard signal 0/4-20 mA. It is available in PVC, PVDF, polypropylene and stainless steel construction with an Ethernet interface. It can be outfitted with a double diaphragm system. 800/554-2762; www.lutzjescoamerica. com.
Pumps
Bypass pump
The Yakka150i bypass/dewatering pump from AllightPrimax has replaceable wear plates and impellers in stainless steel. It operates quietly, emitting only 65 dBA at 23 feet. The body is impact resistant and requires minimal maintenance. The strong tubular frame design provides side and end protection. Lockable gull wing doors are wrapped over the body for security and easy access. All controls are inside the lockable module. 877/477-4629; www.allightprimax.com.
Regenerative blower
The 4RB regenerative blower from Republic Blower Systems is low-maintenance, oil-free and energy efficient. It is available with one or two impeller stage configurations. Airflows range from 33 to 777 cfm. It has a low noise range of 62 to 88 dB. 800/847-0380; www. republicsales.com.
High-temperature regenerative blower

H Series regenerative blowers from All-Star Products include high-temperature components to combat premature failures, adding a temperature safety margin to ensure continued operation despite momentary high amperage or load conditions. Features include bearing lubricant rated 385 degrees F, Class H motor insulation rated 355 degrees F and Viton seals rated 500 degrees F. 800/431-8258; www.all-star-usa.com.
Four-inch submersible pump kit

Four-inch submersible pumps from Pentair / Myers can be prepackaged with a Pentek Intellidrive variable-frequency drive in a contractorfriendly kit for well water applications requiring constant pressure. The kit combines the pump, motor and drive. The VFD extends pump and motor life with soft start/ coast-to-stop functionality. The kit is three-wire compatible, with one- or three-phase output. 888/416-9513; www.femyers.com.
Self-priming pump
STX Series self-priming pumps from Cornell Pump Company are available in 3-, 4-, 6- and 8-inch sizes and can pump up to 2,400 gpm. They are made of ductile iron, and include a semi-enclosed impeller, an oversized oil reservoir that enables high-speed operation, heavyduty bearings and frame, stress-proof shafts and Cycloseal mechanical seal technology to increase seal life. 503/6530330; www.cornellpump.com.
Disinfection skid metering system

Packaged skid disinfection metering systems from seepex eliminate the costs of engineering, procuring, assembling and commissioning flow control systems. They can deliver thin to highly viscous liquids as well as corrosive and solids-laden chemicals. All components resist acidic and caustic environments. Nonpulsating flow assures accurate and reliable metering without pulsation dampeners. The progressive cavity pumps do not have ball valves, are not prone to vapor lock and do not require backpressure valves or priming chambers. Units are delivered complete with controls and skids for floor or wall mounting. 937/864-7150; www.seepex.com.
Battery-powered chemical pump

The EF Series pump from Finish Thompson is powered by a 12-volt lithium-ion battery. An optional 12-volt car charger allows the pump motor to be recharged between stops. The combination of a chemical duty EF Series pump tube and the cordless motor make it well suited for remote chemical transfer in water distribution systems. 814/4554478; www.finishthompson.com.
Pump backup system

The ReliaPrime emergency bypass station from Gorman-Rupp Company operates on natural gas, making it quiet, efficient and environmentally friendly. It includes a 6-inch Super T Series pump, and offers a soundproof lightweight aluminum enclosure with lockable door panels that can be removed for maintenance. It is a complete backup package, ready for hookup for emergencies and power outages, primary pump repair and additional pumping capacity. 419/755-1011; www.grpumps.com.
Water booster pump station

Packaged water booster pump stations from Smith & Loveless include piping, valves and controls, service, and jockey and fire pumps. Capacities range from 50 gpm to more than 10 mgd. Service lines from 2 to 20 inches or larger are available. Multiple shell configurations are available. Widths and lengths can be sized to specifications, with a maximum width up to 12 feet for factory-assembled units. Fiberglass, steel or prefabricated housings are available. 800/898-9122; www.smithandloveless.com.
38
High-pressure pump
The PKX201H high-pressure pump from Subaru Industrial Power Products combines an overhead-cam engine with high-pressure capabilities and heavy-duty construction. Powered by a 6 hp Subaru EX17 engine, the 2-inch pump offers a lift height of up to 275 feet and a maximum delivery volume of 127 gpm. It uses a large-diameter impeller with shallow vanes to attain high pressure. A hardened castiron volute withstands suspended particles and small solids sucked through the strainer, while an abrasion-resistant, cast-iron three-blade impeller and a replaceable wear plate extend life and reduce maintenance. 847/540-7300; www.subarupower.com.
600/690 volt capability, the drives offer predictive diagnostics and built-in protection. They have a slot-based hardware architecture that reduces unnecessary add-ons and lets users select option cards to suit an application and expand the drive for future needs. 414/382-2000; www.rockwellenergycalc.com.
Adjustable-speed drive
The P9 low-voltage adjustable-speed drive from Toshiba International Corp. uses Virtual Linear Pump (VLP) Technology, which creates a linear system curve by automatically tuning the drive to a system and assigning maximum and minimum operating points. Using transducer feedback, the process control mode maintains a setpoint with minimal rise time and virtually no overshoot, settling time or steady-state error. This mode can be used to maintain pressure, flow, level or temperature. Benefits include running the device at its best efficiency point, load sharing over multiple devices, sleep-timer control and the ability to turn on secondary devices. It is best suited for pump and blower applications. 800/231-1412; www.toshiba.com/ind.
AODD pump parts

Aftermarket AODD pump parts from ThinQk Pump Parts fit Aro, Blagdon, Depa, Graco, Sandpiper, Versa-Matic, VerderAir, and Yamada air-operated diaphragm pumps. All aftermarket parts are honored with the same warranty as OEM parts. www.thinqk.com.
Drives
Variable-frequency drive
The NEMA 4X/IP66-rated AQUA Drive variable-frequency drive from Danfoss VLT Drives can be installed directly at the equipment location without a protective enclosure. Drives are suitable for installations that require protection against windblown dust and rain or splashing water. All cast aluminium parts are powder coated with durable epoxy. The drives include a conformal-coated circuit board for added protection in corrosive environments and allstainless steel screws. Units can be installed near a motor or blower to facilitate modular plant design and have short 1,000-foot motor cable runs. 800/432-6367; www.danfossdrives.com.
Motors
Efficient aerator and mixer motor
Endura Series motors from Aqua-Aerobic Systems are high- and premium-efficiency options for Aqua-Jet surface aerators and AquaDDM direct-drive mixers. They are available in a variety of power ratings and operate under severe conditions. They require no greasing and limited maintenance. 800/9405008; www.aqua-aerobic.com.
Submersible motor
Reliance submersible motors from Baldor Electric Co. can be used for wet- and dry-pit applications. Wet-pit motors use effluent for cooling and can run for 15 minutes in air. Dry-pit motors run continuously in air or submerged. The motors are corrosion resistant with cast-iron frame and end shields, 316 stainless steel hardware and 416 stainless steel shafts. They are U/L listed and CSA certified for Class 1 Division 1 Groups C & D, with a T3C temperature code. Manufactured with a Type 21 tandem seal design, they withstand 100 psi at the lower/outer seal. Dual moisture probes detect moisture in the oil chamber. 800/828-4920; www.baldor.com.
Grounded bearing isolator

The SGi bearing isolator from Garlock Sealing Technologies uses maintenance-free, shaft voltage mitigation technology that provides bearing protection by preventing contamination, lubrication loss and electrical damage in variable-speed drives. It combines a GUARDIAN bronze non-sparking, noncontact labyrinth seal and an AEGIS shaft-grounding ring to protect bearings and reduce maintenance. Fitted with a standard fluoroelastomer (FKM) rotor O-ring, it can be supplied with alternate O-ring materials on request. It can replace both contact lip seals and traditional bearing isolators and is available in flanged, flangeless and custom configurations. 800/448-6688; www.garlock.com.
Motor and Pump Controls

SCADA-enabled control panel
TCOM control panels from Orenco Systems are low-cost/high-value SCADA systems for utilities. They can be used as a SCADA
Versatile AC drive
Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 750 Series AC drives from Rockwell Automation are designed for ease of use, simplified integration and application flexibility. With a power range of 0.75 to 1,500 kW and 400/480 and
39
PRODUCT FOCUS:

patch, connecting peripheral equipment to an existing SCADA. Panels include built-in communication protocols supported by most existing SCADA systems. Features include color touch screens with built-in programming and real-time data acquisition and control over an Internet, cell or phone line connection. TCOM Viewer software works on Windows PCs. 800/348-9843; www.orencocontrols.com. trolled speed range of 40:1, critical frequency rejection, torque limiting of 30 to 180 percent, auto restart after power loss or resettable fault, floating point control capability and stationary motor auto-tuning. 800/275-4934; www.weg.net/us.
Compact controller
The ILC 1x1 compact controller from Phoenix Contact makes advanced control options available for small- to medium-sized water systems, including remote assets such as water towers, remote pumping and lift stations, and other distant monitoring sites. It supports the Modbus TCP protocol: users can configure and commission in two steps. It also has an SD card slot that allows the user to increase the flash memory size up to 2 GB. This supports data logging applications and makes it easier to integrate advanced features via function block libraries into the controller. 800/322-3225; www.phoenixcontact.com.
Seals
Bearing protection ring
The AEGIS SGR bearing protection ring from Electro Static Technology supports predictive and preventive maintenance programs on AC motors and large DC motors controlled by variable-frequency drives. By protecting bearings from electrical damage, the ring extends motor life, preventing bearing noise, downtime and motor repairs/replacements. It simplifies predictive/preventive maintenance programs. Its conductive microfibers work with virtually no friction or wear; are unaffected by dirt, grease or other contaminants; and last for the life of the motor. A mounting kit simplifies installation on any NEMA or IEC motor. It prevents bearing damage by safely channeling shaft currents to ground. 866/738-1857; www.est-aegis.com.
Process optimization system

The Clearlogx process optimization system from Siemens Water Technologies is an automated chemical motor feed system that optimizes soluble organic removal, reduces chemical costs and enhances water treatment plant performance. Using a proprietary controls approach, it optimizes a plants water chemistry, reducing formation of disinfection byproducts and limiting membrane fouling. It can maximize TOC removal up to 50 percent, even after enhanced coagulation, enabling plants to comply with the DBP Rule. It can be integrated with the Memcor membrane system to support greater membrane performance, especially for difficult-to-treat water sources. 978/614-7111; www.water.siemens.com.
Valves
Two-way diaphragm valve
The Type 2030 from Burkert Fluid Control Systems is a pilot-controlled diaphragm valve with piston actuator and diaphragm seal. The two-way diaphragm valve with a PVC or PVDF body provides high flow rates and chemical compatibility. The diaphragm and valve body are the only components in contact with the fluid. It can be combined with any Burkert pilot valves, on/off top control or element controllers, valve blocks, manually operated valves or solenoid valves. It includes a removable radial true union, spigot and flange connections. 800/325-1405; www.burkert-usa.com.
Configurable control panel

The Endura SL (Slim Line) control panel from SJE-Rhombus has a VFDC-4100 controller for commercial pressure booster applications using a variable-frequency drive and across-the-line starters. It can be configured for simplex, duplex, and triplex pump control applications using a single VFD for up to three pumps. Features include a NEMA 1 wallmount enclosure; cooling fan, filter and thermostat for ventilation; panel-mounted VFD; VFDC-4100 controller mounted on the door; 0-200 psi pressure transducer with 20-foot cable; low-water alarm terminal (low suction/level); and a slim-line design for confinedspace applications. 888/342-5753; www.sjerhombus.com.
All-plastic control valve

The Model 2060 2-inch flanged plastic control valve from Collins Instrument Company has a body of PVDF or polypropylene and an actuator/yoke of glass-filled polypropylene, making it suitable for harsh fluids or corrosive environments. It can be equipped with a pneumatic positioner, a positioner with integral I/P or an electric actuator. It has 150 psi flatfaced ANSI flanges, accommodates 300 psi maximum operating pressure at ambient temperature, and handles fluids including hydrochloric acid, caustic, sulfuric acid and others. 979/849-8266; www.collinsinst.com.
Process control software

Pump Genius process control software from WEG Electric Corp. provides multiple pump control and protection plus system monitoring and protection. It can be applied to any system that requires constant flow or pressure. Benefits include reduced system component and maintenance cost, improved system reliability, and energy and installation cost reduction. Features include a motor preheat function, adjustable acceleration and deceleration, a con-
Non-clogging air valves

The AirPro Max air valve line from Henry Pratt Company resists clogging. The float/linkage design is suitable for higher pressures. It eliminates seat leakage and float mechanism failures and includes close-tolerance machined parts, stainless trim, and hoods or threaded
40
caps. Valves have a large orifice to break vacuum or a small orifice for air release under pressure. 877/436-7977; www.henrypratt.com.
Electric modulating actuator
CMA Series electric modulating actuators from Rotork Instruments are sized for linear, quarter-turn, and rotary operation of pump, damper, and control valve applications requiring precise position control and continuous modulation. They are powered by single-phase or direct current, eliminating air hoses and compressors. Setup and configuration is easy via pushbuttons and an internal six-segment LCD display. Resolution is 0.20 percent on linear and quarter-turn applications and 2 degrees on the multi-turn configuration. Other features include a permanently lubricated and maintenance-free drive train, a 4-20 mA loop-powered feedback signal and multiple digital communication options. 336/659-3493; www.rotork.com.
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Pressure-reducing valve
The SRD Pressure Reducing Valve from Singer Valve provides smooth, steady and precise pressure control from maximum to nearzero flow without low-flow bypass valves. The effective area of a single rolling diaphragm remains constant, so the bonnet is smaller and lighter than a flat diaphragm version. A measured quantity into the bonnet control chamber gives the same smooth movement of the inner valve through the stroke. A smaller bonnet also makes the valve lighter and safer for maintenance, while a smaller control chamber enables it to respond faster to changing pressures. Sizes range from 6 to 36 inches. 604/594-5404; www.singervalve.com. wso
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Worth Noting
PEOPLE/AWARDS
The Hartford (Ky.) Municipal Water Works was recognized by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) for success in producing drinking water that consistently meets or exceeds state water quality standards. The utility was one of 54 systems across Kentucky to meet microbial goals at least 95 percent of the time in 2012. Joe Goodwill, a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, received the AWWA 2013 American Water Scholarship for his academic abilities, industrial experience and leadership toward the advancement of science in drinking water. Denver Water has received the Steel Water Pipe Century Club award from the Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association, in recognition of the reliability of Conduit 40, a 24-inch diameter steel pipe installed in 1911. Louisville (Ky.) Water Co.s Pure Tap drinking water won the Peoples Choice award at the AWWA annual conference and exposition in Denver. Tampa Bay (Fla.) Waters Board of Directors hired Matthew W. Jordan, P.E., as general manager. He comes from the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in Wilmington, N.C., where he served as chief executive officer. To recognize members of your team, please send notices of new hires, promotions, service milestones, certifications or achievements to editor@wsomag.com.
WSO invites your national, state or local association to post notices and news items in the Worth Noting column. Send contributions to editor@wsomag.com.
Nov. 9 T2-T3 Review, El Cajon Nov. 12 T1-T2 Review, West Sacramento Nov. 13 T1-T2 and T3-T4 Math Review, West Sacramento Nov. 14 T3-T4 Review, West Sacramento Nov. 15 Backflow Refresher, Rancho Cucamonga Visit www.ca-nv-awwa.org.
Colorado
The Rocky Mountain Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Oct. 18 PWO Seminar, Estes Park Nov. 14 Biosolids Annual Workshop, Colorado State University, Fort Collins Visit www.rmsawwa.net.
Florida
The Florida Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Oct. 17 Fluoride Measurements with Ion Selective Probes Webinar Nov. 7 Post Event Field Safety Awareness, Pompano Beach Nov. 21 Fluoride Measurements with SPADNSII Reagents Webinar Visit www.fsawwa.org.
Illinois
The Illinois Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Oct. 15 Telemetry: A Detailed Look at Telemetry, Rockford Oct. 22 Water Operator C & D: Math Exam Refresher, Frankfort Oct. 24 Optimized Treatment Strategies to Meet Stage 2 D/DBP Rule Webinar Oct. 29 Effective Backflow Programs, Chicago Oct. 30 Maintaining Water Quality in the Distribution System, OFallon Oct. 31 What the Frack? Separating Myth from Fact, Elgin Nov. 5 New ASTM Standards for HDPE Fusion Process, Mundelein Nov. 6 Water Loss Control Triumphs: A Peer-to-Peer Storytelling Series Webinar Nov. 8 Tour of the City of Chicago South Water Purification Plant, Chicago Nov. 13 Social Media for Water Utilities: Navigating the Crossroads of Social Media Webinar Nov. 14 Pumping & Control System Updates, Romeoville Nov. 19 Failures of Vulnerability Assessments & Emergency Response Plans, St. Charles Nov. 20-21 High Tech Operator Course 2, Lombard Visit www.isawwa.org.
EDUCATION
AWWA
The American Water Works Association is offering these courses: Oct. 23 New Developments in On-site Generation Technology Webinar Oct. 28-Nov. 17 High-Tech Operator Course 3, Online Nov. 6 Finding Hidden Dollars in Your O & M Budget Webinar Visit www.awwa.org.
Arkansas
The Arkansas Rural Water Association is offering these courses: Oct. 16-17 Water Specialized Training, Eureka Springs Oct. 22 Basic Math, Lonoke Oct. 23 Applied Math, Lonoke Oct. 24 ADH Compliance, Lonoke Oct. 29-31 Advanced Treatment, Lonoke Nov. 5-7 Intermediate Treatment, Nashville Nov. 12-14 Advanced Distribution, Gassville Nov. 19-21 Basic Distribution, Lonoke Visit www.arkansasruralwater.org.
Michigan
The Michigan Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Oct. 15-17 Limited Treatment Short Course, Hickory Corners Oct. 15-17 Distribution System Short Course, Hickory Corners Oct. 29-30 U.P. Water Distribution System Operators Training, Gladstone Visit www.mi-water.org.
California
The California-Nevada Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Oct. 21 Backflow Tester Course, Rancho Cucamonga Oct. 30 Emergency Preparedness Workshop, West Sacramento Nov. 2 T1-T2 Review, El Cajon
New York
The New York Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Oct. 16 Basic Laboratory Skills, Rochester
42
EVENTS
Oct. 13-15
Alabama-Mississippi AWWA Section Annual Conference, Tunica Resorts, Miss. Visit www.awwa.org.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resouces is offering these courses: Oct. 29-30 Iron, Zeolite, and VOC Certification, West Bend Nov. 4 Lime Softening Certification, Fond du Lac Nov. 18 Adult First Aid/CPR/AED Training, Plover Visit http://dnr.wi.gov. The Wisconsin Rural Water Association is offering these courses: Oct. 14-18 Cross Connection Control Assembly Tester Certification, Plover Oct. 15 Cross Connection Hazards and Your Water System, Union Grove Oct. 16 Cross Connection Hazards and Your Water System, Plover Oct. 22 Excavation Competent Person Safety, Greenville Visit www.wrwa.org. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Engineering Professional Development is offering these courses: Oct. 28-Nov. 1 Cross Connection Control and Backflow Prevention, Madison Oct. 21-23 Essentials of Hydraulics for Civil and Environmental Professionals, Madison Nov. 12-13 Fleet Management - Effective Practices for Public and Private Fleets, Madison Visit www.epdweb.engr.wisc.edu. wso
Oct. 22
Southwest Membrane Operator Association MF/UF Workshop, Stockton, Calif. Visit www.swmoa.org.
Oct. 22-25
Wisconsin Wastewater Operators Association Annual Conference, Stevens Point. Visit www.wwoa.org.
Nov. 3-7
2013 Water Quality Technology Conference, Long Beach, Calif. Visit www.awwa.org.
Nov. 4-8
AWWA Mexico Section 2013 Annual Conference, Acapulco, Guerrero. Visit www.awwa.org.
Nov. 6-7
AWWA Nebraska Section 2013 Annual Conference, Kearney. Visit www.awwa.org.
Nov. 10-13
AWWA North Carolina Section 2013 Annual Conference, Concord. Visit www.awwa.org.
Oct. 16 UV Disinfection, Utica Oct. 22 Chemical Metering Pump Operation, Norwich Oct. 23 Basic Laboratory Skills, Troy Oct. 29 Media and Public Relations, Melville Nov. 4 Basic Laboratory Skills, Poughkeepsie Nov. 5 Automatic Control Valves O&M, Peru Nov. 6 Basic Laboratory Skills, Peru Nov. 6 Basic Laboratory Skills, Melville Visit www.nysawwa.org.
Every day is Earth Day.
North Carolina
The North Carolina Section of AWWA and WEA is offering these courses: Oct. 14-18 Coastal Collection and Distribution School, Morehead City Oct. 31 NCWTFOCB Exams, Kinston, Morganton and Raleigh Visit www.ncsafewater.org.
Ohio
The Ohio Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Oct. 17 2013 Hands-On Collection Workshop NE Section, TBA Oct. 24 2013 Hands-On Collection Workshop SW Section, TBA Visit www.ohiowea.org.
These guys care about what theyre doing. They notice if theres even a slight movement in our effluent quality. They do a great job, and everybody pitches in. They all know what they have to do, and its done correctly.
Jim Listwan
An Original Environmentalist
CHIEF OPERATOR Salt Creek Sanitary District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Villa Park, Ill.
Texas
The Texas Water Utilities Association is offering these courses: Oct. 21 Activated Sludge, Corpus Christi Oct. 22 Water Lab, Bridge City Nov. 19 Calculations, Victoria Nov. 19 Management, Gatesville Visit www.twua.org.
Utah
The Intermountain Section of AWWA is offering a Water System Operator Workshop on Nov. 7 in Beaver. Visit www.ims-awwa.org.
Get your free subscription and read about original environmentalists like Jim each month in Treatment Plant Operator.
COLE PUBLISHING INC. / www.tpomag.com Proudly Serving the Environmental Service Industry Since 1979
43
Water & Wastewater Tools Equipment and Supplies

Our sales staff will always get you the answers and products you need, when you need them. We publish the most complete and comprehensive catalog in this industry with over 1400 pages of tools, equipment and supplies. Call 800-437-1146 or go online to request our current catalog edition #173.
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MUNICIPAL PURCHASE ORDERS ARE WELCOME

October 2013

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WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR

Managing Our Most Valuable Resource

Saving water in Broward County, Fla.

TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE:

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Automation for efficiency in Colorado Springs

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Agency: Sustainable Excellence

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Flush With Success

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A Look at the Basics

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Overcoming Barriers to Water Innovation

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E.R. Gilbert collects samples from the settling tanks.

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Meurer Research, Inc.

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