January 2014

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE:

Power-saving hydroturbinesPage 12

wsoWATER SYSTEM OPERATOR

January 2014 www.wsomag.com

Managing Our Most Valuable Resource

TM

TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE:

Swimming tank robotPage 20

Gary McCoyDirector of Water Treatment

Macon, Ga.

Everything in PlaceAMERSON PLANT SUCCEEDS WITH TOP-NOTCH TRAINING AND A MOTIVATED TEAMPage 14

TECH TALK:

UV disinfection basicsPage 19

QUALITY LEADERSAgency: Urban RENEWal Page 22Middlesex Water works underground to update its water distribution infrastructure, reduce leakage and improve customer service.BY JIM FORCE

Agency: So Long, Low Profile Page 6Customer outreach and customer appreciation form the foundation for excellent water operations at Daphne Utilities in Alabama.BY JIM FORCE

Plant: Everything in Place Page 14An award-winning Georgia water plant succeeds with top-notch training, motivated operators and a proactive approach.BY TRUDE WITHAM

ON TAP Page 3

What’s in a Name? Or a Title?What’s the potential benefit of calling people who work on water systems something other than “operator”? Can that help elevate the industry?BY TED J. RULSEH, EDITOR

@WSOMAG.COM Page 5Visit daily for news, features and blogs. Get the most from WSO magazine.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE Page 12

Harnessing Water PowerMohawk Valley Water Authority uses hydroturbines to cut electric bills and generate income, while plant upgrades keep things running efficiently.BY LISA BALCERAK

TECH TALK Page 19

The Basics of UVDisinfection with light is effective against a wide range of water-borne pathogens. It is also highly effective and leaves no potentially harmful byproducts.BY JOHN ROWE, PH.D.

TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE Page 20

It Swims. It Inspects. It Cleans.Robotic underwater viewing systems provide a cost-effective method for assessing the condition of water storage tanks without taking them out of service.BY TED J. RULSEH

WINNING THEM OVER Page 26

On a MissionThe water and wastewater treatment plant staffs in Wyoming, Mich., deliver a consistent message about water’s importance to environ-ment and economy.BY LINDA J. EDMONDSON

PRODUCT FOCUS Page 28

DisinfectionBY CRAIG MANDLI

CASE STUDIES Page 32


PRODUCT NEWS Page 34Product Spotlight: Dual-vessel purification system designed for quick setupBY ED WODALSKI

INDUSTRY NEWS Page 36

PROJECTS AND AWARDS Page 36

WORTH NOTING Page 38People/Awards; Education; Events

Coming Next Issue: February 2014

FOCUS: Distribution Systems

�� On Tap: Who are your allies?

�� Quality Leaders – Agency: Washington County (Va.) Service Authority

�� Quality Leaders – Operator: Doug Strempek, Norridge, Ill.

�� Quality Leaders – Plant: Beaver Water District, Lowell, Ark.

�� Winning Them Over: Superhero characters in Billing, Mont.

�� Technology Deep Dive: Digital imaging particle analyzer, Fluid Imaging Technologies

�� Tech Talk: Getting a handle on energy

�� Sustainable Practice: Solar energy in Sacramento, Calif.

Contents January 2014

ON THE COVER:Operators at the Frank C. Amerson Jr. Water Treatment Plant in Macon, Ga., find that being proactive reaps rewards. So does providing input that can improve operations. The team’s leader, Gary McCoy, director of water treatment, is shown at a control valve (Rodney Hunt) in the plant’s pumping station. (Photography by David Makkers)

In the same week recently I heard from two professionals — one each from the wastewater and drinking water sides — about the merits of calling treatment plants something else, and giving people who work in them different titles.

From Sam Wade, deputy CEO of the National Rural Water Associa-tion: “The NRWA and state Rural Water Associations ... have launched the campaign to refer to the staff who operate water and wastewater sys-tems as water or wastewater system operations specialists.”

From Jack Saltes, P.E., wastewater operations engineer for the Wis-consin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Water Quality: “The Water Environment Federation now refers to all wastewater treatment plants as water resource recovery facilities [WRRFs]. Suggestions have been made that the DNR also change the title ‘wastewater treatment plant operator’ to ‘water resource recovery specialist.’”

In both cases the thought is that these designa-tions better reflect what water facilities do and the skills, knowledge and expertise plant staff members have. “Simply put,” says Wade, “these positions are not just task-oriented jobs. They are professional career tracks that deserve to be recognized as such.”

In concept, yes

I am inclined to agree. On the wastewater side, I have advocated for the terms “clean-water plant” and “clean-water operator,” on the grounds the plants and people should be known for the wonderful end product they produce, not for the unpleasant raw material that comes in.

Water plants and their personnel seem less affected by any of the “yuck factor” associated with wastewater (or, more crudely, sewage). Still, an argument can be made for a name change. In Wade’s words: “Today, operation of water and wastewater systems is much more complex, has legal liabilities and requires a variety of professional skills, knowledge and experience, including certifications of varying degrees.

“Still, for the most part, it is a service taken for granted and viewed by the public more as a job rather than a professional skilled career track. A recent survey of over 1,850 system personnel of all-size systems and posi-tions asked: Which title — specialist, operator or technician — projects the skills, knowledge and expertise in the industry today?

“Seventy-two percent selected technician or specialist over the title of operator. When this type of response comes from within our own indus-try it is a clear indication that it is time for change.”

Change isn’t newWade notes that changes in job titles aren’t

new: customer service representatives replaced clerks and phone operators; administrative assis-tants replaced secretaries. He also observes that the Water Environment Federation used to be the Water Pollution Con-trol Federation, and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies was known as the Association of Metropolitan Sewage Agencies.

To Wade, changing the way we refer to water professionals will help attract new blood to an industry that is about to lose up to 65 percent of the workforce to retirement. “The largest loss will be in our nation’s rural and small communities, which compose 92 percent of the community water supplies in the nation,” he says.

He believes “specialist” titles that better reflect the professional nature of the careers will lead the public and government officials to view the people more favorably, leading to higher pay structures that will help attract more and better talent.

What’s the impact?

Will changing the names of plants and the titles of professionals by itself change public perceptions of the industry? Not likely — but the names and titles we use now force the industry to swim upstream, espe-cially on the wastewater side.

In any case, it’s a discussion worth having. WSO is deeply interested in your thoughts. Please express your opinion by sending a note to [email protected]. I promise to respond, and we will publish a sampling of comments in a future issue. wso

What’s in a Name? Or a Title?What’s the potential benefit of calling people who work on water systems something other than “operator”? Can that help elevate the industry?

ONTAP

BY TED J. RULSEH, EDITOR

“Today, operation of water and wastewater systems is much more complex, has legal liabilities and requires a variety

of professional skills, knowledge and experience, including certifications of varying degrees.”SAM WADE

It’s your magazine.Tell your story.

WSO welcomes news about your water system for future articles.

Send your ideas to [email protected] or call 715/277-4094

wsomag.com January 2014 3

QUALITY LEADERSAgency: Urban RENEWal Page 22Middlesex Water works underground to update its water distribution infrastructure, reduce leakage and improve customer service.BY JIM FORCE

Agency: So Long, Low Profile Page 6Customer outreach and customer appreciation form the foundation for excellent water operations at Daphne Utilities in Alabama.BY JIM FORCE

Plant: Everything in Place Page 14An award-winning Georgia water plant succeeds with top-notch training, motivated operators and a proactive approach.BY TRUDE WITHAM

ON TAP Page 3

What’s in a Name? Or a Title?What’s the potential benefit of calling people who work on water systems something other than “operator”? Can that help elevate the industry?BY TED J. RULSEH, EDITOR

@WSOMAG.COM Page 5Visit daily for news, features and blogs. Get the most from WSO magazine.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE Page 12

Harnessing Water PowerMohawk Valley Water Authority uses hydroturbines to cut electric bills and generate income, while plant upgrades keep things running efficiently.BY LISA BALCERAK

TECH TALK Page 19

The Basics of UVDisinfection with light is effective against a wide range of water-borne pathogens. It is also highly effective and leaves no potentially harmful byproducts.BY JOHN ROWE, PH.D.

TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE Page 20

It Swims. It Inspects. It Cleans.Robotic underwater viewing systems provide a cost-effective method for assessing the condition of water storage tanks without taking them out of service.BY TED J. RULSEH

WINNING THEM OVER Page 26

On a MissionThe water and wastewater treatment plant staffs in Wyoming, Mich., deliver a consistent message about water’s importance to environ-ment and economy.BY LINDA J. EDMONDSON

PRODUCT FOCUS Page 28


CASE STUDIES Page 32


PRODUCT NEWS Page 34Product Spotlight: Dual-vessel purification system designed for quick setupBY ED WODALSKI

INDUSTRY NEWS Page 36

PROJECTS AND AWARDS Page 36

WORTH NOTING Page 38People/Awards; Education; Events

Coming Next Issue: February 2014

FOCUS: Distribution Systems

�� On Tap: Who are your allies?

�� Quality Leaders – Agency: Washington County (Va.) Service Authority

�� Quality Leaders – Operator: Doug Strempek, Norridge, Ill.

�� Quality Leaders – Plant: Beaver Water District, Lowell, Ark.

�� Winning Them Over: Superhero characters in Billing, Mont.

�� Technology Deep Dive: Digital imaging particle analyzer, Fluid Imaging Technologies

�� Tech Talk: Getting a handle on energy

�� Sustainable Practice: Solar energy in Sacramento, Calif.

Contents January 2014

ON THE COVER:Operators at the Frank C. Amerson Jr. Water Treatment Plant in Macon, Ga., find that being proactive reaps rewards. So does providing input that can improve operations. The team’s leader, Gary McCoy, director of water treatment, is shown at a control valve (Rodney Hunt) in the plant’s pumping station. (Photography by David Makkers)

In the same week recently I heard from two professionals — one each from the wastewater and drinking water sides — about the merits of calling treatment plants something else, and giving people who work in them different titles.

From Sam Wade, deputy CEO of the National Rural Water Associa-tion: “The NRWA and state Rural Water Associations ... have launched the campaign to refer to the staff who operate water and wastewater sys-tems as water or wastewater system operations specialists.”

From Jack Saltes, P.E., wastewater operations engineer for the Wis-consin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Water Quality: “The Water Environment Federation now refers to all wastewater treatment plants as water resource recovery facilities [WRRFs]. Suggestions have been made that the DNR also change the title ‘wastewater treatment plant operator’ to ‘water resource recovery specialist.’”

In both cases the thought is that these designa-tions better reflect what water facilities do and the skills, knowledge and expertise plant staff members have. “Simply put,” says Wade, “these positions are not just task-oriented jobs. They are professional career tracks that deserve to be recognized as such.”

In concept, yes

I am inclined to agree. On the wastewater side, I have advocated for the terms “clean-water plant” and “clean-water operator,” on the grounds the plants and people should be known for the wonderful end product they produce, not for the unpleasant raw material that comes in.

Water plants and their personnel seem less affected by any of the “yuck factor” associated with wastewater (or, more crudely, sewage). Still, an argument can be made for a name change. In Wade’s words: “Today, operation of water and wastewater systems is much more complex, has legal liabilities and requires a variety of professional skills, knowledge and experience, including certifications of varying degrees.

“Still, for the most part, it is a service taken for granted and viewed by the public more as a job rather than a professional skilled career track. A recent survey of over 1,850 system personnel of all-size systems and posi-tions asked: Which title — specialist, operator or technician — projects the skills, knowledge and expertise in the industry today?

“Seventy-two percent selected technician or specialist over the title of operator. When this type of response comes from within our own indus-try it is a clear indication that it is time for change.”

Change isn’t newWade notes that changes in job titles aren’t

new: customer service representatives replaced clerks and phone operators; administrative assis-tants replaced secretaries. He also observes that the Water Environment Federation used to be the Water Pollution Con-trol Federation, and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies was known as the Association of Metropolitan Sewage Agencies.

To Wade, changing the way we refer to water professionals will help attract new blood to an industry that is about to lose up to 65 percent of the workforce to retirement. “The largest loss will be in our nation’s rural and small communities, which compose 92 percent of the community water supplies in the nation,” he says.

He believes “specialist” titles that better reflect the professional nature of the careers will lead the public and government officials to view the people more favorably, leading to higher pay structures that will help attract more and better talent.

What’s the impact?

Will changing the names of plants and the titles of professionals by itself change public perceptions of the industry? Not likely — but the names and titles we use now force the industry to swim upstream, espe-cially on the wastewater side.

In any case, it’s a discussion worth having. WSO is deeply interested in your thoughts. Please express your opinion by sending a note to [email protected]. I promise to respond, and we will publish a sampling of comments in a future issue. wso

What’s in a Name? Or a Title?What’s the potential benefit of calling people who work on water systems something other than “operator”? Can that help elevate the industry?

ONTAP

BY TED J. RULSEH, EDITOR

“Today, operation of water and wastewater systems is much more complex, has legal liabilities and requires a variety

of professional skills, knowledge and experience, including certifications of varying degrees.”SAM WADE



Send your ideas to [email protected] or call 715/277-4094

4 WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR


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 715-546-3346Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. CST

Website: www.wsomag.com / Email: [email protected] / Fax: 715-546-3786

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: A one-year (12 issues) subscription to WSOTM 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 800-257-7222 (715-546-3346); fax to 715-546-3786; or email [email protected]. 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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected]. To order back issues, call Nicole at 800-257-7222 (715-546-3346) or email nicolel@cole publishing.com.

CIRCULATION: Average circulation is 33,038 copies per month.

© 2014 COLE PUBLISHING INC. No part may be reproduced without permission of publisher.

Aquionics, Inc. ....................... 31

ASA Analytics .......................... 39

Blue-White Industries ............... 4

Burkert Fluid Control Systems .. 13

Chlorinators Incorporated ...... 21

Scienco/FAST - A div. of Bio-Microbics, Inc. ............... 11

USABlueBook .......................... 40

Van London - pHoenix Co. ..... 4

Advertiser Index January 2014

www.facebook.com/WSOmag

www.twitter.com/WSOmagazine

www.plus.google.com

www.youtube.com/WSOmagazine

GetSocialwith

��

Free Subscription

Digital Editions

Article Reprints

Product Information

Discussion Forums

Online Exclusives

Editor’s Blog

Scan this tag with your smartphone

wsom

ag.com

@wsomag.com

Join the Discussionwww.facebook.com/WSOmag www.twitter.com/WSOmagazine

Visit www.WSOmag.com and sign up for newsletters and alerts. You’ll get exclusive content delivered right to your inbox, and you’ll stay in the loop on topics important to you.

Emails & Alerts

Visit the site daily for new, exclusive content. Read our blogs, find resources and get the most out of WSO magazine.

WATER IDEAS

Add Pizazz to Public EducationStep away from the PowerPoint presentation. Public education doesn’t have to be dry and lifeless. Take a lesson from these orga-nizations, and learn how to initiate innovative water education programs at your facility. See how the Louisville Water Company brands its water and how the Milwaukee Water Works partners with a local museum to provide educational opportunities. The possibilities are endless. www.wsomag.com/featured

“Cleanliness is the single most important

thing any system can do. When you walk into any business, especially a water treatment facility, it is expected to be clean.”How To Win a Water Treatment Plant Awardwww.wsomag.com/featured

RATE HIKE?

Sewer Bonds ForgivenEarlier this year, Jefferson County, Ala., declared bankruptcy, which increased sewer rates and created a $1 billion deficit. Digital Editor Briana Jones

examines the topic and asks the question: What does this mean for other distressed municipalities? www.wsomag.com/featured

CYBERSECURITY 101

Batten Down the HatchesFind out what an encounter with ransomware taught this facility about cybersecurity. Although legislation is in the works to reduce risks to crit-ical infrastructure, facilities can take several proactive steps now to protect SCADA systems and corporate data. What should you know? www.wsomag.com/featured



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 715-546-3346Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. CST

Website: www.wsomag.com / Email: [email protected] / Fax: 715-546-3786

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: A one-year (12 issues) subscription to WSOTM 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 800-257-7222 (715-546-3346); fax to 715-546-3786; or email [email protected]. 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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected]. To order back issues, call Nicole at 800-257-7222 (715-546-3346) or email nicolel@cole publishing.com.

CIRCULATION: Average circulation is 33,038 copies per month.

© 2014 COLE PUBLISHING INC. No part may be reproduced without permission of publisher.

Aquionics, Inc. ....................... 31

ASA Analytics .......................... 39

Blue-White Industries ............... 4

Burkert Fluid Control Systems .. 13

Chlorinators Incorporated ...... 21

Scienco/FAST - A div. of Bio-Microbics, Inc. ............... 11

USABlueBook .......................... 40

Van London - pHoenix Co. ..... 4

Advertiser Index January 2014

www.facebook.com/WSOmag

www.twitter.com/WSOmagazine

www.plus.google.com

www.youtube.com/WSOmagazine

GetSocialwith

��

Free Subscription

Digital Editions

Article Reprints

Product Information

Discussion Forums

Online Exclusives

Editor’s Blog

Scan this tag with your smartphone

wsom

ag.com

@wsomag.com

Join the Discussionwww.facebook.com/WSOmag www.twitter.com/WSOmagazine

Visit www.WSOmag.com and sign up for newsletters and alerts. You’ll get exclusive content delivered right to your inbox, and you’ll stay in the loop on topics important to you.

Emails & Alerts

Visit the site daily for new, exclusive content. Read our blogs, find resources and get the most out of WSO magazine.

WATER IDEAS

Add Pizazz to Public EducationStep away from the PowerPoint presentation. Public education doesn’t have to be dry and lifeless. Take a lesson from these orga-nizations, and learn how to initiate innovative water education programs at your facility. See how the Louisville Water Company brands its water and how the Milwaukee Water Works partners with a local museum to provide educational opportunities. The possibilities are endless. www.wsomag.com/featured

“Cleanliness is the single most important

thing any system can do. When you walk into any business, especially a water treatment facility, it is expected to be clean.”How To Win a Water Treatment Plant Awardwww.wsomag.com/featured

RATE HIKE?

Sewer Bonds ForgivenEarlier this year, Jefferson County, Ala., declared bankruptcy, which increased sewer rates and created a $1 billion deficit. Digital Editor Briana Jones

examines the topic and asks the question: What does this mean for other distressed municipalities? www.wsomag.com/featured

CYBERSECURITY 101

Batten Down the HatchesFind out what an encounter with ransomware taught this facility about cybersecurity. Although legislation is in the works to reduce risks to crit-ical infrastructure, facilities can take several proactive steps now to protect SCADA systems and corporate data. What should you know? www.wsomag.com/featured

In some communities, property owners come home from work to find their lawn torn up by the utility department and start searching for the email address of their local council representative.

Not in Daphne, Ala., where customers are king, and the utility makes every effort to be proactive and talk to them in terms they understand.

“We’re not here to run a water utility,” says Rob McElroy, general man-ager of Daphne Utilities. “We’re here to supply water to our customers.”

That’s an important distinction in the eyes of McElroy and his team of Danny Lyndall, operations manager, and Larry English, water quality manager. “Costs are going to increase. Rates will go up,” McElroy says. “Having customers understand and support us is absolutely necessary. We have to communicate the value of water, in their terms.”

Effective customer communications are just one reason Daphne Util-ities has pulled in more than its share of awards in recent years, includ-ing rankings as one of the nation’s best small places to work from The Wall Street Journal and Inc. Magazine. Other honors include multiple Awards of Excellence from the U.S. EPA.

“You’ve heard the old saying ‘Good enough for government work,’ says McElroy. “Around here, we buck that attitude. ‘Good enough’ is not good enough anymore.”

Boosting production

Daphne Utilities serves some 11,000 water customers in the city of Daphne and surrounding communities on the east shore of Mobile Bay. It also supplies wholesale water to one small neighboring area. The utility, founded in 1953, is governed by a five-member board appointed by the city council. Besides drinking water, it provides wastewater treatment at

SO LONG,LOW PROFILESTORY: JIM FORCEPHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF AND MEGGAN HALLER

Customer outreach and customer appreciation form the foundation for excellent water operations at Daphne Utilities in Alabama

Daphne (Ala.) UtilitiesFOUNDED: | 1953EMPLOYEES: | 67TREATMENT CAPACITY: | 7.1 mgdSERVICE AREA: | City of Daphne and surroundingsCUSTOMERS: | 11,000SOURCE WATER: | GroundwaterTREATMENT PROCESS: | Disinfection, pH adjustmentINFRASTRUCTURE: | 11 wells, 8 storage tanks, 7 treatment plants, 2 booster stations, 200 miles of distribution linesSYSTEM STORAGE: | 5.1 million gallonsANNUAL BUDGET: | $12 millionWEBSITE: | www.daphneutilities.com

QUALITYLEADERS

AGENCY

an award-winning 4.17 mgd water reclamation plant and supplies natural gas to about 4,000 customers.

Raw water is drawn from aquifers through a network of 11 wells 150 to 450 feet deep. The water is treated in a battery of smaller treatment plants at or near the well sites, and at a new treatment facility that increased total production capacity to 7.1 mgd. Peak customer demand is 6.5 mgd, and average summer demand is 4.5 mgd.

During treatment, lime is added for pH adjustment and sodium hypo-chlorite and chlorine gas are used for disinfection. At the main treatment and production facility, disinfection is accomplished through onsite gen-eration of sodium hypochlorite (a MicrOclor unit, manufactured by Pro-cess Solutions). Metering pumps (Siemens and Pulsafeeder), chemical pumps (Neptune) and chemical feed systems (Acrison and Coffman Sys-tems) support the rest of the treatment process.

Systemwide, treated water passes through several 100,000-gallon clearwells and eventually to the 200-mile distribution system, mostly 6- to 16-inch PVC or ductile iron piping. Two booster pump stations are equipped with Gorman-Rupp pumps. High-service pumps were supplied by Peerless. Storage consists of seven above-ground tanks and one reser-voir. A SCADA system (Dexter Fortson Associates) provides automated monitoring and control. About 60 percent of the system is equipped with radio-read metering (Sensus).

Except for a drought in 2006, water supply has not been an issue in Daphne, where average rainfall exceeds 64 inches per year. What had been an issue was production capacity — adequate wells and treatment to

meet demand. For years, the utility struggled to meet demand in summer and often saw every well pump running 24 hours a day for months just to keep up. Without redundancy, any equipment issue created an immediate water shortage somewhere in the system.

The utility remedied that over time with a $6 million capital con-struction program, which included three new wells and the new treat-ment facility.

Best practices

As straightforward as the water system is, the management program behind it is deep and comprehensive, reflecting the philosophy and com-mitment of the Daphne team. McElroy, Lyndall and English follow a

Senior water treatment operator Eddie Ferguson is part of an award-winning team at the Daphne Utilities’ Trojan facility that believes customers are king.

“You’ve heard the old saying, ‘Good enough for government

work.’ Around here, we buck that attitude. ‘Good enough’ is not good enough anymore.”ROB McELROY

Fluoride levels are checked at the Trojan Water Treatment Facility.


In some communities, property owners come home from work to find their lawn torn up by the utility department and start searching for the email address of their local council representative.

Not in Daphne, Ala., where customers are king, and the utility makes every effort to be proactive and talk to them in terms they understand.

“We’re not here to run a water utility,” says Rob McElroy, general man-ager of Daphne Utilities. “We’re here to supply water to our customers.”

That’s an important distinction in the eyes of McElroy and his team of Danny Lyndall, operations manager, and Larry English, water quality manager. “Costs are going to increase. Rates will go up,” McElroy says. “Having customers understand and support us is absolutely necessary. We have to communicate the value of water, in their terms.”

Effective customer communications are just one reason Daphne Util-ities has pulled in more than its share of awards in recent years, includ-ing rankings as one of the nation’s best small places to work from The Wall Street Journal and Inc. Magazine. Other honors include multiple Awards of Excellence from the U.S. EPA.

“You’ve heard the old saying ‘Good enough for government work,’ says McElroy. “Around here, we buck that attitude. ‘Good enough’ is not good enough anymore.”

Boosting production

Daphne Utilities serves some 11,000 water customers in the city of Daphne and surrounding communities on the east shore of Mobile Bay. It also supplies wholesale water to one small neighboring area. The utility, founded in 1953, is governed by a five-member board appointed by the city council. Besides drinking water, it provides wastewater treatment at

SO LONG,LOW PROFILESTORY: JIM FORCEPHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF AND MEGGAN HALLER

Customer outreach and customer appreciation form the foundation for excellent water operations at Daphne Utilities in Alabama

Daphne (Ala.) UtilitiesFOUNDED: | 1953EMPLOYEES: | 67TREATMENT CAPACITY: | 7.1 mgdSERVICE AREA: | City of Daphne and surroundingsCUSTOMERS: | 11,000SOURCE WATER: | GroundwaterTREATMENT PROCESS: | Disinfection, pH adjustmentINFRASTRUCTURE: | 11 wells, 8 storage tanks, 7 treatment plants, 2 booster stations, 200 miles of distribution linesSYSTEM STORAGE: | 5.1 million gallonsANNUAL BUDGET: | $12 millionWEBSITE: | www.daphneutilities.com

QUALITYLEADERS

AGENCY

an award-winning 4.17 mgd water reclamation plant and supplies natural gas to about 4,000 customers.

Raw water is drawn from aquifers through a network of 11 wells 150 to 450 feet deep. The water is treated in a battery of smaller treatment plants at or near the well sites, and at a new treatment facility that increased total production capacity to 7.1 mgd. Peak customer demand is 6.5 mgd, and average summer demand is 4.5 mgd.

During treatment, lime is added for pH adjustment and sodium hypo-chlorite and chlorine gas are used for disinfection. At the main treatment and production facility, disinfection is accomplished through onsite gen-eration of sodium hypochlorite (a MicrOclor unit, manufactured by Pro-cess Solutions). Metering pumps (Siemens and Pulsafeeder), chemical pumps (Neptune) and chemical feed systems (Acrison and Coffman Sys-tems) support the rest of the treatment process.

Systemwide, treated water passes through several 100,000-gallon clearwells and eventually to the 200-mile distribution system, mostly 6- to 16-inch PVC or ductile iron piping. Two booster pump stations are equipped with Gorman-Rupp pumps. High-service pumps were supplied by Peerless. Storage consists of seven above-ground tanks and one reser-voir. A SCADA system (Dexter Fortson Associates) provides automated monitoring and control. About 60 percent of the system is equipped with radio-read metering (Sensus).

Except for a drought in 2006, water supply has not been an issue in Daphne, where average rainfall exceeds 64 inches per year. What had been an issue was production capacity — adequate wells and treatment to

meet demand. For years, the utility struggled to meet demand in summer and often saw every well pump running 24 hours a day for months just to keep up. Without redundancy, any equipment issue created an immediate water shortage somewhere in the system.

The utility remedied that over time with a $6 million capital con-struction program, which included three new wells and the new treat-ment facility.

Best practices

As straightforward as the water system is, the management program behind it is deep and comprehensive, reflecting the philosophy and com-mitment of the Daphne team. McElroy, Lyndall and English follow a

Senior water treatment operator Eddie Ferguson is part of an award-winning team at the Daphne Utilities’ Trojan facility that believes customers are king.

“You’ve heard the old saying, ‘Good enough for government

work.’ Around here, we buck that attitude. ‘Good enough’ is not good enough anymore.”ROB McELROY

Fluoride levels are checked at the Trojan Water Treatment Facility.



structured process in which they envision what the utility wants to be for customers and employees, then give people the training, per-sonnel, support and equipment to realize the vision.

“We’re one utility. We win or lose together,” says McElroy. “In the eight years I’ve been here, we’ve never had a company meet-ing where we didn’t talk about that.” The key is what the Daphne team calls “seeing The Matrix,” an analogy drawn from the hit movie of that name.

The Matrix is simply the way things interconnect, much as

everything was interconnected in the film. Performance at the plant or in the distribution system relates to customer satisfaction. Customer satis-faction relates to customer support. Customer support enables proper funding of the utility, which in turn relates to the sustainability of service and performance.

Employees are crucial to success. “We try not to micromanage our staff,” McElroy says. Managers are directed to grant pay raises based solely on individual merit, not by seniority or through cost-of-living adjustments.

“We want to showcase the employees who are doing it right and that we’d like others to copy,” McElroy says. “Across-the-board pay raises don’t do that. We want our people to grow and succeed, and we encourage them to try things, learn things and risk failure in order to improve. We don’t want people worrying about making mistakes. We’re okay with the small mistakes as long as they help us to grow and evolve into something better.”

Conserving resources

The staff also stresses improvement, efficiency and innovation. “We hate to waste valuable resources anywhere in our system,” McElroy says. English points out that the utility often operates its wells at night to save on peak electric demand charges.

The utility has operated its own biodiesel plant since 2007, making fuel for its fleet and heavy equipment using used cooking oil turned in through a recycling program. The effort saves more than $10,000 a year on fuel. On the sewer side, a communitywide grease recycling program has helped the utility reduce sanitary sewer overflows by 70 percent since 2006.

McElroy believes these measures are evidence of another key to suc-cess — understanding the role of a small-town utility and knowing how to solve complicated problems in cost-effective ways. “We’re self-reliant and innovative,” he says. “A lot of the professional conferences we attend address issues typically from the perspective of a major city. They often showcase big, expensive solutions to really big problems that don’t always apply to small communities like ours. I don’t necessarily want advice

“We’re one utility. We win or lose together. In the eight years I’ve been here, we’ve never had a company

meeting where we didn’t talk about that.”ROB McELROY

The team at the Trojan Water Treatment Facility includes, from left, Jody James, operator III; Mark Brown, operator II; Larry English, water quality manager; Sam Bradley, water treatment operator; and Eddie Ferguson, senior water treatment operator.

Danny Lyndall, operations manager of Daphne Utilities, at the Henry Lovette Water Treatment Facility.

from the Donald Trumps of the utilities industry.”He encourages associations including AWWA and the Water Environ-

ment Federation to reach out more effectively to small utilities: “Statisti-cally, communities our size are the most common in the country. A lot of positive results can happen when, collectively, we improve the way we operate our utility systems.”

Centered on customers

In the final analysis, Daphne Utilities employees and managers come to work each day focused on customers. Special customer service pro-grams are part of it, but attitude and philosophy are just as important. Visibility and open communication are big parts of the program.

“If we don’t communicate with our customers, we won’t get the rate increases we will need in the future,” says McElroy. “We face

If you’re a customer of Daphne Utilities, you receive a special bag of

goodies when you sign up for service, and you get a hotdog and have your

car washed by utility employees at periodic customer appreciation days.

These are just two of the customer relations activities put in place by

Rob McElroy, general manager, and his staff. They help make sure custo-

mers understand how important they are to the utility’s success. “You win

with customer service,” says McElroy. “It doesn’t have to cost a lot. It’s

usually unexpected by the customer, and it can reap enormous rewards.”

Customer service begins at the beginning. The utility greets each

new customer with a bag containing all sorts of information about the

utility, its services, where water comes from and how it’s treated, rates

and contact information, and various municipal fliers. The bag also

contains information about local businesses, organizations and services,

including maps, coupons and business cards.

“Your commercial customers are trying every way they know how to

get this information in the hands of potential customers,” says McElroy.

“You can help them be successful in this way and endear yourself to

them while helping your new customers.”

Customer Appreciation Days occur several times a year. Team

members set up tents, roll out the grills and serve hotdogs and bever-

ages. “We have our employees wash the cars of every single customer

who comes to the office that day,” says McElroy. “Some of our customers

come and hang out with us for hours. Our employees don’t just wash

cars. We prep them all carefully. We remind them, department by

department and team by team, that these customers are the ones who

fund their paychecks.”

The customer service program aims to impress and educate

ratepayers, from courteous phone service (“Pretend it’s your grand-

mother calling,” says McElroy) to the cleanliness of the office bathrooms,

to simply smiling and saying hello.

McElroy and team members Danny Lyndall and Larry English have

presented the customer service program at numerous conferences and

in several publications. They stress that while public utilities do not have

competition, they do compete for a share of customers’ budgets.

“We need to shoot straight with our customers — let them know the

value of water,” says McElroy. “Customers don’t make up stories about

you and your company. They simply repeat the stories you tell them

through your words and actions. If you want remarkable things said

about your company, you have to do remarkable things that your

customers actually notice.”

CUSTOMERS FIRST

Jody James monitors the MicrOclor controller (Process Solutions) used foron-site sodium hypochlorite generation.

Rob McElroy, general manager of Daphne Utilities, at a park at the

system’s office in Daphne, Ala.


structured process in which they envision what the utility wants to be for customers and employees, then give people the training, per-sonnel, support and equipment to realize the vision.

“We’re one utility. We win or lose together,” says McElroy. “In the eight years I’ve been here, we’ve never had a company meet-ing where we didn’t talk about that.” The key is what the Daphne team calls “seeing The Matrix,” an analogy drawn from the hit movie of that name.

The Matrix is simply the way things interconnect, much as

everything was interconnected in the film. Performance at the plant or in the distribution system relates to customer satisfaction. Customer satis-faction relates to customer support. Customer support enables proper funding of the utility, which in turn relates to the sustainability of service and performance.

Employees are crucial to success. “We try not to micromanage our staff,” McElroy says. Managers are directed to grant pay raises based solely on individual merit, not by seniority or through cost-of-living adjustments.

“We want to showcase the employees who are doing it right and that we’d like others to copy,” McElroy says. “Across-the-board pay raises don’t do that. We want our people to grow and succeed, and we encourage them to try things, learn things and risk failure in order to improve. We don’t want people worrying about making mistakes. We’re okay with the small mistakes as long as they help us to grow and evolve into something better.”

Conserving resources

The staff also stresses improvement, efficiency and innovation. “We hate to waste valuable resources anywhere in our system,” McElroy says. English points out that the utility often operates its wells at night to save on peak electric demand charges.

The utility has operated its own biodiesel plant since 2007, making fuel for its fleet and heavy equipment using used cooking oil turned in through a recycling program. The effort saves more than $10,000 a year on fuel. On the sewer side, a communitywide grease recycling program has helped the utility reduce sanitary sewer overflows by 70 percent since 2006.

McElroy believes these measures are evidence of another key to suc-cess — understanding the role of a small-town utility and knowing how to solve complicated problems in cost-effective ways. “We’re self-reliant and innovative,” he says. “A lot of the professional conferences we attend address issues typically from the perspective of a major city. They often showcase big, expensive solutions to really big problems that don’t always apply to small communities like ours. I don’t necessarily want advice

“We’re one utility. We win or lose together. In the eight years I’ve been here, we’ve never had a company

meeting where we didn’t talk about that.”ROB McELROY

The team at the Trojan Water Treatment Facility includes, from left, Jody James, operator III; Mark Brown, operator II; Larry English, water quality manager; Sam Bradley, water treatment operator; and Eddie Ferguson, senior water treatment operator.

Danny Lyndall, operations manager of Daphne Utilities, at the Henry Lovette Water Treatment Facility.

from the Donald Trumps of the utilities industry.”He encourages associations including AWWA and the Water Environ-

ment Federation to reach out more effectively to small utilities: “Statisti-cally, communities our size are the most common in the country. A lot of positive results can happen when, collectively, we improve the way we operate our utility systems.”

Centered on customers

In the final analysis, Daphne Utilities employees and managers come to work each day focused on customers. Special customer service pro-grams are part of it, but attitude and philosophy are just as important. Visibility and open communication are big parts of the program.

“If we don’t communicate with our customers, we won’t get the rate increases we will need in the future,” says McElroy. “We face

If you’re a customer of Daphne Utilities, you receive a special bag of

goodies when you sign up for service, and you get a hotdog and have your

car washed by utility employees at periodic customer appreciation days.

These are just two of the customer relations activities put in place by

Rob McElroy, general manager, and his staff. They help make sure custo-

mers understand how important they are to the utility’s success. “You win

with customer service,” says McElroy. “It doesn’t have to cost a lot. It’s

usually unexpected by the customer, and it can reap enormous rewards.”

Customer service begins at the beginning. The utility greets each

new customer with a bag containing all sorts of information about the

utility, its services, where water comes from and how it’s treated, rates

and contact information, and various municipal fliers. The bag also

contains information about local businesses, organizations and services,

including maps, coupons and business cards.

“Your commercial customers are trying every way they know how to

get this information in the hands of potential customers,” says McElroy.

“You can help them be successful in this way and endear yourself to

them while helping your new customers.”

Customer Appreciation Days occur several times a year. Team

members set up tents, roll out the grills and serve hotdogs and bever-

ages. “We have our employees wash the cars of every single customer

who comes to the office that day,” says McElroy. “Some of our customers

come and hang out with us for hours. Our employees don’t just wash

cars. We prep them all carefully. We remind them, department by

department and team by team, that these customers are the ones who

fund their paychecks.”

The customer service program aims to impress and educate

ratepayers, from courteous phone service (“Pretend it’s your grand-

mother calling,” says McElroy) to the cleanliness of the office bathrooms,

to simply smiling and saying hello.

McElroy and team members Danny Lyndall and Larry English have

presented the customer service program at numerous conferences and

in several publications. They stress that while public utilities do not have

competition, they do compete for a share of customers’ budgets.

“We need to shoot straight with our customers — let them know the

value of water,” says McElroy. “Customers don’t make up stories about

you and your company. They simply repeat the stories you tell them

through your words and actions. If you want remarkable things said

about your company, you have to do remarkable things that your

customers actually notice.”

CUSTOMERS FIRST

Jody James monitors the MicrOclor controller (Process Solutions) used foron-site sodium hypochlorite generation.

Rob McElroy, general manager of Daphne Utilities, at a park at the

system’s office in Daphne, Ala.


increasing regulations that will cause us to spend millions of dol-lars but won’t produce a single thing our customers will even notice. That’s a huge problem that ‘flying under the radar’ is not going to solve.”

The focus on being seen and communicating value led the utility to launch a different kind of Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) several years ago. Instead of a dry, boring document, Daphne Utilities CCRs look like action movie posters.

“Customers can’t help but open it up out of sheer curiosity if nothing else,” says McElroy. “And remember, a CCR that is actually read has value. A CCR thrown into the trash by a customer who can’t even under-stand what it is has no value and just wastes your money.” Daphne Utili-ties won an EPA Consumer Confidence Reporting Excellence Award in 2010 for a CCR designed to look like a 1950s rock-and-roll band poster.

“We are committed to being extremely transparent,” McElroy says. “When we’re working in a neighborhood, we have our supervisors go door-to-door to talk to people, tell them what has happened and what’s going to happen. They hand out business cards and say, ‘Call me, I’m here to provide you answers.’ It really connects with people and costs almost nothing.”

The connection Daphne Utilities has with its community was never more evident than when it built its new treatment plant next to the high school a couple of years ago. The utility decided to use sodium hypo-

chlorite for disinfection, eliminating the risk of a chlorine spill or leak near the school. It decided to call the plant Trojan — in honor of the school’s mascot. wso

FEATURED PRODUCTS FROM:

Acrison, Inc.201/440-8300www.acrison.com

Coffman Systems, Inc.813/891-1300www.coffmansystems.com

Dexter Fortson Associates, Inc.205/432-2700www.dfa-inc.com

Gorman-Rupp Company419/755-1011www.grpumps.com

Neptune Chemical Pump Company215/699-8700www.neptune1.com

Peerless Pump Company800/879-0182www.peerlesspump.com

Process Solutions, Inc.888/774-4536www.4psi.net

Pulsafeeder, Inc.585/292-8000www.pulsafeeder.com

Siemens Water Technologies Corp.866/926-8420www.water.siemens.com

Sensus800/638-3748www.sensus.com

“We face increasing regulations that will cause us to spend millions of dollars but won’t produce a single thing our customers will even notice.

That’s a huge problem that ‘flying under the radar’ is not going to solve.”ROB McELROY

Larry English inspects pumps in the Henry Lovette Water Treatment Facility.


increasing regulations that will cause us to spend millions of dol-lars but won’t produce a single thing our customers will even notice. That’s a huge problem that ‘flying under the radar’ is not going to solve.”

The focus on being seen and communicating value led the utility to launch a different kind of Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) several years ago. Instead of a dry, boring document, Daphne Utilities CCRs look like action movie posters.

“Customers can’t help but open it up out of sheer curiosity if nothing else,” says McElroy. “And remember, a CCR that is actually read has value. A CCR thrown into the trash by a customer who can’t even under-stand what it is has no value and just wastes your money.” Daphne Utili-ties won an EPA Consumer Confidence Reporting Excellence Award in 2010 for a CCR designed to look like a 1950s rock-and-roll band poster.

“We are committed to being extremely transparent,” McElroy says. “When we’re working in a neighborhood, we have our supervisors go door-to-door to talk to people, tell them what has happened and what’s going to happen. They hand out business cards and say, ‘Call me, I’m here to provide you answers.’ It really connects with people and costs almost nothing.”

The connection Daphne Utilities has with its community was never more evident than when it built its new treatment plant next to the high school a couple of years ago. The utility decided to use sodium hypo-

chlorite for disinfection, eliminating the risk of a chlorine spill or leak near the school. It decided to call the plant Trojan — in honor of the school’s mascot. wso


Acrison, Inc.201/440-8300www.acrison.com

Coffman Systems, Inc.813/891-1300www.coffmansystems.com

Dexter Fortson Associates, Inc.205/432-2700www.dfa-inc.com

Gorman-Rupp Company419/755-1011www.grpumps.com

Neptune Chemical Pump Company215/699-8700www.neptune1.com

Peerless Pump Company800/879-0182www.peerlesspump.com

Process Solutions, Inc.888/774-4536www.4psi.net

Pulsafeeder, Inc.585/292-8000www.pulsafeeder.com

Siemens Water Technologies Corp.866/926-8420www.water.siemens.com

Sensus800/638-3748www.sensus.com

“We face increasing regulations that will cause us to spend millions of dollars but won’t produce a single thing our customers will even notice.

That’s a huge problem that ‘flying under the radar’ is not going to solve.”ROB McELROY

Larry English inspects pumps in the Henry Lovette Water Treatment Facility.

BOOTH

2006

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Harnessing Water PowerMohawk Valley Water Authority uses hydroturbines to cut electric bills and generate income, while plant upgrades keep things running efficiently

BY LISA BALCERAK

Decades ago, the Mohawk Valley Water Authority (MVWA) used throttling valves in the drinking water transmission system to prevent excessive pressure down the line.

Seeing an opportunity to capture the power of water pres-sure and flow for electricity, MVWA installed two hydroturbines and a microturbine that provide revenue and savings that total $95,000 a year. The utility has also optimized its treatment plant to be more energy effi-cient, use less chemicals and produce less sludge.

MVWA, in Utica, N.Y., serves 130,000 people in 18 municipalities. The service area in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains has eleva-tions that vary by up to 800 feet. Most of the 23 pressure zones have their own pump stations and water storage. The 373-square-mile Hinckley watershed, which provides the water supply, is mostly within Adirondack Park. MVWA has rights to withdraw up to 48.5 mgd from the 25-billion-gallon Hinckley Reservoir, owned by the New York State Canal Corpora-

tion. The utility’s 30 storage tanks hold 60 million gallons.

MVWA’s water treatment plant (32 mgd capacity, 20 mgd average) uses conventional coagulation, clarification and filtration. Following U.S. EPA requirements for disinfection byprod-ucts, the authority installed granular

activated carbon (GAC) filter media in its four filter beds and is pilot-test-ing in-situ carbon regeneration methods.

MVWA has a staff of 90 and an in-house EPA-certified lab that does contract work for other area utilities. The annual budget for treatment and distribution is $21 million.

Generating power

While designing a new treatment plant in 1992, MVWA knew that microturbines were a logical addition. “When we throttled to relieve water pressure, we were wasting energy,” says Dick Goodney, P.E., direc-tor of engineering. “It made sense as part of the treatment plant to pro-vide some type of energy recovery mechanism, and hydroturbines were the best option.”

Two Byron Jackson hydroturbines (Flowserve) now provide 450 kW of capacity. An upstream turbine in the treatment plant basement controls the raw water flow and pressures into the chemical contact basins. The downstream turbine is several miles from the plant on the finished water line that runs to the distribution system. MVWA earns $80,000 in reve-nue annually from these two units by selling hydroturbine power to the local utility, National Grid.

SUSTAINABLEPRACTICE

PH

OT

OS

CO

UR

TE

SY

OF

MO

HA

WK

VA

LLE

Y W

AT

ER

AU

TH

OR

ITY

The microturbine at the Deerfield reservoir.

“When we throttled to relieve water

pressure, we were wasting energy.”DICK GOODNEY, P.E.

The upstream Byron Jackson hydroturbine (Flowserve) at the MVWA water treatment plant.

More powerSeeing the success of the hydroturbines, and understanding local

topography, utility staff contracted with the Wendel Duchscherer engi-neering company to study the feasibility of microturbines to capture more energy. The New York State Energy Research and Development Author-ity (NYSERDA) provided a $5,000 grant for this $10,000 research study.

The study identified several locations with potential for smaller in-line turbines, including the Deerfield Reservoir storage tank. A 25 kW turbine (Cornell Pump Co.) is now installed at the tank’s control building and is coupled to a centrifugal pump (Goulds). The microturbine energy powers the standby open reservoir’s water recirculation system, which pumps 2 mgd. By using the microturbine instead of grid power, MVWA

saves $15,000 annually, for a payback of less than five years.

In another initiative to enhance efficiency, MVWA has upgraded its treatment plant. Using funds from a National Grid incentive program, the utility last year replaced old fluores-cent lighting with LEDs in 40,000 square feet of administration and pro-

cess areas. Since the older lights were often slow to turn on, staff mem-bers often left them on even when spaces were unoccupied. The LEDs respond quickly and are only turned on when needed. Projected payback is five years.

To retain heat in the entire plant, MVWA replaced an old vinyl roof with an 18,000-square-foot single-membrane synthetic (EPDM) roof and added more insulation to meet state codes for R-value. Now, the facility costs less to heat and is more comfortable for employees.

Research partially funded by NYSERDA is underway to evaluate a

more efficient HVAC system for the maintenance facility. The 20,000-square-foot building now uses a 30-year-old gas-fired boiler. Study results are due in early 2014, and the changeover is planned for 2015.

Reducing residuals

MVWA also looked for ways to save on chemicals, reducing costs and limiting water treatment plant sludge production. Over the years, the utility has been optimizing processes to minimize chemicals used for coagulation (alum) and pH adjustment (lime and soda ash). MVWA con-tinuously tests incoming water and adjusts chemical dosages.

“We want to minimize chemical use because everything we add to the water eventually comes out in backwash sludge,” Goodney says. “By add-ing fewer solids in the form of chemicals, we have less sludge to handle.

“What’s most important for us is performance. We have to provide reliable water into our system. But looking at sustainability and energy efficiency, most of the time, they complement the perfor-mance improvements. When we can get a better, more efficient workplace that’s sustainable, it just makes sense.” wso

WSO welcomes stories about your green and environ-mentally progressive initiatives for future “Sustainable Practice” articles. Send your suggestions to [email protected] or call 715/277-4094.

“When we can get a better, more

efficient workplace that’s sustainable, it just makes sense.”DICK GOODNEY, P.E.

FREE subscription at:

www.tpomag.comDedicated to Municipal Wastewater Professionals


Harnessing Water PowerMohawk Valley Water Authority uses hydroturbines to cut electric bills and generate income, while plant upgrades keep things running efficiently

BY LISA BALCERAK

Decades ago, the Mohawk Valley Water Authority (MVWA) used throttling valves in the drinking water transmission system to prevent excessive pressure down the line.

Seeing an opportunity to capture the power of water pres-sure and flow for electricity, MVWA installed two hydroturbines and a microturbine that provide revenue and savings that total $95,000 a year. The utility has also optimized its treatment plant to be more energy effi-cient, use less chemicals and produce less sludge.

MVWA, in Utica, N.Y., serves 130,000 people in 18 municipalities. The service area in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains has eleva-tions that vary by up to 800 feet. Most of the 23 pressure zones have their own pump stations and water storage. The 373-square-mile Hinckley watershed, which provides the water supply, is mostly within Adirondack Park. MVWA has rights to withdraw up to 48.5 mgd from the 25-billion-gallon Hinckley Reservoir, owned by the New York State Canal Corpora-

tion. The utility’s 30 storage tanks hold 60 million gallons.

MVWA’s water treatment plant (32 mgd capacity, 20 mgd average) uses conventional coagulation, clarification and filtration. Following U.S. EPA requirements for disinfection byprod-ucts, the authority installed granular

activated carbon (GAC) filter media in its four filter beds and is pilot-test-ing in-situ carbon regeneration methods.

MVWA has a staff of 90 and an in-house EPA-certified lab that does contract work for other area utilities. The annual budget for treatment and distribution is $21 million.

Generating power

While designing a new treatment plant in 1992, MVWA knew that microturbines were a logical addition. “When we throttled to relieve water pressure, we were wasting energy,” says Dick Goodney, P.E., direc-tor of engineering. “It made sense as part of the treatment plant to pro-vide some type of energy recovery mechanism, and hydroturbines were the best option.”

Two Byron Jackson hydroturbines (Flowserve) now provide 450 kW of capacity. An upstream turbine in the treatment plant basement controls the raw water flow and pressures into the chemical contact basins. The downstream turbine is several miles from the plant on the finished water line that runs to the distribution system. MVWA earns $80,000 in reve-nue annually from these two units by selling hydroturbine power to the local utility, National Grid.

SUSTAINABLEPRACTICE

PH

OT

OS

CO

UR

TE

SY

OF

MO

HA

WK

VA

LLE

Y W

AT

ER

AU

TH

OR

ITY

The microturbine at the Deerfield reservoir.

“When we throttled to relieve water

pressure, we were wasting energy.”DICK GOODNEY, P.E.

The upstream Byron Jackson hydroturbine (Flowserve) at the MVWA water treatment plant.

More powerSeeing the success of the hydroturbines, and understanding local

topography, utility staff contracted with the Wendel Duchscherer engi-neering company to study the feasibility of microturbines to capture more energy. The New York State Energy Research and Development Author-ity (NYSERDA) provided a $5,000 grant for this $10,000 research study.

The study identified several locations with potential for smaller in-line turbines, including the Deerfield Reservoir storage tank. A 25 kW turbine (Cornell Pump Co.) is now installed at the tank’s control building and is coupled to a centrifugal pump (Goulds). The microturbine energy powers the standby open reservoir’s water recirculation system, which pumps 2 mgd. By using the microturbine instead of grid power, MVWA

saves $15,000 annually, for a payback of less than five years.

In another initiative to enhance efficiency, MVWA has upgraded its treatment plant. Using funds from a National Grid incentive program, the utility last year replaced old fluores-cent lighting with LEDs in 40,000 square feet of administration and pro-

cess areas. Since the older lights were often slow to turn on, staff mem-bers often left them on even when spaces were unoccupied. The LEDs respond quickly and are only turned on when needed. Projected payback is five years.

To retain heat in the entire plant, MVWA replaced an old vinyl roof with an 18,000-square-foot single-membrane synthetic (EPDM) roof and added more insulation to meet state codes for R-value. Now, the facility costs less to heat and is more comfortable for employees.

Research partially funded by NYSERDA is underway to evaluate a

more efficient HVAC system for the maintenance facility. The 20,000-square-foot building now uses a 30-year-old gas-fired boiler. Study results are due in early 2014, and the changeover is planned for 2015.

Reducing residuals

MVWA also looked for ways to save on chemicals, reducing costs and limiting water treatment plant sludge production. Over the years, the utility has been optimizing processes to minimize chemicals used for coagulation (alum) and pH adjustment (lime and soda ash). MVWA con-tinuously tests incoming water and adjusts chemical dosages.

“We want to minimize chemical use because everything we add to the water eventually comes out in backwash sludge,” Goodney says. “By add-ing fewer solids in the form of chemicals, we have less sludge to handle.

“What’s most important for us is performance. We have to provide reliable water into our system. But looking at sustainability and energy efficiency, most of the time, they complement the perfor-mance improvements. When we can get a better, more efficient workplace that’s sustainable, it just makes sense.” wso

WSO welcomes stories about your green and environ-mentally progressive initiatives for future “Sustainable Practice” articles. Send your suggestions to [email protected] or call 715/277-4094.

“When we can get a better, more

efficient workplace that’s sustainable, it just makes sense.”DICK GOODNEY, P.E.

FREE subscription at:

www.tpomag.comDedicated to Municipal Wastewater Professionals

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STORY: TRUDE WITHAMPHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID MAKKERS

Operators at the Frank C. Amerson Jr. Water Treatment Plant have found that being proactive reaps rewards. So does providing valuable input that can improve plant operations.

“We have five committees at the plant, including an awards committee, and each operator takes part in one of these,” says Gary McCoy, director of water treatment for the Macon (Ga.) Water Authority. “The operators know the plant and go through every single building to make sure all the equipment is on the maintenance schedule and in good working order.”

Mock plant inspections and diligent follow-up correct any problems. Experience also helps. With more than 100 collective years in operations, the staff does it all, including lab work, routine maintenance and customer service.

A new plant in 2000 exposed operators to different filtration technology and sludge handling equipment. Diligent training and mock equipment startups brought them up to speed. Other challenges include getting just the right chemistry to treat the lake water, and preparing for award competitions.

“Some of our operators have six months’ experience and some have much more, but they check their egos at the door and work together to make each other bet-ter. This is why we are successful,” says McCoy. This success is reflected in awards, including Plant of the Year and the Gold Award for 100 percent compliance from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) in 2012. It was the facility’s fourth Plant of the Year award for surface water plants with greater than 50 mgd capacity, and its eighth Gold award.

“These awards serve to motivate and help the staff to be better operators,” says McCoy. “If they don’t win an award, they mope around like their spouse just left them.”

Better processMacon Water Authority owns the 60 mgd Amerson

conventional treatment plant along with the Rocky Creek and Lower Poplar Street Water Reclamation Facilities. The authority’s division of water operations also oversees 75 acres of wetlands on plant property.

The Amerson facility, built beside the newly con-structed 5.8-billion-gallon Town Creek Reservoir (now named Javors J. Lucas Lake), replaced a cen-tury-old water treatment plant that was heavily dam-aged in a 1994 flood. The city-owned lake and 3,000 acre buffer were built to meet future needs.

An award-winning Georgia water plant succeeds with top-notch training, motivated operators and a proactive approach

EVERYTHING IN PLACE

Frank C. Amerson Jr. Water Treatment Plant, Macon, Ga.BUILT: | 2000POPULATION SERVED: | 160,000SERVICE AREA: | 255 square milesSOURCE WATER: | Javors J. Lucas LakeTREATMENT PROCESS: | ConventionalDISTRIBUTION: | 1,664 miles of water mainsSYSTEM STORAGE: | 37 million gallonsKEY CHALLENGE: | Staying abreast of new technology and regulatory rulesANNUAL BUDGET: | $3.94 millionWEBSITE: | www.maconwater.org

EVERYTHING IN PLACE

QUALITYLEADERS

PLANTThe new Frank C. Amerson Jr. plant (construction work shown in progress at the Javos J. Lucas Lake basins) exposed the team to new filtration and sludge-handling technology.


STORY: TRUDE WITHAMPHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID MAKKERS

Operators at the Frank C. Amerson Jr. Water Treatment Plant have found that being proactive reaps rewards. So does providing valuable input that can improve plant operations.

“We have five committees at the plant, including an awards committee, and each operator takes part in one of these,” says Gary McCoy, director of water treatment for the Macon (Ga.) Water Authority. “The operators know the plant and go through every single building to make sure all the equipment is on the maintenance schedule and in good working order.”

Mock plant inspections and diligent follow-up correct any problems. Experience also helps. With more than 100 collective years in operations, the staff does it all, including lab work, routine maintenance and customer service.

A new plant in 2000 exposed operators to different filtration technology and sludge handling equipment. Diligent training and mock equipment startups brought them up to speed. Other challenges include getting just the right chemistry to treat the lake water, and preparing for award competitions.

“Some of our operators have six months’ experience and some have much more, but they check their egos at the door and work together to make each other bet-ter. This is why we are successful,” says McCoy. This success is reflected in awards, including Plant of the Year and the Gold Award for 100 percent compliance from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) in 2012. It was the facility’s fourth Plant of the Year award for surface water plants with greater than 50 mgd capacity, and its eighth Gold award.

“These awards serve to motivate and help the staff to be better operators,” says McCoy. “If they don’t win an award, they mope around like their spouse just left them.”

Better processMacon Water Authority owns the 60 mgd Amerson

conventional treatment plant along with the Rocky Creek and Lower Poplar Street Water Reclamation Facilities. The authority’s division of water operations also oversees 75 acres of wetlands on plant property.

The Amerson facility, built beside the newly con-structed 5.8-billion-gallon Town Creek Reservoir (now named Javors J. Lucas Lake), replaced a cen-tury-old water treatment plant that was heavily dam-aged in a 1994 flood. The city-owned lake and 3,000 acre buffer were built to meet future needs.

An award-winning Georgia water plant succeeds with top-notch training, motivated operators and a proactive approach

EVERYTHING IN PLACE

Frank C. Amerson Jr. Water Treatment Plant, Macon, Ga.BUILT: | 2000POPULATION SERVED: | 160,000SERVICE AREA: | 255 square milesSOURCE WATER: | Javors J. Lucas LakeTREATMENT PROCESS: | ConventionalDISTRIBUTION: | 1,664 miles of water mainsSYSTEM STORAGE: | 37 million gallonsKEY CHALLENGE: | Staying abreast of new technology and regulatory rulesANNUAL BUDGET: | $3.94 millionWEBSITE: | www.maconwater.org

EVERYTHING IN PLACE

QUALITYLEADERS

PLANTThe new Frank C. Amerson Jr. plant (construction work shown in progress at the Javos J. Lucas Lake basins) exposed the team to new filtration and sludge-handling technology.


Ocmulgee River water is pumped to the lake, which provides up to a five-month supply, and then to the Amerson plant for treat-ment with lime, chlorine dioxide, alum, potassium permanganate, granular activated carbon (GAC), chlorine, fluoride and phosphate. An additional booster pumping station connects the river intake and the Amerson plant, bypassing the lake. This alternative raw water pumping method allows continuous operation during maintenance or in case of emergencies.

Operators trained for six months on the Amerson plant equipment. The solids press building, high-ser-vice pumps, Wonderware SCADA software (Invensys), Leopold Clari-Vac floating sludge collector (Xylem) and generators were all new to them. The team conducted mock startups to make sure operators were com-fortable with the equipment.

The new plant offered many improvements. “The old plant had steam-operated turbines and boiler,” says McCoy. “We now have vari-able-frequency drive pumps that automatically ramp up and down according to system demand.”

GAC filters replaced anthracite media, and plate presses replaced sludge drying beds. “Our GAC fil-ters are top-of-the-line, and great for organics removal,” McCoy says. “We don’t have a problem with dis-infection byproducts, since the filters remove most of the organics that can interact with the chlorine to form DBPs, such as trihalomethanes.” The process adds lime to the solids to raise the pH before dewatering. Sol-ids are collected by Macon Soils, a Macon Water subsidiary, and distrib-uted to farmers.

Versatile team

Twelve operations staff keep the Amerson plant running smoothly. They report to McCoy, who holds a Class I operator license and has been with Macon Water for 10 years. He reports to executive director Tony Rojas. Team members include:

• Jocelyn Hunt, assistant plant manager, Class I, 21 years at the plant

• Sylvia McCrary, laboratory supervisor, water laboratory license, 25 years

• William Brown (20-plus years), Dale Moorehead (20-plus years) and Chuck Mixon (11 years), Class I operators

• Lisa Horne (eight years), Ronnie Evans (seven years) and Bill Maine (seven years), Class II operators

• Adrian Ashley, Class III operator, (one year)• David Smith, Adrian Stokes and Randal Cole, trainees The plant is staffed around the clock with an inside and outside oper-

ator on each shift. The inside operator conducts lab tests, monitors the SCADA system and handles customer service complaints. The outside operator conducts plant checks every two hours, backwashes the filters

and runs the Clari-Vac system and filter presses.

Operators perform routine equipment maintenance and com-municate to centralized mainte-nance staff and the buildings and grounds crew what needs to be done to maintain the buildings, 19 tanks and 57 lift stations.

Routine lab tests include tur-bidity, iron and manganese, hard-ness, alkalinity, chlorine, chlorine

Besides the Plant of the Year

and Gold awards from the Georgia

Association of Water Professionals

(GAWP) in 2012, the Frank C.

Amerson Jr. plant and its people

have won awards including:

• 2009 Best Tasting Drinking

Water in North America (AWWA)

• 2010 and 2011 Plant Safety of

the Year, Georgia Section of the

American Water Works Association

(GAWWA)

• Top Operator (GAWP): Bill

Maine (2010), Dale Moorehead

(2006), Chuck Mixon (2005) and

Jocelyn Hunt (2003)

• 2012 Operators Meritorious

Service Award (GAWWA): Mixon

and Hunt

HIGHLYDECORATED

The plant team includes, front row, from left: Adrian Stokes, operator trainee; Jocelyn Hunt, assistant plant manager; Gary McCoy, director of water treatment; Sylvia McCrary, laboratory supervisor; Adrian Ashley, Class III operator; back row: Andy Tate, instruction supervisor; Ronnie Evans, Class II operator; Chuck Mixon, Class I operator.

dioxide, chlorite, aluminum, fluoride, pH and phosphate. Operators use Hach turbidimeters, spectrophotometers and chlorine dioxide analyzers, and a Denver pH meter. Most lab tests are run every hour, and a few every two hours, to make sure the plant is producing consistent-quality water.

Treating the lake water can be a challenge. “We perform a daily jar test to optimize the correct chemical dosage that’s required to best treat the water,” says McCoy. “With the low turbidity in the lake, we some-times have to use polymer as a weighting agent to eliminate the fine sus-

pended particles that will not settle. We use chlorine dioxide to oxidize iron and manganese to prevent taste and odor problems.”

Since the plant serves as an administrative facility after hours, operators are responsible for cus-tomer service after 7 p.m. and on weekends and holidays. This includes sending on-call person-nel to restore water service, dis-

patching field service and line maintenance crews, handling water complaints and writing work orders for water main repairs.

Staying proactive

Preparing for the Plant of the Year award competition kept the operators on their toes. “We won the first award in 2002, but we’re only eligible every other year,” says McCoy. “We won every time except twice. We’re judged in the large systems category, so there’s a lot of competition, like the city of Atlanta, Gwinette County, Colum-bus Water Works, Dekalb County and other large utilities.

“My administrative assistant, Janice Wright, is a detail-oriented person, so I asked her to assist in conducting mock plant inspections, which the operators took very seri-ously. We graded the plant and the operators’ performance and let them know how they could improve on their overall knowledge and also correct plant weaknesses.”

McCoy assigned three opera-tors to the operations committee, which met monthly and sent him reports. The members provided valuable feedback, such as suggesting changes in feed rates to improve turbidity removal. Operators inspected everything from lab chemical expiration dates to backflow preventers.

“Being proactive is what this committee was all about,” says McCoy. “Of course, our main job is to produce a quality product, and we’re very fortunate to have a water board that provides us with the necessary tools

GIVING BACK

Gary McCoy has devoted most of his life to water treatment. As director of water treatment for the Macon

(Ga.) Water Authority, he worked his way up through the ranks. His success came from hard work, networking with

peers and tirelessly volunteering on various committees.

“I started as a janitor in my hometown at the City of Cartersville water plant,” he says. “I noticed that the

operators were making good money — a lot more than I was — so I asked for an opportunity to train as an

operator, became certified and was hired.” McCoy has won many awards:

• Top Operator, Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP), 1998.

• Operator Meritorious Service Award, AWWA Georgia Section, 1999.

• Elizabeth McEntire Award for outstanding service to GAWP, 2003.

• AWWA George Warren Fuller for distinguished service to the water field, 2009.

• GAWP Nathan M. DeJarnette Award for accomplishments in facility operations, 2009.

• William J. Greene, Jr. Award for outstanding service to Georgia AWWA, 2010.“I won these awards because I have a great relationship with my peers in the industry,” says McCoy. “I started

volunteering in different areas, including GAWP’s Distributor of the Year Committee. Volunteering is how I give back.”

He was elected to the GAWP 5S Society in 2004 for volunteering to promote scholarships on behalf of the

association. In 2009, he chaired the GAWWA, and in 2010 he was elected for a three-year term on the national

AWWA Board of Directors. He attends other AWWA state conferences and speaks on behalf of the national AWWA.

McCoy considers the industry’s future: “I serve on the AWWA Diversity and Inclusion Committee, where I help

ensure that the industry stays diverse. I’m also concerned about infrastructure. An AWWA study, ‘Buried No Longer,’

found that in the next 25 years, it will take more than a trillion dollars to upgrade water system infrastructure.”

Recently, McCoy and 60 AWWA members attended the association’s annual Washington, D.C. Fly-in to lobby

their legislators. They asked Congress members to support the Water Resources Development Act of 2013, which

included a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority pilot program that would make low-interest loans

for large water infrastructure projects.

“In June 2013, the Senate passed the pilot program to move this through,” McCoy says. My colleagues and I

are proud to have helped this come to pass.”

Gary McCoy, director of water treatment. “Some of our operators have six

months’ experience and some have much more, but they check their egos at the door and work together to make each other better. This is why we are successful.”GARY McCOY


Ocmulgee River water is pumped to the lake, which provides up to a five-month supply, and then to the Amerson plant for treat-ment with lime, chlorine dioxide, alum, potassium permanganate, granular activated carbon (GAC), chlorine, fluoride and phosphate. An additional booster pumping station connects the river intake and the Amerson plant, bypassing the lake. This alternative raw water pumping method allows continuous operation during maintenance or in case of emergencies.

Operators trained for six months on the Amerson plant equipment. The solids press building, high-ser-vice pumps, Wonderware SCADA software (Invensys), Leopold Clari-Vac floating sludge collector (Xylem) and generators were all new to them. The team conducted mock startups to make sure operators were com-fortable with the equipment.

The new plant offered many improvements. “The old plant had steam-operated turbines and boiler,” says McCoy. “We now have vari-able-frequency drive pumps that automatically ramp up and down according to system demand.”

GAC filters replaced anthracite media, and plate presses replaced sludge drying beds. “Our GAC fil-ters are top-of-the-line, and great for organics removal,” McCoy says. “We don’t have a problem with dis-infection byproducts, since the filters remove most of the organics that can interact with the chlorine to form DBPs, such as trihalomethanes.” The process adds lime to the solids to raise the pH before dewatering. Sol-ids are collected by Macon Soils, a Macon Water subsidiary, and distrib-uted to farmers.

Versatile team

Twelve operations staff keep the Amerson plant running smoothly. They report to McCoy, who holds a Class I operator license and has been with Macon Water for 10 years. He reports to executive director Tony Rojas. Team members include:

• Jocelyn Hunt, assistant plant manager, Class I, 21 years at the plant

• Sylvia McCrary, laboratory supervisor, water laboratory license, 25 years

• William Brown (20-plus years), Dale Moorehead (20-plus years) and Chuck Mixon (11 years), Class I operators

• Lisa Horne (eight years), Ronnie Evans (seven years) and Bill Maine (seven years), Class II operators

• Adrian Ashley, Class III operator, (one year)• David Smith, Adrian Stokes and Randal Cole, trainees The plant is staffed around the clock with an inside and outside oper-

ator on each shift. The inside operator conducts lab tests, monitors the SCADA system and handles customer service complaints. The outside operator conducts plant checks every two hours, backwashes the filters

and runs the Clari-Vac system and filter presses.

Operators perform routine equipment maintenance and com-municate to centralized mainte-nance staff and the buildings and grounds crew what needs to be done to maintain the buildings, 19 tanks and 57 lift stations.

Routine lab tests include tur-bidity, iron and manganese, hard-ness, alkalinity, chlorine, chlorine

Besides the Plant of the Year

and Gold awards from the Georgia

Association of Water Professionals

(GAWP) in 2012, the Frank C.

Amerson Jr. plant and its people

have won awards including:

• 2009 Best Tasting Drinking

Water in North America (AWWA)

• 2010 and 2011 Plant Safety of

the Year, Georgia Section of the

American Water Works Association

(GAWWA)

• Top Operator (GAWP): Bill

Maine (2010), Dale Moorehead

(2006), Chuck Mixon (2005) and

Jocelyn Hunt (2003)

• 2012 Operators Meritorious

Service Award (GAWWA): Mixon

and Hunt

HIGHLYDECORATED

The plant team includes, front row, from left: Adrian Stokes, operator trainee; Jocelyn Hunt, assistant plant manager; Gary McCoy, director of water treatment; Sylvia McCrary, laboratory supervisor; Adrian Ashley, Class III operator; back row: Andy Tate, instruction supervisor; Ronnie Evans, Class II operator; Chuck Mixon, Class I operator.

dioxide, chlorite, aluminum, fluoride, pH and phosphate. Operators use Hach turbidimeters, spectrophotometers and chlorine dioxide analyzers, and a Sartorius pH meter. Most lab tests are run every hour, and a few every two hours, to make sure the plant is producing consistent-quality water.

Treating the lake water can be a challenge. “We perform a daily jar test to optimize the correct chemical dosage that’s required to best treat the water,” says McCoy. “With the low turbidity in the lake, we some-times have to use polymer as a weighting agent to eliminate the fine sus-

pended particles that will not settle. We use chlorine dioxide to oxidize iron and manganese to prevent taste and odor problems.”

Since the plant serves as an administrative facility after hours, operators are responsible for cus-tomer service after 7 p.m. and on weekends and holidays. This includes sending on-call person-nel to restore water service, dis-

patching field service and line maintenance crews, handling water complaints and writing work orders for water main repairs.

Staying proactive

Preparing for the Plant of the Year award competition kept the operators on their toes. “We won the first award in 2002, but we’re only eligible every other year,” says McCoy. “We won every time except twice. We’re judged in the large systems category, so there’s a lot of competition, like the city of Atlanta, Gwinette County, Colum-bus Water Works, Dekalb County and other large utilities.

“My administrative assistant, Janice Wright, is a detail-oriented person, so I asked her to assist in conducting mock plant inspections, which the operators took very seri-ously. We graded the plant and the operators’ performance and let them know how they could improve on their overall knowledge and also correct plant weaknesses.”

McCoy assigned three opera-tors to the operations committee, which met monthly and sent him reports. The members provided valuable feedback, such as suggesting changes in feed rates to improve turbidity removal. Operators inspected everything from lab chemical expiration dates to backflow preventers.

“Being proactive is what this committee was all about,” says McCoy. “Of course, our main job is to produce a quality product, and we’re very fortunate to have a water board that provides us with the necessary tools

GIVING BACK

Gary McCoy has devoted most of his life to water treatment. As director of water treatment for the Macon

(Ga.) Water Authority, he worked his way up through the ranks. His success came from hard work, networking with

peers and tirelessly volunteering on various committees.

“I started as a janitor in my hometown at the City of Cartersville water plant,” he says. “I noticed that the

operators were making good money — a lot more than I was — so I asked for an opportunity to train as an

operator, became certified and was hired.” McCoy has won many awards:

• Top Operator, Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP), 1998.

• Operator Meritorious Service Award, AWWA Georgia Section, 1999.

• Elizabeth McEntire Award for outstanding service to GAWP, 2003.

• AWWA George Warren Fuller for distinguished service to the water field, 2009.

• GAWP Nathan M. DeJarnette Award for accomplishments in facility operations, 2009.

• William J. Greene, Jr. Award for outstanding service to Georgia AWWA, 2010.“I won these awards because I have a great relationship with my peers in the industry,” says McCoy. “I started

volunteering in different areas, including GAWP’s Distributor of the Year Committee. Volunteering is how I give back.”

He was elected to the GAWP 5S Society in 2004 for volunteering to promote scholarships on behalf of the

association. In 2009, he chaired the GAWWA, and in 2010 he was elected for a three-year term on the national

AWWA Board of Directors. He attends other AWWA state conferences and speaks on behalf of the national AWWA.

McCoy considers the industry’s future: “I serve on the AWWA Diversity and Inclusion Committee, where I help

ensure that the industry stays diverse. I’m also concerned about infrastructure. An AWWA study, ‘Buried No Longer,’

found that in the next 25 years, it will take more than a trillion dollars to upgrade water system infrastructure.”

Recently, McCoy and 60 AWWA members attended the association’s annual Washington, D.C. Fly-in to lobby

their legislators. They asked Congress members to support the Water Resources Development Act of 2013, which

included a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority pilot program that would make low-interest loans

for large water infrastructure projects.

“In June 2013, the Senate passed the pilot program to move this through,” McCoy says. My colleagues and I

are proud to have helped this come to pass.”

Gary McCoy, director of water treatment. “Some of our operators have six

months’ experience and some have much more, but they check their egos at the door and work together to make each other better. This is why we are successful.”GARY McCOY


to keep producing safe, good-tast-ing water.”

Motivated operators

The operators train and moti-vate each other, says McCoy, whether discussing the merits of a particular plant adjustment at a monthly staff meeting, or helping each other train for state certifica-tion exams. After attending a con-ference, they suggest different approaches to tasks and apply what they have learned to improve operations.

Operations and maintenance staff worked together on a project to keep leaves from plugging the intake bar screen. They installed a device to deflect the leaves downriver and regularly wash down the screen to prevent leaves from sticking to the bars. McCoy sets the plant’s operating parameters but lets operators make

decisions — and mistakes — so they have the opportunity to learn. “I don’t need to micromanage,” says McCoy. “They are all water professionals.”

McCoy doesn’t foresee a need for upgrades: “We have lots of capacity, and in fact we’re averaging only 25 mgd now. But by 2016 we may see more stringent regulations, such as the new coliform and THM regula-tions that will make it necessary to change our method of operation.”

The plan is to continue with community outreach and environmental activities. “We have an open house during AWWA National Drinking Water Week and conduct tours throughout the year,” McCoy says. “We speak at various public meetings when requested and participate in career days at area schools.”

During the open house, the public can learn about drinking water production while touring the plant. They also learn how Macon Water works to protect the community’s water supply and natural resources. Hunt assists with annual river clean up, moni-tors solids that are returned to the river and creates source water pro-tection plans.

McCoy and his staff plan to continue pursuing awards, which motivate staff and encourage them to improve plant operations. His advice to other plant managers: Allow operators to visit other plants for new ideas and, if the budget allows, have them attend local confer-ences for networking. “Be proactive,” he says. “Get your operators involved and keep them abreast of what’s going on. They are your eyes and ears of plant operations. Become more hands on, and you will be successful.” wso


Hach Company 800/227-4224www.hach.com

Invensys Operations Management949/727-3200www.iom.invensys.com

Leopold – a Xylem Brand704/409-9700www.fbleopold.com

Rodney Hunt Co.800/448-8860www.rodneyhunt.com

Sartorius Corporation 800/321-1135www.sartorius.us

Ronnie Evans works a control valve (Rodney Hunt) in the pumping station.

Chuck Mixon, left, and Dale Moorehead monitor plant operations at the central SCADA system console.

The front entrance to the Frank C. Amerson Jr. Water Treatment Plant.

“We have an open house during AWWA National Drinking Water Week and conduct tours

throughout the year. We speak at various public meetings when requested and participate in career days at area schools.”GARY McCOY

The operator of a small water system asked about an alternative dis-infectant to chlorine. The community was interested in an economi-cally feasible choice because the U.S. EPA Phase 2 Disinfectant and Disinfection Byproducts Rule was about to take effect.

The aquifer in southeast coastal Georgia and northern Florida has elevated organics levels, and chlorine disinfection can lead to the forma-tion of trihalomethane contamination. We told the operator that increas-ingly, over the past decade, it has been challenging to produce safe, clean drinking water.

Outbreaks of water-borne diseases in the United States and Canada have made people aware that water contaminated with microorganisms can cause serious illness or even death. The challenges posed by contam-inated water are more common in the developing world, but there are growing indications that industrialized countries have not managed their water resources properly.

We also noted that confidence in the ability to protect human health from contaminated drinking water has been eroded by questions about the safety and effectiveness of traditional chlorine disinfection.

The role of UVChlorine-resistant pathogens and concerns about potentially cancer-

causing disinfection byproducts (DBPs) from chlorine treatment have led to new EPA guidelines that require municipalities to eliminate or reduce chlorine usage. We pointed out that ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection has become an answer.

UV treatment has been used in Europe and North America for decades. The first applications were in France starting in 1910. UV tech-nology is a highly effective, cost-efficient and proven way to destroy micropollutants and microorganisms. It has earned the confidence of thousands of municipalities for disinfecting wastewater, drinking water and industrial process waters.

The UV light spectrum lies between the shortest wavelength of light visible to the human eye, and X-rays, which of course are invisible. Spe-cific wavelengths within this band of the light spectrum are character-ized as germicidal. Water treatment systems use a UV light source with a protective covering (usually a watertight quartz sleeve) immersed in water to be treated.

The UV rays emitted by the lamp inactivate harmful microorganisms and parasites. As the water rushes by the lamps, microorganisms are exposed to a lethal dose of UV energy. The rays alter the DNA of para-sites, yeasts, molds, algae, bacteria and viruses, so that even though they are technically still alive, they cannot reproduce, are powerless to infect a host and are considered inactivated. The process has a 4-log effectiveness, which means it destroys 99.99 percent of the target organisms.

Clear benefits

Among its advantages, UV disinfection is safe and environmentally friendly — there are no chemicals for system operators to handle and no potential for chemical releases to the environment. UV leaves no smell or taste in the treated water, and in fact the process can improve the water’s taste by destroying organic contaminants.

We told the community’s operator that UV treatment should be used in combination with other forms of disinfection and filtration. UV sys-tems in drinking water are most commonly used as a secondary treat-ment process and as a primary disinfectant. They are not intended to treat water that is visually contaminated, and they cannot convert waste-

water to safe, potable water. UV technology is endorsed by the EPA. It destroys

bacteria such as E. coli, viruses like those that cause hepatitis and polio, and virtually all other waterborne pathogens. This includes Cryptosporidium and Giardia parasites, which are resistant to chlorine disinfection. UV also eliminates harmful micropollutants such as

herbicides and pesticides. It works at least 20 times as fast as chlorine and is more cost-effective.

Future potential

Looking ahead, solar water disinfection has been comprehensively researched in Switzerland, and scientists have proven that natural sun-light can effectively treat small volumes of water inexpensively. In this process, contaminated water is poured into transparent plastic bottles, and the bottles of water are exposed to full sunlight for six hours.

The sunlight treats the contaminated water through two synergetic pathways. First, UV-A radiation damages the DNA of organisms present in the water, and second, the process raises the water’s temperature, dam-aging the proteins in pathogenic organisms. If the water’s temperature rises above 120 degrees F, the disinfection process occurs three times faster.

ABOUT THE AUTHORJohn Rowe, Ph.D., is a professor of water resources at Okefenokee Technical

College in Waycross, Ga. He can be reached at [email protected]. wso

The Basics of UVDisinfection with light is effective against a wide range of water-borne pathogens. It is also highly effective and leaves no potentially harmful byproducts.

BY JOHN ROWE, PH.D.

TECHTALK

The UV rays alter the DNA of parasites, yeasts, molds, algae, bacteria and viruses, so that even though they are technically still

alive, they cannot reproduce, are powerless to infect a host and are considered inactivated.


to keep producing safe, good-tast-ing water.”

Motivated operators

The operators train and moti-vate each other, says McCoy, whether discussing the merits of a particular plant adjustment at a monthly staff meeting, or helping each other train for state certifica-tion exams. After attending a con-ference, they suggest different approaches to tasks and apply what they have learned to improve operations.

Operations and maintenance staff worked together on a project to keep leaves from plugging the intake bar screen. They installed a device to deflect the leaves downriver and regularly wash down the screen to prevent leaves from sticking to the bars. McCoy sets the plant’s operating parameters but lets operators make

decisions — and mistakes — so they have the opportunity to learn. “I don’t need to micromanage,” says McCoy. “They are all water professionals.”

McCoy doesn’t foresee a need for upgrades: “We have lots of capacity, and in fact we’re averaging only 25 mgd now. But by 2016 we may see more stringent regulations, such as the new coliform and THM regula-tions that will make it necessary to change our method of operation.”

The plan is to continue with community outreach and environmental activities. “We have an open house during AWWA National Drinking Water Week and conduct tours throughout the year,” McCoy says. “We speak at various public meetings when requested and participate in career days at area schools.”

During the open house, the public can learn about drinking water production while touring the plant. They also learn how Macon Water works to protect the community’s water supply and natural resources. Hunt assists with annual river clean up, moni-tors solids that are returned to the river and creates source water pro-tection plans.

McCoy and his staff plan to continue pursuing awards, which motivate staff and encourage them to improve plant operations. His advice to other plant managers: Allow operators to visit other plants for new ideas and, if the budget allows, have them attend local confer-ences for networking. “Be proactive,” he says. “Get your operators involved and keep them abreast of what’s going on. They are your eyes and ears of plant operations. Become more hands on, and you will be successful.” wso


Denver Instrument 800/321-1135www.denverinstrumentusa.com

Hach Company 800/227-4224www.hach.com


Leopold – a Xylem Brand704/409-9700www.fbleopold.com

Rodney Hunt Co.800/448-8860www.rodneyhunt.com

Ronnie Evans works a control valve (Rodney Hunt) in the pumping station.

Chuck Mixon, left, and Dale Moorehead monitor plant operations at the central SCADA system console.

The front entrance to the Frank C. Amerson Jr. Water Treatment Plant.

“We have an open house during AWWA National Drinking Water Week and conduct tours

throughout the year. We speak at various public meetings when requested and participate in career days at area schools.”GARY McCOY

The operator of a small water system asked about an alternative dis-infectant to chlorine. The community was interested in an economi-cally feasible choice because the U.S. EPA Phase 2 Disinfectant and Disinfection Byproducts Rule was about to take effect.

The aquifer in southeast coastal Georgia and northern Florida has elevated organics levels, and chlorine disinfection can lead to the forma-tion of trihalomethane contamination. We told the operator that increas-ingly, over the past decade, it has been challenging to produce safe, clean drinking water.

Outbreaks of water-borne diseases in the United States and Canada have made people aware that water contaminated with microorganisms can cause serious illness or even death. The challenges posed by contam-inated water are more common in the developing world, but there are growing indications that industrialized countries have not managed their water resources properly.

We also noted that confidence in the ability to protect human health from contaminated drinking water has been eroded by questions about the safety and effectiveness of traditional chlorine disinfection.

The role of UVChlorine-resistant pathogens and concerns about potentially cancer-

causing disinfection byproducts (DBPs) from chlorine treatment have led to new EPA guidelines that require municipalities to eliminate or reduce chlorine usage. We pointed out that ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection has become an answer.

UV treatment has been used in Europe and North America for decades. The first applications were in France starting in 1910. UV tech-nology is a highly effective, cost-efficient and proven way to destroy micropollutants and microorganisms. It has earned the confidence of thousands of municipalities for disinfecting wastewater, drinking water and industrial process waters.

The UV light spectrum lies between the shortest wavelength of light visible to the human eye, and X-rays, which of course are invisible. Spe-cific wavelengths within this band of the light spectrum are character-ized as germicidal. Water treatment systems use a UV light source with a protective covering (usually a watertight quartz sleeve) immersed in water to be treated.

The UV rays emitted by the lamp inactivate harmful microorganisms and parasites. As the water rushes by the lamps, microorganisms are exposed to a lethal dose of UV energy. The rays alter the DNA of para-sites, yeasts, molds, algae, bacteria and viruses, so that even though they are technically still alive, they cannot reproduce, are powerless to infect a host and are considered inactivated. The process has a 4-log effectiveness, which means it destroys 99.99 percent of the target organisms.

Clear benefits

Among its advantages, UV disinfection is safe and environmentally friendly — there are no chemicals for system operators to handle and no potential for chemical releases to the environment. UV leaves no smell or taste in the treated water, and in fact the process can improve the water’s taste by destroying organic contaminants.

We told the community’s operator that UV treatment should be used in combination with other forms of disinfection and filtration. UV sys-tems in drinking water are most commonly used as a secondary treat-ment process and as a primary disinfectant. They are not intended to treat water that is visually contaminated, and they cannot convert waste-

water to safe, potable water. UV technology is endorsed by the EPA. It destroys

bacteria such as E. coli, viruses like those that cause hepatitis and polio, and virtually all other waterborne pathogens. This includes Cryptosporidium and Giardia parasites, which are resistant to chlorine disinfection. UV also eliminates harmful micropollutants such as

herbicides and pesticides. It works at least 20 times as fast as chlorine and is more cost-effective.

Future potential

Looking ahead, solar water disinfection has been comprehensively researched in Switzerland, and scientists have proven that natural sun-light can effectively treat small volumes of water inexpensively. In this process, contaminated water is poured into transparent plastic bottles, and the bottles of water are exposed to full sunlight for six hours.

The sunlight treats the contaminated water through two synergetic pathways. First, UV-A radiation damages the DNA of organisms present in the water, and second, the process raises the water’s temperature, dam-aging the proteins in pathogenic organisms. If the water’s temperature rises above 120 degrees F, the disinfection process occurs three times faster.

ABOUT THE AUTHORJohn Rowe, Ph.D., is a professor of water resources at Okefenokee Technical

College in Waycross, Ga. He can be reached at [email protected]. wso

The Basics of UVDisinfection with light is effective against a wide range of water-borne pathogens. It is also highly effective and leaves no potentially harmful byproducts.

BY JOHN ROWE, PH.D.

TECHTALK

The UV rays alter the DNA of parasites, yeasts, molds, algae, bacteria and viruses, so that even though they are technically still

alive, they cannot reproduce, are powerless to infect a host and are considered inactivated.


Water tank inspection can be a costly process, often requiring tanks to be drained and taken out of service. Finished water is wasted and service to customers can be disrupted.

Aquabotix Technology Corp. has developed an alterna-tive in a robotic inspection system that can be sterilized, inserted into the tank and driven around using computerized controls. It’s the same basic concept as in video pipe inspection cameras, except that this system oper-ates in three dimensions instead of on a linear course. One version of the device includes rotating brushes that can actually scrub deposits off the tank walls.

Durval Tavares, company president, worked 20 years on underwater technology with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, R.I. After a career change to the financial sector, he returned to his roots in the water business, aiming to develop products that would make a differ-ence in people’s lives. That includes making work life easier for people who inspect potable water tanks.

“Being able to see the condition of those tanks helps water authorities extend tank life and provide higher-quality water service to consumers,” Tavares said. He talked about the Aquabotix technology in an interview with Water System Operator.

wso: Without this technology, how are water tanks inspected?Tavares: One way is to empty the tank and have people enter through

a hatch and check it out. The problem is you have to shut off the water supply from that tank while you do the inspection. You also waste a lot of water by dumping it so you can do the inspection.

Another way is to put a diver into the tank. That can be a costly and complicated process because you’re putting a human being inside the fresh water supply. The person doing the inspection and the equipment have to be bathed in a disinfectant solution. You’re also putting the diver at risk because inside these tanks it’s easy to lose track of where you are.

It looks the same everywhere you go.

It Swims. It Inspects. It Cleans.Robotic underwater viewing systems provide a cost-effective method for assessingthe condition of water storage tanks without taking them out of service

BY TED J. RULSEH

1) The HydroView Professional model includes rotating brushes that can clear debris from tank walls to enable closer inspection.

2) Sample images of water tank walls taken by the camera on Aquabotix robots.

3) The robotic inspection devices are powered by as many as eight motors.

4) The inspection unit is easily deployed through a tank hatch.

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TECHNOLOGYDEEP DIVE

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wso: What are the specific advantages of your approach to inspections?

Tavares: Our vehicles record exactly what the inside of the tank looks like so that the water authority can make decisions on good infor-mation. There are no lubricants and no other pollutants on the vehicle. It’s made of metal and ABS plastic. We recommend that the vehicle be doused in a chlorine solution before placing it in the tank so they don’t risk contaminating the water.

wso: Please describe how these vehicles work.Tavares: We make two vehicles for water tank inspections – an entry-

level HydroView Inspector and a higher-end HydroView Professional. Both can go down to 250 feet. They come with two cameras, one in front and the other mounted on top of the vehicle. That second camera can be aimed in any direction. You can swim the vehicle along the inside of a tank, and as you do that you can have the top-mounted camera facing at 90 degrees to the travel direction, so you can record the condition of the wall as you travel around.

Both models record high-definition digital video and high-definition still images on an internal memory. After the inspection you can go back, review the recording and select the pictures to include in a report. The vehicles have depth sensors, temperature sensors and heading sensors that tell you the direction of travel, as with a compass. They come with an internal LED light, and 800 lumens of external LED lighting can be added.

wso: What is the method of propulsion and steering?Tavares: The Inspector model has three high-precision Swiss-made

motors. A rear propeller lets you control the pitch of the vehicle, and two front propellers let you control forward/backward motion and turning.

The Professional model has eight motors. Three are dedicated to hovering and one controls lateral movement. For the remaining four

motors, you have all four control forward/backward movement, or have two for forward and back and put brushes on the other two. Then if you see a buildup on the tank wall, you can have the brushes scrape it off so you can inspect and see what is underneath. The motors spin at up to 3,000 rpm. One rotates clockwise and the other counterclockwise. If they both turned in the same direction, the vehicle would walk the wall and you would lose control.

wso: What is the power source for the vehicles?Tavares: They are powered by built-in lithium-ion batteries that are

fully sealed. Battery life is two to three hours, which is plenty of time to complete a tank inspection.

wso: How does the inspection operator control the vehicle?Tavares: They need to be tethered because Wi-Fi and radio signals

will not travel through water. The vehicles can pull a cable length up to 500 feet. The cable can extend from the ground to the top of the tank and into the tank. A person standing on the ground can control the vehicle.

The operator can use a PC and a game-console-type control box with joy-sticks, or control the vehicle with an iPad. In that case, they can actually turn the vehicle left and right, up and down, by turning the iPad.

wso: What has been the market’s reaction to this technology?Tavares: There has been a lot of interest. We’ve delivered several to

water authorities, and we’ve had contractors who do water tank inspec-tions purchase them. Tank inspection companies find that they can pro-vide a better service to customers because they can do the job quicker and with less impact on the customer’s operations.

wso: Does it take a large water utility to justify the purchase of

a vehicle?Tavares: No. A tank inspection typically costs $1,500 and up. If you

inspect 10 tanks, you have essentially paid for a HydroView Professional right there.

wso: What other applications does this technology have?Tavares: It can be used to inspect water intakes for water treatment

plants and the water intakes and outlets for power plant cooling systems. Otherwise it can be used for anything from marine craft inspection, to search and recovery efforts, to inspecting tanks in aquaculture. wso

“Our vehicles record exactly what the inside of the tank looks like so that the water authority can make decisions on good information. There are no lubri-

cants and no other pollutants on the vehicle.”DURVAL TAVARES

“Tank inspection companies find that they can provide a better service to customers because

they can do the job quicker and with less impact on the customer’s operations.”DURVAL TAVARES

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Water tank inspection can be a costly process, often requiring tanks to be drained and taken out of service. Finished water is wasted and service to customers can be disrupted.

Aquabotix Technology Corp. has developed an alterna-tive in a robotic inspection system that can be sterilized, inserted into the tank and driven around using computerized controls. It’s the same basic concept as in video pipe inspection cameras, except that this system oper-ates in three dimensions instead of on a linear course. One version of the device includes rotating brushes that can actually scrub deposits off the tank walls.

Durval Tavares, company president, worked 20 years on underwater technology with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, R.I. After a career change to the financial sector, he returned to his roots in the water business, aiming to develop products that would make a differ-ence in people’s lives. That includes making work life easier for people who inspect potable water tanks.

“Being able to see the condition of those tanks helps water authorities extend tank life and provide higher-quality water service to consumers,” Tavares said. He talked about the Aquabotix technology in an interview with Water System Operator.

wso: Without this technology, how are water tanks inspected?Tavares: One way is to empty the tank and have people enter through

a hatch and check it out. The problem is you have to shut off the water supply from that tank while you do the inspection. You also waste a lot of water by dumping it so you can do the inspection.

Another way is to put a diver into the tank. That can be a costly and complicated process because you’re putting a human being inside the fresh water supply. The person doing the inspection and the equipment have to be bathed in a disinfectant solution. You’re also putting the diver at risk because inside these tanks it’s easy to lose track of where you are.

It looks the same everywhere you go.

It Swims. It Inspects. It Cleans.Robotic underwater viewing systems provide a cost-effective method for assessingthe condition of water storage tanks without taking them out of service

BY TED J. RULSEH

1) The HydroView Professional model includes rotating brushes that can clear debris from tank walls to enable closer inspection.

2) Sample images of water tank walls taken by the camera on Aquabotix robots.

3) The robotic inspection devices are powered by as many as eight motors.

4) The inspection unit is easily deployed through a tank hatch.

3

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TECHNOLOGYDEEP DIVE

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wso: What are the specific advantages of your approach to inspections?

Tavares: Our vehicles record exactly what the inside of the tank looks like so that the water authority can make decisions on good infor-mation. There are no lubricants and no other pollutants on the vehicle. It’s made of metal and ABS plastic. We recommend that the vehicle be doused in a chlorine solution before placing it in the tank so they don’t risk contaminating the water.

wso: Please describe how these vehicles work.Tavares: We make two vehicles for water tank inspections – an entry-

level HydroView Inspector and a higher-end HydroView Professional. Both can go down to 250 feet. They come with two cameras, one in front and the other mounted on top of the vehicle. That second camera can be aimed in any direction. You can swim the vehicle along the inside of a tank, and as you do that you can have the top-mounted camera facing at 90 degrees to the travel direction, so you can record the condition of the wall as you travel around.

Both models record high-definition digital video and high-definition still images on an internal memory. After the inspection you can go back, review the recording and select the pictures to include in a report. The vehicles have depth sensors, temperature sensors and heading sensors that tell you the direction of travel, as with a compass. They come with an internal LED light, and 800 lumens of external LED lighting can be added.

wso: What is the method of propulsion and steering?Tavares: The Inspector model has three high-precision Swiss-made

motors. A rear propeller lets you control the pitch of the vehicle, and two front propellers let you control forward/backward motion and turning.

The Professional model has eight motors. Three are dedicated to hovering and one controls lateral movement. For the remaining four

motors, you have all four control forward/backward movement, or have two for forward and back and put brushes on the other two. Then if you see a buildup on the tank wall, you can have the brushes scrape it off so you can inspect and see what is underneath. The motors spin at up to 3,000 rpm. One rotates clockwise and the other counterclockwise. If they both turned in the same direction, the vehicle would walk the wall and you would lose control.

wso: What is the power source for the vehicles?Tavares: They are powered by built-in lithium-ion batteries that are

fully sealed. Battery life is two to three hours, which is plenty of time to complete a tank inspection.

wso: How does the inspection operator control the vehicle?Tavares: They need to be tethered because Wi-Fi and radio signals

will not travel through water. The vehicles can pull a cable length up to 500 feet. The cable can extend from the ground to the top of the tank and into the tank. A person standing on the ground can control the vehicle.

The operator can use a PC and a game-console-type control box with joy-sticks, or control the vehicle with an iPad. In that case, they can actually turn the vehicle left and right, up and down, by turning the iPad.

wso: What has been the market’s reaction to this technology?Tavares: There has been a lot of interest. We’ve delivered several to

water authorities, and we’ve had contractors who do water tank inspec-tions purchase them. Tank inspection companies find that they can pro-vide a better service to customers because they can do the job quicker and with less impact on the customer’s operations.

wso: Does it take a large water utility to justify the purchase of

a vehicle?Tavares: No. A tank inspection typically costs $1,500 and up. If you

inspect 10 tanks, you have essentially paid for a HydroView Professional right there.

wso: What other applications does this technology have?Tavares: It can be used to inspect water intakes for water treatment

plants and the water intakes and outlets for power plant cooling systems. Otherwise it can be used for anything from marine craft inspection, to search and recovery efforts, to inspecting tanks in aquaculture. wso

“Our vehicles record exactly what the inside of the tank looks like so that the water authority can make decisions on good information. There are no lubri-

cants and no other pollutants on the vehicle.”DURVAL TAVARES

“Tank inspection companies find that they can provide a better service to customers because

they can do the job quicker and with less impact on the customer’s operations.”DURVAL TAVARES

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UrbanRENEWalMiddlesex Water works underground to update its water distribution infrastructure, reduce leakage and improve customer service

STORY: JIM FORCEPHOTOGRAPHY: JEFFREY HERRING

A section of 6-inch cast iron pipe, circa 1900, being replaced in South Amboy, N.J.

In the nationwide campaign to improve municipal infrastructure, the Middlesex Water Company is pulling its weight. Just last September, the company wrapped up the latest project in a 20-year program to rehabilitate water mains, service lines and hydrants throughout areas of New Jersey where it provides water services. In South Amboy, the company spent some $4 million to clean and line

11,900 linear feet of 6- to 8-inch water main, enlarge another 9,000 feet of main from 4 to 8 inches, and replace 31 hydrant assemblies and 475 water service lines.

The project, called RENEW, is meant to bring aging water lines up to modern standards and ensure service for the full lifetime of the pipe, according to Richard M. Risoldi, vice president and chief operating officer.

The company, which owns and operates water utility and waste-water systems in New Jersey, Del-aware and Pennsylvania, upgraded a portion of South Amboy’s water lines in 2011. The recent work is a continuation of a planned upgrade to the company’s 730-mile water distribution system.

“Rehabilitation of mains, rather than more costly replacement, is often the most viable solution, helping to restore the original use-ful life of older pipe while main-taining operating costs,” says Risoldi. “The RENEW program translates into less lost water through leaks, and enhanced water quality and pressures for our cus-tomers.” Funding for the project has come from the New Jersey State Revolving Loan Fund.

Well connected

Headquartered in Iselin, N.J., publicly traded Middlesex Water was incorporated in 1897. Its work-force numbers more than 270. In Middlesex County, the company serves more than 60,000 retail cus-tomers, including about 2,200 in South Amboy. Raw water for about 75 percent of the service area is drawn from the Delaware and Rar-itan Canal. It is treated with con-ventional disinfection, coagulation, filtration and post-chlorination at the 55 mgd Carl. J. Olsen Surface Water Treatment Facility, named for the company’s fourth president.

The rest of the area is served from four wellfields containing 31

wells in the northern part of the service territory. Four small treatment plants disinfect the groundwater before distribution. The largest plant uses air stripping to remove volatile organic compounds. The company purchases 3 mgd from a neighboring utility.

The Middlesex County operation includes 24 million gallons of stor-age. Seven million gallons flow by gravity from an elevated storage tank, and the remainder is pumped from above-ground storage facilities into the distribution system. The system is managed through a state-of-the-art enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (Oracle) connected to a geographic information system (Esri) and a Water GEMS hydraulic model (Bentley). The ERP system includes mobile workforce management.

This technology “connects all the dots,” according to Risoldi: “Our mobile workforce management system is connected via our ERP system to customer service. As our staff is made aware of a problem, an electronic activity form is filled out and sent wirelessly to our field people, who investigate the issue and make the necessary repairs. The information on the repairs is sent back to customer service and made part of the customer record.

QUALITYLEADERS

AGENCY

Middlesex Water Company, Iselin, N.J.ESTABLISHED: | 1897SERVICE AREA: | 55 square milesPOPULATION SERVED: | 450,000SOURCE WATER: | Delaware and Raritan Canal, four wellfieldsTREATMENT CAPACITY: | 67 mgdTREATMENT PROCESS: | ConventionalINFRASTRUCTURE: | 55 mgd treatment plant, 31 wells, 4 wellfield treatment plants, 730 miles of distribution lines, 5 pumping stationsSYSTEM STORAGE: | 24 million gallonsANNUAL REVENUES: | $110.4 million (2012)WEBSITE: | www.middlesexwater.com

“Rehabilitation of mains, rather than more costly replacement, is often the most viable solution

helping to restore the original useful life of older pipe while maintaining operating costs.”RICHARD M. RISOLDI


UrbanRENEWalMiddlesex Water works underground to update its water distribution infrastructure, reduce leakage and improve customer service

STORY: JIM FORCEPHOTOGRAPHY: JEFFREY HERRING

A section of 6-inch cast iron pipe, circa 1900, being replaced in South Amboy, N.J.

In the nationwide campaign to improve municipal infrastructure, the Middlesex Water Company is pulling its weight. Just last September, the company wrapped up the latest project in a 20-year program to rehabilitate water mains, service lines and hydrants throughout areas of New Jersey where it provides water services. In South Amboy, the company spent some $4 million to clean and line

11,900 linear feet of 6- to 8-inch water main, enlarge another 9,000 feet of main from 4 to 8 inches, and replace 31 hydrant assemblies and 475 water service lines.

The project, called RENEW, is meant to bring aging water lines up to modern standards and ensure service for the full lifetime of the pipe, according to Richard M. Risoldi, vice president and chief operating officer.

The company, which owns and operates water utility and waste-water systems in New Jersey, Del-aware and Pennsylvania, upgraded a portion of South Amboy’s water lines in 2011. The recent work is a continuation of a planned upgrade to the company’s 730-mile water distribution system.

“Rehabilitation of mains, rather than more costly replacement, is often the most viable solution, helping to restore the original use-ful life of older pipe while main-taining operating costs,” says Risoldi. “The RENEW program translates into less lost water through leaks, and enhanced water quality and pressures for our cus-tomers.” Funding for the project has come from the New Jersey State Revolving Loan Fund.

Well connected

Headquartered in Iselin, N.J., publicly traded Middlesex Water was incorporated in 1897. Its work-force numbers more than 270. In Middlesex County, the company serves more than 60,000 retail cus-tomers, including about 2,200 in South Amboy. Raw water for about 75 percent of the service area is drawn from the Delaware and Rar-itan Canal. It is treated with con-ventional disinfection, coagulation, filtration and post-chlorination at the 55 mgd Carl. J. Olsen Surface Water Treatment Facility, named for the company’s fourth president.

The rest of the area is served from four wellfields containing 31

wells in the northern part of the service territory. Four small treatment plants disinfect the groundwater before distribution. The largest plant uses air stripping to remove volatile organic compounds. The company purchases 3 mgd from a neighboring utility.

The Middlesex County operation includes 24 million gallons of stor-age. Seven million gallons flow by gravity from an elevated storage tank, and the remainder is pumped from above-ground storage facilities into the distribution system. The system is managed through a state-of-the-art enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (Oracle) connected to a geographic information system (Esri) and a Water GEMS hydraulic model (Bentley). The ERP system includes mobile workforce management.

This technology “connects all the dots,” according to Risoldi: “Our mobile workforce management system is connected via our ERP system to customer service. As our staff is made aware of a problem, an electronic activity form is filled out and sent wirelessly to our field people, who investigate the issue and make the necessary repairs. The information on the repairs is sent back to customer service and made part of the customer record.

QUALITYLEADERS

AGENCY

Middlesex Water Company, Iselin, N.J.ESTABLISHED: | 1897SERVICE AREA: | 55 square milesPOPULATION SERVED: | 450,000SOURCE WATER: | Delaware and Raritan Canal, four wellfieldsTREATMENT CAPACITY: | 67 mgdTREATMENT PROCESS: | ConventionalINFRASTRUCTURE: | 55 mgd treatment plant, 31 wells, 4 wellfield treatment plants, 730 miles of distribution lines, 5 pumping stationsSYSTEM STORAGE: | 24 million gallonsANNUAL REVENUES: | $110.4 million (2012)WEBSITE: | www.middlesexwater.com

“Rehabilitation of mains, rather than more costly replacement, is often the most viable solution

helping to restore the original useful life of older pipe while maintaining operating costs.”RICHARD M. RISOLDI


“Dispatchers watch the mobile application in real time. They can see the trucks moving and view all of the outstanding work routed to our mobile personnel. It has improved our response time and personal pro-ductivity. It’s very efficient.” The SCADA system uses Wonderware (Invensys) as the operator interface software.

The Middlesex Water team performs all routine maintenance on valves, small mains and hydrants. Other work, including annual leak surveys in specific sections of the system, has traditionally been contracted out. How-ever, the company is now implementing its own leak detection system.

South Amboy renewal

The RENEW project in South Amboy included water mains in a spe-cific area targeted through analysis of water quality and load and pres-sure data, dating back several years. To clean and line the old 6- and 8-inch mains, the lines were first scraped with an abrasive rotary tool and

then flushed. “These were old unlined vintage pipes consisting of bare iron,” says Brian Carr, senior project engineer. “Water causes oxidation and mineral deposit that restricts the inside diameter, by up to half in some cases.”

The aim was to remove the mineral deposits, restore the original diam-eter, and then trowel a 1/16-inch coating of cement on the inside walls, so

that the iron would no longer come in contact with the water. “We worked with 600-foot sections,” Carr says. “We disconnect the sec-tion and supply water temporarily to the customer through a bypass

pipe that lies on the ground and is disinfected and properly marked for safety reasons.”

The customers are on the bypass system for an average of three weeks. They have water continuously except for the few minutes it takes to con-nect and disconnect the bypass piping. Temporary hydrants are installed to maintain fire protection. The company’s cleaning and lining contrac-tor took video images of the piping before and after the repairs. Company officials inspected and approved the work. The oxidized material removed from the sections was collected and landfilled.

Improving service

In other parts of the South Amboy system, 4-inch pipe was replaced with 8-inch pipe, laid in an open trench next to the old lines. The new pipe is cement-lined ductile iron. Concurrent with main cleaning and enlargement, the RENEW project renewed service lines to some 475 cus-

BATTENING DOWN THE HATCHESIt’s an accident of geography, but one of the biggest challenges

faced by Middlesex Water Company is its location along the East Coast,

an area prone to damaging floods and storms in recent years. In

dealing with such events, the company’s emergency response and

diverse geographic structure have helped significantly.

Bernadette M. Sohler, vice president of corporate affairs, says the

company has a fully integrated emergency management team, with

coordinators in each of seven regional companies.

“They are connected as part of a single incident command

structure,” she says. “They report and manage developments, coordi-

nate activity and leverage assets, shuttling human resources and

equipment around as needed.”

During Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, all power was out and

refineries were shut down in the company’s New Jersey service area,

resulting in a diesel fuel shortage. The emergency team obtained fuel

from its subsidiary in Delaware, which was less affected by the storm. The

fuel was needed to power company facilities, which were on emer-

gency generators for an extended time.

“We’re located in the path of storm surges and hurricanes,” says Sohler.

“Emergency preparedness is a big deal and one of our highest priorities.”

The company has constantly revisited and adjusted its plans as

storms have become more widespread, more frequent and longer-last-

ing. In such emergencies, Middlesex Water assists other area water and

wastewater utilities.

“We work to maintain relationships with the municipalities we serve,

our wholesale customers and the state emergency response team

throughout the year,” says Sohler. “We communicate constantly during

emergencies. We want to serve as a resource wherever we are needed.”

Shane Inman, left, construction foreman, and Gary Colfer, construction inspector, oversee the installation of new 8-inch ductile composite iron pipe in South Amboy as part of the RENEW program.

“People are concerned about a project that is a bit disruptive like this. We did a lot of public education before the project started, meeting with

the town council and meeting with the people who were affected.”BRIAN CARR

tomers and replaced 31 hydrants. “The old service lines were

galvanized for the most part, with some plastic, and were in bad shape,” says Carr. The new lines are all copper. The work required service technicians to enter homes to pull meters and clean the service lines. That took a strong public educa-tion effort on the front end.

“People are concerned about a project that is a bit disruptive like this,” says Carr. “We did a lot of public education before the proj-ect started, meeting with the town council and meeting with the people who were affected. We issued press releases, sent letters, posted information to our website and over social media, and even created a short video to educate customers about the project, the process and how it ultimately would benefit them.”

The biggest issue was getting the town and customers comfortable with the project — to see that short-term inconvenience translated to long-term value. “You’re dealing with people who are not used to this,” Carr says. While the latest work wrapped up in November, Middlesex Water plans to resume the RENEW program next spring. “We’ve done about 85 miles of cleaning and lining to date and have 125 miles left to do,” says Carr.

Life extension And while that will help restore the useful life of the piping serving

the citizens of this Central Jersey area, it’s only the beginning, as far as Middlesex Water is concerned. “We’re restoring the mains so they can carry water, but these pipes are aging,” says Risoldi. “We’re seriously thinking about the use of materials that will not just bring back the nor-

“We’re seriously thinking about the use of materials that will

not just bring back the normal life span of these lines but will actually extend their life.”RICHARD M. RISOLDI

Richard M. Risoldi, vice president and chief operating officer of Middlesex Water Company.

The main pump room at the Middlesex Water Company treatment facility in South Amboy.

(Continued on page 27)


“Dispatchers watch the mobile application in real time. They can see the trucks moving and view all of the outstanding work routed to our mobile personnel. It has improved our response time and personal pro-ductivity. It’s very efficient.” The SCADA system uses Wonderware (Invensys) as the operator interface software.

The Middlesex Water team performs all routine maintenance on valves, small mains and hydrants. Other work, including annual leak surveys in specific sections of the system, has traditionally been contracted out. How-ever, the company is now implementing its own leak detection system.

South Amboy renewal

The RENEW project in South Amboy included water mains in a spe-cific area targeted through analysis of water quality and load and pres-sure data, dating back several years. To clean and line the old 6- and 8-inch mains, the lines were first scraped with an abrasive rotary tool and

then flushed. “These were old unlined vintage pipes consisting of bare iron,” says Brian Carr, senior project engineer. “Water causes oxidation and mineral deposit that restricts the inside diameter, by up to half in some cases.”

The aim was to remove the mineral deposits, restore the original diam-eter, and then trowel a 1/16-inch coating of cement on the inside walls, so

that the iron would no longer come in contact with the water. “We worked with 600-foot sections,” Carr says. “We disconnect the sec-tion and supply water temporarily to the customer through a bypass

pipe that lies on the ground and is disinfected and properly marked for safety reasons.”

The customers are on the bypass system for an average of three weeks. They have water continuously except for the few minutes it takes to con-nect and disconnect the bypass piping. Temporary hydrants are installed to maintain fire protection. The company’s cleaning and lining contrac-tor took video images of the piping before and after the repairs. Company officials inspected and approved the work. The oxidized material removed from the sections was collected and landfilled.

Improving service

In other parts of the South Amboy system, 4-inch pipe was replaced with 8-inch pipe, laid in an open trench next to the old lines. The new pipe is cement-lined ductile iron. Concurrent with main cleaning and enlargement, the RENEW project renewed service lines to some 475 cus-

BATTENING DOWN THE HATCHESIt’s an accident of geography, but one of the biggest challenges

faced by Middlesex Water Company is its location along the East Coast,

an area prone to damaging floods and storms in recent years. In

dealing with such events, the company’s emergency response and

diverse geographic structure have helped significantly.

Bernadette M. Sohler, vice president of corporate affairs, says the

company has a fully integrated emergency management team, with

coordinators in each of seven regional companies.

“They are connected as part of a single incident command

structure,” she says. “They report and manage developments, coordi-

nate activity and leverage assets, shuttling human resources and

equipment around as needed.”

During Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, all power was out and

refineries were shut down in the company’s New Jersey service area,

resulting in a diesel fuel shortage. The emergency team obtained fuel

from its subsidiary in Delaware, which was less affected by the storm. The

fuel was needed to power company facilities, which were on emer-

gency generators for an extended time.

“We’re located in the path of storm surges and hurricanes,” says Sohler.

“Emergency preparedness is a big deal and one of our highest priorities.”

The company has constantly revisited and adjusted its plans as

storms have become more widespread, more frequent and longer-last-

ing. In such emergencies, Middlesex Water assists other area water and

wastewater utilities.

“We work to maintain relationships with the municipalities we serve,

our wholesale customers and the state emergency response team

throughout the year,” says Sohler. “We communicate constantly during

emergencies. We want to serve as a resource wherever we are needed.”

Shane Inman, left, construction foreman, and Gary Colfer, construction inspector, oversee the installation of new 8-inch ductile composite iron pipe in South Amboy as part of the RENEW program.

“People are concerned about a project that is a bit disruptive like this. We did a lot of public education before the project started, meeting with

the town council and meeting with the people who were affected.”BRIAN CARR

tomers and replaced 31 hydrants. “The old service lines were

galvanized for the most part, with some plastic, and were in bad shape,” says Carr. The new lines are all copper. The work required service technicians to enter homes to pull meters and clean the service lines. That took a strong public educa-tion effort on the front end.

“People are concerned about a project that is a bit disruptive like this,” says Carr. “We did a lot of public education before the proj-ect started, meeting with the town council and meeting with the people who were affected. We issued press releases, sent letters, posted information to our website and over social media, and even created a short video to educate customers about the project, the process and how it ultimately would benefit them.”

The biggest issue was getting the town and customers comfortable with the project — to see that short-term inconvenience translated to long-term value. “You’re dealing with people who are not used to this,” Carr says. While the latest work wrapped up in November, Middlesex Water plans to resume the RENEW program next spring. “We’ve done about 85 miles of cleaning and lining to date and have 125 miles left to do,” says Carr.

Life extension And while that will help restore the useful life of the piping serving

the citizens of this Central Jersey area, it’s only the beginning, as far as Middlesex Water is concerned. “We’re restoring the mains so they can carry water, but these pipes are aging,” says Risoldi. “We’re seriously thinking about the use of materials that will not just bring back the nor-

“We’re seriously thinking about the use of materials that will

not just bring back the normal life span of these lines but will actually extend their life.”RICHARD M. RISOLDI

Richard M. Risoldi, vice president and chief operating officer of Middlesex Water Company.

The main pump room at the Middlesex Water Company treatment facility in South Amboy.



W hen is the last time someone asked you how much water it took to manufacture

the chair you sit on? Or the cheese you enjoyed on your sandwich?

These are a few of the ques-tions water utility staff members in Wyoming, Mich., pose to tour groups. The goal is to emphasize how water helps communities thrive and the importance of clean water to economic growth. It’s part of a public education that reaches multiple levels, from third grade to college graduates and beyond.

Two decades education Wyoming (population 73,000),

the largest suburb of Grand Rap-ids, lies in what was once known as the Manufacturing Belt. In 1966, the city began sourcing its water from the Lake Michigan Water Supply System, but busi-ness and population growth soon pushed demand beyond capacity. The system was expanded in 1973 and throughout the 1990s.

Wyoming’s first water and wastewater treatment plant tours 20 years ago were led by then-superintendent Dan Wolz, who had a passion for connecting with kids. “Dan saw the value in bringing sci-ence to area kids, especially envi-ronment and conservation issues, in an easily understood way,” recalls Myron Erickson, P.E., now Clean Water Plant superinten-dent. At the program’s peak, the outreach program reached some 1,200 students a year.

“Unfortunately, like many other municipalities, we’ve had to consolidate operations and staff and figure out how to do more with less,” Erickson says. “We cut back on plant tours to about 10 or 12 a year. But that’s still a couple hundred visitors every year, from third graders to graduate students. There are no better examples of applied science than can be seen at our Drinking Water and Clean Water plant tours.”

Visitors observe how water moves through each plant. Hand-outs include literature available from the AWWA, the Water Envi-ronment Federation and the U.S. EPA. Engineering students from area colleges and universities come to learn about plant design and mechanics; biology and chemistry students see the biochemical side of water treatment; and nursing students learn about the impor-tance of protecting public health.

Economic benefitsRegardless of visitors’ age or

education, the department deliv-ers the same basic message. “While environmental resources afford us many benefits, from health to recreation, we still need economic activity for communi-ties to thrive,” Erickson explains. “But if you conduct economic activity at the expense of the envi-ronment, sooner or later everyone suffers. Drinking water and waste-water treatment plants facilitate economic activity with the goal of protecting the environment and ensuring that clean water is avail-able for all needs for generations to come.”

WINNINGTHEM OVER

On a MissionThe water and wastewater treatment plant staffs in Wyoming, Mich., deliver a consistent message about water’s importance to environment and economy

BY LINDA J. EDMONDSON

WSO welcomes stories about your public information and education efforts for future “Winning them Over” articles. Send your suggestions to [email protected] or call 715/277-4094.

LEFT: Wyoming Clean Water Plant staff members visit schools to work directly with students. Here, fifth-graders work on a watershed education project. BELOW: A fifth- grader prepares her watershed experiment with simulated antifreeze.

Everyone leaves the plants with new awareness of how impor-tant water treatment is to society. “At the start of every tour, we try to surprise attendees by pointing out items — food, chairs, clothing — that require water to produce,” says Erickson. “Then we explain how that water was sourced and what it takes to get it back into the environment.”

Another aspect of the utility’s outreach is internships. “We bring in engineering and nonengineer-ing college students to teach them about an important function and interest them in a water manage-ment career,” Erickson says. He works with schools that offer water treatment associate degrees requir-ing internships. In 2012, Wyo-ming’s two interns were newly graduated mechanical and civil engineers.

“It was the perfect pairing of their experience with our own,” Erickson says. “We’ve already imple-mented some of their recommen-dations from an energy audit they conducted and will eventually move

forward with some of their long-term ideas, too.”

Final goal

Erickson points out that water utilities tend to operate under the radar of public awareness. Drink-ing water facilities may not be near the city center; wastewater treatment plants are often on city outskirts near the receiving stream. Water utilities aren’t at the top of employment opportu-nity lists, either.

“Unfortunately, actively pro-moting water careers isn’t a focus for us any longer, but the critical need to educate all ages about the importance of water to society and the environment, and the need for water conservation, will never change,” says Erickson. “My goal is for everyone who comes for a tour to be able to explain to any-one else, in everyday language, the purpose of these plants and how they function, and also their importance to our economy. And most people leave able to do that.” wso

A treatment staff member interacts with students at the department’s exhibit during Engineering Week.

“My goal is for everyone who comes for a tour to be able to explain to anyone else, in

everyday language, the purpose of these plants and how they function, and also their importance to our economy.”MYRON ERICKSON, P.E.


mal life span of these lines but will actually extend their life.” The company is looking at cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining as one

way to accomplish that. “We’re experimenting now, looking at costs. If they’re reasonable, we’re looking to do that next,” Risoldi says.

Larger-diameter mains — 30 inches and above — are also get-ting attention: “We’re developing a larger asset condition assess-ment, determining the condition of our larger mains and determin-ing which technology we’re going to use. These are older mains and concrete pipes. They’re known to fail. We want to be proactive in their repair.” wso


Bentley Systems800/727-6555www.bentley.com

Esri800/447-9778www.esri.com


Oracle800/392-2999www.oracle.com

From its beginnings in 1897, Middlesex Water Company has grown

into a comprehensive provider of residential, commercial, industrial

and municipal water and wastewater services. Most recently, the

company won a 50-year contract to operate and maintain the water

and wastewater systems of Dover (Del.) Air Force Base.

The company has business units in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and

Delaware. Besides its Middlesex system in the central part of the state,

the company operates the water and wastewater systems of the City

of Perth Amboy and provides water service in southern New Jersey

through the Pineland Water and Wastewater Companies, and its

Bayview System.

The company also operates the water, wastewater and stormwater

systems of the Borough of Avalon and provides billing and meter

reading. The Tidewater Utilities Group serves water and wastewater

customers and provides contract operations in Delaware. The

company serves customers in northeastern Pennsylvania through its

Twin Lakes Utilities affiliate.

Middlesex Water maintains regulated business that collects, treats

and distributes water on a retail and wholesale basis to customers in

parts of New Jersey and Delaware. Nonregulated contract services

include operation and maintenance of municipal and private water

and wastewater systems in those two states.

BROAD SERVICES

New 8-inch ductile iron pipe, ready to deploy.

(Continued from page 25)

W hen is the last time someone asked you how much water it took to manufacture

the chair you sit on? Or the cheese you enjoyed on your sandwich?

These are a few of the ques-tions water utility staff members in Wyoming, Mich., pose to tour groups. The goal is to emphasize how water helps communities thrive and the importance of clean water to economic growth. It’s part of a public education that reaches multiple levels, from third grade to college graduates and beyond.

Two decades education Wyoming (population 73,000),

the largest suburb of Grand Rap-ids, lies in what was once known as the Manufacturing Belt. In 1966, the city began sourcing its water from the Lake Michigan Water Supply System, but busi-ness and population growth soon pushed demand beyond capacity. The system was expanded in 1973 and throughout the 1990s.

Wyoming’s first water and wastewater treatment plant tours 20 years ago were led by then-superintendent Dan Wolz, who had a passion for connecting with kids. “Dan saw the value in bringing sci-ence to area kids, especially envi-ronment and conservation issues, in an easily understood way,” recalls Myron Erickson, P.E., now Clean Water Plant superinten-dent. At the program’s peak, the outreach program reached some 1,200 students a year.

“Unfortunately, like many other municipalities, we’ve had to consolidate operations and staff and figure out how to do more with less,” Erickson says. “We cut back on plant tours to about 10 or 12 a year. But that’s still a couple hundred visitors every year, from third graders to graduate students. There are no better examples of applied science than can be seen at our Drinking Water and Clean Water plant tours.”

Visitors observe how water moves through each plant. Hand-outs include literature available from the AWWA, the Water Envi-ronment Federation and the U.S. EPA. Engineering students from area colleges and universities come to learn about plant design and mechanics; biology and chemistry students see the biochemical side of water treatment; and nursing students learn about the impor-tance of protecting public health.

Economic benefitsRegardless of visitors’ age or

education, the department deliv-ers the same basic message. “While environmental resources afford us many benefits, from health to recreation, we still need economic activity for communi-ties to thrive,” Erickson explains. “But if you conduct economic activity at the expense of the envi-ronment, sooner or later everyone suffers. Drinking water and waste-water treatment plants facilitate economic activity with the goal of protecting the environment and ensuring that clean water is avail-able for all needs for generations to come.”

WINNINGTHEM OVER

On a MissionThe water and wastewater treatment plant staffs in Wyoming, Mich., deliver a consistent message about water’s importance to environment and economy

BY LINDA J. EDMONDSON

WSO welcomes stories about your public information and education efforts for future “Winning them Over” articles. Send your suggestions to [email protected] or call 715/277-4094.

LEFT: Wyoming Clean Water Plant staff members visit schools to work directly with students. Here, fifth-graders work on a watershed education project. BELOW: A fifth- grader prepares her watershed experiment with simulated antifreeze.

Everyone leaves the plants with new awareness of how impor-tant water treatment is to society. “At the start of every tour, we try to surprise attendees by pointing out items — food, chairs, clothing — that require water to produce,” says Erickson. “Then we explain how that water was sourced and what it takes to get it back into the environment.”

Another aspect of the utility’s outreach is internships. “We bring in engineering and nonengineer-ing college students to teach them about an important function and interest them in a water manage-ment career,” Erickson says. He works with schools that offer water treatment associate degrees requir-ing internships. In 2012, Wyo-ming’s two interns were newly graduated mechanical and civil engineers.

“It was the perfect pairing of their experience with our own,” Erickson says. “We’ve already imple-mented some of their recommen-dations from an energy audit they conducted and will eventually move

forward with some of their long-term ideas, too.”

Final goal

Erickson points out that water utilities tend to operate under the radar of public awareness. Drink-ing water facilities may not be near the city center; wastewater treatment plants are often on city outskirts near the receiving stream. Water utilities aren’t at the top of employment opportu-nity lists, either.

“Unfortunately, actively pro-moting water careers isn’t a focus for us any longer, but the critical need to educate all ages about the importance of water to society and the environment, and the need for water conservation, will never change,” says Erickson. “My goal is for everyone who comes for a tour to be able to explain to any-one else, in everyday language, the purpose of these plants and how they function, and also their importance to our economy. And most people leave able to do that.” wso

A treatment staff member interacts with students at the department’s exhibit during Engineering Week.

“My goal is for everyone who comes for a tour to be able to explain to anyone else, in

everyday language, the purpose of these plants and how they function, and also their importance to our economy.”MYRON ERICKSON, P.E.


Potable water disinfection requires specialized chemical feeders and chlorinators and accurate measurement of chemical dosing. UV disinfec-tion is a growing technology. Here are some of the industry’s latest disin-fection offerings.

Chemicals

Sodium HypochloriteSodium hypochlorite from American Devel-

opment Corporation is an oxidizer effective against bacteria and viruses. Residuals are read the same as for other disinfectants and must be removed in waste streams before discharge. Safety factors include fewer personal protective equipment requirements and no self-contained breathing apparatus. 888/542-8561; www.adc-chem.com.

Sodium Chlorite

ADOX sodium chlorite from DuPont Clean Water Technologies is used primarily in the generation of chlorine dioxide using DuPont MG III generators. Chlorine dioxide is being used in a growing number of industries due to its highly selective oxidizing properties, which result in a lower dosage requirement. It remains a truly dissolved gas in water and retains its useful oxidative and biocidal properties throughout a broad pH range (2 to 10 pH). Additionally, it does not chlorinate organics to form halogenated disinfection byproducts such as THMs and HAAs. It is utilized to disinfect potable water around the world and is approved for use by the EPA and the World Health Organization. 302/999-2709; www.dupont.com.

Chlorination/Dechlorination Equipment

Tablet dechlorinatorThe Zde-Chlorinator unit from Integra

Chemical Co. is a tablet dechlorinator for hydrant flushing and other tasks. It is com-pact and lightweight, made of 6061-T6 high-strength aluminum. Holding up to 4 Vita-D- Chlor tablets, it can dechlorinate the average 30-minute hydrant flush. It is available with a permanent diffuser or a removable flushing elbow that directs water safely. The flushing elbow comes with a removable second-ary screen for low flows, high flows of 200 to 1,000 gpm and 2.5-inch NST, providing versatility to connect the coupler for a hose, gate valve, diffuser or flow/pressure testing kit. 800/322-6646; www.vita-d-chlor.com.

Fibrous activated carbon dechlorination

Granular activated carbon (GAC) from Jacobi Carbons is effective in removing free chlorine. The dechlorination performance of GAC is sensitive to the ratio of external surface area to mass and is enhanced by small particle sizes. New fibrous forms of activated carbon, including cloths or felts, offer high

external surface area/mass ratios. Testing of one fabric product showed that although the felt layer was only 4 mm thick and weighed 2.5 grams, it reduces 2 mg/L chlorine at greater than 75 percent efficiency. 215/546-3900; www.jacobi.net.

Emergency gas scrubber

Dry chemical emergency gas scrubbers from Purafil are low-maintenance options for controlling a worst-case toxic gas release such as a chlorine leak. The system consists of a packed-bed chemical reactor with a media containment vessel, dry-scrubbing media and a blower. 800/222-6367; www.purafil.com.

Chlorinators

Hypochlorite injection systemThe Chloritrol valveless metering system from

Fluid Metering enables accurate, maintenance-free injection of sodium and calcium hypochlorite. One pump in its high-pressure valveless duplex pump design injects the sodium hypochlorite directly into the water main. The second pump removes out-gas bubbles from the inlet side of the high-pressure pump head. 800/223-3388; www.fmipump.com.

Sodium hypochlorite generator

The SciCHLOR sodium hypochlorite generator from Scienco/FAST uses SciCELL technology to pro-duce 10, 20, 40 or 60 pounds of sodium hypochlorite on demand from salt, water and electricity. The system includes an integral brine tank, chlorine storage tanks, control panel, multi-pass SciCELL unit and recircula-tion pump. 866/652-4539; www.sciencofast.com.

Analyzers/Sensors

Chloramination analyzerThe ChemScan UV-2150/S chloramination analyzer

from ASA Analytics provides parameters for chloramina-tion process control and monitoring in one analyzer. Total ammonia and total chlorine measurements allow control of ratios and disinfection residuals. Free ammonia analy-sis helps avoid surplus ammonia in the distribution sys-tem, helping to prevent nitrification. Monochloramine and total chlorine analysis enable peak chloramination process control. The analyzer can be used at the plant for process control or in distribution for monitoring, water blending and chemical boost. 800/665-7133; www.asaanalytics.com.

Diaphragm metering pump

The ProSeries Chem-Pro diaphragm metering pump from Blue-White Industries has a large pump enclosure and control pad, a protec-tive snap-on control pad cover and a single-layer injection-molded PVDF

PRODUCT FOCUS: DISINFECTIONBY CRAIG MANDLI

diaphragm. Remote start/stop is standard; a 4-20 mA output is available. The unit has upgradeable firmware, a large single-piece junction box and terminal block connectors inside the junction box that include addi-tional ports for external wiring. PROFIBUS, PROFINET and Ethernet are available. 714/893-8529; www.blue-white.com.

Compact pH and ORP value transmitter

The Type 8202 from Burkert Fluid Control Systems is a compact and modular device for measuring pH or ORP in flu-ids. It houses a replaceable and standard 120 mm pH or ORP probe screwed into a sensor holder. It has integrated PT1000 temperature sensors for required temperature compensation. The electronics can transmit both temperature and the desired analytical value simultaneously. 800/325-1405; www.burkert-usa.com.

Chlorine residual analyzer

The REGAL Model CRA 5000 chlorine residual analyzer from Chlorinators Incorporated continu-ously measures free and total chlorine in water and wastewater disinfection. It can be used to monitor chlorine residual only or integrated with the REGAL Model 7009/7010 SMARTVALVE for compound loop (feedback) chlorination and feed-forward dechlorina-tion. It uses advanced amperometric technology with intuitive setup and control. All configuration and operation functions are made on a four-push-button keypad integrated with a two-line LCD dis-play with multicharacter format to provide easy-to-read data and com-mand functions. 772/288-4854; www.regalchlorinators.com.

Electronic chlorine cylinder scale

The ECS 1502 dual-cylinder scale from Eagle Microsystems has a PVC base and stainless steel hard-ware and a single stainless steel strain gauge load cell that senses the weight of the cylinder. Each scale has a 300-pound capacity. The electronic readout is encased in a NEMA-4X fiberglass enclosure for wall mounting. All standard functions are operated from the front panel without opening the enclosure. The standard 4-20 mA analog output communicates with SCADA systems. The indicator has an easy-to-read LED display that shows total weight, weight remaining, gross weight and rate by weight. 610/323-2250; www.eaglemicrosystems.com.

Chlorine sensor

The Model CDA-22 chlorine dioxide sensor from Electro-Chemical Devices is a high-accuracy polarographic amperometric unit that measures chlorine dioxide in concentrations from 0.05 to 20 ppm and operates at temperatures from 32 to 122 degrees F. It fits into chlorine monitoring systems in municipal systems. 800/729-1333; www.ecdi.com.

Dual-input analyzer

The 56 dual-input analyzer from Emerson Process Management - Rosemount Analytical uses chlorine and ozone sensors and a high-reso-

lution color LCD screen for on-screen data trend graphs. It has SMART-enabled pH, elim-inating field calibration of pH probes. Trouble-shooting is done with an on-screen user manual and display of faults, warnings and diagnostics. Step-by-step QuickStart on-screen prompts allow commis-sioning in less than two minutes. An internal data logger records live parameters and milliamp cur-rent outputs, allowing correlation to actual measure-ment values to assist in diagnostics and tuning. It comes host-ready for network commissioning with HART and PROFIBUS DP communica-tion connectivity. 800/854-8257; www.rosemountanalytical.com.

Free-chlorine analyzer system

The Signet 4630 free-chlorine analyzer system from GF Piping Systems measures free chlorine in applications with stable pH, temperature and chlorine levels. Designed with amperometric-based sensing technology, it has a clear flow cell, flow regulator, sensors, filter and rotameter in one compact unit. It is EPA 334.0 compliant and has reagent-free measuring, a built-in flow regulator, a panel that includes 100–240 VAC power supply, two 4–20 mA outputs, two mechanical relays and optional automatic pH/temper-ature compensation. 800/854-4090; www.gfpiping.com.

Amperometrtic analyzer

Chlorine measurement with the CLF10 sc amperometric analyzer from Hach Company does not require reagents. It uses self-diagnostics to alert users when the process has changed or the instrument needs servicing. Diagnostic features include the Cal Watch algorithm for warning of pH and chlorine calibration deviation and a non-contacting flow sensor for notification of insufficient sample flow. Cal Watch is customizable and can be adjusted for accuracy and interaction frequency to fit users’ needs. It can be used with any Hach sc digital con-troller. 800/227-4224; www.hach.com.

Level transmitter

Flowline EchoPod DL14 level transmitters, dis-tributed by Harrington Industrial Plastics, measure sodium hypochlorite generation. They provide con-tinuous level measurement data to the chlorine gen-eration controller. As the level falls, chlorine production increases. As it rises, production decreases; produc-tion stops when the system is full. 909/597-8641; www.hipco.com.

Multi-input process analyzer

The AquaSelect multi-input process analyzer from HF scientific is a flexible analysis platform for process applications. With a user-friendly interface, easy-to-use menus and up to four inputs or parame-ters, it suits complex process operations. It is compat-ible with a wide range of analog and digital sensors, including the HF scientific AdvantEDGE series of measurement probes. 888/203-7248; www.hfscientific.com. (continued)


Potable water disinfection requires specialized chemical feeders and chlorinators and accurate measurement of chemical dosing. UV disinfec-tion is a growing technology. Here are some of the industry’s latest disin-fection offerings.

Chemicals

Sodium HypochloriteSodium hypochlorite from American Devel-

opment Corporation is an oxidizer effective against bacteria and viruses. Residuals are read the same as for other disinfectants and must be removed in waste streams before discharge. Safety factors include fewer personal protective equipment requirements and no self-contained breathing apparatus. 888/542-8561; www.adc-chem.com.

Sodium Chlorite

ADOX sodium chlorite from DuPont Clean Water Technologies is used primarily in the generation of chlorine dioxide using DuPont MG III generators. Chlorine dioxide is being used in a growing number of industries due to its highly selective oxidizing properties, which result in a lower dosage requirement. It remains a truly dissolved gas in water and retains its useful oxidative and biocidal properties throughout a broad pH range (2 to 10 pH). Additionally, it does not chlorinate organics to form halogenated disinfection byproducts such as THMs and HAAs. It is utilized to disinfect potable water around the world and is approved for use by the EPA and the World Health Organization. 302/999-2709; www.dupont.com.

Chlorination/Dechlorination Equipment

Tablet dechlorinatorThe Zde-Chlorinator unit from Integra

Chemical Co. is a tablet dechlorinator for hydrant flushing and other tasks. It is com-pact and lightweight, made of 6061-T6 high-strength aluminum. Holding up to 4 Vita-D- Chlor tablets, it can dechlorinate the average 30-minute hydrant flush. It is available with a permanent diffuser or a removable flushing elbow that directs water safely. The flushing elbow comes with a removable second-ary screen for low flows, high flows of 200 to 1,000 gpm and 2.5-inch NST, providing versatility to connect the coupler for a hose, gate valve, diffuser or flow/pressure testing kit. 800/322-6646; www.vita-d-chlor.com.

Fibrous activated carbon dechlorination

Granular activated carbon (GAC) from Jacobi Carbons is effective in removing free chlorine. The dechlorination performance of GAC is sensitive to the ratio of external surface area to mass and is enhanced by small particle sizes. New fibrous forms of activated carbon, including cloths or felts, offer high

external surface area/mass ratios. Testing of one fabric product showed that although the felt layer was only 4 mm thick and weighed 2.5 grams, it reduces 2 mg/L chlorine at greater than 75 percent efficiency. 215/546-3900; www.jacobi.net.

Emergency gas scrubber

Dry chemical emergency gas scrubbers from Purafil are low-maintenance options for controlling a worst-case toxic gas release such as a chlorine leak. The system consists of a packed-bed chemical reactor with a media containment vessel, dry-scrubbing media and a blower. 800/222-6367; www.purafil.com.

Chlorinators

Hypochlorite injection systemThe Chloritrol valveless metering system from

Fluid Metering enables accurate, maintenance-free injection of sodium and calcium hypochlorite. One pump in its high-pressure valveless duplex pump design injects the sodium hypochlorite directly into the water main. The second pump removes out-gas bubbles from the inlet side of the high-pressure pump head. 800/223-3388; www.fmipump.com.

Sodium hypochlorite generator

The SciCHLOR sodium hypochlorite generator from Scienco/FAST uses SciCELL technology to pro-duce 10, 20, 40 or 60 pounds of sodium hypochlorite on demand from salt, water and electricity. The system includes an integral brine tank, chlorine storage tanks, control panel, multi-pass SciCELL unit and recircula-tion pump. 866/652-4539; www.sciencofast.com.

Analyzers/Sensors

Chloramination analyzerThe ChemScan UV-2150/S chloramination analyzer

from ASA Analytics provides parameters for chloramina-tion process control and monitoring in one analyzer. Total ammonia and total chlorine measurements allow control of ratios and disinfection residuals. Free ammonia analy-sis helps avoid surplus ammonia in the distribution sys-tem, helping to prevent nitrification. Monochloramine and total chlorine analysis enable peak chloramination process control. The analyzer can be used at the plant for process control or in distribution for monitoring, water blending and chemical boost. 800/665-7133; www.asaanalytics.com.

Diaphragm metering pump

The ProSeries Chem-Pro diaphragm metering pump from Blue-White Industries has a large pump enclosure and control pad, a protec-tive snap-on control pad cover and a single-layer injection-molded PVDF

PRODUCT FOCUS: DISINFECTIONBY CRAIG MANDLI

diaphragm. Remote start/stop is standard; a 4-20 mA output is available. The unit has upgradeable firmware, a large single-piece junction box and terminal block connectors inside the junction box that include addi-tional ports for external wiring. PROFIBUS, PROFINET and Ethernet are available. 714/893-8529; www.blue-white.com.

Compact pH and ORP value transmitter

The Type 8202 from Burkert Fluid Control Systems is a compact and modular device for measuring pH or ORP in flu-ids. It houses a replaceable and standard 120 mm pH or ORP probe screwed into a sensor holder. It has integrated PT1000 temperature sensors for required temperature compensation. The electronics can transmit both temperature and the desired analytical value simultaneously. 800/325-1405; www.burkert-usa.com.

Chlorine residual analyzer

The REGAL Model CRA 5000 chlorine residual analyzer from Chlorinators Incorporated continu-ously measures free and total chlorine in water and wastewater disinfection. It can be used to monitor chlorine residual only or integrated with the REGAL Model 7009/7010 SMARTVALVE for compound loop (feedback) chlorination and feed-forward dechlorina-tion. It uses advanced amperometric technology with intuitive setup and control. All configuration and operation functions are made on a four-push-button keypad integrated with a two-line LCD dis-play with multicharacter format to provide easy-to-read data and com-mand functions. 772/288-4854; www.regalchlorinators.com.

Electronic chlorine cylinder scale

The ECS 1502 dual-cylinder scale from Eagle Microsystems has a PVC base and stainless steel hard-ware and a single stainless steel strain gauge load cell that senses the weight of the cylinder. Each scale has a 300-pound capacity. The electronic readout is encased in a NEMA-4X fiberglass enclosure for wall mounting. All standard functions are operated from the front panel without opening the enclosure. The standard 4-20 mA analog output communicates with SCADA systems. The indicator has an easy-to-read LED display that shows total weight, weight remaining, gross weight and rate by weight. 610/323-2250; www.eaglemicrosystems.com.

Chlorine sensor

The Model CDA-22 chlorine dioxide sensor from Electro-Chemical Devices is a high-accuracy polarographic amperometric unit that measures chlorine dioxide in concentrations from 0.05 to 20 ppm and operates at temperatures from 32 to 122 degrees F. It fits into chlorine monitoring systems in municipal systems. 800/729-1333; www.ecdi.com.

Dual-input analyzer

The 56 dual-input analyzer from Emerson Process Management - Rosemount Analytical uses chlorine and ozone sensors and a high-reso-

lution color LCD screen for on-screen data trend graphs. It has SMART-enabled pH, elim-inating field calibration of pH probes. Trouble-shooting is done with an on-screen user manual and display of faults, warnings and diagnostics. Step-by-step QuickStart on-screen prompts allow commis-sioning in less than two minutes. An internal data logger records live parameters and milliamp cur-rent outputs, allowing correlation to actual measure-ment values to assist in diagnostics and tuning. It comes host-ready for network commissioning with HART and PROFIBUS DP communica-tion connectivity. 800/854-8257; www.rosemountanalytical.com.

Free-chlorine analyzer system

The Signet 4630 free-chlorine analyzer system from GF Piping Systems measures free chlorine in applications with stable pH, temperature and chlorine levels. Designed with amperometric-based sensing technology, it has a clear flow cell, flow regulator, sensors, filter and rotameter in one compact unit. It is EPA 334.0 compliant and has reagent-free measuring, a built-in flow regulator, a panel that includes 100–240 VAC power supply, two 4–20 mA outputs, two mechanical relays and optional automatic pH/temper-ature compensation. 800/854-4090; www.gfpiping.com.

Amperometrtic analyzer

Chlorine measurement with the CLF10 sc amperometric analyzer from Hach Company does not require reagents. It uses self-diagnostics to alert users when the process has changed or the instrument needs servicing. Diagnostic features include the Cal Watch algorithm for warning of pH and chlorine calibration deviation and a non-contacting flow sensor for notification of insufficient sample flow. Cal Watch is customizable and can be adjusted for accuracy and interaction frequency to fit users’ needs. It can be used with any Hach sc digital con-troller. 800/227-4224; www.hach.com.

Level transmitter

Flowline EchoPod DL14 level transmitters, dis-tributed by Harrington Industrial Plastics, measure sodium hypochlorite generation. They provide con-tinuous level measurement data to the chlorine gen-eration controller. As the level falls, chlorine production increases. As it rises, production decreases; produc-tion stops when the system is full. 909/597-8641; www.hipco.com.

Multi-input process analyzer

The AquaSelect multi-input process analyzer from HF scientific is a flexible analysis platform for process applications. With a user-friendly interface, easy-to-use menus and up to four inputs or parame-ters, it suits complex process operations. It is compat-ible with a wide range of analog and digital sensors, including the HF scientific AdvantEDGE series of measurement probes. 888/203-7248; www.hfscientific.com. (continued)


Chlorine colorimeter

The SC450 from Orbeco-Hellige is a rugged, waterproof, hand-held colorimeter that has the ability to test two ranges of free and total chlorine. Able to test for a wide range of water quality parameters, it is ideal for use in the field or laboratory. The company manufac-tures a full range of water-quality instruments, reagents and accessories for testing over 100 parameters. 800/922-5242; www.orbeco.com.

Multiparameter spectrophotometer probe

The i::scan miniature mul-tiparameter spectrophotometer probe from s::can Measuring Systems uses light-emitting technology for measurement. Measurement can be done directly in the media or in a bypass installation with a flow cell. The unit can be mounted directly in a main. With typical energy consump-tion less than 1 watt, it can be powered by a battery or solar panel in remote locations. Automatic cleaning is available by compressed air if installed directly in the media or by an automatic brush if installed in a flow cell. 888/694-3230; www.s-can.us.

Free chlorine sensor

The FCL500 series free chlorine sensor from Sensorex Corporation uses advanced amperometric technology for accurate moni-toring of free chlorine. With three models cov-ering the 0 to 2 ppm, 0 to 5 ppm and 0 to 10 ppm ranges, it can be used in new installations or as a field replacement. It has an upgraded temperature correction curve for improved perfor-mance, and its membrane has a mesh reinforcement clamp for stability and durability. The 4-20 mA isolated signal output is enhanced to elimi-nate ground loop errors, reduce noise and block high-voltage transient surges. It interfaces with PLC, SCADA and other process control sys-tems. A large electrolyte reservoir with an easily replaced membrane cap and solution reduce maintenance intervals and maximize sensor life. 714/895-4344; www.sensorex.com.

Chlorine measurement system

The high-performance, low-mainte-nance Potentiostatic Free Chlorine sys-tem from Van London – pHoenix Co. features a measuring method in which the electrodes’ potential is electronically con-trolled in relation to the liquid, providing a linear current/concentration relationship and a stable zero value in oxi-dative absence. It is recommended to place the sensor in measurement cell SZ 7231 or SZ 7233 provided with overflow in order to maintain con-stant sample flow. 800/522-7920; www.vl-pc.com.

Chemical metering pump

The Qdos 30 chemical metering pump from Watson-Marlow Pumps Group delivers 5,000 to 1 flow from 0.002 to 8.0 gph at 100 psi, while inte-grating through IP66 manual, analog and PROFIBUS control options. The unit is fully sealed. Control features include fluid level monitoring, fluid recovery, line priming and intuitive flow calibration. The pump

head can be configured on the left or right for instal-lation in restricted environments or on skids. The sealed design and fluid recovery eliminate waste and ensure operator safety. Operation is intuitive via a menu-driven interface with 3.5-inch TFT color display. 800/282-8823; www.wmpg.com.

Multiparameter measurement device

The MultiLab IDS from YSI, a xylem brand, simultaneously measures any three of pH, ORP, BOD or conductivity, or three of the same parameters. The line includes single-, dual- or three-channel devices, as well as smart digital probes for optical-based BOD5, pH, ORP and conductivity measurement. It has an easy-to-use menu-driven operation and high data integrity and security. 800/897-4151; www.ysi.com.

Detection Equipment

Portable ground microphoneThe Tmic ground microphone from Fluid

Conservation Systems allows technicians to hear sounds from a water distribution net-work. The sensor tip connects magnetically to a listening rod or can be placed on the pipe or valve, transmitting leak noise to the operator’s headset via Bluetooth. Its onboard memory stores noise levels and displays the information on the LED screen, allowing instant comparison between previous and current spot readings. It comes with a range of listening rod extensions and has a built-in LED flashlight for operation in low light. 800/531-5465; www.fluidconservation.com.

Microbiological Control

Activated carbonDARCO H2S activated carbon from Cabot

Norit Activated Carbon removes hydrogen sulfide from air streams and eliminates sewage odors. It is produced by steam activation at high temperature without any impregnant, reducing the risk of bed fires from exothermic reactions. It is produced as a 4x8 mesh granular carbon to provide a low pressure drop in gas phase applications. 800/641-9245; www.norit.com.

UV Disinfection Equipment

UV-LED transmittance monitorThe PearlSense T254 monitor from Aquionics

measures percent UV transmittance (UVT). UV-LED technology provides stable readings in all conditions. The design uses a single lamp and sensor, eliminating drift. It provides low operating cost, long lamp life

PRODUCT FOCUS: DISINFECTION

with virtually zero warm-up time and a small footprint. It offers mer-cury-free operation and can be used in configurations including hand-held battery operation, in-process installation or mounting on a bracket in an open channel. 800/925-0440; www.aquionics.com.

UV disinfection system

Megatron water disinfection sys-tems from Atlantic Ultraviolet Corp. use germicidal UV lamps to eradicate pathogens. They handle a wide range of applications from 70 to 560 gpm. Multi-ple units can be interconnected to achieve higher flows or dosages. They are self-contained and provide continuous disinfection without special attention or measurement. Features include manual or automatic wipers, Type 316 stainless steel construction, a digital UV monitor, lamp opera-tion indicators and sampling ports. 631/273-0500; www.ultraviolet.com.

Aftermarket UV lamps

UV Superstore offers UV lamps and quartz sleeves as replacements for numer-ous UV disinfection systems. The lamps and sleeves meet or exceed OEM specifica-tions. 770/307-3882; www.uvsuperstore.com.

Closed-vessel UV system

The WEDECO LBX 850e closed-vessel UV sys-tem from WEDECO – a Xylem Brand, is energy-efficient and fully validated according to the U.S. EPA UV Disinfection Guidance Manual and National Water Research Institute guidelines. It uses Ecoray lamps. 704/409-9700; www.wedeco.com/us. wso

People.

The greatest natural resource.

tpomag.comSUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

“What makes it all work is the people. I am really proud of our team. We look for responsibility and a good work ethic. We can teach wastewater operation or lab technique, but we can’t teach character. Each person brings that with them the first day.” James Pendleton, Plant Superintendent Harpeth Valley Utilities District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Nashville, Tenn.


Chlorine colorimeter

The SC450 from Orbeco-Hellige is a rugged, waterproof, hand-held colorimeter that has the ability to test two ranges of free and total chlorine. Able to test for a wide range of water quality parameters, it is ideal for use in the field or laboratory. The company manufac-tures a full range of water-quality instruments, reagents and accessories for testing over 100 parameters. 800/922-5242; www.orbeco.com.

Multiparameter spectrophotometer probe

The i::scan miniature mul-tiparameter spectrophotometer probe from s::can Measuring Systems uses light-emitting technology for measurement. Measurement can be done directly in the media or in a bypass installation with a flow cell. The unit can be mounted directly in a main. With typical energy consump-tion less than 1 watt, it can be powered by a battery or solar panel in remote locations. Automatic cleaning is available by compressed air if installed directly in the media or by an automatic brush if installed in a flow cell. 888/694-3230; www.s-can.us.

Free chlorine sensor

The FCL500 series free chlorine sensor from Sensorex Corporation uses advanced amperometric technology for accurate moni-toring of free chlorine. With three models cov-ering the 0 to 2 ppm, 0 to 5 ppm and 0 to 10 ppm ranges, it can be used in new installations or as a field replacement. It has an upgraded temperature correction curve for improved perfor-mance, and its membrane has a mesh reinforcement clamp for stability and durability. The 4-20 mA isolated signal output is enhanced to elimi-nate ground loop errors, reduce noise and block high-voltage transient surges. It interfaces with PLC, SCADA and other process control sys-tems. A large electrolyte reservoir with an easily replaced membrane cap and solution reduce maintenance intervals and maximize sensor life. 714/895-4344; www.sensorex.com.

Chlorine measurement system

The high-performance, low-mainte-nance Potentiostatic Free Chlorine sys-tem from Van London – pHoenix Co. features a measuring method in which the electrodes’ potential is electronically con-trolled in relation to the liquid, providing a linear current/concentration relationship and a stable zero value in oxi-dative absence. It is recommended to place the sensor in measurement cell SZ 7231 or SZ 7233 provided with overflow in order to maintain con-stant sample flow. 800/522-7920; www.vl-pc.com.

Chemical metering pump

The Qdos 30 chemical metering pump from Watson-Marlow Pumps Group delivers 5,000 to 1 flow from 0.002 to 8.0 gph at 100 psi, while inte-grating through IP66 manual, analog and PROFIBUS control options. The unit is fully sealed. Control features include fluid level monitoring, fluid recovery, line priming and intuitive flow calibration. The pump

head can be configured on the left or right for instal-lation in restricted environments or on skids. The sealed design and fluid recovery eliminate waste and ensure operator safety. Operation is intuitive via a menu-driven interface with 3.5-inch TFT color display. 800/282-8823; www.wmpg.com.

Multiparameter measurement device

The MultiLab IDS from YSI, a xylem brand, simultaneously measures any three of pH, ORP, BOD or conductivity, or three of the same parameters. The line includes single-, dual- or three-channel devices, as well as smart digital probes for optical-based BOD5, pH, ORP and conductivity measurement. It has an easy-to-use menu-driven operation and high data integrity and security. 800/897-4151; www.ysi.com.

Detection Equipment

Portable ground microphoneThe Tmic ground microphone from Fluid

Conservation Systems allows technicians to hear sounds from a water distribution net-work. The sensor tip connects magnetically to a listening rod or can be placed on the pipe or valve, transmitting leak noise to the operator’s headset via Bluetooth. Its onboard memory stores noise levels and displays the information on the LED screen, allowing instant comparison between previous and current spot readings. It comes with a range of listening rod extensions and has a built-in LED flashlight for operation in low light. 800/531-5465; www.fluidconservation.com.

Microbiological Control

Activated carbonDARCO H2S activated carbon from Cabot

Norit Activated Carbon removes hydrogen sulfide from air streams and eliminates sewage odors. It is produced by steam activation at high temperature without any impregnant, reducing the risk of bed fires from exothermic reactions. It is produced as a 4x8 mesh granular carbon to provide a low pressure drop in gas phase applications. 800/641-9245; www.norit.com.

UV Disinfection Equipment

UV-LED transmittance monitorThe PearlSense T254 monitor from Aquionics

measures percent UV transmittance (UVT). UV-LED technology provides stable readings in all conditions. The design uses a single lamp and sensor, eliminating drift. It provides low operating cost, long lamp life

PRODUCT FOCUS: DISINFECTION

with virtually zero warm-up time and a small footprint. It offers mer-cury-free operation and can be used in configurations including hand-held battery operation, in-process installation or mounting on a bracket in an open channel. 800/925-0440; www.aquionics.com.

UV disinfection system

Megatron water disinfection sys-tems from Atlantic Ultraviolet Corp. use germicidal UV lamps to eradicate pathogens. They handle a wide range of applications from 70 to 560 gpm. Multi-ple units can be interconnected to achieve higher flows or dosages. They are self-contained and provide continuous disinfection without special attention or measurement. Features include manual or automatic wipers, Type 316 stainless steel construction, a digital UV monitor, lamp opera-tion indicators and sampling ports. 631/273-0500; www.ultraviolet.com.

Aftermarket UV lamps

UV Superstore offers UV lamps and quartz sleeves as replacements for numer-ous UV disinfection systems. The lamps and sleeves meet or exceed OEM specifica-tions. 770/307-3882; www.uvsuperstore.com.

Closed-vessel UV system

The WEDECO LBX 850e closed-vessel UV sys-tem from WEDECO – a Xylem Brand, is energy-efficient and fully validated according to the U.S. EPA UV Disinfection Guidance Manual and National Water Research Institute guidelines. It uses Ecoray lamps. 704/409-9700; www.wedeco.com/us. wso

People.

The greatest natural resource.

tpomag.comSUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

“What makes it all work is the people. I am really proud of our team. We look for responsibility and a good work ethic. We can teach wastewater operation or lab technique, but we can’t teach character. Each person brings that with them the first day.” James Pendleton, Plant Superintendent Harpeth Valley Utilities District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Nashville, Tenn.

Keeping it GREEN since 1979

www.colepublishing.com


Amperometric chlorine residual analyzer solves iron-clogging issueProblem

A military base in North Carolina installed chlorination systems at two well sites. High iron levels in the groundwater clogged the membrane of the residual analyzer’s measuring probe and kept the chemical feed pumps from dosing at the rate needed to achieve the free chlorine resid-ual required for drinking water disinfection.

SolutionAfter two months of cleaning, membrane replacement and recalibra-

tion, the contractor replaced the analyzers with an FX-1000P-CS ampero-metric chlorine residual analyzer with integral PID controller from Foxcroft Equipment & Service Co.

The bare electrode design with constant cleaning and distilled white

vinegar pH buffer eliminated the fouling issue. The scalable 4-20 mA output provided the continuous signal required to maintain automatic residual con-trol with the metering pumps.

RESULTThe analyzer helped the base

regain compliance while reduc-ing the downtime, expense and labor to clean and recalibrate the analyz-ers every one to two weeks. 800/874-0590; www.foxcroft.com.

Ozone system resolves hydrogen sulfide, disinfection and color issues in well waterProblem

The Four Way Special Utility District (SUD), Eastern Angelina County, Texas, operates multiple potable water plants, serving both urban and rural customers. Well No. 3 flows at 1.1 mgd and serves over 2,000 rural customers. The presence of hydrogen sulfide, color due to the presence of tannic acids, and sulfur-reducing bacteria were issues for the district.

SolutionThe SUD’s consultant, Goodwin-Lasiter Inc., proposed ozone

treatment as the solution and submitted a design/treatment proposal to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It was recognized that ozone systems employing the efficient Mazzei Injector Company GDT contacting system in the consultants’ design would provide precise control of the ozone dosage to achieve treatment objectives while avoiding the formation of byproducts such as THMs and bro-

mate. The commission granted approval for an integrated ozone treat-ment system incorporat-ing onsite oxygen production, ozone genera-tion and a Mazzei GDT-3090 Ozone Transfer skid to replace the cur-rent aeration system.

RESULTThe ozone system is now in operation at Plant No. 3. Finished water

monitoring/testing is reported as better than projected, eliminating hydrogen sulfide, color and disinfection issues. 661/363-6500; www.mazzei.net.

Analyzer monitors organics in source waterProblem

Seasonal variation, heavy rainfall and accidental contamination often affect raw water quality at the Los Filtros Water Treatment Plant in Puerto Rico, requiring immediate attention. The facility produces drink-ing water for 256,000 residents, receiving water from the Guaynabo and Bayamon Rivers.

SolutionFacility manager Nancy Ma. Cáceres Acosta coordinated with Daniel

Smith of Montanas Electric and Orlando Laguer of Nator Corporation to integrate a coagulation optimization package. Preliminary source water testing indicated variable concentrations of organic matter, known to consume coagulant and lead to the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). A Real Tech UV254 analyzer was installed to monitor organics for coagulant dosing with dual stream capabilities to evaluate

process efficiency. The analyzer was packaged with an HMI con-trol panel and a remote teleme-try system.

RESULTThe facility captured multi-

ple organic contamination events on the influent source water stream. Phase 1 testing of the package presented an average monthly reduction of 22,917 pounds of chemical coagulant for $9,831 in savings. A 23 percent reduction was seen in sludge formation. Facility personnel are confident that the potential for DBP formation is limited. 877/779-2888; www.realtech.ca.

CASE STUDIES: DISINFECTION BY CRAIG MANDLI

UV disinfection helps facility comply with surface water treatment ruleProblem

The White Tanks Regional Water Treatment Facility in Sur-prise, Ariz., treats water from the Colorado River delivered by a 336-mile canal. Using surface water requires the facility to comply with the U.S. EPA Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, designed to protect against Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

SolutionAfter evaluating tech-

nologies and suppliers, White Tanks installed two TrojanUVSwift units from Trojan Technolo-gies in August 2009.

RESULTThe units have worked

effectively and efficiently. Daily Cryptosporidium monitoring has revealed zero violations. “The SCADA communication system is set to send an alarm to the control center automatically in the event that the combination of plant flow, UV transmittance and reactor power level results in operation outside the validation limits for the equip-ment,” says Joseph Cornejo, White Tanks operator. “Facility output is 13 to 14 mgd with each of the two units capable of treating 20 mgd. This allows for facility volume expansion while achieving 3-log inactivation of Cryptosporidium and Giardia.” 888/220-6118; www.trojanuv.com. wso

Every day is Earth Day.™

Jeff ChartierAn Original EnvironmentalistSUPERINTENTENTTown of Bristol (N.H.) Sewer and Water Department

“We’re met with a new challenge each day. We’re all cross-trained, and that means we can rely on each other for just about everything. We take our jobs very seriously, and the key thing is knowing that we’re in compliance and not polluting our waters.”

FREE subscription at www.tpomag.com

Read about original environmentalists like Jeff each month in Treatment Plant Operator.


Amperometric chlorine residual analyzer solves iron-clogging issueProblem

A military base in North Carolina installed chlorination systems at two well sites. High iron levels in the groundwater clogged the membrane of the residual analyzer’s measuring probe and kept the chemical feed pumps from dosing at the rate needed to achieve the free chlorine resid-ual required for drinking water disinfection.

SolutionAfter two months of cleaning, membrane replacement and recalibra-

tion, the contractor replaced the analyzers with an FX-1000P-CS ampero-metric chlorine residual analyzer with integral PID controller from Foxcroft Equipment & Service Co.

The bare electrode design with constant cleaning and distilled white

vinegar pH buffer eliminated the fouling issue. The scalable 4-20 mA output provided the continuous signal required to maintain automatic residual con-trol with the metering pumps.

RESULTThe analyzer helped the base

regain compliance while reduc-ing the downtime, expense and labor to clean and recalibrate the analyz-ers every one to two weeks. 800/874-0590; www.foxcroft.com.

Ozone system resolves hydrogen sulfide, disinfection and color issues in well waterProblem

The Four Way Special Utility District (SUD), Eastern Angelina County, Texas, operates multiple potable water plants, serving both urban and rural customers. Well No. 3 flows at 1.1 mgd and serves over 2,000 rural customers. The presence of hydrogen sulfide, color due to the presence of tannic acids, and sulfur-reducing bacteria were issues for the district.

SolutionThe SUD’s consultant, Goodwin-Lasiter Inc., proposed ozone

treatment as the solution and submitted a design/treatment proposal to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It was recognized that ozone systems employing the efficient Mazzei Injector Company GDT contacting system in the consultants’ design would provide precise control of the ozone dosage to achieve treatment objectives while avoiding the formation of byproducts such as THMs and bro-

mate. The commission granted approval for an integrated ozone treat-ment system incorporat-ing onsite oxygen production, ozone genera-tion and a Mazzei GDT-3090 Ozone Transfer skid to replace the cur-rent aeration system.

RESULTThe ozone system is now in operation at Plant No. 3. Finished water

monitoring/testing is reported as better than projected, eliminating hydrogen sulfide, color and disinfection issues. 661/363-6500; www.mazzei.net.

Analyzer monitors organics in source waterProblem

Seasonal variation, heavy rainfall and accidental contamination often affect raw water quality at the Los Filtros Water Treatment Plant in Puerto Rico, requiring immediate attention. The facility produces drink-ing water for 256,000 residents, receiving water from the Guaynabo and Bayamon Rivers.

SolutionFacility manager Nancy Ma. Cáceres Acosta coordinated with Daniel

Smith of Montanas Electric and Orlando Laguer of Nator Corporation to integrate a coagulation optimization package. Preliminary source water testing indicated variable concentrations of organic matter, known to consume coagulant and lead to the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). A Real Tech UV254 analyzer was installed to monitor organics for coagulant dosing with dual stream capabilities to evaluate

process efficiency. The analyzer was packaged with an HMI con-trol panel and a remote teleme-try system.

RESULTThe facility captured multi-

ple organic contamination events on the influent source water stream. Phase 1 testing of the package presented an average monthly reduction of 22,917 pounds of chemical coagulant for $9,831 in savings. A 23 percent reduction was seen in sludge formation. Facility personnel are confident that the potential for DBP formation is limited. 877/779-2888; www.realtech.ca.

CASE STUDIES: DISINFECTION BY CRAIG MANDLI

UV disinfection helps facility comply with surface water treatment ruleProblem

The White Tanks Regional Water Treatment Facility in Sur-prise, Ariz., treats water from the Colorado River delivered by a 336-mile canal. Using surface water requires the facility to comply with the U.S. EPA Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, designed to protect against Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

SolutionAfter evaluating tech-

nologies and suppliers, White Tanks installed two TrojanUVSwift units from Trojan Technolo-gies in August 2009.

RESULTThe units have worked

effectively and efficiently. Daily Cryptosporidium monitoring has revealed zero violations. “The SCADA communication system is set to send an alarm to the control center automatically in the event that the combination of plant flow, UV transmittance and reactor power level results in operation outside the validation limits for the equip-ment,” says Joseph Cornejo, White Tanks operator. “Facility output is 13 to 14 mgd with each of the two units capable of treating 20 mgd. This allows for facility volume expansion while achieving 3-log inactivation of Cryptosporidium and Giardia.” 888/220-6118; www.trojanuv.com. wso

Every day is Earth Day.™

Jeff ChartierAn Original EnvironmentalistSUPERINTENTENTTown of Bristol (N.H.) Sewer and Water Department

“We’re met with a new challenge each day. We’re all cross-trained, and that means we can rely on each other for just about everything. We take our jobs very seriously, and the key thing is knowing that we’re in compliance and not polluting our waters.”

FREE subscription at www.tpomag.com

Read about original environmentalists like Jeff each month in Treatment Plant Operator.

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clean. The Red is subject to wide variations in organic matter and hard-ness, 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 vari-able, depending on how much rain we’re 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

activated carbon were fed at the river pumping station, but at times that wasn’t enough. When taste and odor problems arose, complaint calls came in bunches.

Reliable processThe 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). Typi-cally, 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 ozo-nation 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 hexameta-phosphate for heavy metal sequestration and corrosion control. The

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 ServiceFOUNDED: | 1896POPULATION SERVED: | 42,000TERRITORY: | Cities of Moorhead and Dilworth, Oakport TownshipCAPACITY: | 16 mgdSYSTEM STORAGE: | 7.9 million gallonsSOURCE WATER: | Red River (85%), Buffalo Aquifer (15%)TREATMENT PROCESS: | Lime/soda ash softening, ozonation,

dual media filtration INFRASTRUCTURE: | 190 miles of water mains, three water towers,

two ground storage tanks, two reservoirs on plant sitesKEY CHALLENGE: | Source water variabilityANNUAL BUDGET: | $4.5 million (operations)WEBSITE: | www.mpsutility.com

“When we look at the SCADA and see our water-quality trends, we want to

see flatlines — everything just humming along. Through teamwork, that’s what we’ve been able to accomplish.”TROY HALL

flow then enters two 5.5 mgd softening basins (Infilco Degremont). Typi-cally, only one basin operates at a time, and when both operate, they work

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 ozo

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

Before final filtration, fluoride is added, along with sodium hexametaphosphate for heavy metal sequestration and corrosion control. The

plant’s 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 chlora-mines for disinfectant residual. The water is then delivered to the res-ervoirs and water towers (7.9 mil-lion gallons total system storage).

Ozone does itHall notes that ozonation is

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 wasn’t technology alone that conquered the variability of Red River water. The plant staff’s 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 infor-mation about water quality and what’s happening in the process, and we’re constantly trying to improve that.”

The system’s programmable logic controllers and other control hard-ware are from Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation), and the SCADA software is from IntelliSys Inc. Online instrumentation in the treatment plant and water system includes:

• Three total chlorineanalyzers fromWallace&Tiernan (SiemensWater Technologies Corp.)

• Monochloramine/ammonia analyzer, five pH monitors, and eightturbidimeters from Hach Company

• Two pH controllers (CO2 auto control), four ozone analyzers and two conductivity meters from Rosemount Analytical (Emerson Process Management)

• Organiconlineanalyzerfroms::canMeasuringSystemsBenchtop 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.

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 Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” program, showing

the process of cleaning the softening basins. Says Hall, “It has been

a fun year.”

“We don’t like to keep secrets

between positions. We expect all our operators to be very familiar with the SCADA. As a super-visor, I try to involve the operators so they can help me out with data analysis, maintenance tasks, or whatever happens to come up.”KRIS KNUTSON

Part-time water treatment plant operator Leslee Storlie uses a Thermix stirrer from Thermo Scientific – Water Analysis in a lab testing protocol.

Water treatment plant operator Dan Haman adjusts gas flow on ozone generator from WEDECO, a division of Xylem.

romWallaceWallaceW &Tiernan (Siemens

nalyzer, five pH monitors, and eighturbidimeters from Hach Company

auto control), four ozone analyzers and two conductivity meters from Rosemount Analytical (Emerson

s::can Measuring SystemsBenchtop lab equipment includes a turbidimeter and spectrophotometer










“In both 2009 and 2010, we won both the popular and the panel





the process of cleaning the softening basins. Says Hall, “It has been

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 require-ment, 99 percent of the time the odor and taste issues are taken care of.”

As a teamThe staff’s success derives in part from the team atmosphere its lead-

ers try to create. “There’s a lot of overlap in the way we do things — a lot of cross-training,” notes Kris Knutson, water plant supervisor. “We don’t 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 oper-ators 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, everybody’s open to that. Everyone’s willing to help out.”

Notes Haman, “We try to work to each other’s strengths and shore up our weaknesses. For example, Nate is better at plumbing than I am, so I’ll 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.”

Hall cites SCADA work as an example of the team’s cooperation. “For the past decade, we have done all our SCADA work internally,” he says. “It’s 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.

“I’ve done some SCADA work in the office. Kris and Dan have done screen development for various purposes. It has evolved almost entirely in-house. We also select and install our own instrumentation.”

Problem solversTeamwork has helped the Moorhead staff resolve a variety of process

issues. Several years ago, pH variability was a constant challenge. Work-ing 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 utility’s 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 hard-ness 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. “I’m excited about that,” says Haman. “We’ll 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

THE MPS TEAM

Staff members at the Moorhead Public Service water treatment

plant are:

• TroyHall,WaterDivisionmanager,19yearsofservice,ClassAlicense

• KrisKnutson,waterplantsupervisor,sixyears,ClassA

• NateHalbakken,leadwatertreatmentplantoperator,nineyears,

Class A

• JasonYonke,leadwatertreatmentplantoperator,14years,ClassA

• GenaDahl,waterplantchemist,fouryears

• DanHaman,waterplantoperator,sixyears,ClassC

• DarylBrahos,waterplantoperator,fouryears,ClassC

• ChristopherCapecchi,waterplantoperator,oneyear

• ChristopherKnutson,water

plant operator, one year,

Class D

• AlanNeer,waterplantopera-

tor, four years, Class A

• LesleeStorlie,part-timewater

plant operator, one year

• KevinYoung,part-timewater


MORE INFO:Emerson Process Management800/854-8257www.raihome.com

ERDCO Engineering Corporation800/553-0550www.erdco.com

HachCompany800/227-4224www.hach.com

ICSHealy-Ruff763/559-0568www.icshealyruff.com

Infilco Degremont, Inc.804/756-7600www.degremont-technologies.com

IntelliSys, Inc.800/347-9977www.intellisyssoftware.com

Modentic Industrial Corp.www.modentic.com.tw

MWHGlobal303/533-1900www.mwhglobal.com

OI Analytical800/653-1711www.oico.com(See ad page 29)

Rockwell Automation414/382-2000www.rockwellautomation.com

s::can Measuring Systems888/296-8250www.s-can.us

SiemensWaterTechnologiesCorp.866/926-8420www.water.siemens.com

ThermoScientific–WaterAnalysis800/225-1480www.thermoscientific.com/water

Watson-MarlowPumpsGroup800/282-8823www.wmpg.com

Xylem 704/409-9700www.xyleminc.com

“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

Water Division manager Troy Hall

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

BRIGHT IDEAS:

Automated meter reading in Davie County, N.C. Page 36


Plant upgrades in Rockville, Md.Page 30

TECH TALK:

Keys to success with wireless SCADA

Page 38

Tastes Great!


January/February 2012 www.wsomag.com

MOORHEAD PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERS HIGH-QUALITY WATER FROM VARIABLE SOURCESPage 10

wsoManaging Our Most Valuable Resource

TM

Troy HallWater Division managerMoorhead, Minn.

TasTesGreaT!Technology and teamwork help Moorhead Public Service deliver consistently high-quality water from a highly variable source in Minnesota’s Red River

STORY: Ted J. RulSehPHOTOGRAPHY: John BoRge

The 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, it’s 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, Moorhead’s 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, that’s what we’ve accomplished.”

Variable sourceWhat 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 func-tional 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.

“There’s a reason it’s called the Red River,” says Nate Halbakken, lead treatment plant operator. Which is to say it’s not what one would call

Qualityleaders

PLANT

clean. The Red is subject to wide variations in organic matter and hard-ness, 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 vari-able, depending on how much rain we’re 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




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). Typi-cally, 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 ozo-nation 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 hexameta-phosphate for heavy metal sequestration and corrosion control. The


Moorhead (Minn.) Public Service

FouNDeD: | 1896PoPulATioN ServeD: | 42,000TerriTorY: | Cities of Moorhead and Dilworth, Oakport TownshipCAPACiTY: | 16 mgdSYSTeM STorAge: | 7.9 million gallonsSourCe WATer: | Red River (85%), Buffalo Aquifer (15%)TreATMeNT ProCeSS: | Lime/soda ash softening, ozonation,

dual media filtration iNFrASTruCTure: | 190 miles of water mains, three water towers,

two ground storage tanks, two reservoirs on plant sitesKeY CHAlleNge: | Source water variabilityANNuAl BuDgeT: | $4.5 million (operations)WeBSiTe: | www.mpsutility.com

“When we look at the SCAdA and see our water-quality trends, we want to

see flatlines — everything just humming along. Through teamwork, that’s what we’ve been able to accomplish.”TRoy hAll

plant’s 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 chlora-mines for disinfectant residual. The water is then delivered to the res-ervoirs and water towers (7.9 mil-lion gallons total system storage).

ozone does itHall notes that ozonation is

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 wasn’t technology alone that conquered the variability of Red River water. The plant staff’s 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 infor-mation about water quality and what’s happening in the process, and we’re constantly trying to improve that.”

The system’s programmable logic controllers and other control hard-ware are from Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation), and the SCADA software is from IntelliSys Inc. Online instrumentation in the treatment plant and water system includes:

• Three total chlorineanalyzers fromWallace&Tiernan (SiemensWater Technologies Corp.)

• Monochloramine/ammonia analyzer, five pH monitors, and eightturbidimeters from Hach Company

• Two pH controllers (CO2 auto control), four ozone analyzers and two conductivity meters from Rosemount Analytical (Emerson Process Management)

• Organiconlineanalyzerfroms::canMeasuringSystemsBenchtop lab equipment includes a turbidimeter and spectrophotometer



Water from Moorhead, Minn., won the first two “Best in glass”








“in both 2009 and 2010, we won both the popular and the panel





the process of cleaning the softening basins. Says Hall, “it has been

a fun year.”

“We don’t like to keep secrets

between positions. We expect all our operators to be very familiar with the SCAdA. As a super-visor, I try to involve the operators so they can help me out with data analysis, maintenance tasks, or whatever happens to come up.”KRIS KnuTSon

Part-time water treatment plant operator leslee Storlie uses a Thermix stirrer from Thermo Scientific – Water Analysis in a lab testing protocol.

Water treatment plant operator Dan Haman adjusts gas flow on ozone generator from WeDeCo, a division of Xylem.

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 fl owmeter by erDCo engineering Corporation, valve by Modentic industrial Corp.)

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 require-ment, 99 percent of the time the odor and taste issues are taken care of.”

As a teamThe staff’s success derives in part from the team atmosphere its lead-

ers try to create. “There’s a lot of overlap in the way we do things — a lot of cross-training,” notes Kris Knutson, water plant supervisor. “We don’t 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 oper-ators 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, everybody’s open to that. Everyone’s willing to help out.”

Notes Haman, “We try to work to each other’s strengths and shore up our weaknesses. For example, Nate is better at plumbing than I am, so I’ll 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.”




issues. Several years ago, pH variability was a constant challenge. Work-ing together, staff members made the correction by installing pH probes, making plumbing changes, and doing SCADA programming.


Another improvement involved installing a meter in the intake line to sample Red River water for conductivity as a way to predict total hard-ness 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.


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

The MPS TeAM

Staff members at the Moorhead Public Service water treatment

plant are:

• TroyHall,WaterDivisionmanager,19yearsofservice,ClassAlicense

• KrisKnutson,waterplantsupervisor,sixyears,ClassA

• NateHalbakken,leadwatertreatmentplantoperator,nineyears,

Class A

• JasonYonke,leadwatertreatmentplantoperator,14years,ClassA

• GenaDahl,waterplantchemist,fouryears

• DanHaman,waterplantoperator,sixyears,ClassC

• DarylBrahos,waterplantoperator,fouryears,ClassC

• ChristopherCapecchi,waterplantoperator,oneyear

• ChristopherKnutson,water


Class D

• AlanNeer,waterplantopera-




• KevinYoung,part-timewater


MoRe InFo:Emerson Process Management800/854-8257www.raihome.com

ERDCO Engineering Corporation800/553-0550www.erdco.com

HachCompany800/227-4224www.hach.com

ICSHealy-Ruff763/559-0568www.icshealyruff.com

Infilco Degremont, Inc.804/756-7600www.degremont-technologies.com

IntelliSys, Inc.800/347-9977www.intellisyssoftware.com

Modentic Industrial Corp.www.modentic.com.tw

MWHGlobal303/533-1900www.mwhglobal.com

OI Analytical800/653-1711www.oico.com(See ad page 29)

Rockwell Automation414/382-2000www.rockwellautomation.com

s::can Measuring Systems888/296-8250www.s-can.us

SiemensWaterTechnologiesCorp.866/926-8420www.water.siemens.com

ThermoScientific–WaterAnalysis800/225-1480www.thermoscientific.com/water

Watson-MarlowPumpsGroup800/282-8823www.wmpg.com

Xylem 704/409-9700www.xyleminc.com

“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


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




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.


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.


Hall calls it a privilege to lead a staff with many and diverse talents.

Class A

• JasonYonke,Yonke,Y leadwatertreatmentpreatmentpreatment lantolantolant perator,14years,14years,14y ClassA

• GenaDahl,waterplantclantclant hemist,fouryouryour earsyearsy

• DanHaman,waterplantolantolant perator,sixyixyix ears,years,y ClassC

• DarylBrahos,waterplantolantolant perator,fouryouryour ears,years,y ClassC

• ChristopherCChristopherCChristopher apecchi,waterplantolantolant perator,oneyearyeary

• ChristopherK• ChristopherK• Christopher nutson,water


Class D

• AlanNeer,waterplantolantolant pera-




• KevinYoung,Young,Y part-timewater







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


Public Service

Cities of Moorhead and Dilworth, Oakport Township

Red River (85%), Buffalo Aquifer (15%)Lime/soda ash softening, ozonation,

190 miles of water mains, three water towers, two ground storage tanks, two reservoirs on plant sites

activated carbon were fed at the river pumping station, but at times that wasn’t enough. When taste and odor problems arose, complaint calls came

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

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




The event includes a vendor show where water samples from “We don’t like to Part-time water treatment plant operator Leslee Storlie uses a Thermix stirrer from Thermo Scientific






TASTESGREAT!Technology and teamwork help Moorhead Public Service deliver consistently high-quality water from a highly variable source in Minnesota’s Red River

STORY: TED J. RULSEHPHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN BORGE

The 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, it’s 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, Moorhead’s 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, that’s what we’ve accomplished.”

Variable sourceWhat 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 func-tional 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.

“There’s a reason it’s called the Red River,” says Nate Halbakken, lead treatment plant operator. Which is to say it’s not what one would call

QUALITYLEADERS

PLANT“When we look at the SCADA and see our water-quality trends, we want to

see flatlines — everything just humming along. Through teamwork, that’s what we’ve been able to accomplish.”TROY HALL

When we look at the SCADA and see our water-quality trends, we want to

see flatlines — everything just humming along. Through teamwork, that’s what we’ve been able to accomplish.”

TASTESGREATechnology and teamwork help Moorhead Public Service deliver consistently high-quality water from a highly variable source in Minnesota’s Red Riverhigh-quality water from a highly variable source in Minnesota’s Red River

STORY: TED J. RULSEHPHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN BORGE

QUALITYLEADERS

PLANT

BRIGHT IDEAS:

Automated meter reading in Davie County, N.C. Page 36


Plant upgrades in Rockville, Md.Page 30

TECH TALK:

Keys to success with wireless SCADA

Page 38

Tastes Great!


January/February 2012 www.wsomag.com

MOORHEAD PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERS HIGH-QUALITY WATER FROM VARIABLE SOURCESPage 10

wsoManaging Our Most Valuable Resource

TM

Troy HallWater Division managerMoorhead, Minn.

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“Using a two-vessel system running in series allows water to flow through the carbon bed in the primary vessel and then through a carbon bed as a secondary vessel,” says William Bland, chief engi-neer for TIGG.

“Both activated carbon adsorption vessels in TIGG’s CP20K-10 Skid System have three sample ports. This permits an operator to check for contaminant breakthrough at different levels in the carbon bed and determine when the vessel’s media is almost spent,” Bland says of the carbon bed, which can last for months without replen-ishment, depending on the amount and type of contaminates that it processes.

The dual-vessel system enables spent carbon to be changed out without having to shut down the purification process. Spent carbon can be reactivated or taken to a landfill for disposal. With few mov-ing parts, the system requires little maintenance.

“The biggest issues are making sure the tank lining integrity stays intact and that the valves are in working order,” Bland says.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTBY ED WODALSKI

PRODUCT NEWS

1

4

3 52

6

7|Hach FL900AV flow loggerThe FL900AV flow logger from Hach, together with the AV9000

analyzer, dampens EMF and RFI noise for smoother, more accurate mea-surements. Velocity measurements can account for water temperature swings and salinity concentrations. Advanced diagnostics verify that the sensor is working properly. 800/368-2723; www.hachflow.com.

8|Walchem W100W controllerThe W100W controller from Walchem has three control out-

puts, large icon-based display and multiple language support. Other fea-tures include universal sensor input, while the cooling tower/boiler model has an optional analog (4-20 mA) output for recording, data log-

ging or connection to energy management systems. The conductivity, pH/ORP and disinfection W100W has three models for use with amplified electrodes, nonamplified electrodes with a BNC connector or non-amplified electrodes without a connector. 508/429-1110; www.walchem.com.

9|Xylem intelligent pump station controllerThe MultiSmart intelligent pump station con-

troller from Flygt – a Xylem Brand, can control up to six pumps. Default settings can be adapted to suit the requirements of individual pump stations, while a remote control feature reduces the frequency of site visits. An

alarm feature prompts the operator to carry out necessary maintenance to prevent problems occurring in the system. Based on field tests, the con-troller can reduce pump station energy consumption by 35 percent. 704/409-9700; www.flygtus.com.

10|Rockwell Automation voltage monitorThe Allen-Bradley i-Sense voltage monitor from Rockwell

Automation reads incoming power, providing data that pinpoints volt-age-based power events and reveals any consequent relationship between voltage sags and downtime. 414/382-2000; www.rockwellautomation.com/industries/water.

11|Dialight LED flood lightDuroSite and SafeSite LED flood lights from Dialight are

designed for hazardous and industrial applications. The 14- by 14-inch lights deliver 10,750 lumens at 107 watts and are available in various NEMA optical configurations. Features include 20 kV surge protection, tempered glass lens and powder-coated aluminum housing. 732/919-3119; www.dialight.com.

12|Reed Manufacturing deburring toolThe DEB1 deburr and chamfer tool from Reed Manufactur-

ing Co. is designed for PVC, CPVC, ABS, PE and PP pipe up to 2 inches in diameter. Features include a slip-resistant knurled grip and blade that can be sharpened or replaced. 800/666-3691; www.reedmfgco.com.

Manway gaskets also should be replaced each time the cover is opened during changeouts.

The unit’s 12-valve pipe rack design enables liquid to enter the adsorption vessel from the side rather than the top, resulting in a lower profile. Internal piping distributors ensure even flow and even water treatment. Engineered for easy setup, the 37.5-foot long by 10-foot wide, skid-mounted system can be placed on flat, compacted ground. There is no need for footers or a concrete pad foundation, reducing setup costs. Available for rent or purchase, the skid system sets up in one day and ships on a single flatbed truck for easy deliv-ery. 800/925-0011; www.tigg.com.


CP 20K-10 skid system from TIGG Corp.

8

9

710

11

12


1|AMETEK point level switchThe Z-tron IV point level switch from AMETEK Drexelbrook fea-

tures an all-electronic design. Cote-Shield circuitry enables the switch to ignore coatings and buildup on the sensing element. Dust or tunneling won’t produce a false signal. The switch only reacts to actual high- or low-level conditions. The one-piece design allows for easy installation through a single 3/4-inch vessel opening. 800/553-9092; www.drexelbrook.com.

2|Badger Meter flow monitorThe ER-500 series flow monitor from Badger Meter is designed

for challenging environments. Meters can be connected to a network for remote monitoring and process automation. Models support multiport linearization tables for increased accuracy. Alarm parameters warn of changes in process or pipeline. 800/876-3837; www.badgermeter.com.

3|CW Industries reversing rocker switchGRS-6024 series momentary action full-size reversing rocker

switches from CW Industries are available in DPDT center-off construc-tion. The RoHS compliant switches are rated at 40 amps, 12 volt DC and feature self-cleaning contacts. Made of heavy duty nylon with copper alloy terminals, the switches have a male 0.25-inch quick-connect termi-nal for ease of installation and can be mounted in a 1.58- by 0.948-inch panel opening. 800/285-2121; www.peerlesselectronics.com.

4|FLIR E-Series thermal camerasE-Series (E4, E5, E6, E8) thermal cameras from FLIR Systems

are designed to track electrical and mechanical overheating, moisture ingress, missing insulation, air leaks and other thermal issues. The cam-era features a 3-inch color LCD display, wide-angle focus-free lens, intu-itive on-camera button controls, onboard digital camera and MSX (multispectral dynamic imaging), which integrates visible details from digital photos onto IR images. 866/477-3687; www.flir.com.

5|Mouvex seal-less drive eccentric disc pumpsThe SLC4 and SLC8 seal-less drive eccentric disc pumps from

Mouvex, part of the Pump Solutions Group, are designed for general industrial applications, as well as for chemical-based compounds. The pumps can handle up to 145 psi (SLC4) and 87 psi (SLC8). Features

include self-priming and dry-run capabilities, temperature range of 5 to 212 degrees F, solid particle handling of 0.079 inches and soft particle size handling of 0.25 inches. Approved for use in ATEX atmospheres, a heating jacket is available. 909/557-2900; www.psgdover.com.

6|HEMCO island canopy hoodIsland canopy hoods from HEMCO are designed to collect and

exhaust corrosive vapors, heat, steam and odors when mounted over areas with water baths, hot plates or portable equipment. Hoods are made of one-piece composite resin and can be wall-mounted or suspended from the ceiling. Optional side panels prevent cross drafts. 800/779-4362; www.hemcocorp.com.

Dual-vessel purification system designed for quick setup

The CP 20K-10 activated carbon dual-vessel skid system from TIGG Corp. is designed for short-term water purification projects and compliance monitoring.

Units can be run in series or parallel and are capable of purifying more than 2.16 mgd. Each system can purify water at a maximum flow of 1,500 gpm (in parallel mode) and holds up to 40,000 pounds of granular activated carbon (GAC). It has a maximum pressure of 125 psi and maximum operating temperature of 130 degrees F.

“Using a two-vessel system running in series allows water to flow through the carbon bed in the primary vessel and then through a carbon bed as a secondary vessel,” says William Bland, chief engi-neer for TIGG.

“Both activated carbon adsorption vessels in TIGG’s CP20K-10 Skid System have three sample ports. This permits an operator to check for contaminant breakthrough at different levels in the carbon bed and determine when the vessel’s media is almost spent,” Bland says of the carbon bed, which can last for months without replen-ishment, depending on the amount and type of contaminates that it processes.

The dual-vessel system enables spent carbon to be changed out without having to shut down the purification process. Spent carbon can be reactivated or taken to a landfill for disposal. With few mov-ing parts, the system requires little maintenance.

“The biggest issues are making sure the tank lining integrity stays intact and that the valves are in working order,” Bland says.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTBY ED WODALSKI

PRODUCT NEWS

1

4

3 52

6

7|Hach FL900AV flow loggerThe FL900AV flow logger from Hach, together with the AV9000

analyzer, dampens EMF and RFI noise for smoother, more accurate mea-surements. Velocity measurements can account for water temperature swings and salinity concentrations. Advanced diagnostics verify that the sensor is working properly. 800/368-2723; www.hachflow.com.

8|Walchem W100W controllerThe W100W controller from Walchem has three control out-

puts, large icon-based display and multiple language support. Other fea-tures include universal sensor input, while the cooling tower/boiler model has an optional analog (4-20 mA) output for recording, data log-

ging or connection to energy management systems. The conductivity, pH/ORP and disinfection W100W has three models for use with amplified electrodes, nonamplified electrodes with a BNC connector or non-amplified electrodes without a connector. 508/429-1110; www.walchem.com.

9|Xylem intelligent pump station controllerThe MultiSmart intelligent pump station con-

troller from Flygt – a Xylem Brand, can control up to six pumps. Default settings can be adapted to suit the requirements of individual pump stations, while a remote control feature reduces the frequency of site visits. An

alarm feature prompts the operator to carry out necessary maintenance to prevent problems occurring in the system. Based on field tests, the con-troller can reduce pump station energy consumption by 35 percent. 704/409-9700; www.flygtus.com.

10|Rockwell Automation voltage monitorThe Allen-Bradley i-Sense voltage monitor from Rockwell

Automation reads incoming power, providing data that pinpoints volt-age-based power events and reveals any consequent relationship between voltage sags and downtime. 414/382-2000; www.rockwellautomation.com/industries/water.

11|Dialight LED flood lightDuroSite and SafeSite LED flood lights from Dialight are

designed for hazardous and industrial applications. The 14- by 14-inch lights deliver 10,750 lumens at 107 watts and are available in various NEMA optical configurations. Features include 20 kV surge protection, tempered glass lens and powder-coated aluminum housing. 732/919-3119; www.dialight.com.

12|Reed Manufacturing deburring toolThe DEB1 deburr and chamfer tool from Reed Manufactur-

ing Co. is designed for PVC, CPVC, ABS, PE and PP pipe up to 2 inches in diameter. Features include a slip-resistant knurled grip and blade that can be sharpened or replaced. 800/666-3691; www.reedmfgco.com.

Manway gaskets also should be replaced each time the cover is opened during changeouts.

The unit’s 12-valve pipe rack design enables liquid to enter the adsorption vessel from the side rather than the top, resulting in a lower profile. Internal piping distributors ensure even flow and even water treatment. Engineered for easy setup, the 37.5-foot long by 10-foot wide, skid-mounted system can be placed on flat, compacted ground. There is no need for footers or a concrete pad foundation, reducing setup costs. Available for rent or purchase, the skid system sets up in one day and ships on a single flatbed truck for easy deliv-ery. 800/925-0011; www.tigg.com.


CP 20K-10 skid system from TIGG Corp.

8

9

710

11

12


13|Carbonair low-profile air strippersSTAT low-profile air strippers from Carbonair Environ-

mental Systems are designed to remove volatile organic com-pounds, including disinfection byproducts such as chloroform, bromoform and other trihalomethanes (THMs), from municipal and industrial drinking water. Certified to meet NSF/ANSI 61G requirements, the air strippers can achieve 99.9 percent or greater VOC removal and handle flows up to 1,000 gpm per unit. Multiple tray configurations and blower options enable the units to meet cus-tomized site requirements. 800/526-4999; www.carbonair.com.

14|Yaskawa medium voltage AV drive The MV1000 medium voltage AC drive from the Drives

and Motion Division of Yaskawa America is designed for energy savings and improved process control. Features include modular design, high efficiency and low harmonics. Smart Harmonics tech-nology reduces input total harmonic distortion (THD) to less than 2.5 percent without filters, exceeding IEEE 519-1992 requirements by nearly 50 percent. The MV1000 uses two 5-voltage step bridges per phase to generate 17 level line-to-line voltage output to the motor. Several motor control modes are available for a range of applications. 800/927-5292; www.yaskawa.com.

15|Blue-White engineered skid systemsChem-Feed engineered skid systems from Blue-White

Industries are available for single- or dual-metering pump configu-rations. Made of 6061-T6 powder-coated welded aluminum, features include flow indicator, self-filling calibration cylinder (flooded suc-tion not required), Plast-O-Matic ball valves, pressure relief valve, gauge guards and metal-free check valve. Skids are wall mountable with optional bracket. 714/893-8529; www.blue-white.com. wso

PRODUCT NEWS

13

14

15


Franklin Electric relocates headquartersFranklin Electric relocated to its new World Headquarters and Engi-

neering Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. The 118,800-square-foot facility houses the company’s 245 employees with room for future growth, as well as a 24,000-square-foot testing lab.

FCS names leak detection distributor

Fluid Conservation Systems named Utility Services Association its distributor for leak detection products in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana.

Spiroflo Systems launches website

Spiroflow Systems launched its redesigned website, www.spiroflowsystems.com. The site provides access to product information and applications, case studies, dedicated blog and sales representative locator.

MIOX launches website

MIOX Corp. launched its new website, www.miox.com. The site includes videos highlighting company history, a tour of on-site chemical generators, product information and press releases.

Primary Flow Signal launches Canadian website

Primary Flow Signal, designer and manufacturer of flow metering solutions for water, wastewater, industrial and oil and gas applications, launched a dedicated website for its Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, location: http://pfscanada.ca.

NSF manager appointed to Michigan AWWA board of trustees

The American Water Works Association’s Michi-gan Section (MI-AWWA) appointed Bruce Bartley to its board of trustees. Bartley is technical manager of NSF International Global Water Division.

SJE-Rhombus unifies subsidiaries under PRIMEX brand

SJE-Rhombus unified the company’s engineered municipal water control solutions businesses, CSI Controls, Control Works and Best Con-trols Company, under the PRIMEX brand.

Carbonair air strippers certified to NSF/ANSI 61-G

Carbonair Environmental Systems received NSF/ANSI 61-G certifi-cation for its line of STAT low-profile air strippers. Designed to remove volatile organic compounds, including disinfection byproducts such as chloroform, bromoform and other trihalomethanes (THMs), from munic-ipal and industrial drinking water, the NSF mark ensures products have been independently tested to meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) development process. wso

INDUSTRY NEWS

Bruce Bartley

Pittsburgh agency and Veolia Water extend partnership

The Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority extended its partnership with Veolia Water to continue providing interim executive management services through December 2014. During the partnership’s first year, Veolia experts helped the authority improve customer service and perfor-mance by conducting in-depth diagnostics of operations, developing rec-ommendations for improvement, and supporting PWSA employees on initiatives aimed at reaching new performance metrics. The total impact of the initiatives is nearly $2.4 million annually.

Calgon Carbon wins 10-year contract for reactivation services

Calgon Carbon Corporation and its European operating group, Chem-viron Carbon, won a 10-year contract with Thames Water in the United Kingdom to reactivate spent activated carbon used to treat drinking water.

Xylem to supply Sweden’s largest UV disinfection facility for drinking water

Xylem won a contract to provide UV drinking water treatment to the largest such project ever in Sweden. The project will help deliver clean drinking water to 900,000 people across 16 municipalities. The facility will be sized to handle a potential 25 percent increase in water volume to support population growth. Xylem will provide four WEDECO K-Series UV disinfection systems, to upgrade the Sydvatten AB Waterworks in southern Sweden. The systems were chosen for flexible design, low cost, low environmental impact and ability to handle large volumes efficiently.

Echologics wins pipe assessment contract with WSSC

Washington (D.C) Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) chose Echologics, a division of Mueller Co., to perform acoustic condition assessment of selected water distribution mains. The contract is valued at $850,000. Echologics will assess the condition of 35 miles of 6- to 14-inch cast-iron distribution mains that are scheduled to be replaced starting in July. WSSC will use data from the assessment to identify pipe sections that are in the poorest condition and set replacement priorities.

Flowserve wins order for desalination plant pumps and energy recovery devices

Flowserve Corporation won a multimillion dollar order from M.N. Larnaca Desalination to provide a complete pump package and energy recovery devices to be used at a 15.9 mgd seawater reverse osmosis desal-ination plant in the Republic of Cyprus. The project will use Flowserve Calder Dual Work Exchange Energy Recovery units with DMX pumps in the high-pressure feed service. wso

Projects & Awards



Send your ideas to editor@

wsomag.com


13|Carbonair low-profile air strippersSTAT low-profile air strippers from Carbonair Environ-

mental Systems are designed to remove volatile organic com-pounds, including disinfection byproducts such as chloroform, bromoform and other trihalomethanes (THMs), from municipal and industrial drinking water. Certified to meet NSF/ANSI 61G requirements, the air strippers can achieve 99.9 percent or greater VOC removal and handle flows up to 1,000 gpm per unit. Multiple tray configurations and blower options enable the units to meet cus-tomized site requirements. 800/526-4999; www.carbonair.com.

14|Yaskawa medium voltage AV drive The MV1000 medium voltage AC drive from the Drives

and Motion Division of Yaskawa America is designed for energy savings and improved process control. Features include modular design, high efficiency and low harmonics. Smart Harmonics tech-nology reduces input total harmonic distortion (THD) to less than 2.5 percent without filters, exceeding IEEE 519-1992 requirements by nearly 50 percent. The MV1000 uses two 5-voltage step bridges per phase to generate 17 level line-to-line voltage output to the motor. Several motor control modes are available for a range of applications. 800/927-5292; www.yaskawa.com.

15|Blue-White engineered skid systemsChem-Feed engineered skid systems from Blue-White

Industries are available for single- or dual-metering pump configu-rations. Made of 6061-T6 powder-coated welded aluminum, features include flow indicator, self-filling calibration cylinder (flooded suc-tion not required), Plast-O-Matic ball valves, pressure relief valve, gauge guards and metal-free check valve. Skids are wall mountable with optional bracket. 714/893-8529; www.blue-white.com. wso

PRODUCT NEWS

13

14

15


Pittsburgh agency and Veolia Water extend partnership

The Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority extended its partnership with Veolia Water to continue providing interim executive management services through December 2014. During the partnership’s first year, Veolia experts helped the authority improve customer service and perfor-mance by conducting in-depth diagnostics of operations, developing rec-ommendations for improvement, and supporting PWSA employees on initiatives aimed at reaching new performance metrics. The total impact of the initiatives is nearly $2.4 million annually.

Calgon Carbon wins 10-year contract for reactivation services

Calgon Carbon Corporation and its European operating group, Chem-viron Carbon, won a 10-year contract with Thames Water in the United Kingdom to reactivate spent activated carbon used to treat drinking water.

Xylem to supply Sweden’s largest UV disinfection facility for drinking water

Xylem won a contract to provide UV drinking water treatment to the largest such project ever in Sweden. The project will help deliver clean drinking water to 900,000 people across 16 municipalities. The facility will be sized to handle a potential 25 percent increase in water volume to support population growth. Xylem will provide four WEDECO K-Series UV disinfection systems, to upgrade the Sydvatten AB Waterworks in southern Sweden. The systems were chosen for flexible design, low cost, low environmental impact and ability to handle large volumes efficiently.

Echologics wins pipe assessment contract with WSSC

Washington (D.C) Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) chose Echologics, a division of Mueller Co., to perform acoustic condition assessment of selected water distribution mains. The contract is valued at $850,000. Echologics will assess the condition of 35 miles of 6- to 14-inch cast-iron distribution mains that are scheduled to be replaced starting in July. WSSC will use data from the assessment to identify pipe sections that are in the poorest condition and set replacement priorities.

Flowserve wins order for desalination plant pumps and energy recovery devices

Flowserve Corporation won a multimillion dollar order from M.N. Larnaca Desalination to provide a complete pump package and energy recovery devices to be used at a 15.9 mgd seawater reverse osmosis desal-ination plant in the Republic of Cyprus. The project will use Flowserve Calder Dual Work Exchange Energy Recovery units with DMX pumps in the high-pressure feed service. wso

Projects & Awards



Send your ideas to editor@

wsomag.com

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PEOPLE/AWARDSDennis W. Doll, chairman, president and CEO of Middlesex Water

Company, has been elected to a one-year term as president of the National Association of Water Companies.

Steve Melanson of Connecticut Water received the grand prize in the

National Association of Water Companies Living Water Awards, recognizing private water professionals who are “living water” through commitment to quality, service and community.

Dr. Glen Daigger, International Water Association president and CH2M

HILL chief technology officer, has been selected to join the Water Environ-ment Research Foundation Board of Directors.

Jane Lubchenco, former undersecretary of commerce for the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Kathryn Sullivan, under-secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and a NOAA administra-tor, received the 2013 Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence recognizing outstanding achievement by those who contribute to the conservation and protection of fresh water.

WSO welcomes your contribution to this listing. To recognize members of

your team, please send notices of new hires, promotions, service milestones, certifications or achievements to [email protected].

EDUCATION

AWWAThe American Water Works Association is offering these webinars:• Jan. 29 – Water Rates Done the Right Way• Feb. 5 – Identifying and Addressing Raw Water Ammonia• Feb. 12 – The Future of Direct Potable Reuse as a Water SupplyVisit www.awwa.org.

AlabamaThe Alabama Rural Water Association is offering these courses:• Jan. 15 – Process Control Strategies, Fayette• Feb. 19 – Hands-On Pump O&M and Electrical Troubleshooting,

LinevilleVisit www.alruralwater.com.

FloridaThe Florida Section of AWWA is offering these courses:• Jan. 31 – Florida AWWA eLearning, online• Feb. 28 – Florida AWWA eLearning, onlineVisit www.fsawwa.org.

IllinoisThe Illinois Section of AWWA is offering these courses:• Jan. 29-30 – High-Tech Operator Course 3: Data Management work-

shop, Lombard Village Hall Community Room• Feb. 19 – WATERCON Exhibtors WebinarVisit www.isawwa.org.

MichiganThe Michigan Section of the AWWA is hosting the Borchardt Confer-

ence for drinking and wastewater treatment Feb. 25-26 at Rackham Grad-uate School in Ann Arbor. Visit www.mi-water.org.

New Jersey

The New Jersey Agricultural Research Station is offering these courses in New Brunswick:

• Jan. 13-March 12 – Advanced Collection Systems Licensing Prep - Evening Course, Holly House

• Jan. 16 – Instrumentation for Water/Wastewater Operations, Exten-sion Conference Center

• Jan. 22 – Writing Skills for Utility and Operations Personnel, Cook Campus Center

• Jan. 30-Feb. 6 – Safe Drinking Water Act Regulatory Update • Feb. 12-13 – Ladder Logic: Water/Wastewater Electrical Training,

Extension Conference Center• Feb. 27 – Math Refresher for Water and Wastewater Operators,

Extension Conference CenterVisit www.cpe.rutgers.edu.

OklahomaThe Oklahoma Environmental Training Center is offering these courses:• Jan. 7-9 – D Water and Wastewater Operator, Stillwater• Jan. 10 – Open Exam Session, Tulsa• Jan. 13 – General Refresher for Water Operators, Stillwater• Jan. 13-14 – C Water Operator, Stillwater• Jan. 21-23 – D Water and Wastewater Operator, Tulsa• Jan. 27 – General Refresher for Water Lab Operators, Stillwater• Jan. 27-30 – C Water Laboratory, Stillwater• Feb. 4-6 – D Water and Wastewater Operator, Stillwater• Feb. 7 – Open Exam Session, Stillwater• Feb. 14 – Open Exam Session, Tulsa• Feb. 19 – General Refresher for Water Operators, Tulsa• Feb. 19-20 – C Water Operator, Tulsa• Feb. 25-27 – D Water and Wastewater Operator, TulsaVisit www.accuratelabs.com.

TexasThe Texas Water Utilities Association is offering these courses:• Jan. 7-9 – Basic Water, Sinton• Jan. 13-17 – Effective Instructional Techniques, Amarillo• Jan. 27-29 – Utilities Safety, Mineola• Feb. 4-6 – Far West Texas Regional School, Fort StocktonVisit www.twua.org.

WSO invites your national, state or local association to post notices and news items in the Worth Noting column. Send contributions to [email protected] Noting

Feb. 4-5Michigan AWWA and the MWEA Joint Expo, Lansing Center. Visit

www.mi-water.org. Feb. 18-20

Illinois Rural Water Annual Conference, Effingham. Visit www.isawwa.org. Feb. 25-28

AWWA-WEF Utility Management Conference, Hyatt Regency Savannah, Ga. Visit www.awwa.org. Feb. 26-27

International Conference on Stormwater and Urban Water Systems Modeling, Marriott Courtyard Toronto (Ontario) Brampton. Visit www.chiwater.com.

EVENTS

WisconsinThe Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is offering these courses:• Jan. 16 – Regional Utility Management Training, Chippewa Falls• Jan. 28-29 – Distribution Certification, Moraine Park Technical

College, Fond du Lac• Feb. 4-6, and 11-13 – Groundwater Supply and Distribution Certifi-

cation, Green Bay• Feb. 12 – Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management, Green Bay• Feb. 18-19 – Zeolite Softening, Volatile Organic Compound and

Iron Removal Certification, West Bend• Feb. 20 – Lime Softening Certification, West Bend• Feb. 25-27 and Mar. 4-6 – Groundwater Supply and Distribution

Certification, MadisonVisit http://dnr.wi.gov. wso

It’s black and white.In each issue of Municipal Sewer & Water, you’ll read about sanitary sewer, stormwater and water system professionals just like you. You’ll discover: n Who are the innovators in system repair and maintenance n How they make sound decisions that improve service and save money n What tools and technologies drive efficiency and performance n Where to go to find the latest equipment and advice

No gray area here. Municipal Sewer & Water has what you need. And it’s FREE.Subscribe today at www.mswmag.com or call 800-257-7222.


PEOPLE/AWARDSDennis W. Doll, chairman, president and CEO of Middlesex Water

Company, has been elected to a one-year term as president of the National Association of Water Companies.

Steve Melanson of Connecticut Water received the grand prize in the

National Association of Water Companies Living Water Awards, recognizing private water professionals who are “living water” through commitment to quality, service and community.

Dr. Glen Daigger, International Water Association president and CH2M

HILL chief technology officer, has been selected to join the Water Environ-ment Research Foundation Board of Directors.

Jane Lubchenco, former undersecretary of commerce for the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Kathryn Sullivan, under-secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and a NOAA administra-tor, received the 2013 Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence recognizing outstanding achievement by those who contribute to the conservation and protection of fresh water.

WSO welcomes your contribution to this listing. To recognize members of

your team, please send notices of new hires, promotions, service milestones, certifications or achievements to [email protected].

EDUCATION

AWWAThe American Water Works Association is offering these webinars:• Jan. 29 – Water Rates Done the Right Way• Feb. 5 – Identifying and Addressing Raw Water Ammonia• Feb. 12 – The Future of Direct Potable Reuse as a Water SupplyVisit www.awwa.org.

AlabamaThe Alabama Rural Water Association is offering these courses:• Jan. 15 – Process Control Strategies, Fayette• Feb. 19 – Hands-On Pump O&M and Electrical Troubleshooting,

LinevilleVisit www.alruralwater.com.

FloridaThe Florida Section of AWWA is offering these courses:• Jan. 31 – Florida AWWA eLearning, online• Feb. 28 – Florida AWWA eLearning, onlineVisit www.fsawwa.org.

IllinoisThe Illinois Section of AWWA is offering these courses:• Jan. 29-30 – High-Tech Operator Course 3: Data Management work-

shop, Lombard Village Hall Community Room• Feb. 19 – WATERCON Exhibtors WebinarVisit www.isawwa.org.

MichiganThe Michigan Section of the AWWA is hosting the Borchardt Confer-

ence for drinking and wastewater treatment Feb. 25-26 at Rackham Grad-uate School in Ann Arbor. Visit www.mi-water.org.

New Jersey

The New Jersey Agricultural Research Station is offering these courses in New Brunswick:

• Jan. 13-March 12 – Advanced Collection Systems Licensing Prep - Evening Course, Holly House

• Jan. 16 – Instrumentation for Water/Wastewater Operations, Exten-sion Conference Center

• Jan. 22 – Writing Skills for Utility and Operations Personnel, Cook Campus Center

• Jan. 30-Feb. 6 – Safe Drinking Water Act Regulatory Update • Feb. 12-13 – Ladder Logic: Water/Wastewater Electrical Training,

Extension Conference Center• Feb. 27 – Math Refresher for Water and Wastewater Operators,

Extension Conference CenterVisit www.cpe.rutgers.edu.

OklahomaThe Oklahoma Environmental Training Center is offering these courses:• Jan. 7-9 – D Water and Wastewater Operator, Stillwater• Jan. 10 – Open Exam Session, Tulsa• Jan. 13 – General Refresher for Water Operators, Stillwater• Jan. 13-14 – C Water Operator, Stillwater• Jan. 21-23 – D Water and Wastewater Operator, Tulsa• Jan. 27 – General Refresher for Water Lab Operators, Stillwater• Jan. 27-30 – C Water Laboratory, Stillwater• Feb. 4-6 – D Water and Wastewater Operator, Stillwater• Feb. 7 – Open Exam Session, Stillwater• Feb. 14 – Open Exam Session, Tulsa• Feb. 19 – General Refresher for Water Operators, Tulsa• Feb. 19-20 – C Water Operator, Tulsa• Feb. 25-27 – D Water and Wastewater Operator, TulsaVisit www.accuratelabs.com.

TexasThe Texas Water Utilities Association is offering these courses:• Jan. 7-9 – Basic Water, Sinton• Jan. 13-17 – Effective Instructional Techniques, Amarillo• Jan. 27-29 – Utilities Safety, Mineola• Feb. 4-6 – Far West Texas Regional School, Fort StocktonVisit www.twua.org.

WSO invites your national, state or local association to post notices and news items in the Worth Noting column. Send contributions to [email protected] Noting

Feb. 4-5Michigan AWWA and the MWEA Joint Expo, Lansing Center. Visit

www.mi-water.org. Feb. 18-20

Illinois Rural Water Annual Conference, Effingham. Visit www.isawwa.org. Feb. 25-28

AWWA-WEF Utility Management Conference, Hyatt Regency Savannah, Ga. Visit www.awwa.org. Feb. 26-27

International Conference on Stormwater and Urban Water Systems Modeling, Marriott Courtyard Toronto (Ontario) Brampton. Visit www.chiwater.com.

EVENTS

WisconsinThe Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is offering these courses:• Jan. 16 – Regional Utility Management Training, Chippewa Falls• Jan. 28-29 – Distribution Certification, Moraine Park Technical

College, Fond du Lac• Feb. 4-6, and 11-13 – Groundwater Supply and Distribution Certifi-

cation, Green Bay• Feb. 12 – Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management, Green Bay• Feb. 18-19 – Zeolite Softening, Volatile Organic Compound and

Iron Removal Certification, West Bend• Feb. 20 – Lime Softening Certification, West Bend• Feb. 25-27 and Mar. 4-6 – Groundwater Supply and Distribution

Certification, MadisonVisit http://dnr.wi.gov. wso

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January 2014