Accurately measuring flow is critical for water utility operations. Also, regulatory agencies mandate flow monitoring and require annual calibration of meters. But even a meter in perfect condition and properly calibrated can read inaccurately. Flow disturbances are a common cause of accuracy and repeatability errors.
Water treatment plant (WTP) and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operators are increasingly supporting better decision-making by leveraging digitalization capabilities available through instrumentation and plant management systems. Successful adoption of digitalization starts with identifying the right balance of tools (i.e., web-networked instrumentation) and systems (i.e., analytical data management software). Maximizing the value, however, is as much about exercising a mind-set of efficiency as it is about tracking raw numbers.
In a recent keynote speech at Wharton’s Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL), Innovyze CEO Colby Manwaring took the stage to address the current state of flood modeling techniques. The story? We can do better.
From the largest metropolitan water treatment plant (WTP) or wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operations to the smallest rural systems, the goals are essentially the same — achieve regulatory compliance and the most efficient results at the lowest practical cost. The most feasible (i.e., affordable) control solutions vary by process, plant size, and budgetary limitations. Here are several high-level guidelines to achieving a common strategy that works across virtually all applications: good data, properly analyzed, yields good results.
Water resource recovery (WRR) plants must monitor ammonium and orthophosphate. Permitted levels for these nutrients in effluent discharge are becoming increasingly tight because state environmental agencies and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are requiring dischargers to reduce the amount of nutrients in their effluent.
As capacity requirements change and grow, it is essential to have agility when modeling system expansions and their potential impacts on current collections assets. How can wastewater management systems be modeled to address all current and future hydraulic capacity needs?
Designing an underground stormwater storage system is a unique step in the overall construction process for each site. The size of the inlets and the conveyance pipes are determined by flow rate, elevation, and slope. This information is entered and calculated by stormwater management software to determine the drainage calculation. But many of the measures build upon one another or vary based on different criteria, so it can be a pretty complex process. That’s why we’re going to take a look at the top 10 factors that go into designing and installing one of these systems.
Pump clogs cause sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and backed up lift stations that damage the environment. They also put the public health at risk and lead to regulatory fines for the utility.
Data analysis around pipe condition, inflow & infiltration (I&I), and overflows can build a case for the approval of infrastructure funding in budget planning.
Big Data is more than a marketing buzzword. It’s become an essential tool for helping utility operators prioritize capital investments, manage network assets, and provide a higher level of service to customers.
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