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Fill, mix, aerate, settle, decant and waste sludge in a single, compact basin. Lakeside Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs) are backed by 60 years of biological treatment expertise. Our fully automated systems offer flexible options for general water treatment as well as high-level nitrogen and phosphorous removal. There’s no need for external clarifiers or return-activated sludge pumping. Integrated controls make the process easy, while the modular design allows your operation room to grow. Lakeside SBRs are the eco-friendly, cost-effective way to produce consistent high-quality effluent without foam or scum.

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Continued from page 6 textbooks, but there was additional training on safety and real-life stories shared that were very helpful.

Then, I attended a short school and saw all of the other disciplines that were being taught. Each of them focused on safety as a number one component as part of the training and utilized some of the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) from 1910 addressing general safety precautions recommendations.

I was impressed that this association was trying to improve worker safety and ensure that folks were able to go home alive at the end of the day. This was more classroom training on safety than I had received in the entirety of my previous job!

Florida Administrative Code Chapters

I want to encourage all operators to read the Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.) chapters relative to their discipline(s). The one way you are going to avoid outof-compliance situations, consent orders, or just looking foolish is by continuously studying and advancing in your career. It isn’t just about knowing processes and different technologies; it’s also knowing what legislation is being proposed, rules and regulations that are revised or established, and constantly reviewing and discussing these things with your coworkers.

Don’t rely on a printed version that’s been laying around or filed in your office; go to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) website at www.florida dep.gov/waterresourcesmanagement, scroll down and click on the link “F.A.C. and Statutes” under Rules and Forms, then scroll through the chapters and grab the one you need to ensure that you’re looking at the ones that have revisions in them. It doesn’t hurt to look at the link just below that F.A.C. link, “Rules in Development,” which will give you a heads-up on what’s happening. While you are on any of those pages, scroll down toward the bottom where you can subscribe to FDEP newsletters or receive updates by email.

Since I’m mentioning rules in development, be on the lookout for Chapter 62-565, F.A.C., Permitting, Construction, Operation, and Maintenance of Advanced Treatment Water Facilities and Associated Systems. The FDEP is creating this new rule as part of the development of rules regarding potable reuse. They’ve done lots of revisions to some of the other chapters already, but if you have any interest in potable reuse, you won’t want to miss the workshops on this chapter.

It’s a daunting task for our friends at FDEP, especially the ones involved in the operator certification program, which addresses the requirements and experience that can be earned (and vetted) without having the time or luxury to create a new license because of statutory deadlines.

I’m pretty sure that everyone would agree that if we are (and we are going to have to at some point) have direct potable reuse drinking water, we want the most experienced and talented operators, proven equipment and technologies, and the best written rules and guidance available for the protection of the health of our citizens.

Harmless or Harmful?

I tell people all the time that I was in third grade before I realized that water wasn’t orange. I was used to drinking water from an old well that was probably originally meant just for irrigation, and I finally payed attention to the water in the fountain at the

As most water and distribution system operators know, a little discoloration in the water is not what’s going to make you sick— it’s the stuff you can’t see in the water. The rules and regulations that inform us of the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) are our main guidance in giving us the comfort level that we are protecting our customers. Without these rules we would have chaos, health issues—and possibly worse. The minimum detection limits (MDLs) that laboratories are able to determine provide the information that we’re below those MCLs. With advancing technology, contaminants that could have results in parts per million, or parts per billion, are now able to be analyzed to parts per trillion! I’m not saying any of the previously listed contaminants are going to be changed to lower MCLs, but newer ones will be, and it will only take one sampler making a mistake, one lab error, and you will be in a public notification situation.

Remember that our jobs are important, hopefully our pay and recognition will increase, and we can mitigate any efforts to dilute our operator pool and keep our performance standards high.

Work hard, work safe, and let’s keep that water clean! S