Florida Water Resources Journal - June 2023

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Editor’s Office and Advertiser Information: Florida Water Resources Journal 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive Clermont, FL 34711

Phone: 352-241-6006

Email: Editorial, editor@fwrj.com

Display and Classified Advertising, ads@fwrj.com

Business Office: 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive, Clermont, FL 34711 Web: http://www.fwrj.com

General Manager: Michael Delaney

Editor: Rick Harmon

Graphic Design Manager: Patrick Delaney

Mailing Coordinator: Buena Vista Publishing

Published by

BUENA VISTA PUBLISHING for Florida Water Resources Journal, Inc.

President: Richard Anderson (FSAWWA) Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority

Vice President: Jamey Wallace (FWEA) Jacobs

Treasurer: Rim Bishop (FWPCOA) Seacoast Utility Authority

Secretary: Mish Clark Mish Agency

Moving?

The Post Office will not forward your magazine. Do not count on getting the Journal unless you notify us directly of address changes by the 15th of the month preceding the month of issue. Please do not telephone address changes. Email changes to changes@fwrj.com or mail to Florida Water Resources Journal, 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive, Clermont, FL 34711

Membership Questions

FSAWWA: Casey Cumiskey – 407-979-4806 or fsawwa.casey@gmail.com

FWEA: Karen Wallace, Executive Manager – 407-574-3318

FWPCOA: Darin Bishop – 561-840-0340

Training Questions

FSAWWA: Donna Metherall – 407-979-4805 or fsawwa.donna@gmail.com

FWPCOA: Shirley Reaves – 321-383-9690

For Other Information

DEP Operator Certification: Ron McCulley – 850-245-7500

FSAWWA: Peggy Guingona – 407-979-4820

Florida Water Resources Conference: 407-363-7751

FWPCOA Operators Helping Operators: John Lang – 772-559-0722, e-mail – oho@fwpcoa.org

FWEA: Karen Wallace, Executive Manager – 407-574-3318

Websites

Florida Water Resources Journal: www.fwrj.com

FWPCOA: www.fwpcoa.org

FSAWWA: www.fsawwa.org

FWEA: www.fwea.org and www.fweauc.org

Florida Water Resources Conference: www.fwrc.org

Throughout this issue trademark names are used. Rather than place a trademark symbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name, we state we are using the names only in an editorial fashion, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. None of the material in this publication necessarily reflects the opinions of the sponsoring organizations. All correspondence received is the property of the Florida Water Resources Journal and is subject to editing. Names are withheld in published letters only for extraordinary reasons. Authors agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Florida Water Resources Journal Inc. (FWRJ), its officers, affiliates, directors, advisors, members, representatives, and agents from any and all losses, expenses, third-party claims, liability, damages and costs (including, but not limited to, attorneys’ fees) arising from authors’ infringement of any intellectual property, copyright or trademark, or other right of any person, as applicable under the laws of the State of Florida.

EPA Biosolids Biennial Report: 2020-2021

The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review federal biosolids (sewage sludge) standards every two years to identify additional toxic pollutants that may occur in biosolids. It then sets regulations for those pollutants if sufficient scientific evidence shows that they may harm human health or the environment.

The EPA has now published its latest report for the 2020-2021 review period.

Background

The EPA collected and reviewed publicly available information for:

S Pollutants in biosolids that were newly identified during the literature search time frame.

S Pollutants in biosolids that were previously identified in EPA national sewage sludge surveys conducted in previous biennial reviews.

Information was collected on the occurrence, fate, and transport of these pollutants in the environment and their effects on human health and ecological receptors. The types of information collected are needed to conduct risk assessments.

Results of the 2020-2021 Biennial Review

During the 2020–2021 biennial review process, EPA collected and searched publicly available peer-reviewed academic publications on pollutants found in biosolids that were:

S Identified in three previous EPA national sewage sludge surveys and in eight previous biennial reviews.

S Newly identified during the literature search time frame (2020-2021).

The EPA undertook an effort to curate a complete list of chemicals found in biosolids based on the previous national sewage sludge surveys and biennial review reports (Richman et al., 2022). Through that curation, EPA determined that 259 chemicals had been previously reported as detected in biosolids, but had not been included in the data collection phase of previous biennial reviews. Also, EPA made corrections to the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) numbers of 22 chemicals that had been reported in previous biennial reviews. These 281 chemicals were included in the biennial review process.

The EPA found 16 new articles that provide relevant data on chemical pollutants that have been found in biosolids in the United States, and two papers had information on both chemical and microbial pollutants. The articles identified 13 new chemicals found in biosolids: nine drugs, three per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and one element.

The articles also identified new data for three chemicals identified during the curation process and 30 chemicals that were previously identified in biosolids. Concentration data in biosolids were found for the 13 new chemicals, three chemicals identified during the curation process, and 30 chemicals identified in previous biennial reviews.

Human health toxicity values were found for 70 chemicals identified during the curation process, and 64 previously identified chemicals. The ecotoxicology records (ecotoxicology is a mix of ecology, toxicology, physiology, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, and mathematics and looks at the impacts of contaminants, including pesticides, on individuals, populations, natural communities, and ecosystems) were found for five of the newly identified chemicals, 157 chemicals identified during the curation process, and 116 previously identified chemicals.

Additional ecotoxicology data were identified for 20 chemicals identified in the curation process, and 32 previously identified chemicals. Uptake and transfer data, including bioconcentration or bioaccumulation factors, were identified for the 13 new chemicals, 276 chemicals identified during the curation process, and three previously identified chemicals.

In addition, five of the new articles provided relevant data for microbial pollutants that have been found in biosolids. Review of these articles identified one new microbial pollutant in biosolids and data for two previously identified microbial pollutants.

The list of all chemicals found in biosolids based on biennial reviews and sewage sludge surveys is publicly hosted on the EPA CompTox chemicals dashboard. The biosolids list allows EPA to take advantage of the functionality of the dashboard and its integrated data. It makes the list readily available to the public and connects chemicals found in biosolids with data that is needed for risk assessment. A total of 739 chemicals have been identified in biosolids to date; about 250 of these are dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The list is found at https://comptox.epa.gov/ dashboard/chemicallists/BIOSOLIDS2022.

Addressing the uncertainty around the potential risk for pollutants identified in biosolids is the top priority for the EPA biosolids program. It has made significant progress in developing the necessary tools and data needed to build capacity to assess pollutants found in biosolids.

Full Report and Biosolids Information

To view the full biennial report for the reporting period (2020-2021) and get more information about EPA’s biosolids program visit www.epa.gov/biosolids. S

Test Yourself

What Do You Know About Phosphorus Removal?

Charlie Lee Martin Jr., Ph.D.

1. High phosphorus concentration within the effluent can result in

a. algae growth in a receiving water body.

b. taste and odors in drinking water supplies.

c. oxygen depletion within the receiving stream.

d. all of the above.

2. Which of the following is the most common type of phosphorus removal system?

a. Biological phosphorus removal

b. Lime precipitation

c. Aluminum sulfate flocculation/ filtration

d. All of the above

3. The luxury uptake process requires which respiration state or environmental condition where the biomass within the reactor would release phosphorus?

a. Anoxic

b. Anaerobic

c. Aerobic

d. Pre-anoxic

4. The luxury uptake process requires which respiration state or environmental condition where the biomass within the reactor would remove phosphorus?

a. Aerobic

b. Anerobic

c. Pre-anoxic

d. None of the above

5. When using the lime precipitation process to remove phosphorus the pH of the wastewater is raised to

a. 9 or higher.

b. 11 or higher.

c. 10.5 or higher

d. 12 or higher.

6. The three steps utilized within the lime precipitation process to remove phosphorus are

a. contact stabilization, coagulation, and flocculation.

b. extended aeration, flocculation, and sedimentation.

c. coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation.

d. conventional aeration, coagulation, and sedimentation.

7. The pH of effluent from the lime precipitation is most commonly reduced by using

a. hydrochloric acid.

b. sulfuric acid.

c. citric acid.

d. carbon dioxide gas.

8. Removing phosphorus by alum flocculation produces

a. alkalinity.

b. phosphate.

c. carbon dioxide.

d. aluminum phosphate.

9. The dosage range of alum that depends on the alkalinity to reduce the effluent phosphorus concentration to 0 to 0.5 mg/l is

a. 200 to 400 mg/l.

b. 100 to 200 mg/l.

c. 300 to 600 mg/l.

d. 50 to 150 mg/l.

10. Bacteria take up and store phosphorus as

a. metaphosphate.

b. polyphosphate.

c. phosphate.

d. none of the above.

Answers on page 50

References used for this quiz:

• Advanced Waste Treatment, Fifth Edition, CSU Sacramento, Chapter 5 Phosphorus Removal

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WQA Announces Leadership, Excellence Award Winners

12 individuals, one company honored during 2023 convention and exposition

The Water Quality Association (WQA) honored 12 individuals and one member company at its annual leadership awards presentation, including the prestigious Hall of Fame and Lifetime Membership awards, during the keynote session of the 2023 WQA convention and exposition that was recently held in April in Las Vegas.

Award Requirements

Any WQA member is eligible for the leadership awards with a required minimum commitment or service to the water quality industry evidenced by engagement with WQA, a state or regional WQA, or other industry associations. In addition, each award has individual requirements that must be met.

Nominations are evaluated against the individual award criteria by the Nominating Committee, and recommended award recipients are reviewed and approved by the WQA board of governors and announced at the following year’s convention.

2023 Awards

Hall of Fame Award

This award is the highest honor bestowed on a WQA member and is given for lifetime dedication and service to the industry and association. This year it went to Donald K. McGhee, president of Hydro Systems Inc., a 45-year-old water treatment equipment company in Harlingen, Texas. He has extensive experience in industrial water treatment and brackish groundwater desalination. He is also a partner of Hydro Source LLC, a filtration media company.

McGhee served on the Rio Grande Regional Water Planning Board for 23 years and is a past president of the Texas WQA. He is a former WQA president, has served on WQA’s board of directors since 2011, and is a member of the Water Quality Research Foundation board

of directors. McGhee also received WQA’s Key Award in 2019 and the Ray Cross Award in 2014.

Lifetime Member Award

This award, which recognizes exemplary service to the association, was this year given to Daina Grace, the executive director of the Texas Water Quality Association, and Mark Felton, manager of a group of Culligan franchises in northern and central California. Felton is a past member of the WQA board of directors, and both he and Grace were previously were honored with the WQA Award of Merit and Regents Award.

Excellence Award

This award is given to WQA member companies who excel in operations, innovation, customer service, or community involvement. This year it was awarded to ResinTech Inc. of Camden, N.J. The company recently built a new global headquarters and nonsolvent cation plant, remediating more than 27 acres of neglected and contaminated lots, which is spurring new investment in the community. Company employees also donate time to helping local charities such as the Boys and Girls Club and Cathedral Kitchen, a local food charity.

Other Awards

S Key Award – This award, honoring members who demonstrate the highest quality of leadership within their company, industry, and various associations, went to Michael Mormino, vice president of sales and marketing for ENPRESS LLC.

S The Ray Cross Award – This award, recognizing WQA members whose pioneer spirit and unwavering commitment made a notable difference in the water treatment industry, was presented to Toby Thomas, president and chief executive officer of Kinetico Inc. He is also a former WQA president.

S Regents Award – This award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions at the state or local level, and was given to Scott Schiesser, MWS, CI, CWR, CCT, director of sales and marketing at Driessen Water Inc.

S Award of Merit – Given in recognition of exceptional service to the water quality improvement industry, this year’s honoree was Beth Allison, marketing director for North America, at Kinetico Inc.

S Honorary Membership Award – Given to someone outside the water treatment industry with meritorious contributions to humanity though research, education, or exemplary service, this award went to Michael Schock, recently retired as a chemist with the office of research and development for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

S Next Gen Award – This award is given to individuals 40 or younger who have demonstrated a commitment to the betterment of the water treatment industry, and was presented to Derek Packard, CWS, president of Packard Culligan.

S Presidents Club Membership – Given for recruiting at least three new companies to join WQA in the last year, memberships went to:

S James Alaimo, Franklin Water Treatment (Puroincs)

S Roy Esparza, MWS, CI, CWR, Franklin Water Treatment (Puroincs)

S Ted Jones, MWS, Kinetico Inc.

More details about the awards and the honorees, plus photos of all of the recipients, can be found at www.wqa.org.

About WQA

A not-for-profit trade association representing the residential, commercial, and industrial water treatment industry, WQA’s education and professional certification programs have been providing industrystandardized training and credentialing since 1977. The WQA Gold Seal certification program has been certifying products that contribute to the safe consumption of water since 1959 and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). The organization also offers a consumer-friendly website, www.betterwatertoday.org. S

Donald K. McGhee

Suzanne Mechler Takes Office as 2023-2024

FWEA President

My name is Suzanne Mechler, and I will be serving as your FWEA president this year. Some questions you may be asking are:

S How did I get here?

S What makes me qualified to represent you?

Well, I will do my best to answer the first so you can get to know me. As for the second, I am humbled by this role and am committed to serving this organization. I know many of you, but not all of you, so I figured I will use this time to tell my water story.

My Story

I was born and raised in south Florida, and I’ve lived my entire life in Palm Beach County, other than my college years (Go Gators!).

I have had a very blessed life. My mother, Karen Meyer, is an amazing woman. She is a certified industrial hygienist, well-respected in her field, and was part owner of her own company for many years. If you know her, you know I am her mini-me, for all the good and bad. She is the hardest-working person I know, but can also lose her car keys in a nanosecond!

about a year ago and owned the business with

my mom, gave me my love of the environment, being active in the outdoors, and all things water. Every Earth Day, he would write an article, not because he had to, but because it was his passion to care and share and make people think.

I sometimes don’t know if I can live up to the amazing people who love me, but I try every day.

I now live in Tequesta with my husband, who owns his own watercraft mechanic shop, and my 10-year-old (almost 11) son, Ryder. My family is my happy place, and we love to hang out by the sandbar, travel to state and national parks to explore, and, of course, participate in soccer weekends!

FWEA Story

As I noted, I’m a proud Florida Gator, graduating with a masters in environmental

was hooked and committed to FWEA for what now has been over 23 years. Out of college I joined CDM Smith, and they have supported me, and more importantly, my involvement in FWEA, from day one.

After many years in leading the Southeast Chapter, I was encouraged by the statewide team at FWEA to get more involved. Over the last eight years, I have been engaged in all aspects of the board of directors and the Executive Committee. More than ever, I realize that this group of people is dedicated

In February 2023, FWEA held our annual Leadership Development Workshop. This brings together leaders from all of our chapters and committees from across the state. This group represents what FWEA is all about.

The Future Story

The overwhelming impacts of legislation and regulations loom large over all of us, in every part of our industry. You are working hard every day to provide safe and affordable services without disruption while, at the same time, the challenges are increasing. This industry is committed to working together to solve problems and create innovative solutions. The future story requires alignment, collaboration, and inclusion. My goal over the next year will be to elevate you, this industry, and our people who work hard every day.

The FWEA will continue to support the Utility Council to provide technical resources and elevate the issues, bring thoughtprovoking seminars that offer solutions and the ability to learn from each other, and connect people through our chapters and conferences that increase engagement and connectivity.

This is FWEA, not me, but I am proud to guide and support the hundreds of volunteers and board members who are just as passionate as I am. The future is bright because of these people. The young generation is energetic, inspiring, and creative. They are being

mentored by a passionate and hard-working group of experts.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. I can’t wait to see everyone at FWRC! Please come find me and tell me your water story and what makes you passionate about this industry.

FWEA Events at FWRC

Here are some events you won’t want to miss at the conference: S To get to know more about us and how

Sondra Lee (right), FWEA president for 2022-2023, and I met up ahead of the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) activities in October 2022. Sondra is a great mentor to me and a leader in this organization.

you can get involved, please come to our Committee Showcase on May 31 at 5:30 p.m. in the exhibit hall.

S Share your own water story. In collaboration with WEF, FWEA is working to amplify the stories of water to grow and strengthen this community. We will be recording in the exhibit hall.

S Stop by the FWEA booth #609 and #708 and meet the volunteers of this organization. There are so many other activities that we want to tell you about! S

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Managing Water From Start to Finish is an Endless Cycle

Greg D. Taylor, P.E.

supply water quality for treatment needs, and monitor supplies for environmental stress. This includes working with regulatory agencies to meet regulatory obligations.

Water Treatment

e are halfway through the year and we have accomplished a lot! We should take a moment and congratulate our peers, our industry, and ourselves. We have successfully delivered water to our customers across the state, and as simple as that sounds, it’s our lifesaving purpose. This includes managing our water supplies, implementing treatment systems, updating distribution networks, and executing residuals handling.

Our state’s rapid growth places a strain on our environment and water resources. We, as an industry, fight to deliver safe, clean drinking water to our customers and safely treat and manage the subsequent wastewater, all while protecting the environment.

Utilities are the purveyors of the water that each of us have a hand in working with. Continuing the work we always do, we have performed utility management tasks related to the successful delivery of water to customers to maintain public confidence in the safety of water.

How We Deliver Water

Here are the primary umbrella descriptions of delivering water to customers and what utilities do to effectively manage the resource.

Water Supplies

Identify potential supplies to manage our state’s growth and protect the environment, cultivate and access supplies, investigate water

Utilize proven treatment technologies to treat the water to meet primary and secondary drinking water standards and other finished water quality goals, test and confirm the viability of new and innovative technologies for water treatment, and implement projects to maintain the drinking water quality “out the door.” Consult with subject matter experts for various treatment techniques to be implemented with water treatment operators to capitalize on the extreme value of their experience.

Water Distribution

Replace aging infrastructure, including valves, meters, and piping (including lead pipes); make quick repairs to damaged pipes to prevent water loss and damage to surrounding areas; and perform best management practices for flushing, meter reading, backflow prevention, and more to successfully get the drinking water to customer taps. This includes responding to customers and having procedures in place to address concerns.

Residuals Handling

Depending on the treatment technique utilized, residual streams may be produced. Concentrate streams, lime solids, ion exchange resin, and expended carbon filter media are all examples of residuals that must be effectively disposed or managed. With new regulations that are being debated, the manner in which these are managed will have to be updated, impacting utilities, and potentially, rates. Deep well injection, incineration, and landfill application are all potential management techniques to manage residuals from the water treatment process.

Wastewater

After the drinking water is consumed, a substantial portion is recollected through wastewater collection systems; the subsequent wastewater treatment produces biosolids that must be managed. There are multiple treatment techniques to minimize the quantity of solids and maximize their inherent value. As such, there is no one solution for each utility or community. At the Florida Water Resources Conference, you’ll learn that new regulations on items such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) will impact the management and proper disposal of biosolids.

In a previous column, I discussed that our wastewater biosolids can contain trace amounts of PFAS. Because PFAS compounds are under the umbrella of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, or Superfund), there is potential that utilities could be made to pay for cleanup of the site used for the disposal of biosolids, even though these compounds are manufactured by others and we are just the receivers.

We start with raw water, produce potable water, and then collect and treat wastewater, which eventually is returned to our environment to be used as a potential raw water source. As those in the industry are well aware, it’s an endless water cycle. We just have to educate our customers, lawmakers, and most importantly, our youth, on how this interaction occurs and how we can merge our use into the environment for everyone’s safety.

Learn More

Visit www.fsawwa.org to learn more and find events that will provide information and training for operators, distribution technicians, and managers, as well as find areas where you can help us raise money for philanthropic activities. S

It’s Coming: August is National Water Quality Month!

Water is used every day in a variety of ways: for drinking, household use, recreation, irrigating, transporting, and in industry, agriculture, and manufacturing, to name a few. Just try to imagine what life would be like for your utility customers without easy access to clean and plentiful water. There would be no fountains to quench their thirst when out on a hot day. No more swimming pools, and no lakes and rivers clean enough for recreational activities. No more long showers at home, or any running water for their businesses.

National Water Quality Month reminds us to take a moment to consider how important our water sources are to humans and all of the other inhabitants of the ecosystem. By thinking about the little things that your customers do on a daily basis that could have a negative impact on water quality, and getting them to change their habits, you’ll be a step closer to improving water quality—for everyone.

The History of National Water Quality Month

The United Nations declared 2005-2015 as the International Decade for Action “Water

for Life” in order to emphasize the importance of water quality as it relates to sanitation, human rights, geography, urbanization, and sustainability.

Emphasizing how interlinked water systems are, the Audubon Society points to the dangers of runoff from agriculture, forestry, construction, and people’s personal yards: “Each individual household or business may not produce enough pollution to force a beach closing or cause a fish kill, but the combined output of all the homes and businesses in a community can be severe, considering that about half of the United States population lives within 50 miles of a coastline where runoff flows quickly to the ocean. This is why watershed protection, with attention not only to the body of water, but the area that drains into it, is important.”

What is Water Quality?

August is designated as National Water Quality Month by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but how is the quality of water in the United States determined?

Water quality is based on a set of

standards and criteria that describe the desired conditions or level of protection and how the required conditions will be established in waters of the U.S. in the future. These standards and criteria are provisions of state, territorial, authorized tribal, or federal law approved by EPA.

Although the majority of water is regulated and safe to drink, you and your customers should still be cautious about what could potentially be in pipes, faucets, and local waterways contaminating the water. According to the National Resources Defense Council, contaminated water could have higher concentrations of lead, atrazine, pathogens, chlorine, arsenic, nitrates, radioactive material, vinyl chloride, perchlorate, and pharmaceuticals.

Standards of Water Quality

Water quality standards must include the following items:

Designated Uses of the Water Body

This requires states, territories, and authorized tribes to specify the goals and objectives about how each water body will be

used, including fishing, recreating, drinking, agricultural irrigation, industrial uses, and navigation.

Criteria for Protection of Designated Uses

States, territories, and authorized tribes must adopt criteria that protect the designated uses. These criteria can be numeric or narrative; most entities typically adopt both types.

Antidegradation Requirements

These provide the framework of water quality protection by maintaining the current uses of the water and protecting the quality that has already been achieved.

General Policies for Implementation

Based on EPA approval, all states, territories, and authorized tribes are allowed to adopt policies and provisions for implementation of water quality standards. These standards are developed using federal guidelines of the Clean Water Act (CWA). All entities use their own legal and administrative procedures for adoption of their standards. Generally, they use the following steps:

S Work groups or informal public meetings are held to develop the standards, which are then put out for public comment.

S Public hearings are scheduled to gather input from the public.

S Water quality criteria must be included to provide sufficient coverage and be stringent enough to protect the designated uses.

The water quality standards for each entity must be approved by EPA prior to implementation. If the standards are approved, they become applicable. After approval, entities must do a review of their standards at least once every three years. If all or part of an entity’s standards are not approved based on the requirement in the CWA, then EPA

will outline necessary changes to meet the requirements.

How to Celebrate National Water Quality Month

reminds us to take a long, hard look at what households, businesses, farmers, and communities are doing to protect sources of fresh water, which is important to everyone in myriad ways. Research done by the American Chemical Society, for instance, demonstrates that showering leads to greater exposure to toxic chemicals in tap water than drinking the water does. A person can absorb up to eight glasses of water through the skin during a quick 10-minute shower. Due to this fact, it’s imperative that all of the water that enters homes and businesses is safe and free from contaminants.

What can your utility recommend that individuals, families, and businesses do to prevent water pollution from entering their homes, stores, and offices, especially during National Water Quality Month? Here’s a short list of things that can be done to help:

S Not using antibacterial soaps or cleaning products. Regular soap and water will do the trick. Many antibacterial soaps contain a registered pesticide that is known to harm marine life.

S Not flushing unwanted or out-of-date medications down the toilet or putting them down the drain.

S Not putting anything but water down storm drains because they carry water to local waterways.

S Fixing leaks that drop from cars, vans, and trucks and putting liners in driveways and garages to collect oil and other materials.

S Avoid using pesticides or chemical fertilizers, which can run off the soil and contaminate the waterways that feed drinking water supplies.

S Choose nontoxic cleaning products when possible.

S Pick up after pets as stormwater could wash the animal waste into waterways and contaminate the water.

S Don’t pave properties.

S Use a car wash. Washing a car at home can flush chemicals down the storm drains that flow into lakes and streams. Professional car washes are required to drain into sewer systems so that wastewater plants can treat the water before it’s reused.

S Have a private well tested and cleaned regularly. There can be bacteria buildup in wells.

S Encourage customers to read your water quality reports so that they know what the water quality is in their area.

Another option for your employees and customers could be for them to gather a group of family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors and volunteer to clean streets, beaches, rivers, and wetlands. They could bring a picnic and hold a contest to see who can clean up the most trash and debris, offering a prize to the winning team. It’s a great way to get everyone in a community together and enjoy an outdoor day full of fun doing something that’s good for the environment. Have someone take photos or videos of the event and share them on social media.

Be Aware Every Day!

Water that enters household, storm, and other drains goes into our waterways before the treatment plants. Practicing these little changes year-round in our communities can make a big difference.

Together we can all make a large impact. Spread the word to your customers, the media, and the public that August is National Water Quality Month! S

Next-Generation Resource Recovery

Dustin Craig and Ben Mosher

The cost of energy at a water reclamation facility (WRF) can represent as much as 30 percent of the plant’s operating budget. Increasing electric and natural gas rates, combined with energy demands, contribute to the escalating cost of treatment plant operation. At the same time, there is increased interest in using renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas.

One solution to these issues is resource recovery, which provides major opportunities for improvements to the water reclamation industry in the United States.

Viewing a WRF as a valuable source of water, biosolids, energy, and nutrients will help in developing the following integrated, sustainable solutions:

S Water can be reclaimed and reused.

S Wastewater sludge can be converted into biosolids and biogas.

S Biogas can be fed to a cogeneration system, or it can be processed into biomethane and used as renewable natural gas.

Harnessing energy from biosolids at WRFs reduces greenhouse gases and is capable of producing electricity to power thousands of homes and businesses. Several water reclamation facilities are leading the way in this effort, and experiences from two of them are highlighted.

Codigestion to Renewable Natural Gas Pipeline Injection in Des Moines, Iowa

The Water Reclamation Authority (WRA) is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and some of its facilities are shown in Figure 1. It has one of the largest codigestion programs in the U.S. Codigestion refers to the simultaneous anaerobic digestion of multiple organic wastes in one digester and is used to increase methane production from organic feedstocks. The WRA operates a regional codigestion facility, receiving significant volumes of imported organic wastes from local food processing, agricultural, and other high-strength waste sources.

Design and construction services for the upgrade of the WRA’s six anaerobic digesters, modifications to the organic waste receiving station, and the installation of a new biogas treatment system that converts biogas into renewable natural gas were all done by CDM Smith. The WRA recognized a huge opportunity to sell its biogas, with the original goal of offsetting operation and maintenance costs and potentially generating net revenue for WRA and its member communities, resulting in positive impacts on sewer rates. Additionally, CDM Smith led the design of a biogas conditioning and injection system to convert about 2,250 standard cu ft per minute (scfm) of biogas produced at the facility into

a high-quality biomethane product that’s injected into the local natural gas pipeline of the MidAmerican Energy Company, which is based in Des Moines. The company’s service area includes almost two-thirds of Iowa, as well as portions of Illinois, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

The Des Moines WRA project demonstrates how the recovery of a waste resource is environmentally resilient, economical for its ratepayers, and supports the sustainability initiatives and financial goals set by the WRA. The project produces the equivalent daily natural gas use of 5,000 typical households, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and provides gross annual revenue of approximately $5,750,000 to benefit the WRA’s contributing communities.

Organics-to-Energy Project at Greater Lawrence Sanitary District in North Andover, Massachusetts

The combined effects of climate change, water and energy scarcity, globalization,

Dustin Craig, P.E., is a project engineer with CDM Smith in Kansas City, Mo. Ben Mosher, P.E., is a vice president and senior environmental engineer with CDM Smith in Manchester, N.H.

Figure 1. Des Moines Water Reclamation Authority tail gas sphere, waste gas burners, and thermal oxidizer.

Figure 2. Greater Lawrence Sanitary District organics-to-energy facility.

urbanization, and increased per capita resource consumption require the industry to not just refurbish existing infrastructure, but to rebuild it in a smarter, more-resilient way.

Against this background, the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District (GLSD) in North Andover, Mass., with some of it facilities shown in Figure 2, recently developed and implemented an innovative project that captures the core principles of sustainability and resiliency. The GLSD organics-to-energy project takes two materials that have traditionally been viewed as waste products—food waste and wastewater sludge—and converts them to a clean energy source.

The GLSD operates one of the few anaerobic digestion facilities in New England, with digester gas used as the primary fuel for a thermal biosolids drying operation, as well as building and process heat. It recognized that bans on the disposal of food waste presented an opportunity to further its goal of net zero energy for the wastewater treatment facility. These organics can be used, along with biosolids, as a feedstock for generation of biogas in the anaerobic digestion facility and increase generation of clean energy.

The GLSD expanded the existing digestion system to allow for codigestion of biosolids and food waste and added a new biogas-fired cogeneration system to produce renewable energy (both heat and power) for use at the facility.

The most obvious benefit of the project to GLSD and its rate payers is the savings resulting from less electricity purchased from the grid. The combined heat and power (CHP) system, using biogas as its primary fuel, has been able to fully meet the power needs of the treatment facility, as well as offset the power consumption at the Riverside Pump Station through a net metering arrangement. This will result in an annual cost savings of over $2.5 million based on current energy prices.

Summary

The WRA and the GLSD organics-toenergy projects provide long-term net economic benefits to their member communities. These benefits will likely increase over time as the costs of traditional energy sources increase and the industry moves to renewable energy sources.

While the cost savings are the easiest benefits to quantify, there are several additional project benefits to the facilities and their region. These benefits include:

S Protecting against future increases in energy costs

S Greater facility resiliency and operational flexibility

S Greater system reliability

S Beneficial use of organic material that was previously thought of as waste

S Reduction in net greenhouse emissions

These projects serve as a model for a smarter, more-resilient approach to infrastructure needed to meet the challenges of the next several decades.

This article originally appeared in the MarchApril 2023 issue of Rocky Mountain Water, the magazine of the Rocky Mountain Section of the American Water Works Association and the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association. S

Elevating the Conversation About Biosolids

Suzanne Mechler President, FWEA

Communicating about biosolids requires factual, science-based, and easily understandable information. Outside our industry, the average person is likely hearing about biosolids for the first time with activity in the Florida Legislature this past session. The benefits are obvious, especially considering the net zero and circular water economy goals, but this is not always without controversy.

The FWEA and its Utility Council have done a significant amount of work to elevate the conversation about what biosolids brings in terms of innovation, resource recovery, and stewardship, and this will be a focus for us again this coming year.

This topic affects everyone, and the conversation should be had with students, stakeholders, and politicians.

Bills Addressing Biosolids

In the 2023 session, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 1405 and Senate Bill (SB) 880 that establish a grant program with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and provide that, subject to appropriation of funds by the Legislature,

FDEP may provide grants to counties and municipalities to support projects to construct, upgrade, expand, or retrofit domestic facilities that convert wastewater residuals to Class AA biosolids. The bill will prioritize projects by considering their economic and market feasibility, as well as the environmental benefits that a project may provide.

The trend with these grants, rulemaking, and discussions is to encourage wastewater treatment facilities to refine their biosolids to a higher quality. This may be a costly endeavor, so regional biosolids solutions are necessary.

Broader Perspective on Biosolids

From the national perspective at the Water Policy Fly-In in Washington, D.C., the proposed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulations in drinking water were on everyone’s mind and in discussions with legislators and regulators. It’s Important that we comment on the specific impacts to utilities in terms of capital and operation and maintenance costs. Both the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and FWEA are participating in this effort.

As we do this, one cannot help but consider the future impact of PFAS regulations in wastewater and biosolids. This growing concern has no easy solution, and many utilities will be seeking assistance and relief in managing a problem they inherited from a legacy of consumer product chemicals.

Is there a positive side? There are many resources from WEF and FWEA that I would like to bring to your attention:

S The WEF Biosolids Communication Toolkit, created in 2021, guides utilities to create messaging around biosolids and includes case studies for reference. This toolkit includes messaging around PFAS as well.

S In September 2023, FWEA will be holding a biosolids technical seminar in Tampa. Stay tuned for more details on this event. If you are interested in actively participating, please reach out to me at mechlerse@ cdmsmith.com or Manuel Moncholi, Biosolids Committee chair, at Manue. Moncholi@stantec.com.

S The FWEA Public Communications and Outreach Committee (PCOC) has created the Residuals Biosolids Sludge book, which is a curriculum infusion for secondary teachers and can be found at www.fwea.org/ biosolids_infusion_unit.php.

Bringing Biosolids to the Forefront

The purpose of this information and these events is to share knowledge, learn from each other, and create partnerships to solve these tough challenges. Both FWEA and its Utility Council will be working over the next year to elevate the conversation around biosolids, help utilities create messaging, and stay on top of existing and potential legislation from both the state and national perspective.

Wastewater utilities are at the forefront of research in biosolids and PFAS and we will continue to make smart decisions to protect the health and safety of our customers and water bodies. S

After Hurricane Ian: How Did We Hold Up?

Frederick Bloetscher

Public entities are created to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of their citizens, and in the context of this protection, resiliency is the ability to resist incidents that might risk the public. While every community has its resiliency challenges, climate-induced impacts are among the most difficult to guard against. Tornados, wildfires, tropical storms, droughts, and flooding are, for the most part, beyond our ability to prevent, and the science of resiliency continues to develop as new challenges are discovered.

As a result, public entities are tasked with

passing laws and codes that will create protections for the community:

S For water and sewer systems, this means redundancy and backup power.

S For power grids, this means concrete poles and buried cables.

S For roads, bridges, and stormwater, this means basic design guidelines.

S For buildings, this means codes that create minimum safety standards.

In all cases, as more is learned, these standards change and develop to address issues that arise in the most recent weather incident or to prepare to anticipate challenges in the future. Some of these were exposed when Hurricane Ian hit the west coast of Florida in late September 2022.

This article reviews the preliminary damage from Ian and suggests where new codes for building methods may need further investigation so that follow-up can focus on the causes or failures, uncover solutions to improve future resilience, and add to the knowledge base.

The impacts to the southwest coast were significant, as will be shown, and the impacts are both water- and wind-related. Like the communities hit by previous hurricanes Andrew and Michael, communities and infrastructure often did not fare well because of waves that were 12 to 16 feet high, which was the challenge for Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach. The storm impacted the east coast near Daytona Beach, later compounded by the impact of Hurricane Nicole.

Continued on page 24

Figure 1. Mast arms and concrete utility poles hold up.

Figure 2. If water flows under the building unimpeded, it’s better for the building.

Figure 3. Even on the beach, new construction survives. Figure 4. Metal roofs hold up better than tile or shingles, although wind could get into the attic, so roof straps are needed to protect the structure.

Continued from page 22

The conclusions here are based on my visits to the site, and all photographs are mine. In addition, conversations with residents, crews from news outlets, and information received in the aftermath formed the thoughts included herein.

Background

Hurricane Ian occurred 30 years after Hurricane Andrew, which was the catalyst for a major overhaul of the building codes for the state.

Hurricane Andrew came ashore in southeast Florida in August 1992. Storm surges from the Category 5 hurricane reached 12 to 17 feet, similar to Ian. The winds of Andrew, which were clocked at 165 miles per hour, destroyed more than 63,500 houses, while more than 124,000 others were damaged, causing over $25 billion in total damage (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], 2022). The impact of Andrew created major changes in how engineers

design buildings and the codes to which buildings were designed and constructed.

In 1992, before Hurricane Andrew, there were over 400 different building codes in the state; since that hurricane, there is now one uniform code for all of Florida. The changes in the building codes created requirements to construct morerobust structures and are intended to be strictly enforced.

Changes included new requirements for:

S Roofing materials and roof decks, including banning particle board for roofs

S New impact-resistant windows

S Reinforcing within exterior cement block walls

S Walls ties, anchor ties, and tie beams

S Hurricane straps on roofs

All of these requirements help to create more-holistic structures.

With the ongoing threats from sea level rise in coastal communities, the ability to resist the impacts of nature is continually under study. Earlier plans indicated that coastal structures

should be elevated, something commonly seem in places like Everglades City and newer structures on the islands of the southwest coast.

Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm with a 17-foot storm surge that hit Mexico Beach in 2018, upended many plans and suggested that more needed to be done (Allen, 2022).

Resiliency

With repeated storms in 2004, 2005, 2013, and 2017, many communities now spend a considerable time discussing “resiliency,” so much so that the word is in danger of being so overused that its true meaning is masked.

This big question arising from Ian is: What have we learned, and have the resiliency concepts that have been implemented since Hurricane Andrew worked? This is pertinent, especially in light of Mexico Beach’s city commission repealing the requirements to elevate homes due to complaints from residents about the cost

Continued on page 26

Figure 5. Mobile homes don’t withstand the wind or waves.

Figure 6. More mobile home damage.

Figure 7. Manufactured and wood buildings don’t hold up against the waves.

Figure 8. Recreational vehicle parks are damaged.

Continued from page 24

of elevated structures (Harris, 2022). A visit to Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach less than two weeks after Hurricane Ian identified a number of challenges with public infrastructure and buildings, as well as a number of successes.

While Ian displaced thousands and created billions in losses, an initial view suggested that the improvements in the Florida Building Code were beneficial, as newer structures appeared to fare better than older ones. Power infrastructure held up fairly well after years of hardening, but there are some areas where the water utility industry needs to address the many challenges it still faces; for example, the resilience of bridge approaches and roadways covered with sand creates ultimate delivery challenges.

Performance Measures

Public health and emergency preparedness call for actions that would reduce public health

involve the development of new performance measures to assess the ability of infrastructure systems to withstand natural events, and to enhance resilience standards and codes for the design and construction of facilities. Specifically, considerations include retrofitting current infrastructure, developing new materials, using protective measures, and, in some cases, relocating facilities.

One measure for communities to undertake is to create a planning framework to protect vulnerable infrastructures through a long-term plan. While uncertainties in the scale, timing, and location of climate change impacts can complicate decision making, response strategies can be effective if planning is initiated early. Because vulnerability can never be estimated with 100 percent accuracy, the conventional approach should be replaced or supplemented with one that recognizes the importance of building resiliency for the future. Hence, codes will change—each time becoming slightly more

Failure to update plans and codes means we’ve learned nothing from past catastrophic disruptive events.

The Consequences of Michael and Ian

Both Michael and Ian were direct Gulf Coast hurricane hits, with combined high winds and major storm surges (both over 12 feet), so both were wind and water events. Based on field observations, Ian appeared to be more of a water event along the coast, with wind being the major challenge a few miles further inland. There are a number of observations, and first, the good news:

1. Concrete utility poles and steel mast arms held up (Figure 1)

2. Elevated homes that allowed water to flow through underneath them held up (Figure 2)

3. Buildings, even ones partially built to the current building codes, held up (Figure 3, right

Figure 9. Wood buildings sustain damage.

Figure 10. Even when the tile roof remains, wood frames don’t hold up in the wind.

Figure 11. Unreinforced concrete will not hold up to waves, even if it survives the wind.

Figure 12. Buildings near the beach where parts of the structures are modified.

Hence, many of the Florida Building Code requirements appear to have improved structural integrity. Other positives were that Florida Power and Light (1.9 million customers), Duke Power, Tampa Electric, and Lee County Electric Coop had virtually all 2.5 million customers who lost power back in service within six days, and 90 percent within four days (Sanibel and Pine Island being the major exceptions). Another positive is that water systems were mostly back in service (except on Sanibel Island) within a week. Extensive use of the Florida Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN) system brought water and sewer crews from all over the state to Lee and Charlotte County within a few days of the event to get service restored. Some issues were confirmed, including

that certain types of construction are not appropriate in wave and wind zones and should not be replaced in-kind if lost. Mobile homes, manufactured housing, recreational vehicles, and wood buildings did not stand up to either wind or waves, and therefore, should not be reconstructed in the storm surge zone (Figures 5 to 10). Trailers, and mobile and manufactured homes, are often viewed as a solution for low-cost housing; however, they do not hold up in high winds, as evidenced by impacts over 5 miles inland in Lee County. Low-cost coastal housing is a challenge, and a solution to help displaced people is another policy issue that needs to be addressed.

All new structures should be elevated in the coastal zone; the amount of elevation needs to be well above expected waves (say, 12 feet or so). This will increase costs to property owners and utilities since power and pump equipment would also need to be raised significantly. It’s concerning to note that, two years after Hurricane Michael destroyed Mexico Beach, local elected officials

rescinded the requirement to elevate structures after complaints from builders. (Note that before the storm, builders were seeking to lessen the requirements in the building code in 2017 and 2018. Protecting the integrity of the building code requires constant diligence against those who would put people and property at risk to increase their profits.)

Sturdily built wood can stand up to certain amounts of wind, but it’s useless against waves (the Sanibel lightkeeper’s building was lost).

Other issues include:

1. Unreinforced concrete will not hold up to waves, even if it survives the wind (Figure 11).

2. Buildings with remodeling that was not documented, and that altered the structural integrity of the building, may not hold up; Figure 12 shows such a structure. Hence, it’s importance to enforce building codes and inspections when changes are made to structures.

Continued on page 28

Figure 13. Buildings lacking hurricane windows and doors are blown out near the beach.

Figure 14. Vinyl siding could be stripped off, even if the steel roof is intact.

Figure 15. Wood siding could be stripped, even if the steel roof is undamaged.

Figure 16. Extensive sand covers the beach communities, with up to 3 feet of sand (30-foot pile in the background).

4. Metal roofs held up better than tile or shingles, although wind could get into the attic, so roof straps are needed to protect the structure (Figure 4)

3. Buildings lacking hurricane windows and doors found them blown out near the beach (Figure 13).

4. Siding (vinyl and wood) could easily be stripped from buildings by wind (Figures 14 and 15).

5. There were structures that were elevated on piles, but they can come loose based on the water levels of the waves.

There were also a number of water and sewer utility issues that need to be considered. The first is that the design and construction of approaches to bridges needs to be rethought. When one span of the Sanibel Causeway detached, the approaches were washed away, making the bridge inaccessible. The same thing happened in Puerto Rico with Hurricane Fiona in September 2022; clearly, a new design standard in needed for the building of bridge approaches. Utilities need to consider that many pipes are attached to bridges and traverse the bridge approach; if the approach washes away, so will the pipes.

Asphalt is easily undermined before bridge approaches, which will expose utility pipes to washouts. Likewise, the sea wall on the approach to the bridge in Sanibel showed shallow footers with tiebacks into the fill material. The installation of shallow footer seawalls with tiebacks may need to be rethought in coastal areas since there is no virgin material to connect to.

The same issue happened with the Estes Park flood in 2013—some of the tiebacks went into the fill, not the rock. Tiebacks to the fill materials that will wash away is a losing cause, as the water will get behind a concrete seawall. Deeper seawalls will likely be required behind the concrete faces to protect approaches, which will be much more costly, at approximately $1500 to $2000 per linear foot. Again, since

utility pipes are often installed behind these sea walls, they are at risk of being washed out.

Figure 16 shows the giant pile of sand on Fort Myers Beach (in the background) and sand is visible on the road. Discussions with people onsite indicated that as much as 2 feet of sand covered the roads. Where manholes and lift stations were not sealed with dishes with gaskets, sand filled the sewer system, burning out pumps and constructing lines; coastal areas subject to such flooding need manhole dishes with gaskets (Figure 17). Debris (in this case, boats) in the surf zone created damage to structures and infrastructure (Figure 18), so efforts to protect the critical infrastructure should be continued.

Debris—especially large debris—needs to be better secured. While the answers in a surf zone are unclear, large boats on top of buildings creates a challenge. There were boats miles inland in Lee County and several large shrimp boats ended up on top of other structures as a result of wave action.

Conclusions

The results of taking a preliminary look at what worked and did not after Hurricane Ian provides some perspective on engineering design and construction going forward. The good news is that a lot of the improvements from the Florida Building Code appear to have improved the resiliency of structures.

There are some items that are not contemplated in the building code. The first is that, clearly, a new design standard in needed to bridge approaches, as this affects all buried infrastructure for water and sewer utilities. This may involve concepts like geogrids and altered construction of abutments. The current methods of abutment walls do not appear to safely protect bridge approaches since both Ian and Fiona washed away approaches to bridges. Asphalt

is easily undermined as well. The use of deep vibrated piles may improve approach protection. Building alterations and inspections are the only things that maintain building integrity. Changes to the building structure by private owners, without securing permits or inspections, places the structure at risk. From a public safety perspective, protecting subsequent owners who may not be familiar with the changes is important. This creates a risk to future property owners and insurance carriers.

Utilities would need to evaluate placement of pipes as they relate to crossing water bodies, bridges, and piles. Our facilities need to be to be elevated also. Sealing sanitary sewers are a major need for many utilities, but it’s especially critical for those in the surf zone.

The next question is: What will we learn from the next storm and how will current efforts hold up in comparison to the interrelated infrastructure of other entities?

References

• Allen, G, 2022. Three years after being leveled by Hurricane Michael, Mexico Beach is coming back, NPR. https://www.npr. org/2022/06/01/1101304201/3-years-afterbeing-leveled-by-hurricane-michael-mexicobeach-is-coming-back, accessed 1/3/23.

• Harris, A. On Borrowed Time: Why Coastal Florida Keeps Rebuilding After Storms Like Ian. Sun Sentinel, 11/5/22 (courtesy Miami Herald), p A1.

• NOAA 2022, Hurricane Andrew’s 30th Anniversary. https://www.weather.gov/ news/220822-hurricane-andrews, accessed 1/3/23.

Frederick Bloetscher, Ph.D., P.E., is an assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. S

Figure 17. Manhole dishes keep water and sand out of the sewer system.

Figure 18. Boats do not belong on top of buildings.

Continued from page 27

Assessing Pollutants Found in Biosolids Through Risk Assessment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 503, was developed based on the results of risk assessments to identify what, if any, risks were associated with the use or disposal of biosolids via land application, surface disposal, or incineration.

What are Biosolids?

Biosolids are the result of the wastewater treatment process where the liquids are separated from the solids. These solids are then treated physically and chemically to produce a semisolid, nutrient-rich product. To be beneficially used, biosolids must meet federal and state requirements. Examples of beneficial use include application to agricultural land and reclamation sites (e.g., mining sites).

When applied to land at the appropriate agronomic rate, biosolids provide a number of benefits, including nutrient addition, improved soil structure, and water reuse.

Land application of biosolids can also have economic and waste management benefits:

S Conservation of landfill space

S Reduced demand on nonrenewable resources such as phosphorus

S Reduced demand for synthetic fertilizers

The top priority of EPA’s biosolids program is to assess the potential human health and environmental risk posed by pollutants found in biosolids. These pollutants can vary in space and time, depending on industrial and other inputs to individual wastewater treatment facilities. The presence of a pollutant in biosolids alone does not necessarily mean that the biosolids pose risk to human health and the environment (i.e., the pollutant has to present at a level above which toxic effects are known or anticipated to occur). The potential harm from a certain pollutant is determined by conducting a risk assessment.

What is a Risk Assessment?

Risk assessment is a scientific process that considers two primary factors:

S Exposure, or how much contact a person or ecological receptor, such as plants or marine life, has with the contaminant in environmental media due to contamination of biosolids.

S The toxicity of the pollutant.

The biosolids program has a Continued on page 32

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framework to evaluate risks from exposure to chemicals in biosolids. The framework consists of three steps:

S Prioritize chemicals for assessment

S Screen for human health and environmental risk

S Perform a refined risk assessment for chemicals that fail the screen

What is Meant by Risk?

The EPA considers risk to be the chance of harmful effects to human health or to ecological systems resulting from exposure to an environmental stressor. A stressor is any physical (e.g., radiation), chemical (e.g., pesticides), or biological entity (e.g., microbes) that can induce an adverse response. Risk assessments are used to characterize the nature and magnitude of health risks to humans.

Approach to Biosolids Chemical Risk Assessment and Biosolids Tool

Section 405(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires EPA to review biosolids regulations to identify any additional pollutants that may occur and to set regulations for pollutants that are identified if sufficient scientific evidence shows that they may harm human health or the environment.

The EPA’s Office of Water has developed a draft biosolids chemical risk assessment framework (see illustration) and biosolids tool (BST) for screening risk assessment. The BST has an accompanying user guide, and the BST has been preloaded with four chemicals. The BST is used to identify pollutants, pathways, and receptors of greatest interest and inform decisions regarding the need for refined risk assessment

of contaminants in biosolids. The EPA has requested that its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) review input on the overall risk assessment approach and on the scientific credibility and usability of the BST.

Status of Risk Assessment on Perand Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Found in Biosolids

The EPA is committed in its per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) strategic roadmap to conduct a biosolids risk assessment for two PFAS compounds— perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)—in biosolids. The assessment is currently underway.

Problem formulation is the first step in conducting a risk assessment:

S Articulate the purpose for the assessment

S Define the problem (source and occurrence)

S Identify the conceptual exposure pathways

S Present data and tools used for analyzing and characterizing risk

The problem formulation process also involves engagement with states and tribes, risk managers, scientists, and members of the biosolids community regarding foreseeable science and implementation issues. Problem formulation for PFOA and PFOS was completed in November 2020 and EPA will complete the risk assessment for these two compunds in biosolids by December 2024.

EPA’s goal is to modernize, standardize, and streamline the risk assessment process to efficiently and thoroughly assess risk to chemical pollutants found in biosolids. S

Lightning: The Underrated Killer

An estimated 25 million lightning flashes occur each year in the United States. Over the past three decades, lightning has killed an average of 58 people each year, which is greater than the annual average for either tornadoes or hurricanes.

Although the odds of being struck by lightning are less than one in a million, some factors can put you at greater risk. Lightning most often strikes people who work outside or engage in outdoor recreational activities.

Regional and seasonal differences can also affect the risk of being injured by lightning. Help keep you employees safe—at work and at play.

Florida Tops the List

Nearly 75 percent of all U.S. lightning injuries and fatalities occur during June, July, and August, and the most incidents occur between 2 and 6 p.m. The top five states reporting lightning-caused deaths are Florida, Minnesota, Texas, New York, and Tennessee.

In 2021 Florida had the most lightning deaths and in 2022 it had the most lightning events. Florida is considered the “lightning capital” of the country, with more than 2,000 lightning injuries over the past 50 years.

Because nine out of every 10 lightning casualties involve only one victim, and there’s typically no mass destruction, getting struck by lightning is unfortunately underrated as a safety risk.

The National Lightning Safety Institute recommends that all businesses, especially those that typically have workers with outdoor jobs, prepare and distribute a lightning safety plan to all employees. The core of the plan is to anticipate a high-risk situation and move to a low-risk location, with one outcome: to save lives.

Life-Saving Actions

The following are things you can do to stay safe when lightning strikes:

S Watch for developing thunderstorms, which occur year-round. As the sun heats the air, pockets of warmer air start to rise, and dark, thick cumulus clouds form. Continued heating can cause these clouds to grow vertically into massive formations that often indicate a thunderstorm and lightning ahead.

S Seek safe shelter. Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from the area where it is raining; that’s also about the distance when you can first hear thunder. Remember: If you

This column addresses safety issues of interest to water and wastewater personnel, and will appear monthly in the magazine. The Journal is also interested in receiving any articles on the subject of safety that it can share with readers in the “Spotlight on Safety” column.

Let’s Talk Safety is available from AWWA; visit www.awwa.org or call 800.926.7337. Get 40 percent off the list price or 10 percent off the member price by using promo code SAFETY20. The code is good for the Let’s Talk Safety book, dual disc set, and book + CD set.

can hear thunder, you are within striking distance of lightning. Get to a large building or enclosed vehicle, and make sure that all windows are shut. Avoid open canopies and small picnic or rain shelters. Never seek shelter under a tree!

S Stop work at first thunder. Workers whose jobs involve working outdoors in open spaces, on or near tall objects, or near explosives or conductive materials (e.g., metal) have significant exposure to lightning risks.

Prior to beginning any outdoor work, employers and supervisors should check weather reports (www.weather.gov) and radio forecasts for all weather hazards. Employers should consider rescheduling jobs to avoid workers being caught outside in hazardous weather conditions. Workers should continuously monitor weather conditions; watch for darkening clouds and increasing wind speeds, which can indicate developing thunderstorms.

Remember the following:

S Stop outdoor activities at first thunder. If your workers are golfers and boaters, they’re prime moving targets for a lightning bolt.

Where organized outdoor sports activities and events take place, coaches, camp counselors, and other adults must stop activities at the first roar of thunder to ensure everyone has time to find shelter. Leaders of outdoor events should have a written plan in advance that all staff are aware of and can enforce.

S If lightning is striking nearby when you’re outside and can’t seek shelter, you should crouch down, put your feet together, and place your hands over your ears to minimize hearing damage from thunder. Have a minimum of 15 feet between you and any other person. Avoid all metal objects, including electric wires, fences, machinery, motors, power tools, etc.

S Avoid electrically connected activities indoors. Turn off and don’t use corded phones, computers, appliances, televisions, power tools, and other electrical equipment that can put you in direct contact with a surge of lightning-caused electricity. Stay away from doors and windows. Also, stay away from pools (indoor or outdoor), tubs, showers, and other plumbing. Get surge suppressors for key electrical equipment.

Install ground fault circuit interrupters on circuits near water or outdoors. When inside (or if outdoors sheltered in a vehicle), wait 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before going outside again.

S Help a lightning-strike victim. Lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge, so they are safe to touch—and will likely need urgent medical attention. For those who die, cardiac arrest is the immediate cause. Some deaths can be prevented if the victim receives the proper first aid immediately. Call 911 and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the person is unresponsive or not breathing.

S Teach this safety slogan: “If you can see it, flee it; if you can hear it, clear it.”

Resources

Lightning is dangerous. With common sense, you can greatly increase your safety and the safety of others. For additional information go to the National Weather Service website at www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov or the National Lightning Safety Institute site at www.lightningsafety.com. S

C FACTOR Hurricane Season 2023!

Patrick “Murf” Murphy President, FWPCOA

forecasting appears to be conducive to an overall average of storms. Depending on whose forecast you look at, it varies (plus or minus one) in total named hurricanes at Category 3 or higher. I’m respectfully calling it at 13, 7, and 3.

This year the Atlantic Basin names from

NEWS BEAT

Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that more than $13 million will go toward shortterm solutions and innovative technologies to help clean up and prevent harmful blue-green algal blooms. The money will be split among 10 different grantees for a variety of preventative projects in Florida that include an automation system that removes algae, phosphorous remediation, and nutrient reduction.

The amount of each grant varies, with the Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department receiving $199,500 to conduct ultrasonic algae treatment performance testing in the brackish canals along Sykes Creek, and Osceola County receiving $4 million to perform a nutrient reduction and algal bloom prevention project in Lake Kissimmee.

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can be found in all of Florida’s freshwater and brackish habitats, like lakes, rivers and estuaries. Nutrient pollution from agricultural and urban runoff causes most freshwater cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae blooms. Failing septic systems,

heavy nitrogen loading to create lush green lawns, and farm effluent have been known to cause the harmful algal blooms, as well.

Gov. DeSantis created the Blue-Green Algae Task Force when he took office to address recurring algal blooms across the state. The task force presented the governor with its recommendation of investing in a diverse portfolio of modern technologies that will detect, prevent, clean up, and mitigate the blooms.

“In addition to our record investment in water quality projects to reduce nutrient loading at its source, my administration has secured dedicated funding to deploy innovative technologies to address algal blooms,” DeSantis said. “These projects will help identify new ways to treat, predict, and respond to blue-green algal blooms, protecting our environment and our economy.”

Through the Innovative Technology Grant Program, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) can allocate

to plot directly over our water reclamation facility. The odds of these plots being accurate are not very good, but every operator is aware that they should be ready all season long.

Do I care that I’m posting this screenshot of tropical storm/hurricane tracks that aren’t necessarily going to be on the mark? Not really. Would any of us have thought that the Ft. Lauderdale area would have gotten 25 inches of rain in less than six hours this past April?

My picks for the Cat 3 or higher are Gert, Idalia, and Lee.

Reviews You Should Do

There is so much information out there about hurricane preparedness, I’m not going to reiterate any of it; use your search engine if you need to or take some Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) classes if you want those details.

There are utility-related things that you should be looking at to prepare for hurricane season, like reviewing your operating permit. Also, can you place your hands on the emergency response plan or spill response plan? These should all be at your fingertips during Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and/or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspections, but especially during a huge storm event.

funding and engage more with the task force to make sure the program is successful.

DeSantis’ commitment has resulted in $50 million in appropriations over the last four years for innovative technologies, specifically involving efforts to combat and clean up harmful algal blooms and red tide. Florida has also dedicated $1.6 billion toward water restoration projects, while taking necessary steps to address excess nutrients entering the waterways.

R

In early April, an aerial video recorded in the Florida Keys shows a massive blob of sargassum seaweed starting to push onshore along local beaches. According to the Florida Health Department, the seaweed is not harmful to humans, but tiny creatures living in the sargassum can produce rashes and blisters. Health experts advise people never to eat seaweed as it may contain heavy metals, such as arsenic and cadmium.

Continued on page 44

Figure 1. A typical Murphy noodle plot. Some might recall this as Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Codes to Know

There are codes and rules associated with our jobs that pertain to hurricanes and other emergencies. Florida Administrative Codes (F.A.C.), Florida Statutes (F.S.), Code of Federal

Knowing this chapter can save your company or utility plenty of money, especially if you can react and stay in the “De minimis discharge” requirements. A bleach tank, however, doesn’t prevent a stop sign from flying through the air at 50 miles per hour, and that’s most likely going to

This column is a short one, but I hope everyone fairs well this hurricane season. You may read this at, or not until after, the Florida Water Resource Conference, but either way, I do hope I

Figure 2. Reminders for regulated above ground storage tank owners and operators.

JEA, Jacksonville

Work title and years of service.

I’m vice president for environmental services at JEA and have been in the utility industry for 17 years.

What does your job entail?

This position is responsible for oversight of the full environmental operational spectrum for both water production/recapture and power generation. Engagement starts with participation in new construction design concepts and specifications for multimilliondollar water and power plants and continues with daily participation in testing, assessing, and

From a more hands-on, in-the-field perspective, we conduct inspections at the numerous water/wastewater sites and power generation, transmission, and distribution stations in our 880-square-mile territory. My focus, and that of the entire team, is on JEA’s continued engagement on being in the forefront of environmental stewardship. The environmental team formulates and implements policies that ensure compliance with local, state, and federal environmental and safety rules and regulations. We also engage directly in government affairs on the front end by monitoring and analyzing proposed legislation, regulations, and emerging issues to develop proposals and present testimony at legislative committees and regulatory agency hearings. We also recognize the importance of education and community engagement, so we work very closely with our communications team to inform and engage our customers, interest groups, and media outlets on emerging environmental issues.

What education and training have you had?

My education and training are a culmination of academia and hands-on experience spanning my careers in the United States military and in the full-service utility industry. Before speaking about past preparations, I aim to learn something new every day, especially in today’s dynamic and ever-changing environment. In that context,

training should be a personal pursuit of every employee and an essential element at the forefront of every company’s strategic plan.

My start began at the U.S. Naval Academy, where I gained exceptional education and training across major disciplines in the sciences and arts. During my early career, my responsibility as the chief engineering officer on warships was to generate and distribute reliable propulsion and electric service, as well as produce safe drinkable water to support shipboard operations. Accountability included environmental responsibility, as well as for emissions and byproducts from 1200-pound steam boilers, gas turbines, diesels, and water/ wastewater operations; in essence applying the exact engineering and environmental principles of a full-service utility company operating in a smaller service territory.

Other service positions include time in the Pentagon that provided education and insight on the dynamics of Washington, D.C., decision making as applied to policy, legislation, rules and regulations, and the important need for critical thinking in developing the most efficient long-term strategies to meet the needs of the future.

Since joining JEA 17 years ago my understanding of utility operations has been enhanced by serving in several leadership positions, which includes director for the following major industry areas: meter reading and billing; revenue collections; industrial, commercial, and business client relations; advanced network metering (smart grid); government affairs; and economic development. Throughout the entire period it has been to my advantage to be surrounded by the best employees in the industry, from whom I’ve learned a lot.

What do you like best about your job?

My passion is in serving others, whether at a global, national, or community level, and at the same time sharing that experience with like-minded individuals on a daily basis. Being a member of the JEA team fulfills that passion. Additionally, there is continuous contact with customers, where appreciation is expressed in recognition of the essential services being provided to improve their quality of life.

What professional organizations do you belong to?

Myself and JEA both belong to several water-related organizations and associations,

Continued on page 44

Orrin (far left) and other representatives from the Florida Section AWWA (Kevin Carter, Lisa Wilson-Davis, Tara Lamoureux, Sarah Burns, and Peggy Guingona) at the AWWA Fly-In held in Washington, D.C., in March.

Scientists had been warning beachgoers of the possibility of the 5,000-mile-long stretch of seaweed taking over Florida beaches this spring and summer, and it appears as though it has started to become a reality after the video showed large piles of smelly seaweed along Cocoplum Beach in Marathon, as well as floating offshore.

The Florida Keys sit close to the Gulf Stream, where the sargassum tends to be thicker in the offshore currents. Due to the occasional onshore flow, patches tend to make their way to the coast and can lead to some unpleasant days on the beach where visitors have to walk through seaweed and occasionally get a whiff of a smell described as resembling rotten eggs.

For many species of marine life, the brown algae are considered to be helpful, and biologists believe that the buildup provides food and refuge for fish, crabs, shrimp, and other smaller organisms.

The sargassum is quite different from the red tide event that is simultaneously impacting Florida beaches, mainly along the Gulf Coast.

Red tide is a harmful algal bloom and was spotted in the days after Hurricane Ian in southwest Florida and expanded in early 2023.

The ongoing toxic event caused hundreds of fish to wash ashore, and biologists believe that even manatees have been impacted by high levels of the organism known as Karenia brevis

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) asking the public for input regarding potential future hazardous substance designations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund.

“Today’s announcement highlights EPA’s commitment to transparency and the use of the best available science to tackle PFAS pollution and protect people from exposure to these forever chemicals,” said Barry N. Breen, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. “This is a key commitment under the agency’s PFAS strategic roadmap and will provide an opportunity for a large

and diverse group of stakeholders, including the public, state and local governments, tribes, industry, businesses, environmental groups, and universities, to provide input and help EPA gather the latest science and information regarding PFAS.”

This request for input and information follows EPA’s September 2022 proposed rule to designate two PFAS—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and their salts and structural isomers—as hazardous substances under CERCLA. The EPA is currently reviewing comments received on this proposed rule.

Through this ANPRM, EPA is seeking input on whether to propose to designate additional PFAS, including hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA), sometimes called GenX, and compounds that degrade in the environment by processes such as biodegradation, photolysis, and hydrolysis, to form certain PFAS. The EPA is also seeking information on whether some PFAS compounds can or should be designated as a group or category.

The PFAS can accumulate and persist in the human body for long periods of time and evidence from laboratory animal and human epidemiology studies indicates that exposure to these compounds may lead to cancer and reproductive, developmental, cardiovascular, liver, and immunological effects. Many known and potential sources of PFAS contamination are near communities already overburdened with pollution.

A Federal Register notice has been published at docket EPA-HQ-the OLEM2022-0922 and can be viewed at www. regulations.gov. The ANPRM will be open for a 60-day comment period through June 12, 2023. The EPA intends to carefully review all the comments and information received in response to this ANPRM.

An agency may publish an ANPRM in the Federal Register to seek input and obtain more information. If EPA decides to move forward with designating additional PFAS compounds as hazardous substances under CERCLA, the agency will publish a proposed rule and seek public comment. The EPA is not reopening or otherwise proposing to modify any existing regulations through this ANPRM.

Under the roadmap, EPA is working across its programs and with its federal partners to develop solutions to the PFAS crisis and protect public health. S

Continued from page 42

with internal representation coming from multiple JEA departments, including government affairs, water and wastewater systems, and, of course, environmental.

How have the organizations helped your career?

It has been my pleasure to be directly engaged with AWWA, FSAWWA, WateReuse Association, and FWEA. All the organizations serve as a force multiplier when it comes to gaining knowledge and perspective on, and obtaining solutions to, the many issues facing utilities.

From a career perspective I strongly encourage employees to volunteer to serve where possible in supporting associations and organizations. The AWWA Fly-In in Washington, D.C., in March, consisting of strong Florida representation, was very beneficial in gaining national perspectives on issues such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and cybersecurity, as well as gaining access to our elected officials.

What do you like best about the industry?

From an operational perspective, the utility industry is continuously evolving and developing cutting-edge technologies that provide a preview of what the future will hold for most other industries in the way of cost savings, energy efficiency, water conservation, and environmental stewardship. Potable water reuse projects and programs are prime examples of that forward advancement.

Additionally, the utility industry offers a tremendous opportunity to our younger generation to embark on a career that is highly mission-driven to meet the needs of communities on a global scale. From customer service, to designing and building the infrastructure of the future, there’s something here for everyone and every interest. And just as important, the steady demand for services makes for great job security and stability.

What do you do when you’re not working?

As a native of Jacksonville I enjoy volunteering with organizations that provide outreach to the community in advancing education and building trust and communication across the many segments of our diverse city. Other interests are swimming, writing, and after years of being noncommittal, eventually getting out to play at least nine holes of golf. S

Researchers Find PFAS in Toilet Paper

Wastewater can provide clues about a community’s infectious disease status, and looking at a city’s sewage also provides information on persistent and potentially harmful compounds, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), that get released into the environment.

Now, researchers have published a report in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science & Technology Letters stating that these substances are in wastewater systems from an unexpected source—toilet paper.

The PFAS have previously been detected in many personal care products, such as cosmetics and cleansers, which people use every day and then wash down the drain. Not many researchers have considered whether toilet paper, which also ends up in wastewater, could be a source of the chemicals.

Chemicals Linked to Several Health Issues

The PFAS are a class of about

14,000 chemicals typically used to make thousands of consumer products resist water, stains, and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and they are linked to cancer, fetal complications, liver disease, kidney disease, autoimmune disorders, and other serious health issues.

Some paper manufacturers add PFAS when converting wood into pulp, which can get left behind and contaminate the final paper product. In addition, recycled toilet paper could be made with fibers that come from materials containing PFAS. Brands that used recycled paper had just as much PFAS as those that did not.

A Worldwide Issue

The researchers gathered toilet paper rolls sold in North, South, and Central America; Africa; and Western Europe, and collected sewage sludge samples from wastewater treatment plants in the United States. Then they extracted PFAS from the paper and sludge solids

and analyzed them for 34 compounds. The primary PFAS detected were disubstituted polyfluoroalkyl phosphates (diPAPs), which are compounds that can convert to more stable PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid, a potential carcinogen. Specifically, 6:2 diPAP was the most abundant in both types of samples, but was present at low levels, in the parts-per-billion range.

The team then combined its results with data from other studies that included measurements of PFAS levels in sewage and per capita toilet paper use in various countries. It calculated that toilet paper contributed about 4 percent of the 6:2 diPAP in sewage in the U.S. and Canada, 35 percent in Sweden, and up to 89 percent in France.

Despite the fact that North Americans use more toilet paper than people living in many other countries, the calculated percentages suggest that most PFAS enter the U.S. wastewater systems from cosmetics, textiles, food packaging, or other sources. S

Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project Breaks Ground

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Miami-Dade County, and several federal, state, and local officials recently broke ground on the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands (BBCW) Project, Cutler Wetlands Component. This project will improve the health of Biscayne Bay and aid in wetland rehydration, build coastal resiliency, and improve water quality in this area of Miami-Dade County. The Cutler Wetlands Component is the final component of the five-part BBCW project.

The project is part of the larger Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) that aims to restore the quality, quantity, timing, and distribution of water within the greater Everglades ecosystem. All components of the BBCW project will be complete by 2025. When complete, it will restore freshwater flows to southern Biscayne Bay and Biscayne National Park, while improving salinity distribution near the shore. It also restores historical freshwater wetland habitat adjacent to the bay, which acts like a sponge, soaking up water in the wet season and slowly releasing it in a more natural pattern. Reestablishing productive nearshore habitat also supports nursery habitat for key marine wildlife, including shrimp, shellfish, and fish.

“Our way of life and our community in

Miami are tied to the water. I’m proud to see continued progress to further revitalize this treasure,” said Charlie Martinez, governing board member of SFWMD. “Thanks to the unprecedented support from Governor Ron DeSantis, a strong working relationship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and partnership with Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, and many other county officials, we are finally breaking ground on this key restoration effort. Our bay is an environmental treasure and economic engine for Miami and improving its health is critical to safeguarding this oneof-a-kind waterbody.”

“Restoration of the Everglades, and particularly Biscayne Bay, is critical to ensuring the continued clean water supply, economic viability, and environmental and public health of Miami-Dade County. For decades as a citizen, nonprofit executive, and now as mayor, I’ve advocated for this critical project in South Dade,” said Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County. “Our environment is our economy, and with this groundbreaking, we are one step closer to ensuring clean drinking water and a strong local economy for generations to come.”

“What’s important for everyone to understand is that Everglades restoration doesn’t just end in 10 years and we are

all done and then it starts to work,” said Col. James Booth, commander of the USACE, Jacksonville District. “Every single increment and every single project that we complete has a major impact on the environment. We see the benefits as soon as each project is done, sometimes even while that project is being constructed, and South Florida Water Management District has a major impact on that. This project is just one example.”

The groundbreaking celebrates the beginning of construction of the Cutler Flow Way Phase 1 Pump Station S-701. Once complete, the pump station will deliver freshwater from the C-1 Canal to slowly rehydrate coastal wetlands to Biscayne Bay, instead of harmfully discharging it immediately into the bay.

Supporting the health of Biscayne Bay remains a priority for SFWMD. In partnership with Miami-Dade County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), SFWMD also works to reduce litter and debris from reaching the bay through the regional canal system. Additional restoration efforts involving SFWMD are being planned within the CERP in the Biscayne Bay and the Southeastern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (BBSEER) Project, which is in partnership with the USACE. S

C L A S S I F I E D S

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES - Classified ads are $22 per line for a 60 character line (including spaces and punctuation), $60 minimum. The price includes publication in both the magazine and our Web site. Short positions wanted ads are run one time for no charge and are subject to editing. ads@fwrj.com

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

City of Temple Terrace

Water Plant Operator

Technical work in the operation of a water treatment plant and auxiliary facilities on an assigned shift. Performs quality control lab tests and other analyses, monthly regulatory reports, and minor adjustments and repairs to plant equipment. Applicant must have State of Florida D.E.P. Class “A”, “B”, or “C ” Drinking Water License at time of application. Excellent benefits package. To apply and/or obtain more details contact City of Temple Terrace, Chief Plant Operator at (813) 506-6593 or Human Resources at (813) 5066430 or visit www.templeterrace.com. EOE/DFWP.

SALARY RANGES:

$22.13 - $35.42 per hour • w/”C” Certificate

$24.34 - $38.96 per hour • w/”B” Certificate (+10% above “C”)

$26.77 - $42.86 per hour • w/”A” Certificate (+10% above “B”)

$1,000 Hiring Bonus!

Water Reclamation Facility Operator III

(IRC58876) This is skilled technical work, with supervisory responsibilities, in the inspection and operation of a water reclamation plant. The person in this position fills the role as the shift leader. Work involves responsibility for the safe and efficient operation of a water reclamation facility, routine adjustments to equipment and machinery operating controls, inspection of equipment inside and outside the plant site. An employee in this class exercises considerable independent judgment in adjusting machinery, equipment, and related control apparatus in accordance with established procedures and standards to produce a high-quality reclaimed water product. An employee in this class must be able to report to work outside of normally scheduled work hours at the discretion of management.

Required Qualifications:

♦ Possess a valid high school diploma or GED equivalency.

♦ Possess and maintain a valid Driver License.

♦ Possess and maintain a State of Florida Wastewater Operator “B” License.

♦ Must be able to perform shift work.

♦ Acknowledge this position is designated as Emergency Critical (EC) and if hired into the position, you must be immediately available to the department before, during, and after a declared emergency and/or disaster.

Salary: $29.97 - $39.90 hourly

http://www.stpete.org/jobs

Water Treatment Plant Operator

The Water Treatment Plant at Village of Wellington is currently accepting applications for a full-time Water Operator. Apply online. Job postings and application are available on our website: https://wellingtonfl.munisselfservice.com/ employees/EmploymentOpportunities/JobDetail.

aspx?req=34&sreq=6&form=WTO3&desc=OPERATOR%20 III,%20WATER%20TREATMENT%20PLANT

We are located in Palm Beach County, Florida. The Village of Wellington offers great benefits. For further information, call Human Resources at (561) 753-2585.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPERATOR FULL-TIME

The Ocean Reef Community Association (ORCA), located in North Key Largo, FL, has a Full-Time position available for a Wastewater Treatment Operator. The Wastewater Treatment Operator is responsible for recording and interpreting data to generate reports of the plant.

Selected candidate assist with the operation of a secondary level 350,000 gal/day wastewater treatment plant, wastewater collection system, and a reverse osmosis water treatment plant and ancillary facilities. In addition, selected candidate will collect samples and perform routine laboratory analyses. Selected candidate must respond to emergency call outs during weekends, holidays, and non-business hours to ensure continued operation of public facilities.

High School Diploma or equivalent is required. Community College and/or Correspondence courses in utility infrastructure are desirable. A valid Florida Driver License is required. A Florida Class C Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator License is required. One (1) to three (3) years of experience is preferred.

Please visit orcareef.com to view the full job description/ requirements and apply online.

Human

The

Coral Springs Improvement District

A GREAT place to further your career and enhance your life!

CSID offers…

Salary levels are at the top of the industry Health Insurance that is unmatched when compared to like sized Districts Promotions from within for qualified employees

Continuing education courses to develop your skills and further your growth

Retirement plans where an employee can earn 18% of their salary by contributing toward their future

The Coral Springs Improvement District is seeking qualified employees in the following field:

Lead Wastewater Plant Operator:

Applicants must have a valid Class A Wastewater Treatment license and a minimum of three years’ experience.

Experienced in the operation of sewage treatment, sludge processing, and disposal equipment in wastewater. This lead position is responsible for keeping within the permit discharge limits and routinely monitoring the flow of wastewater and chemical levels. Employees in this class receive minimal supervision and reports to the Chief Waste Operator.

Salary range $81,328. – 95,680. Salary to commensurate relative to level of experience in this field.

Wastewater Plant Operator:

Applicants must have a valid Class C Wastewater Treatment license or greater.

Operates sewage treatment, sludge processing, and disposal equipment in wastewater (sewage) treatment plant to control flow and processing of sewage. This employee is responsible for keeping within permit discharge limits and routinely monitors the flow of wastewater and chemical levels. Employee in this class receives general supervision and reports to the Lead Operator.

Salary range: $54,029. - $86,112. Salary to commensurate relative to level of experience in this field.

Water and Waste Plant Maintenance Supervisor:

Supervises and performs maintenance and repairs on a variety of mechanical, plumbing, and electrical equipment, including pumps, motors, controllers, valves, charts, and plant instruments.

Responsible for overseeing all installation, repair and upkeep operations of the District’s facilities.

Purchases equipment, materials, and supplies performs cost comparisons for services, equipment, and supplies; performs inventory duties; operates a variety of hand and power tools; operates heavy equipment.

Education and experience require a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Must have knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with the completion of specialized training in the field of work.

Salary range: $68,000. - $88,478. Salary to commensurate relative to level of experience in this field.

Benefits:

Excellent benefits which include health, life, disability, dental, vison and a retirement plan which includes a 6% non-contributory defined benefit and matching 457b plan with a 100% match up to 6%. EOE. All positions require a valid Florida Drivers license, high school diploma or GED equivalent, be COVID-19 vaccinated and must pass a pre-employment drug screen test Salaries for the above position based on level of licensing and years of experience.

Submit your resume to or fax your resume to 954-753-6328, attention Jan Zilmer, Director of Human Resources.

City of Tamarac - SCADA Operations Analyst

The City of Tamarac is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the SCADA Operations Analyst position.

Salary $83,260.00 - $104,127.00 Annually

Apply online at www.tamarac.org

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/tamaracfl/jobs/3985396/ scada-operations-analyst?page=2&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

The selected candidate performs responsible electronic and related technical and computer work in maintaining the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system located at the Water Treatment Facility, as well as remote stations located throughout the water, wastewater and stormwater systems. Provides systems management, maintenance, security and operational control over all related instrumentation infrastructure, computer equipment, communications, software and networks. Repairs, calibrates and maintains a variety of electrical and electronic monitoring and automated process control equipment at the City’s Water Treatment Facility and the water and wastewater systems. Troubleshoots, programs and makes repairs and adjustments to the SCADA system. Reports to the Assistant Director of Public Services/Utilities or designee.

This is an excellent opportunity to make a difference and enjoy the many benefits the City has to offer. From our supportive workforce, growing community and comprehensive benefits package. Tamarac is the City For Your Life! Apply today!

OUC - The Reliable One, an industry leader and the second largest municipal utility in Florida is currently looking to hire a Water Technician III with experience in construction and maintenance of water distribution systems, including water service, fire hydrant installation and water meter sets & exchanges. This a great opportunity for an experienced apprentice to gain a solid foundation needed for career advancement to Journeyman level work (Water Technician I) at OUC.

The ideal candidate will have at least 1 year of training as a Water Technician Apprentice, a high school diploma or equivalent, valid driver’s license with ability to obtain a Florida Class A CDL. FDEP Level 3 Water System Distribution Operation License is preferred, but not required at time of hire.

OUC offers a very competitive compensation and benefits package.

Salary Range: $22.15 - $24.90 (Est. $ 46,086 - $51,810 annuallywill receive a review every 6 months)

Location: 3800 Gardenia Ave, Orlando, FL 32839

For more information and to apply, visit: https://bit.ly/ OUCWaterTech3

Water System Operator Shift

OUC - The Reliable One, is presently seeking a Water System Operator (Shift). OUC Water System Operators currently work a 6-week 24/7 rotating shift.

The ideal candidate will have a valid Class A public drinking water plant operator license. Consideration will be given to candidates with a Class B license who can obtain their Class A license within 6-months of hire. A minimum of five (5) years of experience and a valid driver’s license are also required. https://ouc.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/6/home requisition/1568?c=ouc

Clay County Utility Authority - Multiple Positions Available Senior Design Engineer /project manager, GIS & Asset System manager, Water treatment plant operator trainee, Wastewater Mechanic, and electrician. Apply at WWW.CLayutility.org

Assistant Director of Water & Wastewater Utilities

U.S. Water Services Corporation Multiple Positions Available

• Engineer

• Operations Manager

• Project Manager

• Utility Billing Supervisor

• Utility Construction Technician

• Water/Wastewater Plant Operators

Are you ready to join our team?

Please Apply online at www.uswatercorp.com/careers/ www.uswatercorp.com

ENGINEER II UTILITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

$3,203.25 to $3,523.58 biweekly. Actual salary is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

DESCRIPTION: Performs skilled professional engineering work coordinating, planning, designing, reviewing, inspecting, and/or implementing assigned projects.

REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor›s degree in Civil or Environmental, Engineering, or a related Engineering degree PLUS five (5) years of related engineering experience. Supervisory experience and registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Florida is preferred.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Must possess, or obtain prior to employment, a valid Florida Driver’s license and maintain said license during the term of employment. In the event of a hurricane, major storm, natural or manmade disaster that may threaten the area, the employee will be required to perform emergency duties as directed.

Apply here, keyword “Engineer”: https://career8.successfactors.com/career?company=brevardcou

City of Winter Park is hiring for Assistant Director of Water & Wastewater Utilities. Apply at https://bit.ly/3vzP9Dt or call 407599-3653

City of Plantation- Multiple Positions Available

Electrician

Licensed Field Technician I, II, or III

Process Control System Specialist

Utilities Inspector

Plant Mechanic I, II, or III

Plant Operator Water/Wastewater Class A, B, or C APPLY ONLINE-WWW.PLANTATION.ORG

Water/Wastewater Project Manager

Jacksonville and Fort Myers, Florida

Weston & Sampson is currently seeking a Project Manager with 8-15 years of experience to work in Florida. The Project Manager will preferably be someone who has knowledge of municipal water, wastewater, and reclaimed water-related client services.

Join us as we grow!

https://www.westonandsampson.com/join-our-team/

Editorial Calendar

January ....... Wastewater Treatment

February ...... Water Supply; Alternative Sources

March ........... Energy Efficiency; Environmental Stewardship

April ............. Conservation and Reuse

May .............. Operations and Utilities Management

June ............. Biosolids Management and Bioenergy Production

July .............. Stormwater Management; Emerging Technologies

August ......... Disinfection; Water Quality

September... Emerging Issues; Water Resources Management

October ....... New Facilities, Expansions, and Upgrades

November.... Water Treatment

December Distribution and Collection

Technical articles are usually scheduled several months in advance and are due 60 days before the issue month (for example, January 1 for the March issue).

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Test Yourself Answer Key

Continued from page 6

1. D) all of the above.

Excess phosphorus, along with nitrogen, may result in eutrophication, which leads to algae growth, taste and odor issues, and eventual oxygen depletion with the receiving water body.

2. D) All the above

Biological phosphorus removal, lime precipitation, and aluminum sulfate are among the most common methods used to reduce phosphorus within the effluent stream.

3. B) Anaerobic

The luxury uptake process requires an anerobic period where the bacteria respond by producing fatty acids and releasing phosphorus within the reactor.

4. A) Aerobic

The luxury uptake process requires an aerobic period where the bacteria respond by taking in more phosphorus than what they need, thus reducing the effluent phosphorus concentration.

5. B) 11 or higher.

The lime precipitation process to remove phosphorus requires lime slurry to be added to the wastewater, resulting in a pH of 11 or higher.

6. C) coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation.

The three processes that are utilized within the lime precipitation process are coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation.

7. D) carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide gas (recarbonation) is used to reduce the pH of the effluent to approximately 7.

8. D) aluminum phosphate.

Alum addition to the wastewater results in the production of aluminum phosphate floc that can be removed via precipitation or sedimentation.

9. A) 200 to 400 mg/l.

The optimum dosage range (alkalinity-dependent) of alum for phosphorus is 200 to 400 mg/l.

10. B) polyphosphate.

During the aerobic period the bacteria uptake phosphorus and store it as polyphosphate granules.