September 2013

wso
WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR

TM
Managing Our Most Valuable Resource

September 2013
www.wsomag.com
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE:
Smart Power in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Page 14
Green Through and Through

Page 8
David Farrar Production Superintendent Champaign, Ill.
CHAMPAIGN COUNTYS LEED-CERTIFIED TREATMENT PLANT LEAVES A SMALL ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
WINNING THEM OVER:
Teaching conservation in Fort Collins, Colo.

Page 30
TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE:
AquaDAF high-rate clarifier

Page 28
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Advertiser Index
September 2013
Agru America, Inc. ................. 17 Keller America Inc. .................. 43 Blue-White Industries ................ 4 Data Flow Systems ................. 34 Eurus Blower, Inc. .................... 31 KOHLER Power Systems ........... 13 Lapeyre Stair ........................... 21 MERRICK Industries, Inc. .......... 29 Nidec Motor Corporation ........ 27 Flygt a Xylem Brand .............. 2 Godwin, a Xylem brand .......... 11 PICA Corp. A Jacobi Carbons, Inc. company ...... 35 Pollardwater.com ................... 44 Singer Valve Inc. ...................... 15 Hach Company ...................... 3 Henry Pratt Company ............. 25 Infilco Degremont Inc. ........... 17 XiO, Inc. .................................. 7 United Blower Inc. ................... 15
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Every day is Earth Day.
Were met with a new challenge each day. Whether its the sewer or water department ... we take our jobs very seriously, and Jeff Chartier the key thing is knowing that were in An Original Environmentalist SUPERINTENDENT compliance and not polluting our waters. Town of Bristol (N.H.) Sewer
and Water Department
Read about original environmentalists like Jeff each month in Treatment Plant Operator.
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Contents
September 2013
QUALITY LEADERS
Operator: Out and About
Page 18
Leslie Gryders role as a lab chemist in Lynchburg includes reaching out into the community to help troubleshoot customers issues and respond to emergencies.
BY TED J. RULSEH
Agency: Out With Waste

BY TRUDE WITHAM
Page 22
A Massachusetts water district earns accolades for energy and water conservation, while plant operators learn new technologies and skills.
ON THE COVER: Operator input to the design process helped the Bradley Avenue Water Treatment Plant in Champaign County, Ill., earn green building certification under the U.S. Green Building Councils LEED program. David Farrar, production superintendent, is shown in the filter gallery. (Photography by Bradley Leeb)
A LEED-certified treatment plant in Champaign County has features that improve operations and safety while saving energy and limiting the environmental footprint.
BY JIM FORCE
Plant: Green Through and Through
Page 8
ON TAP Page 6
TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE Page 28
INDUSTRY NEWS Page 38 WORTH NOTING Page 40 People/Awards; Education; Events
Power Struggles
While not blessed with a constant power source like wastewater treatment plants, water plants have numerous ways to cut energy consumption and cost.
BY TED J. RULSEH, EDITOR
Going for the Green
The AquaDAF high-rate clarifier has proven itself in effective removal of algae and other low-density solids from surface water sources.
BY TED J. RULSEH
Coming Next Issue: October 2013

WINNING THEM OVER Page 30
EDITORS CHOICE Page 7
Find other useful and timely information at www.wsomag.com

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE Page 14
On Patrol
FOCUS: Pumps, Drives and Valves

Quality Leaders Plant: Tackling turbidity in Clifton Forge, Va. Quality Leaders Agency: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Quality Leaders Operator: Dusty Martin, Orange Water and Sewer Authority, N.C. Bright Ideas: Conserving water in Broward County, Fla. Tech Talk: Basics of coagulation and flocculation Winning Them Over: Teaching principles in Wilmington, Del. Technology Deep Dive: WaterWiSe analytics from xylem Sustainable Practice: Data-driven efficiency in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Fort Collins teaches conservation to kids and uses property audits to help owners irrigate their landscapes more responsibly.
BY PETE LITTERSKI
Smart Power
Cedar Rapids controls electricity costs through careful monitoring, power-saving upgrades and enrollment in the electric utilitys interruptible rate program.
BY LISA BALCERAK
PRODUCT FOCUS Page 32
Energy Management and Power Generation

BY CRAIG MANDLI
TECH TALK Page 16
CASE STUDIES Page 34
A Better Disinfectant
Ozone is more effective than chlorine and derivatives and can deactivate chlorineresistant pathogens but it is not suitable for residual disinfection.
BY JOHN ROWE, PH.D.
Energy Management and Power Generation

BY CRAIG MANDLI
PRODUCT NEWS Page 36 Product Spotlight: Static injection mixer slides into place
BY ED WODALSKI
ON TAP
BY TED J. RULSEH, EDITOR
Power Struggles
While not blessed with a constant power source like wastewater treatment plants, water plants have numerous ways to cut energy consumption and cost
n the wastewater side they talk a lot about making treatment plants energy self-sufficient (or in the more popular language, reaching net zero energy). They can talk that way largely because the water flowing into the plants brings an abundant and never-ending energy source, in the form of organic matter that can be converted to methane (biogas), a fuel for electric generators and boilers. They can even add materials like fats, oils, grease (FOG) and food waste to existing digesters and create even more fuel. Water plants lack that luxury. Theyre energy intensive but dont have any obvious energy sources besides their utilities electric and gas lines. And yet, theres room to reduce net consumption significantly, as shown by the Sustainable Practice features in WSO (this month we highlight Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Any of these actions taken alone will make a difference, and if done together they can have a substantial impact.
kilowatt-hour are lower. This has the double benefit of reducing your total kilowatt demand and utility demand charges during peak times. You can also follow the example of Cedar Rapids and sign up for your utilitys interruptible rate program, if available. In summer when air conditioning loads on the power grid are high, many utilities give major power users rate incentives to shed load when directed usually for a several hours during the heat of the day. In exchange, the utility grants a substantial demand charge reduction all year long. Your emergency generators can also help you earn special rate treatment. Your utility may offer incentives if you operate your generators when directed to reduce peak demands on the grid. The incentives typically are much larger than the cost of keeping the generators ready to run and paying for the fuel to operate them. In essence, you take load off the utility grid, without having to curtail your plants operations.
Consuming less
Making more
Many water plants are energy inefficient simply because their equipWhile raw water doesnt contain energy-producing material, the water ment is old. itself can be an energy source. For example, if you draw water from high Pumping is the greatest energy expense, and aging motors and pumps elevations, a hydroturbine in the pipeline can generate electricity on the way can be energy hogs. You can save substantial energy by switching to more down, under the same basic concept as a hydroelectric dam. Large utiliefficient pumps and premium efficiency motors and adding variable-freties may find it feasible to deploy turbines with capacities up to 500 kW. quency drives. If it isnt feasible to invest in new equipment, you can gain ground just by rebuilding ater treated, pumped and lost through leaky distribution pipes old equipment to its original specifications. boils down to energy wasted. Collectively, the nations water Membrane treatment systems are more energyutilities lose billions of gallons to leakage daily. intensive than conventional treatment, and an older membrane system may leave substantial room for savings. Manufacturers steadily improve their systems with membranes that Its even possible to get back some of the energy used to fill a water operate at lower pressure and so use less energy. tower or reservoir by adding smaller hydroturbines (50 to 100 kW) In the same manner, older UV disinfection systems can be updated to downstream. Small hydroturbines also can replace pressure-reducing more efficient units with superior lamp cleaning systems, and with lamps stations, especially in remote locations where the electricity can help that achieve the same pathogen kill while using less electricity. directly power a local building. Then theres good old-fashioned leak detection and repair. Water Finally, many water plants have ample properties and large rooftops treated, pumped and lost through leaky distribution pipes boils down to that can lend themselves to renewable energy projects like wind and solar energy wasted. Collectively, the nations water utilities lose billions of galphotovoltaic. These projects can be built under power purchase agreelons to leakage daily. An investment in pipe condition assessment and ments and other innovative financing plans that require no up-front leak detection, backed by an aggressive repair program, can pay quick investment on the utilitys part. dividends.
Using it intelligently
Its also possible to do the same amount of work and use the same amount of energy yet pay less for it by taking advantage of your utilitys time-of-use pricing. For example, if you have ample storage, you can do the bulk of pumping to fill the tanks during the night hours when rates per
Getting going
The utilities we feature prove that these things can be done, and done economically. We hope you find their examples useful. In the meantime, feel free to share your successes in energy savings and production. Send a note to editor@wsomag.com. I promise to respond, and well present some of the most compelling stories in future editions. wso
EDITORS CHOICE
Find other useful and timely information at www.wsomag.com

ater System Operator aims to bring stories that help you and your plant perform better. Now we do more of the same at www.wsomag.com. There youll find stories that appear only online and that are current, because theyre not subject to the lead times involved in the print magazine. Here are a few online exclusives recommended by the WSO editorial team:
Small Staff, Big Rewards: Water and Wastewater Program Keeps AWWA Members In the Know
With 5,400 members, the California-Nevada section of the AWWA is the largest of the organizations 43 sections. The sections staff of 10 works hard to keep members updated on best practices with conferences, a Water College program, and H2O Know online courses. Tim Worley Tim Worley, Ph.D., executive director, brought 20 years experience with two California water utilities to his role.
Outsourcing: What Makes a Private Water Contract Work?

What goes into a successful private water operation contract? We asked three proponents of privatized water services. The most important feature of contracting out water services is an open process, said David Stokes, a policy analyst with Missouris Show-Me Institute. The public needs to know whats happening at every stage of the process ... Utility employees also need to understand the process and how the agreement will affect their jobs.
Proper Security at Treatment Facilities Keeps Drinking Water Safe

A recent break-in at a small water treatment plant in northern Georgia forced the utility to issue a boil water advisory that lasted for days. An intruder broke in and changed the chemical settings in the filtration system, essentially poisoning the water. The facility had no security guards or cameras, and its lock and barbed wire fence didnt cut it. The bright side of this incident is that it gives all plants good reason to pause, evaluate their security systems, and consider improvements.
Saving Energy and Reducing Costs at Water Treatment Plants

As energy costs rise, many water treatment plants are taking steps to reduce usage. One example is the North Conway (N.H.) Water Precinct. The plant has taken a number of energy-saving measures on the plant and water distribution sides and has invested in renewable energy. The single highest cost of treatment plant operation is electricity, says David Bernier, superintendent. Eight years ago it was 35 percent of our operating budget. Today, it is less than 18 percent.
Cities Coping With Drought as Summer Heat Intensifies

San Antonio, Texas, and Loveland, Colo., may be very different a Southwest powerhouse with 1.4 million people and a community of 66,000 north of Denver but they do share a concern: drought. In the face of dry weather, the communities are taking steps to ensure a steady water supply. Instead of going into panic, theyre working with residents to curtail water use in ways that wont hurt quality of life or hinder businesses. wso
Check out all these stories at www.wsomag.com/ec/2013/September
wsomag.com September 2013
GREEN THROUGH
STORY: JIM FORCE PHOTOGRAPHY: BRADLEY LEEB
AND THROUGH
A LEED-certified treatment plant in Champaign County has features that improve operations and safety while saving energy and limiting the environmental footprint
perators had plenty of input to the design of the new Bradley Avenue Water Treatment Plant in Champaign County, Ill. Their input helped the plant earn green building certification under the U.S. Green Building Councils Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Now, those design elements help the plant operate efficiently and safely. Illinois American Water operates the 15 mgd plant, built on a greenfield site and commissioned in December 2008. The plant received LEED certification for its overall design, which includes a variety of energy-saving, recycling and sustainability features. To build this plant, we developed a project team at the very start that included operations people, says Brent ONeill, engineering manager. Many design items were specific suggestions from the operations staff. Walter Voegel, operation supervisor with Illinois American Water, was a member of the project team and was supervisor at the plant from startup through 2012. His experience counted heavily in the design, especially in automation and safety. Since the operators of the new plant had experience with the other plants in the Champaign area, it was important for the new design to use similar processes, he says. Operator suggestions involved chemical handling, equipment layout, the SCADA system and the location of the operator control room and laboratory in the overall site plan.
Bradley Avenue Water Treatment Plant, Champaign, Ill.

BUILT: | 2008 CAPACITY: | 15
mgd County, Ill.
SERVICE AREA: | Champaign SOURCE WATER: | Mahomet TREATMENT PROCESS: | Lime
POPULATION SERVED: | 150,000
Dual treatment trains

The Bradley Avenue plant, in a rural area about seven miles west of downtown Champaign, treats groundwater with a lime softening process. With two other plants in the city, it feeds finished water to a system that serves 150,000 people in the Champaign-Urbana metro area.
Aquifer softening, filtration, disinfection INFRASTRUCTURE: | 7 wells, 620 miles of main SYSTEM STORAGE: | 14 million gallons WEBSITE: | www.illinoisamwater.com
Production superintendent David Farrar with the LEED Certification plaque at the Bradley Avenue Water Treatment Plant.
QUALITY LEADERS
PLANT
The technologies employed as part of the LEED items were selected to reduce impact on the operators. In most cases, the items were being used at other locations, reducing the need for special training.
bon dioxide through to lower pH. The flow then passes through dualmedia sand and anthracite gravity-flow filters with underdrains (The Roberts Filter Group).
BRENT ONEILL
Six new wells (Layne) averaging 340 feet deep and with capacities of 2.5 mgd each draw raw water from Mahomet Aquifer. The flow is pumped to a dual-train lime system, each train with 10 mgd capacity, in step with a design that allows the plant to be expanded to 20 mgd in the future. The lime process settles out iron and manganese and softens the water. Each train consists of a primary and secondary clarifier (Walker Process). In the primary clarifiers, the flocculated water stratifies into three levels: supernatant on top, the sludge blanket in the middle and the slurry pool on the bottom. Radial launders convey the clarified water to the outlets, and it passes to the secondary clarifiers for further settling. Calcium and magnesium precipitate out of the sludge blanket to the slurry pool. Lime slurry is prepared in an automated, temperature-controlled TEKKEM batch slaking system (RDP Technologies). The fully enclosed system is gravity-fed; pumps are required only to move the slurry to the clarifiers. Water then passes to a re-carbonation tank, which bubbles car-
Intelligent sizing
A system from Siemens Water Technologies generates sodium hypochlorite on site. Added in the clearwell, it works with naturally occurring ammonia in the water to form chloramines. Three 7.5 mgd high-service pumps (Afton Pumps) deliver treated water to the Champaign system. Finished water storage facilities are sized to provide adequate detention time for disinfection, to provide water for filter wash and other plant uses, and to provide equalization between plant production and distributive pumping rates. Vertical turbine pumps in the clearwell transport finished water to the distribution system. When lime solids accumulate beyond the optimum solids concentration in the clarifiers, they are automatically blown down to holding lagoons and
Plant operator Darrel Vanover tests for free chlorine and total chlorine.
stored for up to three years. A local agricultural company harvests the solids for application to farm fields. Its a process we brought over from the other plants, says Steve Wegman, senior engineer with Illinois American Water. Its a cost-effective way to manage solids, and it benefits the local farmers. The plant is staffed around the clock with an operator on each of three shifts. A SCADA system monitors and controls all treatment processes and offers the potential for remote operations. Illinois American Water maintains a five-person maintenance crew that services all three Champaign plants. Supervisor David Farrar oversees the entire Champaign operation. Operators rotate among the three plants.
Designed for operators

The Bradley Avenue plant balance sheet benefits from a number of LEED features, but so do the operators, because process equipment runs reliably, lasts long and needs limited maintenance. LEED features can improve operations, or they can make things more difficult, says ONeill. LEED simply means the feature is approved as environmentally friendly. The technologies employed as part of the LEED items were selected to reduce impact on the operators. In most cases, the items were being used at other locations, reducing the need for special training. All pump motors are equipped with variable-frequency drives (Danfoss), making the system easier to operate and saving on electricity and pump wear. The air scour compopercent or more over comparable nent of the filter backwash system facilities. The plant relies on gravity (United Blower) saves water and flow wherever possible, and extends filter media life while effectively backwashing the filter. variable-frequency drives minimize Wegman notes that the design of pumping energy. the recarbonation tank improves Reflective roofing reduces the the distribution of carbon dioxheat island effect, and water-effiide and generates less carboncient fixtures are installed throughation, also adding to media life. out the plant. The facility also uses Other LEED features assure motion-activated lighting. Prairie safety at the plant. With operator landscaping minimizes irrigation input, the chemical loading bay and mowing. was designed so that delivery trucks pull into an area slightly lower
GEOTHERMAL HEATING AND COOLING

The geothermal system that heats and cools the 3,500-squarefeet administration building at the Bradley Avenue Water Treatment Plant is a LEED feature that perhaps has more to do with energy efficiency than operations. Were using the groundwater as a source of geothermal heat and cooling for
the administration area as a way to reduce our overall energy cost, says Illinois American Water senior engineer Steve da. As the raw groundwater is brought into the plant, it passes through a geothermal loop. In winter it helps heat the building, reducing heating costs significantly. In summer, the system cools the building. The plant employs a wide range of other energy efficiency features that add up to energy savings of 25
10
Since the operators of the new plant had experience with the other plants in the Champaign area, it was important for the new design to use similar processes.
WALTER VOEGEL
than the rest of the driveway. That way, any spills can be contained. Storage tanks also can be isolated. Ordinarily, any rainwater collecting in this area flows by gravity to our stormwater pond, but during chemical delivery, the valve is turned off so that in the event of a leak, the chemicals can be contained on site, Voegel says. Each chemical is stored in its own separate room, so there is no possibility of cross-contamination. Should there be a rupture, it would be contained. Voegel credits the automation system for enhancing safety: We have sensor monitoring of all the individual rooms, tied back to the SCADA system in the main control room. That gives an operator a warning in case dangerous conditions should exist in a specific area. Thats important in a one-man operation. The safety showers are tied to the alarm system, as well, so that the supervisor can be instantly made aware of any situation.
Wegman notes that dirty chemicals like lime and ferric chloride are separated from the main building, making it easier to keep the administration and laboratory areas clean, saving on cleaning costs and extending the life of electronic components. Voegel also notes that lime slaking is cleaner than older methods of making lime slurry. The system adds precise amounts of lime and water, and the chemical reaction takes place under optimum conditions in about 20 minutes. The batch temperature is closely monitored until the maximum temperature has been achieved, and only then is the batch discharged. The clarifiers use what is needed, then return any excess to a slurry holding tank. The design of the lime receiving system also allows for easier replacement of pipe sweeps. (continued)
Realistic monitoring
Based on their experience at other facilities, operators helped develop the SCADA controls to ensure that the items monitored actually applied to facility operation and efficiency. Its a pretty autonomous system, with information and flow pacing based on demands and pressures leaving the facility, says Wegman. Operators also recommended the central location of the operator control room and the laboratory.
VISIT US AT WEFTEC BOOTH #1443

ABOVE: The plants primary softener tanks. BELOW: Lime slurry is prepared in an automated, temperature-controlled TEKKEM batch slaking system (RDP Technologies).
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The Bradley Avenue plant team includes, from left, David Farrar, production superintendent; James Longest and Shane Garren, plant mechanics; Tim Wegrich, senior plant mechanic; Mark Webster, plant mechanic; and Darrel Vanover, plant operator.
Green attributes
Other LEED features that improve the operational and cost efficiency of the Bradley Avenue plant include: Daylighting in the filter gallery and filter pipe gallery, reducing artificial lighting. Dark-sky outdoor lighting fixtures that limit light pollution in the neighborhood. Recycling of all process water, saving water and reducing the need for infrastructure to take and treat storm flows offsite. Geothermal heating and cooling of the administrative portion of the plant. Permeable paving in the driveway that allows stormwater to percolate to groundwater, reducing the size of the stormwater collection system. Use of more than 46 percent local materials, lowering transportation energy costs. Extensive recycling so that 75 percent of construction waste was kept out of landfills.
The neighbors were concerned about noise and pollution, and that was a factor in adopting dark-sky lighting rather than traditional floodlights. We also located the plant back off the road and lowered the profile of the lime silos and the building itself, says ONeill. The facility designers also committed to minimizing waste. All water used in treatment, including the filter backwash, is decanted and sent back to the head of the plant. Stormwater is pumped to a lagoon and allowed to percolate into the ground. In the end, says ONeill, Our people take pride in knowing they are delivering high-quality water in an environmentally friendly way. wso
MORE INFO:
Afton Pumps, Inc.
713/923-9731 www.aftonpumps.com
Siemens Water Technologies Corp.

866/926-8420 www.water.siemens.com
Danfoss VLT Drives
800/432-6367 www.danfossdrives.com
The Roberts Filter Group
610/583-3131 www.robertsfiltergroup.com
Good stewards
The LEED features have had an even wider impact: While the Bradley Avenue plant lies in a rural area, there are neighbors within a quartermile of the site. We had pretty extensive public meetings with the city and with the local property owners, says ONeill. Originally, there was an organized effort to prevent the plant from being built, but we addressed the concerns and talked about the processes, the designs, the wells.
Layne Christensen
877/358-8813 www.layne.com
United Blower Inc.

(See ad page 15)
770/479-3000 www.unitedblower.com
RDP Technologies, Inc.

610/650-9900 www.rdptech.com
Walker Process Equipment

800/992-5537 www.walker-process.com
12
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SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE
Smart Power
Cedar Rapids controls electricity costs through careful monitoring, power-saving upgrades and enrollment in the electric utilitys interruptible rate program
Fairbanks Nijhuis 75 hp conveyance pumps move water from the clearwells beneath the sand and gravel filters to the chlorine contact chamber.
BY LISA BALCERAK
y replacing inefficient pumps and installing variable-frequency drives (VFDs), the Iowa city of Cedar Rapids has reduced power usage over the past few years. In addition, the citys Water Division has cut electrical costs by optimizing operations at off-peak hours and earning special rates in an interruptible power program. The combined savings have allowed the city to add UV disinfection to the water treatment process without increasing the total electricity bill. The 56 Water Division staff members serve a population of more than 127,000 in a 70-square-mile area. Total capacity at the citys two treatment plants is 60 mgd (average demand 36 mgd). Water is sourced from an alluvial aquifer and collected in 45 vertical wells and four collector wells along the Cedar River. Both treatment plants use aeration, softening, recarbonation, chlorination, filtration (sand and gravel beds), UV disinfection, fluoridation and phosphate addition before pumping to 11 storage tanks. The staff maintains nine pumping staWe are the tions and 660 miles of mains.
Steady improvement
WSO welcomes stories

about your green and environ-
Meanwhile, the city saw a need mentally progressive initiatives to monitor its electrical usage, a for future Sustainable Practice articles. Send your suggestions major contributor to operating costs. to editor@wsomag.com or Over time, an energy management call 877/953-3301. program has evolved. Weve been looking at electrical usage, peak demand and power factor for every million gallons of water pumped per kW used, says Roy Hesemann, plant manager. We want to see how much electricity it takes to push water through the plant and find ways to minimize it. We serve an industrial area, and raising rates may discourage industries from keeping operations here. We look at everything we can to keep tabs on our cost. In 2011, a dozen high-efficiency pumps (Fairbanks Nijhuis) and motors (Nidec Motor Corporation) replaced the older units. Six Allen-Bradley VFDs (Rockwell Autoleader in the mation) were added to well pumps and finished city for demonstrating water high-service pumps at J Avenue to reduce More efficient how we can measure and use energy use and control of flow, which operators The city added UV disinfection to comply with previously adjusted manually. electricity wisely. U.S. EPA requirements for virus removal from surOperators have full control of both ends of the STEVE HERSHNER face water. In the evaluation process, Water Divifacility so they can regulate how much comes in and sion staff saw a need for other plant updates, especially at the J Avenue goes out, Baloch says. It makes their jobs so much easier. Previously, an facility, built in 1929. To offset the power required for UV, the city looked operator had to run downstairs and adjust a 450 hp pump to get the for efficiencies, most notably from the high-service pumps. needed pressure for the system. It was labor-intensive and took a lot of art The UV process uses 9 kW per million gallons, so by updating our instead of science. Now the controller automatically detects the change in pumping structure and adding VFDs, we maintain flat energy consumppressure and adjusts the pumps accordingly. Theres less chance for error tion, says Tariq Baloch, water plant manager. The $41 million project and less chance of rupturing lines from pressure fluctuations. was funded mainly by a state revolving fund loan and an $80,000 grant Operators closely monitor real-time power usage through the SCADA from the local utility, Alliant system especially helpful when the division is required to stay below a Energy. The J Avenue plant required power limit. received upgraded high-service pumps, new VFDs and power Power interrupted factor correction capacitors to In summer the Water Division is enrolled in Alliants interruptible rate optimize power quality. program. It authorizes the utility on any given day to direct the Water Division to shed up to 1,420 kW in demand with two hours notice. The reducOperator Ben Weyers uses the tion may last several hours and can happen several times each summer. SCADA system to evaluate the In exchange, the division gets a $7.06 credit per kW during June, July and level in each water storage August and a $4.50 credit per kW during the rest of the year. tank. Weyers and Jarrek Lucke, fellow operator, have been To shed power quickly, loads like general plant cooling and lighting instrumental in automating the are curtailed off first, and a 900 kW diesel-powered backup generator at data collection and reporting each treatment plant is activated. The operating team must always plan systems within the plant to optimize energy savings. ahead and be prepared for interruptions. We try to anticipate when those
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CEDAR RAPIDS WATER DIVISION
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Fairbanks Nijhuis high-service pumps with variable-frequency drives move finished water into the distribution system.
calls may come in, says Dustin Elin, operations supervisor. Going into a very hot day, we will fill the tanks to the maximum the previous night so we are ready for an extended interruption, which could be nine hours long. We want to reduce usage of as many pumps as we can. The city also reduces its electricity rates by using energy off-peak when possible. By filling tanks, running centrifuges and backwashing filters during the evening when rates are lower, the division saves some $12,000. Through its energy-management programs, the water department has set an example for other city departments and citizens alike. We are the leader in the city for demonstrating how we can measure and use electricity wisely, says Steve Hershner, utilities director. The drinking water and wastewater departments are responsible for 66 percent of the citys total electrical usage, and we want to use it as effectively and wisely as possible. wso
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TECH TALK
A Better Disinfectant
Ozone is more effective than chlorine and derivatives and can deactivate chlorine-resistant pathogens but it is not suitable for residual disinfection
BY JOHN ROWE, PH.D.
mid-size town approached Florida Gateway College inquiring about how to control disinfection byproducts and a rotten egg smell in the drinking water. Officials were planning a new treatment facility and were looking for alternative treatments. The raw water sampling indicated that the new facility would have high levels of hydrogen sulfide and that total organics would be elevated. Because of its excellent disinfection and oxidation qualities, we began a discussion about ozone treatment.
Physical and chemical properties

Ozone was first used in water treatment in the late 1800s, and today it is more widely used in Europe and Asia than in the United States (although use here is increasing). Ozone is an unstable gas comprised of three oxygen atoms. It readily degrades back to oxygen, and during the transition a free oxygen atom (free radical) is formed. This free radical is highly reactive and short-lived; it normally will survive only for milliseconds. Ozone is a colorless gas that has an odor similar to the smell of the air after a major thunderstorm. It is a powerful oxidizing agent that is toxic to most waterborne organisms. It is a strong broad-spectrum disinfectant: Ozone treatment is an effective way to inactivate protozoans that form cysts and to eliminate almost all other pathogens. Ozone is produced by passing oxygen through ultraviolet light or a cold electrical discharge. It must be created on site and added to the water column by bubble contact. Ozone has the advantage of producing fewer dangerous byproducts than chlorine disinfection, and it removes tastes and odors from raw water without producing any noxious odor.
Key benefits
Ozone is widely used in drinking water treatment. It is effective over a wide pH range, and the gas rapidly reacts with bacteria, viruses and protozoans. It has stronger germicidal properties than chlorination and has excellent oxidizing power with a short reaction time. Ozone treatment does not add chemicals to the water, and ozone can eliminate a wide variety of inorganic, organic and microbiological agents, as well as taste and odors. Additional benefits, we explained, include its decanting abilities and its removal of micro-pollutants, such as pesticides. We also explained that since the citys source water contained elevated levels of organic Protecting the wells material, they would have to be aware of disinfection byproducts when In the area around the city in question there are numerous sinkholes, using chlorine. and the city engineer believes that surface water infiltrates the city wells. We also explained the disadvantages of ozone: Equipment and zone treatment does not add chemicals to the water, and ozone can eliminate operating costs are higher, and a wide variety of inorganic, organic and microbiological agents, as well as ozonation provides no germicidal or disinfection residual to inhibit taste and odors. or prevent regrowth of bacteria in the distribution system (although the quantity of disinfectant required to For this reason, there was concern that other pollutants, such as microprovide a residual is significantly reduced). Ozonation byproducts are pollutants, could enter the water wells. still being evaluated, and it is possible that some may be carcinogenic. We explained that micro-pollutants, such as pesticides that occur in Ozone treatment byproducts may include brominated compounds, surface water, are effectively oxidized with ozone treatment. Because aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids. Specifically, the gas reacts with ozone inhibits the formation of disinfection byproducts, removes hydrobromide to form bromate, a regulated contaminant in drinking water gen sulfide, removes organic and inorganic material and removes microwith a Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 ppb. pollutants, the community invested in an ozone water treatment facility. For this reason, a post filtration system that includes an activated carIn 2011, the community won a best tasting water contest sponsored by its bon filter may be necessary. An ozone treatment system also may require AWWA region. pretreatment for hardness reduction or the addition of polyphosphate to prevent formation of carbonate scale in the distribution system. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ozone is less water-soluble than chlorine, and therefore requires speJohn Rowe, Ph.D., is a professor of Water Resources at Florida Gateway cial mixing techniques. In addition, potential fire hazards and toxicity College in Lake City, Fla. wso issues are associated with ozone generation.
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QUALITY LEADERS
OPERATOR
Lab chemist Leslie Gryder, shown preparing water samples for coliform testing, spends considerable time outside the lab dealing with customer issues and distribution matters.
OUT AND
18
ABOUT
STORY: TED J. RULSEH PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF REID
Leslie Gryders role as a lab chemist in Lynchburg includes reaching out into the community to help troubleshoot customers issues and respond to emergencies
f you picture a water treatment lab chemist as someone spending all day indoors hunched over vials and test tubes, microscopes and spectrophotometers, you dont know Leslie Gryder. As lab chemist for the Lynchburg (Va.) Department of Water Resources, Gryder is just as likely to be found checking source water quality at the reservoir 22 miles from the city, meeting a customer at home to discuss a water-quality issue, or out on the distribution system pulling samples for bacteriological testing to check the potential health effects of a water main break. Its the variety of tasks and the changes of scenery that keep Gryder excited about going to work after 14 years in her role that and the satisfaction of working with a team of bright people equally dedicated to delivering quality water to the citys 76,000 residents. For her efforts, Gryder earned the U.S. EPAs 2012 Mid-Atlantic Professional Operator Excellence award in the Large System Category. Leslie is extremely dedicated and conscientious, observes Timothy Mitchell, P.E., director of water resources. She cares deeply about water quality and the reputation of our department. She works very well with our customers and other stakeholders, internal and external. Shes an essential part of the fantastic team we have in the Water Treatment Division. Leslie is extremely
Lynchburg, known as the Hill City, draws its water from the Pedlar Reservoir, a billion-gallon impoundment of the Pedlar River in the George Washington National Forest. The water is naturally soft, and turbidity is consistent, largely unaffected by rainfalls. The city also can draw from the James River as a secondary source in the event of breaks in the pipeline from the TIMOTHY MITCHELL, P.E. reservoir or in case of drought. Over the long run, 95 percent of the time the reservoir is the primary source, Gryder says. Lynchburg operates two conventional water treatment plants: the College Hill Filtration Plant and the Abert Filtration Plant, with a combined capacity of 26 mgd and average combined flow of 10 mgd. Gryder grew up in New York State and worked in a commercial laboratory while earning an associate degree in medical laboratory technology from the State University of New York. She then moved to Raleigh, N.C., worked full time in a laboratory and studied part time to earn a bachelors degree in chemistry from North Carolina State University.
dedicated and conscientious. She cares deeply about water quality and the reputation of our department. Shes an essential part of the fantastic team we have in the Water Treatment Division.
Quality source
Gryders duties include pulling twice-monthly field samples from some 40 sample stations located throughout Lynchburg.
Leslie Gryder, Lynchburg (Va.) Department of Water Resources

POSITION: | Lab
chemist years CERTIFICATION: | Class I Water Plant Operator DEGREES: Associate, medical laboratory technology, State University of New York; bachelors, chemistry, North Carolina State University MEMBERSHIP: | AWWA GOALS: | Continue delivering high-quality water to Lynchburg residents
EXPERIENCE: | 12
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The Lynchburg team includes, from left, Chad Cline, water plant operator trainee; Timothy Mitchell, director of water resources; Gryder, chemist; Richard Eden, water plant superintendent; and Amanda Brown, water plant shift supervisor.
I end up doing a lot of face-to-face interaction. Somehow on the phone people just dont really feel like you care.
LESLIE GRYDER
CONSISTENT EXCELLENCE
The Lynchburg water filtration plants have been well recognized for performance excellence. In fact, the College Hill and Abert plants have earned the Water Treatment Plant Performance Award for Excellence in Granular Media Filtration from the Virginia Department of Health for six consecutive years. The award recognizes consistently low finished water turbidity, according to Timothy Mitchell, P.E., director of water resources for the city. Its unusual for a large plant to receive the award because it requires turbidity no higher than 0.1 NTU, when the U.S. EPA standard is 0.3 NTU. The fact we have won these awards and have been able to keep our plants performing continuously at such a high level is a testament to efforts of Leslie Gryder and the entire staff of the Water Treatment Division.
Award-winning chemist Leslie Gryder
Soon afterward, she married and moved with her husband to Lynchburg, where I looked for a job to make use of my newly attained degree, Gryder says. The search led her to the city and the water department. I was like most people who never really gave a second thought to where my water came from and what was involved in making it drinkable, she recalls. The first time I came here and got a tour of a water treatment plant, I found it fascinating. I still like the work very much. Gryder worked for the water department lab for two years, along the way earning her Class I water plant operator license. She left for eight years to stay home with her children, then returned to the job in 2001.
Varied duties
Like most of the 18 water treatment team members, Gryder wears different hats. Were kind of a midsize utility, so were not big enough to have a lot of staff resources, Mitchell says. But were too big to not have any, so we have people who have multiple skills and multiple responsibilities. Gryder maintains a Virginia Department of Health certified lab for bacteriological analysis. We draw samples to do our own testing for coliform bacteria, she says. I deal with the new regulations that come out and try to anticipate what needs to be done day to day and month to month. I calibrate instrumentation, prepare reports to the Department of Health and for our own use, and help troubleshoot when we have issues with the water. We do some testing up at the reservoir, mainly in summertime.
The lab work includes use of a zeta potential electrophoresis instrument (Zeta-Meter) to determine the optimum alum dose for treatment. Dealing with customers is an important part of the job, and Gryder much prefers to meet them in person. Many complaints concern discolored water, often caused by a disruption in the flow from main flushing or a main break. The folks who work on the construction crews generally deal with those, but we also get occasional complaints about the smell or taste of the water, Gryder says. I end up doing a lot of face-to-face interaction. Somehow on the phone people just dont really feel like you care. Occasionally I can talk to people over the phone and explain to them whats going on, but most of the time I end up going out and talking to them. The first thing I do is ask what the problem is and how long it has been going on. Youd be surprised how many people say they have an issue with their water, but its only in one sink. In that case you know right then and there that its an issue with their own plumbing and not with the water. Where necessary she can use portable probes (largely Hach instruments) to check parameters such as chlorine, pH, iron and conductivity. She runs bacteriological tests back at the lab, and if she finds something of special concern she can send a sample to an outside lab.
To boil or not?
Gryders expertise comes into play in larger events such as distribu-
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tion line breaks. Leslie is an integral part of the team that identifies the sented annually by the Office of Drinking Water and Source Water Proaffected areas, monitors the quality of the water, takes and tests samples, and tection in EPA Region 3. determines whether we need to issue boil water notices, Mitchell says. For Gryder, the work isnt about awards. I really like the people I Main breaks can lead to boil notices because a loss of system pressure work with, she says. They are smart, and they care about what they do, (to less than 20 psi) creates the risk of system contamination through and thats a great atmosphere to work in. I especially enjoy the variety the backflow, back siphonage or infiltration. Its not routine that we issue a job brings it never gets boring. wso boil notice for every main break, but we do analyze the situation, see how much system pressure was lost and determine how big an area was MORE INFO: affected, Mitchell says. We communicate with the state and local health Hach Company Zeta-Meter, Inc. Bentley Systems departments and decide based on the facts whether we need to issue a boil 800/227-4224 540/886-3503 800/727-6555 notice or not. Its a precautionary measure. www.hach.com www.zeta-meter.com www.bentley.com Two relatively recent significant main breaks resulted in boil water (See ad page 3) notices. One happened the day before Valentines Day, and the subsequent boil notices affected the citys restaurant row on one of the busiest weekends. The second affected the citys largest hospital, other restaurants and a commercial area. In those cases, says Mitchell, Leslie was very involved in the whole process. She was integral in assessing the situation, coordinating with the health departments and helping us get the notices lifted as quickly as possible. When main breaks happen, Mitchell, Gryder, water plant superintendent Richard Eden and utility line maintenance superintendent Harry Lapeyre Stair serves all your stair needs quickly and precisely. Doss lead the response team. The engineering In-house detailing and design ensure project accuracy every time, on time. division uses a WaterCAD program (Bentley Systems) and detailed records of past complaints Choose from our expanding product line to meet your on-site assembly requirements. about low water pressure to model the break and identify the area where system pressure has dropped below 20 psi. The GIS team maps the affected area, helping determine which customers should receive boil water notices. Gryder then draws samples from the area and analyzes them; she repeats the process after the main is repaired and pressure restored. In each case, the bacteriological samples require 24 hours incubation. Water is also tested for chlorine residual. Boil notices themselves can be hand-delivered in the case of small breaks. In other cases, notices are announced on local TV and radio stations and posted on the departments website.
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Community cooperation
Gryders influence has reached beyond the city limits to include working with surrounding counties on water-quality issues. She notes that Lynchburg and county water agencies are subject to U.S. EPA Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rules aimed at reducing illnesses from Cryptosporidium and other water-borne pathogens. When we were first required to comply with those rules, there werent many laboratories certified to do the necessary E. coli testing, she says. So I got our lab certified by the Virginia State Lab, and then we offered our services to the counties to perform the testing for them, as well. Its that brand of dedication that helped Gryder win the Operator Excellence Award, designed to recognize certified operators who exemplify exceptional work practices on the job and in the community, and who advance the health and safety of potable water for customers. It is pre-
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OUT
Lined backwash pools at the Chelmsford Water Districts Crooked Spring treatment plant.
QUALITY LEADERS
AGENCY
WITH WASTE
A Massachusetts water district earns accolades for energy and water conservation, while plant operators learn new technologies and skills
STORY: TRUDE WITHAM PHOTOGRAPHY: ED COLLIER
n impressive solar panel array sits in the field behind the Crooked Spring Water Treatment Plant, one of three plants owned by the Chelmsford (Mass.) Water District. The solar panels, installed in 2010, save some $154,000 a year on electricity. Thats just one example of energy and cost savings the district has achieved. Other measures include energy efficient lighting with timers that shut the lights off when a room is vacated, a hybrid vehicle and infrared heating to replace direct hot air heating in the district garage. Water conservation is another initiative. When I started at the district in 2007, we didnt meet the water conservation rule restrictions, says Todd Melanson, environmental compliance manager. We now meet or exceed the 65 gallons per capita per day Water Management Act goal, set by the state. We were averaging 69 gpd, and now were averaging a steady 62. The district is working with the Town of Chelmsford to retrofit municipal buildings with water conservation devices. The district also purchased leak detection equipment. Chelmsford Water was recogThe processes we nized for its water and energy conservation with awards in 2012 have work great from the Massachusetts Departand produce excellent ment of Environmental Protection. The district also won the quality water. Massachusetts DEP Public Water TODD MELANSON System Award in 2010 and 2013, and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Award and a Governors Citation in 2010. Plant operators do their part for conservation. Any time you can save on energy, its a fabulous thing, says Bill McCarthy Sr., senior water quality manager. We track the solar array efficiency every day with the computer, and if there is a problem, it trips an alarm. Melanson jokes, We watch the environment more than the environmentalists.
Chelmsford Water District, Chelmsford, Mass.

FOUNDED: | 1913 POPULATION SERVED: | 25,000 SERVICE AREA: | 85
percent of Town of Chelmsford and Concord River basins TREATMENT PROCESS: Aeration, greens and filtration (Crooked Spring and Riverneck plants), membrane filtration (Smith Street plant) DISTRIBUTION: | 140 miles of water mains SYSTEM STORAGE: | 15.3 million gallons KEY CHALLENGE: | Water conservation ANNUAL BUDGET: | $5.5 million (operating) WEBSITE: | www.chelmsfordwater.com
SOURCE WATER: | Merrimack
Serving the town

The Chelmsford Water District serves 85 percent of the town, providing water to more than 25,000 residents. The district maintains 19 wells, 140 miles of water mains and 1,498 fire hydrants. Eighty-two percent of connections are residential, 17 percent are commercial and industrial, and the rest are municipal.
Water withdrawn from the wells comes from both the Merrimack and Concord River basins, and above-ground water reservoirs hold one of the states largest capacities at 15.3 million gallons. Water from 19 gravelpacked wells is piped to the Crooked Spring, Riverneck and Smith Street plants, where it is treated and tested. Potassium permanganate and sodium hypochlorite are added during treatment, and potassium hydroxide is added after treatment as a corrosion inhibitor. The district organization is divided into treatment, distribution and administration. Personnel in the departments are cross-trained and work cooperatively. The Crooked Spring and Riverneck plants run year-round, and the Smith Street plant runs during the peak season (May through October) and when one of the other plants is shut down for maintenance. Four treatment operators staff the plants on a rotating basis, and the team also includes nine distribution and six management and administrative staff. The operators are all certified, as are most of the distribution and administrative staff.
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The Crooked Spring plant team includes, from left, Bill McCarthy Jr., operator; Bill McCarthy Sr., water quality manager; Steve Pynn, operator; Bob Hayes, senior operator; and Todd Melanson, environmental compliance manager.
SAVING WATER
Conserving water is serious business for the Chelmsford Water District. Water is supplied by just two underground aquifers (Merrimack and Concord River Basins) that supply the districts 19 gravel-packed wells. In summer, water usage increases by about 50 percent. Chelmsfords permit allows for an annual average withdrawal of 3.96 mgd from the two basins combined. On peak days from May to October, usage can exceed 4 mgd. The conservation program, started in the early 1980s and revitalized in 2002 with an expanded outreach program, has allowed the district to meet state conservation rule restrictions. A district bylaw limits outdoor water usage, and a solar-powered digital signboard in district neighborhoods keeps residents informed about changes in water restriction levels. A weather station includes monitoring equipment to measure precipitation. This has helped to get the point of the water conservation program across to the public by generating area-specific precipitation data, Melanson says. Other initiatives include installing smart meters, leak-detection systems and water-saving devices, such as low-flow toilets and fixtures, in town buildings. An irrigation system program catalogued existing irrigation systems and allowed for the permitting of new ones. The district has conducted a water audit of the entire distribution system in Chelmsfords three districts, and has beefed up public education. We list conservation steps on our website and explain why we have water restrictions based on yearly precipitation, says Todd Melanson, environmental compliance manager. I also talk to students in middle school and high school biology, chemistry and ecology classes about the importance of water conservation. Conservation awards the district received in 2010 and 2012 proved the success of the program. Says Melanson, Its really the residents who deserve the credit, since theyre the ones who took steps to reduce their usage.
Todd Melanson at the Crooked Spring plants solar array, which supplies the facility with a majority of its electricity.
Modern plants
When I started with the district in 1973 at the Smith Street plant, the treatment process was diatomaceous earth, says McCarthy. Weve come a long way since then. Built in 1964, the 1 mgd Smith Street plant was upgraded to an Aria (Pall Corporation) membrane filtration system in
2012. The membrane system is more efficient than the old diatomaceous earth process and was able to fit in the existing building, which was a key requirement because of the plants location, explains Melanson. The 3 mgd Riverneck plant, built in 2000, and 4 mgd Crooked Spring plant (2007) use aeration and greensand filtration. Before the Riverneck and Crooked Spring plants went online, we had a problem with manganese and iron precipitating out and staining the fixtures, says Melanson. It was more of an aesthetic issue, but we installed the treatment plants to solve that problem. Besides starting the process of removing manganese and iron, the aeration towers at each plant remove odors and dissolved carbon dioxide and help adjust the pH before the actual filtration process. The aeration towers have reduced the plants use of potassium hydroxide chemical by 30 to 40 percent. With the cost of drinking-water-quality potassium hydroxide increasing by as much as 200 percent a year, the savings have quickly added up, says Melanson.
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The district operates in an environment who performed a feasibility The distribution staff lets us know when with a high chance of volatile organic compound study. Using federal stimulus theyre going to test the hydrants, since (VOC) contamination, so the aeration towers funds, the district built the that influences the plants flows. help protect the water by completely air stripping $2.8 million solar array at the out any possible contamination, should it occur, Crooked Spring plant. BILL McCARTHY SR. says Melanson. Commissioned in fall 2010, All the districts plants meet the 4-log reduction Groundwater Rule, the array was one of the largest ground-mounted systems in New Engwhich means the district can prove on a daily basis that it removes 99.99 land. It includes 2,310 solar panels, each with a capacity of 205 watts, or percent of all potential bacterial contamination. We increased the chloabout 550,000 kWh per year. Besides the energy savings, the plant earns rine level before the rule went into effect, but with the intention of meeta renewable energy credit for every 1,000 kWh generated, for an annual ing the 4-log requirement, says Melanson. The increased chlorine dose savings of $30,000, in addition to the 54 percent reduction in electricity also helps remove iron and manganese. The processes we have work great use. Operators have taught themselves how to use software that tracks the and produce excellent quality water. solar arrays efficiency. (continued)
Going green
Soon after hiring Melanson, district leaders asked him to evaluate energy consumption and efficiency. Hes also in charge of emergency response, community outreach, training and making sure sampling and water restriction requirements are met. The district wanted to lower its energy costs, so I started looking at ways we could do that, Melanson says. Because our facilities were all pretty new, there wasnt much we could do at that level, so we started looking at renewable energy sources. In 2008, he attended an energy roundtable with state DEP, the U.S. EPA and the University of MassachusettsLowell, where he got advice on renewable energy options. He settled on solar and connected with a solar engineering graduate student at UMass-Lowell,
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www.henrypratt.com Aeration towers reduce the plants use of potassium hydroxide by 30 to 40 percent.
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Good communication
The operators also work efficiently to run the three plants, relying on good communication. The operators and distribution group work together. Theyre all one unit, and they have to plan out the schedule to make sure everything is covered, says McCarthy. The distribution staff lets us know when theyre going to test the hydrants, since that influences the plants flows. The state requires each plant to be staffed for four hours a day. SCADA system alarms let operators know of any problems during unstaffed periods. Operators are cross-trained on all three plants and can step up to fill anothers shoes, says Bob Hayes, chief plant operator. McCarthy holds Level 3 water treatment and water distribution (3T/3D) certification, and has been with the district for 40 years. Hayes (17 years) holds 3T/2D certification. Plant operators are Steve Pynn (3T/2D, 12 years) and Bill McCarthy Jr. (2T/2D, 6 years). The operators handle maintenance, grounds work and plant upkeep, and order and track supplies, such as chemicals. Benchtop testing is done at each plant, and samples are sent to a state certiBill McCarthy Jr. tests manganese fied laboratory to meet state testlevels. ing criteria. Compliance with the 4-log rule means keeping meticulous records of plant flows, chlorine dose and chlorine contact time. Starting the first of every year, we record the flows and chemicals, and the state goes through the books every three years to make sure were doing what we say were doing, says McCarthy.
Bill McCarthy Sr. checks and records tank data.
difficulty with chlorine levels, Hayes asks the team to look at the situation and come up with an answer. The operations team is the strongest and most conscientious I have seen in my career, says Melanson. They all grew up in this town, have worked in the district for a long time and have been through a lot together. If there is I consider myself an equal to the operators. No one is above the other. a problem at a plant, they are ready to handle it, even if its at two a.m. Every day, they are meeting challenges, and every time they open that McCarthy adds, I consider myself door they might be faced with a situation. an equal to the operators. No one is BILL MCCARTHY SR. above the other. Every day, they are meeting challenges, and every time they open that door they might be faced with a situation. line of sight. We did that so the lines wouldnt cross, McCarthy says. It Melanson adds, The operators treat the entire water system as if its used to take two and a half minutes to get information from the SCADA, alive, because you cant do something to one part without it affecting the and now it takes six seconds. others. The plant is the heart and the distribution system is the veins and The district belongs to the states water and wastewater response netarteries. The system operates conwork, which allows utilities to respond cooperatively to statewide emertinuously and if something hapgencies with personnel or equipment. MORE INFO: pens to one portion, it can affect Melanson conducts regular safety and emergency response training Pall Corporation the entire community. wso with the staff. The operators also attend water association tabletop exer800/645-6532 cises and seminars. www.pall.com/water Operators rely on each other to solve problems. If for example they visit a well site and find something that needs fixing, or if they are having The Crooked Spring plant is designed to be self-sustaining in case of emergencies. This started after 9/11, so that if the plant had to be secured and locked down, it could still operate, says McCarthy. The plant has a full kitchen, generators and a fuel supply, and two radio frequencies for
Self-sufficient
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TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE
1) In one of two available configurations for removing floated solids, a mechanical scraper pushes the material into a trough. 2) A schematic shows the basic structure and operation of the AquaDAF high-rate clarifier. 3) Extremely fine bubbles float floc particles to the surface of the clarifier.
1 3
Going for the Green

The AquaDAF high-rate clarifier has proven itself in effective removal of algae and other low-density solids from surface water sources
BY TED J. RULSEH
application. Were trying to float the particles out of the water, and there are only so many air bubbles you can attach to a small piece of floc to float it out. The ideal application is for water that contains algae but otherwise is pretty clean with low turbidity. Lakes and reservoirs are typically low in turbidity because everything heavy has already settled out by the time the raw water gets to the intake.
urface waters that contain algae can be challenging to treat in conventional settling and filtration processes. Being light and buoyant, algae and certain other organic materials found in lakes and reservoirs can resist settling and inhibit downstream filtration. For removing such substances, Infilco Degremont (SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT) offers the AquaDAF high-rate clarifier, a dissolved air flotation (DAF) process. Essentially a sedimentation process in reverse, it uses tiny air bubbles to float less-dense, flocculated impurities to the surface, where they are skimmed off. The technology originated in Finland in the 1960s; Infilco Degremont licensed it and brought it to North America in 2000. It is designed to treat large volumes of low-turbidity, algae-laden water 10 to 20 gpm per square foot of collection zone in a small footprint. It can be installed for new treatment plants as well as retrofitted in existing facilities, even where space is constrained. Patrick Daniel, application engineer with Infilco Degremont, talked about the technology and its applications for drinking water treatment in an interview with Water System Operator.
wso: Where does this technology fit in the treatment scheme? Daniel: We see it in brand new plants, and in older failing plants. An old plant might have a conventional system with a really long basin where they try to settle out the particles. But if the water is from a lake that has algae problems, conventional treatment is not the best, because algae is very lightweight. It ends up going through the clarifier and then gets clogged up in the filter. We see this technology applied where someone wants to get rid of an aging system and put in a system that is more suited for the type of water they have. We have a couple of installations where a utility did exactly that. Their system was failing. They were getting really short filter run times, and the water tasted bad, too, because algae made it through the system. wso: What kind of chemistry is used in this process? Daniel: Its basically standard jar testing chemistry. When we get a project, we do jar tests and look at how the floc flows. Its the standard chemistry you see in a conventional treatment plant, but instead of sinking the floc, were floating it. wso: In summary, how does the process work? Daniel: Raw water entering the unit goes through a rapid mixer or static mixer where we introduce the coagulant. The coagulant destabilizes the particles in the water so they start to clump together. The water then proceeds into a flocculation basin where we form a floc and get it the right size.
wso: When and where would a drinking water utility apply this technology? Daniel: The real key is that you have something in the water that wants to float out. For heavy particles, like silt in river water, its not the best
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The water then enters the base of the flotation zone, where a saturated air-water recycle stream is added. This stream is produced by recycling some of the already clarified water to a pressurized saturator vessel. The recycle stream is then depressurized through a series of release nozzles. This creates thousands of micro-bubbles, which disperse into the flotation zone. The air bubbles are really small, on the order of 40 to 70 micrometers. The water takes the appearance of milk people call it whitewater. The bubbles attach to the floc particles formed in the previous step and float them to the surface. The clarified water exits the bottom of the unit through a perforated collector floor and moves on to filtration, which can be a media filter or a membrane system.
The ideal application is for water that contains algae but otherwise is pretty clean with low turbidity. Lakes and reservoirs are typically low in turbidity because everything heavy has already settled out by the time the raw water gets to the intake.
PATRICK DANIEL
we force it to take a more indirect route. That allows us to push more flow through the system.
wso: How is the floated material removed from the unit?

Daniel: There are two ways to remove the sludge hydraulically or mechanically. In hydraulic removal, we slowly close off the bafflement at intervals so that the water cant leave the system. Water then lifts up a couple of inches and then spills over a weir like a waterfall, into a trough on the side. You get a more dilute liquid sludge that way. The other method is to use a mechanical scraper. A motor- and geardriven scraper blade comes down at intervals and pushes the sludge into the same trough. Its thicker sludge when you remove the material this way, and the utility needs to have the proper equipment at the plant to handle that.
wso: What effluent quality does the clarifier produce? Daniel: We typically see 90 percent algae removal in our pilot studies and our full-scale treatments. Some algae species are more difficult to remove, but on the other hand many of our systems get as high as 93 to 94 percent removal. Because we start with low-turbidity water, we typically see 1 NTU coming off the clarifier. wso: How does this units speed compare with conventional settling? Daniel: A conventional clarifier might take a couple of hours from when the water enters until it leaves. It typically takes less than 30 minutes, and more likely 20 minutes, to get through this system. Its quick to turn on and lets you produce water a lot faster. wso: How easy are these systems to install? Daniel: There are nine package units in capacities from 100 to 1,750 gpm. They show up as a tank and skid bearing the pump and saturation vessel. A contractor simply has to wire it, plumb it and its ready. Its much quicker than doing a new concrete installation. wso
wso: What accounts for the high volume this system handles in a small footprint? Daniel: It goes to the way we collect the water underneath the unit. We introduce a headloss through the floor and force the water to take a particular path. Rather than letting the water take the least-resistant path,
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29
WINNING THEM OVER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORT COLLINS WATER UTILITIES
Each year the Fort Collins Water Utility offers watershed training for teachers at the citys Pingree Park.
A display at the Childrens Water Festival, an annual event that attracts some 2,000 students. The Fort Collins Water Utility is one of the festival sponsors.
On Patrol
Fort Collins teaches conservation to kids and uses property audits to help owners irrigate their landscapes more responsibly
BY PETE LITTERSKI
n Colorado, where water rights are strictly governed and water supplies can be scant, the job of a water conservationist requires immediate action and a longrange viewpoint. Fort Collins water conservationist Laurie DAudney says her role is to help utility officials and political leaders prepare for the future, while keeping a close eye on the water available for the sum-
30
I want to see the students as much as I can, so by the time they graduate they are good citizens. Theyll be the most educated population out there.
MARCEE CAMENSON
mer. The citys education programs include classroom sessions and an audit program that helps residents get a handle on irrigation water. Fort Collins, in the foothills of the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains, averages 16 inches in annual precipitation. Home to 150,000 people and Colorado State University, it has three surface water sources: the Cache la Poudre River that runs through the city, water from the Michigan River that flows to the Poudre; and the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, which impounds water on the west slope of the Front Range and pumps it through a tunnel to cities on the eastern side.
Education first
As Fort Collins grows, the city emphasizes resource conservation.
The city has a four-level plan for water restrictions when drought limits supplies, and it includes fines for violators. But education and cooperation rate higher than writing tickets. That was the idea behind a sprinkler audit program launched in 1999 that uses summer employees to inspect properties and help home and business owners adjust lawn irrigation systems. The workers check for broken lines or sprinkler heads and then, if the site has an automatic controller, turn their attention to the brains of the system. Since the program began, the city has audited more than 3,500 residential customers. Its amazing how many people have their controllers set up by the contractor when theyre installed and they just leave them after that, DAudney says. The
initial settings may not comply with the citys drought response restrictions, or they may be disrupted by other factors. The audit crews help owners reset the controllers and teach them how to do so themselves. Owners can request the audits, but the city often does them for people caught violating. If we can help them get the controller set, then we usually dont have a problem again, DAudney says. And thats really our goal. The first thought is to educate rather than fine someone.
Students map their watershed while working with Dr. WaterWise as part of the community education program.
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Teaching conservation
Water conservation is the focus of half of the 10 educational sessions offered during the citys annual Residential Environmental Program Series, in its 26th year. For 2013, sessions included Tricks and Tips for Xeriscape, Evolving into a Xeriscape Design, More Color, Less Water Dryland Perennials, Burning Questions: Fire and Our Watershed, and Cool Strategies for Summer Utility Savings. Working with Fort Collins Utilities outreach and education supervisor Marcee Camenson, DAudney helps recruit speakers for the classes and puts together other water con-
servation programs for Earth Day, community events, farmers markets and displays at home centers just about anywhere they can reach Fort Collins residents. Camenson also organizes an annual series of breakfast sessions for the utilitys Biz Ed program, including topics such as water supply and conservation. In addition, she oversees youth education, including the Dr. WATERwise program, which sends a city employee into third- through fifthgrade classrooms to present handson projects that teach the students about water issues and conservation. The program, which reached
800 students last year, teaches students how to gauge their own water use, analyze data and find ways to make every drop count. In third grade, students record the water they use for three days so they can grasp the volume passing through the tap as they bathe, brush their teeth and flush the toilet. In fourth and fifth grades, the focus turns to the sources of water and its users: residential, business, farm, industrial and recreational. They also learn how water from the Rocky Mountain snowpack serves other states downstream.
Understanding users
Dr. WATERwise uses roleplaying where students represent different user categories. They have to learn about their category, and they have to stay in their role and discuss water with students assigned to other categories, Camenson says. They end up learning a lot. Then we hope they go home and discuss it with their parents. The city also sponsors the
annual Fort Collins Childrens Water Festival on the Colorado State campus. Each spring about 1,700 students attend classroom presentations, view displays and take part in activities geared to increasing water awareness. Camenson, who also works with high school students in the WaterSHED program focusing on surface water issues, aims to engage students for more than just one year: The idea is to make sure the water lessons stick. I want to see the students as much as I can, so by the time they graduate they are good citizens, she says. Theyll be the most educated population out there. wso
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31
PRODUCT FOCUS:
BY CRAIG MANDLI
ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND POWER GENERATION

High-Efficiency Motors/Pumps/Blowers
Hybrid blower
The Delta Hybrid rotary lobe compressor from Aerzen USA combines rotary lobe blower and screw compressor technologies. It provides the reliability of positive displacement aeration with energy efficiency comparable to turbo technologies. The screw compressor, with internal compression, is efficient in high pressure ranges. 610/380-0244; www.aerzenusa.com.
Water system operators increasingly strive to perform more sustainably and drive down energy costs. Here are some of the latest energy efficient generators, motors, pumps, blowers, drives and renewable energy systems that water utilities are using to help save energy while delivering a high-quality product.
Generators
Industrial diesel liquid-cooled generator
Industrial Diesel Liquid Cooled (IDLC) generator sets from Baldor Electric are available in ratings from 300 to 2,000 kW and include heavy-duty diesel engines that meet the latest EPA emissions regulations. They have brushless synchronous alternators with dynamic balancing and four-pole construction for long life and low maintenance. An easy-to-use microprocessor-based controller allows for field programming. The units are production tested to ensure easy startup. They accept rated load in one step. 749/646-4711; www.baldor.com.
High-speed turbo blower

The High Speed Turbo Blower from APG-Neuros uses a bump foil air bearing that is oil free and noncontact, needing no lubricating or associated maintenance. Its permanent magnet synchronous motor transfers EMF to the load with no physical contact between stator and shaft, offering high-precision motor speed control. It can attain flow rates to 21,000 scfm and a design discharge pressure to 15 psig. Models range from 30 to 700 hp; dual-core models (400 to 700 hp) provide a wide flow range with a turndown rate of up to 80 percent. 866/592-9482; www.apg-neuros.com.
Tier 2 diesel generator set

High-horsepower diesel generator sets from Cummins Power Generation meet EPA Tier 2 emissions regulations. They are designed for emergency response, steady-state performance, reliability and versatility for standby, prime and continuous power applications. Models operating at 60 Hz are rated from 1,250 to 2,250 kW. Models operating at 50 Hz are rated from 1,400 to 2,500 kVa. They accept full rated load in a single step as required by NFPA for Level 1 systems, and are available with a data center continuous rating for continuous use, complying with Uptime Institute standards. 877/769-7669; www.cumminspower.com.
Efficient aerator and mixer motor

Endura Series motors from AquaAerobic Systems are high- and premiumefficiency options for Aqua-Jet surface aerators and Aqua DDM direct-drive mixers. They are available in a variety of horsepower ratings and operate under severe conditions. They require no greasing and only limited maintenance for five years. 800/940-5008; www.aqua-aerobic.com.
Regenerative blower
Regenerative blowers from Atlantic Blowers are available in single- or doublestage configurations. The impeller is directly connected to the motor shaft, eliminating pulleys and belts. This minimizes moving parts, reducing maintenance and maximizing life. The units provide clean, dry, oil-free air at slightly above ambient temperature. Air volume ranges from 18 to 1,519 cfm, and air pressure from 22 to 313 inches H20. Motor ratings range from 0.16 to 50 hp. 214/233-0280; www. atlanticblowers.com.
Energy-efficient generator
The 2,500 kW generator from Kohler Power Systems has a V-16 engine that offers high power density in a compact footprint. Its International Building Code (IBC) 2012 seismic certification makes it suitable for water treatment plants. The generator fully integrates with automatic transfer switches, custom paralleling switchgear and controls. 800/544-2444; www.kohlerpower.com.
Aeration blower
Eurus Blower offers bi-lobe (MB) or tri-lobe (ZG) aeration blowers and packages for MBBRs, sludge tanks and equalization tanks. They are rated to 15 psig and offer airflows to 3,950 cfm. They have integral-shaft ductile iron impellers, dual splash lubrication, oversized roller bearings, piston ring air seals and viton lip seals. They have high-efficiency integrated intake filter/silencers with washable polyurethane filter media, combination bases and heavy-duty integrated discharge silencers and vibration dampers. 630/221-8282; www.eurusblower.com.
Commercial generator
The SGX 7500 Generator from Subaru Industrial Power Products offers a Subaru EX overhead cam engine. It is constructed of heavyduty steel and equipped with steel fuel tanks. At 7.5 kW, it is the largest of three models available. It is CSA certified to meet electrical safety standards. 847/540-7300; www.subarupower.com.
32
High-speed centrifugal blower

The Hoffman Revolution high-speed centrifugal blower from Gardner Denver delivers up to 45 percent energy savings and high reliability with little maintenance. It is factory prewired and tested in an ergonomically designed sound enclosure for plug-andplay operation. Technology improvements allow a compact footprint. It has a 1-meter certified sound rating at below 80 dBA. Features include a single enclosure housing, high-speed blower/motor unit, direct-driven high-speed motor, self-contained cooling system, air filtration elements, high-efficiency impeller, magnetic smart bearings and blow-off valve assembly. 724/239-1500; www.hoffmanandlamson.com.
and solids reduction. Material is fed to the first digester, which can operate in a mesophilic or thermophilic state, and the easily degradable solids are converted to biogas. The material is then dewatered and fed to the continuous thermal hydrolysis system. The heat is recovered for steam generation and heating of the first digester. The hydrolysed material is then digested in the second digester, a mesophilic unit where all solubilized solids in the system are converted to biogas. 919/677-8310; www. krugerusa.com.
Disinfection energy generation

Integrated energy-generation systems from Pasteurization Technology Group combine water disinfection with the generation of renewable energy. They can use waste byproducts such as biogas or biomass or natural gas to power a turbine or engine that generates electricity. Exhaust passes through a heatrecovery unit that increases the temperature to disinfect the water. Intelligent software optimizes energy and water flow. The technology does not require toxic chemicals or electricity. It has passed California Title 22 disinfection standards. 510/357-0562; www.pastechgroup.com.
High-efficiency regenerative blower

High-efficiency K Series regenerative blowers from FPZ are ideal for applications that require low power consumption. The high-efficiency impeller maximizes the blower airflow output at pressure (especially at pressures greater than 4.5 psig). Multiple horsepower options area available that allow the user to utilize the lowest installed power required to meet the system pressure requirements. Standard motors are suitable for use with variable-frequency drives, so the blower can operate at lower speeds to minimize power consumption. Their compact design and low noise levels allow them to be installed without large acoustical enclosures. They are capable of producing pressures to 12.5 psig and flows over 1,000 cfm, and are backed by a three-year warranty. 262/268-0180; www.fpz.com.
Energy management software

StruxureWare for Water software from Schneider Electric includes an easily configurable dashboard that allows ad hoc reporting and analysis. Operators have several tools that aggregate energy and related data into a single platform for analysis of energy savings. The power monitoring functions deliver data as actionable information through a customizable, user-friendly interface accessible from computers and handheld devices on the network. The functionality can be scaled from small systems up to large municipal or industrial systems. 770/329-3878; www.schneider-electric-water.com.
Inverter duty vertical motor

The U.S. MOTORS line of inverter duty vertical motors from Nidec Motor Corporation include a bearing protection system with a shaft grounding-ring that reduces damage from voltage spikes. The system is available on 40 hp and above vertical HOLLOSHAFT motors. Vertical motors 100 hp and larger also include an insulated bearing to prevent circulating and other bearing currents. 888/637-7333; www.nidec-motor.com.
Solar-powered water monitor

At sites without utility power, a solar-powered water monitor from SunWize Technologies can help maintain operations to provide clean, continuous water supplies. Systems can operate integrated units of spread spectrum radios and dissolved oxygen (DO) analyzers. Analog signal outputs of DO analyzers are wired directly into RTU/radios. The remote radio units transmit the signals to a central ModBus gateway radio, which interfaces with a SCADA system to monitor and provide historical trends of the collected data. 800/817-6527; www.sunwize.com.
Vacuum blower
RB-DV Hi-Vacuum blowers from Robuschi USA offer an airflow range from 400 to 6,200 cfm. Air injection manifolds allow operation at 28 inches Hg continuously without a vacuum relief valve. The lightweight manifolds and low-pulsation technology ensure low noise and less vibration. The fabricated and cast manifolds and foot assemblies can be custom made to suit PTO angle. Lifting hooks allow safe and easy assembly and removal. 877/424-1020; www.robuschiusa.com.
Variable-Speed Drives
Eddy current drive
Eddy Current Drives from DSI Dynamatic include an EC-2000 Controller that enables digital or analog integration with digital process control systems, SCADA systems or PLCs. A flexible keypad enables simple and intuitive programming of control parameters and (Continued on page 35)
Renewable Energy Systems

Biosolids thermal hydrolysis system
The EXELYS biosolids thermal hydrolysis system from Kruger USA is used in a DLD (digestion-lysisdigestion) configuration to optimize energy production
33
CASE STUDIES:
BY CRAIG MANDLI

Dehumidification system saves energy, reduces damage
Problem
A municipal water treatment facility in Tonawanda, N.Y., was experiencing problems with inadequate humidity control inside the pipe galleries, resulting in significant maintenance issues with the pipes and auxiliary devices. Moisture would condense, causing corrosion, and drip onto instruments, valves, filter equipment and wiring. perature of the water and automatically adjusts the air conditions to provide a dew point that eliminates condensation.
RESULT
The system keeps the pipe galleries dry year round. Its controllability allows the plant to maintain the proper air conditions, eliminate maintenance problems and save energy. 716/875-2000; www.kathabar.com.
Solution
Kathabar Dehumidification Systems provided a liquid desiccant dehumidification system that controls the humidity in the galleries, maintaining the dew point lower than the temperature of the water in the pipes. It operates by absorbing the water vapor from the air with a liquid desiccant, continuously circulated through a heat exchanger and cooled by a modulated flow of river water. The system checks the tem-
Generators provide power for system with frequent power outages

Problem
The Rathbun Regional Water Association (RRWA), a provider of water to southeast Iowa, is charged with keeping 36 water towers full in a rural area that suffers frequent power outages. When power is lost, the water from a tower keeps flowing, but a clock starts ticking on how soon each tower will run out, says Rod Witt, RRWA in Centerville, Iowa. Some towers last a day or longer, while others need to be replenished in just a few hours.
Solution
We essentially have 36 different countdown clocks, one for each water tower, based on water levels and projected usage, says Witt. Four towable 200 kW Kohler Power Systems generators are moved strategically among 39 pump stations throughout the Rathbun distribution area. They run for a few hours to top off a water tower, then are transported to the next pump station.
RESULT
The generators have performed flawlessly in several large power outages, including a 2007 ice storm that coated the area with up to 2 inches of ice, snapping several thousand power poles, and keeping power down for more than a week. 800/544-2444; www.kohler power.com. wso
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Send your ideas to editor @wsomag.com
34
PRODUCT FOCUS:

digital display of any two of several status parameters. The drives convert the constant-speed rotary energy of a standard motor to precisely controlled speed or torque without significant electrical conversion. No harmonic distortion or audible noise is created. The equipment operates in normal ambient conditions without auxiliary cooling or special power supply. 800/548-2169; www.dynamatic.com.
(Continued from page 33)
mable logic controller (PLC) with a proportional integral derivative (PID) loop to stage up to four pumps based on pressure and flow needs. 630/8597000; www.aurorapump.com.
Transfer switches
RTS Series transfer switches from Russelectric are UL labeled and listed for 30-cycle closing and withstand ratings based on testing per UL Standard 1008. They simplify selective coordination of overcurrent/short circuit devices in emergency and backup power systems. Capable of closing in on and withstanding 30 cycles of fault current, they have capacity to allow downstream devices to clear a fault before upstream devices. Consequently, they simplify the engineering task of selective coordination mandated by the National Electrical Code for emergency and legally required standby systems. They are available in single- and dual-operator versions in ratings from 100 to 4,000 amps for open- or closed-transition switching. 781/749-6000; www.russelectric.com.
Variable-frequency drive control panel

OLS Series control panels from Orenco Controls contain integrated variable-frequency drives, which can optimize system operation and reduce energy usage. They also prolong pump and system life by reducing hard starts and water hammer. Multiple drives can be configured through one user-friendly, easy-to-understand human-machine interface. Each panel and its enclosure can be designed and built specifically for application and set-up needs. Using a projects unique parameters, engineers pre-program user interfaces to the site-specific needs of an installation, making the panel virtually plug and play. It offers circuit protection, heat dissipation systems (fan or A/C), phase and voltage protection, level controls and a variety of other customizable features. 877/257-8712; www.orencocontrols.com.
Drive unit
Drive units from WesTech Engineering are delivered as a single, completely assembled and shop-tested unit, ready to be installed on the thickener or clarifier center column. They offer flexibility of design that allows engineers to select a drive that closely matches the process and mechanical requirements. 801/2651000; www.westech-inc.com. wso
Variable-speed pressure booster

The IntelliBoost variable-speed constant pressure booster system from Pentair/Aurora is tailored to freshwater applications. The system offers a combination of a variable-frequency drive for each pump and a program-
Jacobi Carbons offers the world's broadest line of activated carbons for air, water, and process gas/liquid treatment. Visit us at: www.jacobi.net or stop and see us at WEFTEC booth #4387 in Chicago!
35
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
1|Val-Matic swing check valve
NEWS
PRODUCT
BY ED WODALSKI
Static injection mixer slides into place

The Model 2800 NSF-certified, fixed-plate, wafer-style static injection mixer for water treatment plants from Westfall Manufacturing Co. uses a combination of alternate vortex shedding and intense shear zone turbulence to achieve 98 percent injected fluid dispersion 10 diameters downstream. Features include a short laying length of 1 to 2 inches and integral injection assemblies. The mixer is 60 inches in diameter by 1 inch thick and is available up to 10 feet in diameter. The real advantage of the mixer is the short line length 1 inch to 1 1/4 inches. It just sandwiches between the pipeline flanges, says Robert Glanville, marketing director for Westfall Manufacturing. The mixer has a flat surface, rather than fins that extend into the pipe on the downstream side, for easy removal. You just loosen up the bolts on the flanges and slide it right out if you need to clean it, he says. Theres no need to remove sections of pipe. Its a real problem-solver. Weve built them from 1/2 inch through 72 inches. They can be installed in locations where there just isnt room to install a conventional mixer. Predrilled to fit into the mating flange bolt circle of any piping system, the model 2800 mixer is made from 316 stainless steel and comes in three orifice ratios (0.7, 0.8 and 0.9 beta openings) for mixing at 1-3 FPS, 3-8 FPS or 8-11 FPS. Mixers also can be made from other metals and plastics PVC, CPVC, fiberglass, Teflon. In metals, weve done 304 through 316
The AWWA swing check valve from Val-Matic Valve & Manufacturing Corp. is designed for municipal and industrial water and
wastewater applications. The valve prevents backflow by automatically closing when fluid reverses direction. Features include a ductile iron disc that swings open upon pump startup. When closed, the valve provides a tight shutoff through the field-replaceable stainless steel seat. Valves are available with three closure options (lever and weight, air cushion, lever and spring) and 2- to 24-inch and 30- to 48-inch sizes. 630/941-7600; www.valmatic.com.
2|Assmann large double-wall tanks
Cylindrical double-wall tanks from Assmann Corporation of America eliminate chemical spills and the need for lined concrete con-
tainment. The molded tanks feature uniform walls and heavy top sidewall and dome for chemical and corrosion resistance, while the primary inner tank and secondary locked-on outer containment ensures against chemical spills. Tanks are available in sizes from 20 to 6,550 gallons. 888/357-3181; www.assmann-usa.com.
3|Endress+Hauser cell density sensor 4|

Dow reverse osmosis elements
The OUSBT66 sensor for cell density from Endress+Hauser uses near-infrared light absorbance to monitor cell density in real time, providing an easy and reliable method for measuring biomass concentration. The sensor can be operated continuously up to 158 degrees F and exposed to 275 degrees F with the lamp turned off for CIP, SIP or steam sterilization in an autoclave. 888/363-7377; www.us.endress.com.
determine pump selection. The free app can be downloaded from iTunes. 800/742-7246; www.rainforrent.com.
6|Pulsar sludge interface monitor 7|Sage thermal mass flowmeter
Filmtec ECO reverse osmosis elements from Dow Water and Process Solutions combine membrane chemistry and low dP feed spac-
The Sludge Finder 2 sludge interface monitor from Pulsar Process Measurement uses a self-cleaning transducer to bounce a sonar sig-
ers for lower energy costs and reduced chemical consumption when RO is followed by a mixed bed ion exchange unit. The elements, available in ECO-4001 and ECO-440i configurations, are designed to deliver up to 40 percent lower salt passage at up to 30 percent less energy. www.dow.com/ liquidseps.
nal from the interface layers and analyze the signal to provide a profile of the sludge levels, including RAS and FLOC measurement from a single transducer. 850/279-4882; www.pulsar-pm.com.
5|Rain for Rent TDH calculator app
The TDH calculator mobile app from Rain for Rent can be used by engineers, field operators and technicians to
The Basic thermal mass flowmeter from Sage Metering features low power consumption and can be used for any gas. The meter has an all-stainless steel probe or inline sensor, 4-20 mA signal and pulse output. 831/242-2030; www.sagemetering.com.
6 4 2 1 5 3 7
36
nel), 4010-2 (dual channel) and 4010-3 (three channel) as well as smart digital probes for optical-based BOD5, pH, ORP and conductivity measurement. 800/897-4151; www.ysi.com.
Model 2800 static injection mixer from Westfall Manufacturing Co.
10|Markland suspended solids density meter
The suspended solids density meter from Markland Specialty Engineering Ltd. monitors sludge concentrations in pipelines, clar-
stainless, hastelloy, titanium and Alloy 20, Glanville says. In some cases weve made mixers out of carbon steel with Teflon coating. The mounting ring can be drilled and tapped to accommodate quills for chemical injection, including chlorine, alum, mixed oxidants, lime, activated carbon, caustic soda, hydroflustic acid, sodium hypochlorite and aqua ammonia. Mixers can be installed in approximately a half hour on a small pipeline and require no maintenance. Weve been building them since 95 and weve never had any reports of noticeable wear, Glanville says. You pretty much install it and forget it. 888/928-3747; www.westfallmfg.com.
ifiers, tanks and sand/membrane filters. Using non-radioactive ultrasound, the meter measures primary, secondary, return-activated and backwash sludge, even concentrations too thick for optical methods. The inline pipe spool-piece sensor is non-intrusive and provides a continuous linear reading of suspended solids. Throw-in style probe is available. 905/873-7791; www.sludgecontrols.com.
Components International analyzer 11|Fluid flow switch/monitor
The FS10A analyzer flow switch/monitor from Fluid Components International meets requirements for safety integrity level (SIL) 2 com-
pliant service and is classified as a Type B subsystem in accordance to IEC 61508-1 with a hardware failure tolerance of 0. The instruments wetted parts are corrosion-resistant 316L stainless steel with Hastelloy-C22 sensor tips. 800/854-1993; www.fluidcomponents.com.
8|
Badger Meter utility management software
ReadCenter AnalyticsPro and ReadCenter Analytics+ soft-
12|Opto 22 groov interface app
ware from Badger Meter provides water and gas utilities with access to metrics and information for efficient operation. When coupled with Advanced Metering Infrastructure hardware, the software helps utilities optimize operations for increased productivity. The enhanced dashboard enables water utility personnel to view potential issues such as leaks, tampering, no usage, reverse flow and endpoints that are reaching the final days of useful life. Users also can click to see condition details. 800/8763837; www.badgermeter.com.
The groov View for iOS and Android apps controls how groov browser-based operator interfaces are displayed on smartphones, tablets and other devices. The apps are an optional part of Opto 22s groov, a way to securely build and deploy Web-based operator interfaces for automation, monitoring and control applications. 800/321-6786; www. opto22.com.
13|Victaulic direct groove, two-piece coupling
9|Xylem multiparameter instruments
MultiLab IDS laboratory instruments and smart sensors for the water and wastewater industry from YSI, a xylem brand, can measure three parameters at a time pH, ORP, BOD or conductivity or three of the same parameters. The MultiLab line includes the 4010-1 (one chan-
Rigid and flexible Advanced Groove System couplings from Victaulic are designed for piping systems up to 60 inches in diameter, install in less than an hour and offer pressure ratings up to 350 psi. 610/559-3300; www.victaulic.com. (Continued on page 39)
12
8 9 10 11 13
37
NEWS
WILO names national sales manager, opens Georgia Center
WILO USA promoted Harold Adams to national sales manager for its water management sector. He succeeds Joseph Melton who passed away in April. Harold Adams Adams has worked for WILO since 2009, most recently as northeast regional sales manager. The company also opened a 61,625-square-feet distribution center in Thomasville, Ga.
INDUSTRY
Endress+Hauser launches online store

Endress+Hauser launched E-direct, www.edirect.us, an online store offering pressure transducers and switches, temperature switches and thermometers, paperless recorders, digital displays, level switches and flowmeters, pH, conductivity and oxygen analytical transmitters.
Kaeser Compressors opens Philadelphia office

Kaeser Compressors opened a factory-direct facility in the greater Philadelphia area. The branch office offers air system audits, design and installation, new equipment sales, preventive maintenance and repair services.
APG-Neuros ranked 66 on Profit 500 list

APG-Neuros ranked 66 on Profit magazines list of the fast-growing Canadian companies. Rankings are based on revenue growth over five years. APG-Neuros, manufacturer of high-speed blowers for the municipal and industrial markets, had 1,082 percent growth.
Electro Static offers AEGIS grounding ring repair handbook

The 36-page AEGIS shaft grounding ring motor repair handbook from Electro Static Technology describes best practices for protecting motor bearings from electrical damage. The book explains how to diagnose electrical bearing damage caused by variable-frequency drives (VFDs), also known as inverters. It can be downloaded at www.estaegis.com/bearing.
Alfa Laval acquires Niagara Blower

Alfa Laval acquired heat transfer company Niagara Blower of Buffalo, N.Y., known for its Wet Surface Air Cooler technology.
Cole-Parmer publishes water quality catalog

The 2013 Water Quality Catalog from Cole-Parmer includes pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, water sampling and water testing instruments and supplies. Catalogs can be requested by calling 800/3234340 or visiting www.coleparmer.com/20126.
Brown and Caldwell promotes senior managers

Brown and Caldwell promoted Jay Patil, P.E., to director of client services and Cindy Paulson, Ph.D., to director of technical services. Marc Damikolas, P.E., was promoted to senior vice president and business unit manager for the California region, replacing Patil. Robert Ash, P.E., was promoted to senior vice president and the new role of enterprise risk management. Jeffrey Theerman, P.E., was promoted to lead the newly combined utility performance, operations and maintenance and information technology group.
National Pump & Compressor launches website

National Pump & Compressor, an industrial equipment rental, sales and service provider, launched the website www.hurricanesupportbeaumont.com to provide awareness of the emerging disaster recovery business. The site is intended to provide businesses and municipalities with information on how to prepare for a hurricane, history of areas affected by hurricanes and how the company can help in the event of a hurricane or natural disaster. It includes information on industrial pumps, hoses, generators and other flood relief and dewatering equipment.
UV Superstore launches website

UV Superstore launched a new website, www.uvsuperstore.com, featuring replacement ultraviolet lamps, quartz sleeves and other items for ultraviolet water and air treatment systems.
ABB acquires UK-based Dynamotive

The ABB power and technology group acquired Dynamotive of Coalville, UK, expanding its offerings in low- and medium-voltage drives and motors. The privately owned Dynamotive has 40 employees, who will continue to work for ABB.
WEF names 2013 Fellows

The Water Environment Federation named its 2013 list of Fellows. They will be recognized at WEFTEC 2013 in Chicago, Oct. 5-9. The new Fellows include Kartik Chandran, Bruce Corwin, John Crittenden, Davis Ford, Eduardo Jordao, Mike Kavanaugh, Cecil Lue-Hing, Richard Luthy, Bob Marini, Keith Riley, Bruce Rittmann, Henry Schwartz, Julian Sandino, Perry Schafer and James Stahl.
Gorman-Rupp names rental sales manager

Gorman-Rupp Co. promoted Jamie Schoenian to rental sales manager. He has 15 years experience and will be responsible for sales, service, aftermarket, technical support and product forecasting between Gorman-Rupp and National Rental accounts.
Jamie Schoenian
ThinQk adds aftermarket pump components

ThinQk is a new supplier of aftermarket parts for air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) pumps. Manufactured in Europe and the United States, components are made to conform to current technical standards.
Vacon North America opens headquarters facility

Vacon North America, manufacturer of AC drives, relocated to a larger facility at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, Wis. The 12,481-squarefeet office and training facility can accommodate groups up to 44 and includes a product training lab and product showcase.
38
(Continued from page 37)
Ovivo participates in 450mm technology development

Water treatment company Ovivo, part of the GLV Group, is collaborating at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in New York State with the Facility 450 Consortium to design and build computer chip facilities for the development of 450mm wafer technology.
14|
NEWS
Sensorex free chlorine sensors
FCL500 series free chlorine sensors from Sensorex Corp. use amperometric measurement technology to monitor free chlorine in process applications. With three models covering the 0-2 ppm, 0-5 ppm and 0-10 ppm ranges, the sensors can be used in new installations or as a field replacement for existing sensors in drinking water disinfection, distribution and industrial water treatment systems. The sensors interface with PLC, SCADA and other process control systems via 4-20 mA output. 714/895-4344; www.sensorex.com.
PRODUCT
BLACOH Fluid Control hires manager, engineer

BLACOH Fluid Control named Alfredo DSouza business development manager for sales regions serving Canada, the Middle East and India and James Burke director of engineering. He will be responsible for new product development and process innovations. wso
Optiwave 5200 radar level 15|Krohne meter tools

Alfredo DSouza James Burke
Dedicated to Municipal Wastewater Professionals

FREE subscription at:
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The Optiwave 5200 C/F radar level meter from Krohne is designed for liquid applications in a 98-foot measuring range. The GHz FMCW, 2-wire, loop-powered device measures up to 580 psi in general purpose and hazardous locations (Class 1, Division 1). The systems PP and PTFE wave horn antennas are process sealed and gasket free, making them suited for corrosive conditions. The PP antenna can be mounted on process connections as small as 1 1/2 inches. The metallic horn and wavelength antennas use a dual-seal mechanism, O-ring and Metaglas process for a hermetic seal in toxic or explosive applications. 800/356-9464; http://us.krohne.com.
16|Singer single-point insertion flowmeter
Its black and white.

In every issue of Municipal Sewer & Water, youll read all about sanitary sewer, stormwater and water system professionals. Youll discover: Who are the innovators in system repair and maintenance 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
n n
The model 106-SPI-MV single-point insertion electro-magnetic flowmeter from Singer Valve, in partnership with McCrometer, can be utilized with the metering valve as a standalone option or built into a 106-2SC-PCO pilot system to provide complete flow-based valve control. The insertion probe extends into the flow stream in one of the valve inlet connections and protrudes into the valve, equivalent to one-eighth of the valve diameter. The bullet nose eliminates clogging or buildup and has no moving parts. The unit can be installed on any Singer Valve model from 4 to 36 inches. 604/594-5404; www.singervalve.com. wso
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No gray area here.

Municipal Sewer & Water has it all. And its FREE. Start your subscription today at mswmag.com or call 800-257-7222.
14
16
39
Worth Noting
PEOPLE/AWARDS
The City of Manassas (Va.) Public Works and Utilities Department received the 2012 Excellence in Water Treatment Plant Performance award from the state Department of Health Office of Drinking Water. The city earned the silver designation. The water treatment plant in Daphne, Ala., was renamed the Henry Lovette Water Treatment Plant. Lovette was an employee of Daphne Utilities for 39 years. A recent facility upgrade included giving the building a neighborhood feel. The Town of Leesburg (Va.) Utilities Department earned the state Department of Health Excellence in Waterworks Performance Award for the ninth consecutive year at the Kenneth B. Rollins Water Filtration Plant. The town received the 2012 Silver award for excellence in filtration and clarification. Kentucky American Water announced two Phase III Directors Awards from the Partnership for Safe Water for its Kentucky River Station I and Richmond Road Station water treatment plants in Fayette County. The awards were presented to Dorothy Johnson of the water quality team and Mitzi Combs, supervisor of the Kentucky River Station I treatment plant, during the 2013 AWWA Conference. To recognize members of your team, please send notices of new hires, promotions, service milestones, certifications or achievements to editor@wsomag.com.
WSO invites your national, state or local association to post notices and news items in the Worth Noting column. Send contributions to editor@wsomag.com.
Tester Course Oct. 21 in Rancho Cucamonga. Visit www.ca-nv-awwa.org.
Colorado
The Rocky Mountain Section of AWWA is offering a PWO Seminar Oct. 18 in Estes Park. Visit www.rmwea.org.
Florida
The Florida Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Sept. 19 Phosphate Testing, online Oct. 2 Post-Event Field Safety Awareness, Pompano Beach Oct. 17 Fluoride Measurements with Ion Selective Probes Webinar Visit www.fsawwa.org.
Illinois
The Illinois Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Sept. 19 - Nov. 14 Water Distribution System Operation & Maintenance, Westmont Sept. 24 Collecting, Documenting, & Evaluating Well & Well Pump Test Data, Romeoville Sept. 25-26 High Tech Operator Course 1, Lombard Oct. 1 Radiation Worker Training for Operators at Radium Removal, webinar Oct. 3 Annual Regulatory Update, Elgin Oct. 15 A Detailed Look at Telemetry, Rockford Oct. 22 Water Operator C & D: Math Exam Refresher, Frankfort Oct. 24 Optimized Treatment Strategies to Meet Stage 2 D/DBP Rule, webinar Oct. 29 Effective Backflow Programs, Chicago Oct. 30 Maintaining Water Quality in the Distribution System, OFallon Oct. 31 What the Frack? Separating Myth from Fact, Elgin Visit www.isawwa.org.
EDUCATION
AWWA
The American Water Works Association is offering these courses: Sept. 23-25 S1302 Financial Management, San Antonio, Texas, Online Sept. 25 Introduction to Wastewater Treatment, Milwaukee, Wis. Sept. 30 AMTA/SCMA Joint Technology Transfer Workshop, South Padre Island, Texas Oct. 7-27 High Tech Operator Course 2, Online Oct. 9 Sustainable Water Management An Introduction, Milwaukee, Wis. Oct. 11 Water Harvesting Systems and Application, Milwaukee, Wis. Oct. 23 New Developments in On-site Generation Technology Webinar, Online Oct. 28-Nov. 17 High-Tech Operator Course 3, Online Visit www.awwa.org.
Michigan
The Michigan Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Sept. 23-25 Basic Math & Hydraulics Short Course, Higgins Lake Sept. 23-25 Distribution System Short Course, Higgins Lake Oct. 1 Research & Technical Practices Seminar, Bath Oct. 15-17 Limited Treatment Short Course, Hickory Corners Oct. 15-17 Distribution System Short Course, Hickory Corners Oct. 29-30 U.P. Water Distribution System Operators Training, Gladstone Visit www.mi-water.org.
New York
The New York Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Sept. 24 Top Ops Boot Camp, Troy Sept. 25 Media and Public Relations, Utica Sept. 25 Basic Laboratory Skills, Troy Oct. 2 UV Disinfection and Facility Tour, Kingston Oct. 9 Chemical Metering Pump Operation, Canastota Oct. 9 Total Coliform Rule Revisions, Peekskill Oct. 16 Basic Laboratory Skills, Rochester Oct. 16 UV Disinfection, Utica Oct. 22 Chemical Metering Pump Operation, Norwich Oct. 23 Basic Laboratory Skills, Troy Oct. 29 Media and Public Relations, Mwelville Visit www.nysawwa.org.
Arkansas
The Arkansas Rural Water Association is offering these courses: Sept. 24-26 Basic Distribution, West Fork Oct. 8-10 Intermediate Distribution, Gassville Oct. 16-17 Water Specialized Training, Eureka Springs Oct . 22 Basic Math, Lonoke Oct. 23 Applied Math, Lonoke Oct. 24 ADH Compliance, Lonoke Oct. 29-31 Advanced Treatment, Lonoke Visit www.arkansasruralwater.org.
California
The California-Nevada Section of AWWA is offering a Backflow
40
EVENTS
Sept. 18-20
Wisconsin Water Association Annual Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells. Visit www.wiawwa.org. mento Convention Center/Hyatt Regency. Visit www.ca-nv-awwa.org.
Oct. 1-3
National Rural Water Association H2O-XPO, Louisville, Ky. Visit www. waterproconference.org.
Sept. 19-20
Confluence Conference, sponsored by the water associations in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina; Greenville, S.C. Visit www. confluence.cc.
Oct. 2-4
WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, Las Vegas, Nev. Visit www.watersmartinnovations.com.
Sept. 22-25
AWWA World Congress 2013, Las Vegas, Nev. Visit www.awwa.org.
Oct. 5-9
Water Environment Federation WEFTEC conference, Chicago. Visit www. weftec.org.
Sept. 23-25
Northwest Membrane Operators Association First Annual Symposium, Getting the Best from Your Membrane Treatment Plant, Vancouver, Wash. Visit www.nwmoa.com.
Oct. 13-15
Alabama-Mississippi AWWA Section Annual Conference, Tunica Resorts, Miss. Visit www.awwa.org.
Sept. 30-Oct. 3
California-Nevada Section AWWA Annual Fall Conference, Sacra-
North Carolina
The North Carolina Section of AWWA and WEA is offering these courses: Oct. 1 Water Distribution Seminar, Clemmons Oct. 14-18 Coastal Collection and Distribution School, Morehead City Oct. 31 NCWTFOCB Exams, Kinston, Morganton and Raleigh Visit www.ncsafewater.org.
Oct. 22 Excavation Competent Person Safety, Greenville Visit www.wrwa.org. The UW-Madison Department of Engineering - Professional Development is offering a Cross Connection Control and Backflow Prevention course Oct. 28-Nov. 1 in Madison. Visit www.epdweb.engr.wisc.edu. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Continuing Education is offering a Sustainable Water Management course Oct. 9 in Milwaukee. Visit www4.uwm.edu. wso
Ohio
The Ohio Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Sept. 19 Hands-On Collection Workshop, Zanesville Sept. 25-26 Plant Operations & Laboratory Analysts Workshop, Grove City Oct. 17 2013 Hands-On Collection Workshop NE Section, TBA Oct. 24 2013 Hands-On Collection Workshop SW Section, TBA Visit www.ohiowea.org.
REPRINTS
Featured in An Article?
We provide reprint options
January/February 2012
www.wsomag.com
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Environmental Training Center is offering the Oklahoma Water and Pollution Control Association Short School and Conference Sept. 30-Oct. 4 in Midwest City. Visit www.rscoetc.wordpress.com.
wso
TM
BRIGHT IDEAS:
Automated meter reading in Davie County, N.C.

Page 36
Plant upgrades in Rockville, Md.

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

Page 38
Troy Hall Water Division manager Moorhead, Minn.
Tastes Great!
MOORHEAD PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERS HIGH-QUALITY WATER FROM VARIABLE SOURCES
Page 10
Quality leaders
PLANT
he Red River is best known for periodic floods that afflict North Dakota, most notably around Grand Forks. Much farther south, in Moorhead, Minn., the river is known for something else, though mainly to the staff at the water treatment plant. Up here, its not a big river, says treatment plant operator Dan Haman. Local events can have a large impact on it. A rain event can often wash interesting water into the river, especially if the weather has been dry for a while. Years ago, that led to complaints from customers about odor and bad taste in the water coming from the tap. That no longer happens. In 1995, Moorhead Public Service added ozonation to its treatment process, and it proved to be a reliable cure. In fact, for the past two years, Moorheads water has been voted the best tasting in the state in a competition held by the Minnesota section of the American Water Works Association. Troy Hall, Water Division manager, credits the treatment technology, along with a talented operations team, with keeping the process on track. When we look at the SCADA and see our water-quality trends, we want to see flatlines everything just humming along, says Hall. Through teamwork, thats what weve accomplished.
Variable source
What the Moorhead team calls the North Treatment Plant (10 mgd capacity) was built in 1995. The old 6 mgd treatment plant is now rarely used: The staff operates it periodically just to make sure it remains functional and available for emergencies. When the plant operates, it treats well water only. The new plant, with 10 full-time and two part-time staff members, was designed specifically to deal with variable source water in the Red River. The utility also draws well water from the Buffalo Aquifer, but the river provides about 85 percent of the source water on an annual basis. Theres a reason its called the Red River, says Nate Halbakken, lead treatment plant operator. Which is to say its not what one would call
POSTERS
Starting At
The MPS TeAM
Staff members at the Moorhead Public Service water treatment plant are: Troy Hall, Water Division manager, 19 years of service, Class A license Kris Knutson, water plant supervisor, six years, Class A Nate Halbakken, lead water treatment plant operator, nine years, Class A Jason Yonke, lead water treatment plant operator, 14 years, Class A Gena Dahl, water plant chemist, four years Dan Haman, water plant operator, six years, Class C Daryl Brahos, water plant operator, four years, Class C Christopher Capecchi, water plant operator, one year Christopher Knutson, water plant operator, one year, Class D Alan Neer, water plant operator, four years, Class A Leslee Storlie, part-time water plant operator, one year Kevin Young, part-time water plant operator, one year
Texas
The Texas Water Utilities Association is offering these courses: Sept. 23-25 Management, Corpus Christi Sept. 24-26 Calculations, Terrell Oct. 8-10 Chlorinator Maintenace, Gatesville Oct. 15-17 Valve and Hydrant, Victoria Visit www.twua.org.
When we look at the SCAdA and see our water-quality trends, we want to see flatlines everything just humming along. Through teamwork, thats what weve been able to accomplish.
TRoy hAll
Water treatment plant operator Dan Haman adjusts gas flow on ozone generator from WeDeCo, a division of Xylem.
Hall cites SCADA work as an example of the teams cooperation. For the past decade, we have done all our SCADA work internally, he says. Its not a perfect SCADA, but it has been built by people who really care about the end result. When we want to make a change in how a process works, we all work together. Ive done some SCADA work in the office. Kris and Dan have done screen development for various purposes. It has evolved almost entirely inhouse. We also select and install our own instrumentation.
Problem solvers
Teamwork has helped the Moorhead staff resolve a variety of process issues. Several years ago, pH variability was a constant challenge. Working together, staff members made the correction by installing pH probes, making plumbing changes, and doing SCADA programming. In another instance, rising non-carbonate hardness in the Red River was taking a toll on the soda ash feed pumps. A former operator located a peristaltic pump model (Watson-Marlow) that appeared better suited to the task. Operators, an instrument technician and electricians from the utilitys electrical side worked together to test and install the new pumps. In a few months, we went from having to service the pumps every week to having almost no problems, says Haman. Another improvement involved installing a meter in the intake line to sample Red River water for conductivity as a way to predict total hardness in the river in real time. The team did the job, including data analysis and SCADA programming, entirely in-house, installing a used instrument purchased on the Internet for a few hundred dollars. Future plans include installing instrumentation at the river pumping station, about three miles (two hours of in-pipe travel time) from the plant. Im excited about that, says Haman. Well be able to see changes in the water before it gets to the plant and so deal with them more effectively. Hall calls it a privilege to lead a staff with many and diverse talents. The strengths of our people make it all work, he says. We try our best every day to use the strengths of the people we have. The results show up daily in the water glasses of Moorhead residents. wso
Part-time water treatment plant operator leslee Storlie uses a Thermix stirrer from Thermo Scientific Water Analysis in a lab testing protocol. Members of the MPS Water Division team are, back, from left, water plant staff members Dan Haman, Kris Knutson, Nate Halbakken, Troy Hall, Jason Yonke, Chris Knutson, Alan Neer, Chris Capecchi and Daryl Brahos; front row, distribution crew members Jared Heller, Chris Perlichek, Matt Andvik, Phil Shequen and Matt Mehl.
Moorhead (Minn.) Public Service

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page 30
TECH TALK:
Keys to success with wireless SCADA

Page 38
Troy Hall Water Division manager Moorhead, Minn.
Tastes Great!
MOORHEAD PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERS HIGH-QUALITY WATER FROM VARIABLE SOURCES
Page 10
GREAT! GREA
STORY: TED J. RULSEH PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN BORGE
TASTES
Technology and teamwork help Moorhead Public Service deliver consistently high-quality water from a highly variable source in Minnesotas Red River
Utah
The Intermountain Section of AWWA is offering these courses: Sept. 26 Water System Operator Workshop, Orem Oct. 1-2 Operator Precertification Training, Washington Oct. 9 Improving Your Water System, webinar Visit www.ims-awwa.org.
When we look at the SCADA and see our water-quality trends, we want to see atlines everything just humming along. Through teamwork, thats what weve been able to accomplish.
TROY HALL
QUALITY LEADERS
PLANT
he Red River is best known for periodic oods that afict North Dakota, most notably around Grand Forks. Much farther south, in Moorhead, Minn., the river is known for something else, though mainly to the staff at the water treatment plant. Up here, its not a big river, says treatment plant operator Dan Haman. Local events can have a large impact on it. A rain event can often wash interesting water into the river, especially if the weather has been dry for a while. Years ago, that led to complaints from customers about odor and bad taste in the water coming from the tap. That no longer happens. In 1995, Moorhead Public Service added ozonation to its treatment process, and it proved to be a reliable cure. In fact, for the past two years, Moorheads water has been voted the best tasting in the state in a competition held by the Minnesota section of the American Water Works Association. Troy Hall, Water Division manager, credits the treatment technology, along with a talented operations team, with keeping the process on track. When we look at the SCADA and see our water-quality trends, we want to see atlines everything just humming along, says Hall. Through teamwork, thats what weve accomplished.
THE MPS TEAM

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

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

We dont like to keep secrets between positions. We expect all our operators to be very familiar with the SCADA. As a supervisor, I try to involve the operators so they can help me out with data analysis, maintenance tasks, or whatever happens to come up.
Water from Moorhead, Minn., won the rst two Best in Glass taste competitions held by the state section of the American Water Works Association at its annual conference in September in Duluth. The event includes a vendor show where water samples from communities that enter the competition are subjected to a taste test and a popular vote among the attendees. The eld is narrowed to the top three vote-getters, which go to a second round of tasting by a
The strengths of our people make it all work. We try our best every day to use the strengths of the people we have.
TROY HALL
of Moorhead and Dilworth, Oakport Township mgd million gallons River (85%), Buffalo Aquifer (15%) Lime/soda ash softening, ozonation, dual media ltration 190 miles of water mains, three water towers, two ground storage tanks, two reservoirs on plant sites water variability ANNUAL BUDGET: | $4.5 million (operations) WEBSITE: | www.mpsutility.com
SYSTEM STORAGE: | 7.9 SOURCE WATER: | Red TREATMENT PROCESS: INFRASTRUCTURE:
activated carbon were fed at the river pumping station, but at times that wasnt enough. When taste and odor problems arose, complaint calls came in bunches.
Reliable process
The MWH engineering rm (then known as Montgomery Watson) designed the new treatment plant. The Moorhead team has steadily improved on the design with instrumentation and updates to the SCADA system, originally supplied by Instrument Control Systems (ICS). One river pump station and two well pump stations deliver raw water Part-time water treatment plant directly into the plant. The waters mix in an inuent chamber, and the operator Leslee Storlie uses a Thermix stirrer from Thermo Scientic ow then enters two 5.5 mgd softening basins (Inlco Degremont). Typi Water Analysis in a lab testing cally, only one basin operates at a time, and when both operate, they work protocol. in parallel. Water in the basins is fed with lime and soda ash, along with ferric plants four dual-media lter cells sulfate as a coagulant and polymer for occulation. Ammonia is also each hold two feet of anthracite ozoadded in the softening stage for bromate control in the downstream ozo coal atop 12 inches of sand. The nation process. ltered water goes to the clear well, The WEDECO ozonation/recarbonation chamber (Xylem) has six where chlorine is fed to combine cells fed with variable amounts of ozone and carbon dioxide, depending with ammonia and form chloraon raw water conditions. Residual ozone is sampled at various points in mines for disinfectant residual. The the chamber. water is then delivered to the reshexametaBefore nal ltration, uoride is added, along with sodium hexameta ervoirs and water towers (7.9 milphosphate for heavy metal sequestration and corrosion control. The lion gallons total system storage).
The SCADA is programmed with the U.S. EPA ozone contact time (CT) requirements for disinfection. The ozone analyzers feed data directly into the SCADA, which calculates the actual CT value in real time. In operations, we adjust the ozone, pH or whatever parameter is necessary to make sure the actual plant CT value is above the EPA requirements, says Haman. Once we meet the disinfection requirement, 99 percent of the time the odor and taste issues are taken care of.
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clean. The Red is subject to wide variations in organic matter and hardness, related to weather and the nature of the watershed, Hall observes. Normal ows range from about 3,000 to 5,500 cubic feet per second. The main feeder streams include the Otter Tail River, with generally high water quality; the Bois de Sioux River, with very poor water quality; and the Wild Rice River. Every river system that feeds the Red is variable, depending on how much rain were getting at the time, says Hall. At the old treatment plant, which used lime and soda ash softening and dual-media ltration, the wide source water variations overwhelmed the process. At the time, the source water included about 60 percent river and 40 percent well water. Potassium permanganate and sometimes
Ozone does it
Hall notes that ozonation is KRIS KNUTSON the key to odor and taste control. We ozonate at very high pH [at times 11 or higher] so that we benet from some advanced oxidation, he says. Ozone has been a really big improvement since it came online in 1995. It helps break down the organic material. Sometimes we feed CO2 with the ozone as the pH is dropping down close to that of the product water. That helps with taste and odor, too. But it wasnt technology alone that conquered the variability of Red River water. The plant staffs diligence had a lot to do with it. Since we started this plant, we have probably doubled or tripled the amount of online instrumentation, says Hall. Our SCADA gives us a lot of information about water quality and whats happening in the process, and were constantly trying to improve that. The systems programmable logic controllers and other control hardware are from Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation), and the SCADA software is from IntelliSys Inc. Online instrumentation in the treatment plant and water system includes:
The staffs success derives in part from the team atmosphere its leadICS Healy-Ruff ers try to create. Theres a lot of overlap in the way we do things a lot 763/559-0568 Siemens Water Technologies Corp. of cross-training, notes Kris Knutson, water plant supervisor. We dont www.icshealyruff.com 866/926-8420 like to keep secrets between positions. We expect all our operators to be www.water.siemens.com Inlco Degremont, Inc. very familiar with the SCADA. As a supervisor, I try to involve the oper804/756-7600 Thermo Scientific Water Analysis ators so they can help me out with data analysis, maintenance tasks, or panel of three from Minnesota section members and a celebrity judge. www.degremont-technologies.com 800/225-1480 whatever happens to come up. www.thermoscientic.com/water In both 2009 and 2010, we won both the popular and the panel Halbakken adds, We communicate with each other. If one of us sees IntelliSys, Inc. vote, says Troy Hall, Water Division manager for Moorhead Public Service. 800/347-9977 Watson-Marlow Pumps Group a problem, we alert the others. Everybody is always looking to keep the The ofcial winner is the sample selected by the panel of judges. www.intellisyssoftware.com 800/282-8823 best product going out of the plant at all times. If that means someone has www.wmpg.com Another honor awaits: The plant is to be featured during 2012 on to be called at three in the morning to deal with a problem, everybodys Modentic Industrial Corp. an episode of the Discovery Channels Dirty Jobs program, showing www.modentic.com.tw Xylem open to that. Everyones willing to help out. the process of cleaning the softening basins. Says Hall, It has been 704/409-9700 Notes Haman, We try to work to each others strengths and shore up MWH Global www.xyleminc.com a fun year. our weaknesses. For example, Nate is better at plumbing than I am, so Ill 303/533-1900 give him plumbing jobs. In turn, he can give me data to analyze to nd www.mwhglobal.com out when is the best time to order lime. We each have our little projects rom Wallace Wallace & Tiernan (Siemens W (Siemens and our specialties. Three total chlorine analyzers from Reprinted with permission from WSO / January 2012 / 2012, COLE Publishing Inc., P.O. Box 220, Three Lakes, WI 54562 / 800-257-7222 / www.wsomag.com Water Technologies Corp.) nalyzer, five pH monitors, and and eight eight Monochloramine/ammonia analyzer, urbidimeters from Hach Company turbidimeters Two pH controllers (CO2 auto control), four ozone analyzers and two conductivity meters from Rosemount Analytical (Emerson Process Management) Organic online analyzer from s::can Measuring Systems s::can Measuring Systems Benchtop lab equipment includes a turbidimeter and spectrophotometer from Hach Company, total organic carbon analyzer from OI Analytical, an IC chromatograph from Dionex, now sold as Thermo Scientic Water Analysis, and an Orion pH meter from Thermo Scientic Water Analysis. The team tests raw water for hardness and alkalinity every four hours and tests the nished water every eight hours. The ozone analyzers test the water in the ozone contact chamber every 20 seconds. Ozone dosage is adjusted manually based on monitoring for ozone residual. We have to adjust the ozone feed rate as water quality changes on a good day, just a couple of times; on a bad day, once an hour or more, says Haman.
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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 cant teach character. Each person brings that with them the rst day.
James Pendleton Plant Superintendent Harpeth Valley Utilities District Wastewater Treatment Plant Nashville, Tenn.
People.
The greatest natural resource.
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