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WIPAC MONTHLY The Monthly Update from Water Industry Process Automation & Control

www.wipac.org.uk Issue 12/2016 - December 2016

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In this Issue

From the Editor.................................................................................................................... 3

Industry News..................................................................................................................... 4 - 9

Highlights of the news of the month from the global water industry centred around the successes of a few of the

companies in the global market.

ORP Sensors - Are they really the best thing since sliced bread......................................... 10-11

ORP sensors are one of those instruments that have been talked about for years. I’ve certainly heard then used as a

replacementforDOamongstotherthings.Inthisarticlebyinstrumentmanufacturer,Hach.Abalancedviewispresented

explaining their use and where it can and can’t be used and gives a sense check to the technique

The use of online monitoring to detect THM’s in wastewater............................................ 12-15

In this case study from Paso Robles in California the use of online THM monitoring is examined in the context of it being

usedtodecideupontheoperationalstrategytolimitTHMformationasadisinfectantby-product.Thecasestudyfrom

AMSshowsthattheuseonlinemonitoringcanprovetobeinvaluableinplantoperationalstrategyandoptimisation

The importance of flow and its measurement to the Water Industry.................................... 16-17

Themeasurementofflowinwastewateranditsimportanceisoftenoverlooked.InthisshortarticlebyWIPACGroup

Managerwelookatthefundamentalsofflowanditsmeasurementandwhytheoldadageaboutmeasuringtomanage

issoimportanttotheWastewaterIndustry

Workshops, Conferences & Seminars................................................................................... 18-19

The highlights of the conferences and workshops in the coming months

ThephotographofthefrontcoveristhePasoRoblesWastewaterTreatmentworksfromtheAMScasestudythismonthabout

usingonlineTHMMonitoringtooptimiseoperationalstrategy

WIPACMonthlyisapublicationoftheWaterIndustryProcessAutomation&ControlGroup.Itisproducedbythegroup

managerandWIPACMonthlyEditor,OliverGrievson.ThisisafreepublicationforthebenefitoftheWaterIndustryandplease

feelfreetodistributetoanywhoyoumayfeelbenefit.

AllenquiresaboutWIPACMonthly,includingthosewhowanttopublishnewsorarticleswithinthesepages,shouldbedirected

tothepublicationseditor,OliverGrievson at olivergrievson@hotmail.com

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From the Editor

Itisatthistimeofyearthateveryonestartstorelax,lookforwardtothefestiveseasonandalsostarttolookbackatwhatayearithasbeen.Othersaresharpeningtheirpencilstostartonthearticlesthataregoingtoinvariablyproduced

inJanuarytoexplainwhatwefoundoutlastyearandwhatwearegoingtofindoutnext.WhenIlookbackatlastyearwhat am I going to say?

WellitwasaninterestingyearandIthinkthattheindustryisstartingtowakeuptotheuseofdataanditsconversiontoinformationandthattheindustryisnotallaboutcollectingdataforthesakeofcollectingitbutitisalsoaboutusingthatdatatogivesomesortofoperationalbenefit.Sowhat’schangedhavewesuddenlyhadalightbulbmomentorisitsomethingthatwehavealwaysthoughtthatweoughttodobuttheinstrumentsaren’tgoodenough,thedataisn’trightoritsjusttoodifficult.Maybeitsabitofallthreeandmaybewearestartingtoovercomethe“resistancetotheeffectiveuseofinstrumentation,”aconceptthatwasoneofthefirstsubjectsthatwefloatedontheWaterIndustryProcessAutomation&ControlGroupoverfiveyearsago.

CertainlyIcansaythattheindustryisstartingtowakeup,Iseeitinmy“dayjob”thattheresistancecertainlyexisted,acommonphrasehasalwaysbeen“wecan’trelyonthatdata,”andithasbeenthroughtheapplicationofrigourandtheapplicationofthebasicsandworkingwithsomeincrediblyintelligentandalsodiligentpeopleandturningthehandleafewtimesthatthequalityraisesandtheinformationbecomesusefulaspeoplestarttorelyonit,treatascorrectand the barriers to the resistance fall down.

Perhapsalsoitisacaseoftechnologydevelopingaswell.Itisevidentthatwe,asaworldarestartingtoconnectourselvestogether.Ithashappenedwithmobilephoneswhichnowbecomeourportableoffice.ThisyearwehavebeentreatedtoVirtualRealityheadsets,3600 video cameras and all in the world of entertainment.Howeverwehavealsoseenthecontinuationoftheconnectedhomeanditisonestepfrombeingabletoseetheinsideofyourfridgefromyour phone and the same fridge act as personal organiser for you and your family to the next where your in home personal electronic assistant being unable to readyourwatermeterandallowyoutopaythebillbythepushofabuttonortheswipeofyourfingeroveryourmobilephonefingerprintscanner.WhatI’msayingisthattheconnectedhomeisbecomingarealityveryveryfastanditissomethingthatpeoplewillstarttogetusedto.TheWaterIndustry,aswithanyservice industry is centred around the technical parts of the job but also around customer service. If the customer wants to interact with the water company bytherefrigeratorelectronicpanel(cybersecurityaside)orviatheirmobilephonetherethisisadirectionthatwemustheadtowardsifwearetoworkwithourcustomers.Itissomething,inshort,thattheywilldemand.ItismorethanlikelythatitwillbethecustomerdemandingthattheWaterIndustrytaketheleapintothegreat“Smart”unknownifwearenotcarefulandifwearenotpreparedtotakethisleapthenwemaywellstumble.

Soasanindustrywhatdowehavetodo?

Firstistogobacktobasics,ensurethatweapplytherigourintheinstrumentationthatweinstall.InthearticleinthiseditionthatIhavewrittenItalkaboutthefundamentalsofflow(infactitappliestoallinstrumentation).Itsaconceptthatmanyreaderswillbefamiliarwith,askingthequestionwhataninstru-mentisfor,selectingtherighttechnology,installingitintherightwayandlookingafterit.Inshorttreatingitwithrespectandvaluingit.Ifwedon’tdothisthenthe“SmartWaterIndustry”willfail.Fromthisstepitsworkingoutwhatwewant,thestakeholderengagement,whatinformationdoweneed.Lastlyitsbringingitalltogetherandmanagingwhatwedo.AsIhavesaidinthepastitsputtingenoughinformationinfrontoftherightpeople(orcontrollers)toinfluencethedecisionmaking.Knowingwhensomethingisgoingtohappen,inadvanceandinsufficienttimetomanagetheprocessinaninformedway.It’swhatisalreadyhappening,orstartingtohappeninourhomesandthatexpectationthatithappensinourworkplacesisonlygoingtogrow.

Have a good month and a wonderful New Year

Oliver

New EU interactive mapping tool shows changes in the Earth’s surface water

SW Water plans field-scale drone trials for leak detection in 2017SouthWestWaterisworkingwiththeUniversityofExetertotesttheuseofdronetechnologyandthermalimagingforleakdetection.Laboratorytestsofthethermalcamerashaveprovedpositiveandfield-scaletrialsareplannedfor2017.

Thetechnologyworksbyattachingathermalsensortoadronewhichwouldthenbeflownalongpipelineroutesparticularlyinrurallocations.Thethermalsensorcandetectdifferencesinsoiltemperaturewhichcouldbecausedbyanescapeofwater.

With18,000kmsofpipe,muchofitinruralandremoteareas,andmorethanamillionserviceconnectionstocustomersthetechnologycouldhelpreducethecostofleakdetectionandrepairbypinpointingmoreexactlythelocationofaleak,particularlyinrurallocationswheretraditionalmethodsarelesseffective.

SouthWestWaterisoneoftheleadingcompaniesfortacklingleakage,withperformancetwiceasgoodastheUKwaterindustryaverageforwaterlostperkilometreofmain.Leakagehasreducedby40%sincetheearly1990sandnowadaysmostvisibleleaksarerepairedwith72hours.

BobTaylor,DirectorofDrinkingWaterServices,commented:

“Waterispartofourregion’snaturalcapital.Itisapreciousresourceand,especiallyonceit’sbeentreated,weallneedtouseitwiselyandnotwasteit.Findingacost-effectivemethodoffindinglargeescapesoftreatedwaterhasthepotentialtohelpsavewaterandmakeourservicemoreefficient,whichiswhywe’recontinuingthistrialwiththeuniversitytotestthetechnologyonalandscapescale.”

WRc Assess & Address® Awarded Dŵr Cymru Framework ContractWRc’sAssessandAddresshaveannouncedtheyhavebeenawardedtheframeworkforDŵrCymruWelshWater’sWaterMainInspection&SurveyServices.AdedicatedteamatWelshWaterestablishedmorethan400trunkdiscreetmeteredareas(TDMA’s)coveringover5000kmofnetwork.Detailedanalysisofbothbalanceresultsandassetperformanceresultedinaneedforaprogramoffurtherfieldworktodeterminetheoriginoftheunaccountedforloss;leakage,unallocateddemand,illegaluseetc.WRchassupportedWelshWatersinceJanuary2016byassessingUnaccountedForWater(UFW)onthisupstreamnetworkbycreatingwaterbalancesforeachTDMAandSRoperatedbyWelshWater.ThisincludeddetailedanalysisofnetworkmeteruncertaintiesusingWRc’sdatabankofmetertestingresearchandexpertknowledge.TheirteamoftechnicalspecialistsalsoproduceddetailedrecommendationsforimmediateinterventionstohelpWelshWaterreduceleakage.

ToaidthisinvestigationWelshWaterhadarequirementtoundertakewatermaininspectionandsurveyactivitiesand,afterarigorousprocurementprocess,aSupplyofServicesAgreementhasbeenawardedtoWRcAssessandAddress®whichwillbesupportedbysupplypartnerAPI.

KeithWalker,HeadofCommercialEnterpriseatWRccomments

“Ourfirstsurveycarriedoutunderthisframeworklocated2Ml/donatrunkmainwhichwashighlightedbyourearlierdesktopanalysisofUFWasagoodcandidate for leak location-agreatsuccess forbothanalysisandfieldteams!We look forwardtocontinuingtoassistWelshWaterwithprioritisingandcompletingtheirWaterMainInspectionandSurveyactivities.”

TheEuropeanCommissionhasco-producedanewinteractivemappingtoolconsistingof3millionsatelliteimagescollectedoverthepast32yearswhichhighlightchangesintheEarth’ssurfacewater.DevelopedbytheCommission’sJointResearchCentreandGoogleEarthEngine,theGlobalSurfaceWaterExplorerisanewonlineinteractivemappingtoolthatwillbeaccessibletoeveryoneandservetoimproveEuropeanandglobalpoliciesforexampleonclimatechangeandwatermanagement.Themapsshowthat,althoughtheoverallamountofsurfacewaterhasincreasedglobally,importantlosseshaveoccurredinspecificregionsofAsia.Themapsrevealthatmanyofthechangesarelinkedtohumanactivitiessuchastheconstructionofdams,riverdiversionandunregulatedwateruse.Otherchangescanbeattributedtoclimatechangeimpacts,includingdroughtsandacceleratedsnowandglaciermeltcaused by higher temperatures and increased rainfall.

TiborNavracsics,CommissionerforEducation,Culture,YouthandSport,responsiblefortheJointResearchCentre,said:

“Thisnewtoolisagoldmine.Largeamountsofdataisgeneratedeverysecondbysatellites.However,turningdataintoknowledgehaslongbeenachallenge.ThisinitiativeoftheJointResearchCentreandGoogleEarthEnginehasenabledsatellitedatatobetranslatedintoauser-friendlytoolthatisbothaccessibletocitizensandwillhelppolicymakersacrosstheEUandtheworldtakeinformeddecisions.”

The information contained in themapswill help policymakers better design andmonitormeasures to prevent andmitigate the amount of flooding,waterscarcityanddroughtsthathasbeenincreasinginsomepartsoftheEU.ThedatacanalsobeusedaspartoftheEU’scontributiontomultilateralenvironmentalagreements,suchastheUnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange,orhelpreachtheSustainableDevelopmentGoals.

Click heretoaccesstheGlobalSurfaceWaterExplorer

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Industry News

New DNA based method set to revolutionise monitoring fish in lakes

AnewDNAmethodthatcouldrevolutionisethewayfisharemonitoredinlakeshasbeenshowntodetect14of16keyfishspeciesknowntobepresentinLakeWindermere,comparedtojustfourspeciesfoundbyconventionalsurveys.

Fisharesensitiveindicatorsofwaterqualityandtheirassessmentisanimportantpartofwatermanagement.InEngland,WalesandScotlandregularlakefishmonitoringisnotfeasiblewithexistingtoolsandresources.Nettingcancaptureallthefishinanarea,butitiscostlyandcaninjureorkillfish.

TheresearchprojecttestedanewapproachtoassessboththetypeandnumbersoffishpresentinthreelargelakesinCumbria(Windermere,BassenthwaiteandDerwentWater)

TheapproachusesenvironmentalDNA(eDNA)-theDNAthatfishleavebehindinthewaterfromtheirskin,urineorfaeces.TheeDNAcanbeusedtoprovideinformationonfishlivinginthelake.NewtechnologyallowsalltheDNAinawatersampletobesequencedandidentified.AccordingtotheEnvironmentAgency,themultispeciesidentificationmethodisrapidandsensitiveandhasrealpotentialtochangethewayitcarriesoutecologicalassessments.

TheworkispartofawiderprogrammeofresearchbyUKagenciestodevelopDNAbasedmethodsforenvironmentalmonitoringanddecisionmaking.

UsingeDNAisrelativelynew,andsofarmuchoftheresearchhasfocusedondevelopingmethodstoassessthepresenceorabsenceofsinglespecies.

Thenextstepwillbetodemonstratethatthefindingscanberepeatedatdifferenttimesoftheyearandthatthemethodhaswiderapplicabilitytoagreaterrangeofwaterbodies,suchasthosewithvariedchemicalandphysicalproperties.

ThenextstepwillbeleadbytheScottishEnvironmentProtectionAgency(SEPA)andwillincludetheassessmentofScottishlochswhicharemorenutrientpoorandwherefish(andeDNA)arelikelytobefoundinmuchlowernumbersaswellasrepeatedassessmentofLakeWindermere.

Bespoke pH adjustment system used at Midlands reservoirAbespokepHadjustmentsystemhasbeenusedtotreat46megalitresofalkalinewatercreatedbyalarge-scaleupgradeprojectataMidlandsreservoir.

SevernTrentWater’sAmbergateReservoirservescustomersthroughouttheEastMidlands,butwithmuchofitsinfrastructuredatingbackover100yearsitisapproachingtheendofitsdesignlife.Asaresult,amajorfour-yearupgradeiscurrentlyunderway.

Partoftheupgradeworkentailedfillingchambersinthenewlyconstructedreservoirwithhighlyalkaline(pH11)limewatertoinducecrystalformationwithinthefinecracksthatoccurredduringthecuringoftheconcretestructure.

TheLaingO’Rourke/NMCjointventureteamworkingontheprojectapproachedprocesssolutionsexpertsSiltbustertocreateasystemcapableoftreatingthe extremely large volume of water used.

ThebespokecontainerisedpHadjustmentsystemcreatedbythecompanywasusedtotreat46megalitres(46,000m3)ofalkalinewateratratesofupto750m3perhourandcleanedtothehigheststandards,enablingittobedischargedintoanearbysurfacewatercourse.

Withlimitedspaceonsiteandtankeringofthewateroff-sitenotanoption,Siltbustercreatedabespokesystemdesignedtotakeasidestreamofthe400m3perhourwaterandsaturateitwithCO2toneutralisethepH.Underpressure,thefullysaturatedwaterwasinjectedbackintothemainstreamofwaterallowingthefull400m3perhourtobeneutralisedbeforebeingdischarged.Thesystemwasrecordedastreatingcirca740m3perhourofthehighpHwaters,whichsignificantlyreducedoveralldewateringtime.

TristanHughes, Siltbuster’sRegional SalesEngineer, said: “Creatingbespoke systems toaddress specific issues is a corepartofwhatwedeliver forourcustomers.Thisprojectinvolvedthetreatmentofextremeflowratessowehadtobuildasystemabletocopeefficientlyandeffectivelywithaveryhighvolumeofwater.Wesuccessfullyachievedthatwhilealsodeliveringenvironmentalandcommercialbenefits.”

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Southern Water adopts cloud-based IT system for sewer monitoring dataSouthernWaterhasadoptedanewsystem for storing itspipeline condition surveydataon the cloud,where it canbeeasily accessedbyengineersandcontractors.TheutilityisnowusingtheWinCanWebsystemrecentlylaunchedbyCCTVreportingsoftwareproviderWinCan.

SouthernWaterhasforsomeyearsutilisedanalternativedocumentmanagementsystemforthecompilationandstorageofitspipelinesurveydata.WithsurveydatabeingprovidedlargelyonDVD,themethodofelectronicstoragemeantthatshouldengineerswishtoviewasurvey,firstthedatafilehadtoberetrievedandthenthewholevideohadtobewatchedtofindthelocationofinterestasthesystemcouldnotutiliseeffectivelylocationselection.

InordertomaketheevaluationanduseoftherecordeddatamoreeffectiveSouthernWaterlookedforanewsystemthatcouldoffertheaccessibilityneededbyitsengineeringteamfromonecentralstoragesource.ItchosetheWinCanWebsystem,whichiscompatiblewiththeWinCanVXsurveyreportingsoftwarewhichiscurrentlybeingusedbyallofSouthernWater’ssurveycontractors.

SouthernWater’spipelineinspectionworksareundertakenbythecompany’sTier1contractor,CappaghBrowne,whichwillengagewithapprovedcontractorson their behalf.

Onceasurveyiscompleted,usingWinCanVXandWinCanWebthereportcanbeuploadedtothecentralstoragefacilityimmediately.Thisfacilitymeansthatifasurveyisofparticularimportanceorurgencyitcanbeviewedbytheengineeringteamwithinminutesofthesurveybeingcompletedorifthesurveyispartofanongoingroutineprogrammethereportcanbeuploadedatalatertime.Thesystemalsoallowstheupdatingandcontinuationofsurveyreportsthatmaybe being either revisited or simply extended from a survey started at an earlier date.

Theprocesshasbeendesignedtobeeasysoastominimisethetimerequiredforthetransferofthedata.Thisnotonlymeansthatmoretimeonsitecanbededicatedtothesurveyitselfbutalsoreducesthe‘off-survey’timerequiredtohandlethedataprocess.Thedataissecurelyheldandbackedup,whiletheabsenceofanyneedforphysicaldeliveryoftheprojectinformationmeansthattheturnaroundofthesurveyresultsfromsitetoreportdeliveryismuchquicker.Leigh-AnnButler,SewerRehabilitationEngineerwithSouthernWater,said:“TheimplementationoftheWinCanWebsystemwithinSouthernWaterhasmadeaccessingandanalysingsurveydatafarmoreuser-friendly.Anyofour50+engineeringteamcannowaccessreportsasandwhenrequiredandsearchthedatafortheinformationtheyneedfromvideosorpicturesaspartoftheirongoingoperations.”

PaulPurton,Surveying&TechnicalManagerforCappaghBrown,added:“Workingwithourapprovedexternalcontractors,theutilisationoftheWinCanVXreportingsoftwarealongsidethenewWinCanWebremotestoragefacilitymeansthatallCCTVreportingisachievedtothesamerecognisedstandardwhilstbeingmadeavailabletoourclientasandwhentheyneedit,whetherthatisimmediatelyornot.Thisminimisestheoff-sitetimethatneedstobeallowedforwhenplanningsurveysmakingthejobmuchmoreefficientandcosteffectiveforbothusasthecontractorandforSouthernWater.”

WinCan’sPaulWoodhouseconcluded:“WeareverypleasedtohavebeenabletoworkwiththeSouthernWaterteamtodevelopasystemthatwillenablethemtomanage,planandimplementtheirpipelinenetworkoperationsbasedoncurrentandeasilyaccessibledata.ThistypeofsituationispreciselythesortofoperationthatWinCanWebhasbeendesignedtohandlequicklyandeffectively.WewillofcoursecontinuetobeavailabletoofferanysupportthatisnecessarytoSouthernWater’sengineeringteamasthenewWinCansystemdevelopsfurther.”

Google And University Of Michigan Team Up To Help Flint With New AppResidentsofFlint,MI,continuetohaveconcernsabouttheirwatersystem.Evenwhenofficialshavestatedthewaterissomewhatsafetodrinkwithuseoffiltrationsystems,residentsremainsceptical.Inanefforttohelp,theUniversityofMichiganandGooglehavepartneredtocreateanappthatwillassistFlintresidents with the water crisis.

TheAssociatedPressreported,inastorypublishedbyABCNews,thattheapp,knownas“Mywater-Flint,”wasdevelopedbycomputerscienceresearchersattheuniversity’sFlintandAnnArborcampuseswithGoogle’stechnicalandfinancialsupport.Theapptoolsaredesigned“toprovideinformationaboutlead-testingresults,watertesting,wherepipeshavebeenreplacedandthelocationofdistributioncentresforwaterandfilters.”Developersoftheapphavesaidthattheycanalso“predict”whichhomesaremorelikelytohavehigherleadlevelsbasedontheirage,location,value,andsize.

AccordingtoTechTimes,computerscientistsatUM’sFlintandAnnArborcampusesworkedwithGoogleinordertoprovidepeopleinaffectedareaswithinformationonhowtheFlintwatercrisisisbeingdealtwith.Googlegavetheresearchersa$150,000granttoassistinfundingtheproject.

“We’vedevelopedanessentialresource,”UMcomputerscienceassistantprofessorJakeAbernethytoldUM-FlintNews.“It’sanindependentplatformthatgivespeopleinformationtheyneedandwanttoknowastheynavigatethiscomplexsituation.”

ThosewhouseMywater-Flintwillbeabletologintofindoutabouttestingofnewlyplacedwaterpipes,inadditiontowherewaterdistributioncentresandfiltersarelocatedintheircommunity.

Theresearchteamalsohopes“thatthenewappcanhelppromotetransparencyandtrustamongthepeopleofFlintdevastatedbythecrisis.”

Recently,lawmakersonCapitolHillpassedabillthatseekstoprovideemergencyaidforFlint.

TheWaterResourcesDevelopmentAct(WRDA)andacontinuingresolutionwill“provide$100millionforleadremovalprojectsinFlintthroughtheDrinkingWaterStateRevolvingFundandanother$20milliontoEPAtobeginissuingloansundertheWaterInfrastructureFinanceandInnovationAct(WIFIA)program,”accordingtotheAssociationofMetropolitanWaterAgencies.

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Ofwat concerned about Yorkshire and Southern’s data quality

Nomenca retains and expands MEICA framework with EANomenca, part of NMGroup, has retained itsMEICA frameworkwith the Environment Agency (EA) in the South-west region and expanded its currentoperationalarea.

Thetwo-yearprogrammeformspartofNomenca’sserviceandmaintenanceportfolio,andwillseeitdeliverplannedpreventativemaintenance,projectworksanda24-hour,365-dayreactivemaintenanceservicetoEAassets.Theseinclude:pumpstations;floodgates;sluicegates;buildingsandpenstocks.

For thepastdecade,NomencahasprovidedMEICAservices to theEA in thenorthWessexregion,which isacombinedareaofSomerset,AvonandthenorthernsectionofwestWiltshire.NotonlyhasitretainedthisareabuthasalsobeensuccessfulinbeingawardedthesouthWessexregionforthefirsttime,whichcoversDorsetandsouthWiltshire.

BenWilson,Nomenca’sframeworkmanager,said:“TheEAisakeyclientforushavingworkedtogetherforsuchalongperiod.Ouroperationalteamshavebeeninvolvedinbothemergency,non-MEICArelatedincidents,particularlyinfloodsituations.WeareobviouslydelightedtohaveretainedthisframeworkandarerelishingtheprospectofdeliveringacrossthesouthWessexarea.”

OfwathasraisedconcernsaboutthequalityofdataprovidedbyYorkshireWaterandSouthernWaterinmonitoringperformance.

Initsannualassessmentofwatercompanies’informationquality,Ofwatsaidthetwocompanies“didnotprovidesufficientconfidenceandassurance”abouttheirabilitytodeliver,monitorandreportperformance.Thisledtoa“reductionintrustandconfidence”,itsaid.

Theregulatorhasdemotedthetwocompaniestothe‘prescribed’categoryofitscompanymonitoringframework.Meanwhile,SouthEastWater,SevernTrentWaterandUnitedUtilitiesallmoveduptothe‘self-assurance’category.Thesecompaniesmetexpectationsinmost,ifnotall,ofOfwat’sassessments.

SouthWestWaterandAffinityWatermoveddowntothe‘targeted’category.Theydidnotconsistentlymeetthehighstandardsexpectedforcompaniesinthe‘self-assurance’category,whichledtoareductioninthetrustandconfidencestakeholderscanhaveintheirinformation.

OfwatseniordirectorKeithMasonsaid:“Weexpectcompaniestobetransparentandhaveprocessesinplacetoensuretheirinformationcanbetrusted.Theratingswehavepublishedtodayenablecustomerstocomparetheirwatercompanywithothers,whichisimportanttohelpdriveimprovement.

“We assess largewater companies each year on the quality of their information. The top performerswill have less involvement from us.Wherewe’reconcernedbythequalityofthisinformation,wewillintervenetomakesuretheyimprove.”

AspokeswomanforSouthernWatersaidalthoughthecompanywas“disappointed”withOfwat’sdecision,itwillusetheratingsassessmentto“drivefurtherimprovements”andensureitisprovidinginformationinan“openandtransparentmannerwhichbenefitsourcustomersandstakeholders”.“WelookforwardtoworkingwithOfwatinmakingtheseimprovements,”shesaid.

Ofwatsaiditwouldtakeaccountofthequalityofcompanies’informationinitsnextregulatoryreview–PR19–whichconcludesin2019.PR19willreviewmonopolycompanies’revenuesandpricingpoliciesbeyond2020.Companiesthatwishtosecure‘enhanced’status,andbenefitfromastreamlinedprocess,must“demonstratehighqualityinformationandassurance”.

All‘targeted’and‘prescribed’companiesnowhavetheopportunitytoimprovetheirstatusbeforethisprocessbegins.

Driving Your Digital Roadmap To The FutureIt’s the same old story:Water andwastewater utility leaders are presentedwith incredible challenges. Aged and crumbling infrastructures, alongwithheightenedregulations,arecreatingcapitalneeds that farexceedavailable revenues,andmountingutility ratesaregenerating fatigueand frustration inratepayers.Leadersarecaughtinaconstantbalancebetweentheneedtoaddressexistingissuesandtheresponsibilityforplanningforthefuture.Termssuchas“smartinfrastructure”and“datamanagement”arefloatingaroundlikesolidsinaclarifier.

Themortgageandthedreamvacationaside,howdoesamodernutilitymanagerresisttheurgetowalk—no,run—awayfromitall?Theanswermaybesimplerthanyourealize.

“Iaminthebusinessoflegacybuilding,”statesKCWater’schiefengineeringofficer,AndyShively.“Wearethestewardsofthepeopleandgatekeepersfortomorrow’sgeneration.Peopleareourmostpreciousresource.”

Leadersarecaughtinaconstantbalancebetweentheneedtoaddressexistingissuesandtheresponsibilityforplanningforthefuture.Shively’sapproachhasbeenreferredtoasthe“peopleparadigmshift”—andit’sthecatalystthatdrivestheapplicationofmassiveamountsofdatainKansasCity,MO.KCWaterhascollectedmorethan30terabytesofdata,andthedepartmentisaddingover200additionalgigabyteseachmonth.

Data Management

Withthisquantityofrecords,itisnotasurprisethatmanyutilitydirectorsacrossthenationarenowincludingthemanagementofdataaspartofthecapitalimprovementsplanningprocess.Technologycompanies,suchasMicrosoftandEsri,arerisingtomeetthisneedbyprovidingsuitesofapplicationproductsor“apps”specificallydesignedtohelpwaterandwastewaterutilitiescollect,analyse,andsharedata.IndustryorganizationssuchastheNationalAssociationofCleanWaterAgencies(NACWA)andtheNationalAssociationofSewerServices(NASSCO)havealsorespondedtothistrendbyreleasingstandardsbywhichthatdatashouldbecollected,formatted,andcoded.

continuedoverleaf

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“Thewaterandwastewaterindustryisexperiencinganincredibleshiftintheuseofinformationandmaps,”statesMarkRobbinsofEsri’sGlobalWaterPractice.“Fouryearsago,utilitieswereprimarilyfocusedonmappingtheirassetsandtrackingsomeinformationonleaksandbreaks.Now,utilitiesarecollectingandanalysingevenmoreinformationastheyrespondtoratepayerpressureforgreatertransparencyinprovingthevalueoftheirwork.”

Datamanagementmaybeahot,newtopic,butShivelybelievesthatdatamanagementisnotanewpractice.“Simplyput,dataisinformation.Ourforefathersusedinformation,orwhatwenowcalldata,tomakeimportantdecisionsaboutournation’sinfrastructure.”

Shivelyfurtherstatesthatthesmartuseofdatahasamultigenerationaleffect.Likeatimecapsule,ournation’sagingwaterandsewerlinescontainadeephistoryofinformationlaidbythestewardswhomanagedtheinfrastructuregenerationsbefore.Thisdataisthekeytounlockinganswerstotoday’sincreasingnumberof challenges.

The People Principle

ThisbringsusbacktowhatShivelysaysisourmostimportantresource:people.

“Dataaloneisauselesscollectionofzerosandones.Ourinfrastructureisliterallyadigitalroadmaptothefuture,butweneeddriverstofindsolutions,”statesShively.”Tofunction,datarequirestheelementofpeople—thosewhoarewillingtoapplycriticalthinkingtoourcollectivehistoryofinfrastructureandconnectdatawithrealsolutionsthatimpactfuturegenerations.”

KansasCityisonamissiontobecomethemostconnectedSmartCityintheworld,andShivelyservesaspartofthecity’sSmartCityAdvisoryBoard,representingthecaretakerswhoarehelpingtobuildthesmartestcityontheplanet—fromthegroundup.

Working The Numbers

In Kansas City, Shively and his teamexamine all possible impacts to determine the reasons for systems failures and tomake smart decisions about futureinvestments.Thefirststepfortheteamistocollectinformation,ordata,aboutallaspectsofthecity’swater,wastewater,andstormwatersystem.Thisdataincludesthepipes’datesofinstallation,diameters,andbreakhistories.Shively’steamthenaddspeopletotheequationbyratingtheconsequencesoffailureeachpipesegmentwillhavefortheresidentsofthecity.Throughthisapproach,Shivelyhashelpedfindmultiplesolutionsthathaveproventoincreaseservicereliability,reduceexpenditures,andcreatesmartplanstoaddressthecity’sspecificinfrastructureneeds.

Byanalysingmorethanacenturyofdata,Shivelydiscoveredthatcertainwatermainsegmentscarriedhigherlikelihoodsoffailure—thosesegmentsincludedpipe6”andsmaller,pipeinstalledfromthe1940sthroughthe1960s,andsegmentswithhistoriesofmultiplefailures.Thisdatawasusedtostrategicallyandproactivelyreplacethecity’smostcriticalandbreak-pronewatermains.This100-yearplanhasalreadyreducedwatermainbreaksfrom1,839in2011toonly746in2015.

Thecity’sprivateinflowandinfiltrationprogram,consideredtobeamongthelargest inthenation,alsomakessmartuseofsystemdataandfeedbackfromresidents.Theprogram,calledKeepOuttheRain,wasdevelopedusingacombinationofdatacollectedthroughsmoketesting,dyed-watertesting,andclosed-circuittelevision(CCTV)work.ThedatapointedShively’steamtotheareasofthecitymostimpactedbyinflowandinfiltrationissues.KeepOuttheRainteamsarenowtargetingthoseareastoperformfreesewerconnectionevaluationsandprovidefreeplumbingrepairsthatwillreducetheamountofstormwaterenteringthesystem.Datahelpscustomersfindoutiftheyarewithintheworkareassimplybyenteringtheiraddressesonline.On-siteevaluationteamsareabletoaccessdatainrealtimetoimmediatelycalculatewhetherornotrepairsarecost-effectiveforthecity;andoutreachteamsusereal-timedataentryfromtheevaluatorstocataloguecustomerfeedbackandadjustcommunicationefforts,whichencourageparticipationintheprogram.

In 2012, Shively worked closely with the city’s information technology team and with Esri developers to create a solution to the city’s annual hydrantinspectionprocess.Theteamcustomizedan“off-the-shelf”Esriapplicationtoeliminateapaperprocessthatwasresultingindelayedrepairstohydrants.InspectionteamscannowlocatehydrantsusingaGISandinstantlyuploadinspectionreportsandpicturesofhydrantdefects.Workorderstorepairdamagedhydrantsareautomaticallygenerated.Thisprocesshasdroppedthepercentageofout-of-servicehydrantsfrom4percentin2011toaconsistentlessthan1percentout-of-servicenumbersince2013.

In2016Shivelyandhisteamcompleteda100-yearplanforstrategicsewermainrehabilitationbasedoninformationprovidedthroughCCTVvideodata,NASSCOcoding,andpipemaintenancehistory.Theteamisalsolaunchingadata-drivenwatermainrepairapplicationwhichhelpsinspectorstriagebreaksituationsinthefieldandquicklyandaccuratelylocatethecorrectvalvestoshut.

InKansasCity,dataisakeyelementinprovidingresponsiveandreliableservicetocustomers,anditsupportstheframeworkforthecity’s100-yearwaterandsewerinfrastructureinvestmentplans.Still,theequationisnotcompletewithoutindustryleaders,suchasShively,tofindandimplementsolutionsthatwillhavemultigenerationaleffects.

“Everyonehasbeentotheschoolofhardknocks,butunfortunatelythereisnoalumniassociation,”remarksShively.“Weeachhavearesponsibilitytosharesuccessesandlearnfromfailuressothatwecanallbuildalegacyforthenextgeneration.”

Building A Better Future

Thisyear,Shivelyinitiatedanationalchallengetocityleadersandutilitycontractorsencouragingthemtobeproactiveinfindingthestrategicanddata-drivensolutionsnecessarytorelievefuturegenerationsofthecrisisofinfrastructurefundinggapsthatcitiesfacetoday.KansasCity’sbillion-dollarsmartinfrastructurechallengeincludestheuseofdatamanagementtofindandimplementthesesolutions.

MoreinformationaboutKansasCity’ssmartcityapproachcanbefoundatkcmo.gov.

continued

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One City, One Plan, One Water: How Los Angeles Is Transforming Water ManagementCarolloEngineersunveilsanambitiousplantoturnoneofAmerica’smostwater-stressedcitiesintoamodelofsustainabilityandresiliency.LosAngelesramblesacrossnearly500squaremilesofcoastalbasininSouthernCalifornia,brandishingvastbeaches,woodedhills,andsomeofthelargestcompaniesandindustriesinthenation.Withapopulationtopping4million,areliablewatersupplyisoneofthekeystokeepingthecitygrowingandvibrant.

YetCaliforniaisnowinitsfifthyearofapersistentandunforgivingdrought,strainingthecity’sabilitytoeffectivelymanageitsvariouswatersuppliesandsourcestomeetcustomerdemands.OnOct.14,2014,LosAngelesMayorEricGarcettiissuedExecutiveDirectiveNumber5inresponsetothelackofrainfallandongoingdrought.Fromthisdirectivewasbornthecity’s“OneWaterLA2040Plan,”whichisanintegratedapproachforcombiningwatersupplyaugmentation,wastewatertreatment,andstormwaterrunoffcaptureandmanagementintoa$10-to$20-billioncapitalimprovementprogram.Thecapitalimprovementswillbepartofthecity’songoingeffortstoexpandlocalwatersuppliesbymorethan200,000acrefeetperyearthroughrecycledwater,groundwaterrecharge,andstormwater(both dry and wet weather) capture and use.

Ultimately,thecityhopestobeabletousetherivernotonlyasanecologicalasset,butasawaytostorewaterforeithergroundwaterreplenishmentoranalternativetopotablewaterforirrigation.

Oncecomplete,thiscollaborativeplanwillbothchartthecourseformanagingthecity’sfuturewaterneedsforthenext25yearsandanswerMayorGarcetti’scalltomakethecity’swatersupplymoreresistanttotheeffectsofdroughtandclimatechange.

A Model Plan

CarolloEngineersispartneringwiththecityofLosAngelesindevelopingandimplementingtheOneWaterLAPlan—aneffortthatisforgingnewcollaborativerelationshipsacrossthecityanddrivingthedevelopmentofnewtoolsandtechnologiestomeetthecity’sprojectgoals.

TheactualOneWaterLAPlanbeganwithacomprehensive,integratedwatermodelthatlinkedmultiplewatertypesandsourcestocreateawaterbalancetool.ThisinvolvedaninnovativeadaptationofCarollo’sBluePlan-it™model,whichwasconfiguredtoaccountforallofthecity’skeywatersupplysources,includingadozensewersheds,fourwastewatertreatmentplants,andhundredsofmilesofstormdrainsandchannels.

OncetheBluePlan-itmodellingframeworkwasinplace,Carollowasabletohelpthecitydevelopandevaluatemultiplewatersupplyscenariosagainstaseriesofspecificcriteria,includingresiliencytoclimatechange,distributedversuscentralizedinfrastructure,andcost.Inaddition,thecitywasabletoexploreanumberofsensitivescenariostodeterminetheoverallrobustnessofpotentialsolutionstovariouskindsofuncertainty.Theresultsoftheseeffortswillbecomedetailedfacilityplansfortheproductionandmaximizationofrecycledwatertoaugmentlocalwatersupplies,thecaptureandinfiltrationofmorethan100,000acrefeetperyearofrunofftoaugmentgroundwatersupplies,andthecaptureandtargetedreuseof85percentofthestormwatertraditionallylosttotheocean.Eachoftheseplanswillincludetriggersthatestablishclearguidelinesforwhenthecityproceedswithsubsequentphasesoffacilityconstruction.

“Wereachedsomeinterestingconclusionsduringourmodellingefforts,”notesGilCrozes,Carollo’sOneWaterLAprojectdirector.“Wedeterminedthatwhilesomeofthewatermanagementsolutionscouldcomefromadaptingcurrenttreatmentandmonitoringtechnologies,someofthethingsthecitywantstodointhefuturewillrequirenewandinnovativetechnologiesdevelopedbythewaterindustryitself.”

Oneexampleoftheneedfornewtechnologiesisfoundinthecity’soldestwaterway,theLosAngelesRiver.FromtheearliestdaysofLosAngeles,theLARiverwasakeywatersourceforthepuebloandearlycityresidents.However,aseriesofseverefloodsintheearly20thcenturyresultedinseveralfloodcontrolmeasuresthat transformed the once untamed river into a series of concrete channels.

WithgrowinginterestintheLARiverasbothawatersourceandrecreationalarea,CarolloisleadingtheLosAngelesRiverFlowStudyaspartoftheOneWaterLAPlan.Thestudy’sobjectiveistodevelopaconsistentunderstandingofexistingandfutureflowsintotheLARiverandthewaterneedstomeettherestorationobjectivesbeingcompletedbytheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers.Thiswillrequirenewmethodstomonitorandevaluatetheriver’shydrologicalconditionsandsensitivehabitats,aswellasnewwaystomaintainexistingecosystems.Ultimately,thecityhopestobeabletousetherivernotonlyasanecologicalasset,butasawaytostorewaterforeithergroundwaterreplenishmentoranalternativetopotablewaterforirrigation.

Communication As A Key To Success

Naturally,withanylarge-scaleeffortinvolvingmultipledepartments,regulatoryagencies,andahostofstakeholdersacrossthecity,communicationandoutreachiscriticaltoprojectsuccess.Toeffectivelymanagestakeholderparticipation,thecityusedathree-levelframework(Inform—Involve—Collaborate)tobetterarticulatewherestakeholderinputwasgoingtobemostsought.Inaddition,thecityusedfourdifferentgroupstoprovideinput:one-on-onemeetings,anadvisory group, special topic groups, and the general stakeholder group. Using this layered approach, the city has been able to more quickly and moreeffectivelygettheinputneeded.WithCarollo’ssupport,theOneWaterLAprogramhasheldstakeholderoutreachmeetingsandtownhalleventsformorethan80neighborhoodcouncils,15councildistricts,andmorethanadozenlocal,state,andfederalagencies.

TheresultsfromthecityofLosAngeles’OneWaterLAwillbesomeofthemostcollaborativeandforward-thinkingwatermanagementplanninginthecountry.OneWaterLAisdemonstratingtheabilityofamajormetropolitancitytocometogether,cooperatebothinternallyandexternally,andmakethesignificantcapitalplanningdecisionsneededtosecureareliableandsustainablewatersupplyforbothnewresidentsandfuturegenerations.ForLosAngeles,theoverallresultwillbegreaterpublicandbusinessconfidencewhich,inturn,willhelpwithraisingthefundingnecessarytoimplementtheOneWaterLAprogram.WhilethelessonslearnedinLosAngeleswilltranslatetosimilarcitiesacrossthecountry,untilthathappens,theOneWaterLAPlanwillsetthestandardforintegratedapproachestowatermanagementacrossavastrangeofresidential,commercial,andenvironmentaldemands.

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Article:

ORP Sensors – Are They Really The Best Thing “Since Sliced Bread”?

TherehavebeenmanypublicationslatelythatclaimuniversalappealoftheORPsensorsandtheirapplicabilityacrosstheboard.Thisconcernsme,becausetheauthorssometimesforgettomentionsomewell-knownpracticallimitationsofthemethod,letalonetherealitiesofwatertreatmentapplicationspotentially influencingthesensorperformance.This iswhyI’d liketosettherecordstraightandprovideabalancedaccountofwhattheORPmethodandsensors are good for and where may be not be appropriate. I am doing this only because the misunderstanding of this method may cause confusion among theengineeringcompaniesspecifyinganalyticalequipmentforwaterutilitiesandthis,inturn,causespotentialmisapplicationofthistechnologyandfailedend-userexpectations.

TheORPmethodthatstandsforOxidation-ReductionPotentialbearsinitsnametheimplicationthatitisapplicableonlyformonitoringthechemicalreactionswithnotjustexchangeofelectrons,butaccompaniedwithchangeinoxidationdegreeofsomeions,molecules,oratomsinsuchprocesses(redoxreactions).Therefore,suchchemicalreactionsareaccompaniedbychangeinredoxpotentialofthesolutionandthisiswhatORPsensorsdetect–changeinthepotential,notconcentrationofspecificmolecules,atoms,orions.Canthischangebecorrelatedtotheshiftinconcentrationofthespeciesofinterest?Ofcourse;however,wemustalwaysbecognizantofthecostofsuchcorrelationandthefactorsaffectingitsaccuracy.

Itisagivenandwell-knownfactthataccuracyoftheORPmethodandsensorsbuiltuponitisdependentonsuchcommonfactorsastemperatureandpHofthesolutiontonamejustafew.Ifthetemperatureinfluencemaybecompensatedrelativelyeasily,thepHprovidesanoticeableinterferenceandmustbeeithercontrolledoritsswingsmustbecompensatedbymultiplesensorsandsomemathematicalalgorithm.Thealgorithmmaybeassimpleorascomplexasthematrixwherethemeasurementtakesplace,becausethepHmayinfluencetheoxidantsandreducersinadifferentmanner.Let’saddanotherknowninterferencetotheORPmeasurement–activityoftheionsinthesolution,whichiscorrelatedwithtotaldissolvedsolids(TDS)andmaybecalledthematrixeffect.However,thisinterferencemaydependonthenatureofsuchsolidsandthereforesuchinfluencemaybequantitativelydifferentbaseduponthewatersamplecomposition.

Thus,wecanconcludethatthebestuseoftheORPtechnologyisinstablewatermatriceswheremajorinterferencesareundercontrol.Thebestexampleofsuchmatrixiscoolingwaterthatispreparedwithcorrosioncontrolinmindandthereforehasmostoftheconstituentsundertightcontrol.Therefore,itmakessensethatincoolingwateronecancorrelateORPofthewaterwithconcentrationoftheoxidizingdisinfectantwithacceptabledegreeofaccuracy.Thereareotherexamplesofsuchstablesamplesandtheymaybecombinedundertheumbrellaofindustrialwaterapplications–theapplicationswhenthematrixistightlycontrolledtoachievespecificgoalsandtheonlyvariableistheredoxreaction.

Whenthewatersampleisnotastightlycontrolled,thereisanotherwaytoefficientlycorrelateconcentrationsofaddedoxidizerorreducertothematrix–byapplyingORPinadifferentialmanner,beforeandafteradditionofthetargetanalyte.However,insomesituationstherearebetteralternativesaswasimple-mentedinasuccessfulapplicationofdifferentialconductivitymeasurementforCIP(clean-in-place)processes,whentheORPwasevaluatedanddismissed.1

Themost important lessonhere is tounderstandthedifferencebetweenthe industrialapplicationswherethewatermatrixcanand,sometimes,mustbecontrolledandmunicipalapplications(DWandWW)wheresuchcontrolisnoteasilyachievableandmaybeimpossible.Therefore,blindlyrecommendingORPsensorsforthelatterapplicationsseemsatleastirresponsible.

There isanotheraspectdiminishing thevalueofORPsensors inall applicationsacross theboard that is frequentlyoverlooked– the sensormaintenancerequirements.Itiswellknownthatallelectrochemicalsensorsrequirecalibration,becausethecoretechnologyisbaseduponconsumptionoftheelectrodematerial,etc.

However,speakingspecificallyoftheORPsensors,noteveryoneknowsthattheirresponseto increaseanddecreaseoftheoxidant isuneven,especiallywhenthematrix influenceissignificant.ThefigurebelowshowsresultsofatestconductedataWWTPwheretheresponsetodechlorinatingagentfeedwasrecorded:

Ascanbeseenfromthegraphs,thereisanadvantageinspeedofresponseto increase of the oxidant (chlorine) vs. a regular colorimetric method (Hach CL17); however, there is a very sluggish response of the ORP sensor todecreaseof chlorine concentration,while theCL17 responded immediately.ThisandotherfactorsmaygreatlyreduceaccuracyoftheORPcorrelationtotheconcentrationoftargetanalyteandmayrequireaspecificinstrumentationsetup,additionalcalibrations,andmathematicalalgorithmstoprovideongoing verification of the sensor performance, as described in thispublication.2

TheadvantagespotentiallyprovidedbytheORPsensorsmaybeeasilyoffsetbythesensorfouling,whichisnotuncommoninWWandrawwater(DWintake) applicationswhere implementationof this technology is frequentlyrecommendedbysomeE&Ccompaniesandsensormanufacturers.Therearepublished evidences that fouling of the ORP sensor may completely erase all advantagesincostand“ease-of-use”andthereforeothermethodstocontrolrawwaterpre-oxidationmayberecommended.3

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Toconclude,IwouldliketoreiterateafewmainthoughtsaboutimplementationoftheORPtechnologyandassociatedsensors:

• KnowyourwaterandavoidORPtechnologyifthematrixisunstable;• InordertoprovidemeaningfulcorrelationofORPwithconcentrationoftargetanalyte,allinterferingfactors,e.g.pH,temperature,TDS,etc.mustbe

tightlycontrolledortrulycompensated;• Inordertoachieveexpectedperformance,ORPtechnologymayneedtobeimplementedinadifferentialmode,beforeandafteradditionoftheoxidant/

reducer;• BeawareofmaintenancerequirementstoensureORPsensorperformance;• BeawareofsluggishresponseoftheORPtodecreaseofoxidantconcentrationinthesample;• Basedonalltheabove,scrutinizethesuggesteduseoftheORPtechnologytounderstandtheadvantagesanddeficiencies,especiallyiftheapplicationis

in the municipal water treatment.

1. “InductiveConductivityforControlofCIPProcesses”-VadimB.Malkov,JeffTocio–Proceedingsof53thISAAnalyticalDivisionSymposium(April20-23,2008),Calgary,Canada,AD2008.S12

2. VadimB.Malkov,DavidL.Rick“Oxidation/ReductionMeasurement”-USPatent,Pub.No.:US2012/0298529A1,Nov.29,20123. VadimMalkovandMikeSadar,“ControlofIronandManganeseOzoneRemovalbyDifferentialTurbidityMeasurements”–Ozone:Science&Engineering,2010,Vol.32,

Issue4,p.286-291

Drones: How They Can Change Your Water OperationsAneyeintheskyoffersanewdatasetfortreatmentplantandpipelineinfrastructureplanningand decision making.

Aswaterandwastewateroperationscontinuetoupgrade,expand,andimprovemaintenanceprocedures,thenewkidonthetechnologyblockcanhelp.

Drones,alsoknownasunmannedaircraftsystems,areusuallyoutfittedwithcamerasystemsthat can be used for aerial photogrammetry. Photogrammetry is a form of photography that tiestopresetdatapointsontheground.Thevisualstakenbyadronethenalignwiththedatapoints,enablingcreationof3Dimagesandinteractivemodels.

How can this help a waterline system operator,waterorwastewatertreatmentplant,orpipelineinstaller?

The informationcollectedfromadronecanbeusedtocreateacomprehensivesetofplansdetailingafacilityorundergroundutilitysystem—iftheutilitiesareintrenchesandviewablefromabove.Overtime,mostwateroperationsgo throughmultiple stagesofadditions, addpipelines,orestablishnewphasesofoperations.Siteinformationiscontainedinseparatedocumentsinmultipleplaces,andperhapsonlyoneortwoofyourstaffwhohaveworkedwithyouforyearsknowalloftheinsandoutsofyourfacility.Adronecancollectthousandsofphotographsofexistingfacilitiesandutilitiesbeinginstalledorupdated,and skilled surveyorsanddatamanagers can combine those images intoan interactive, visualmap foruseinallfutureplanningneeds.Yourinformationistheneasilyaccessible,containedinoneplace,andasthoroughaspossible.Themapincludesprecisemeasurements.ThephotosandinformationcollectedcanalsobeturnedintoanOrthoprintor3Dmodelforengineerstouseinhelpingdesignupgradestofacilitiesoroperations.

Dronescanalsobeusedforinspectionsduringtheconstruction process. Rather than budgeting dollars for aninspectortowalkthepipelineeveryfewdays,adronecanflyover regularly, takingphotos to inspect constructionprogressand integrity. If an issue is found and needs to be reported,high-definitionphotostakenbythedronecanbeincludedinthereport.Insomecases,whentherearedisagreementsbetweenaprojectownerandacontractor,adronecancollectreal-timeinformationtoreviewandpinpointmaterialamountsorotherdiscrepancies.

Ifyou’reinterestedincollectingyourfacilityorinfrastructureinformationviadrone,lookforanexperiencedsurveyingfirmtocompletethework.RETTEWwasgrantedanexemptionbytheFederalAviationAdministrationtouseadroneforcommercialpurposes,whichisanimportantfactorinselectingasurveyingcompany.Thefirmisalsoinsuredfordroneoperations.Surveyorsthatarewell-trainedinaerialphotogrammetryskillsknowhowtoplacecontrolpointsintherightplacesandcanquantifyandqualifythedatacollected.Expertsurveyorsalsousenationalmappingstandards,ensuringafinalproducttrustedbywaterandwastewateroperators.

Usingadronefordatacollectioncanhelpyouwithprojectsrangingfromupdatingprocessestodesigningadditions,aswellasbuildingchanges,maintenance,anddemolition.Thespecificplansandmeasurementsdetailedwithaneasy-to-usevisualsoftwarecanmakeyourlifeeasierasyouroperationscontinuetoevolve.

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Case Study:

The use of Online Monitoring to Detect Low-Level of THMs

in Treated Wastewater

Summary

TheCityofPasoRobles,Californiausedanonlinewaterqualityinstrumenttocharacterizeandmonitorlow-levelsofbromodichloromethane(BDCM)anddibromochloromethane (DBCM) in their treated wastewater for ground water recharge (GWR) use. The high frequency of reliable and accurate trihalomethane (THM) dataprovidedbytheonlineinstrumentprovedessentialtotheCity’sdisinfectionby-product(DBP)strategytoobtainregulatorycompliancewithNPDESpermitlevels.

Introduction

TheCityofPasoRoblesoperatesa4.9mgdactivatedsludgewastewatertreatmentplant(WWTP) tomeet the needs of 36,000plus residents and a number of local vineyardsandwineries.TreatedwastewaterfromthefacilityisusedforGWRtoreplenishthePasoRobeswaterbasinandSalinasRiver.ThefacilityfacesstringentNPDESpermitrestrictionsoneffluentlevelsoftotalnitrogen(TN),microbiologyandTHMs.

Prior to 2015 the Paso RoblesWWTP encountered routine TN and toxicity violations.Thetricklingfilterplantanduseofeffluentsettlingpondsprovided minimalnitrogenremovaltreatment,whilelargelevelsofeffluentammoniareactingwiththedisinfectantchlorine(indirectchloramination)assuredTHMcompliance.TheStateWaterBoardinstructed the city to remediate TN and toxicity violations with a plant upgrade thatwould better address nitrogen removal treatment tomeet the TN 10mg/Lmaximumrequirement.

BNR Upgrade Leads to Increased THM Formation

AsaresultoftherecommendationfromtheStateWaterBoardthePasoRoblesWWTPunderwenta$47milliondollarupgradetoabiologicalnutrientremoval(BNR)processin2015ineffortstoachievecompliance.TheupgradehelpedthefacilityreduceTNbyusingbacteriatoconvertammoniainthetreatedeffluentintonitrogengas,whichislost,andothernitrogenspecies.However,anunexpectedconsequenceoftheupgradewasanincreaseinTHMformation(Figure1).

By effectively reducing ammonia levels, the chlorine disinfectant injected prior to effluent discharge reactedwith the residual organicmatter leading toelevatedTHMlevels.WhereasTotalTHM(TTHM)levelswerebelowpracticalquantitationlimits(PQL)priortotheinstallationoftheBNRprocess,followingtheupgradelevelsaveragedapproximately60ppb.Thefacilityfacedquarterlyfinesupto$12,000asaresultoftheTHMviolations.

Figure 1 City of Paso Robles WWTP Effluent Parameters Before & After BNR Upgrade

Regulated Contaminant NPDES Limit Before BNR Upgrade After BNR Upgrade

Total Nitrogen 10ppm ~40ppm2 ~10ppm4

Total Coliforms 23MPN1 In&OutofCompliance RoutinelyatMethodDetectionLimit(1.8MPN)

THMs 0.56ppbBDCM0.40ppbDBCM Non-Detect3 TTHM~60ppb5

BDCM~15ppb

1.MPN-mostprobablenumberin100mLovera7daymedian2.Almostallasammonia3.Verylowlevelsduetolargeexcessofammoniapre-disinfectionwithCl24.Mostlynitrate,~0ppmammonia5.Beforeimplementingchloramination

Paso Robles Wastewater treatment Works

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Chloramination Trial to Mitigate THM Formation

InanefforttoreduceTHMlevelswithoutcompromisingdisinfectionandTNlimitstheWWTPfacilitytrialledtheuseofchloramination.

ThechloraminationevaluationbeganinMarch2016andwasoperatedunderthefollowingconditions:

• Cl2dosingtomaintainresidualof9ppm• Ammoniumsulphate(15-30%)dosingupstreamofCl2disinfection• NH3andCl2dosingpumpspeedsrespondtoprocessflowvolumesandresidualBNRammonia• Disinfectioncontacttime~50minutes• FinalneutralizationofexcessCl2withNaHSO3• THM compliance point at discharge into Salinas River after a weir and a polishing channel that further reduces concentrations of THMs by

volatilizationandevaporation

ThefacilityreliedonstandardlaboratorymethodstoquantifyTTHMlevelsatthestartofthechloraminationtrial.However,obtainingahighfrequencyofgrabsamplesresultsneededtofacilitatetheoptimizationofthechloraminationprocessbecameimpractical.Usingananalyticallaboratory,itwouldtakeuptotwoweekstoobtainresults,cost$250/sample,andthefacilitywouldreceivedatedresultsofwaterqualitythathadalreadybeendischarged.Lookingformoretimelyresults,thefacilitydecidedtopilotanewonlinelow-levelTHMmonitormanufacturedbyAquaMetrologySystems(AMS)thatwouldallowthemtoacceleratetheoptimizationofthechloraminationprocessbyprovidinghighfrequency,realtimeandreliabledataonTTHM,DBCMandBDCMlevels.

Low-level Online THM Detection Methodology

ThestandardconfigurationoftheonlineTHM-100™analyzerusesa“purge-and-trap”methodtoextracttheTHMsfroma250mLsample,followedbytheirdesorptionintoachemicalmixturethatgeneratesacolouredproductwhenheated.Onceheated,atime-resolvedspectrophotometricanalysisofthereactionkineticsisperformedsincethefourTHMspecies(chloroform,bromodichloromethane,dibromochloromethaneandbromoform)reactatdifferentrates.ThereactionabsorbancesforthesampleandcalibrationparametersderivedfromtheonboardTHMstandardarethenusedtocalculatethesample’scompositionandconcentrationsofTHMspeciesandtheirtotal.

Thelow-levelwastewaterapplicationatPasoRoblesdemandedthedevelopmentofthreenewmodificationstotheTHM-100platform:

1. Pre-concentration:THMsfromasmanyasfouronlinesamplescansequentiallybetransferredby“purge-trapdesorb”intothesamechemicalmixturebeforestartingthereaction.Thisaffordsanincreaseinsensitivityuptofour-fold.

2. Enhanceopticaldetectorsensitivity:Thelengthoftheflow-cellwasincreasedthree-fold(from2to6cm)toprovidealongerpathforlighttotravel,resultinginhigherabsorbancesmoredifferentiatedfromtheblanks.

3. DBCM&BDCMreporting:ArefinedcalculationmethodforquantifyingtheDBCM&BDCMspecieswasdeveloped,andtheirconcentrationswereoutputtedtoSCADAandthesharedTHMresultfilesinthecloud.

Thelow-leveldetectionTHManalyzerwasinstalledinJune2016atthesamplinglocationpost-disinfectionandpredechlorination.Datafromtheonlinemonitorwas expected to run slightly higher than compliance sample readings due to placement of the instrument upstream of the weir and polishing channel and their THM-reducingvolatilizationandevaporationeffects.

Chloroform(CHCl3)isthepredominantTHMspeciesatthePasoRoblesWWTP,intherangeof75-95%oftheTTHM.Asaresult,TTHMlevelsofapproximately2ppbwouldneedtobeaccuratelyquantifiedtounderstandifthechloraminationsuccessfullyreducedtheBDCMlevelstobelow0.56ppb.Ifeffective,DBCMcompliancebelowthe0.4ppbNPDESlimitwouldautomaticallybeguaranteedconsideringtheTHMspeciationprofileinthisdischargewater,withatypicalBDCM:DBCMratioofapproximately6:1.

Reliable Data from Online THM Monitor Helps Optimize Treatment Plant

TheautomatedonlinemonitoranalyzedsixsamplesdailyfromJunethroughSeptember2016.ThemonitorcapturedfluctuationsinTTHM,DBCM,andBDCMlevelsatthePasoRoblesWWTPresultingfromdailycycles,processchanges,plantmaintenanceactivities,andunexpectedoperationalfailures.TheonlineTHMdataprovedfundamentalforunderstandingtheimpactofchloraminationratiosandTHMspeciationandlevels.Anincreasetotheammonia:chlorineratioleadstoadecreaseinTTHMlevelsandanincreaseinthepercentageofCHCl3;incombinationthesetwoeffectsfurthersuppressedtheregulatedbrominatedTHMs(Figure2).

Figure 2 City of Paso Robles WWTP Online THM Data (June-September 2016)

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Asidefromtheprolongedperiodsofroutineplantoperation,theonlineTHMmonitoringrevealedafewabnormaleventsthatwouldotherwisehavegoneunnoticed.Twosignificantoperationalfailureswereidentified:

1. NightlyeventsofextremelyhighTHMsin late-June,early-Julyandmid-Septemberwerecausedbyunder-dosingammoniumwiththeperistalticpumpwhentheflexibletubingwaswornout.Theseverityofthefailureincreasedwithareductioninpumpdosingrates,whichcorrelatedwiththenightlylow-flowsofwastewaterattheplant.

2. On26 July 2016 anonlinemonitor of BNR residual ammonia fell out of calibration, falsely reportingelevated levels. In response, anoperatormanuallyturnedofftheammoniumsulphatedosingpumps.WithoutanyammoniaresidualfromtheBNRorbyammoniumdosingthechloramina-tioneffortwasundermined,andBDCMlevelsrosetoover35ppbastheresidualorganicmattercombinedwiththemorereactivechlorine.

Underroutineplantoperatingconditions,theonlinemonitorrevealeddailycyclicTHMlevels.THMconcentrationspeakedinthe10:00amsample,butsixhourslatertheydroppedtothelowestdailylevels,apatternthatcorrelatedwithplantflowratesandautomatedtreatmentoperations.TheonlinemonitorreliablycapturedthesediurnalfluctuationsforDBCMatextremelylowlevels,between0.1and0.7ppb(Figure3).TheonlineTHMmonitoralsocapturedtheeffectofBNRmaintenanceonTHMlevels(Figure4),whichtemporarilydroppedatthepost-dechlorinationlocationtobelowtheNPDESlimitsenforcedatthesiteofGWRdischarge.WhenoneofthetwoBNRtankswasbroughtoff-lineformaintenanceon9August,itcausedanetreductionintheconversionofinfluentammonia toothernitrogenspecies (N2andnitrate).Althoughtheplantwasnowoutofcompliance forTN, the increase inammoniacarry-over into thedisinfectionsystembroughtaboutanelevatedammonia:chlorineratio,leadingtoareductioninTHMformationbythis‘enhanced’chloramination.

THM Compliance Samples During Chloramination Study

On16Juneand8August2016,NPDEScompliancesamplesfromtheGWRdischargelocationweresubmittedtotheanalyticallaboratory.Figure5showstheresultsinwhichthelabreportedthatBDCMandDBCMwere‘incompliance’bybeingbelowthelab’sPQLof0.5ppbforthesetwoTHMs.

Figure 5: City of Paso Robles WWTP Compliance Samples

NDPDESTHMLimits(DailyAverage)1

Date SampleType&Location

CHCl3—

BDCM0.56ppb

DBCM0.40ppb

CHBr3—

16thJune2016ComplianceGrabSample1 10.3 ND ND ND

Online Monitoring2 15.6-12.9 1.64-1.12 0.21-0.10 ND

8thAugust2016ComplianceGrabSample1 Not Reported ND ND 1.2

Online Monitoring2 15.2-11.4 2.91-2.78 0.66-0.59 ND

Thereareseveral interestingobservationstobemadeaboutthereportedTHMvaluesandtheNPDES limits.Thiscommentary isnot intendedtospecifi-callycriticizethis laboratory,buttoemphasizethegeneralprincipal that it ischallengingforananalyticaltechniquetoaccuratelyquantifyspecieswhoseconcentrationsapproachthemethod’sPQL.

1. ThereisinherentunreliabilityintheaccuracyofanalytelevelsclosetoalaboratorymethodPQL(orMDL).WhereastheNPDESlimitsmaybederivedfromacarefulanalysisoftheavailablehealthscienceandthewaterdischargeenvironment,assuringcomplianceisunreliablewithoutthesupportofareliablelaboratoryanalyticalmethodswithdetectionlimitsconsiderablybelowtheregulatorylevels.

Specifically in this case, the lab analytical method has a PQL of 0.5 ppb for DBCM, but the regulatory limit is lower at 0.4 ppb. A samplecontaining0.45ppbwouldtechnicallybeoutofcompliance,butthelabanalysisshouldbereportedas‘BelowPQL’–andthereforeprobablyinNPDEScompliance–whetheraccuratelydetectedornot.

Figure 3: City of Paso Robles WWTP Daily Cyclic THM Data Figure 4: City of Paso Robles WWTP BNR Maintenance Effect on THMs

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2. There are some internal inconsistencies in the THM results reported by the laboratory. The CHCl3 concentration in the sampleof 16 Junewasreportedat10.3ppb.Ifitisacceptedthatthisvalueisreliable,andthatotherlabsamplesandonlineTHManalysesoverthisperiodweretypicallyspeciatedwith90%CHCl3,itshouldbeexpectedthattheBDCMconcentrationforthissamplewouldbeabout1.0ppb,doublethePQL(andnot‘Non-Detected’asreported).

IncomparisonwiththeonlineTHMmonitor,theBDCMresultsforthisdatewerebetween1.6and1.1ppb,atthelocationupstreamoftheTHM-volatilizationactionoftheweirandpolishingchannel,whichareexpectedtoreducetheBDCMlevelto~1ppbatthecompliancesamplelocationbutunlikely(asothermeasurementshaveshown)todroptheconcentrationbelowthePQLlevelof0.5ppb.

3. Forthe8thAugust2016compliancesample,itisunexpectedthattheconcentrationofbromoformwouldhavebeenmeasuredashighas1.2ppb.ThisisinconsistentwiththecharacteristicTHMspeciationinthisdischargewaterof~90%chloroform,witha~10%sumofBDCM,DBCMandbromoformin progressively smaller amounts.

Forexample,awatersamplewiththisspeciationandaTTHMlevelof10ppbisexpectedtocontain~9.0ppbCHCl3,~0.85ppbBDCM,~0.12ppbDBCM,andbromoformat~0.03ppborless.Moreover,inmorethan20samplesfromthissiteof10-20ppbTTHManalysedattheAMS’slaboratory(byStandardMethod524.4),bromoformwasalwaysbelowtheirPQLof0.2ppb.Furthermore,itishighlyimprobablethatthedetectedbromoformoriginatedintherawwaterarrivingattheWWTP,withoutbeingaccompaniedbyasignificantquantityofDBCMthatwasnotdetected.

Infact,thepredominantTHMinthePasoRoblesdrinkingwatersupplyisBDCM,andbromoformistheleastdominantTHMspecies.Asapossibleexplanation,itisplausiblethatthedetectedbromoforminthe8August2016samplecouldhaveasitssourcemethodcarry-overfromtheprecedinganalyticalsampleorqualitycontrolstandard.

Summary: Regulatory Compliance and Ensured Water Quality

Accurate and reliable high frequency water quality data was imperative for Paso Robles WWTP to control the chloramination process and ensureregulatorycompliance.Thefacility facedstringent limitsonDBCM(0.40ppb)andBDCM(0.56ppb)andtimelyanalyticalresultswerenecessary.StandardlaboratoryanalysisbecameimpracticalandthefacilitypilottestedtheefficacyofanewcommerciallyavailableonlineTHMmonitorcapableoflow-levelreal-timedetectionofDBCMandBDCM.

Theonlinemonitorprovidedaccurateandreliablelow-leveldetectionofDBCMandBDCMformationat-or-belowNPDESpermitlimits.ThehighfrequencydatahelpedTheCitytoevaluatetheDBPpreventionstrategyandensurethequalityoftreatedwastewaterusedintheGWRprogram.

ThroughtheadoptionofaBRNtreatmentsystem,chloraminationandonlineTHMmonitoringthePasoRoblesWWTPobtainedregulatorycompliancebybeingbelowNPDESpermitlimitsforTN,microbiologyandTHMsattheJuneandAugust2016samplingdates.

Footnote

Although the June and August 2016 compliance samples were below the NPDES THM limits, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board(CCRWQCB)andTheCityofPasoRobleshavesinceenteredintoatime-scheduleorderagreementforTHMcompliance,givingthePasoRoblesWWTPtheopportunitytoconsideralternativeplantupgradesandtreatmentmethods,whichmustbringtheplant intocompliancebyJune2021.TheCityhadbeenplanningoninvestingintheinfrastructureforrecycledwaterandwasopentoswitchingdisinfectionmethodsifchloraminationwasinfeasiblewiththegoalsof the recycled water project.

TheCity sought relief from the current low-level THM limitsduringdesignand construction. TheCCRWQCB revisedand relaxedTheCityofPasoRoblesNPDESTHMlimitson27July2016.NewinterimBDCMandDBCMlimitsof10and5ppbrespectivelyarenowineffect.PasoRoblesWWTPmustreportonthepreparationandimplementationofapollutionpreventionplanforTHMs,withastrategytoachievefullcomplianceoftheoriginalNPDESregulationsbyJune2018.WhiletheCityisstillevaluatingoptionsforTHMcontrol,theexceptionalqualityofworkperformedbyAMSandthereliabledatafromtheonlinemonitorhave helped Paso Robles to solve their THM problem.

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About the Author

RickhasservedasCEOofAquaMetrologySystemssince2012.PriortojoiningAMS,Rickheldseniormanagementandboardlevelpositionsintheenergy,industrial,technology,andwatersectors.Rickhasakeeninterestintechnologystart-upsandhassuccessfullyledseveralcompaniesinsecuringseedanddevelopmentfunding.RickholdsadegreeinLandEconomyfromtheUniversityofCambridge,UnitedKingdom.

AquaMetrologySystemsLtd.(AMS)isaleaderofonlineandofflineanalyticalinstrumentationforthedeterminationofwatercontaminants,specificallydisinfectionby-productsandtracemetals,acrossmunicipalandindustrialmarkets.

AMS, registered in the United Kingdom, has operations in Silicon Valley, California. The company’s mission is todevelopandcommercializeonlineandoffline,real-timeanalyticalsolutionsforregulatedcontaminants indrinkingwater,processwaterandwastewater.

AMS was founded in 2007 by an experienced team of Silicon Valley technologists accustomed to building andcommercializing highly sophisticated analytical instrumentation capable of detecting tracemetals in siliconwafermanufacturing process chemical systems.

AMSonlineTHM-100™monitorsandofflineTHM-100GS™analysersweredevelopedunderthebeliefthatreal-timeaccurateandreliabledataisvitaltoprocesscontrolandoptimization;andthisinformationshouldbereadilyaccessibletothoseresponsibleforprotectingwaterresources,watertreatment,regulatorsandtheconsumers.

Article:

The importance of flow & it’s measurement to the Water Industry

Withoutflowthewaterindustry,quiteliterally,wouldn’texist.Gigalitresofwater&wastewaterareabstracted,treated,delivered,consumed,collected,treated&dischargedeverydayoftheweek.Howwemanagethiswaterhasaverylargeimpactonthewayweliveandontheenvironmentthatwelivein.Tomisquotetheoldadageinordertomanagethewaterthatflowsthroughthewaterindustrywehavetomeasureit.

Measuring water and especially wastewater

The majority of this article will talk about measuring wastewater but at its very essencethe principles are the same although the wastewater side of things comes with its own complications.Inthemainwe,asanindustry,measurewastewaterflowsusingtwotechniques.Thefirstisinopenchannelsusingaprimarydevicesuchasaflumeoraweirandthisregulatesthevelocityflowingthroughthedevicewhichcausestheleveltorise.Thislevelchangeisusedtomeasuretheflowusingtheuniversalflowequationwhereflowisequaltovelocitymultipliedbythearea.Secondlyisusingelectromagneticflowmetersinclosedpipeswheretheareaisfixedandthepartof theequationthatyoumeasure is thevelocity.Thesetwotechnologiestypicallycompriseabout90-95%ofallin-linemeasurementtechniques.

However, there are alternatives and although relatively rare outside of flow surveys in thewastewaternetworkarestillinuse.ThefirstoftheseisTimeofFlightflowmeasurementwhichlike the electro-magnetic flowmetermeasures the velocity ofwater in a closed pipe andthesecond is theareavelocitydevicewhichmeasuresbothelementsof theUniversalFlowEquationbymeasuringboththevelocityandthearea.Typically,inanopenchannelbutmorerecently technological developments have seen this typically submerged method come out of thewaterandusenon-contactmethods.

The problems with flow measurement

Thetechnologyexistsinthewastewaterindustrytomeasureflowinvirtuallyanyprocessapplicationbutthereareproblemsandtheskillinmeasuringflowispickingtherightflowmeterfortherightjob.It’srarethataflowmeter(oranyinstrument)isinstalledinaninstallationthatis absolutely perfect for the job and compromises normally have to be made and normally this iswheremeasurementusuallystartstogowrong.Wheninstallinganyinstrumentthefollowingshould be considered.

Why –Whatisbeingmeasuredandwhy,isthereapurposeforthemeasurement.Iftheanswerisnothenstopanddon’tinstallaninstrument where it isn’t needed

What–Aflowmeter,likeanyinstrument,shouldbeselectedfortheapplication.Anyonewhosaysthattheirmetercanbeinstalledanywhere iswrong. Lookingat theapplicationand seeingwhat typeofflowmeterfits is keybearing inmindany interferences inchannelsorpipes.Mostlytheerrorsthattheseinterferencesproducecanbemitigatedifthoughtthroughandincorporatedintodesignin advance

Where–Thisisgoingtodependuponwhattheuseoftheflowdataisgoingtobe.Isitforcompliance,isitforoperationofthemainflowsofthetreatmentworksorisitforcontrollinganindividualprocess.Thiswillofcourseaffecttheapplicationandtypeofflowmeter.

How–Theanswerhereislistentoyoursupplier,theywilladvisethebestmethodofhowtoinstallaflowmeter.Also,takeintoaccounthowameterisgoingtobeinstalled,howitisgoingtooperationallymaintainedandalsohowit’sgoingtobereplaced.

Thinkingof these threepoints in the installationof anyflowmeteror instrumentmeans that itwill actuallywork rather thanbeing squeezed intoanapplicationwhichwon’tworkintermsofeithertheapplicationorsometimestheoperation.Thiseventuallyresultsinthemeterfailingtoworkcorrectlyandthe trust the reliability in the measurement failing.

Typicallythetopfivereasonswhysomethingwon’tmeasurecorrectlyare

• Fouling – Be it anopen channel or a closedpipe all installations are subject to fouling fromplants, trees andother vegetation tooverdosing of chemicals that can narrow the bore on pipes

• Physical damage to the measurement structure–Moreonefortheopenchannelbutwithageflumesstarttopeelawayfromtheconcreteorweirplatesstarttobend.Theonlyoption,replacement.

• Poor Installation–Openchannelsneedtoberelativelycalm,flatandfreedischarging.Incivilengineering,atoleranceof10-20mmisnormallyconsideredasflat.Inflowmeasurementthistolerancereducesto1-2mm.Closedpipemetersusuallyneedtobefloodedand

Figure 1 A typical flume and level based measurement device

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situatedawayfromturbulenceordisturbanceifnotthiswillaffectmeasurementaccuracy• Telemetry errors –Ifameterisbeingroutedbacktotelemetrywitha4-20mAloopmakesurethescalesagreeatbothends.Normallya

no-brainerbutoftenthebiggestsourceoferror

Forexample,asimpleVnotchweirsystem(figure2)ifnotaccessibleforcleaningbyoperationalstaffdoesn’tgetcleaned,thiscausesplantlifetogrownonit.Theplantlifecauseanobstructioninthemeasurementdevicecausingtheleveltoriseupandfortheactualmeasurementtoreadhigh.Theoperatorhasalookatthereadinganddoesn’tbelieveitbecauseitsreading“toohigh,”therootcauseisofcoursetheplantlifeintheweir.Whenitsremovedtheflowsreturnto“normal,”aslongastoomuchdamagehasn’tbeencaused.ThisisadownwardspiralthatthewastewaterindustryhadfallenintoforquitesometimebeforetheadventoftheMCERTSschemewhichbroughtstandardstoflowmeasurementwithinthewastewaterindustry.Thestandardsandassociatedmanagementsystemsthatneedtobeinplacehasbroughtastandardtowastewaterflowthathasresultedinanincreasedreliabilityinflowmeasurement.

When it’s right it has lots of uses

Whenflowmeasurementiscorrect,ithasmanyuses,whenitswrongitcanbecounter-productive.ThefirstuseofflowmeasurementundertheMCERTSSchemeistomeasurethecomplianceofthevarioustreatmentworkswiththeirpermitconditionsintermsofboththedryweatherandflowtofulltreatmentconditions.TheMCERTSschemewasoriginallysetupandstillexiststomeasuredryweatherflowcompliancebutthisisextendinginscopetocoverflowtofulltreatmentconditions.Therearesometechnicaldifficultieswiththisapproachprimarilywiththefactthatmostflowinstallationsareontheeffluentfromtreatmentworksbutthisisnotinsurmountable.However,theusesofflowmeasurementaresignificantlymorethanjusttomeasurecompliance.

For example

• Compliancereliesonaccurateflowmeasurement.Ifyourflowmeasurementisn’taccuratethenitcanappearthatasiteisnon-compliantwhenitreallyisn’t,itcouldindicategrowthorinfiltrationwhereitdoesn’texist.

• InOperation&Control–Flowmeasurementisafundamentalpartofthetreatmentworksandonlargeworksisoftenusedtocontrolstormwatermanagement,return&recirculationflows,andsettlementtankdesludging.Aswellasinmanysub-processesasidefromthemaintreatmentflowonaworks

• Designingtreatmentworksreliesoncorrectflowmeasurementbeingrecordedformanyyearstogetapictureofsiteperformanceandtoanswerthequestionastowhetheranexistingworksneedstobeupgrade.

Therearemanymoreusesforflowmeasurementandthisarticlecan’tgointothemall,sufficeittosaythemeasurementofflowisoneofthefundamental basesofboththeengineeringdesignandoperationofboththewater&wastewaterindustriesaslongasthefundamentalsaslongasit isinstalledandoperatedinawaythatallowsthedatathatisproducedcanbereliedupon.Theconsequencesofgettingitwrongistoputusinaplacewhereerrorsinmeasurementorthefactthattheyareperceivedthattheycan’tbetrustedcostsmorethaninstallingitcorrectlyinthefirstplace.

Figure 2: Fouling & damage to weir plates and poor installation of electro-magnetic flow meters are quite often the largest source of error

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About the Author

OliverGrievsonistheFlow&InstrumentationSpecialistfortheFoundationforWaterResearchaswellasbeingaDirectoroftheSensorsforWaterInterestGroupandalsoWastewaterEducation501(c)3aswellasbeingthegroupmanageroftheWaterIndustryProcessAutomation&ControlGroup(WIPAC).HehashadmanyyearsexperienceinboththeoperationandengineeringsidesoftheWaterIndustryandiscurrentlyatechnicalexpertandmanagerinflowandinstrumentationregularlyconsulting&lecturingonbothanationalandinternationalbasis.

He is a Chartered Scientist, Environmentalist andWater & EnvironmentalManager aswell as a Fellow of bothCIWEM&theInstituteofEnvironmentalSciencesandaMemberoftheInstituteofMeasurement&Control.

January 2017

Institute of Water - Eastern Section - Dragon’s Den30th January2017CranfieldUniversity,UKHosted by InstituteofWater&CranfieldUniversity

February 2017

Market Opening1stFebruary2017ThinkTankMuseum,BirminghamHosted by theSensorsforWaterInterestGroup

8th Smart Energy Europe & the Future Utility2nd-3rdFebruary2017LondonParkPlaza,LondonUKHosted by OliverKinross

March/April 2017

Smart Wastewater Networks8thMarch2017MerseysideMaritimeMuseum,Liverpool,UKHosted by theSensorsforWaterInterestGroup

Smart Water Networks21stMarch2017HiltonBirminghamMetropole,Birmingham,UKHosted by theFavershamHouseGroup

Smart Water Systems24th-25thApril2017London,UKHosted by theSMiGroup

May/ June 2017

Specification & Installation of Sensors3rdMay2017PrincipalityStadium,Cardiff,WalesHosted by theSensorsforWaterInterestGroup

SWAN 20179th -10thMay2017TowerHotel,LondonUKHostedbytheSWANForum

12th Specialized Conference in ICA11th-14th June2017QuebecCity,CanadaHosted by theInternationalWaterAssociation

September 2017

Sensing in Water 201727th-28thSeptember2017NottinghamBelfry,Nottingham,UKHosted by theSensorsforWaterInterestGroup

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Conferences, Events,Seminars & Studies

Conferences, Seminars & EventsMarket Opening Workshop

Where: ThinkTankMuseum,Birmingham,UKWhen: 1stFebruary2017

Description

From April 2017, over 1.2 million eligible businesses and other non-householdcustomersinEnglandwillbeabletochoosetheirsupplierofwaterandwastewater retail services. There is anexpectation that theopeningofthenon-householdwatermarketwillsupportbusinesscustomerstobecomemorewater-efficientandwillstimulatebenefitsforcustomersintheformoflowerbillsandbettervalueformoney,bettercustomerservice,andmoretailored services to suit individual customers’ needs.

Inthisnewopenwatermarket,waterretailerswillseektooffsetlowretail margins by delivering innovative and value-adding services tocustomers;servicesthatwillalsodifferentiatethemfromtheircompetitors.Both retailers and wholesale companies will be looking to meet their obligations to customers, to themarket operator and to each other at thelowestpossibleoperatingcost.

This workshop is aimed at water retailers, wholesalers and the industrysupply chain andwill focus on the role of sensor technology, data and theinsightitdeliversinenablingmarketreform.Earlyopportunitiesarelikelytofocus onmetering andmeter estatemanagement, billing, water efficiency,surfacewatermanagement,tradeeffluent,customerengagementandprivate network management.

Smart Wastewater Networks

Where: MerseysideMaritimeMuseum,LiverpoolWhen: 8thMarch2017

TheuseofsensorsintheWastewaterNetworkhasbeensparseandfarbetween. The complexity of wastewater collection has meant that thisdevelopment within the Wastewater industry has been delayed. Howeverwiththerequirementforeventdurationmonitoring,improvementsinsensortechnologiesandmodellingsoftware,theindustryisstartingtodevelopimprovedmethodsofmanagingtheWastewaterNetwork.

In this SWIGWorkshoponSmartWastewaterNetworkswewill discuss thedriversanddevelopmentsintheWastewaterNetwork..

0

Eastern Area Innovation Showcase - transforming the water industry

Vincent Building Cranfield University

Cranfield, MK43 0AL

30th January 2017 10:00-16:00

Book your place: http://tinyurl.com/dragonwater

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