Wastewater consultant and trainer Dan Theobald (“Wastewater Dan”) closes the loop on pump performance.
It might seem straight out of Space Camp, but there is an increasingly common scene in water and wastewater municipalities where supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) simulation training offers hands-on experience to usher in the next generation of operators.
Flow velocity is defined in fluid dynamics as the specific distance (feet, yards, or miles) fluids such as water and wastewater travel in an exact period of time including seconds, minutes, or hours. In managing your water/wastewater, applying this tool can be very useful.
As the anticipated retirements of an aging utility workforce are raising concerns among water utilities nationwide, the issue of attracting, training, and retaining qualified replacements grows more urgent. To help water industry managers, employees, and prospective employees protect the public welfare, the industry offers a variety of certification guidance and assistance to get utilities where they need to be.
Water Online’s “Math Solutions” series, presented by wastewater consultant and trainer Dan Theobald (“Wastewater Dan”), instructs operators on specific math solutions for operator certification exam preparation.
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.
Mass market access to the internet through a combination of hardwired, Wi-Fi, or cellular communications channels has conditioned many people to think that “a network is a network is a network.” When it comes to water utilities, however, the nature of the application environments and requirements dictate a closer look at how to satisfy the specific requirements most efficiently. Here are 14 checkpoints to consider before selecting a new network option or revamping an old one.
In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), repair vs. replace considerations are an ongoing dilemma. How much money is it sensible to spend repairing an older piece of equipment vs. upgrading to the best overall replacement option for current operating conditions? Even if the underlying hope is for a quick and easy repair, the answers are not always cut-and-dried. Before making the default decision to repair, evaluate key points that can pay dividends both immediately and over the long run.
“I know that (blank) is good for me; I just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet!” Most of us can fill in that blank with any number of tasks — modifying diets, exercising, or monitoring commercial and industrial (C&I) water meter accuracy at our largest utility accounts. If that last item is still on your “to-do” list, here are several good reasons why you should do it and how to make it happen soon.
In regulated wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) environments, which require 100 percent blower system redundancy to satisfy the most extreme operating conditions, it can be easier to meet demanding physical thresholds than it is to refine energy performance to the ideal minimum. Here are some guidelines for covering all the bases — estimating the potential payback of balancing blower type, size, and turndown capacity while making the evaluation exercise worth the effort.
Unmanned well sites in remote locations present operational challenges. Data must not only be collected, but it also must be monitored to uncover any discrepancies, and ideally predict any problems before they occur. Advanced analytics software, coupled with a sophisticated data collection system, can address these issues, and also provide additional benefits.
Businesses rely on process units meeting or exceeding their operational plans. To ensure that operational plans are achieved, it is important that equipment operates as designed (i.e., delivers the required performance) and continues to operate in an optimum manner (i.e., remains reliable, in a good condition). The most common causes of missing operational plan targets are equipment failure, which results in unplanned downtime, and low quality or yields from production processes.
The prime reason most industrial plants still have internal, on-site maintenance staffs is to reduce repair times and unplanned downtime, which negatively impact revenue, customer satisfaction, cost, and other key business metrics. In most plants today, contracting with the equipment manufacturer for maintenance usually results in unacceptably long periods of downtime for critical equipment while waiting for a technician to arrive – particularly with the typical two passes required for inspection and repair.
At ARC Advisory Group’s 20th Annual Industry Forum in Orlando, Florida, Shawn Anderson, Senior Research Specialist for Fisher Valves, a division of Emerson Process Management, gave a presentation on how the company is leveraging the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to help end users reduce valve-related unplanned downtime.
A city in Washington State has agreed to settle a lawsuit with a former employee who accused its public utility of encouraging a workplace hostile to women.
The Hollister Water Reclamation Facility, which is operated and maintained by Veolia North America, has been recognized with the Safety Plant of the Year Award by the Monterey Bay section of the California Water Environment Association for its commitment to ensuring the plant is operated safely for both employees and the community.
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) joins other major clean water organizations in supporting the bipartisan introduction of the Water Quality Protection and Jobs Creation Act of 2019.
American Water, the nation’s largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, announced recently that it has earned four 2019 Military Friendly Employer designations by VIQTORY, a military-focused marketing and publishing company.
Above-and-beyond commitment from the personnel responsible for treating the nation’s wastewater might not be a surprise to those who work in the industry. But even by the highest standards, one man in Rhode Island has earned himself special accolade for his dedication to the craft.
The International Water Association (IWA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have launched jointly the digital AquaRating Community of Practice for water professionals at a water utilities workshop in Quito, Ecuador.
