Water Online’s “Math Solutions,” presented by wastewater consultant and trainer Dan Theobald (“Wastewater Dan”), instructs operators on poundage calculations.
It’s a foregone conclusion that operators are on their way out at utilities across the country, yet the workload remains and could even intensify. When it comes to preserving talent, institutional knowledge, and the future of the industry, the solution may be closer than you think.
Looking around the room at the Southwest Membrane Operators Association (SWMOA) board meeting, it was brought to my attention that this was the first time SWMOA has had two women on the board of directors — myself and Christiana Daisy, Operations Manager at West Basin Municipal Water District. Pretty impressive, considering that female representation in SWMOA has only been ~10 percent since its inception in 2006.
After deployment of an AMI system that didn’t work properly, initially forcing them to manually read meters, Highland Village was in need of a new vendor and product they could count on. Enter Badger Meter and the BEACON® AMA managed solution, with ORION® Cellular endpoints.
The City of Bloomington, MN, took home this year’s “best-tasting tap water” prize from AWWA’s annual conference with a combination of the right technologies and the right people.
Efficiently service and maintain intelligent field devices
Field devices are the eyes and ears of automation. The failure of a valve positioner, temperature, flow or pressure sensor can quickly lead to serious malfunction of the process. With SIMATIC PDM Maintenance Station V3.0, Siemens offers the right solution for efficiently monitoring the condition of smart field devices, irrespective of the automation and control systems used
From data to knowledge to transformation
Move from complexity to simplicity, from asset and process intelligence to operational intelligence with the PI System. Its highly scalable, open data infrastructure empowers enterprises in real time, transforming operational data into actionable knowledge and business transformation.
ABB uses digital solutions to drive outcomes. Engaging customers to demonstrate tangible results that scale.
The new generation of ABB’s total plant automation: DCS and SCADA for the power and water industries.
Reduced operational costs and downtime through seamless distributed control system integration.
Real-time control of a 360km water distribution system through an advanced distributed control system.
Improved water reliability and lifecycle costs through total control of a one hundred mile transfer system.
100% available water in the driest of deserts through highly efficient desalination.
Reasons for changing water or wastewater asset management practices include unacceptable process downtime, statutory requirements for documenting infrastructure integrity, or the desire to refine process cost-effectiveness and maintenance-budget ROI. Here are examples of strategic approaches that can better match desirable asset management outcomes to the real needs of water utility operations.
A variety of research indicates that industry loses 3 percent to 5 percent (and in some cases more) of its productivity annually to unplanned shutdowns due to equipment failure. With all the data and connectivity available through today’s Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology and SCADA systems, water and wastewater treatment operations can reduce those losses significantly…if management is willing to consider and adopt proven strategic approaches.
The cost of water delivered to customers is as much about the energy needed to move it as the chemicals required to treat it. Balancing water chemistry, infrastructure costs, and energy consumption is key to optimizing the overall cost of operation. Experience shows that some astute water suppliers are closer to achieving their ideal outcomes than most people realize. Here are some insights into how that works.
For most water or wastewater system operators, engineers, and repair crews, the only thing worse than facing a 24”-main emergency repair is facing an even larger one. To those who have never performed an emergency line stop and bypass, the idea of completing repairs with no service outage, no long-term shutdown, and no ‘boil water’ notice is almost beyond belief. To those who have, it’s a sigh of relief.
The term “cellular” often calls to mind certain assumptions and limitations based on prior experience with consumer cellphone networks. Don’t confuse cellular-based Internet of Things (IoT) applications with past cellular experiences, though. The relatively new Long Term Evolution for Machines (LTE-M) standard represents a whole new ballgame. In short, “This is not your father’s cellular network.”
Fluctuations in pressure are the best indicator that a problem is brewing in a water distribution system, so monitoring pressure at strategic points can provide valuable insight about potential leaks. However, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. The good news is that technology is available to gather pressure data that can be used to enhance service and improve asset management without a large capital investment by utilities.
Addressing past due accounts traditionally means sending out a crew to turn off the water and then sending them back to restore service when the bill is paid. This can create a less-than-ideal situation by generating significant labor costs while having a potentially negative impact on vulnerable populations. Fortunately, there is a newer method available to address revenue capture while providing enhanced customer service by avoiding a turnoff.
With so many different safety concerns — government-mandated or self-imposed — municipal and industrial wastewater treatment operators have a lot on their plates. Maintaining aerators used in open-basin treatment applications is just one source of those safety concerns. That is why a new approach to safeguarding worker well-being in the process of aerator maintenance activities is worth a closer look.
Turner & Townsend director Tania Flasck shares insights and advice from her own experience ahead of British Water’s Women in Water event
A newly-revamped web site invites job seekers to discover “great careers for a great cause” in the water sector at www.workforwater.org.
Brown and Caldwell, a leading environmental engineering and construction firm, recently announced Martha Bixby has joined the firm as vice president of health and safety.
If you’re passionate about water and building a strong, diverse and inclusive water workforce of the future, you need to be at WEFTEC 2019, the Water Environment Federation’s 92nd annual technical conference and exhibition.
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) proudly announces the 2019 WEF Awards recipients for education.
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) proudly announces the 2019 WEF Awards recipients for individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the sustainability of water resources and made a profound impact on the future of the water profession.
