Florida Water Resources Journal - March 2015 by Florida Water Resources Journal

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News and Features 18 26 34 34 36 38 48 49 52

Treasurer: Rim Bishop (FWPCOA) Seacoast Utility Authority Secretary: Holly Hanson (At Large) ILEX Services Inc., Orlando

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, fax to 352-241-6007, or mail to Florida Water Resources Journal, 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive, Clermont, FL 34711

Membership Questions FSAWWA: Casey Cumiskey – 407-957-8447 or fsawwa.casey@gmail.com FWEA: Karen Wallace, Executive Manager – 407-574-3318 FWPCOA: Darin Bishop – 561-840-0340

Training Questions FSAWWA: Donna Metherall – 407-957-8443 or fsawwa.donna@gmail.com FWPCOA: Shirley Reaves – 321-383-9690

Technical Articles 4

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.

How do I Begin to Implement an Energy Management Program for my Utility?— Timothy A. Noyes and Celine A. Hyer

Energy Recovery Case Studies for Brackish Water Membrane Treatment Systems— Mark D. Miller, Jason Lee, and Nick Black

Education and Training 7 11 19 28 39 45 50 51

FWPCOA Online Training Institute FWPCOA State Short School Florida Water Resources Conference CEU Challenge FSAWWA Training FWPCOA Training Calendar ISA Water/Wastewater and Automatic Controls Symposium TREEO Center Training

Columns 10 30

FSAWWA Speaking Out—Mark Lehigh Process Page—Randy Boe, Jake Hepokoski, and

32 35 40

Andy Koebel C Factor—Thomas King Spotlight on Safety—Doug Prentiss Sr. Certification Boulevard—Roy Pelletier

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

Energy Efficiency Master Planning: A Florida Utility Case Study—Isabel Botero, Robert Chambers, and Rafael Frias III

For Other Information DEP Operator Certification: Ron McCulley – 850-245-7500 FSAWWA: Peggy Guingona – 407-957-8448 Florida Water Resources Conference: 888-328-8448 FWPCOA Operators Helping Operators: John Lang – 772-559-0722, e-mail – oho@fwpcoa.org FWEA: Karen Wallace, Executive Manager – 407-574-3318

FSAWWA Drop Savers Contests Engaging Data for Water and Wastewater Utility Energy Management—Ely Greenberg Body of Sewer Plant Operator Found in Pipe FSAWWA Awards AWWA International Symposium on Waterborne Pathogens Celebrate 2015 Drinking Water Week! News Beat FSAWWA Roy Likins Scholarship Expanding Central Water and Sewer Facilities Within Preplatted Communities: A Southwest Florida Example—Hubert B. Stroud

Departments 50 57 60 62

New Products Service Directories Classifieds Display Advertiser Index

Volume 67

ON THE COVER: A lone white heron glides over the Everglades, and thanks to the sustainable practices of the water industry, it remains home to many kinds of wildlife. (photo: Randy Brown)

March 2015

Number 3

Florida Water Resources Journal, USPS 069-770, ISSN 0896-1794, is published monthly by Florida Water Resources Journal, Inc., 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive, Clermont, FL 34711, on behalf of the Florida Water & Pollution Control Operator’s Association, Inc.; Florida Section, American Water Works Association; and the Florida Water Environment Association. Members of all three associations receive the publication as a service of their association; $6 of membership dues support the Journal. Subscriptions are otherwise available within the U.S. for $24 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Clermont, FL and additional offices.

POSTMASTER: send address changes to Florida Water Resources Journal, 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive, Clermont, FL 34711

Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

F W R J

Energy Efficiency Master Planning: A Florida Utility Case Study Isabel Botero, Robert Chambers, and Rafael Frias III ith the recent slowdown in revenue growth for many water and wastewater utilities, operational and capital spending is being heavily scrutinized by utility leaders and stakeholders. Flat and declining revenues, coupled with cost reduction efforts, and in some cases, the political unwillingness to adjust utility rates, have created an environment where planning efforts, activities, and decision making require the development of a sound business plan. As a result of these competing factors, many utilities across Florida and the United States consider energy efficiency master planning (EEMP) to be a necessity. The article presents a brief outline of the EEMP process and summarizes the results of an EEMP completed for a Florida utility. A water industry survey is completed on an annual basis by Black & Veatch, entitled, “Strategic Directions: U.S. Water Industry.” This report summarizes the results of responses from about 400 utilities across the U. S. related to the current challenges faced by these utilities in operating their water systems. For the utilities surveyed, energy efficiency is viewed as low-hanging fruit when it comes to reducing operational cost. The following is a brief summary of the survey results related to energy efficiency: Energy use is a major sustainability issue.

Nearly 80 percent of utilities have replaced some level of inefficient equipment. More than 70 percent of utilities are using supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and data analytics. More than 60 percent of utilities have conducted energy audits. As understood by all utility operators, there is an implicit focus on maintaining adequate levels of service through the timely maintenance and replacement of utility system assets. The survey highlights that most respondents are actively attempting to replace inefficient assets, utilizing data analytics to build business cases to replace inefficient assets, and initiating the activities necessary to address issues around energy efficiency in order to reduce operational and capital cost. The EEMP process is a coordinated approach that builds an energy management business plan through aligning the technical requirements and the business imperatives of the utility system.

Overview of the Energy Efficiency Master Planning Approach To understand the technical requirements of a utility’s energy efficiency program and align these requirements with business process im-

Figure 1. Energy Efficiency Master Planning Approach

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Isabel Botero, P.E., is project manager–global water business; Robert Chambers is manager–global management consulting business; and Rafael Frias III, P.E., is client director–global water business, with Black & Veatch in Sunrise.

peratives requires a dedicated focus on understanding the vision of the utility and assimilating these tenets through all stages of the EEMP. The planning approach consists of three phases: Phase 1 - Strategy (alignment of the vision) Phase 2 - Technical (an optimized portfolio of projects to implement over time) Phase 3 - Business (informed decision making process that mitigates risk) The EEMP approach, as summarized in Figure 1, incorporates the existing vision of the utility during all phases. In the process of determining the energy efficiency solutions and developing the business case to justify these solutions, distinct focus is placed on a utility’s overarching mission and vision. This is critical in aligning the strategic core of the utility through all the business functions of the utility. Descriptions of the three phases of the EEMP process are: Strategy. The strategy phase requires the project team to gain a deep understanding of the utility’s mission, vision, and business imperatives. Upon understanding these imperatives, the strategic purpose of the utility will be to understand which of them will drive the technical and business process solutions that are determined in order to meet the goals and objectives of the EEMP. The strategy component of the EEMP provides the purpose and direction for developing it. Technical. The technical phase of the EEMP evaluates the existing energy usage conditions and potential of the utility. In essence, this analysis entails a bottom-up assessment of the total energy output, a conditions assessment of utility system assets and processes, and the determination of the major energy contributors by utility function. At the completion of this assessment, the total utility system energy cost, the major enContinued on page 6

Continued from page 4 ergy contributors by function or major asset group, and the technical solutions by function will be determined to maximize energy usage. Business. The business phase establishes a platform for utility leaders to begin the business

case related to implementing the technical solutions determined. All technical solutions will have varying impacts on the utility’s business process. The competing forces between a utility’s ability to maintain utility rates, reduce the consumption of utility services, reduce operating cost, and implement solutions to mitigate issues around aging infrastructure, aging workforce, and consent decree-related issues, to name a few, are all considered specific to the technical solutions developed. As such, an energy decision cash flow model, shown in Table 1, is utilized, which performs risk-based economic evaluations on an individual solution or a portfolio of solutions, as determined by the utility. Evaluation criteria are determined that provide a process, along with a tech-

Table 1. Summary of the Energy Decision Cash Flow Model Inputs and Outputs

nical and nontechnical value to evaluate the economic performance of an individual energy solution or a group of solutions. At the completion of this evaluation, an optimized and time-based list of solutions will be determined and incorporated into the EEMP. The EEMP approach provides utility leaders with an integrated business planning tool that determines energy efficiency solutions, integrates the inherent business risk of implementing these energy efficiency solutions, and economically values these solutions to determine the optimal EEMP solution.

Case Study: Florida Utility Background The EEMP approach described was applied to a Florida utility to investigate the potential to maximize energy usage at its water and wastewater facilities. Initial project workshops were held to establish the EEMP goals and objectives and understand the overall strategic purpose of the utility. Thereafter, technical due diligence and evaluations were conducted, which included the following activities: Site visits Data collection Conditions assessment Energy baseline assessment Identification and evaluation of energy conservation measures (ECMs) At the completion of the technical evaluations, the consulting team gained an understanding of the energy usage potential of the utility systems under review. Table 2 presents the breakdown of energy consumption for the water facilities studies. Continued on page 8

Table 2. Energy Use Distribution – Water Systems

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Table 3. Energy Use Distribution – Wastewater/Reclaimed Water Systems

Table 4. Examples of Energy Conservation Measures Water Supply, Treatment, and Distribution Systems

Table 5. Examples of Energy Conservation Measures Wastewater Treatment and Reclaimed Water Distribution Systems

Table 6. Recommended Energy Project Portfolios Financial Summary (Base Year 2012; Assessment Period 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2022; 2013 Dollars)

March 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Florida Water Resources Journal

Continued from page 6 As shown, 38 percent and 31 percent of the water system energy consumption is for the treatment processes (hypochlorite generation, membrane systems, pumps, etc.) and raw water well pumps, respectively. For the wastewater and reclaimed system, as detailed in Table 3, the highest energy requirements were exhibited at the wastewater pumping systems and treatment processes at 53 percent and 36 percent of the total energy requirement for the wastewater and reuse systems, respectively. After indentifying the largest energy users, strategies were defined and incorporated into ECMs to maximize energy usage for the systems under review. The ECMs developed were tailored around improving energy usage requirements for specific water and wastewater treatment processes, improving pumping system efficiency to reduce energy cost, and utilizing SCADA techniques to control systems more efficiently (chemical optimization, time of use electric rates, etc.). Case Study Recommendations The results of the EEMP outlined a portfolio of energy solutions. Table 4 presents the specific recommendations for the water supply, treatment, and distribution systems with the actual energy reduction that can be achieved. The energy reduction totals are presented as a percent of the total energy consumption for the water treatment plant facilities. Table 5 presents the recommendations for the wastewater treatment and reclaimed water distribution system with the actual energy reduction that can be achieved. The energy reduction totals are presented as a percent of the total energy consumption for the wastewater treatment plant and reclaimed facilities. Table 6 presents a summary of the cost savings achieved by the EEMP on a portfolio basis. The energy project portfolios comprised a total of 18 ECMs. Once implemented, the ECMs would provide the potential for a 14 percent reduction in energy use, based on 2012 energy usage data. This reduction translates to annual energy savings of approximately $500,000 and annual operation and maintenance savings of $250,000. The capital cost for the implementation of the energy project portfolios was estimated at $10 million. The financial analysis for these improvements resulted in a favorable net present value (NPV) of $3.5 million. For example, if a portfolio has an NPV less than zero, then the portfolio should not be done. The higher the NPV, the more valuable and higher economic benefits will be achieved as a result of the implementation of the portfolio of energy projects.

FSAWWA SPEAKING OUT

FSAWWA Creates Operators and Maintenance Council Mark Lehigh Chair, FSAWWA

bout five years ago FSAWWA created the Operators Council to meet the needs of the over 6,000 licensed drinking water treatment plant operators and distribution system operators across Florida. As I was one of these licensed operators myself, the council was near and dear to my heart. I started my career with Hillsborough County as a water plant operator trainee all the way back in 1982. I worked hard to get my “A” level drinking water license and move my way up through the ranks. Membership in AWWA played a big part in that, helping my professional development and career advancement every step of the way. Now, 33 years later, and still working for Hillsborough County as its water operations manager, I feel a strong tie to plant operators and their development and opportunities for professional growth. I remember sitting down with thenFSAWWA Chair Matt Alvarez and pouring out my passion as a plant operator and how to get this group of professionals more involved in the association. It was his idea to start a council. It took a few years to make this a reality, and in 2009-10, I became the founding chair of the Operators Council. Since that time, I have stayed closely involved, always keeping an eye on this group and helping out where I can. Operator membership in the association is now at 310 and climbing! That number is the direct result of the hard work of all the volunteers on the council and through the leadership of its chair, Steve Soltau. Way to go! Our association believes in helping operators develop the skills necessary to reach their career goals and acquire in-depth knowledge in their chosen field. These skills will open doors to better prospects and greater opportunities. I am particularly proud of the operator scholarship program offered through FSAWWA. The Operators Council annually makes available to drinking water treatment

and distribution system plant operators, the following scholarships: Four scholarships of $500 per eligible student for upgrade of a drinking water or distribution system operator license. Two scholarships of $1,000 per eligible student pursuing a college degree relating to the drinking water industry. These scholarships provide reimbursement of tuition, books, and fees through the applicable college/university financial aid department over a two-year period. Scholarships are awarded in both undergraduate and graduate categories. Today, more than at any time in recent history, good education is an eligibility standard for employment in any sector of our industry. So don’t miss out—apply for one of the scholarships before the deadline of June 1 at www.fsawwa.org. Now that the licensed operators have a network, voice, and seat at the FSAWWA table, we think it’s the perfect time to welcome in the maintenance personnel with the creation of the Operations and Maintenance Council, and I’m happy to relay that Steve Soltau will remain chair of the new group. The mission of the council is as follows: “Increase member services to water treatment plant operators, distribution system operators, and water treatment plant maintenance staff through increased opportunities for association leadership, participation, training, local networking, and expanded awards and recognition programs. We also will provide direction on long-term operator and maintenance needs and priorities to the board of governors.” The role of maintenance personnel is to keep the machinery running: pumps, chemical feed systems, electrical equipment, and electronics for automation. As treatment

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

plant operators, we know that maintenance staff is the backbone of any well-run facility. Having maintenance professionals working hand-in-hand with plant and distribution operators is essential to delivering clean, safe water to our customers. Without them, this simply could not happen. Expanding council membership to water plant maintenance staff will provide them with the same specialized training and advancement opportunities as those shared by all members of AWWA. The new council will work toward advancing the needs of water plant maintenance staff, while simultaneously fulfilling our obligations to licensed drinking water treatment and distribution system operators. Some of the benefits that will now be available to water plant maintenance staff include but are not limited to: Representation on the FSAWWA board Representation within each region AWWA specialized mechanical, electronic, and electrical training Development of certification standards Active participation and recognition at local, regional, and state events and workshops Scholarship opportunities On January 30 we had our first Operations and Maintenance Council meeting. Representatives from across the state joined in and discussed ideas, goals, and a framework to move this council forward and create value for the members and the utilities they work for. This is a grass-roots effort that is just getting off the ground. We are excited and look forward to the “electrifying” growth and opportunities to be provided by this expanded council. If you are willing to help out and give back some of your knowledge to those up-and-coming in our industry, please contact Steve Soltau at 727-4536980 and ssoltau@pinellascounty.org.

FloridaSection

Florida Water & Pollution Control Operators Association

FWPCOA STATE SHORT SCHOOL March 16 - 20, 2015 Indian River State College - Main Campus – FORT PIERCE –

COURSES Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester ..........................$375/$405

Utility Customer Relations I, II & III................................$260/$290

Backflow Prevention Assembly Repairer ......................$275/$305

Utilities Maintenance I & II ............................................$225/$255

Backflow Tester Recertification ......................................$85/$115

Wastewater Collection System Operator C, B & A ......$225/$255

Basic Electrical and Instrumentation ............................$225/$255

Water Distribution System Operator Level 3, 2 & 1 ......$225/$255

Facility Management Module I......................................$275/$305

Wastewater Process Control ........................................$225/$255

Reclaimed Water Distribution C, B & A ........................$225/$255 (Abbreviated Course) ................................................$125/$155

Wastewater Sampling for Industrial Pretreatment & Operators................................................................$160/$190

Stormwater Management C & B ...................................$260/$290

Wastewater Troubleshooting ........................................$225/$255

Stormwater Management A .........................................$275/$305

Water Troubleshooting ..................................................$225/$255

For further information on the school, including course registration forms and hotels, download the school announcement at www.fwpcoa.org/fwpcoaFiles/upload/2015SpringSchool.pdf

SCHEDULE CHECK-IN: March 15, 2015 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CLASSES: Monday – Thursday........8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday........8:00 a.m. to noon

FREE BBQ DINNER + Monday, March 16, 4:30 p.m. + 3209 Virginia Avenue Fort Pierce, FL 34981

For more information call the

FWPCOA Training Office 321-383-9690 Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

F W R J

How do I Begin to Implement an Energy Management Program for my Utility? Timothy A. Noyes and Celine A. Hyer oho Water Authority (TWA) has begun implementing an energy management program to proactively look at current and future energy uses at its treatment and conveyance facilities. It is also identifying ways to conserve or offset costs through educational programs, procedural changes, technology improvements, and the cost-effective replacement of equipment. As part of the strategic planning process, it was identified that energy costs make up a significant portion of the operations and maintenance budget and should be minimized as much as possible to keep rates stable for customers and continue to provide quality service far into the future. To effectively implement the program, TWA is using a combination of inhouse staff and consulting support to maximize knowledge transfer and create efficiencies. The process began with creating an energy management program vision statement with goals and objectives supporting the achievement of that vision so that staff at all levels could be brought into the process. Looking at where the larger energy spending was occurring indicated that the first logical step would be to evaluate energy use at the largest treatment plant, the South Bermuda Water Reclamation Facility (SBWRF), and use it as a

learning process to go through the basic steps of implementing an energy management program, including: 1. Establish organizational commitment 2. Develop a baseline of energy use 3. Evaluate the system and collect data 4. Identify energy efficiency opportunities 5. Prioritize opportunities for implementation 6. Develop an implementation plan 7. Provide for progress tracking and reporting This article will discuss the methodology for performing these basic steps at SBWRF, as well as the overall findings in terms of projects and operational changes recommended that can significantly reduce energy use. Any utility that is considering implementing an energy management program can benefit by learning the basic steps, understanding the issues and challenges in collecting and evaluating the data, and learning what is the typical energy profile for an advanced wastewater treatment plant, including key performance measures.

Background Energy savings come with a cost. For those not solely motivated by the social cause to become a “greener” utility, it is important that the costs to achieve the energy savings are ade-

Timothy A. Noyes is asset manager with Toho Water Authority in Kissimmee and Celine A. Hyer is vice president with ARCADIS US in Tampa.

quately offset by measurable and reoccuring savings. For this reason, an energy management program is much more than a couple of energy audits and a few resulting capital projects; it involves understanding why an organization’s energy needs are what they are. This understanding reaches far beyond the security fence of the facilities and involves understanding the following: Level of demand and rate of consumption for the water-related services provided. Process systems and equipment involved in extracting, treating, distributing, collecting, reclaiming and returning life’s most precious resource. Standard operating procedures that dictate how and when actions are taken. Actual work practices that illustrate how water services are performed. Energy consumption, cost, and pricing models. Staff awareness, ability, and desire to affect changes in the consumption of energy. Presented are the programmatic steps taken by TWA to define and implement its energy management program. By its very nature, TWA’s program will continue to evolve as organizational knowledge grows.

Roadmap to Implementation

Figure 1.

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Establish Organizational Commitment Energy cost (combined petroleum and electricity) represents TWA’s second largest operating expense, exceeded only by labor expenses. These costs have shown steady increases in the study years (2011 through 2014) and are shown in Figure 1. The anticipated need for additional nutrient removal in wastewater treatment and the introduction of membrane filtration, as alter-

native water supplies are required, will continue to place upward pressures on this operating expense. These and other anticipated technology- or regulatory-driven energy demands represent the primary motivation for this program. A visioning workshop was held in October 2011. Attendees at the workshop included the executive team and representatives from the engineering, operations, and field services divisions. The objectives of this workshop included: Gaining an understanding of what could be accomplished by an energy management program and what others were doing. Creating draft vision and mission statements to form the program policy. Looking at dependencies and overlaps with any existing programs. Developing a high-level road map of where to go. Exercises to fully engage the workshop participants involved identifying: Internal and external drivers that could assist the development of an energy management program. Stakeholders and their perceived attitude, influence, viewpoints, and communication methods. Key outcomes of a successful program. These exercises assisted in forming the shared realization that this was a program that would require leveraging the identified internal and external drivers (or competencies) to achieve the desired outcome. What resulted was also a clearer vision of who could affect or be affected by the program and that proper engagement of these stakeholders was necessary for program success. The program needed to have facets that not only involved getting the latest and most efficient equipment or control systems, but also introduced cost control and predictability through sound management practices, generation and process optimization through innovative solutions, and commonality in vision and mission through cultural change. As a result of the visioning workshop, TWA’s strategic plan was revised to include energy as a major component under the current infrastructure strategy. Integrating energy into the strategic plan helped to secure the commitment of the organization. Goals, objectives, and tactics were drafted to support the following energy strategy: “Toho will achieve its mission through a results-driven energy program that incorporates staff expertise and the application of technology to operate at the lowest achievable level of energy consumption. Toho’s ultimate goal is

Figure 2

to become a net-zero electricity consumer across its treatment and pumping facilities.” Develop a Baseline of Energy Use It was revealing just how much data on energy use was available, yet how few people saw this information and how difficult it was to collect and represent this data in a meaningful manner. Pieces of energy-related information could be found in many systems, including accounts payable, financial, electric utility customer portal, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), but it was rarely accessed by those making the daily decisions that affect energy use. To measure the effectiveness of actions taken to reduce energy consumption, it was critical that a baseline be established. This baseline would not only serve as a means to identify improvement opportunities, but would also measure the effectiveness of completed tasks, programs, and initiatives. At the highest level, energy use is measured across TWA as the total dollars spent on energy (as illustrated in Figure 1). Stratifying this data across divisions, it was evident that the first area of concentration should be wastewater treatment, as it represents approximately 62 percent of the energy spent (Figure 2). With wastewater treatment being the first area of focus, additional measures were adopted that were specific to this area. These measures provide a ratio of energy consumption to the flow and process effectiveness of each of the facilities: Unit electric use per water treated (kWh/MG) by process type

Total water reclamation facility unit electric use per water treated (kWh/MG) Unit electric use per solids removed (kWh/lbVSSr) Unit electric use per biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removed (kWh/lbBODr) Evaluate the System and Collect Data Adopting the premise that the greatest opportunity for savings exists where energy consumption is greatest; energy consumption across the wastewater treatment facilities and lift stations was evaluated. It was noted that 30 percent of the energy spent across these areas occurred at the SBWRF (Figure 3). South Bermuda Water Reclamation Facility Description The SBWRF is located in Kissimmee. It has a permitted capacity of 13 mil gal per day (mgd). The treatment processes consist of the following: Preliminary treatment, including mechanical bar screens. Primary clarification, which is the plant’s vortex-type grit removal system. Secondary biological treatment through two anoxic/oxic/anoxic/oxic (AOAO) systems, followed by secondary clarification. Filtration with disk filters. Disinfection using chlorination. Effluent pumping for water reuse, irrigation, and aquifer recharge. Solids handling, consisting of mixed holding tanks, belt filter press dewatering, and sludge cake disposal to Florida N-Viro. Continued on page 14

Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

Continued from page 13 The solids handling system also treats hauled sludge from the Parkway WRF and the Sandhill WRF, and the Harmony WRF, which is a smaller facility. The Cypress West WRF land-applied sludge until September 2012, after which time it started hauling sludge to the SBWRF. Sludge from the Camelot WRF is delivered by gravity to the head of the SBWRF for subsequent treatment and handling. Treated effluent is pumped to two 3-milgal (MG) reclaimed water storage tanks. A portion of the effluent is then pumped by the reuse pumps to supply the Camelot WRF reuse system for irrigation of golf courses and subdivisions. The remaining portion (weather-related; on average, 50 percent on a yearly basis) of the effluent is pumped by the effluent pumps for use as irrigation, cooling water for power plants, supplement to the Camelot reclaimed system, and for the rapid infiltration basins (RIBs). The site’s major buildings consist of: operations, central control, laboratory, solids dewatering, chlorination, generation, and blowers (Building A). Other smaller buildings house the equipment motor control centers (Building B, Building C, MCC1/Compressor and MCC2). In addition to these buildings are the maintenance shop office building and the warehouse building, which are associated with different electrical meters than the main WRF system. The Audit Process The audit process consists of the following steps:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Initial data collection Initial data review Facility process walkthrough Field data collection Power consumption distribution Follow-up field data verification Document current situation/opportunities identification 8. Develop energy conservation measures (ECMs) Initial Data Collections Planning for an energy audit requires an understanding of current and historic electric cost, plant flows, influent/effluent properties, and equipment data. Twenty-four months of power source billing were collected and reviewed. The specific information collected included the following attribute data for each billing cycle: start and end dates, days of service, electric billed usage (kWh), demand billed usage (kW), electric charge, demand charge, fuel adjustment, customer charge, total electrical charges, municipal utility tax and count utility tax, governmental transfers and taxes, and total charges. Since multiple meters exist for this facility it was necessary to associate each of the meters with the supplied processes and equipment. The solids processing performed by the facility must be identified so that it can be correlated to the power consumed. It is this correlation that will be used to measure the energy performance of the facility. The information collected should include the follow-

ing: date, influent flow (mgd), effluent flow (mgd), reuse flow (mgd), influent BOD (mg/L), influent BOD (lb/d), effluent BOD (mg/L), effluent BOD (lb/d), BOD removed (lb/d), influent total suspended solid, or TSS (mg/L), influent TSS (lb/d), effluent TSS (mg/L), effluent TSS (lb/d),TSS removed (lb/L), influent total Kjehldahl nitrogen, orTKN (mg/L), influent TKN (lb/d) , effluent TKN (mg/L), effluent TKN (lb/d), and TKN removed (lb/d). An inventory of all mechanical assets that are rated at 5 or more horsepower (HP) should be assembled from the Asset Registry. This inventory should identify the equipment and the operating configuration, including: Process – plant process that the equipment supports (i.e., pretreatment, activated sludge, clarifier, biosolids, effluent storage and pumping, reuse augmentation, and support) Description – asset description from Infor EAM Size (HP) – from Infor EAM or equipment name plate Variable Frequency Drive – installed? Usually Run (Yes/No) – in service? Typical Run Time/Day (hrs/d) – estimate Typical Run Day /Week – estimate Notes – any notes that explain how and when the equipment is sequenced or run Initial Data Review A review of the collected billing data was performed. This activity included a review of the energy provider’s rate schedule options and confirmation that the correct rate schedule was being used for the facility. The potential applicability of alternative rate schedules was assessed based on the facilities historic demand (kW) and usage (kWh) data. The Energy Use Assessment Tool (EUAT) was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist in associating the energy consumed by each asset at a facility and rolling up energy consumption levels with each of the plant processes. Trending graphs showing energy usage versus water treated and the breakout of energy usage by equipment are provided from this tool. Data Validation A “facility process walkthrough” is a tabletop exercise conducted by the members of the audit team to review the facility treatment processes and to verify that the equipment information provided during data collection is complete. A verbal walkthrough of each treatment process should be led by the operations

Figure 3

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Continued on page 16

Continued from page 14 supervisor. As a minimum, this discussion should cover the following areas: Any known deficiencies or inefficiencies with the process should be identified. These may include reliability, capacity, control, or obsolescence factors that dictate the effectiveness and/or efficiency of the process. Factors outside the control of TWA that impact how the facility must operate (such as influent quality or large variations in flow) should be identified. This conversation could provide insight into the facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baseline energy usage. The major equipment that supports the process should be discussed. Any imple-

mented prioritization, sequencing, or interlocking schemes should be identified. Equipment runtime should also be confirmed, particularly in process areas that represent a significant percentage of the total energy consumed at the facility (> 10 percent). All remaining information necessary to conduct the energy audit is collected during a physical walkthrough of the facility: Building information, including size; hours of occupancy; lighting; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is collected. Data on the outdoor lighting (not connected to a building) for the facility is col-

Figure 4

Figure 5

March 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Florida Water Resources Journal

lected. Quantity, wattage, and hours of operation should be collected. The list of major equipment is reconciled with what is actually in the field during this task. A multimeter should also be used to record the current draw for each piece of equipment, which may require that the equipment is cycled to collect the required data. When possible, current draw should be measured on each phase. The EUAT should be updated with the collected information from the field walkthrough. It will indicate the percentage of site electrical energy identified by the tool. Follow-up field verification is performed if the EUAT fails to account for at least 95 percent of the billed electricity. The output from this tool would be a stratification of the energy consumed by process (Figure 4). Identify Energy Efficiency Opportunities At the completion of the physical facility walkthrough and the update of the EUAT, there should be an understanding of the current situation with respect to energy consumption at the audited facility. It is now possible to look deeper into each of the processes to obtain a better understanding of energy costs and the level of efficiency at the process level. To identify the areas with the greatest opportunities for improvement, measurement against a standard or targeted performance is necessary. These ratios (kWh/MG) can be compared to the theoretical energy requirements by process, as published in the Water Environment Federation (WEF) Manual of Practice No. 32 (MOP 32). The manual presents estimates of electricity used in wastewater treatment for different types of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), including activated sludge WWTPs, advanced WWTPs without nitrification and advanced WWTPs with nitrification, and different treatment sizes in mgd: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 mgd. Theoretical electricity requirements for a 10-mgd advanced WWTP with nitrification were used as the standard for the SBWRF assessment. A range of -10 percent to +25 percent should be included for comparison purposes to account for real conditions that might not be captured in the theoretical energy calculation included in MOP 32. The theoretical use of 10-mgd advanced WWTPs with nitrification is in the range of 1,791 to 2,239 kWh/MG (Figure 5). The monthly variation in wire-to-water usage (kWh/MG) can be used to monitor the performance of the facility for a three-year period for internal benchmarking. A different unit energy use indicator can be calculated to compare the energy use for

solids treatment obtaining the same level of sludge stabilization. This is obtained by adding the total kWh use of the typical sludge process systems for the plant and dividing by the pounds of volatile solids removed (lbVSSr). Applying the same method as described, a typical secondary WWTP treating 10 mgd would be expected to use between 0.35 kWh/lbVSSr and 0.5 kWh/lbVSSr. Electricity use for wastewater treatment processes, in addition to volume of treated water, is also dependent on the wastewater quality to be treated and the removal required by the effluent limits. This can be measured by the pounds of BOD5 removed (lb BODr) as the difference between the influent and effluent BOD5 loadings. The key performance indicator that normalizes the energy use to the process removal is the wire-to-process usage, or the daily kWh used per pounds of BOD5 removed (kWh/lbBODr). A typical 10-mgd secondary WWTP uses between 1.0 and 1.4 kWh/lbBODr. It is important to note that when comparing to a theoretical facility, differences in the operating parameters assumed in the model and present at the physical plant need to be understood and quantified. Specific examples for the SBWRF include: additional biological loading received through the wet stream from TWA’s Camelot WRF, effluent pumping to aquifer recharge and customer irrigation, and biosolids dewatering from multiple locations handled at this site. These three areas represent an estimated 862 kWh/MG, reducing the facility ratio by 25 percent. The ECMs are developed for those areas where measured performance fails to meet the targeted level. An ECM decision tree was developed to provide a consistent methodology to determine whether ECMs should focus on equipment or process (Figure 6). Prioritize Opportunities for Implementation The ECMs are developed for those areas that represent the greatest opportunity for savings. Where available, the theoretical targets will be used to identify the importance or criticality associated with the ECM as follows: Tier 1 – equipment supporting processes performing less efficiently then the upper limit (theoretical + 25 percent) Tier 2 – equipment supporting processes performing less efficiently then the theoretical target but better than the upper limit (theoretical + 25 percent) Tier 3 – equipment supporting processes performing better than the theoretical target and staff feels that additional efficiency is possible

Figure 6

Tiers 1-3 represent an attempt to identify the magnitude of the potential savings. The go/no-go decisions for any ECM will be based on the merits of the business case developed to support it. The standard capital improvement program business case prioritization process will be used to compete for available funding. The prioritization process will rely on ranked scores, including condition, strategy alignment, financial, social, and environment, accompanied with an adequate description of the project, justification, funding requirements, alternatives, and a summary of the financial analysis.

Develop an Implementation Plan and Provide for Progress Tracking and Reporting Address People Issues (Knowledge and Motivation) Key issues here include communications, training, and providing useful data to staff. Progress has been made to develop an information portal on TWA’s Intranet to communicate program detail, current initiatives (along with status), performance measures, and standard operating procedures. A project to integrate power meter informaContinued on page 18

Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

Continued from page 17 tion for major equipment and an energy dashboard into SCADA for SBWRF has been initiated. This will deliver real-time data and alarms to the operators to assist with equipment actuation decisions. An innovation rewards program has been implemented that will allow employees to actively participate in developing efficiency improvement recommendations and share in realized savings. This was viewed as an important component to securing buy-in from staff. Address Process (Change Work Practices or Plant Procedures) and Equipment (Inefficient or Miss-Sized Equipment) Issues Use of the ECM decision tree will assist in pointing out where work practices or standard procedures need to be evaluated for change. The SBWRF energy audit resulted in 26 ECMs; 13 of them were recommended for consideration by ARCADIS. The SBWRF is currently undergoing projects to replace the fine bubble diffusers in the AOAO tank and rehabilitate the secondary clarifier structures. The ECMs that tie to these process areas have been place on hold for more evaluation after these projects have been completed.

A study was initiated by TWA to perform a biosolids treatment methods evaluation. All ECMs tied to biosolids handling, treatment, and disposal have been placed on hold pending reevaluation after this study is completed. The remaining ECMs have been submitted for consideration as part of the capital improvement program process. Plan and Schedule The following list identifies the energy initiatives currently planned for TWA. This list includes initiatives that represent further development of the energy management program, as well as actions taken in response to the SBWRF energy audit. Publish energy management program information portal on TWA’s Intranet – 2Q14 Standard operating procedure (SOP) tracking energy use, SOP performing energy audits – 1Q14 SBWRF rehabilitation projects underway – 2Q16 completion Biosolids treatment methods evaluation underway – 4Q14 (completion) SBWRF ECMs

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Replace denitrification mixers – 4Q14 Install variable frequency drives (VFDs) on reclaim transfer pumps – 4Q14 Major equipment submetering and SCADA modification – 1Q15 Interlock/sequence large equipment – 4Q15 Perform additional WRF energy audits (Sandhill, Camelot, Cypress West) – 4Q14 (completion) Demand Reduction Initiatives Distribution system leak detection – 3Q15 (pilot) Gravity sewer inflow and infiltration reduction – ongoing program Manifold force main head pressure analysis – 4Q15 Water treatment plant (WTP) and distribution system pressure optimization – 4Q16

March 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Florida Water Resources Journal

Florida Water Resources Journal â&#x20AC;˘ March 2015

March 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Florida Water Resources Journal

Florida Water Resources Journal â&#x20AC;˘ March 2015

March 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Florida Water Resources Journal

Florida Water Resources Journal â&#x20AC;˘ March 2015

Engaging Data for Water and Wastewater Utility Energy Management Ely Greenberg Over the last decade, energy efficiency has become one of the biggest buzzwords in the water and wastewater sector. Not only is this in line with a new global consciousness about energy, but energy costs are also the second largest controllable cost for water and wastewater utilities, accounting for approximately 30 percent of operating expenses at some plants. Minimization of these costs is therefore good for the environment and good for the water and wastewater industry. Traditionally, utilities concerned with managing their energy use more effectively have conducted energy audits to find energy savings. This is followed by determining which energyrelated projects are the most cost-effective, and then executing these projects. Sometimes this approach is successful, but often, these energy audits become relegated to irrelevance, and are not used for anything. There are two main reasons that energy audits are not implemented: the energy audits are not done in collaboration with the utility operators, engineers, and other staff (the people who know the system best), and they are based on historical data and do not contain any way to interact with new data to see if any recommended changes are working in real time. Plant data changes over time; operating conditions change, treatment requirements change, and equipment comes and goes. All along, water and wastewater treatment plants are collecting reams of data. Often this data is collected, archived, and largely forgotten. However, engaging this data provides many opportunities for energy efficiency gains. Taking the approach of engaging and using data not only improves energy efficiency, it also improves the overall triple bottom line (an accounting framework concerned with social, environmental, and economic issues) and leads to improvements in sustainability. Saving energy reduces operating costs, improves treatment efficiency (which is better for the environment), and customers are generally happy to know that their infrastructure has a lower energy footprint. At the same time, treatment plant staff will be more engaged with the energy management program and the overall efficiency that results.

Building a Data Plan The first step to engaging data for energy management is to build a data management plan. This does not require specialized knowl-

edge, and can be done internally. According to the Wisconsin Focus on Energy, which supports statewide programs that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, “Rarely do water or wastewater utility personnel even see their energy bills, let alone use the valuable information that detailed billing provides.” Woven into the fabric of any energy management plan should be the importance of communication, and sharing data throughout an organization. Data is integral to energy management because it contains key performance indicators, allows measurement and verification, gives a tool to communicate with, and helps to track goals. Having a data management plan in place is great, assuming that only “clean data” is being collected. Clean data is accurate, consistent, complete, timely, and calibrated. Currently, the world has almost unlimited data and storage is cheap; however, this is often “dirty data,” which may be inaccurate, inconsistent, incomplete, outdated, not calibrated, or duplicated. It is better to collect one clean data set than many dirty data sets. A data management plan that utilizes clean data has the following five parts: 1. Goals 2. Metrics 3. Data Storage 4. Access and retrieval 5. Communication and action Goals The first step to a data management plan is to set goals. This may seem overwhelming given the scope of potential data collected and the broad range of operations at a water or wastewater treatment plant, but start small. Build a plan around engaging one system or the plant as a whole, and then expand to individual systems or drill down further into the plant. When creating goals, ask the following: What are the energy, operational, and financial goals? What metrics must be tracked to achieve these goals? How is data collected, analyzed, and shared? How is the data communicated? What are the actionable set points? Examples of energy goals could include: Reduce electrical demand changes Get a better energy rate Increase water storage Reduce water leakage Reduce nonrevenue water Reduce dissolve oxygen for aeration Increase customer engagement

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Metrics With goals in place, the next consideration is what data will be needed to track them. This is dependent on what benchmarks are needed for creating actionable set points. Benchmarks are an important means for monitoring performance. These benchmarks may be some combination of kilowatt hours per mil gal (MG) treated, complaints per month, or chemical costs per MG treated. The actual benchmarks used will depend on the specific goals. One question many people have is, “What if additional submetering capability is needed?” While submetering may help, it often requires additional resources, and may only be for short periods of time if equipment is rented. Instead, focus on goals for the metering capabilities in place. Meters are not limited to dials on the equipment; they also include energy and chemical bills, and other receipts on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Data Storage Data storage is the next step of an energy management plan. Items to consider include: Where will the data be stored and how will it be accessed? This is dependent on the form of the data and how benchmarks and actionable set points are calculated. Data may include energy bills, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), water quality, customer bills, or inventory receipts. Will data be stored in a structured query language (SQL) database, a spreadsheet program like Excel, or a custom or off-the-shelf app? How much data will be stored or how far back in time will a baseline be developed? How often will new data be added? Who will be responsible for adding it? Access, Retrieval, and Visualization Collecting data is not useful if it is not routinely accessed, reviewed, and acted upon. A data management plan should include who has access, how the data is collected and accessed, how often, and by what methods. Other information to consider includes: Are data summaries emailed or texted to team members? Are they reviewed at weekly meetings? Are they posted in a high-traffic area? Do they include only benchmarks, or also graphs and charts? Creating a way to interact with data is important. If operators, engineers, staff, and other team members do not see and discuss data, it will

be of little use. Access and retrieval of data should be as simple as possible. Assuming a data plan is started by tracking just one goal, communicating the benchmark could be as simple as sending a text message once a week with the new benchmark. Communication A decision needs to be made about how to communicate and take action with the data. Interacting with data should happen on a routine basis so that team members know the importance of the data, and they know the latest trends. Communication also includes the set points for action, how the data compares the selected set points, and what action needs to be taken and by whom. Good communication makes clear expectations and enables adequate engagement with the data. Good communication also means being honest about the data: Is it good clean data? What do the numbers mean? Does the data match expectations or is the data being forced to match the goals? It is acceptable if the data shows something unexpected? Use Apps to Engaging Data and Customers A consistent theme in this approach to developing a data management plan is communi-

cation. To maximize data engagement, use a smartphone app. This could be as simple as a text message, an off-the-shelf data management app, or a custom-built app for the utility. According to Strategic Growth Concepts, a company that specializes in company start-ups, 97 percent of people read a text message within 15 minutes of receiving it, and 84 percent respond to it within one hour. To get information in front of people, use apps and take advantage of smartphones. Not only do apps allow communication to improve, they build and improve relationships and engagement, keep the data upto-date, enable forecasting and prediction, and can set tasks, goals, and data alerts.

tion of sustainability and energy savings. By building a data management plan a utility can: Lower operational costs Set energy and operational targets Benchmark continuously Use data from multiple locations and different vendors Improve long-term capital planning Communicate energy goals Improve process understanding throughout the organization

Conclusion

– Author’s Note: Data Request –

Saving energy isn’t just about lowering energy consumption and costs via new equipment. By engaging energy data, water utilities can manage assets, teams, and customers, as well as energy. It’s important to start small and not to be overwhelmed by all of the data and processes running through a facility. A good approach is to start monitoring one system or the plant as a whole, and then expand to individual systems, adding more goals over time. Ultimately, data proves to be the founda-

Ely Greenberg, P.E., CEM, is with Erg Process Energy in New York City.

Would you like to be on the forefront of water data development? If so, please submit a data set for the Urban Water Hackathon taking place on April 12. The Hackathon is an opportunity for software and program developers to interact with water data to build new apps, maps, insights, and connect customers to their water in new ways. All data will be anonymized. For more information visit http://blucarbon.github.io/ or send an email to contact@ergprocess.com.

Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

Operators: Take the CEU Challenge! Members of the Florida Water & Pollution Control Association (FWPCOA) may earn continuing education units through the CEU Challenge! Answer the questions published on this page, based on the technical articles in this month’s issue. Circle the letter of each correct answer. There is only one correct answer to each question! Answer 80 percent of the questions on any article correctly to earn 0.1 CEU for your license. Retests are available.

This month’s editorial theme is, Energy Efficiency and Environmental Stewardship. Look above each set of questions to see if it is for water operators (DW), distribution system operators (DS), or wastewater operators (WW). Mail the completed page (or a photocopy) to: Florida Environmental Professionals Training, P.O. Box 33119, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33420-3119. Enclose $15 for each set of questions you choose to answer (make checks payable to FWPCOA). You MUST be an FWPCOA member before you can submit your answers!

___________________________________________ SUBSCRIBER NAME (please print)

Article 1 ________________________________________ LICENSE NUMBER for Which CEUs Should Be Awarded

If paying by credit card, fax to (561) 625-4858 providing the following information:

Energy Recovery Case Studies for Brackish Water Membrane Treatment Systems Mark D. Miller, Jason Lee, and Nick Black (Article 1: CEU = 0.1 DW/DS) 1. Which of the following energy recovery devices is identified as impractical to use in brackish reverse osmosis membrane systems? a. b. c. d.

Pelton Wheel Energy recovery turbine Isobaric pressure exchanger Energy recovery turbine with motor assist

2. The Palm Beach County membrane system had difficulty meeting current rated capacity because a. b. c. d.

booster pump capacity had declined. the membranes were “tighter” than specified. Floridan aquifer well flow had declined. raw water quality had declined.

3. In sizing the Palm Beach County interstage boost energy recovery device, deep injection well disposal back pressures were important because they a. b. c. d.

directly affect available energy to power the turbine. determine turbine flow volume. reflect source water quality concerns. are an indication of potential piping materials deficiencies.

4. Reverse osmosis feed water pumps are typically set to maintain _______, while the turbine bypass valve modulates to maintain ______. a. b. c. d.

pressure/first stage permeate flow. total permeate flow/recovery back pressure/permeate flow recovery/pressure

5. The highest efficiency rate reported for any of the energy recovery devices discussed in this article is a. b. c. d.

20 percent. 36 percent. 64 percent. 100 percent.

___________________________________________ (Credit Card Number)

Earn CEUs by answering questions from previous Journal issues!

___________________________________________

Contact FWPCOA at membership@fwpcoa.org or at 561-840-0340. Articles from past issues can be viewed on the Journal website, www.fwrj.com.

(Expiration Date)

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

PROCESS PAGE Greetings from the FWEA Wastewater Process Committee! We are excited to bring you this edition of the “Process Page,” with information on one of the many outstanding educational events we sponsor.

Sludge Drying Facility

Membrane Bioreactor System

Bonita Springs Utilities East Water Reclamation Facility

Bonita Springs Water Reclamation Facility Stresses Environmental Commitment With Recycling and Reuse Randy Boe, Jake Hepokoski, and Andy Koebel he Bonita Springs Utilities (BSU) East Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) is an advanced secondary treatment plant utilizing membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology for liquid treatment and thermal drying technology for solids treatment. The facility is located in Bonita Springs in Lee County and is a good steward of the environment, recycling 100 percent of its treated effluent and biosolids. The facility has a permitted capacity of 4 mil gal per day (mgd), average daily flow, and currently treats about 3 mgd. The MBR treatment process that is used is a unique configuration that includes anoxic and aerobic zones for nitrogen removal. The effluent is entirely reused for residential and golf course irrigation. The water reclamation facility was a greenfield facility, with construction begun at the end of 2004 and completed in 2006. The facility was configured for future modular expansion up to 16 mgd of capacity. The solids treatment processes serve both BSU’s East and West WRFs. The solids from the West WRF are pumped to the East WRF, where they are combined with the East WRF waste activated sludge, thickened with a rotary drum thickener, dewatered using cen-

trifuges, and dried in a thermal drum dryer. The solids treatment serves a combined liquid side treatment capacity of 11 mgd. The facility includes the following major unit processes: Headworks with 6-millimetre (mm) screening and grit removal Influent equalization Fine screening with 2-mm perforated plate screens Activated sludge treatment in an anoxic/aerobic membrane bioreactor configuration Effluent disinfection using sodium hypochlorite Odor control Effluent reuse storage pond Effluent reject storage pond Reuse water pump station Waste activated sludge thickening Thickened waste activated sludge aerated storage Centrifuge dewatering Thermal dryer with dried pellet storage The facility is highly automated and has provided excellent treatment that is well below permit limits, as summarized in Table 1. Housekeeping is a high priority for operations staff members who take pride in the cleanliness of the facility. They are also diligent about

Table 1. Summary of Influent and Effluent Water Quality

preventive maintenance, utilizing an electronic equipment catalog to keep maintenance history on each piece of equipment and generate work orders. Automation includes real-time monitoring and control systems for all unit processes. Operator interface units are located throughout the facility through which the West WRF and other facilities can also be monitored. The system allows operators to manually or automatically control the entire plant and each unit process throughout the facility. The automation system also assists with preventive maintenance by calculating run times for the major equipment. Custom graphing and trend tools assist the operations staff with maintaining efficient operation, resulting in energy savings, for example, through more efficient blower management. The utility’s pride in the facility is evident through its efforts at public education, which have included an open house for utility customers, plant tours, and cooperation with the Florida Gulf Coast University Environmental Science Department for on-site training. The facility also hosted a GE membrane system user’s conference, which was developed for the training of MBR operators and managers. The East WRF demonstrates BSU’s commitment to environmental stewardship by investing in technologies to promote potable water savings through the use of high-quality reclaimed water for irrigation, and provide a high-quality Class AA dried solids product that is sold to a fertilizer wholesaler. The East WRF is truly more than a water reclamation facility; it is a resource recovery facility. Randy Boe is wastewater team leader–east region, with CH2M HILL in Gainesville. Jake Hepokoski is chief operator and Andy Koebel is director of operations with Bonita Springs

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

C FACTOR

What the Heck Does “C Factor” Mean Anyway? Thomas King President, FWPCOA

ecently, I was asked what “C Factor” means and why we use it for our column title. C is a factor or value used to indicate the smoothness of the interior of a pipe. The higher the C Factor, the smoother the pipe, the greater the carrying capacity, and the smaller the friction or energy losses from water flowing in the pipe. To calculate the C Factor, measure the flow, pipe diameter, distance between two pressure gauges, and the friction or energy loss of the water between the gauges. I would like to think that we use the term because we are so smooth and our meetings are free of friction, but since that fateful day I saw the Easter Bunny in my mom’s bathrobe, I have been a realist. I know there must some other reason. I asked around but I am still looking for the answer as to why we use it. Maybe Al “The Hulk/Historian” Monteleone or Art “The Great and Powerful” Saey can tell us at the next board meeting in Fort Pierce. As soon as I know, you can look for a “Breaking News” banner at the bottom of your TV while you watch the latest news or reruns of The Big Bang Theory.

In Memoriam On a sad note, we lost a leader in the industry recently (on December 15) with the passing of Professor Kenneth Kerri, who wrote the courses for our industry through the University of Sacramento. They were known by us as simply the “California Course.” In 1972, Professor Kerri was a pioneer in establishing the office of water programs, which is now recognized as the leading national training program for operators and managers of drinking water and wastewater plants and facilities. Over one million operator and manager training manuals have been sold throughout the world and have been translated into many foreign languages. None were written in the South Georgia or Florida dialect I grew up

with, so I struggled with some definitions. For a while I thought a “Pair of Mesium” (Paramecium) was a name of some fancy moccasins. His use of drawings and pictures to help illustrate terms were classic. Some of you older operators might remember the first-edition diagrams that showed the proper way to lift (if you’re not old enough, ask one of your elders). It was not politically correct, but it was funny, in a mildly sexiest way. Those of us from the Dinosaur Era remember the New York and Texas manuals we used. We spent many nights studying dry facts with few pictures and no simplified explanations. I had a study plan: the equation of two beers per chapter. At some point, I switched to tequila and violà— Stalk Ciliates came alive. Wow, I could write a whole column on why Ciliates should be the name of our article because each “head” in the colony is an individual organism, but they are joined by the stalk. Sorry, my ADD shows up sometimes and it’s hard to suppress. Those of you with children who find it hard to concentrate, take heed—there is room for them in the utility business. We are not allowed to think about one thing at a time. Anyway, we thank Ken for his contribution to our industry. I remember when he would put his phone number on letters (remember letters?) and you could always call him with questions. I used that number so often I feel personally responsible for its removal.

Attracting the Up-and-Comers At the last board meeting I briefly mentioned what I would like to do to help the association this year. We have some of the best courses and instructors in the industry, but the industry is changing, and we’re also growing older. We need the new and talented leaders from all of our chaired disciplines brought into our FWPCOA family. I know they are busy and have young families to raise, but with just a little of their time we can make a great organization even better. Our existing committee chairs are great and dedicated, too, and we should continue to thank them for their time and efforts. Where do we go from here? I would like to start a grass roots program assisted by all committee chairs and region directors. I want

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

us to get all the contact information we can on who’s who in each region into a central database. We need any person who can authorize training for a city or county and any person working hard to advance a craft listed under one of our disciplines. Our goal is to arrange summits on each of the areas of training we offer and look for those areas of concern that we have overlooked. Our instructors have a track record of getting the job done and conveying knowledge and enthusiasm to those students taking our courses. One of the biggest selling points I make is that a short school can change a good employee into a great one. He or she networks with others in the same industry, they bond during the week, and I see them take on a new role as instructor for the others as they start to understand the course material. If you know a person you think would benefit from attending one of our meetings, let me know at Tkingh20@aol.com. Let’s start building partnerships.

Getting it Off my Chest I have a hard time not using this venue to poke fun at our personal growth issues in FWPCOA and all the glorious work being done by our environmental leaders at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and how our roles and failures result in knee-jerk policy. Have no fear—those articles are coming. I will spew endless drivel about the adventures of “Super Rim” and the South Florida Water Management District, “Tom Terrific,” and Renee, “The Monarch Stormwater,” as they listen to students complain about cities that struggle with pesky old rules, but the politicians in those cities need the industry to provide jobs so they can be reelected to get their names on a park someday. Again I drift. Let me close with the words of a great Vulcan treatment plant operator from another galaxy: “Live long, and get your CEUs from FWPCOA.”

Body of Sewer Plant Operator Found in Pipe

Herminio Padilla Jr.

The body of a 48-year-old city sewer plant operator was found in a sewage pipe on January 17, nearly 18 hours after he somehow fell into an open sewage tank. Herminio Padilla Jr. was reported missing early on the 17th from his post at the East Central Regional Water Reclamation Facility. Police, plant supervisors, and rescue workers spent the day searching the tank for him. Detective Lori Colombino, city police spokeswoman, confirmed Padilla’s death that night. She reported that the death appeared to be accidental Workers had gathered that afternoon near what appeared to be a large vat toward the back of the facility on Easley Drive, north of Roebuck Road and east of Florida’s Turnpike. Plant operators had to spend hours draining the vat and underground pipes before they could find Padilla’s body. Friends and former co-workers on Saturday remembered Padilla as a confident, well-

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

trained plant operator and were confused as to how he could have fallen into the water from a sturdy network of steel grating that provides a walkway for operators who routinely check water levels. “It’s an operator’s worst nightmare,” said Scott Galloway, a former supervisor at the plant who worked with Padilla for more than six years, after learning of Padilla’s death. Galloway said he has walked along the same metal grating thousands of times, and another operator who walked along the same pathway over the past few days said it felt sturdy. On the day of the accident, however, Galloway heard that a piece of the metal grate was missing along with Padilla. Before working for the city of West Palm Beach, Padilla spent 20 years as a corrections officer at the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records. He left the department in 2007.

SPOTLIGHT ON SAFETY

A Grim Reminder of Slip-and-Fall Accident Prevention Doug Prentiss Sr.

hile each of us knows that every day workers in the water and wastewater industry perform tasks that have inherent dangers if not done properly, it sometimes takes an accident to get our attention about a specific issue. In January of this year a serious accident at a water reclamation facility (see facing page) reminded me of the importance of ensuring that the physical walking surfaces that people work on are safe. The problem is that history tends to repeat itself; this accident has happened in the past and slip-and-fall accidents will happen again in the future unless real changes take place in our industry. As you read this article a wastewater operator or maintenance worker somewhere in our state is walking on an elevated surface from which they may fall into a tank full of sewage, a running piece of equipment, or both. Several years ago a worker at a wastewater plant fell onto the running belt of a sludge press and was lucky to escape with only a broken leg. A common fall exposure for wastewater treatment plant workers is when they manually clean the weirs in clarifiers. They walk around on a narrow concrete ledge that is full of algae, scrubbing off the slippery hazard they are standing on. If they fall inward they land in wastewater; if they fall outward they may land on pavement or concrete many feet below on the outside of the tank. I once suggested that workers performing this procedure wear a life vest and have a rope tied to them with an attendant holding the rope to assist with a rescue if it were necessary. The plant manager I made the suggestion to was very quick to show me the door and remind me he had been running that plant and performing procedures in the same way for more years than I had been on this planet. To say it plainly, there are still some oldschool managers who really believe that what

was good enough for them is still good enough for their staff—but that simply is not true. Workers are too scarce (and precious) to waste and we have too many important issues facing the few operators we still have. Many wastewater plants have made significant improvements on this issue by using automated brush systems or chemical injection to stop the growth of algae, but it is amazing to me how many wastewater facilities still allow workers to perform this maintenance procedure using unsafe work methods. In some cases workers actually perform this work and other dangerous activities alone. My son and I listened in amazement about a year ago to a wastewater plant worker who bragged about doing everything by himself. His stories included doing tank entry and troubleshooting dangerous equipment alone, and basically being around equipment where he had no business being by himself. As an industry we have performed unsafe acts for so long and they become so common that we sometimes don’t even recognize them as being dangerous. When you walk on a grating and it moves or flexes, do you report it, do you tell someone, and do you even take exception to it? Progressive wastewater plants have safety work orders that receive special priority for action by maintenance workers. Things like loose grates, uneven grates, loose rails, missing handrail sections, rotted chains, and slippery walking surfaces are all important safety flaws that need prompt attention. I was involved in one instance where plant operators had a significant slip hazard that reoccurred on the walkway of an aeration basin. The algae growth was significant and posed a real hazard, but maintenance requests were simply ignored and months went by. It should not take an accident or near miss to require maintenance personnel to perform the simple pressure washing and chemical treatment of a concrete walkway, but it did. It shouldn’t take having to report a slippery walking surface over an aeration basin to a safety person to get it fixed, yet it did.

There should be a regular inspection of the walking and working surfaces of all treatment plants and regular preventative maintenance to ensure the safety of workers. This inspection should focus heavily on elevated walkways over tanks and process equipment, but must also include ground-level walkways and sidewalks. Think about how many times you have seen a hose left across a walkway. Every one of those hoses poses a trip-and-fall potential for workers. Instead of walking around them, we need to pick them up—or better yet—get the workers who left them to pick them up. I understand how the hoses got left out. I understand after using a hose many times that workers are covered in a mist of water and wastewater and it is reasonable and appropriate that they clean up and use good personal hygiene practices, but leaving a hose for someone else to pick up or trip on later is not reasonable or appropriate. To say it plainly, the hose will still be contaminated and you will still have some personal hygiene to deal with no matter when you pick it up. I know how hot workers get, I understand how miserable it is when the humidity is high (and the temperature is even higher) and the sweat and mist off the aerators is running in your eyes, but the time to clean up the job site is when you are done with the work, not later on. Somehow, and in too many instances, later on never comes. It seems like our plants are always under construction and that is also a contributor to slip-and-fall hazards. A new conduit run across a street for process equipment often results in an unpaved and unprotected walking surface that results in a potential slip-and-fall for night-shift operators. Add lack of light to an uneven walking surface and you have the formula for a tripand-fall accident. A treatment plant operator I know tripped on a piece of 4x4 board left on the ground by construction personnel during the day. As he made his nightly rounds the board was hidden by the shadow of equipment in a dimly lit section of the plant. In this instance the operator had a radio and was able to call for help immediately, but that is not always the case. Continued on page 36

Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

Continued from page 35 When you prepare to walk on elevated work surfaces do you look for uneven sections and are you aware of the potential for grating and walking surfaces to deteriorate? I received a safety request from an operator at a treatment plant about a dangerous walkway leading out to a process tank and went out to inspect it. I was surprised when I got there because it was a large concrete walkway leading out to the influent structure at the headworks of the plant. At first I thought it was funny since the concrete surface was in excellent shape until the operator showed me the cracks in the concrete, and the deterioration under the concrete, that was about to cause the failure of the entire unit. It took months to have it replaced and a temporary walkway had to be rented and installed until the work could be completed. The rental and cost of the repairs was many thousands of dollars, but what would an injury cost? What would the life of a worker cost his or her family? What would have happened to the treatment process if the tank had been taken out of commission after the walkway fell into it? A soft feel in a grating-style walkway noted by an operator and reported to me was the re-

sult of the main metal structural supports that had been slowly eaten away by years of exposure to hydrogen sulfide. Once again, the difference is a worker who cares enough to say something and an organization that knows enough to follow up when a worker is brave enough to speak up. You wouldn’t think an operator would have to be brave to bring up something like a dangerous walking surface, but it is still true in some of the wastewater treatment plants here in Florida. I once heard a maintenance worker go off on all operators and complain bitterly about how they were overpaid and underworked and that they ought to “change out their own damn light bulbs.” He was of course talking about the breakdown-type lights located on and around elevated walkways. The fact that the operators had put the safety person at the maintenance area just made him furious. As he told me, “There are still plenty of other lights up there!” In the story I mentioned about the slippery walk surface due to algae, it was the operators who ended up performing the pressure cleaning of the concrete walk surface, and they then took the time to bleach the concrete to maximize the effectiveness of the work they had done. They

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

also watched it closely in the future and established a preventative maintenance schedule based on algae growth and other environmental issues that impacted the growth. They did a great job of resolving the problem once they were given the proper support by the operations manager who controlled the work assignments. One of the sharpest treatment plant managers I know has only operators at his plant. You may be assigned to maintenance but you will continue to be a treatment plant operator while working at that plant. That manager’s theory is very clear: he maximizes the number of people available to run the plant and, at the same time, he gets better quality maintenance and repairs because the people doing the work understand its importance. I told you the guy was sharp; like many of you, he has learned to change when it is needed and to stand firm when it’s the right thing to do. Do you know intuitively that all of our elevated work surfaces are dangerous and require a heightened sense of safety awareness when we walk on them? Do you convey that same awareness to new workers or coworkers? Do you restrict the activities that workers perform on elevated walkways when there is limited staff on

the plant site? One of the largest treatment plants in north Florida had an operator fall in a partially filled wastewater tank while on a single-shift operation many years ago. It taught the plant management a lesson that no one has forgotten. While luck was on the side of the operator, it was love that kept him alive. When he did not call his wife as he normally did during his shift, she began trying to contact him. When the dispatcher could not reach the operator on his radio the plant manager was contacted and found the operator in the tank hanging on to a cable covered in sewage and unable to get out of the tank. He had been in the tank for hours and was exhausted and injured, but alive. This is a tough way to learn a commonsense lesson, which says “restrict the activities of single-shift workers.” Yes, I know the handrails and the toe boards and the lights should all make the elevated walkways meet the criteria of a safe work area, but they do not. When you read through all the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) standards as I have, you will know that there are many regulations and restrictions that cover worker activities when they are over water. These same regula-

tions apply to both maintenance and operations workers. Unfortunately, there are still some organizations, operators, and maintenance staff who don’t consider these to be important issues and the result can be a fall that can result in a death. My first personal experience with this type of accident was with a painter who fell into a digester and injured his shoulder during the fall. His injury and lack of safety equipment made it difficult to rescue him. As I said earlier, we will continue to repeat this history unless we change our approach. These changes start with limiting the activities for single-shift operators to exclude walking or working over tanks or process vessels. This may require alternative sample procedures, and additional remote control systems for the treatment process itself. Walking surfaces at plants need to be a part of scheduled preventative maintenance: Changes in elevations need to be identified. Lighting for walking areas around plant process areas should be included in the inspection of walking surfaces. Walkways need to be inspected at night, not just during the day.

Several of the FWEA safety awards used cross-plant inspections to ensure an honest look at all safety issues. Have a plant operator or maintenance person from a different plant inspect your walking and working surfaces. Cross training is another approach that can provide a positive result in the identification of unsafe work areas. Accidents will repeat themselves unless we set in place a system that ensures regular inspection and prompt reaction to identified hazards. Safety-sensitive work orders can be helpful in establishing prevention programs for fall protection. The OSHA fall protection program is intended to train workers to identify fall hazards and fix them, and there are also the walking and working surface requirements to be aware of. I have seen and administered hourly checkins by radio or phone systems, and hourly check-ins with guards, with great success. Consider combining worker training and awareness, inspections, work limitations, and some form of check-in system as the basis of the prevention of accidents of this type. Doug Prentiss Sr. is the FWEA Safety Committee vice-chair.

Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

Celebrate 2015 Drinking Water Week! For more than 35 years the American Water Works Association has celebrated Drinking Water Week with its members. In 1988, AWWA brought the event to the attention of the United States government and formed a coalition with the League of Women Voters, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Rep. Robert Roe and Sen. Dennis DeConcini subsequently sponsored a resolution to name the first week of May as Drinking Water Week, and an information kit was distributed to the media and to more than 10,000 utilities. Willard Scott, the NBC Today Show weatherman, was featured in public service announcements that aired between May 2 and 8. The week-long observance was declared in a joint congressional resolution and signed by thenPresident Ronald Reagan. The following year AWWA approached several other organizations to participate. Through those efforts the National Drinking Water Alliance was formed, consisting of 15 nonprofit educational, professional, and publicinterest organizations. The Alliance dedicated itself to public awareness and involvement in public and private drinking water issues and continued its work to organize a major annual educational campaign built around Drinking Water Week. The power of the multiorganization Alliance enabled Drinking Water Week to grow into widespread and committed participation throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 1991, the Alliance launched a national campaign to inform the public about America's drinking water. The group distributed a kit containing ideas for celebrating the event, conservation facts and tip sheets, news releases, and posters. The theme was "There's a lot more to drinking water than meets the eye." That same year, actor Robert Redford recorded a public service announcement on behalf of Drinking Water Week. Celebrating Drinking Water Week is an easy way to educate the public, connect with the community, and promote employee morale. Too often, water utilities receive publicity only when something bad happens; Drinking Water Week celebrations give utilities an opportunity for positive communication.

Public Communication

Youth Focus

Communicating to the public during Drinking Water Week is integral to any successful celebration. Here are some options and ideas: Advertise in the local newspaper Send bill stuffers Work with local librarians to set up displays Use mall kiosks to reach a broad audience Coordinate distribution of AWWA news releases Publicize the release of water utility consumer confidence reports Send public service announcements to local radio or television stations

Drinking Water Week is a perfect time to educate children about their water supply in an atmosphere of fun. Feature a children's coloring contest or essay contest Hold a poster contest Have utility employees make presentations at local schools

Community Events It’s important to be a part of the local community. Community events are fun and festive ways to make sure that customers know about their drinking water—where it comes from, how they get it, and what they can do to help ensure their drinking water quality. Invite your community to an open house Inaugurate an adopt-a-hydrant program Plant a tree Conduct plant tours Hold a landmark dedication/anniversary celebration Bury a time capsule Partner with local botanic gardens or other groups Plan a community clean-up

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Internal Communications and Events Don't forget employees! Drinking Water Week can help reaffirm to employees the importance of what it is they do—provide clean, safe drinking water for the public. Hold an annual employee picnic during Drinking Water Week Create a utility newsletter feature on Drinking Water Week

Plan Ahead Drinking Water Week is celebrated during the first full week of May each year. Future dates are listed here: 2015 – May 3-9 2016 – May 1-7 2017 – May 7-13 2018 – May 6-12 2019 – May 5-11 2020 – May 3-9

Certification Boulevard

Test Your Knowledge of Wastewater Disposal and Other Miscellaneous Topics 4. What typically happens to the ORP value of reclaimed water when the ammonia concentration increases from 1 ppm to 5 ppm?

Roy Pelletier

a. The ORP value increases. b. The ORP value decreases. c. The ORP value is fairly unaffected by the ammonia level. d. Ammonia at any level will cause a typical ORP probe to fail.

1. What may be typical permit values for total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in highly treated effluent being discharged to an open body of water in Florida? a. TN greater than 5 parts per million (ppm), TP less than 2.0 ppm b. TN less than 0.1 ppm, TP greater than 1.5 ppm c. TN about 3.0 ppm, TP about 3.0 ppm d. TN less than 3.0 ppm, TP less than 1.0 ppm

5. What typically happens to the chlorine demand of reclaimed water when the nitrite (NO2) concentration is elevated? a. The chlorine demand doubles for each pound of nitrite oxidized. b. The chlorine demand is cut in half for each pound of nitrite oxidized. c. The chlorine demand is fairly unaffected by nitrite concentrations d. The chlorine demand is multiplied by more than 5 for each pound of nitrite oxidized.

2. Which chemical is typically used to adjust effluent pH (between 6.0 to 8.5) before being discharged to a surface water outfall? a. b. c. d.

Ferric chloride Polymer Sodium hydroxide Alum

6. Of these choices, which is the most acidic pH?

3. What typically happens to the oxidation reduction potential (ORP) value of reclaimed water when the nitrate (NO3) concentration increases from 3 ppm to 7 ppm?

a. 6.5 c. 10.0

b. 4.2 d. 7.0

7. Which chemical is more commonly used to dechlorinate chlorinated effluent?

a. The ORP value increases. b. The ORP value decreases. c. The ORP value is fairly unaffected by that level adjustment of nitrates. d. Nitrates at any level will cause a typical ORP probe to fail.

a. Sodium hypochlorite b. Bleach c. Sulfur dioxide d. Ferric chloride

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS?

Check the Archives Are you new to the water and wastewater field? Want to boost your knowledge about topics youʼll face each day as a water/wastewater professional? All past editions of Certification Boulevard through 2000 are available on the Florida Water Environment Associationʼs website at www.fwea.org. Click the “Site Map” button on the home page, then scroll down to the Certification Boulevard Archives, located below the Operations Research Committee.

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

8. Given the following data, what is the equivalent percent total solids? · 10 milliliters (mL) of sample · Tare weight of filter is 1.8873 grams · Final weight of filter after drying is 2.2255 grams a. 2.2 percent c. 3.4 percent

b. 1.3 percent d. 4.3 percent

9. Which formula is used to calculate the circumference of a circular tank? a. r2 c. 0.785 d2

b. d2 d. d

10. What is the volume of reclaimed water in a storage tank with a diameter of 75 ft and a depth of 20 ft? a. 833,029 gal c. 320,588 gal

b. 33,029 gal d. 660,580 gal

Answers on page 62

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS Readers are welcome to submit questions or exercises on water or wastewater treatment plant operations for publication in Certification Boulevard. Send your question (with the answer) or your exercise (with the solution) by email to: roy.pelletier@cityoforlando.net, or by mail to: Roy Pelletier Wastewater Project Consultant City of Orlando Public Works Department Environmental Services Wastewater Division 5100 L.B. McLeod Road Orlando, FL 32811 407-716-2971

F W R J

Energy Recovery Case Studies for Brackish Water Membrane Treatment Systems Mark D. Miller, Jason Lee, and Nick Black he use of an interstage boost on brackish reverse osmosis (RO) membrane treatment systems is not only a green approach to reducing operating costs and saving money; it can restore and even increase treatment capacity utilizing existing equipment. Implementation of energy saving devices to provide practical solutions to increasing recovery and capacity, while decreasing operating costs of existing RO systems, is presented. With ever-increasing demands on alternative water supplies using brackish groundwater, degrading raw water quality is becoming apparently common and affecting treatment capacities, as well as operating costs. Several case studies are presented that also provide the costâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;benefit of implementing an interstage boost utilizing energy recovery devices.

Interstage Boost on Reverse Osmosis Treatment Systems It is first important to have a basic understanding of the RO membrane treatment process to fully appreciate the use of interstage boost. Raw water is typically pumped from its source and sent through pretreatment to feedwater pumps that feed the RO trains. The RO train is an array of pressure vessels loaded with membrane elements that reject, or remove, salts and other ions that are too large to pass through the membranes. Water that passes through these membranes is classified as permeate (free of salts and other ions); water that does not pass through the membranes is classified as concentrate (concentrated saltwater). To increase the recovery, typically first-stage concentrate flow is directed to pass through a second stage of elements (second-stage stage feed) producing second-stage permeate and second-stage concentrate. First- and second-stage permeate then flows to post-treatment processes, while concentrate is usually disposed of down deep injection wells. It is critical to the overall design that the raw water quality is determined and permeate and finished water goals are established. In retrofit applications, it may be found that cases where water quality is high in total dissolved solids (TDS), feedwater pressures may need to

be greater to obtain the desired permeate water quality. If the feedwater pump is not capable of meeting these demands, the use of different membranes should be evaluated. The performance of the membranes contributes to the energy required to produce permeate water. Membrane selection and condition are components that need to be considered when reviewing feed pressure and energy costs. Many times, due to newer membrane technology, performance can be increased (improved permeate water quality and/or reduced feedwater pressures) with proper membrane selection. Membrane selection is key to capturing these advantages. The energy recovery turbine (ERT) device provides boost to the second-stage feed by capturing the energy (residual pressure) from the final (second-stage) concentrate. The ERT includes a turbine (captures the second-stage concentrate flow) coupled to a pump, which takes the first-stage concentrate and boosts inlet pressure to the second stage. Normally, all of the flow from the final concentrate (same as secondstage concentrate) flows through the ERT and is used to boost pressure to the second stage (Figure 1). A bypass valve (ERT trim valve) allows some of the flow to bypass the ERT, allowing a reduction in boost for optimizing the operation and performance. The RO trains are typically operated based on set points of total permeate flow and percent recovery. The feedwater pump modulates speed to maintain total permeate flow, whereas the turbine bypass valve (ERT trim valve) modulates to maintain a recovery, or concentrate flow, which is calculated based on the input value of total permeate and recovery. The first-stage per-

Mark D. Miller is senior associate and vice president; Jason Lee, P.E., is an associate; and Nick Black, E.I., is an engineer with Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. in West Palm Beach.

meate flow can be maintained and limited based on the first-stage control valve. It can modulate in order to maintain a desired first-stage permeate, or can be set manually to provide a fixed first-stage backpressure, which reduces firststage permeate flow. This valve should never be closed and should always allow flow. This valve should also remain open when the RO train is off-line.

Energy Recovery Devices There are four styles of energy recovery devices that can be evaluated as possible interstage boost devices. Pelton Wheel The Pelton Wheel (Figure 2) is one of the earliest forms of energy recovery. This device utilizes the force of high-pressure water streams directed at buckets on a wheel that is coupled to a pump. The force of the highly pressurized water pushes the buckets to make the wheel spin on its axis. Since the wheel is coupled to the pump with a shaft, rotational movement of the wheel provides energy for the pump to operate. Implementation of energy recovery through the use of the Pelton Wheel in brackContinued on page 42

Figure 1. Energy Recovery Turbine Flow Diagram Florida Water Resources Journal â&#x20AC;˘ March 2015

Continued from page 41 ish RO membrane treatment systems is not practical and cannot be justified. In this application, second-stage concentrate would be utilized as the source of kinetic energy directed at the Pelton Wheel to boost first-stage concentrate through the second stage of membranes. In this application the water jet that provides the force the Pelton Wheel needs to rotate would be exposed to the atmosphere. The highly concentrated water, utilized as the source of energy for the Pelton Wheel, would have to be captured and another pump would be required to push the final concentrate down the injection well. The capital and operating costs of this additional pump would counteract the original intent of implementing energy recovery.

Isobaric Pressure Exchanger The RO plants treating seawater commonly use an energy recovery device known as the Isobaric Pressure Exchanger, or PX (Figure 3). These devices operate at approximately 100 percent recovery; however, they have not been adapted at this time for brackish water RO since they are only more effective at higher operating pressures. Energy Recovery Turbine The ERT has been used for interstage boost since the early 1990s (Figure 4). This device consists of a turbine and a pump on a common shaft. Second-stage concentrate is used to drive the turbine, which drives the pump that elevates pressure in the first-stage concentrate before it becomes feedwater to the second stage. These devices operate at a maximum efficiency of approximately 64 percent, which means approximately 36 percent of the available energy is not recovered.

With ever-increasing demands on alternative water supplies using brackish groundwater, degrading raw water quality is becoming apparently common and affecting treatment capacities, as well as operating costs. An ERT becomes a practical solution in brackish RO treatment systems for utilities that wish to lower feedwater pressures to the RO trains and improve overall permeate water quality. It is also important to analyze the cost savings in operating the feedwater pumps at lower pressures and compare them to the capital cost of purchasing and installing the ERT. Energy Recovery with Motor A hybrid of the ERT has been developed that attaches an electric motor to the same shaft as the turbine and pump (Figure 5). This device allows the applied interstage boost to be higher than that which can be achieved only through the energy recovery turbine. For the two facilities discussed in this case study, with the amount of energy available from the final concentrate pressures from the RO plant case studies, no motor-assisted device was necessary. Therefore, no outside energy is required to provide secondstage boost. The use of interstage boost on brackish RO membrane treatment systems can increase treatment capacity, improve permeate water quality, and save money. Two current case studies are presented that also provide the costâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;benefit of implementing interstage boost utilizing energy recovery turbines.

Case Study 1: Palm Beach County Plant #11, Lake Region Water Treatment Plant Background The Palm Beach County Water Plant #11,

Figure 2. Pelton Wheel

March 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Florida Water Resources Journal

Lake Region Water Treatment Plant (LRWTP) is a 10-mil-gal-per-day (mgd) low-pressure brackish RO treatment plant that utilizes water from the Floridan aquifer through multiple wells. The plant consists of four trains with feedwater pumps that produce permeate from 38 first-stage membranes and 19 second-stage membranes. The plant was placed in service in 2009 and began to experience severe degradation of raw water quality over time, which led to it operating at a reduced capacity with much higher feedwater. With declining raw water quality from one of the Floridan supply wells (RO-3), the membrane system had difficulty meeting the current rated capacity. In order to address this deficiency and improve operating efficiencies of the RO skids, the existing membranes were cleaned, the RO train array was increased to 40 first-stage pressure vessels and 20 second-stage pressure vessels, and energy recovery using interstage boost was implemented. Implementation of energy recovery utilizing interstage boost was necessary to restore treatment capacity and recovery and help compensate for the increased total dissolved solids this facility has experienced over the past several years (decreasing raw water quality). The following design criteria were used to establish guidelines for the design of these improvements: Capacity:

2.375-mgd permeate (each RO train)

Recovery:

80 percent (total permeate/raw water)

Operating Pressures: 350 pounds per sq in. (psi) max, first-stage feed; 400 psi max, secondstage feed

Figure 3. Isobaric Pressure Exchanger

Raw Water Press to Feed Pumps: ........45-60 psi Deep Injection Backpressure: ..............20-35 psi Permeate Backpressure: ......................15 psi

Capacity The RO trains operated at a reduced capacity and recovery. The design-rated capacity of each of the RO trains is 2.375 mgd, or 1,650 gal per minute (gpm), which stayed true as the desired design capacity. If water quality continues to decline and vary significantly, operating conditions other than 2.375 mgd may be necessary and be more optimal from an operational standpoint. The Interstage ERT sizing had accounted for these potential variations in RO train capacities ranging from 2.0 mgd up to 2.5 mgd. Reverse Osmosis System Recovery Given the fact that raw water quantity is limited and predicted raw water quality degradation may continue, it may be advantageous to operate the RO trains at recovery rates other than the design of 80 percent recovery. Recovery rates between 75 and 80 percent, and up to 83 percent, are possible and considered feasible. The existing membrane elements are lowpressure brackish elements manufactured by DOW Filmtec (model LE-400), are 8 in. in diameter, and include 400 sq ft of membrane surface area per element. Additional pressure vessels were installed under these improvements, which utilized the same type of membranes within the additional pressure vessel locations. Alternative membrane elements (DOW Filmtec LE 440i, HRLE 440i), which have a larger surface area and alternate rejection rates, should be considered for future replacement if performance of the existing ones declines along with declining raw water quality.

Membrane flux, or permeate flow across the membrane surface area in gal per sq ft per day (gfd), will be limited to the published flux limit of 28 gfd for the existing membrane elements in order to maximize membrane capacity and longevity. The original design limited the lead element flux to 24 gfd, which is now not practical with higher TDS in raw water.

Operating Pressures: First and Second Stage Each of the RO trains has operating pressure limitations, based on pressure ratings of pipe, valves, fittings, feedwater pumps, or pressure vessels. The operating pressure limits for each of the RO trains will be based on a firststage pressure limit of 350 psi, and second-stage pressure limit of 400 psi. The first-stage pressure limit is based on 8-in. piping, valves, and fittings, whereas the second-stage is limited based on the pressure limits of the pressure vessels, rated for 450 psi, and the valves, each rated for a 450- to 500-lb body test. Therefore, the following alarm pressure set points should be: Alarm Set Point

Design Rating

Feed Pressure (first-stage) ......................320 psi ..........350 psi Second-Stage Pressure (after ERT) ........................350 psi ..........400 psi

Deep injection well backpressures were important for sizing of the interstage boost ERT, since these pressures directly affect the available energy to power the turbine and resultant second stage feed pressure. Normal increase in injection well pressures must be taken into account when sizing ERTs. Current concentrate

Figure 4. Energy Recovery Turbine

backpressures were observed to be 18-20 psi and a long-term concentrate backpressure was assumed to be 35 psi. Water Quality The RO system must accommodate variations in raw water TDS, which vary significantly at each of the wells. The following range of water quality TDS levels were evaluated for the operating conditions list above. Raw Water TDS

Source

4,358 mg/l

Original design, operations and maintenance manual

5,050 mg/l

Current average of operating wells

6,250 mg/l

Design

8,620 mg/l

Well #5, elevated level

10,050 mg/l

Worst case, upper limit

(for this project)

Total and First-Stage Permeate Flow Total permeate flow can range from 1,390 gpm to 1,740 gpm (2.0 to 2.5 mgd) and can be adjusted accordingly. Flows lower than this can contribute to low concentrate flow conditions on the tail-end elements, which can lead to concentration polarization and scaling. If lower permeate flows are necessary, overall recovery of the RO trains should be lowered concurrently (<80 percent). The first-stage permeate flow should be limited to 1,300 gpm in order to limit the maximum flux, which is the permeate flow at gal per day (gpd)/sq ft-gfd on the lead element of the first stage, which is based on a maximum lead element flux of 28 gfd. Limiting this flow will reduce the potential for long-term fouling on the lead elements and scaling poContinued on page 44

Figure 5. Energy Recovery Turbine with Motor Assist Florida Water Resources Journal â&#x20AC;˘ March 2015

Continued from page 43 tential on the tail element of the first stage. This is a general guideline and does not require an immediate shutdown of the RO trains. Unless this flow is greater than 1,300 gpm, this first-stage permeate control valve should remain fully open in order to minimize wasted energy. Providing first-stage permeate control directly affects the feed pressure and increases the energy required to produce permeate.

Recovery The recovery is controlled by the ERT trim valve, which can modulate to control how much concentrate flows to the ERT. As the valve opens, it allows more flow to bypass the ERT, which reduces the overall system recovery. Adversely, as the bypass (trim) valve to the ERT closes, overall recovery of the system increases. Currently, recovery varies between 75 to 80 percent.

Operational Testing Operational testing was performed for each individual RO train once they were converted with energy recovery. In general, the conversion included the following: Increase array from 38x19 to 40x20 and install new membranes to fill new vessels Replace all stainless steel piping to improve pressure rating Install ERT Install ERT trim valve and bypass valve with actuators

Install additional instrumentation (permeate conductivity and second-stage feed pressure) Modify programmable logic controller (PLC) and human machine interface (HMI) programming to accommodate energy recovery Update normalization data logger and implement automatic updating of NormPro (a computer program for use with RO equipment)

Recovery ........Permeate ............Concentrate ..................Flow ......................Flow

Testing included several actions to ensure the RO trains were operating within the design ranges, which consisted of the following: Witness sequencing of train startup (preflush), presteady state, and postflush (adjust timers for each if needed) Calibration of instruments/transmitters (conductivity, pressure, flow; ranges correct) Conduct general profile (raw, first- and second-stage permeate, interstage, concentrate conductivity) and verify flow meters with mass balance Conduct vessel profile once operating conditions in steady state for minimum of 24 hours Record pressures across ERT Operate ERT with control valve forced closed (record second-stage flux) Collect raw water quality (15 parameters) for raw and permeate water used for membrane projections for steady state design conditions

75–80% ..........2.5 mgd ..............0.625 mgd ..............(1738 gpm) ............(434 gpm)

Due to the significant variation in raw water quality, the following RO skid operating targets were also conducted to test performance at alternative design conditions:

Figure 6. Lake Region Water Treatment Plant Energy Reduction Graph

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

75–80% ..........2.0 mgd ..............0.66 mgd ..............(1390 gpm) ............(460 gpm) 75–80% ..........2.0 mgd ..............0.60 mgd ..............(1390 gpm) ..............347 gpm) 75–80% ........2.375 mgd ..............0.60 mgd ..............(1650 gpm) ......(412 gpm) DESIGN

83%* ..........2.375 mgd ............0.486 mgd ..............(1650 gpm) ............(338 gpm) 80%* ............2.5 mgd ..............0.637 mgd ..............(1738 gpm) ............(442 gpm) * Could not be achieved at the time of testing

As depicted in Figure 6, energy savings ranged from 800 to 1000 kilowatts per hour (kWh) per mil gal (MG) of permeate produced by the RO trains. Assuming electrical costs are around $0.12/kWh, the utility could essentially save around $120 per MG of water produced. Energy recovery implementation at water treatment plant #11 has proven to be a successful project, providing cost savings in permeate production and overall improvement of permeate water quality at the plant.

Case Study 2: North Martin County Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant Project Background Martin County’s North Jensen Beach RO water treatment plant was constructed in the early 1990s with limited attention to energy recovery at that time. The plant, rated at 5.5 mgd, has low-pressure brackish RO membranes that are more than 10 years old and reaching their useful life. Membrane performance has declined, and in conjunction with declining water quality (increased TDS), the membrane system has had difficulty meeting the current rated capacity. In order to address these problems and improve operating efficiencies of the RO skids, membrane replacement, along with implementation of energy recovery using interstage boost, was recommended. There are three trains at the treatment plant and two of the existing three trains (A and B) operate without energy recovery, while Train C has an ERT. The membrane replacement and the implementation of the ERTs allowed an increased recovery and capacity at a reduced operating pressure, resulting in lower operating costs at Continued on page 46

FWPCOA TRAINING CALENDAR SCHEDULE YOUR CLASS TODAY! MARCH 2-5 ....Backflow Tester ........................................St. Petersburg ....$375/405 9-13 ....Reclaimed Water Field Site Inspector ....Deltona ............$350/380 16-20 ....Spring State Short School ....................Ft. Pierce

April 13-15 13-16 13-17 13-17 13-17 24

....Backflow Repair ........................................St. Petersburg ....$275/305 ....Backflow Tester ........................................Pensacola ..........$375/405 ....Reclaimed Water Field Site Inspector ....Orlando ............$350/380 ....Water Distribution Level 3, 2 ..................Deltona ............$275/305 ....Reclaimed Water Distribution C..............Deltona ............$275/305 ....Backflow Tester Recert*** ........................Deltona ............$85/115

May 4-7 18-21 18-22 29

....Backflow Tester ........................................Deltona ............$375/405 ....Backflow Tester ........................................St. Petersburg ....$375/405 ....Stormwater Level C, B ..............................Deltona ............$260/280 ....Backflow Tester Recert*** ........................Deltona ............$85/115

June 8-12 15-18 22-26 22-26 22-26 26

....Wastewater Collection C, B ....................Deltona ............$325/355 ....Backflow Tester ........................................St. Petersburg ....$375/405 ....Wastewater Collection A..........................Deltona ............$275/305 ....Water Distribution 1 ................................Deltona ............$275/305 ....Stormwater A ............................................Deltona ............$275/305 ....Backflow Tester Recert*** ........................Deltona ............$85/115

Course registration forms are available at http://www.fwpcoa.org/forms.asp. For additional information on these courses or other training programs offered by the FWPCOA, please contact the FW&PCOA Training Office at (321) 383-9690 or training@fwpcoa.org. * Backflow recertification is also available the last day of Backflow Tester or Backflow Repair Classes with the exception of Deltona ** Evening classes *** any retest given also

You are required to have your own calculator at state short schools and most other courses. Florida Water Resources Journal â&#x20AC;˘ March 2015

Continued from page 44 greater plant capacity. These two improvements will allow the plant to increase capacity up to 6 mgd without any improvements to the feedwater pumps or other components, which would be very expensive. The return on investment for just the ERT improvement alone is six to 10 years and will save nearly $100,000 per year in operating costs.

Capacity The RO trains currently operate at reduced capacity and recovery. The existing rated capacity for each of the three RO trains is 1.83 mgd. If water quality continues to decline and vary significantly, operating conditions other than 1.83 mgd may be necessary and be more optimal from an operational standpoint. Interstage ERT sizing had accounted for these potential variations in RO train capacities ranging from 1.83 mgd up to 2 mgd.

Reverse Osmosis System Recovery Similar to that of Water Treatment Plant #11, raw water quality from well 3 (RO-3) has shown to diminish over the years. Since it is predicted that water quality degradation may continue, it may be advantageous to operate the RO trains at recovery rates other than the design of 80 percent recovery. Recovery rates between 75 and 80 percent are possible and considered feasible. The existing membrane elements are lowpressure brackish elements, manufactured by Hydranautics, and are energy-saving polyamide (ESPA) membranes. As part of this project, the existing membranes on all trains will be replaced with a newer specified model, and additional pressure vessels will be added to Train A to increase recovery to match that of Train B.

Operating Pressures: First and Second Stage Each of the RO trains has operating pressure limitations, based on pressure ratings of pipe, valves, fittings, feedwater pumps, or pressure vessels. The existing feedwater pumps are limited to 200 psi due to the pump impellers and motor size. The existing conditions of the feedwater pumps made it difficult to select several different membranes that would meet permeate water quality specifications. With the limitations on feedwater pressures, it was difficult to find several membranes with a high enough rejection rate to provide the desired permeate water quality. Deep injection well backpressures were important for sizing of the interstage boost ERT,

since these pressures directly affect the available energy to power the turbine and resultant second stage feedpressure. Normal increase in injection well pressures must be taken into account when sizing ERTs. Current concentrate backpressures were observed to be 15-35 psi and a long-term concentrate backpressure was assumed to be 35 psi. Water Quality The RO system must accommodate for variations in raw water TDS, which vary significantly at each of the wells. The following range of water quality TDS levels were evaluated for the operating conditions listed: Raw Water TDS

Source

2,990 mg/l

Standard design from raw water quality

3,980 mg/l

Worst case raw water quality

Given the variation in raw water quality, the pH of the raw water entering the RO system is assumed to be lowered using sulfuric acid, which is consistent with current plant operations. A pH of 7.35 was used in each of the projections in order to minimize scaling potential of the concentrate in the membranes. Since there is post-treatment addition of sulfuric acid (as opposed to pretreatment), the pH of the feedwater is greater than that of Case Study 1. Total and First-Stage Permeate Flow Total permeate flow can range from 1,250 gpm to 1,390 gpm (1.8 to 2.0 mgd) and can be adjusted accordingly. Flows lower than this can contribute to low concentrate flow conditions on the tail-end elements, which can lead to concentration polarization and scaling. If lower permeate flows are necessary, overall recovery of the RO trains should be lowered concurrently (<80 percent). Recovery As previously noted, the recovery is controlled by the ERT trim valve, which can modulate to control how much concentrate flows to the ERT. As the valve opens, it allows more flow to bypass the ERT, which reduces the overall system recovery. Inversely, as the bypass (trim) valve to the ERT closes, overall recovery of the system increases. Currently, recovery varies from 75 to 80 percent.

ating pressure. The drawback to this is that the first-stage permeate must operate with induced backpressure to prevent overfluxing of the firststage membrane elements. This results in higher-than-normal feed pressures. In order to maximize membrane efficiency and balance the first- and second-stage fluxes, an interstage boost is typically implemented to increase the operating pressure to the second stage. The use of an ERT, which captures the energy from the concentrate pressure and provides boost to the second-stage feed, is a common approach and has been recommended. The key to this project is to provide the lowest energy (kWh) per gal of water produced at the desired permeate water quality through selection of the appropriate membranes and the most efficient ERT. Similar to Case Study 1, minimizing operating costs of the RO plant and providing better permeate water quality are the primary goals of energy recovery implementation. Currently, operating-cost savings are not available without the ERT and membrane replacement. Construction of the recommended improvements will commence in the early part of 2015. Once these items are implemented, immediate operating-cost savings can be experienced. Modifications of Existing Reverse Osmosis Skids Skids A and B In order to improve recovery, efficiency, and lower energy consumption, improvements to RO skids A and B should consist of the following: Modification of the existing interstage and concentrate piping Replacement of the concentrate control valves Removal of first-stage permeate control valves if necessary Membrane replacement Modification or addition of pressure vessels to provide the most efficient second-stage array Installation of energy recovery turbines Additional instrumentation (flow, conductivity, pressure) Relocation of sample panels

Energy Conservation Measures

Skid C Improvements to RO skid C would include the following: Membrane replacement

The existing RO trains (A and B) currently operate with ESPA membranes that operate at higher fluxes (permeate flow) and lower oper-

Items That Affect Energy Recovery Turbine Efficiency Raw water quality has the largest impact on

March 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Florida Water Resources Journal

the need for energy recovery and interstage boost. Well water quality has declined slightly over the years, and is most noticeable when membrane performance has declined. With a decline in raw water quality goes an increase in feedwater pressures needed to overcome the osmotic pressures. A target raw water quality should be defined for energy calculations. Raw water conductivity currently ranges from 4,500 umhos to 7,500 umhos. Water chemistry, such as sparingly soluble salt concentrations in the raw water (i.e., strontium, barium, silica, and calcium) and the feedwater pH can also affect the recovery that can be achieved with the RO system. Current parameter levels should be defined to ensure that the higher membrane recoveries can be achieved. In addition, the recent reduction of acid at the facilities to reduce feedwater pH may need to be readdressed if these sparingly soluble salt levels are higher than original values.

Conclusion Decreasing water quality of brackish groundwater is becoming more common and is affecting treatment capacities, as well as operating costs. An ERT becomes a practical solution in brackish RO treatment systems to lower operating costs and improve permeate water quality. The function of the ERT is purely hydraulic, and the existing water quality and feedwater pressures in both case studies allow energy recovery to be highly beneficial without the use of additional power. The case studies show that the implementation of energy recovery is highly beneficial to utilities in improving permeate water quality, and equally important, lowering operating costs.

References • Fluid Equipment Development Company, 2014. http://fedco-usa.com/. • Energy Recovery Inc., 2014 http://www.energyrecovery.com/. • Palm Beach County Water Utilities District, 2012-2013. “Lake Region Water Treatment Plant Energy Reduction Graph.”

Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

News Beat MWH Global has been awarded a contract by the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department to provide engineering design services for the comprehensive rehabilitation of three large wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Miami-Dade County as part of the Department’s $1.6 billion consent decree program. The three plants include the Central District WWTP, the oldest and largest asset with a treatment capacity of 143 mgd, and the North District WWTP and South District Wastewater Treatment Water Reclamation Plant, both with capacities of 112.5 mgd. Combined, these three facilities play a major role in providing clean water to the residents of Miami-Dade County. The Department provides water and wastewater services to the 2.3 million people of Miami-Dade County, treating 300 MG of water per day and disposing of 315 MG of wastewater per day. In 2013, the County negotiated a consent decree with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Department of Justice, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to reduce sanitary sewer overflows, eliminate treated effluent limitation violations, and ensure proper capacity, management, operation, and maintenance (CMOM) practices. The consent decree consists of three major components: pump station improvements, CMOM, and improvements to the three regional wastewater treatment plants, totaling $1.6 billion over the next 15 years. The project scope will include preparation of preliminary designs, final designs, and construction documents, as well as permitting and bid services and design services during construction at all three WWTPs, ensuring that the project meets stringent deadlines and is in full compliance with consent decree programs. The rehabilitation of the three plants is complex, due to many equipment systems and structures that are more than 30 years old. Extensive use of laser reality capture is envisioned to efficiently produce accurate as-built representations of existing systems. For design, major facilities will employ 3D building information modeling (BIM), with model development to Level 350 as defined by the BIM forum level of development specifications. The complete rehabilitation of the wastewater treatment plants is expected to be completed by December 2019.

The WateReuse Research Foundation has announced the release of a how-to guide for building support for potable reuse on the

statewide and community levels. “Model Communication Plans for Increasing Awareness and Fostering Acceptance of Direct Potable Reuse” (WRRF-13-02) provides a roadmap for advancing public acceptance of potable reuse projects by building support and awareness of existing and planned potable reuse programs and by fostering an understanding of the great need to continue to expand water supply sources. This resource provides those involved with planning a potable reuse project with a catalog of promising and proven methods for advancing potable reuse. A combination of literature review, face-to-face meetings, and public opinion research indicated that public acceptance of potable reuse can be achieved by implementing a coordinated, consistent, and transparent communication plan. “We know that potable reuse projects use safe and proven technology, but how a project sponsor engages the community is critical to the success of a project. These model communication plans are extremely important,” said Melissa Meeker, WateReuse Foundation executive director. This project is the first of a two-phase approach toward fostering acceptance of potable reuse. To develop the communication plans for the first phase, a team led by Mark Millan of Data Instincts, Patricia A. Tennyson of Katz & Associates, and Shane Snyder of the University of Arizona first conducted an extensive literature review of previous research related to potable reuse acceptance and to attempted approaches at communication. Next, a series of one-on-one meetings was held with individuals involved with potable reuse projects in their communities, legislators, and special interest groups. The findings from the literature review and interviews were used to develop a set of messages that were then tested in focus groups and in telephone surveys in two communities. A key finding from the focus groups and telephone surveys showed that after receiving additional information about potable reuse and the multistage treatment process used to make the water safe to drink, most participants became more comfortable with the idea of potable reuse. “This has been an incredibly robust research effort involving scores of people with various disciplines. The good news is that communication plans developed will be useful for any potable reuse project, whether indirect or direct, large or small,” said Millan. Completion of the model communication plans provides the strategic groundwork for Phase two of the Foundation’s approach to

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

fostering public acceptance of potable reuse. Phase two will take the information gleaned from Phase one and use it to begin creating and refining outreach materials and methods. Phase one drew the outline of the plans, and Phase two will create the tools that can be used immediately at the statewide level and in local communities that are considering direct potable reuse. This project was funded by the Foundation in cooperation with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The report and model communication plans are available at http://www.watereuse.org/product/13-02-1.

In an ongoing effort to increase water storage to protect south Florida’s coastal estuaries and natural systems, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) governing board has approved agreements that more than double the overall water retention capacity in its dispersed water management program. The approved contracts will add a total potential of 95,812 acre-ft of storage to the program, or about 36 bil gal annually, which is the equivalent of 1.5 in. of water in Lake Okeechobee, a 730-sq-mi lake at the heart of south Florida’s water management system. The program currently has a retention capacity of 93,342 acre-ft across 43 sites. “Storing water on ranchlands has proven to be an effective tool in the District’s ongoing effort to protect the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries,” said Daniel O’Keefe, SFWMD governing board chair. “This action shows the agency’s commitment to the dispersed water management program and we support its continued expansion to protect south Florida’s natural systems.” In the largest storage contract, the District reached an agreement with Alico Inc., on 35,192 acres of ranchland that will retain an annual average of 91,944 acre-ft of water from the Caloosahatchee River Watershed, which is an amount equal to approximately 34.5 bil gal of water. This property also has the potential of sending water back into the Caloosahatchee River during the dry season. Along with the Alico property in Hendry County, the District also signed separate agreements for water storage and nutrient removal: • Rafter T, in Highlands County, for 1,298 acre-ft per year • Babcock Property Holdings, at the border of Charlotte and Lee counties, for 1,214 acre-ft a year

• MacArthur Agro Research Center Component 1 in Glades County, for 620 acre-ft per year • MacArthur Agro Research Center Component 2 in Glades County, for 1,567 pounds of phosphorus removal per year • Adams and Russakis Ranch at the border of St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties, for retention of 508 acre-ft per year • Bull Hammock Ranch at the border of Martin and St. Lucie counties, for 288 acre-ft per year The District's dispersed water management program encourages private-property owners to retain water on their land rather than drain it, accept and detain regional runoff for storage, or do both. Landowners typically join the program through cost-share cooperative projects, easements, or payment for environmental services. Since 2005, the District has been working with a coalition of agencies, environmental organizations, ranchers, and researchers to enhance opportunities for storing excess surface water on private and public lands. These part-

nerships have made thousands of acre-ft of water retention and storage available throughout the greater Everglades system. When water levels in south Florida are higher than normal during the annual rainy season, the District can utilize this storage while taking further actions to capture and store water throughout the regional water management system. Holding water on these lands is one tool to help reduce the amount of water flowing into Lake Okeechobee and/or discharged to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries during high water conditions. Managing water on these lands is one tool to reduce the amount of water delivered into Lake Okeechobee during the wet season and discharged to coastal estuaries for flood protection. Dispersed water management offers many other environmental and economic benefits to the region, including: • Providing valuable groundwater recharge for water supply • Improving water quality and rehydration of drained systems • Enhancing plant and wildlife habitat pleted by December 2019.

Water use across the United States has reached its lowest recorded level in almost 45 years. According to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey, about 355 bil gal per day (bgd) were withdrawn for use in the U.S. in 2010, which represents a 13 percent reduction of water use since 2005. More than 50 percent of the total water withdrawals in the U.S. were by 12 states, listed in order of withdrawal amounts: California, Texas, Idaho, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Arkansas, Colorado, Michigan, New York, Alabama, and Ohio. California accounted for 11 percent of the total withdrawals for all categories and 10 percent of total freshwater withdrawals. Texas accounted for 7 percent of total withdrawals for all categories, mostly for thermoelectric power, irrigation, and public supply. Florida has the largest saline withdrawals, accounting for 18 percent, which were mostly saline surface-water withdrawals for thermoelectric power. For the full report, go to www.water.usgs.gov/watuse.

Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

New Products UEMSI tractor cleats are designed for positive gripping power in all pipeline applications. Using soft, durable rubber equipped with contoured grooves, the cleats adhere to pipe sidewalls. They are compatible with tractors that use #35 chains with double 1/8-in. rivet holes. Entire track assemblies are available in any length for the tractors. Nickel-plated steel chain comes standard. The cleats are attached with 1/8-in. zinc-plated steel rivets for longevity and strength in difficult underground conditions. (www.uemsi.com)

Dewatering containers from Wastequip reduce the cost of waste disposal by separating liquids from solids. They are designed for wastewater treatment and manufacturing facilities, construction sites, refineries, and similar applications. Gasketed doors and hydrotesting help ensure that the containers will not leak. They have shells that can be easily removed for cleanup, allowing them to be used as sludge containers. Lid options include side-to-side roll tarps or single-piece, side-to-side plastic or aluminum lids. The containers are available in round bottom or rectangular designs in 20-and 25-cu-yd sizes. (www.wastequip.com)

Refraction Technologies Corp. has izory magnesia stabilized zirconia sleeves and liners that extend service life and improve operating efficiencies, reduce costs, and minimize downtime. Their low coefficient of friction can extend the life of mating materials. Its featured stabilized zirconia offers a combination of abrasion and corrosion resistance. It is inert to a variety of corrosive slurries including acids, bases, and solvents. Piston pump liners can be manufactured in outside diameters up to 10 in. and lengths up to 20 in. (www.refractron.com)

The Elite SD WiFi pipeline inspection camera from Ratech Electronics can record pipe inspections wirelessly to an i0S or Android device and take live video and digital still images to immediately upload to YouTube. It doesn’t require SD cards, DVD discs, or USB thumb-drives and the app can be downloaded to an iPhone or iPad and stream the video wirelessly. The WiFi interface is available on this and any current Ratech product or existing Ratech systems in the field and is available with a sun-readable 10-in. LCD monitor and either a self-leveling camera, small ultramicro camera, or a pan-and-tilt push camera. Systems come in cable lengths from 100 to 400 ft. (www.ratech-electronics.com)

The 753 Series vacuum pump from Wallenstein Vacuum Pipes incorporates extrawide vanes that allow up to an inch of wear, resulting in longer service life and lower maintenance costs. It provides 422 cfm airflow performance at 1,200 rpm operation and precision machining for vacuum levels up to 28 in. Hg. Model options include air, liquid, or dual-cooling systems where air injection is combined with liquid cooling. A pump flushing port is included on the top valve for convenient regular maintenance. The quick-access housing allows for easy internal inspection with no bearings to pull. Oil lubrication is done with a mechanical piston pump driven by shaft rotation, or available with a sight-feed valve oil regulator system that uses vacuum pressure to draw oil with no moving parts. (www.wallenstein.com)

Vacall—Gradall Industries offers the AllExcavate hydroexcavators, with a step-in compartment that provides operators with protection from inclement weather. The standard

compartment is roomy, with space for an operator to change wet and muddy clothing. The compartment also has floor drainage, racks to hanging clothing, and cabinets for the hose reel and water pumps. The unit uses high-pressure jetting to loosen soil, rocks, and clay and a strong vacuum forces up to 27 in. Hg and 5,800 cfm to remove the material and water slurry into a debris tank. (www.vacall.com)

The VactorTRAK data collection system from Vactor Manufacturing monitors and reviews sewer cleaning operations on Vactor 2100 Plus combination sewer cleaners. The system collects and transmits comprehensible, operational intelligence to a secure, hosted website where the public utility or professional contractor is able to access information from any Internet-connected device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. The operator can enter the job work order number to correspond to the daily work list, allowing the operations manager or supervisor to view the activity performed for any specific job. (www.vactor.com)

The AXIS laser-guided system from Vermeer provides pinpoint accuracy in the trenchless installation of 10- to 14-in. pipe for on-grade water and sewer projects. The pit-launched system has the ability to install up to 350 ft of both rigid-constructed and fusible and restrained-joint pipe. This versatility offers more product pipe options based on costs, traditional preference, and matching with existing infrastructure. Spoil is removed from the cutter head by a vacuum excavation system, eliminating the need to manually handle it within the pit. A flexible, modular design allows the system to be configured in a number of ways for jobsite footprint and transport considerations. ( www.vermeer.com)

The PipeLogix GIS module added to ArcMap lets supervisors view all surveys performed on an asset. The toolbar filters survey data in the master database to highlight pipes with problems and lets the user select the condition from an exported layer to jump the associated movie to the condition for viewing. Seeing the problem where it exists on the pipe makes it easier to schedule repair and cleaning crews. The condition export can be done to a feature class in a geodatabase or to a shape file. A project of surveys in a database can be created in ArcMap using the toolbox; it prestarts the inspections and the CCTV inspector completes them. The module is compatible with ArcGIS 9.3.1 through 10.2. (www.pipelogix.com)

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Florida Water Resources Journal â&#x20AC;˘ March 2015

Expanding Central Water and Sewer Facilities Within Preplatted Communities: A Southwest Florida Example Hubert B. Stroud Cape Coral is one of thousands of preplatted communities, or subdivisions, created in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s as land developers capitalized on the desire of millions of Americans to own a parcel of land on which to live. Developers of these subdivisions sold raw land as rapidly as possible and largely ignored many important aspects of land development. Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres in Florida, Lake Havasu City in Arizona, and Rio Rancho in New Mexico all serve as examples of large subdivisions that succeeded and have become communities with a substantial population (Stroud, 1995). Preplatted communities involve a complex set of problems that depend on the location and size of the development, the nature of the land that has been platted, the character of the lots, and the availability of basic services. Some platted lands are a problem because the lots in the subdivision are too small to meet minimum lot-size requirements for on-site

wastewater treatment facilities (septic tanks, for example). Others are a problem because of poor drainage or because the land on which they are located is underwater for all or much of the year. Regardless of the reason, the platted lands problem involves millions of vacant lots and looms as one of the most significant stumbling blocks to sound land-use planning and orderly growth and development (Stroud, 1984; Stroud and Spikowski, 1999). Cape Coral began on 1,724 acres of land that Leonard and Jack Rosen purchased during the late 1950s (Dodrill, 1993). The land is located on a large peninsula across the Caloosahatchee River from Fort Myers. Subsequent purchases brought their total land holdings to more than 60,000 acres extending across almost the entire peninsula between the Caloosahatchee River and Matlacha Pass (Figure 1). The Rosen Brothers created Gulf American Corporation (GAC), a land development company that succeeded in selling the dream of living in Florida to hundreds of thousands of people in North America and abroad. An important feature of their sales program was providing potential lot owners the option of purchasing the land on the installment plan. While other companies had pioneered the method, the Rosen Brothers marketed the concept more successfully (Dodrill, 1993). The success of the lots-sales program and the rapid population growth of the develop-

Figure 1. Aerial view depicting Cape Coral extending across a large peninsula. (Department of Community Development, City of Cape Coral, 1990)

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

ment created a tremendous demand for basic services. Although basic services, such as a paved road and central water and sewer, were provided for a small developed core, most of the lots that were sold had no services at all except for a road, usually unpaved, that provided access to the lot. Individual lot owners outside the core had no option other than to dig a well for water supply and install a septic tank for waste disposal. As the city grew and the density increased, it became apparent to city officials that the central water and sewer system had to be expanded. This article explores and examines some of the most significant costs and benefits associated with the extension of basic services to a much larger portion of this sprawling subdivision.

Infrastructure Issues Why is the provision of even the most basic infrastructure such a significant and troublesome issue for Cape Coral? The answer to this fairly simple question is directly related to the problems associated with the original layout and design of the subdivisions. It’s clear that the original developers never intended to provide services beyond the small “showcase” core area that was designed to impress potential property owners and prompt lot sales. Probably no one anticipated the popular-

Figure 2. Map depicting the current utility expansion areas at Cape Coral. (Utilities Department, City of Cape Coral, 2014)

Figure 3. Reverse osmosis plant. (photo: Hubert B. Stroud)

Figure 4. One of several staging areas. (photos in Figures 4-12: Melissa Milroy)

Figure 5. The dewatering process.

ity of Cape Coral or the rate at which it would grow. Fortunately, Cape Coral became incorporated in 1970 and the expansion of basic services was a top priority among newly appointed city officials. Soon after incorporation, Cape Coral implemented a utilities expansion program. Utilities (water and gravity sewer) were first provided in the southeastern section of Cape Coral where the first homes were built. The provision of basic water and sewer services has extended outward from the original core area in stages, usually one or two expansion areas at a time. As depicted in Figure 2, the current expansion is divided into 12 areas that are being covered under seven different contracts. This means that several different construction crews are working simultaneously to complete the expansion in a timely manner (Clinghan, 2014; www.cape-coral-dailybreeze.com/page/content.detail/id/534891/Util ity-expansion-plan-moves-forward.html).

was only 3 mil gal per day (mgd), but expansions increased the capacity to 15 mgd during the 1980s, and then to 18 mgd in 2007. The RO facility is now the only source of potable water supply for city residents, except for individuals using private wells (Stroud and Graff, 2009; www. Capecoral.net/department/utilities_department/utilities_extension_projects). Another important benefit of the expansion is enhanced public safety. Fire hydrants are installed in the expansion areas, which are part of a fire flow system that has a reliable water supply and pressure. This will help protect residents in the event of a fire and may lower homeowner insurance premiums. A third positive feature of the expansion is water conservation. Cape Coral is unique in that it has over 300 mi of freshwater canals that run throughout the city. While canal water is not a viable source of potable supply, it provides a valuable source for irrigation purposes (Stroud, 1991). The so-called fresh water within the canals requires some treatment, even for irrigation purposes, and when combined with treated wastewater, the city has an impressive amount of water available to sustain its dual water system. Having a separate line that provides irrigation water for lawns, car washing, and other nonpotable uses is a vital source of supply and helps the city conserve drinking water. The dual system also eliminates the need to discharge treated wastewater into the Caloosahatchee River or the Gulf of Mexico (Daltry, 2014). Another benefit associated with the expansion is increased property values. The general feeling among city officials is that properties connected to the centralized water and sewer system will have an increased value over those with individual wells and septic systems.

areas designated for expansion must contend with a number of issues, including the establishment of staging sites for equipment and supplies, construction crews and large machinery, noise, asphalt removal and unpaved streets, dust and mud, detours and disruption of access to homes, and the substantial cost of the expansion that is mandatory for each lot owner within the expansion area. Large trucks will transport pipes, supplies, and construction equipment to several staging sites and storage areas (Figure 4). Staging locations are sometimes situated on vacant lots between two houses. After the equipment and supplies are in place, the actual work begins (www.sw6and 7uep.com). One of the first steps is the removal of the asphalt from roads within the expansion area to make way for the utilities installation. Crews will be at the site installing pipes, but first, excavators and crews will be digging trenches for the gravity sewer pipes, potable water pipes, and the irrigation water pipes. The new sewer lines are placed in the center of the street, while water and irrigation lines are placed within the right-of-way on either side of the road. Stormwater pipes will also be installed within the right-of-way on both sides of the road to improve drainage. Prior to the start of construction, there will be survey crews in the neighborhood to identify the right-of-way and to locate underground utilities such as water, sewer, phone, and cable. Flags are placed along the roadway to mark the right-of-way. Working from data obtained by surveyors, the contractor and utility operators will mark any underground lines and/or pipes that are in or near the path of construction. This process locates the lines that need to be replaced or temporarily relocated during construction. It also helps to ensure that the remaining underground lines are not damaged during construction. Property owners that have encroached on the right-of-way with landscaping materials, trees, shrubs, decorative fencing, and the like that are in conflict Continued on page 54

Positive Aspects of the Utilities Expansion Plan There are both costs and benefits associated with the expansion of utilities at Cape Coral. First, customers will receive a dependable supply of high-quality, good-tasting drinking water. The Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potable water system pulls its groundwater supply from deep wells that extend into the Lower Hawthorn Aquifer. It is a proven productive source with relatively consistent water quality that is costefficient to treat and the water resource can be developed within the city limits of Cape Coral. This means that agreements with other municipal entities are not required and few problems exist with conveying the water to where it is needed via right-of-way access. A major disadvantage of the Lower Hawthorn is its relatively high salt content. As a means to alleviate the high level of chloride, the city decided to invest in an innovative reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plant. Construction of the RO facility was completed in 1976 (Figure 3). Initially, its total capacity

Negative Aspects of the Expansion Each time new areas are identified for expansion, several important concerns emerge (Milroy, 2014). Residents living in and near the

Florida Water Resources Journal â&#x20AC;˘ March 2015

Continued from page 53 with construction will be notified by the contractor and given 60 days to remove them. If they are not removed, the contractor is authorized by a city ordinance to remove and dispose of all items that are in the way of construction (www.sw6and7uep.com) . Several important steps must be taken to prepare the designated utilities expansion area for construction. Crews will remove existing grass and asphalt from the pipeline route; both grass and the asphalt will, of course, be replaced after the completion of the pipe installation. It is important for residents to remember that roads will remain without asphalt until all pipes are installed and the testing of the pipes has been completed. Property owners should expect that the roads will be without asphalt for three to six months; however, while under construction, the roadways will be fully functional and maintained. Part of the maintenance includes periodic spraying of the roadways to reduce dust. While access to homes and businesses is a top priority, it is important to note that temporary road closures and detours around the work zone may be necessary. A very important and potentially very annoying early step that must be taken is the dewatering of the work site. Groundwater must be removed to create a dry work area for crews and for underground pipe installation. The naturally occurring high water table must be lowered so that trenches can be safely dug and pipes can be installed. Dewatering systems include a generator-fueled pump and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe system that runs parallel to the roadway (Figure 5). The water is pumped into the PVC pipes and transported away from the work zone into swales and catchment basins where it will infiltrate the surface. After the dewatering has begun, the pumps will run 24 hours a day for several days to keep the site dry. The length of time required for the dewatering will vary depending on the amount of water that needs to be removed. Unfortunately, the pumps are noisy and may serve as a major disturbance for those living in

the expansion area (Milroy, 2014). One of the largest construction efforts is the installation of the sewer system. The new sewer pipes are placed under the center of the roadway at a depth of from 6 to 24 ft (Figure 6). To install these relatively deep pipes, trenches are dug in the center of the roadway after the asphalt is removed. This necessitates the use of heavy machinery and restricts traffic flow through the work zone since the entire roadway may be blocked by equipment. Detours are often necessary to direct motorists around the work zone and ensure the safety of the construction crews and motorists (Figure 7). This work may result in a disruption of trash collection and mail service for a day or so; therefore, the construction staff will contact the U. S. Postal Service and local waste disposal companies to make arrangements to minimize disruption in service. If driveway access is temporarily unavailable, a construction representative will notify the impacted homeowner(s) the day before the anticipated closure (www.sw6and7uep.com). The wastewater line (or sanitary sewer) takes the used potable water from a homeownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s property. The gravity sewer system consists of sewer lines that collect and convey wastewater to local lift stations. The wastewater is then pumped under pressure by way of force mains to wastewater reclamation facilities for treatment. The treated wastewater is pumped back to customers through irrigation water lines. The reuse water is sometimes supplemented with canal water, particularly during periods of peak demand. Cape Coral is a leader in water reuse technology and is one of the few cities in the U.S. that uses a dual water system. The dual system has been instrumental in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to conserve potable water supplies (Stroud and Graff, 2009; www.capecoral.net/department/utilities_department/utilities_extension_projects/index.p hkp#.VBxBTZRdVu4). To prepare for the irrigation and potable water pipe installation, grass and the portion of the driveway that are within the right-ofway will be removed. The reclaimed or recycled

water irrigation system will transport highly treated wastewater to homes to be used for watering lawns and other landscaping (plants and trees, for example). The irrigation pipe will be installed in the right-of-way parallel to the roadway (Figure 8). The potable water line will also be installed in the right-of-way, but on the other side of the road from the irrigation line (www.sw6and7uep.com). The entire pipeline system will be tested before the roadways are rebuilt. This is to make sure that everything is safe and operational before the asphalt is placed over the new pipelines. Road replacement takes several steps that begin with crews that prepare the surface by leveling it with grading equipment. Next, an aggregate base made of limestone is placed evenly on the road surface. This base is covered by asphalt primer layers on top of the limestone (Figure 9). A black tack surface is then placed on top of the asphalt primer. A permanent skid-resistant asphalt is added before the markings are painted on the road (www.sw6and7uep.com). Drainage improvements are made near the end of the utilities expansion process. After the pipes have been installed (Figure 10), ditches along the roadway are graded and swales or catchment basins are constructed or restored (Figures 11 and 12). This system will provide the necessary drainage for the roadway. Unfortunately, the water from runoff associated with a heavy rain may stand at the surface within the swales and road ditches for up to 72 hours. This is another nuisance that residents of Cape Coral must endure since the area is relatively flat and direct surface runoff and infiltration rates are extremely slow. Level terrain and poor drainage create an ever-present danger of flooding during periods of heavy rain, even with the improved drainage that is provided during the utilities expansion. One of the final parts of the restoration is the rebuilding of driveways and the laying of new sod. Mailboxes and residential irrigation systems will also be restored at no cost to homeowners. Continued on page 56

Figure 6. Sewer installation.

Figure 7. Heavy equipment and road detour.

Figure 8. Irrigation pipe installation.

March 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Florida Water Resources Journal

Florida Water Resources Journal â&#x20AC;˘ March 2015

Continued from page 54 After all the work is finished and the system is functioning, homeowners will receive a “notice of availability” from the city. Property owners must connect to the new system within 180 days. Water meters are required to connect to the service and the required permits are available at City Hall. The meter installation fee is $310, the utility account deposit is $100, and the septic tank abandonment fee is $75, and all these fees must be paid prior to connecting to the new utilities. After these payments are made, the city will install the meters. The deposit fee will be waived for homeowners who provide a letter of good standing, which may come from any utility company and must show a 24-month history with no late payments during the preceding 12 months. To complete the connection to the new service, homeowners must contact a local, licensed plumber. The plumber will coordinate with the homeowner and explain the final procedures (www.sw6and7uep.com). Finally, one of the most significant issues for property owners is the cost of the expansion and all property owners must pay their share. These costs vary depending on the location of the expansion areas and on when the utilities were installed. For the most recent expansion (Southwest 6 and 7) the cost has now been determined. For a standard 80-ft x 125-ft lot, the initial hookup costs for a plumber and the permit and water meter fee is approximately $1500.

In addition to the hookup fee, lot owners pay for the actual expansion. The amount due depends on whether or not the owner chooses the prepayment discount option or the 20-year amortization option. For those who select the prepayment option, the assessment is $15,411. The property owners who select the 20-year amortization option will pay for the assessment in annual installments, which are added to their tax bill over the next 20 years. The annual payment will be $2,179 per year and the total amount paid will not exceed $24,000 (www.allaroundthecape.com/cape-coralutitlities-expansion-updated).

Figure 9. Asphalt being added to roadway.

Figure 10. Drainage pipe installation.

Figure 11. Catchment basin preparation.

Figure 12. Swale that has been restored.

Summary and Conclusion The experiences at Cape Coral are not unique among preplatted communities. Time and time again, property owners within these vast subdivisions must cope with inadequate or totally absent basic services. While the benefits of the utilities expansion are numerous, the installation of services is a major inconvenience during the construction phase and can be costprohibitive and a real burden for many homeowners. These problems and others associated with platted lands illustrate what can happen when property is prematurely subdivided and sold to unsuspecting property owners. Developers such as the Rosen Brothers and their company serve as a good example of the land use legacies that are created by subdi-

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

visions that do not provide basic services at the time the lots are sold. Cape Coral continues to grapple with the need to provide services to vast areas within a sprawling subdivision 40 to 50 years after the lots were sold. The completion of the current extension areas will mean that basic services are available for all lots south of Pine Island Road. The next or future utilities extensions will include those areas north of Pine Island Road that do not currently have central water and sewer services available. This long-term commitment will take years and millions of dollars to complete. Unlike some preplatted communities, Cape Coral is incorporated and has city officials that are committed to making sure that all of its residents have access to basic services. Hubert B. Stroud is a professor of geography at Arkansas State University.

References • Clinghan, Paul. Utilities Extension Manager, City of Cape Coral, Fla., personal communication, November 2013 and September 2014. • Daltry, Wyatt. Planner IV, Department of Community Development, City of Cape Coral, Fla., personal communication, September 2014. • Dodrill, David S. Selling the Dream, University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 1993. • Milroy, Melissa. Construction Liaison, Tetra Tech Inc., Estero, Fla., personal communication, October and December 2014. • Stroud, Hubert B. and Thomas O. Graff. “Cape Coral’s Approach to Water Resource Management,” Florida Water Resources Journal, September 2009, pp. 41–44. • Stroud, Hubert B. and William M. Spikowski. “Planning in the Wake of Florida Land Scams,” Journal of Planning Education and Research, Vol. 19, 1999, pp. 27–39. • Stroud, Hubert B. The Promise of Paradise: Recreational and Retirement Communities in the United States Since 1950, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Md., 1995. • Stroud, Hubert B. “Water Resources at Cape Coral, Florida: Problems Created by Poor Planning and Development,” Land Use Policy, Vol. 6, 1991, pp. 143–157. • Stroud, Hubert B. “Florida’s Challenge: Balance Between Subdivision and the Environment,” Florida Environment and Urban Issues, Vol. 11, No. 3, 1984, pp. 14–22. • www.allaroundthecape.com/cape-coral-utilities-expansion-update/ • www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/536215/Utility-expansion-getsfinal-nod.html • www.capecoral.net/department/utilities_department/utilities_extension_projects • www.sw6and7ucp.com

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EQUIPMENT & SERVICES DIRECTORY Showcase Your Company in the Engineering or Equipment & Services Directory Contact Mike Delaney at

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CLASSIFIEDS Positions Av ailable

City of Groveland Class C Wastewater Operator

City of Gainesville WATER WASTEWATER FACILITIES OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE MANAGER MWTP

The City of Groveland is hiring a Class "C" Wastewater Operator. Salary Range $30,400-$46,717 DOQ. Please visit groveland-fl.gov for application and job description. Send completed application to 156 S Lake Ave. Groveland, Fl 34736 attn: Human Resources. Background check and drug screen required. Open until filled EOE, V/P, DFWP

$53,451.00 to $79,828.00 Annually Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) is currently seeking a (FT) Water/Wastewater Facilities Operations & Maintenance Manager to direct the activities of employees engaged in the construction, operation and maintenance of Water Treatment Systems. The Water Plant Operations and Maintenance Manager will direct the activities of employees engaged in the operation and maintenance of a 54 MGD Lime Softening Water Treatment Plant, NELAC Certified Lab (Bact-i & Fluoride), and two repump stations and two elevated tanks. To be considered for this position you must have an Associate's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Water or Wastewater Engineering Technology, and five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in construction, operation, process control, troubleshooting, installation, and maintenance of water treatment plants and equipment, including two (2) years of supervisory experience, Completion of Bachelor degree or higher may substitute for up to three (3) years of non-supervisory experience.

Plant Electrician The City of Boca Raton Utility Services Department is seeking a Plant Electrician to work at our award-winning facility. Candidates will have completed a four-year electrical apprenticeship program as evidenced by appropriate Journeyman Electrician certification, licensure or equivalency and at least five (5) years experience in an industrial electrical environment. If you are interested in becoming part of our team, please visit www.myboca.us to view the job description and to apply online. Salary: $18.97 - $32.49 Hourly Questions? Please call (561) 393-7911 EOE/DFWP

WATER PLANT OPERATOR OR TRAINEE

This position requires a Class A Water Plant Operator's License issued by FDEP

City of Coral Springs accepting applications for license Water Plant Operator or Trainee with "C" course completion.

For further info and/or to apply, visit: http://www.cityofgainesville.jobs AA/EOE/DFWP/VP

JOB REQUIREMENTS: High school graduation and must have a Florida Class "C" Water Operator license and Florida driver's license; one to two years work experience in a water plant preferred and having working knowledge of water treatment process and troubleshooting and all functions relevant to the operation of utility pumps. Possession of Florida driver's license and an acceptable driving record. Work schedule will include evenings, weekends and holidays.

Water and/or Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators The City of Edgewater is accepting applications for Water Treatment Plant Operators and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators, minimum Class C license required. Valid FL driver license required. Annual Salary Range is $31,096 - $48,755. Applicants will be required to pass a physical and background check. Applications and information may be obtained from the Personnel Dept or www.cityofedgewater.org, and submitted to City Hall, 104 N Riverside Dr, Edgewater, FL 32l32. EOE/DFWP

March 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Florida Water Resources Journal

Applicants who are currently enrolled in coursework to obtain a Class "C" Water Plant Operator certification may be considered for a Trainee position (starting salary of $29,000 per year). Visit the City's web site www.coralsprings.org and apply https://www1.coralsprings.org/jobs/online-application/

UTILITY DISTRIBUTION TECHNICIAN I

Utilities Treatment Plant Operations Supervisor $54,099 - $76,123/yr. Assists in the admin & technical work in the mgmt, ops, & maint of the treatment plants. Class “A” Water lic. & a class “C” Wastewater lic. req. with 5 yrs supervisory exp.

The Town of Oakland is recruiting for a full-time Utility Distribution Tech. 1. Requires HS diploma/equivalent, valid FL CDL class "B" license, Level 3 FDEP Water Distribution License. Other equivalent combinations of education, training and experience in Public Utilities or Public Works operations will be considered. Three years work exp. a plus. Open until filled. Compensation commensurate with experience. Send resume to HR Director Tonna Duvall at: tduvall@oaktownusa.com or dial direct 407.656.1117 x2102. EOE; M/F/D/V; DFWP

Utilities Treatment Plant Will Call Operator $18.29-$28.38/hour. Part time. Must have passed the C drinking water or wastewater exam. Apply Online At: http://pompanobeachfl.gov Positions are open until filled. E/O/E

City of North Port Water Treatment Plant Operator – B License The City of North Port has a current opening for a Water Treatment Plant Operator – Class B is required. HS or GED is required and two (2) years of experience in the operation of a water treatment plant. Must possess a valid Florida Drivers License and a current State of Florida Water Operator B certificate for water treatment at time of appointment. For a full job description, benefits, etc. and to apply, please visit our website at www.cityofnorthport.com. Salary is $17.57 per hour.

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Looking For a Job? The FWPCOA Job Placement Committee Can Help! Contact Joan E. Stokes at 407-293-9465 or fax 407-293-9943 for more information.

Infrastructure Division Director The City of Miami Beach is seeking to hire an experienced leader in the utilities field to be part of our team as we struggle with the ramifications of sea level rise on a barrier island as we replace aged and ineffective infrastructure. We are looking for a dynamic, energetic individual to be a team leader of a diverse municipal workforce to deliver excellent customer service to our residents, visitors and business community. Interested candidates meeting the minimum requirements should apply online at http://www.miamibeachfl.gov.

CGA Employment Opportunities CGA is an innovative multidisciplinary Engineering Firm ranked as a Top Ten Engineering Firm by South Florida Business Journal, and in the top 100 fastest growing United States architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms; with main offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. CGA is hiring engineers with expertise in water, wastewater, roadway, traffic, and/or storm water design. Candidates must have a PE license or EI certification and 5 to 10 years of experience. Apply at jobs@cgasolutions.com

Lab Manager Bachelor's degree with major course work in biology, chemistry, microbiology, or chemical engineering; supplemented by three (3) years laboratory experience and certification in microbiology by the State of Florida. Apply at cityofwinterpark.org

CDM Smith is Hiring in Florida! CDM Smith provides lasting and integrated solutions in water, environment, transportation, energy and facilities to public and private clients worldwide. As a full-service consulting, engineering, construction, and operations firm, we deliver exceptional client service, quality results and enduring value across the entire project life cycle. We are currently looking to fill Water/Wastewater Senior Project Manager openings in: • Jacksonville • Orlando

• Fort Myers • Miami • Broward/Palm Beach County

Successful candidates will have a Bachelors in engineering (Masters preferred), 10+ years of experience including project management experience, P.E. registration in Florida or ability to obtain quickly. We also have openings for a variety of other opportunities in our 10 Florida offices. For more information and to apply online, please visit www.cdmsmith.com. Those interested may also contact Will Vereen at vereenwp@cdmsmith.com. EOE Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2015

Certification Boulevard Answer Key From page 40 February 2014

Editorial Calendar January ......Wastewater Treatment February ....Water Supply; Alternative Sources March ........Energy Efficiency; Environmental Stewardship April............Conservation and Reuse May ............Operations and Utilities Management; Florida Water Resources Conference June ..........Biosolids Management and Bioenergy Production July ............Stormwater Management; Emerging Technologies; FWRC Review

1. D) TN less than 3.0 ppm, TP less than 1.0 ppm Typical advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) standards in Florida, especially for effluents discharged to open water bodies, are sometimes no greater than 3.0 ppm for total nitrogen (TN), and no greater than 1.0 ppm for total phosphorus (TP).

2. C) Sodium hydroxide Of these chemicals, sodium hydroxide is the only one that will consistently increase effluent pH when added.

3. C) The ORP value is fairly unaffected by that level adjustment of nitrates. Nitrates typically do not have any significant effect on the ORP value—or maybe none at all.

4. B) The ORP value decreases. The ORP and ammonia are inversely proportional to each other; when the ammonia level increases, the ORP value decreases, and conversely, when the ammonia level drops, the ORP value increases.

August........Disinfection; Water Quality September..Emerging Issues; Water Resources Management October ......New Facilities, Expansions, and Upgrades November ..Water Treatment

5. D) The chlorine demand is multiplied by more than 5 for each pound of nitrite oxidized. Nitrites (NO2) will consume about five times their weight in chlorine before a residual is detected. However, nitrate (NO3) values have little to no effect on demand for chlorine in the disinfection process.

December ..Distribution and Collection 6. B) 4.2 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). The closing date for display ad and directory card reservations, notices, announcements, upcoming events, and everything else including classified ads, is 30 days before the issue month (for example, September 1 for the October issue). For further information on submittal requirements, guidelines for writers, advertising rates and conditions, and ad dimensions, as well as the most recent notices, announcements, and classified advertisements, go to www.fwrj.com or call 352-241-6006.

Display Advertiser Index AWWA Symposium ................36

FWPCOA Training ..................45

Blue Planet ............................63

FWRC ..............................19-25

CDM Smith ............................61

Garney ...................................5

CEU Challenge ......................28

Gemini Group ........................15

Crom ....................................47

GML Coatings ..................27,37

Data Flow ..............................33

Hudson Pump ........................29

FSAWWA Drop Savers............18

ISA ........................................50

FSAWWA Awards ..................34

Polston Technology ................31

FSAWWA Likens ..................49

Solar Bee ................................9

FSAWWA Training ..................39

Stacon.....................................2

FWPCOA Online Training ..........7

TREEO ..................................51

FWPCOA Short School ..........11

Xylem ...................................64

March 2015 • Florida Water Resources Journal

The pH scale is 0 to 14, 0 to 6.9 is acidic, 7.0 is neutral, and 7.1 to 14 is basic (alkaline), so from the list of possibly answers, 4.2 is the most acidic pH.

7. C) Sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide is the only chemical on this list that will effectively dechlorinate chlorinated effluent. Others chemicals used for dechlorination are sodium thiosulfate and sodium bisulfite.

8. C) 3.4 percent Total suspended solids (TSS), ppm = weight of suspended solids in grams x (1,000,000 ÷ ml of sample) Weight of TSS = Final wt. - paper tare wt. = 2.2255 gm - 1.8873 gm = 0.3382 gm TSS, ppm = 0.3382 gm x 1,000,000 ÷ 10 ml sample = 33,820 mg/L (ppm) TSS, percent = TSS, mg/L ÷ 10,000 mg/L per 1 percent = 33,820 mg/L ÷ 10,000 mg/L = 3.38 percent

9. D) d Circumference is calculated as pi times the diameter, or πd. Basically, you can take the diameter of any circle and wrap it around the circumference (the outer wall of the circle) 3.14 times. If you have a calculator with a pi button, it typically displays 3.14159265359. Another method of calculating the circumference of a circle is 2πr, which would be 2 times 3.14 times radius. For example: this is the circumference of a 100-ft diameter clarifier calculated both ways: πd … 3.14 x 100 ft = 314 ft 2πr … 2 x 3.14 x 50 ft = 314 ft

10. D) 660,580 gal Volume per ft = π r2 x 1 ft x 7.48 gal/ft3 3.14 x 37.5 ft x 37.5 ft x 1 ft x 7.48 gal/ft3 = 33,029 gal per ft 33,029 gal per ft x 20 ft = 660,580 gal … 20 ft in a 75-ft diameter tank