February 2016

IN MY WORDS:
Training for a new generation

PAGE 52
TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE:
Phosphate analyzer
saves reagent
PAGE 56
tpomag.com
FEBRUARY 2016
Turning
Up the
Heat
Cliff Dyck
Wastewater Foreman
North Battleford, Saskatchewan
NORTH BATTLEFORD MAKES

BIG STRIDES IN BIOSOLIDS QUALITY
PAGE 44
HEARTS AND MINDS:
Education takes center stage
PAGE 10
SHOW
ISSUE
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Phosphorus Removal | Nitrification Control | Sludge Treatment
contents
February 2016
top performers:
WATER: PLANT Page 32
Winning Streak
A focus on constant improvement helps an Illinois water plant earn 15

straight Directors Awards from the Partnership for Safe Water.
By Jim Force
WATER: PLANT Page 20
20
32
on the cover
The Saskatchewan community of

North Battleford was an early
adopter of a new low-temperature
thermal hydrolysis process that
converts biosolids to nutrient-rich
fertilizer. It uses low-pressure, lowtemperature steam, alkali addition,
and high shearing in a closed reactor. Cliff Dyck,
wastewater foreman, is shown with the Lystek
biosolids reactor. (Photography by Paul Sayers)
44
12
Aiming Ever Higher
Louisville Water is the second utility in the U.S. to earn two Phase IV
awards from the Partnership for Safe Water.
By Trude Witham
WASTEWATER: PLANT Page 12
Best of Cultures
The team at the La Plata Wastewater Reclamation Facility conquers

upgrades and operational challenges with ingenuity and dedication.
By Scottie Dayton
WASTEWATER: BIOSOLIDS Page 44
Turning Up the Heat
A Saskatchewan treatment facility makes big strides in biosolids quality

with thermal hydrolysis process.
By Jim Force
LETS BE CLEAR Page 8
When Did Resource Frugality Become

Un-American?
Our country seems divided in attitudes about the
importance of conserving energy and the wise
use of resources in general.
By Ted J. Rulseh, Editor
HEARTS AND MINDS Page 10
Drought Response Stage Right

The East Bay Municipal Utility District recruits
theater groups to deliver performance-based
water conservation messages.
By Craig Mandli
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS Page 26
Raising the Bar
PLANTSCAPES Page 50
PRODUCT NEWS Page 70
Operators embellish an established pond habitat

and spruce up the plant grounds to enhance the
visitor experience.
Product Spotlight Water: Neptune mechanical

diaphragm metering pumps offer high-pressure,
flow-through design; Product Spotlight Wastewater: Hydro International grit removal system
adaptable for intermittent pumping
A Valued Resource
By Jeff Smith
IN MY WORDS Page 52
By Ed Wodalski
Training for the Future
WORTH NOTING Page 74
Kansas Municipal Utilities organization starts

construction on a new training center to help
groom new generations of operators.
People/Awards; Events
By Ted J. Rulseh
coming next month: March 2016
BUILDING THE TEAM Page 54
FOCUS: Pumps
Return on Investment
Continuous training gives Union Sanitary

District team members the knowledge and
experience to stay at the top of their field.
Lets Be Clear: Historys greatest medical milestone
@TPOMAG.COM Page 30
Lower-Cost Analysis
Visit daily for exclusive news, features and blogs.
Phosphate analyzer from Endress+Hauser is

designed to provide accurate measurements from
process streams while conserving reagent.
Top Performers:
Wastewater Operator: Rebecca West
Spartanburg Water, South Carolina
Wastewater Biosolids: Excellence Award in
Ocala, Florida
Water Operator: Donald Malovets Brazos River
Authority, Texas
Water Plant: Truckee Meadows Water Authority,
Reno, Nevada
By Ted J. Rulseh
How We Do It: Radiant heat for biosolids drying
Ontarios Grand Bend treatment facility earns top

recognition for sustainability based on environmental, economic and community benefits.
By Doug Day
WWETT SHOW PREVIEW Page 38
Gear Up for a Great Time
Country chart-topper Jerrod Niemann promises

popular hits plus some laughter and craziness at
his WWETT Show performance.
By Ann Stawski
TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE Page 56
PRODUCT FOCUS Page 58
Tech Talk: The trouble with too much air
Biosolids Management
and Headworks
Sustainable Operations: Natural treatment at a

Georgia university
By Craig Mandli
In My Words: Perspectives on energy efficiency
A Halt to Hauling
CASE STUDIES Page 64
A southwest Florida treatment plant turns to lime

stabilization to create Class A biosolids for land
application and cuts handling costs significantly.
PlantScapes: Tree planting and landscaping in

Milwaukie, Oregon
By Craig Mandli
By Cory Dellenbach
HOW WE DO IT: WASTEWATER Page 40
By Larry Trojak
and Headworks
INDUSTRY NEWS Page 68
Technology Deep Dive: Integrated motor and

pump control
lets be clear
When Did Resource Frugality

Become Un-American?
OUR COUNTRY SEEMS DIVIDED IN ATTITUDES
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVING ENERGY
AND THE WISE USE OF RESOURCES IN GENERAL
By Ted J. Rulseh, Editor
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hile in college working for

peanuts in the cafeteria dish
room, I heard two opposite and
striking attitudes toward food waste.
One student complained about the
food services admonition to take one
and come back for more. The idea, of
course, was that eyes are bigger than
stomachs and that students who right
away grab two portions may end up
wasting one. This students attitude
was, Ill take as much as I want, when
I want, and if I waste the food, so
what? Im paying for it.
On a different day, an international student from Africa expressed
shock at the volume of leftovers headed
for the garbage disposal: People in
my country would kill for this food.
It seems that here in the States we have a less extreme
but still significant divide on the subject of wasting (or conserving) resources in general. This matters in the water
industry because, first of all, water is precious, and second,
to a meaningful degree, water and energy are the same (it
takes one to produce the other).
FORGET THE POLITICS

We hear a lot about energy these days in the context of
greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. I wont get
into the politics of global warming, except to say that what
fights climate change (mainly using less fossil fuel) is highly
beneficial whether climate change exists or not. That is, it
cuts pollution, saves money, and reduces reliance on fuel
from unstable regions. (Have you ever seen a Support Our
Troops ribbon on the back of a Hummer and wondered if
the owner sees any irony?)
Anyway, this is where we run into the divide about conserving resources. Some people want badly to conserve and
will spend lavishly to do so. Others act almost as if being
frugal with energy is somehow un-American.
Remember the first oil crisis in the late 1970s? President
Jimmy Carter was drummed out of office in the 1980 election in part for having worn a sweater in a televised speech
and suggesting we might have to use less fuel.
Its fashionable in some circles to revile trains and sneer

at bicycles. Yet its common for people in big cities to spend
one hour, two hours, each way every day, commuting for
work, much of that time simply idling in place. What could
be more wasteful than millions of cars and trucks on a given
day, across the country, sitting still on gridlocked freeways
getting 0 miles per gallon? But dont dare suggest we downsize our vehicles, carpool or use transit. Gas is cheap. Drill,
baby, drill!
TAKING IT HOME
At home, were still addicted to huge houses. And a hue
and cry went up when federal legislation outlawed 100-watt
incandescent lightbulbs. Nevermind that compact fluorescents and especially LEDs can save us money despite their
higher cost (and free us from the annoyance of changing bulbs).
Most of us could meaningfully save on energy at home with
a few simple measures, especially if we live in homes built
before the latest energy efficiency codes took effect. But we
dont make it much of a priority. (And here I must admit that
initial investment is a barrier and payback can be slow.)
And how about water? People who live in areas of scarcity
get it. But what about those living where I grew up, next to
a Great Lake with an infinite supply? Why should they
conserve? Well, because it costs energy and money to convey, treat, and deliver drinking water, and to collect and
treat wastewater.
No one suggests that everyone drive (so-called) Smart
Cars, or that we freeze (or swelter) in our homes to save on
gas, oil and electricity. I do wish, though, that we could
emember the first oil crisis in the late 1970s?

President Jimmy Carter was drummed out
of office in the 1980 election in part for having
worn a sweater in a televised speech and
suggesting we might have to use less fuel.
agree in principle that efficient use of energy is good

maybe even patriotic and that wasteful habits are not
something in which to take pride.
And if we did so agree, maybe it would be politically easier to free up investments in energy-saving technologies for
water systems. Like cogeneration at the many wastewater
treatment plants that at present dont make good use of their
biogas. Or hydroturbines in more gravity-flow water transmission pipes. So ends my sermon for February.
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tpomag.com February 2016
HEARTS
AND MINDS
Drought Response
Stage Right
THE EAST BAY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT
RECRUITS THEATER GROUPS TO DELIVER PERFORMANCEBASED WATER CONSERVATION MESSAGES
By Craig Mandli
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE EAST BAY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT
n the shadow of the iconic Hollywood sign, the newest soldiers in the battle against drought in Southern California are not those youd imagine.
Using song, dance, acrobatics and even improvisational comedy,
several theater troupes have partnered with the East Bay Municipal Utility
District to bring the importance of water conservation to a wider audience.
The idea was born of an early-spring brainstorming session, as personnel in the districts community outreach department spitballed new ideas to
spread the conservation message. Weve been in a Stage 4 drought for a
while now and are constantly looking at additional and unique ways to
reach our communities, says Michelle Blackwell, a community affairs representative with the district.
It was one of those things that started as a seed and just grew from
there. I had previous event planning experience, so I was happy to take on a
big role with it.
The district hired three California theater troupes EarthCapades of
Pacifica (www.earthcapades.com), Benny & Bebes Magic Circus of Rafael
(www.magiccircus.com), and Shows That Teach (www.showsthatteach.com)
of Woodland Hills to produce abbreviated 20-minute acts.
Benny Buettner performs as a scientist in a Benny & Bebes Magic Circus

presentation focusing on the science of water.
We got a lot of positive feedback on our drought theater programs

from a lot of people. I think many appreciated that it was a fun
way to spread an idea that isnt always fun to spread.
MICHELLE BLACKWELL
The programs highlight the drought restrictions put in place by Gov.

Jerry Brown in April 2015, calling for a 25 percent reduction in water usage.
After the troupes received the project parameters, they were free to shape
their presentations.
We leveraged our position in the community to get the word out, scheduling the shows at schools and community events with a built-in crowd,
says Blackwell. It was something completely new for us.
EDUCATIONAL THEATER
Mark Beckwith, left, plays straight man to

Michael Tuba Heathertons water conservation
doofus in a Shows That Teach presentation.
10
In the Shows That Teach presentation, a man called Tuba channels his
inner Alanis Morissette as he riffs, urging his audience to Turn it off, turn
it off, turn it off! Please. That and other drops of water conservation wisdom are part of the troupes H2O, Where Did You Go? musical.
In addition to Turn It Off!, which preaches shorter showers, efficient
toothbrushing and smart irrigation, the show features ear-catching tunes

like I Love Water, From Solid to Liquid and Ballad of the Aquifer.
The grand finale features hula-dancing audience members and lessons
about condensation and evaporation that get them laughing, and thinking.
The EarthCapades theater group highlights environmental issues with
the help of acrobatics, juggling and deft unicycle work, all performed while
discussing water-saving devices such as reusable water bottles and low-flow
showerheads. They also use a prop plunger to introduce the importance of
promptly fixing plumbing leaks.
Benny & Bebes Magic Circus presented The Amazing Science Water
Show. Using science learning and comedy magic, the program taught audience members how to survive the
drought by taking small steps to
conserve water every day.
Our goal is to drive home those
basic requirements that everyone
can adhere to, says Blackwell. We
LEFT: Hearty (aka D. Heartlife), Earth-
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Represented across the U.S. and around the world.
Capades co-director and performer,

rides a unicycle while discussing the
importance of water-saving devices.
BELOW: Benny Buettner performs
as a scientist in Benny & Bebes
Magic Circus presentation of The
Amazing Science Water Show at
the World One Festival in El Cerrito,
California.
3787, boul. Frontenac Ouest

Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada G6H 2B5
Phone: 952 288-5771

941 748-8549
general@fournierindustries.com
w w w.r ot ar y-pr es s .c om
end this coming winter, theres another drought around the corner. Thats
why its important we remain proactive in our outreach and education, and
keep looking for new ways to reach the community.
The success of the theater program has Blackwell looking to improve it.
She was hindered by a relatively late start in 2015, and even when she managed to get the troupes into entertainment lineups, they often werent a part
of the main program.
Many of the community events our groups performed at were able to
get them in out of the kindness of their hearts, but they were often an undercard presentation, says Blackwell. To get these type of shows on the main
program you have to schedule early, sometimes as early as January or February for early summer events.
BIGGER PICTURE
want to foster the next generation of Southern California residents who are
wise stewards of our regions natural resources.
Despite a relatively late start, Blackwell was able to book nearly 30 drought
education shows for the three troupes across Southern California, far exceeding the districts goal. We got a lot of positive feedback on our drought theater programs from a lot of people, she says. I think many appreciated
that it was a fun way to spread an idea that isnt always fun to spread.
IMMEDIATE RESULTS
Water restrictions have been largely successful in the East Bay region.
June and July saw a 31 percent reduction of water use across all customer
groups compared with 2013, surpassing the districts communitywide goal
of a 20 percent reduction.
Blackwell says residents should prepare to make lasting changes to their
water usage as long as the drought continues: Even if the drought were to
Scheduling early also helps local media to report on the programs.

Blackwell was excited to see several newspapers and television stations pick
up on the story, but theres always room for more. Of course, anytime we
can get media coverage, not only is it a great thing for the theater groups, it
gets our conservation message to an even wider audience, she says.
The drought theater is only a small portion of the districts outreach. In
addition to a water conservation website, the district does media outreach,
erects billboards, and gives dozens of school and community presentations
annually. We do a wide array of outreach as a district, but the majority is
headed by our in-house staff, Blackwell says. Thats why drought theater
was such a great way to augment that. It got other people involved.
Noting that droughts are becoming more frequent and severe in the
West, the district hopes to help people make water conservation efforts permanent habits. Theres a high awareness that water is a community
resource, she says. Its not up to one person but the entire community that
needs to do the right thing.
11
top performer
wastewater:
PLANT
Bestof Cultures
THE TEAM AT THE LA PLATA RECLAMATION FACILITY PLANT CONQUERS

UPGRADES AND OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES WITH INGENUITY AND DEDICATION
STORY: Scottie Dayton | PHOTOGRAPHY: John Boal
HEAVY RUNOFF CAUSED SANITARY

SEWER OVERFLOWS IN THE TOWN OF
La Plata, Maryland. At the La Plata Wastewater Reclamation Facility, high influxes of clear water washed
away much of the bacteria colony in the sand filters.
A 2001 U.S. EPA mandate to update the treatment
plant to biological nutrient removal didnt include what
was really needed additional equalization tanks. Frequent SSOs, which began in 1988, forced the town into
a 2005 consent decree with the state Department of the
Environment to reduce inflow and infiltration. Other
consent orders followed. Under the Chesapeake Bay 2000
Agreement, the plant also faced compliance with enhanced
nutrient removal standards by 2010.
That was a lot to ask from a municipality with under
50 employees. To coordinate its efforts, the town created a
director of operations position and in January 2008 hired
Robert Stahl to fill it. Stahl oversees the water, wastewater and stormwater utilities and manages the Public
Works, Roads and Streets, and Parks departments.
Im not satisfied with being No. 2, says Stahl. I
told everyone we would operate the best treatment plant
instead of chasing our tails fixing problems. The staff
welcomed the change in culture and willingly accepted
modern technology. In 2013, Stahl was named DecisionMaker of the Year by the Maryland Rural Water Association. Two years later, the organization named La Plata
the Wastewater System of the Year for improving the
quality and consistency of the treatment process and service to customers.
PACKAGE MODULES
Ludzack-Ettinger process bioreactors (Evoqua Water

Technologies).
Each module has a clarifier in the center surrounded
by treatment tanks with WILO pumps and mixers supplied
by Evoqua. Influent enters a distribution box on the top
of the first anoxic mixing zone on the modules far side.
A V-notch weir sends 350 gpm to the anoxic zone and excess
downstream to an 85,000-gallon equalization basin.
Moving counterclockwise, influent flows through the
second and third anoxic zones before entering the switch
tank, which is anoxic in summer for additional denitrification and oxic in winter. It has a dozen 9-inch
tapered ceramic fine-bubble diffusers (Sanitaire - a
Im not satisfied with being No. 2. I told
Built in 1971 and upgraded in

2001 and 2011, La Platas 1.5 mgd
everyone we would operate the best treatment
(design) activated sludge plant sits
plant instead of chasing our tails fixing problems.
on the side of a steep hill. Wastewater from 9,000 customers flows
ROBERT STAHL
over an Aqua Guard filter element
screen (Parkson Corp.) and into a wet well with two
Xylem Brand) on one bar. From the switch tank, liquid
2,200 gpm pumps (WILO USA) that lift influent 50
enters the oxic zone with 64 fine-bubble diffusers on five
feet to two cyclone grit separators (Envirodyne Systems).
evenly spaced bars. The last bar closest to the internal
Liquid then flows by gravity to a distribution box that
recycle zone has only four diffusers to reduce dissolved
evenly doses four identical 500,000-gallon modified
oxygen to almost zero.
The La Plata Wastewater Reclamation Facility team includes, back row, from left: James Brown, senior operator; Bill
Eckman, project manager; Austin Corbin, Public Works technician I collection and distribution; John Gromen and
Damian Somerville, operators in training; Roger Karr, plant superintendent; Tiff Bradshaw, regional supervisor MES; and
Robert Stahl, director of operations; front row, Steve Murphy, assistant director Public Works, collection and distribution;
Katherine Winstead and Mary Trollinger, administrative assistants; Eddie Dixon, Public Works technician II collection and
distribution; and Mike Templeton, James Fenwick and Nick Manning, operators in training.
13
La Plata (Maryland) Wastewater

Reclamation Facility
BUILT: |
1971 (upgraded 2001; 2011)

POPULATION SERVED: | 9,000
SERVICE AREA: | 7.4 square miles
FLOWS: | 1.5 mgd design; 900,000 gpd average
TREATMENT LEVEL: | Secondary
TREATMENT PROCESS: | Activated sludge
RECEIVING WATER: | Port Tobacco River tributary
BIOSOLIDS: | Landfilled
ANNUAL BUDGET: | $3.3 million (operations)
WEBSITE: | www.townoflaplata.org
GPS COORDINATES: | Latitude: 383146.06N; longitude: 765912.37W
James Brown takes samples

of the final effluent, which
discharges into a tributary of
the Port Tobacco River.
La Plata Wastewater Reclamation Facility

PERMIT AND PERFORMANCE (monthly averages)
PERMIT
EFFLUENT
30 mg/L
BOD
< 10 mg/L
TSS
45 mg/L
< 5 mg/L
Total phosphorus
0.3 mg/L
< 0.2 mg/L
Total nitrogen
3 mg/L
Not detectable
Fecal coliform
14/100 mL
< 1.8/100 mL
well. Treated water flows to a rapidmix tank, then to a DAVCO tertiary

upflow cone clarifier (Evoqua Water
Technologies).
Liquid leaving the cone filter
flows through a pinch valve that
keeps the launders (overflow weirs)
full and prevents introduction of
large amounts of oxygen to three
DynaSand EcoWash sand filters
(Parkson Corp.). Denitrified effluent flows off the filters to a reaeration zone, then passes two banks of
TrojanUV3000 60-inch UV reactors.
Disinfected effluent discharges to a
tributary of Port Tobacco River.
Biosolids are aerobically digested;
decant water is pumped back through
the bioreactor. The thickened material is then dewatered in a 1.2-meter
belt press (Alfa Laval Ashbrook
Si mon-Har t ley) b efore b ei ng
landfilled.
SHOCK LOADS
Twenty-five percent of the liquid flowing into the recycle zone is pumped
to the distilling well in the center of the clarifier. Solids swept by rakes to the
center are pumped to the first anoxic zone. During wasting, pumps send solids to the digester tank between the equalization basin and the recycle zone.
To remove phosphorus, pumps inject alum and polymer into the distilling
14
Over the past five years, major

improvements to the collections system ended SSOs, but 2 to 3 inches of
rain can still spike inflow to 4 mgd
at the plant, which is designed for a four-hour surge of 3 mgd. Operators prepare for storms by feeding polymer to lower the sludge blankets in the clarifiers and prevent them from washing out. That is our biggest concern during
high flows, says Stahl.
Another concern is sustaining a thriving bacteria colony in the sand fil-
(Our employees) are talented people who constantly try to improve treatment by taking
the numbers to the next best level. They also arent content to just fix problems. They want
to figure out how to prevent them from becoming future problems.
ROBERT STAHL
To ensure a steadfast core of operators, the town contracts with Maryland

ters. The mainly residential influent has very low solids, and the bioreactors
Environmental Service to operate the plant. I dont separate La Plata employeat all of it. Effluent from them averages a starvation diet of 1.65 mg/L nitrate.
ees from MES employees, says Stahl. I tell them they all work for the town.
We constantly feed methanol as a carbon source and increase the dose after
During the $9 million upgrade in 2011, the community had an ace in the
high influxes to stimulate the depleted colonies, says Stahl.
hole: Stahls background in construction made him confident enough to assume
Besides dealing with natural events, operators preparing for the recent
the responsibility of construction manager for the $9 million upgrade. Keepupgrade unwittingly created a problem by cleaning the three bioreactor moding the project in-house saved the town more than $500,000.
ules, which took three months to dry. Once the tanks were back in service,
12:06
PM
1
team
wasPage
responsible
for more than 40 design changes that increased
the water was difficult to oxygenate. The rubber sleeves onPV8002AD_Layout
the diffusers had 1 5/25/11The
dried out, and the suns UV rays had hardened the
material. The only remedy was to replace the sleeves.
It took two days to drain and clean a module,
says Stahl. The third day, we lifted out the diffuser
Attention Treatment Plant Operators
bars with a crane, removed and cleaned the diffusers, and fitted new sleeves. That restored our DO
numbers.
GOOD NEIGHBORS
Stahl is immensely proud of his team members
and their accomplishments. Because La Plata is a
small municipality, operators learn everything relevant to water and wastewater treatment. Once trained,
many join larger nearby plants with higher wages.
Robert Stahl,
director of
operations
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15
STOPPING SSOs
The Town of La Plata has made major improvements to its
collections system to increase capacity and end sanitary sewer
overflows. One major project was building the 5 mgd Willow
Lane pump station to handle a third of the towns flow. Until then,
SSOs had occurred often at manholes along Willow Lane and
Centennial Street, resulting in consent orders.
We upsized the force main from 6 to 12 inches and installed
two 2,200 gpm/90 hp pumps (Flygt - a Xylem Brand) in the
station, says Robert Stahl, director of operations. They kick on
for 10 minutes every hour, sending 600 gpm to the plant. Without
sufficient equalization, those surges affect our process.
Then the team discovered that the Centennial Street SSOs
were not caused by excessive flow. During the 2001 plant upgrade,
a contractor had connected two trunk lines with a 36-foot length
of 8-inch pipe. Its restrictive diameter backed flows all the way to
the lowest manhole along the street. Workers replaced the
bottleneck with 16-inch pipe and upsized the two lines.
Since the Willow Lane pump station went online in April 2011,
La Plata has not had an SSO, even on days when storms dump 3
inches of rain in 15 minutes. Such amounts are not a one-off
occurrence in La Plata.
the plants efficiency and good neighbor status. In one case, the design specified a separate digester blower building with a generator, two blowers (one
for redundancy), and electric service just for the fourth bioreactor.
An operator observed that the site already had a building with four Hoffman & Lamson centrifugal process blowers for the existing bioreactors. He
suggested adding a small room to the original building to house the fifth
blower, eliminating the second redundant blower, and using the original control train. Furthermore, the plants 1 MW electrical service was more than
enough for the entire upgrade, making a second service unnecessary.
Mike Templeton (left) and James

Fenwick change out a seal leak
cable on a switch zone mixer
(Evoqua).
16
John Gromen hoses down

the top of the belt filter press
(Alfa Laval Ashbrook
Simon-Hartley).
The design drawings showed Bioreactor 4 and its generator within 100
feet of houses. Another operator pointed out that the generator would be too
noisy; he suggested eliminating the unit and integrating the existing generators electrical system with the reactor.
Another source of noise was a positive displacement blower that ran constantly next to the reaeration tank. One operator noticed the abundant capacity of the three Hoffman & Lamson blowers and suggested running an air
line from them to the tank. These changes saved the town and taxpayers
about $500,000, but they also were about customer service, says Stahl.
CAPACITY AND EFFICIENCY

In another case, with the budget precluding the necessary additional
equalization tanks, the team looked for other ways to increase plant capacity. One source became apparent after an analysis revealed the two sand filters would lack sufficient redundancy with the addition of a fourth bioreactor.
The constantly backwashed filters also released 160,000 gpd into the treatment train.
The states suggested remedy was to divide the filters into four zones at
a cost of $275,000. For $175,000 more, we built a third filter with room for
a fourth and have plenty of redundancy, says Stahl. We also converted them to denitrification and
added the EcoWash program. It backwashes the filters for 10 minutes every
hour, sending less than 50,000 gpd
through the plant.
The 2001 upgrade to the BNR
did not include a SCADA system.
Operators were forced to manually
operate components designed to automatically compensate for changing
flow. The biggest modification to
this plant has been implementing
SCADA, says Stahl. Its a custom
system by Hartwell Engineering that
uses Vijeo Citect collaborative software (Schneider Electric - Invensys).
We also have a full GIS system and
have mapped the distribution, collections and stormwater systems.
Stahl has come through with
ideas of his own. In one case during
the plant upgrade, a contractor
planned to over-excavate the hole for
the new 85-foot-diameter reactor,
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access information on anything I needed, enabling us to make educated decisions, says Stahl. I cant credit his help enough.
Doing much of the work themselves and being responsible for changes
in the plants processes and technology enhanced and consolidated the staffs
pride of ownership. They are talented people who constantly try to improve
treatment by taking the numbers to the next best level, says Stahl. They
also arent content to just fix problems. They want to figure out how to prevent them from becoming future problems. Our guys know it is all right to
be fussy.
featured products from:

Alfa Laval Ashbrook
Simon-Hartley
800/362-9041
www.alfalaval.us
The main control panels in the control center (Hartwell Engineering) allow staff
to monitor machinery function as well as nitrogen and oxygen levels.
then backfill with 4 feet of stone to ensure proper compaction. Only 24 inches
of the 16-foot-tall structure would remain above ground.
At 16 feet, workers hit a layer of very heavy clay bank run gravel. Stahl
immediately stopped excavation, knowing the material would meet all compaction standards. A consulting structural engineer agreed. We saved $25,000
by eliminating the stone bed, he says. That was a huge change order.
BEST MAN
Besides his great team, Stahls partner through the upgrade was 85-yearold Bill Eckman, the towns former mayor and oldest wastewater operator in
the state. Methodical and superbly organized, he kept track of utility and
department operations and all construction work. Bill could immediately
Envirodyne Systems, Inc.
717/763-0500
www.envirodynesystems.com
Parkson Corp.
888/727-5766
www.parkson.com
Sanitaire - a Xylem Brand

855/995-4261
www.sanitaire.com
Schneider Electric - Invensys

Evoqua Water Technologies LLC 949/727-3200
www.evoqua.com
Flygt - a Xylem Brand

855/995-4261
www.flygtus.com
Hartwell Engineering Inc

301/858-9281
www.he-inc.com
Hoffman & Lamson,

Gardner Denver Products
http://software.schneider-electric.com
(See ad page 31)
TrojanUV
888/220-6118
www.trojanuv.com
WILO USA LLC
888/945-6872
www.wilo-usa.com
866/238-6393
www.hoffmanandlamson.com
17
wwettshow.com
Welcome
to the 2016 Water & Wastewater

Equipment, Treatment &
Transport Show
Current Exhibitor List

3T Equipment Company Inc.
A. Rhodes Wilson & Associates, Inc.
A.R. North America, Inc.
ABBA Pump Parts & Service
Abbott Rubber Co., Inc.
ABCO Industries Limited
Acro Trailer
Advance Pump & Equipment, Inc.
Advanced Containment Systems, Inc.
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.
Advanced Infrastructure Technologies
Advanced Pressure Systems
Advantage Funding
Aero-Stream, LLC
AERO-TECH
AirSpade Division, Guardair
Corporation
AK Industries / Hydro-Action Mfg.
Alderon Industries, Inc.
Alfa Laval Tank Equipment Inc.
All Star Sewer Equipment
Allan J. Coleman Co.
Allied Forward Motion, LLC
Allied Graphics, Inc.
Alpine Equipment Funding, Inc.
AlturnaMATS by Checkers Industrial
Safety Products
Amazing Machinery, LLC
Ameri-Can
American Express OPEN
American Pipe & Plastics, Inc./
Atlore Plastic Pipe
American Sewer Parts and
Cleaning Inc.
Amesbury Truth
Amthor International
Anua
AP/M Permaform
Aqua Blast Corporation
Aqua Mole Technologies Inc.
AQUA-Zyme Disposal Systems, Inc.
AquaFlow
AquaSoles by TriStar Medical
Products LLC
Aquatech, a product of Hi-Vac
Corporation
Arcan Enterprises
Aries Industries, Inc.
Armal, Inc.
ART Company (A Restroom Trailer
Company)
Arthur Products Co.
ASHLAND PolyTraps
Ashland Pump
Avanti International
Bad Dog Tools
Ball Brass & Aluminum Foundry, Inc.
Banjo Corp.
BASE Engineering Inc.
BDP Industries, Inc.
Beacon Funding
Benjamin Media Inc.
Benlee, Inc.
Best Enterprises, Inc.
Bio-Microbics, Inc.
Biocleaner
BioLynceus
Bionetix International
BKP Berolina Polyester GmbH
& Co. KG
Black Tie Products, LLC
Blasters, Inc.
Blue Angel Pumps
bluefrog Plumbing + Drain
BODUS GmbH
Boerger, LLC
Boss Industries, LLC
Brandenburger Liner GmbH & Co. KG
Brass Knuckle Protection
18
BRAWOLINER Karl Otto Braun GmbH

& Co. KG
Brenlin Company, Inc.
BRIGHT DYES - Division of
Kingscote Chemicals
Bright Technologies, Specialty
Division of Sebright Products, Inc.
Brown Bear Corporation
Buckhorn Pumps, Inc.
BullFrog Industries Inc.
Butterworth, Inc.
BW Technologies / Honeywell
Cam Spray
CanAm Equipment Solutions, Inc.
CANVAC Trucks
Cape Cod Biochemical Company
Cappellotto S.P.A.
Cast Products, Inc.
Cat Pumps
Caterpillar, Inc.
CEMTEC/A.W. Cook Cement Products
Century Chemical Corp.
Century Paper & Chemicals
Champion Pump Company, Inc.
Chandler Equipment
Channeline International
Chempace Corporation
Cherne
CIPP Services, LLC
Clayton Industries
Clear Computing
Clearstream Wastewater Systems,
Inc.
Clearview Financial
Clement Industries
Cloverleaf Tool Co.
Cobra Technologies
Comet USA, Inc.
Comforts of Home Services, Inc.
Commercial Credit Group, Inc.
Concrete Sealants, Inc.
Coneqtec-Universal
Containment Solutions, Inc.
Cotta Transmissions
COXREELS
CPACEX
CPI Products
Crescent Tank Mfg.
Cretex Specialty Products
Crocodile Composite
CromaFlow Inc
Crust Busters
CTSpec
CUES
Cummins Power Generation
Cusco
D&S Professional Services
De Neef Construction Chemicals, Inc.
Deal Assoc.
Deep Trekker Inc.
Del Vel Chem Co.
Depth Ray
dESCO, LLC
Ditch Witch
Dragon Products, Ltd.
Draincables Direct
Dultmeier Sales
Dura-Cast Products Inc.
Duracable Manufacturing Company
Dyna Flex, Inc.
Dynablast
DynaLiner LLC
Dynamic Decals & Graphics, Inc.
Dynamic Filtration Limited
E-Tank, Ltd./E-Pump
EarthBuster
Easy Kleen Pressure Systems Ltd.
Easy Liner LLC
Ecological Laboratories
Eldon C. Stutsman, Inc.

Electric Eel Mfg. Co., Inc.
Elite Equipment Rental
Eljen Corporation
Emagineered Solutions, Inc.
Endura Paint
Engineered Software, Inc.
Enviro-Tech of America, Inc.
Environment One Corporation
Envirosight
Enz USA, Inc.
Epps Products
Equipment Sales, LLC
Equipump Inc.
Exact Pipe Tools, Inc.
Explorer Trailers - McKee Technologies
Extrutech Plastics, Inc.
F.M. Manufacturing, Inc.
FacilityDude
Famhost
Federal Signal Environmental
Solutions Group
Fergus Power Pump, Inc.
Ferratex, Inc.
Fisher Labs
Five Peaks
Five Star Products, Inc.
FKC Co., Ltd.
Fleetmatics
Flo Trend Systems
FlowMark Vacuum Trucks
FNA Group
Forbest Products Co.
Ford Commercial Vehicles
Foremost
Forest River, Inc.
Formadrain, Inc.
Franklin Electric
Franklin Fibre-Lamitex Corp.
Fruitland Manufacturing
FS Solutions
Fuji Clean USA
Galbreath
GapVax, Inc.
Gardner Denver Industrial Group
Gardner Denver Waterjetting
Systems, Inc.
Gas Clip Technologies
GEA
General Pipe Cleaners
General Pump
GEOFLOW, INC.
GfG Instrumentation, Inc.
GI Industries Inc.
Giant Industries
Global Pump Company
Global Vacuum Systems, Inc.
Go Green Environmental Products
Go To Parts
Godwin, a Xylem brand
Goldak, Inc.
Gorlitz Sewer & Drain, Inc.
Gorman-Rupp Company
GPS Fleet Consulting
Green Leaf, Inc.
Green Mountain International, LLC
Greener Planet Systems
GS Global Resources, Inc.
Guzzler Manufacturing
H2TR
Hackney
Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH
Hammelmann Corp.
HammerHead Trenchless Equipment
Hannay Reels
Happy Feet
Harben, Inc.
Hathorn Corporation
Hazel Grain Holdings
Hedstrom Plastics
Helix Laboratories, Inc.
Hella, Inc.
HGACBuy Cooperative Purchasing
Program
Hi-Vac Corporation
Hibon Inc. (a division of
Ingersoll Rand)
Hino Trucks
HIPPO Multipower
Hot Jet USA
Howden Roots
Hurco Technologies, Inc.
Hy-Flex Corporation
Hydra-Flex, Inc.
Hydra-Tech Pumps
I.S.T. Services, Inc.
IBG HydroTech GmbH
ID-TEC
Imperial Industries, Inc.
Impreg International GmbH
IMS Robotics GmbH
In The Round Dewatering
Infiltrator Water Technologies, LLC
InfoSense, Inc.
Infrastructure Repair Systems, Inc.
Insight Mobile Data Inc.
Insight Vision Cameras
Integrated Chassis Solutions LLC
Integrated Vehicle Leasing/Financing
IOWPA - Indiana Onsite Wastewater
Professionals Association
IPEX America LLC
ITI Trailers & Truck Bodies, Inc.
ITpipes
J & J Chemical Co.
J. Hvidtved Larsen US, Inc.
J.C. Gury Co., Inc.
Jack Doheny Companies
JAG Mobile Solutions, Inc.
Jet Clean Tools USA Inc.
Jet Inc.
Jets Vacuum AS/AMS Global
Jetstream of Houston
Jetter Depot
Joe Johnson Equipment, Inc.
John Bean Jetters
Johnnys Choice by Chemcorp
KeeVac Industries, Inc.
KEG Technologies, Inc.
Keith Huber Corporation
Kentucky Tank, Inc.
Kifco, Inc.
Kinetics Engineering
Klear it Kone
Kroy Industries
Kuriyama of America, Inc.
LADTECH, Inc.
Lakeside Equipment Corporation
Lamor
Lansas Products Mfd. by
Vanderlans & Sons, Inc.
LaPlace Equipment Co. Inc.
LegalShield
Lely Tank & Waste Solutions, LLC
Lenzyme Trap-Cleer Inc.
Liberty Financial Group, Inc.
Liberty Pumps
Liquid Environmental Solutions
Liquid Waste Industries, Inc.
Liquid Waste Technology, LLC
LMK Technologies
LMT Inc.
LobePro Rotary Pumps
Lock America, Inc.
Lodar USA
Logan Clutch Corporation
Logiball, Inc.
Longhorn Tank & Trailer, Inc.
595 companies - list current as of Jan. 4, 2016.

MacQueen Group Rentals
Madewell Products Corporation
Mailhot Industries
Mainline Backflow Products, Inc.
Marengo Fabricated Steel, Ltd.
Masport, Inc.
Material Motion, Inc.
MaxLiner USA
McLaughlin
Medit Inc.
Merrell Bros., Inc.
Mi-T-Machine
Mid-Continent Truck Sales
Mid-State Tank/Arthur Custom Tank
Miller Pipeline
Millner-Haufen Tool Company
Milwaukee Pump
Milwaukee Rubber Products, Inc.
MODRoto
Money In Motion Inc.
Mongoose Jetters by
Sewer Equipment
MONOFORM by Hydro-Klean
Moro USA, Inc.
MTC
MTech
Mud Technology International, Inc.
Multi-Cast LLC
My Service Depot
MyTana Mfg. Company, Inc.
NASSCO, Inc.
National Joint Powers Alliance
National Precast Concrete Assoc.
National Vacuum Equipment, Inc.
NAWT - National Association of
Wastewater Technicians
Netafim USA
Nightstick by Bayco Products, Inc.
NLB Corp.
Norweco, Inc.
NovaFlex Hose
NOWRA - National Onsite Wastewater
Recycling Assocation
NozzTeq, Inc.
NSF International
Nu Flow
NuConcepts
OBrien Mfg., A Product of
Hi-Vac Corporation
Oakmont Capital Services, LLC
Oceanquip Cables, LLC
Ohio Electric Control, Inc.
OMSI Transmissions, Inc.
One Biotechnology
Orenco Systems, Inc.
Otto Trading Inc.
PA S.p.A.
Parson Environmental Products, Inc.
Pats Pump & Blower
PC Scale, Inc. (A division of
AMCS Group)
Peinemann Equipment
Pelsue Company
Penny Pockets
Pentair Flow Technologies
Peoples United Equipment
Finance Corp.
Perma-Liner Industries, LLC
Petersen Products Co.
Petrofield Industries
Phoenix USA Inc.
Picote Solutions
Pik Rite, Inc.
Pipe Lining Supply, Inc.
Pipe-Robo-Tec USA
PipeHunter, Inc.
Pipeline Analytics
Pipeline Renewal Technologies
PipeLogix, Inc.
Pipenology, LLC
PipeTech Software
Piranha Hose Products
Plug-It Products
Pluto Urinal - ATLAS Sanitation
Products B.V.
Point-of-Rental Software
Polston Applied Technologies
Poly Flow, LLC
Poly-Ease
PolyJohn Enterprises, Inc.
Polylok, Inc. / Zabel
PolyPortables, LLC
Porta Pro Chem Co.
Portable Sanitation Association
International
Pow-r Mole Sales LLC
Precision Plumbing Products, JL
Industries
Premier
Premier Tech Aqua
Presby Environmental
Pressure Lift Corporation
Presvac Systems
Prime Resins
PRIME-GPT GmbH
PrimeLine Products, Inc.
Process Engineered Water
Equipment LLC
Progress Tank
Pronal-USA, Inc.
ProPulse, a Schieffer Company
ProShot Concrete
Protective Liner Systems
PSI Pressure Systems Corp
Pumptec Inc.
Qingdao Donghengli Industy
Equipment Co., Ltd.
Quadex
Quality Leasing Co., Inc.
Quik-Lining Systems, Inc.
R.S. Technical Services, Inc.
Radlinger primus line GmbH
RAE Systems / Honeywell
Ram Commercial
Ramvac by Sewer Equipment
RapidView IBAK North America
Ratech Electronics, Ltd.
RauschUSA
Raven Lining Systems
Ravo Sweepers
RC Industries, Inc.
RCS II, Inc.
Real Green Systems
RecoverE
RedVector
Reed Manufacturing Co.
Reelcraft Industries, Inc.
Reline America, Inc.
Renssi
Reschwitzer Saugbagger Produktions
Rescue Response Group
Resiplast US, Inc.
Rich Specialty Trailers
RIDGID
Ring-O-Matic, Inc.
Rior B.V. / Rioned
Ritam Technologies, LLC
Ritec GmbH
RKI Instruments, Inc.
Robinson Vacuum Tanks
ROBUSCHI USA
RODDIE, Inc.
Roeda Signs & ScreenTech Imaging
Root Rat
RootX
Roth Global Plastics
ROTHENBERGER USA
Roto-Rooter Corporation
RotoSolutions, Inc.
RouteOptix Inc.
Rush Refuse Systems
Rush-Overland Manufacturing
SAERTEX-multiCom
Safe-T-Fresh
Salcor Inc.
Sani Paper
Sansom Industries LLC
Satellite Industries
Satellite Suites
Sauereisen, Inc.
Savatech Corp.
Scanreco
SchellVac Equipment Inc.
Screenco Systems LLC
Sealing Systems, Inc.
See Water Inc.
Septic Maxx, LLC
Septic Products, Inc.
Septic Services, Inc.
SeptiTech, a subsidiary of
Bio-Microbics, Inc.
Septronics Inc.
Service Roundtable
ServiceTitan
Sewer Equipment
Sewer Equipment Co. of America
Sewer Pro Shop
SEWERIN (Hermann Sewerin GmbH)
Sherwin-Williams
Shinmaywa
Shubee
Sim/Tech Filter Inc.
SJE-Rhombus
SkyBitz Local Fleets
Slew Master, Inc.
Smart-Dig Hydro Excavators
Smith Industries
Soft-Pak
Solar LED Innovations
Sonetics
Source One Environmental
Southland Tool Mfg. Inc.
Spartan Tool, LLC
Specialty B Sales
Stadtler & Beck GmbH
Stamp Works Magnets
Standard Cement Materials, Inc.
Standard Equipment Company
StoneAge, Inc.
Strike Products
Subsite Electronics
SubSurface Instruments, Inc.
Sunbelt Rentals
Super Products LLC
Superior Signal Company LLC
Supervac 2000
Surco Portable Sanitation
Products
Surpresseur 4S Inc.
Suttner America
SVE Portable Roadway Systems, Inc.
T&T Tools, Inc.
T.S.F. Company, Inc.
t4 Spatial
TankTec
TCF Equipment Finance
Tecnova Electronics
Terre Hill Composites, Inc.
Terydon Inc.
The Plug Hug
The Strong Company
Thieman Tailgates, Inc.
Thompson Pump and Manufacturing
Co. Inc.
Titan Logix Corp.
TomTom Telematics
TOPP Industries, Inc.
Trade-Serve
Trailer Transit, Inc.
Trans Lease, Inc.
Transway Systems Inc.
Transwest - Oilfield Truck Equipment
Trelleborg Pipe Seals
TRIC Tools, Inc.
Trident Processes LLC
Trillium Industrial Services
Truck City of Gary
Truck Express by Satellite
TRY TEK Machine Works, Inc.
Tsurumi Pump
TT Technologies, Inc.
Tuf-Tite Inc.
TURBO FOG Division of
Kingscote Chemicals
Turtle Plastics
UDOR U.S.A.
UEMSI - HTV
UHRIG Kanaltechnik GmbH
Ultra Shore
UltraLav by Wells Cargo
UltraVac, a division of
Hi-Vac Corporation
Uncle Freddies LLC
Under Pressure Systems, Inc.
URACA GmbH & Co. KG
US Fleet Tracking
US Jetting, LLC
USB - Sewer Equipment Corporation
Vac-Con, Inc.
Vac-Tron Equipment
Vac2Go, LLC
Vacall - Gradall Industries
Vactor Manufacturing
Vacutrux Limited
Vacuum Sales, Inc.
Vacuum Truck & Trailer
Vacuum Truck Rentals
Vanair Manufacturing
Vanguard Pathogen Defense Systems
Vantage Trailers, Inc.
Vaporooter
VARCo
Vehicle Inspection Systems (VIS)
Vehicle Tracking Solutions
Vivax-Metrotech Corp.
Vogelsang
W.W. Williams
Wachs Utility Products
Wager Company Inc.
Walex Products Company, Inc.
Walla Walla Environmental
Wallenstein Vacuum Pumps Elmira Machine Industries
Warren Environmental
Wastequip
WasteWater Education 501(c)3
Water Environment Federation
WC Leasing
Webtrol Pumps
Wee Engineer, Inc.
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
WENCO (Walter E Nelson Company)
Western Equipment Finance
Western Mule Cranes (D&S Sales)
Westmoor Ltd.
Wiedemann Enviro Tec
Wieser Concrete
Wohler USA, Inc.
WRM
X-Vac, A Product of
Hi-Vac Corporation
Zhejiang Danau Industries Co., Ltd.
Zia Systems LLC
Zoeller Company
Zoom Drain & Sewer Service
Education Day Sessions

Wednesday, February 17, 2016
NAWT
National Association of Wastewater Technicians

Rooms 234-236
8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
Basics of Septic System Control Panels

Using Septic Control Panels to Troubleshoot Systems
Inspecting Concrete Sewage Tanks
An Exercise in Septic System Troubleshooting
The Basics of Inspecting Drip Systems
NAWT Ask the Experts Panel Discussion
SSCSC
NASSCO
8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
Southern Section Collection Systems Committee

Rooms 231-233
11 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
Positioning Yourself for Promotion and Succession Planning

Step Up Your Game! Taking Current CCTV Inspection
Technology to the Next Level
Trailer Jetting Getting the Most Out of Your Equipment
Vacuuming: the Other Half of the Combination Unit
Sewer System Maintenance Challenges and Solutions
SSCSC Ask the Experts Panel Discussion
SSPMA
Sump and Sewage Pump Manufacturers Association

Rooms 133-135
8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
Understanding Pumps and Common Pumping Issues

Evaluation and Installation of Backup Pump Systems
Best Installation Practices for Trouble-Free Pump Controls
Troubleshooting Pumps, Panels and Switches
with Digital Multimeters
Sizing Guidelines for Sump, Sewage and Grinder Pumps
SSPMA Ask the Experts Panel Discussion
NOWRA
National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association

Rooms 240-242
8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
Introduction to Soils
Onsite Septic System Loading Rates and Site Layout
Making Infiltration Decisions
Understanding Soil Surface Design
Soil Dispersal Comparison
Introduction to the Elements of Onsite System
Design and Regulations
Onsite Septic System Hydraulics and Pump Design
Business Strategies
4:30 p.m.
8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
Portable Sanitation
Rooms 140-142
11 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
How Much Should I Charge?

Business Game Changers: Top 5 Secret Strategies
for Massive Growth in Your Service Business
The Un-Business Plan Making Your Business
Less Complicated But More Profitable
How to Use Superior Customer Service to Increase Sales
Reward the Right Stuff: Finding, Training and
Keeping Great Team Members
Is Your Business Prepared for a Crisis?
Rooms 136-138
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
Marketing Basics: How to Effectively and Efficiently Grow

Your Portable Sanitation Sales
Trust How to Build it and Use it to Grow Your
Portable Sanitation Business
Portable Sanitation Forum: Current and Future Critical
Issues Affecting the Industry Discussion
Industry Safety
National Association of Sewer Service Companies

Rooms 130-132
Cleaning Nozzle Technology
Large vs. Small-Diameter Pipe Cleaning
The Lower Lateral The New Frontier in Sewer Rehab
Chemical Grouting Technologies
The Growth of the UV Cured CIPP Process
NASSCO Ask the Experts Panel Discussion
Treatment Plant
Operator
Rooms 243-245
8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
Effective Strategies for Collections System Management

Sustainable Innovation in Biosolids Management
Pretreatment and Wastewater Lagoon Management
Septage Collection and Treatment
Large Scale FOG/Septage Receiving Station
Lantern Environmental Project Case History
Progress in Electrochemical Water Treatment in Last Century
WJTA-IMCA
Water Jet Technology Assoc. - Industrial Municipal Cleaning Assoc.

Rooms 237-239
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
Proper Industrial Truck Maintenance Can More Than

Pay for Itself in Productivity and Safety
Air Conveyance Through an Industrial Vacuum Truck
Vacuum Excavation Applications and Opportunities
Women in Business
Rooms 136-138
8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
Marketing to Women
Women of Wastewater: Building a Community of Allies
Women in Wastewater Roundtable
Rooms 237-239
8 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
Pre-Engineered Shoring Systems for Cross-Trench

Utility Challenges
Excavation Safety
OSHA Confined Space, Air Monitoring and
Fall Protection Explained
Vacuum Truck Equipment and Operation Training

presented by NAWT National Association of Wastewater Technicians
Rooms 109-110
a.m. -- 55 p.m.
p.m.
88 a.m.
This day-long session will discuss in detail the equipment on vacuum trucks and how to operate them. Pumping terms
will be covered, as will safety principles, materials often encountered on the job and government regulations.
top performer
water:
PLANT
Crescent Hill Gatehouse and Reservoir was built in 1879 as the first step
in Charles Hermanys quest for pure water for the City of Louisville.
Holding 110 million gallons of Ohio River water, the reservoir is still in use
and is a favorite walking destination. In 2015, Louisville Water restored
the gatehouse and now opens it for tours and special events.
20
Aiming
Ever Higher
LOUISVILLE WATER IS THE SECOND UTILITY IN THE US TO EARN
2 PHASE IV AWARDS FROM THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE WATER
STORY: Trude Witham
PHOTOGRAPHY: Shaun Ring
LOUISVILLE WATER IS THE LARGEST AND OLDEST
water company in Kentucky and has a 156-year history of innovation.

Its research led to the development of rapid sand filtration in the late
1800s. Louisville was one of the first cities in the country to fluoridate, and
the first water utility in the world to combine a tunnel with gravity-fed wells
as a drinking-water source.
The company continues to raise the bar for quality, investing heavily in
its two water treatment plants and the 4,100-mile distribution system. As a
Partnership for Safe Water member since 1999, the company has met the
Phase I, II and III requirements at both plants. In 2010, it received the 10-year
Directors Award for maintaining Phase III status for 10 consecutive years.
In that same year, the B.E. Payne Water Treatment Plant received the
Phase IV Excellence in Water Treatment award, and the Crescent Hill Water
Treatment Plant followed suit in 2015.
Louisville Water is one of only two utilities to receive the Phase IV award
for two different water treatment plants. It was all possible because of 425
dedicated employees, including 24 plant operations staff members. Our
operators and mechanics focus on quality and respond immediately to any
changes, says Ruth Lancaster, production supervisor. This is embedded
in our culture.
INNOVATING FOR QUALITY

From the time it first pumped water to 512 customers in 1860, Louisville
Water has been committed to the community. In the 1990s, the utility increased
its spending in replacing or repairing aging water mains; it has invested more
than $165 million to date in that effort.
Its Riverbank Filtration Project at the B.E. Payne plant uses a 1 1/2-mile
tunnel 150 feet belowground and a collector well system to draw Ohio River
water that is naturally filtered in the sand-gravel aquifer below. When completed in 2011, it was named a Best Civil Engineering Achievement by the
American Society of Civil Engineers.
Because the water is naturally filtered, it requires less treatment. The
process eliminates taste and odor and provides an additional barrier for pathogen removal. It also creates a stable water temperature of about 55 degrees,
resulting in fewer water main breaks.
Weve always been innovative and committed to serving the public, and
thats why we joined the Partnership for Safe Water, says Dr. Jack Wang, director of water quality and production. Meeting the standards is not enough.
For the Partnership program, the company formed a cross-functional
team that included Wang and front-line employees, supervisors and managers. Scientist Chris Bobay prepared the recent Crescent Hill Treatment Plant
Phase IV application data and report with contributions from the team. Representatives from plant operations, maintenance and the water-quality laboratory group worked together on the self assessment, says Wang. They
identified areas of strength, but also areas that needed improvement.
For example, the computerized data collection and storage system was
difficult to access and did not store all Crescent Hill plant turbidity values
requested by the Partnership. The team upgraded the SCADA system and began
using more robust software to store and analyze plant data from online analyzers. They also upgraded the laboratory information management system.
LARGEST IN KENTUCKY
The 180 mgd Crescent Hill conventional treatment plant, built in 1909,
is the largest water treatment facility in the state and was one of the first
rapid sand filtration plants in the country a product of Louisville Waters
pioneering research.
21
A QUALITY BRAND
Louisville Water Company has a great product. Winner of the
AWWA Best Tasting Tap Water in North America award in 2008
and 2013, the company often receives comments about its water.
The water even has a trademarked brand name Louisville
pure tap to promote the quality and value of tap water and
provide a convenient and green way for guests to stay
hydrated. Louisville Water distributes 14- and 22-ounce bottles
for free, and customers can order Louisville pure tap to go for
large community events. As the website states, There are lots
of ways to get back to the tap.
So, what do the operators at the companys two water treatment plants think of all this? They are proud because they treat
the water, says Ruth Lancaster, production supervisor. When
they see people drinking it, they say I made that just for you.
Michelle Durham, a 22-year employee, plays the role of
Tapper, the Louisville Water mascot who appears at parades,
festivals and community events. Her costume? A glass of water
that bears the Louisville pure tap logo.
The 60 mgd B.E. Payne plant was built in 1978 to meet the booming suburban population. The plants riverbank filtration source water has such low
turbidity (typically less than 0.5 NTU) that conventional coagulants are not
required. Water is softened before filtration.
The plants deliver an average of 121 mgd to over 850,000 people in Louisville and surrounding counties. The plants equipment and processes (lime
feed, on-site chlorine generation, multimedia filtration) are nearly identical.
Plant equipment includes ClorTec hypochlorite generators (Severn Trent De
22
Louisville Water team members, shown with their Phase IV Excellence award,
include: John Azzara, production maintenance manager; Pam Booher, lead
operator; Nancy Jenkins, production maintenance supervisor; and David Gant,
lead operator apprentice; back row: Michael Bryant, maintenance engineer;
Chris Bobay, scientist; Larry Bryant, production operations manager; Mark
Campbell, scientist; Eric Zhu, research engineer; and Jack Wang, director of
water quality and production.
Louisville Water Company,

Louisville, Kentucky
FOUNDED: |
1860
POPULATION SERVED: |
850,000
SERVICE AREA: | City of Louisville and parts of five surrounding counties
SOURCE WATER: | Ohio River (surface water and riverbank-filtered)
TREATMENT PROCESS: | Conventional
DAILY FLOW: | 121 mgd (average)
DISTRIBUTION: | 4,170 miles of water main
KEY CHALLENGE: | Finding and retaining qualified operations staff
WEBSITE: | www.LouisvilleWater.com
Nora), GE and Eaton electrical switchgear, GE and Ideal motors, Phoenix

filter underdrains (AWI), chemical feed pumps (Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group), TEKKEM lime slaking systems (RDP Technologies), and a
SCADA system using programmable logic controllers from Rockwell
Automation.
Source water for the riverbank filtration system and the Crescent Hill
plant is the Ohio River. The plants are interconnected, and the finished water
is mixed.
MAJOR RENOVATION
The Crescent Hill plants Phase IV award would not have been possible
without a $90 million renovation in 2009-12. The renovation also allowed
the plant to outperform new federal regulations and improve public safety.
Improvements included:
Replacing the filter underdrain and installing new media
Installing a new air-scour backwash system with new pumps and
backwash tanks
Installing vertical mixers and upgrading the softening clarifiers
New lime feed system
Installing static mixers in the softening influent/effluent ducts
Replacing horizontal flocculators with vertical mixers and upgrading
four settling basins
Providing new dechlorination facilities with a
new sodium bisulfite feed system
Upgrading chemical systems with new peristaltic feed pumps on the ferric, polymer and carbon
systems, as well as new mag flowmeters on all
feed points and upgraded coagulant storage
Replacing a 55-year-old lime-dust control system
Installing a sodium permanganate feed system
Installing a 0.8 percent sodium hypochlorite
generation facility to eliminate the risk of a
liquid chlorine railcar feed system
Replacing the anhydrous ammonia gas system with commercially available 19 percent
aqueous ammonia solution and upgrading to
a 30-day storage volume, while adding improved
mixing to increase the efficiency of chloramine formation.
A control room upgrade added multiple largescreen monitors and overhead security camera displays. The upgrade also included a raised flooring
system, efficient lighting, a server room, UPS backup
system, and an independent HVAC and fire suppression system.
Upgrades to the B.E. Payne plant have included
conversion to riverbank filtration source water, renovating the filters, upgrading flocculation mixers and
settling basins, and converting to on-site chlorine
generation and aqueous ammonia. An additional
project added diesel backup generators capable of
PD
powering treatment plant production at 50 percent
of design capacity.
Our operators and mechanics focus on quality

and respond immediately to any changes.
This is embedded in our culture.
RUTH LANCASTER
a good support system. We have on-call supervisors for operations, laboratory and maintenance who are available at night and on weekends so operators can call them with questions.
Besides Lancaster, who holds a Class IV-A surface water treatment license,
the plant operations group includes:
Larry Bryant, manager of plant operations, IV-A
Vince Ilari, production supervisor, IV-A, IV-D
William Cyrus, system engineer
150 YEARS
of Quality,
Reliability &
Performance
PERFORMANCE 3
NEW LEVELS OF EFFICIENCY
IN AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS
PROVIDING FEEDBACK
Louisville Water operators are involved in plant
upgrade decisions. Their experiences and feedback
drive decisions to upgrade or replace equipment,
says Wang. They document equipment issues in an
automated maintenance tracking system that can be
used to track equipment efficiency and pinpoint the
type of upgrades needed. The engineering department creates the plans and specifications. As projects
progress, operators and mechanics make suggestions
on matters such as equipment placement and the types
of pipes and fittings that would be easiest to use.
There is something new happening all the time,
whether its a treatment issue, or piece of equipment
or a class to advance their training, says Lancaster.
Wang adds, Its important for the team to have
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23
David Brumley, water quality technician, conducts water quality tests.

Louisville Water performs an average of 200 tests daily on the drinking water
supply and operates an EPA-certified laboratory.
High-turbidity backwash water suddenly began leaving the filter and

going straight to the clearwell, says Lancaster. We had been operating those
filters for decades and never had anything like that happen. Austin noticed
the high turbidity, checked the instrumentation to verify the turbidity value,
and quickly investigated and found the problem. Within 15 minutes, he
stopped the backwash and turned off the high-lift pumps to prevent pumping high-turbidity water to the distribution system.
Within a half-hour, he emptied the clearwell of the slug of suspect-quality water by performing numerous backwashes. He took grab-samples from
the clearwell every 15 minutes for
the next three hours until the turEducational
bidity was less than 0.10 NTU (the
plants internal finished water goal).
outreach has to be
Then, he restarted the high-service
pumps.
on multiple fronts, from
Daves quick response prevented
sparking interest at the
poor-quality water from being
pumped to the distribution system
elementary school
and a potential boil water advisory
for more than 100,000 customers,
level, to educating
says Lancaster.
Another operator, Tina Smith,
those in college who
faced a crisis after working only a
are about to make
few dozen shifts in the operator role.
Tina was working a night shift when
career decisions.
one of our two 60-inch transmission
KELLEY DEARING SMITH
mains burst a quarter of a mile from
the treatment plant/high-lift pumping station, says Lancaster. This happened at 2:45 a.m. Within three minutes, Tina detected a serious hydraulic issue and began notifying the on-call
supervisor and production operations manager.
By 3 a.m. she had shut off the high-lift pumping to the distribution system so crews could reach the break, which had caused major flooding, and
operate valves to isolate the break area for repair.
While shutting down pumping in incremental stages to avoid pressure
spikes, she also predicted the likely consequence of the break on treatment
operations. If plant flow continued at the current rate without the high-lift
pumps in service, the clearwell would overflow. She immediately began slowing down the plant flow in increments to prevent a plant shutdown on the
following shift.
By the time supervisors, managers and the company president arrived
at 3:30 a.m., Tina had made and implemented all the right decisions, says
Lancaster. Although her primary job is operator apprentice, she has obtained
Emily Fritz, scientist, conducts water quality testing in the metals lab. She
analyzes water samples for metals such as lead and copper, using atomic
absorption spectroscopy.
Dave Austin, Paul Barker, Scott Cockeril, Michelle Durham, Israel

Temple, Tim Mills, Pete Betts, Lynn Slater and Scott Spalding, operators, IV-A
Alex McClanahan, Andrew Hornback and Pam Booher, relief operators, IV-A
Operator apprentices Shane Settles, Tina Smith (IV-A), Danny Lyons,
Nate McMullen and Brian Farmer (IV-A)
Danny Lile and Mark Deignan, relief operator apprentices
Donna Drane, chemical systems attendant
The operators work 12-hour shifts, says Lancaster. If theyre busy
with a project, they sometimes dont even take a lunch break. And they always
step up to help each other out. Each Crescent Hill operator is teamed with
an operator apprentice working toward the five years plant operational experience required for a Class IV-A license.
RESPONDING QUICKLY
Operators have faced situations requiring quick response. Dave Austin
was working alone on the night shift at the B.E. Payne plant when a filter
effluent valve failed and went to the full-open position in the middle of a
backwash.
24
David Gant in the control room at the Crescent Hill Water

Treatment Plant.
her IV-A license and has filled in for absent operators on

some shifts. This was certainly a trial by fire for Tina,
and she did an incredible job.
REACHING OUT
Louisville Water is heavily involved in community
outreach with employee volunteerism and education.
The WaterWorks Museum at Louisville Water Tower
Park offers public and private tours and field trips. The
Adventures in Water program meets state curriculum
guidelines and uses hands-on activities that make learning fun.
We think of ourselves as more than a utility, and
weve come a long way in public perception, says Kelley Dearing Smith, director of strategic communications
and government relations. The companys school-based
education and tours serve about 75,000 people a year.
The company hopes all this will help in recruiting
water treatment professionals. Many employees are
expected to retire in the next 10 years. Educational outreach has to be on multiple fronts, from sparking interest at the elementary school level, to educating those in
college who are about to make career decisions, says
Dearing Smith.
Louisville Water is a lifeline to this community, but
so often the product is taken for granted. Were committed to elevating the value of drinking water, from river
to faucet and then to the community.

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25
SUSTAINABLE
OPERATIONS
The new process building stands next to the two circular bioreactors.
The prepackaged modular building simplified construction. The new
administration building is attached to the front of the process building.
Raising the Bar

ONTARIOS GRAND BEND TREATMENT FACILITY EARNS TOP RECOGNITION FOR
SUSTAINABILITY BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS
By Doug Day
clean-water plant upgrade in Ontario is setting a new standard for

sustainable design and construction. With modularity and a focus
on complete sustainability, the Grand Bend Area Wastewater Treatment Facility has earned the Platinum Award the highest honor from
the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI).
Grand Bend is a small regional plant built in 1980 under the co-ownership of Lambton Shores and South Huron and operated by CH2M HILL. It
needed to upgrade its capacity and its treatment process to serve a tourist area
on Lake Huron in southern Ontario, just northeast of Detroit, Michigan.
The old facultative lagoon system, rated at 340,000 gpd, was updated to
an extended aeration biological nutrient removal system with advanced tertiary filtration and a 656,000 gpd design capacity.
AFFORDABLE COST
The project was designed by Stantec after an original plan by another
company was rejected in 2011 for its cost of $23 million Canadian (about
The start of excavation for the polishing pond, an important component of
Envision certification for the upgrade project at the Grand Bend Area
Wastewater Treatment Facility.
As people see the recognition the plant has

received, I think we all agree that we have an
excellent engineering firm and an excellent facility
that definitely meets our needs.
BRENT KITTMER
$18.5 million U.S.), says Brent Kittmer, director of community services for
Lambton Shores. Approved in 2014, the Stantec design came in at under $15
million Canadian ($12.1 million U.S.), two-thirds covered by grants from
the provincial and Canadian governments.
ISI was founded by the American Council of Engineering Companies,
the American Public Works Association, and the American Society of Civil
Engineers. Working with the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, ISI developed the
Envision rating system to measure infrastructure projects based on environmental, economic and community benefits.
The Zofnass Program plans to create a business case study about the
Grand Bend plant, the first ISI Envision-verified project in Canada and the
first wastewater facility designed to Envision standards in North America.
Stantec proposed to design it using the Envision framework with intent to
find true sustainability in the infrastructure and to reduce the cost, says
Kittmer. The plant will be in operation in early 2016.
COMPACT SPACE
Despite nearly doubling its capacity, the new plant uses the same footprint as the old one. The administration and process building is a pre-engineered modular metal structure supplied by Nucor and built in what was
one of the four original lagoons. It can be easily expanded in three
directions.
The building comes in prepackaged sets with steel columns, and bolts
together, says Kittmer. We reduced the amount of concrete by more than
(continued)
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27
SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES
The Envision rating system from the Institute for Sustainable
Infrastructure includes 60 sustainability criteria in five sections:
quality of life, leadership, resource allocation, natural world, and
climate and risk. The criteria are scored on a 5-point scale by
trained evaluators. To achieve a Platinum Award, a project must
score 50 points:
Improved Performance that is above conventional

(1 point)
Enhanced Sustainable performance that adheres to
Envision principles (2 points)
Superior Sustainable performance that is noteworthy
(3 points)
Conserving Performance that has achieved essentially
zero impact (4 points)
Restorative Performance that restores natural or social
systems (5 points)
$3 million. The only concrete was for the building pad, two bioreactors, and
the UV disinfection system.
The process equipment uses final effluent rather than potable water and
is modular for easy expansion. Instead of deep sand filters, the plant uses a
screen filter (Nova Filtration Technologies) for combined screening and grit
removal. When it comes time to expand, we can just unbolt it and put in a
larger model, Kittmer says.
The plant uses headworks equipment from Huber Technology, KSB
pumps, and Aerzen blowers. Calgon Carbon Corporation provided the UV
disinfection system and the activated carbon filters for odor control. The
system is highly automated with a SCADA system integrated by Summa
Engineering with Wonderware software (Schneider Electric, Invensys) and
Rockwell Automation hardware. The only full-time employees are an operator and an administration person.
The automation makes the biological process highly flexible and scalable.
Being a tourist area, we see significantly lower flows in winter, so we can mothball one of the bioreactors, says Kittmer. In summer, when we have high
flows, the inlet piping can divert peak flows to the remaining three lagoons.
The site includes a chemical storage retaining curb with headworks process
piping roughed-in behind. The blue handle valves show where multiple force
mains come into the headworks and where the force mains head out to
lagoons for flow equalization.
28
The use of the lagoons for flow equalization allowed the new plant to be
built with far less capacity than first proposed. The plan rejected in 2011
would have quadrupled the original capacity.
The design meets the requirements of the Ontario Adaptation Strategy
and Action Plan by preparing the plant for growth of the service area and
for potentially more frequent and severe extreme rainfall events that could
result from global climate change.
NATURAL APPROACH
Using a lagoon for the new building and equipment required a large
amount of fill to raise the elevation to ground level. We took the dirt from
the site, which created a large hole next to the plant, says Kittmer. Rather
than import fill, we created a wetland that will be open to the public and will
have walking trails.
A tall-grass prairie surrounds the wetland. Both feature native plants,
restoring habitat critical to threatened species including the monarch butterfly, snapping turtle, and bobolink (a small blackbird). Vegetation will be
fertilized with biosolids from the lagoons.
After treatment to required levels, plant effluent will discharge to the
wetland, which drains through a gravity outfall into a creek that feeds the
Au Sable River a few miles from where it empties into Lake Huron, near a
popular beach.
Its not an active part of the treatment process, but it will show how well
a pond like this can polish effluent, says Kittmer. We plan to leverage that
into a partnership with post-secondary schools in the area. Western University (London, Ontario) is interested in doing advanced water-quality research.
Well have a good handle on what goes into the pond, and the intent would
be to test the discharge from the pond to see if there has been any kind of
improvement. It will be a neat learning process.
COMMUNITY EFFORT
The Envision rating involves community involvement. The project team
worked with conservation groups, volunteers and municipal staff to develop
a plan that supports the elimination of invasive species.
All plantings in the wetlands will be coordinated through the local watershed management office of Conservation Ontario and local volunteer
groups. They will also engage the
Whats Your Story?
local elementary schools to help with
TPO welcomes news about
the actual plantings and have school
environmental improvements at
children come out to learn about
your facility for the Sustainable
sewage treatment and the wetlands,
Operations column. Send your
says Kittmer.
ideas to editor@tpomag.com or
The upgrade of the Grand Bend
call 877/953-3301.
facility took years of discussion, dating back to the mid-1990s. Development of the master plan began in 2004. Kittmer says it has been worth the
effort: As people see the recognition the plant has received, I think we all
agree that we have an excellent engineering firm and an excellent facility
that definitely meets our needs.
Like something? Hate something? Agree? Disagree?

Share your opinions about TPO articles through our Letters to the Editor.
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Operator Rescues Woman in Reservoir
OVERHEARD ONLINE
On several occasions after

a tour with an animated and
excited operator children
have told me, This is where I
am going to work one day.
6 Reasons to Give Tours of Water Reclamation Facilities

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30
The old saying, in the right place at the right time, was never more true
than for Thomas Braithwaite, an operator in Brigham City, Utah. On a cold
winter morning, he made his usual route around a reservoir only to discover
a woman trapped in icy water. Find out how his efforts saved her life, and
watch a video of the amazing recovery effort.
Tpomag.com/featured
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top performer
water:
PLANT
Winning
Streak
A FOCUS ON CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT HELPS AN ILLINOIS

WATER PLANT EARN 15 STRAIGHT DIRECTORS AWARDS
FROM THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE WATER
STORY: Jim Force | PHOTOGRAPHY: Daryl Wilson
IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER.
Thats the watchword at the Pontiac (Illinois) Water Treatment Plant

after it received a Directors Award of Recognition from the Partnership for
Safe Water for maintaining Phase III certification for 15 consecutive years.
From clarification, filtration and disinfection to chemical feed, turbidity reduction, nitrate removal, source water protection and more, the improvements never stop at this 4.0 mgd (design) facility, which dates to 1893 and
has been operated by Illinois American Water and its predecessors for more
than a century.
Tim Tuley, operations superintendent, who has been at the plant for 39
years, says a drought in 1988, a flood in 2008, and algae in the source water
led Pontiac to make improvements.
32
Operators provide critical input to the enhancements. They have input

into what changes we make, says Tuley. If they have an idea or thought, we
talk to our engineering group and decide if its something that would be a
benefit. We listen to them all the time.
SURFACE WATER CHALLENGES

The Pontiac plant draws most of its water from the Vermilion River, but
also from a 325-acre abandoned quarry that serves as a surface water reservoir. Since Pontiac lies in an intensely farmed area, nitrates can pose a problem. When nitrate levels increase in the river (usually from December to
July), the river water is blended with water from the impoundment to help
ensure quality and meet state nitrate standards.
Pontiac (Illinois) Water Treatment Plant

BUILT: |
1893 (multiple upgrades since)

POPULATION SERVED: | 12,000
SOURCE WATER: | Vermilion River and large surface impoundment
TREATMENT PROCESS: | Conventional
TREATMENT CAPACITY: | 4.0 mgd (average 1.8 mgd)
INFRASTRUCTURE: | 74 miles of distribution lines
SYSTEM STORAGE: | 0.5 million gallons
KEY CHALLENGE: | Dealing with surface water variability
WEBSITE | www.amwater.com
Floods, drought and algae in the source water have

led the team in Pontiac to make a series of major
improvements to the water treatment plant.
After filtration, ammonia is added to convert the chlorine to chloramines.

Then the flow is pumped to a 450,000-gallon dual-chambered baffled clearwell. The plant also houses a Tonka Water Pur-IX low-waste ion exchange
system for nitrate removal. Its another option we have, Tuley says. In case
of a raw water shortage, we can remove nitrates directly at the plant and save
our reservoir water for backup.
From the clearwell, the finished water flows by gravity back to the plant
for distribution to customers. Pontiac maintains about 74 miles of water
mains and a 500,000-gallon elevated storage tank.
Waste solids are pumped to a storage vault and then transferred to two
lagoons alongside the reservoir. Several years ago, one of the lagoons was
cleaned after 10 years and the settled solids were landfilled. In the future,
there are plans to land-apply the solids.
A standard SCADA system controls and monitors the process and provides
remote control of the small Saunemin well system nearby, which Illinois American Water also operates.
MAKING IMPROVEMENTS
First, the raw impoundment and river water can be treated with powdered activated carbon to improve taste and odor. Then, once it reaches the
plant, the water passes through one of three piping loops to achieve mixing
of the carbon and extend detention time. The culprit is seasonal changes in
the water-like algae. The river is constantly changing, so we need to keep
an eye on it, especially in the summer, Tuley says.
The plants clarification system consists of four 1 mgd rapid-mix upflow
clarifier trains. In one train, a circular Ovivo unit does the work, while the
other three Permutit Precipitator units (Evoqua Water Technologies) are cone
shaped. The clarified water is dosed with fluoride and chlorine and with a cationic polymer that serves as a filter aid in the six steel tank dual-media sand
and anthracite filters that follow. Underdrains are by LEEM Filtration.
The central Illinois drought of

1988, which saw near zero precipitation during the summer and low
flows in the Vermilion River, prompted
Pontiac to acquire the abandoned
quarry north of town for use as a
supplementary water source. That
kicked off a series of improvements
in the water system, which Illinois
American Water has continued. The
plant was expanded to 4.0 mgd
capacity in the early 1990s, and the
third Permutit Precipitator upflow
clarifier and the fifth and sixth filters were added.
In 2000, the Pontiac district
installed the powdered activated carbon system and began work on the
chemical feed systems. We installed
a permanent feed system for cationic
polymer, Tuley says. The enhance-
The Pontiac district of Illinois

American Water Company.
33
ABOVE: The operating staff at the Pontiac Water Treatment Plant, shown with the filter backwash pump (Cornell Pump Company), includes Corey Robinson and
Nathan Schlosser, production technicians; Tim Tuley, operations superintendent; Mark Weber, chief plant operator; and Ryan Hoke and Steve Bright, production
technicians. BELOW: Hoke inspects the mixing valve on the Pur-IX ion exchange system (Tonka Water).
ments included inline chemical feed

calibration devices to improve feed
accuracy.
We also performed a number
of coagulant studies, using particle
counters and jar tests to learn as
much as we could about controlling
turbidity and keeping it as low as
possible, Tuley says. We switched
our coagulant to polyaluminum chloride and changed the way we operate our Ovivo upflow clarifier. It has
helped lower our turbidity numbers
going to the filters.
The target for turbidity is less
than 5 NTU, and the attack on algae
continues. Our goal has always been
continuous improvement, Tuley
says. Were always looking for what
we can do to get better results.
In 2006, we started using a new
copper sulfate pentahydrate product
from Earth Science Laboratories
called EARTHTEC in place of cop-
(Operators) have input into what changes

we make. If they have an idea or thought,
we talk to our engineering group and decide if its
something that would be a benefit. We listen to
them all the time.
TIM TULEY
per sulfate. We made the switch primarily to help eliminate copper from our
waste solids. The product stays in suspension and doesnt settle out like copper sulfate does. We want to reduce the copper content of our solids as we
move to land application in the future. Environmentally speaking, it is the
responsible thing to do.
NEW CHEMICAL FEED

Five years ago, Pontiac acquired land next to the plant and constructed
a new chemical feed building for containment and storage of bulk chemicals
to meet new regulations. The plant is actually in the floodplain, and the new
building is situated on higher ground. For safety reasons, we also made the
switch to liquid chlorine, Tuley says. We still store our cationic polymer inside
the main plant, but all other bulk chemicals are stored in the new building.
In 2004, the plant, with the help of operations supervisor Kent Woodburn, installed PLCs and made changes to its filters, replacing electrically
controlled valves with pneumatic valves. The change has helped keep the
flow through the filters more consistent. Its a modulated flow instead of
full-on or full-off, Tuley says. The valves open and close gradually as needed
to maintain a constant flow.
The team has also increased the effectiveness of filter backwashing by
improving the surface wash spray system and this year installing a new
NITRATE KNOWLEDGE
The Pontiac Water Treatment Plant is active in the Vermilion
River Watershed Task Force, a group of stakeholders formed in 1996
to promote awareness of the impact of excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the Vermilion River and its tributaries, and to seek solutions.
We helped form the task force, says Tim Tuley, operations
superintendent. The primary focus back then was to bring the
nutrient issue to the forefront. We were trying to develop awareness,
to get everybody in the whole community involved and get them to
understand the issue of excess nutrients in the water.
The task force involves landowners, vendors, water and
wastewater groups, and farmers in the watershed. Surveys indicate
that more than 85 percent of the 1,400-plus square miles in the
seven-county watershed are used for crop production.
In 2015, Illinois American Water provided a $5,000 environmental grant to the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)
for projects focused on educating farmers about best practices.
CTIC has created videos with the funds provided to showcase
real-world success stories focused on various topics, including
nutrient reduction.
The emphasis is on solving the problem through land-use best
practices and end-of-pipe technologies at area treatment plants.
Tuley says the focus is on how to reduce nutrients through water
retention, tree planting and modern farming techniques that use
GIS mapping to help farmers apply the appropriate amount of
nitrogen fertilizers.
35
Our goal has always

been continuous
improvement. Were
always looking for
what we can do to
get better results.
TIM TULEY
backwash pump (Cornell Pump Company). Were also working on a project to fully automate the backwash
system, Tuley says.
The team has installed variablefrequency drives on all high-service
pumps and now enjoys reduced electrical usage and a decrease in water
hammer. That has stopped the
shocks, Tuley says. Weve seen a
significant reduction in main breaks
in the distribution system.
There have been changes at the
reservoir as well. In 2010, we installed
ultrasonic algae control devices in
the impoundment, Tuley says. In
addition, we feed some copper sulfate. We also use an environmental contractor to treat the reservoir each fall to control the growth of Eurasian milfoil. The contractor also sprays to keep invasive phragmites from overgrowing
along the banks.
Ryan Hoke monitors the chlorine

analyzer (ProMinent).
THE ROAD AHEAD

In the future, Tuley sees his team continuing to work on filter performance. The filter backwash automation project is designed to improve operations
and reduce the amount of backwash water returned for further treatment.
Were also looking at adding tube settlers to the clarifiers, and another
carbon feeder at the reservoir, says Tuley. We continue to seek better coagulants to help keep our turbidity low.
Its a continuous process of evaluating and contemplating changes that
will make things better. Through it all, Tuley and American Water rely heavily on the ideas of his team members:
Mark Weber, chief plant operator
Corey Robinson, Nathan Schlosser, Steve Bright and Ryan Hoke, production technicians
Bryan Beecher, distribution group foreman, and technicians Todd
Miller, Greg McAllister, Steve Gray and Kevin Johnson
Its a good bet that together, theyll help Pontiac add more years of Phase
III recognition.

Cornell Pump Company
503/653-0330
www.cornellpump.com
(See ad page 39)
Earth Science Laboratories, Inc.

800/257-9283
www.earthsciencelabs.com
Evoqua Water Technologies LLC

www.evoqua.com
LEEM Filtration Products Inc.

201/236-4833
www.leemfiltration.com
36
Ovivo USA, LLC
512/834-6000
www.ovivowater.com
ProMinent Fluid Controls, Inc.

412/787-2484
www.prominent.us
Tonka Water
763/559-2837
www.tonkawater.com
Nathan Schlosser monitors

the operation of a Permutit
Precipitator clarifier (Evoqua
Water Technologies).
37
Jerrod Niemann
THE BASICS
Industry Appreciation Party
at the WWETT Show
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 19
WHERE: Sagamore Ballroom, Indiana
Convention Center, Indianapolis
TIME:
5 p.m. doors open;

7 p.m. Jerrod Niemann
Gear Up for a Great Time

COUNTRY CHART-TOPPER JERROD NIEMANN PROMISES POPULAR HITS
PLUS SOME LAUGHTER AND CRAZINESS AT HIS WWETT SHOW PERFORMANCE
By Cory Dellenbach
t doesnt matter if youre a country music fan. Jerrod Niemann will pull
you in when he hits the stage at the WWETT Show Industry Appreciation Party on Feb. 19.
You have to be aware of what youre around, says Niemann, country
music star. If youre doing your own show or people are there just because
of you its one thing. If you are part of a party that has already existed for
many years, we try to be a chameleon of sorts. Well do our own songs, but
well also throw in a couple different ones, too, from rock and blues and
everything.
No matter what he sings, Niemann promises a fun time for everyone at
the Indiana Convention Centers Sagamore Ballroom. Theres just something to be said about being around people who are pretty much just like
you hardworking, small-town Americans, Niemann says. For me, I love
being out there and hanging out with everybody.
IN HIS BLOOD
Country music has always been in Niemanns blood, and he thanks his
mother for that: I was doomed from the beginning, hearing country music
from the womb. My parents ran a bar when my mom was pregnant with me,
and I think hearing all those country songs on the jukebox got me going.
From an early age, Niemann was influenced by country acts such as Lefty
Frizzell, Keith Whitley and George Strait. After graduating from high school,
he attended South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, pursuing an Associate of Arts degree. He began his professional career by singing and playing
acoustic guitar in Texas clubs and bars.
38
If you are part of a party that has already existed

for many years, we try to be a chameleon of sorts.
Well do our own songs, but well also throw in a couple
different ones, too, from rock and blues and everything.
JERROD NIEMANN
I did that for about a year, just my guitar and me, he says. Then I
moved to Nashville and started working there. Music is such an amazing
thing to be a part of that once youve been bitten by the bug, there is no way
out of it. Its just who you are.
In 2010, Niemann signed with record label Arista Nashville and released
his debut single, Lover, Lover. It became his first Top 40 single on the country music charts, and in August 2010 it hit No. 1. Since then, Niemann has
released four albums: Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury, Free the Music, Yellow
Brick Road and High Noon. In 2013, his single Drink to That All Night hit
No. 4 on the U.S. country charts and No. 1 on U.S. country airplay charts.
NEW MUSIC
I got my foot in the door writing songs in Nashville, and its always fun
being able to write your own material, Niemann says. Every once in a while
you find a song you wish you had written. One of those songs is Blue Bandana, released in July. The song will be a part of his new album set for release
later this year.
The real world can be quite a hard place at times,

and if we can be the guys to get that off their
minds for at least 90 minutes, then weve done our jobs.
I just always try to keep a thread of laughter and craziness
at our shows if we can.
JERROD NIEMANN
When I heard the song, it just took me to so many cool places and really
took me to a lot of cool faces, too, Niemann says. The song tells the story of
a fan attending concerts wearing the same blue bandana and the singer noticing it each time. Just traveling this country you see a lot of people who are
kind enough to pack up in their cars and do a road trip spending their hardearned money to see us. Ive never really done a song that is a thank-you to
those folks out there, but this song does that.
The new album will combine music hes done before a country/rock
mix and the more traditional country sound. Its a wide array of music,
Niemann says. Hell perform some of the songs from that album at the
WWETT Show and hopes everyone can relax and forget work and any
troubles.
The real world can be quite a hard place at times, and if we can be the
guys to get that off their minds for at least 90 minutes, then weve done our
jobs, Niemann says. I just always try to keep a thread of laughter and craziness at our shows if we can.
LETS PARTY!
You come to Indy for the tools and equipment, the people and
excitement. Its the one time of the year when the whole industry
comes together. So lets have a party.
COLE Publishing celebrates the occasion every year with the
Industry Appreciation Party. Its a chance for everyone to relax
and enjoy themselves. This year, the WWETT Kickoff Party will
give you two nights to enjoy leading up to the Industry Appreciation Party.
It all starts Wednesday night. After the final bell rings on
Education Day, you can head over to Lucas Oil Stadium, connected to the Indiana Convention Center, for a cold beverage and
complimentary hors doeuvres while you network with manufacturers and peers. The event will be held Feb. 17-18 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Exhibitors have been invited to co-host the event along with
COLE Publishing, and the COLE Pub truck will return to serve as
the central bar. Attendees and exhibitors can kick back, relax,
share stories or solve problems with industry peers.
We are very excited to see how creative the co-hosts decide
to be, says Brad Bisnette, the shows coordinator. All will be
providing a good time for sure.
On Friday night, the focus will shift from Lucas Oil to the
Sagamore Ballroom in the Indiana Convention Center for the
Industry Appreciation Party. Country music star Jerrod Niemann
will perform an up-close and personal concert for WWETT
attendees. Beers are a quarter and the show is free, so you really
cant go wrong.
Visit www.wwettshow.com for complete details on the show.
The Kickoff and Industry Appreciation parties are free for all
registered attendees.
39
wastewater:
HOW WE DO IT
A Halt to Hauling
A SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TREATMENT PLANT TURNS TO LIME STABILIZATION TO CREATE
CLASS A BIOSOLIDS FOR LAND APPLICATION AND CUTS HANDLING COSTS SIGNIFICANTLY
By Larry Trojak
ost-effective handling of biosolids is essential to cleanwater plants economic and

environmental performance.
The Immokalee Water and Sewer
District in Florida faced a biosolids
challenge in 2006. The district had
been using drying beds to create
Class B biosolids and spending about
$500,000 a year to dewater and haul
excess material from that process to
a landfill.
Facing a change in regulations
on land application of Class B material, and wanting to reach the biosolids full economic potential, the
district looked at alternatives. The
ultimate solution was a facility redesign centered on using the Bioset
process (Schwing Bioset) to create
A small footprint for the biosolids

system was important because land
was limited at the Immokalee
treatment plant.
The plant wastes sludge for 16 hours a day, consistently generating about
11 dry tons of the Class A material weekly and doing so at a markedly
lower cost than for outright hauling and landfilling.
GARY FERRANTE, P.E.
Class A biosolids. As a result, the district has reduced handling costs by more
than two-thirds and produces a Class A product for beneficial use.
ANTICIPATING CHANGE
Located about 30 miles southeast of Fort Myers, the heavily agricultural
Immokalee district is home to about 24,000 residents. Its wastewater treatment plant was expanded in 2013 from 2.5 mgd to 4.0 mgd design capacity.
Until fairly recently, it generated 23,500 gallons of Class B biosolids per day
at 1 to 1.5 percent solids.
Gary Ferrante, P.E., an engineer with the Greeley and Hansen engineering firm, says a number of factors in 2006 led the district to review its biosolids operation. Immokalees plant was originally designed with a half-dozen
drying beds in which a Class B biosolids was created and used on permitted
area farms, he says.
While that was effective, the facility is next to a school, which repeatedly complained about students health risks and odor. The district later
learned that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection were considering changes to biosolids
land application regulations (passed in 2010 as Florida Biosolids Regulation
40
Chapter 62-640 F.A.C.). All that

prompted the district to hire a consultant to look at alternatives.
LOTS OF OPTIONS
Based on recommendations from
the consultants report, in 2007 the
district contracted with Synagro
Technologies to dewater the Class B
biosolids and haul it to a landfill
more than 100 miles away. In time,
The biosolids plants automationrising prices and an increase in bioheavy design enables easy maintesolids volume raised annual costs
nance and one-person operation.
from $309,000 to more than $470,000,
providing incentive for the district to pursue other options.
Working with the district, we put together a couple of proposals and a
couple of scenarios within each proposal, says Ferrante. The first one covered the design/build/finance of a biosolids facility at the existing location.
Options under this plan included handling material from Immokalee only,
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41
percent, but the electricity costs would be much higher. The screw press takes
the material up to 16 percent solids. It uses twin augers and a changing pitch
on the screws to advance the material and remove the water. Because it takes
far less energy to turn those two screws than to power a centrifuge, the savings in power consumption can be significant.
Another feature is that district personnel can wash the screw press down
while it remains operational, says Michael Castilla, service technician 1:
The Bioset screw press has an automated self-cleaning function which in
itself is nice. However, when we have a situation that calls for additional
cleaning, we can simply push a button and a cleaning cycle will start. Thats
a bonus. To shut a press down for maintenance or repair could cost us a halfdays performance.
POSITIVE REACTION
Gary Ferrante, P.E., of Greeley and Hansen, worked with Eva Deyo,
executive director of Immokalee Water and Sewer District, to develop
the biosolids facility.
as well as accepting material from

Collier County and making Immokalee a regional processing facility.
The second proposal had an outside
entity leasing land from the district
and constructing a Class A regional
processing facility on it.
An option under that proposal
included a continuation of the contract dewatering program while the
The screen of the Schwing Bioset
regional facility was taking shape.
screw press ensures high solids
In the end, the district chose to estabcapture.
lish a turnkey processing facility for
its own biosolids sludge only and selected the Bioset process to deliver Class
A material.
CLASS A OPERATION
At the new facility, material exits the primary treatment facilitys sludge
holding tanks at 1.5 percent solids and is fed directly to a high-performance
screw press, selected for a number of reasons, including its relatively compact design.
Because of the limited availability of usable land, a small footprint for
the entire biosolids system was a major consideration, and the Bioset screw
press fit in nicely, Ferrante says. Weve found it to be an outstanding dewatering tool, yet extremely efficient in power usage.
The belt press we looked at would have taken the material from 1.5 or
2 percent solids up to 8 to 10 percent. A centrifuge might get that up to 20
42
After dewatering, untreated biosolids are taken via screw conveyor to a

twin-screw mixer in which quicklime and sulfamic acid are added. The mixing resolves issues such as unreacted lime in the final product and yields a
highly homogeneous material. From the mixer, a Schwing Bioset KSP-10HKR
pump feeds material into a 56 1/2-cubic-foot reactor in which heat from the
acid and quicklime reaction raises the pH, stabilizing the mixture and creating a product that meets both Florida Chapter 503.33 and U.S. EPA Class
A requirements.
Retention time in the reactor is about 30 to 45 minutes at temperatures
in the range of 122 degrees Fahrenheit, says Ferrante. The plant wastes
sludge for 16 hours a day, consistently generating about 11 dry tons of the
Class A material weekly and doing so at a markedly lower cost than for outright hauling and landfilling.
Castilla adds that the systems ease of operation was also key to getting
up to speed quickly.
It is very intuitive and simple to operate, he says. However, Schwing Bioset
still went to great lengths to ensure that people involved in day-to-day operation are comfortable with it, have a handle on the maintenance routines, and
so on. Ian Keyes from their Wisconsin office spent time here mentoring me to
such a degree that theres very little about the system I dont understand.
The Class A material exits the system, is loaded onto a manure spreader
and taken to an area field where it is applied in place of fertilizer. Eliminating those fertilizer costs alone has saved about $50,000 per year.
In addition to lower costs, the district benefits from a much cleaner, less
maintenance-intensive, more environmentally friendly operation. Dust from
the lime-based process is controlled using hard-piped or totally enclosed
components. Odorous air is contained by the pressurized reactor and then
captured and scrubbed under a collection hood before release.
ROOM TO GROW
The districts biosolids plant was designed with ample space to install a
second identical processing line in case the regional concept becomes a reality. One of the most important aspects of this system is its ability to accommodate the changes a regional operation would entail, says Ferrante. Things
like fluctuations in the percentage of solids, increases and decreases in
throughput, and compatibility with biosolids from aerobic or anaerobic digestion processes without modification, are all within its design capability.
Simply put, the district is well positioned to have its wastewater treatment needs met for the foreseeable future. After the $2 million design/build/
finance contract was awarded, the district, seeing itself in a good financial
position, opted to pay that cost out of pocket, rather than financing it over
20 years.
The annual operating cost for the new system is about $130,000 a year,
including chemicals and electricity. With estimated savings of $370,000 per
year over landfilling, the system will pay for itself by about mid-2019.
This was a case in which Immokalee, a small independent special district with a serious financial headache, took real initiative in getting things
done, says Ferrante. They will be the beneficiaries of those sound decisions
for decades to come.
top performer
wastewater: BIOSOLIDS
Turning Up the
Heat
A SASKATCHEWAN TREATMENT FACILITY MAKES BIG STRIDES

IN BIOSOLIDS QUALITY WITH THERMAL HYDROLYSIS PROCESS
STORY: Jim Force
PHOTOGRAPHY: Paul Sayers
Cliff Dyck, left, wastewater foreman, and

Eric Anderson, operator, on berm surrounding
the covered biofertilizer storage lagoon.
44
SOMETIMES CLEAN-WATER PLANTS DONT CARE
to be the first in their area to install a new technology. Thats not the case in
North Battleford, Saskatchewan, where a new low-temperature thermal
hydrolysis process is converting biosolids to nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Developed and marketed by Lystek International, the new process has
enabled North Battleford to stop landfilling biosolids. Cliff Dyck, wastewater foreman, couldnt be happier:
Would I do it all over again? Yes. Theres no question.
The Lystek system uses low-pressure steam, alkali addition, and highspeed shearing in a closed reactor. The end product remains fully pumpable
with conventional liquid handling and application equipment. Dyck reports
that the process fits into a small footprint and uses conventional on-hand
equipment. Operators started it up in December 2014, and the fertilizer end
product is being applied to city-owned agricultural land.
For its leadership in bringing new biosolids technology to western Canada, the city won a 2015 Environmental Award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators in the category for populations 20,000 or
less. The award recognizes commitment to environmentally sustainable governance, protecting the environment and combating climate change.
SOPHISTICATED PROCESS
The North Battleford Wastewater Treatment Plant is rated as a Level 4
(complex) plant, even though it treats a modest average flow of about 1.5 mgd
from a population of 14,000. The city, 1 1/2 hours northwest of Saskatoon,

is an agricultural and oil production area.
The headworks consist of a Hycor 6 mm screen (Parkson Corp.) and a
Hycor screw press to remove moisture from rags. A Eutek stacked-tray vortex system (Hydro International) removes grit before the flow travels to rectangular bioreactors with fine-bubble diffusers (Sanitaire - a Xylem Brand).
The aerobic-anoxic process accomplishes nitrogen and phosphorus removal
as well as COD reduction.
After final clarification in two Dorr-Oliver circular basins (Ovivo USA),
a low-pressure, high-intensity UV system (TrojanUV) disinfects the effluent. A local power plant treats the water further, then uses it as boiler makeup water. In turn, the power plant sends its wastewater back to the treatment
plant a closed-loop recycling system of sorts. An expanded equalization
tank to handle heavy summer rains was completed in 2015.
BETTER BIOSOLIDS
For years, North Battleford thickened its biosolids, dewatered with polymer and centrifuges, and trucked the cake to the local landfill. The process
was costly, created odors, and wasted a valuable resource, according to city
officials.
The Provincial Water Security Agency didnt like the practice, either,
and ordered the city to implement a more environmentally friendly approach
by Nov. 1, 2015. The city issued a request for proposals for a process that
Would I do it all over again?

Yes. Theres no question.
CLIFF DYCK
45
Operator Dan Suberlak (left) and wastewater foreman Cliff Dyck check the main
flowmeter used for liquid transfer to the main storage lagoon (Lystek system).
City of North Battleford (Saskatchewan)

Wastewater Treatment Plant
COMMISSIONED: |
2005
14,000
FLOWS: | 3.1 mgd design, 1.5 mgd average
TREATMENT PROCESS: | Biological nutrient removal
BIOSOLIDS PROCESS: | Low-temperature thermal hydrolysis
BIOSOLIDS VOLUME: | 770 dry tons/year
BIOSOLIDS USE: | Farm fertilizer
ANNUAL BUDGET: | $1.2 million (Canadian), operations
WEBSITE: | www.cityofnb.ca
POPULATION SERVED: |
would be cost-effective and allow beneficial reuse of the biosolids, Dyck says.
City leaders selected the Lystek system, developed at the University of
Waterloo, Ontario, based on a design-build proposal including commissioning, permitting and initial operational assistance. The proposal also created
a cost-sharing partnership with the city. Lystek manages sales of the final
fertilizer product and shares revenues.
Our engineering consultant came up with several options, but Lystek
was the lowest cost by far, says Dyck. He especially likes the way the system fits neatly into existing buildings: We have a small footprint here. With
the Lystek process, we could use all of our existing equipment. The reactor,
boiler, and chemical feed and storage tanks all fit within our building.
46
Its also easy to maintain. Lystek gave us three weeks of training, and
our guys caught on real fast. Its automated but not high-tech. The boiler is
so small you dont need an engineering certificate to operate it. Those were
big-time cost savings.
APPLYING THE HEAT

Except for the final product, much of the citys biosolids system remains
the same. Waste solids are thickened to 2 to 3 percent in an existing drum
thickener (Alfa Laval Ashbrook Simon-Hartley) and dewatered to 14 to 15 percent in one of two centrifuges (Alfa Laval Ashbrook Simon-Hartley). A cationic water-soluble polymer is added before the thickener and centrifuge.
The same augers that were used to transport the cake to the trucks now
deliver the material to a Lystek holding tank, and then into the reactor.
There it is heated with low-pressure steam from an independent boiler
to 70 to 75 degrees Celsius (158 to 167 degrees Fahrenheit), mixed with
alkali to raise the pH to 9.5 to 10.0, and is exposed to high-shear mixing for
up to 45 minutes. The process breaks down cell walls and hydrolyzes complex molecules into simpler compounds.
The biofertilizer product stabilizes very fast, reports Dyck. After 45
to 60 minutes, we pump the product out to our storage lagoon, which is lined
and covered with plastic to keep out contaminants. The material doesnt
stratify. It stays mixed. We withdrew the first batch of 2,900 cubic meters
(765,000 gallons) after a year, and it looked good.
CLOSED SYSTEM
The material is pathogen free and meets Canadian Food Inspection
LYSTEK ELSEWHERE
While the North Battleford installation is the first Lystek
process in western Canada, the process operates in several
places in Ontario, and a new regional processing facility is under
construction at the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District in California.
According to Kevin Litwiller, company spokesman, the
process operates in Guelph, the Town of St. Marys, Third High
Farms, and the Township of Centre Wellington in Ontario, and at
the companys own Organic Materials Recovery Centre in
Southgate, Ontario.
Southgate is a regional facility serving multiple municipalities and can process up to 165,000 U.S. tons of material per year.
In addition to producing fertilizer, Lystek says the process can
also enhance biogas production when the end product is
returned to the digester. The end product can also serve as a
carbon source for biological nutrient removal systems.
We have a small footprint here. With the

Lystek process, we could use all of our existing
equipment. The reactor, boiler, and chemical feed
and storage tanks all fit within our building.
CLIFF DYCK
The Lystek systems reactor (shown above), boiler, chemical feed, Netzsch
pump and storage tanks fit easily within the building.
Operator Eric Anderson checks the

manual airflow valve that allows him
to override automatic settings.
47
We have a vacuum
pump in the building
that draws air off the
process and discharges
it at the roofline. When
the product is injected
properly in the field,
there should be no
problems.
CLIFF DYCK
Cliff Dyck,
wastewater foreman
Operator Paul Kryzanowski performs a settling test.
Eric Anderson. They rotate on two-week shifts, alternating between the laboratory, maintenance and the dewatering building. In addition, the team
shares Anand George, instrument technician, and Don Bush, maintenance
mechanic, with the water treatment plant.
LESSONS LEARNED
After just over 12 months of operating the Lystek system, Dyck has two
suggested improvements for his operation and those at future sites. The
chemical tank could be sized so that a plant could take a full tanker load of
chemicals and realize the cost savings, he says. We did not have enough
space in our building for a larger tank.
The second suggestion also involves space: We have limited space to
perform maintenance on the equipment on top of the tanks. We are designing a stairs-and-catwalk system so that we can safely perform maintenance
on the equipment.
Those issues aside, its a process that has put North Battleford on the map
as a biosolids leader in western Canada.
Agency standards for Class A biosolids. It has a moisture content of about

85 percent.
The first land application of the product was on city-owned cropland
near the treatment plant leased to a farmer. We just made the first subsurface injection last October, says Dyck. The revenue will help recover some
of the operational costs. Lystek is managing that, says Dyck. They have
an agronomist on staff who handles contact with the farmers.
The final product has an earthy, ammonia smell that is not objectionable
a big improvement over the odor issues that occurred at the landfill.
Everything is sealed up, says Dyck. We have a vacuum pump in the building that draws air off the process and discharges it at the roofline. When the
product is injected properly in the field, there should be no problems.
Dyck, whos been with the city for 30 years and holds a Class 4 operators
license, has a staff of Nathan Martell, Paul Kryzanowski, Dan Suberlak and
48

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49
PLANTSCAPES
A view of native plants

and birds that are typical
of wildlife ponds Snoopy,
Lucy and Bones.
A Valued Resource
OPERATORS EMBELLISH AN ESTABLISHED POND HABITAT AND SPRUCE UP
THE PLANT GROUNDS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE
By Jeff Smith
ome people in Ventura thought the three wastewater discharge ponds

near the citys wastewater treatment plant might go away in 2009 when
the State of California tightened discharge standards for its 14 mgd
(design) activated sludge water reclamation plant.
But creative planning and a determination to maintain the ponds for the
publics enjoyment transformed the nearly 40-acre pond site into a wildlife
habitat that provides recreational opportunities for bird-watchers and hikers.
grebes, ducks, swallows and peregrine falcons. Willis says bird-watchers

rate the ponds among the best viewing areas in the region. A series of graveled pathways meander around the ponds. Three benches provide resting
and viewing locations.
DECORATIVE PLANTINGS
To further beautify the area near the plant, operators built a nearly
1,000-foot-long retaining wall of architectural stone 18 inches high to contain topsoil and the shrubs and trees they had planted along the front of the
CHANGING ROLE
flow equalization basin. Before we built the wall, the soil and shrubs would
Developed by the city as a wildlife habitat enjoyed by citizens and visislide down to the sidewalk during a rainstorm, says Eric Miller, lead opertors to the plant, the ponds originally served as an effluent discharge point
ator. We also planted trees, shrubs and ground cover in front of the new
before final discharge into an estuary formed by the Santa Clara River.
primary pump building.
With residence time of more than four days, flow through the ponds further
The operators also did more than 500 plantings of ornamental grasses
reduced residual chlorine levels. A plant upgrade in 2009 modified dechlosuch as blue fescue and native flowers like freeway daisies and California
rination and relocated the discharge point to after the ponds.
native roses, along with sedges and mugwort. Operators
did the landscaping, which included placing a few boulWe didnt have a budget but wanted the plant to look better ders, when time allowed and when the facility could
spare the money. The entire project lasted about a year.
for visitors. We conduct a lot of tours each year for high
We didnt have a budget but wanted the plant to
look better for visitors, says Willis. We conduct a lot
school kids, college students and the general public.
of tours each year for high school kids, college students
JOHN WILLIS
and the general public.
The ponds are no longer part of our process, says John Willis, wastewater plant supervisor. But they still draw a lot of bird-watchers and visiPROTECTING THE WATERS
tors. Named Snoopy, Lucy and Bones, the ponds simulate coastal dunes
Before discharge into the Santa Clara River Estuary, more than 2.5 mgd
surrounded by willow, arroyo willow and cottonwood trees.
of treated water is diverted for beneficial reuse as landscape irrigation by
Leafy buckwheat, purple needle and other plants and reeds provide varied
two nearby residential neighborhoods and a golf course. The Pacific Ocean
habitat to support native and migratory birds, such as marsh wren, warblers,
is about 2,000 feet from the discharge point.
50
A view of the equalization basin showing the retaining wall that the operators
built, and the sea lavender and rosea ground cover that they planted.
The estuary is home to steelhead trout and tidewater goby, both federally protected species. The estuary and the discharge ponds provide critical
habitat for migratory and resident waterfowl and shore birds including
western and least sandpiper, America avocet, great blue heron, snowy egret,
mallards, cinnamon teal, gadwalls, and northern shoveler. The threatened
snowy plover has been seen. Mammals such as hares, opossums, raccoons,
skunks, foxes, coyotes and deer use the habitat, along with gophers, squirrels, moles and bats.
Water depth in the estuary and its surrounding marshes and riparian
Members of the operations staff

include, from left, Steve Ramos,
lead operator Eric Miller, John Willis,
Anthony Alvarez, Ray Flinchum, Juan
Lopez, Joe Volpe, Efrain Sandoval
and Phil Archer.
Share Your Ideas

TPO welcomes news about
interesting features of your facilitys
grounds, signage or buildings for
future articles in the PlantScapes
column. Send your ideas to editor
@tpomag.com or call 877/953-3301.
areas varies with the seasons and the

occurrence of storms. Independent studies done for the city confirm that the
estuary is a primarily freshwater water body that supports aquatic habitat.
Willis says the operators are proud of all the work they have done to
improve the appearance of the plant, but they are also proud of the quality
of their effluent: Clean water from our facility helps to provide critical
wildlife and fish habitat.
51
IN MY WORDS
Training for the Future

KANSAS MUNICIPAL UTILITIES ORGANIZATION STARTS CONSTRUCTION ON
A NEW TRAINING CENTER TO HELP GROOM NEW GENERATIONS OF OPERATORS
By Ted J. Rulseh
raining is always important in the water professions, but especially

when the supply of qualified operators looks to be drying up.
Facing a wave of retirements among water and wastewater operators in its member communities, the Kansas Municipal Utilities organization has stepped up with a $3.2 million investment in a new training center
in the City of McPherson.
The training center, expected to open in late 2016, will offer programs
for water, wastewater, and electric and gas utility workers. It will include a
35-acre training field where workers can practice on actual power lines, natural gas lines, and water distribution and wastewater collections piping. A
19,500-square-foot building will house classrooms, a garage for demonstrations and hands-on practice, and KMU offices.
Colin Hansen, KMU executive director, and Jim Jackson, director of
technical services, talked about the facility in an interview with Treatment
Plant Operator.
: What generated the idea for this training center?
Hansen: Weve seen a real need for municipal utilities in Kansas to
have access to quality hands-on training for the next generation of frontline employees. I was lucky enough to have worked on a similar project for
the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities and was hoping to implement
something similar in Kansas. We started with an association in KMU that
was only two staff persons, including myself, so we had to spend the first
decade building an organization that could provide the training programs
and services we needed. In the past five years, weve become serious about
building the training center. It became a big part of our strategic plan three
years ago, and since then weve been going full-speed ahead.
: Why was it important for KMU to undertake this project?
Hansen: Our members and our board realize that we have a tsunami
coming in terms of the workforce. If you look at how old the average utility
worker is and how many water and wastewater operators are eligible to retire
right now or in the next five to 10 years, its clear there is going to be an issue.
: What do the statistics say about the coming wave of retirements?
Hansen: On the electric side, a survey by the Kansas Energy Workforce
Consortium said that 55 percent of distribution field supervisors were eligible to retire in less than five years, along with 54 percent of generation supervisors and 47 percent of generation dispatchers. A survey by the Water
Research Foundation indicated that 20 percent of water utility employees
could retire right now and another 10 percent would be eligible for early
retirement right now. They also estimated that 37 percent of water utility
workers and 31 percent of wastewater workers would retire in the next 10
years. Its somewhat sobering.
: What approach are Kansas utilities taking toward recruitment
of new personnel?
52
From left, Jim

Jackson, Kansas
Municipal Utilities
director of technical
services, and Colin
Hansen, executive
director.
Hansen: KMU represents mostly very small communities. Towns with

populations of 1,000 or less would be about the median size of our members.
Were trying to find a way to take people who have roots in those communities and train them to be utility professionals. Recruiting into small towns
in Kansas is challenging.
: What exactly will the training center building contain?
Hansen: We envision dividing the footprint into three main components. The first is a 200-person auditorium that can be split up into three
classrooms of 1,000 square feet each, plus a separate conference room. That
will enable us to have up to four training sessions going on at any given time.
The auditorium will back up to a working garage area where well do handson training. It will have radiant heat, and well be able to drop some power
poles into the floor so we can bring younger line workers in and teach them
how to climb poles and install cross-arms. The final third will contain the
KMU offices. We currently lease space above a Main Street building in
McPherson. The new offices will allow us to be much more productive.
: What will the training field consist of?
Hansen: Right now it has some roughed-in gravel roads, about three
city blocks, with electric poles and transformer boxes with undergrounds.
On the electric side, weve done overhead distribution schools and underground schools. We received a grant from Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to train gas operators. We have a fair amount of
gas pipe in the ground.
Jackson: On the water side, we have started installing waterlines and
sewer lines in the field. As we grow, well do classes about pigging, flushing
and disinfecting. Eventually well be able to go into metering. Another big
area will be leak detection. On the wastewater side, weve talked about jetting, camera inspection, and installing sewer taps. Weve talked to vendors
about possibly donating a lift station. Well continue to grow into equipment
: Are there any long-term plans to add small-scale treatment facilities for training?
Hansen: That could be feasible, but its probably well down the road.
Jackson: Once we complete the building, our plan is to build a lab
inside. A lot of the work were doing on the water and wastewater side is
helping prepare operators for state certification.
: Will the training center
be open to more than just KMU
members?
Hansen: Definitely. Weve talked
with just about every party who might
have an interest in it, including the
investor-owned utilities and the rural
electric cooperatives. Were building it knowing we have a dedicated
audience in the municipal utility
workers, but we expect to see many
other folks coming to the campus
and making good use of it.
If you look at how

old the average
utility worker is and
how many water and
wastewater operators
are eligible to retire
right now or in the next
five to 10 years, its
clear there is going to
be an issue.
: How was the funding for

the facilities put together?
Hansen: The center is being
funded by three consecutive memCOLIN HANSEN
bership due increases of 12.5 percent. Weve secured an industrial
revenue bond through the City of McPherson, which has been an excellent
partner. Well be looking to pay off the bonds over a 20-year stretch. Given
that KMU is an organization with about $1.6 million in annual revenue, this
has been a leap of faith for us, but our members are excited about it and continue to push us to get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
: How will the center charge for training?
Hansen: The training will be on a fee basis to cover the staffing costs
and whatever training materials we might provide. We would have a modest
surcharge for those not already contributing to the center through their dues
as members or associate members. The big thing is to keep the cost low so
we dont scare away the smaller systems.
: Who will be the instructors for the training classes?
Hansen: Right now we have a four-member job training and safety staff.
Those folks will be tapped for much of the training. Well also reach out to
Kansas Section AWWA, the Kansas Water Environment Association, the
Rural Community Assistance Program, and the Environmental Finance
Center at Wichita State University. Well also use our own members. It seems
the best way to do training is to get young up-and-coming employees working side by side with grizzled veterans, talking about how to do things the
right way and do them safely.
: What have you done by way of partnerships with other industry
groups in the state?
Jackson: The water and wastewater groups have all been very supportive. Several made it to our groundbreaking, and they look forward to partnering with us to teach best practices. Our associate members have stepped
up and really helped with donations of supplies and materials for the training field.
Hansen: Weve taken a Build it and they will come mentality, and Ill
be darned if it hasnt turned out that way.
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53
BUILDING
THE TEAM
Aerial view of the Union Sanitary District landscape.
Return on Investment
CONTINUOUS TRAINING GIVES UNION SANITARY DISTRICT TEAM MEMBERS
THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO STAY AT THE TOP OF THEIR FIELD
By Ann Stawski
or more than two decades, the Union Sanitary District has been winning regional and national awards for its management and operational
excellence. Paul Eldredge, general manager, attributes that partly to
a diligent and extensive year-round wastewater operator training program.
Set in the San Francisco Bay Area, the district is challenged by droughts,
stiff environmental regulations and a growing population. Its annual budget includes funding for training, which is required for each job.
When you make the investment, you see the return, says Eldredge. By
giving our people the best training to develop their skills and perform their
jobs at peak levels, our customers receive the highest level of service.
The district, serving a population of 350,000, receives nearly 100 industrial discharges in addition to residential wastewater customers. The relatively high industrial flow presents challenges in daily
operations.
TRAINING DEMANDS
INCLUSIVE TRAINING
The district works diligently with each employee and SME to ensure the
training programs continued success. Careful monitoring and employee
feedback, including suggestions for process improvement, are critical. Detailed
When you make the investment, you see the return.

By giving our people the best training to develop their skills
and perform their jobs at peak levels, our customers receive the
highest level of service.
The district runs its 33 mgd (design) wastewater treatment plant with 16 operators, one operations trainer, and
two coaches (supervisors), all under the guidance of Armando
Lopez, work group manager and former operator.
PAUL ELDREDGE
The comprehensive training includes monthly sessions consisting of 12 rotating modules that cover the entire wastewater process. The sessions include scripted components, where operators receive
information and then must demonstrate technical knowledge of the processes. They are also required to perform actual job functions in hands-on
and scenario-based competency testing.
54
Through the training, all operators and staff understand the entire process in running the wastewater plant, says Eldredge. We dont throw anyone into the deep end of the pool and expect them to swim.
Some employees are considered subject matter experts (SMEs) for a specific process area, such as chemical dosing and electrical. The training modules have built-in flexibility, enabling tenured employees to lead sessions in
their areas of expertise.
records maintained throughout the process serve as a foundation for continual improvement.
Dave Drake, a senior operator who has been with the district for more
than 30 years, exemplifies how training benefits team members. Drake delivers most training modules and serves as the lead field trainer for operators.
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Armando Lopez (left) and Mat Grabowski repair a fill line
on a sodium hypochlorite system at the Union Sanitary District plant; Doug

Dattawalker explains how flushable wipes can clog sewer lines and pumps
during the plants open house; Tim Hughes opens a suction valve to a pump
inside the Alvarado pump station.
He also monitors and tracks all training for the wastewater team, reporting
what each member has completed and needs to accomplish.
Dave assumes a great deal of responsibility, especially in overseeing the
training regimen for new operators, says Eldredge. Part of Drakes role is
to log the results of the competency training, as well as any additional instruction team members receive outside of the structured coursework.
With Daves oversight, we keep working with our operators to make sure
they get it, Eldredge says. We want our employees to succeed, and I honestly cant think of an instance where that hasnt happened.
TRAINING WITH OTHERS

Training goes beyond in-house sessions and fieldwork. The district encourages operators to attend training at other facilities and venues. That includes
seeking higher levels of operator certification through the State Water
Resources Control Board. Staff members also take part in training and educational offers by the California Water Environment Association and the
Water Environment Federation.
The district also works with local and regional agencies to boost education, recognition and recruiting. For example, Union Sanitary is a signatory
agency in BAYWORK, a collaboration of 28 water and wastewater utilities
working to ensure workforce reliability.
Last year, the Union treatment plant hosted a BAYWORK event that
offered cross-training to field operators. Each event is different, and we participate where it makes the most sense for us, Eldredge says. Sometimes
its field trips at plants, and other times its training.
BAYWORK provides opportunities for internships to students at junior
colleges that encourage and support the training program. We need to attract
and retain a highly qualified workforce, says Eldredge. When our staff
participates in events like these, we not only help make our employees more
rounded, but also appeal to a new generation.
Team members also impart their knowledge to district residents during
open houses for the community.
BEST PRACTICES
Not all training focuses on day-to-day operations. Periodically, staff members visit industrial and other private sector locations to see how processes,
procedures and safety programs work in different environments. Its helpful for our operators to learn new processes while interacting with other professionals, says Eldredge. We can always expand our learning and can
never rest on our laurels.
Eldredge and the district board
continue to support training because
they understand the return on investtell us about your team
ment: Through all our work, training and education, we contribute to
This feature in TPO aims to help
the region and offer our customers
clean-water plant leaders develop
the highest level of service.
strong, cohesive operating teams.
We welcome your story about
team-building at your facility.
Send your ideas to editor@
tpomag.com or call 877/953-3301
55
TECHNOLOGY
DEEP DIVE
1) The Liquiline System

CA80PH orthophosphate
analyzer has a cabinet
about the size of a college
dormitory refrigerator.
2) The system is designed

to operate for as long as
six months without a
reagent change.
Lower-Cost Analysis
PHOSPHATE ANALYZER FROM ENDRESS+HAUSER IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE
ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS FROM PROCESS STREAMS WHILE CONSERVING REAGENT
By Ted J. Rulseh
any analytical instruments rely on reagents, which become a major

component of the instruments lifetime operating costs.
For manufacturers developing new instruments, an important
goal therefore is to conserve reagents with devices that consume smaller
amounts per sample and extend reagent shelf life. Endress+Hauser has developed a colorimetric orthophosphate measurement device designed with both
those concerns in mind.
The Liquiline System CA80PH orthophosphate analyzer combines a precise sample pumping mechanism with an onboard cooling system. The manufacturer says the device can triple the time between reagent change-outs.
It also includes automatic calibration and cleaning, and advanced diagnostics. Steven Smith, product marketing manager, talked about the device in
an interview with Treatment Plant Operator.
: What need in the marketplace drove development of this

instrument?
Smith: Our new line of colorimetric analyzers is designed to help customers reduce their cost of ownership. The cost to operate a colorimetric
analyzer rises and falls with reagent consumption. We have introduced a
delivery system for reagents, cleaners and standards that uses a very small
56
amount of reagent for each reaction. Even with continuous operation, that
dramatically reduces overall reagent consumption.
: At what points in the wastewater treatment process would this
phosphate analyzer be found?
Smith: It would be deployed primarily in three areas. First, at the head
end where operators are interested in the incoming phosphate levels and
might attempt some degree of removal. Second, after the activated sludge
process and before secondary clarification, where they are looking to precipitate phosphate out of the process. And third, before discharge, to verify that
the effluent is meeting permit requirements.
: How does this device interact with the treatment process?
Smith: It is a cabinet analyzer, about the size of a college dormitory
refrigerator. Like all colorimetric devices, it has two parts: a sample preparation system, and the analyzer itself. The sample preparation system draws
liquid out of the process, filters it and delivers a fresh sample to the analyzer.
This device has a 0.1-micron filter system that basically removes all solids
from the process water and delivers a very clean liquid. That liquid runs into
a weir, or sample cup, that is constantly being refreshed. The analyzer pulls
a sample off of that weir at whatever interval the customer programs. Through
the controller, the user can define how often the analyzer runs the analysis.
: How does this unit achieve high efficiency in use of reagents?
Smith: The system is designed to operate for three to six months without a reagent change. We have essentially tripled the life of the reagent. Weve
added a cooling system that cools the primary reagent and allows it to stay
in the analyzer longer. For the dispensing pumps, we use a unique approach
in the form of syringe-type delivery that both accurately dispenses the liquid and uses a much smaller amount of liquid. Annual savings on reagent
will be easily in the hundreds of dollars each year.
Water-to-Sludge
Heat Exchanger
The cost to operate a colorimetric analyzer

rises and falls with reagent consumption.
We have introduced a delivery system for reagents,
cleaners and standards that uses a very small
amount of reagent for each reaction.
STEVEN SMITH
: Once the analysis is complete, how does this device communicate with the treatment process so that phosphate precipitants are dosed
accurately?
Smith: The CA80PH orthophosphate analyzer is built on our Liquiline
transmitter platform, which is used across all our analytical sensors and
technologies. Customers can integrate our colorimetric analyzers into their
control system using a variety of input/output capabilities, anywhere from
an analog signal to a range of digital communication protocols. The analyzer
takes a measurement and communicates a value back to the process control
system in a 4-20mA signal or a digitally communicated signal. That value is
used to provide control over dosing for precipitation purposes or for monitoring of phosphate levels.
: What ensures the continued integrity of the instrument and its
accuracy?
Smith: Users can monitor the instruments performance through the
Liquiline transmitter platform. Through built-in diagnostics, they can record
and monitor inside the instrument. There are data log books for analysis,
diagnostics and calibration, and they keep a record that users can output for
recordkeeping, compliance and tracking of diagnostic events. In addition,
the Liquiline transmitter has the capability to be outfitted with a Web server.
Users can then pull up a Web page remotely on a PC or smart device and
monitor and evaluate the analyzer.
Efficiently Heat Digester Sludge.

Tube-in-Tube Design.
Low Headloss.
Manufactured in Aurora, IL USA.
Walker Process Equipment

www.walker-process.com
Do It Once!
Do It Bright!
: What colorimetric measuring methods does this device use?

Smith: It is available with both standardized phosphate-measuring
methods covering all applications: molybdenum blue and vanadate molybdate (yellow method). By default, users will deploy one of those two methods, depending on the concentration they are measuring. To measure phosphate
from 0.5 to 10 ppm, they would use the blue method. To measure up to 50
ppm, they would use the yellow method.
: Will users find this device easy to maintain and service?
Smith: In the design of this analyzer, we made the maintenance virtually tool-free. For any part that has to be replaced or for any routine service,
the user does not need any tools. It can all be done with just the fingers. It
makes maintenance extremely easy.
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Mobile Belt Filter Press with

Operator Room
Dewatering Solutions for
Bio Solids, Sludge & Slurries
Sales, Rentals,
& Leasing Options
BOOTH
4223, 4224
Phone: 269-793-7183 Fax: 269-793-4022

127 N. Water St., Hopkins, MI 49328
www.brightbeltpress.com
57
product focus
Biosolids Handling/Hauling/
Disposal/Application
and Headworks
By Craig Mandli
Aftermarket Parts/Service
BRENTWOOD INDUSTRIES
POLYCHEM SUPPORT
Engineers from Brentwood Industries
combine customer feedback and knowledge gained from numerous installations
to ensure that Polychem products and sysPolychem support from
tems address every customer need. That
Brentwood Industries
process involves extending the lifetime of
an installation, as well as offering aftermarket products and services to
ensure reliable operation. The component analysis and system evaluation program helps customers prevent problems with their chain and
flight equipment. The specialized tools and software provide facilities
with cost-effective recommendations for budgeting future capital expenditures, maintaining inventory levels, and scheduling preventive maintenance. A large inventory of standard components is available for quick
turnaround. 610/374-5109; www.brentwoodindustries.com.
ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICS INTERNATIONAL

AERATION WORKS
The Aeration Works Division of Environmental Dynamics International was created to give operators of aeration systems a source for fast,
reliable installations and maintenance. Made up of experienced installers and field service professionals, personnel are experts at the installation and maintenance of aeration systems. These expert installers
know what tools are needed, how to do it quickly and how to ensure it
is done to manufacturers specifications. When doing maintenance, the
group has the experience to evaluate the degree of work needed. If a
construction crew is lined up, Aeration Works can provide supervision
to ensure the work is done to any manufacturers specifications. 573/4749453; www.aerationworks.com.
JDV EQUIPMENT LEVEL LODOR

The LEVEL LODOR cover system from
JDV Equipment helps contain odors by covering standard dump containers used for hauling processed material. The design allows for
even distribution, increasing the fill percentage without manually evening out material.
LEVEL LODOR cover system
Enclosing containers allows outdoor instalfrom JDV Equipment
lation without exposing material to the environment or pests. 973/366-6556; www.jdvequipment.com.
PAXXO LONGOFILL
The Longofill continuous bag system from Paxxo
can connect to the discharge point of machines used
to move, dewater or compact screenings, grit and
biosolids. Material is then deposited in a 90-meterlong continuous bag for odor containment and spillage control. The cassette bag is easy to seal, and the
material and odors are trapped inside, cutting down
development of bacteria and fungus spores.
Longofill continuous bag
770/502-0055; www.paxxo.us.
system from Paxxo
Biosolids Heaters/Dryers/Thickeners
HRS HEAT EXCHANGERS
UNICUS SERIES
Unicus Series scraped-surface heat
exchangers from HRS Heat Exchangers
contain scraping rods inside each heat
Unicus Series heat exchangers
exchanger tube. These rods move back
from HRS Heat Exchangers
and forth, powered by a hydraulic power
unit. The scraping system eliminates fouling from the tube wall, and the
mixing of product increases the heat transfer. They can be used for large
duty with viscous and fouling fluids in food, environmental and processing industries. A special version is available for evaporation applications,
and can operate under vacuum for volume reduction of environmental waste
to reduce shipping costs. 623/915-4328; www.hrs-heatexchangers.com.
Centrifuges/Separators
Belt Filter/Rotary
Presses
ALFA LAVAL ALDEC G3
BRIGHT TECHNOLOGIES
BELT FILTER PRESS
The 1.7-meter trailer-mounted
Belt filter press unit from
belt filter press unit from Bright
Bright Technologies
Technologies has an insulated control room with FRP walls, air conditioning, electric heat, a refrigerator,
stainless steel desk, tool storage, locker, closed-circuit TV, and remote
operator controls. The modular design allows the room to be custommanufactured to fit most single-drop trailers. Units are made for rapid
setup, with folding conveyor and operator walkways. No special lifting
equipment is required. 800/253-0532; www.brightbeltpress.com.
The ALDEC G3 decanter centrifuge from Alfa Laval is designed to

be easier to operate with improved
ALDEC G3 decanter centrifuge
process performance and environfrom Alfa Laval
mental impact. Equipped with a
2Touch control package, it is easy to monitor, adjust and improve all the
operating parameters to meet changing requirements, varying inputs
and different conditions. The smaller conveyor diameter makes room for
more liquid in the pond and allows higher bowl wall pressures, resulting in a 10 percent boost in processing capacity, or drier cake. Power
Plates also effectively reduce the power consumption of the unit by as
much as 40 percent. 866/253-2528; www.alfalaval.us.
FREE INFO ON THESE PRODUCTS RETURN FOLLOWING FORM
58
CENTRISYS CORPORATION
THK HYBRID THICKENING
CENTRIFUGE
The THK Hybrid Thickening Centrifuge
from Centrisys Corporation allows plant operators to decrease polymer consumption and
increase capacity. Little to no polymer
THK Hybrid Thickening Centrifuge
is required, leading to substantial savfrom Centrisys Corporation
ings for facilities in the waste activated
sludge thickening process. Its hydraulic assist technology enables control of cake solids. It has a small footprint and is airtight and enclosed,
eliminating odor issues. The unit has low maintenance requirements.
877/339-5496; www.centrisys.us.
Chemical/Polymer Feeding Equipment

EAGLE MICROSYSTEMS VF-100
The VF-100 dry chemical feeder from Eagle
Microsystems is constructed of 304 stainless steel
and uses a direct drive to ensure optimum performance and durability in harsh chemical feed environments. It can be optimized for almost any dry
feed application. Options include dust collectors,
f lex-wall agitation, explosion-proof
VF-100 dry chemical feeder
motors, bulk bag loaders, wetting cones,
from Eagle Microsystems
solution tanks, flow-pacing control, and
extension hoppers. The chemical feed rate is controlled by electronic
SCR speed control for increased accuracy and control. With no external gears, pulleys, chains, belts or lubrications required, it is user-friendly
and low maintenance. 610/323-2250; www.eaglemicrosystems.com.
FLUID DYNAMICS DYNABLEND

The dynaBLEND liquid polymer activation/
dilution/feed system from Fluid Dynamics provides
superior performance in activating and feeding
liquid polymers for water and wastewater treatment.
It is designed to effectively activate all types of
liquid polymers, and its non-mechanical mixing
chamber delivers reliability. The system has an
injection check valve designed for ease of disassembly, inspection and cleaning, which elimidynaBLEND liquid polymer
nates a maintenance issue. 888/363-7886;
system from Fluid Dynamics
www.fluiddynamics1.com.
FORCE FLOW/HALOGEN CHLOR-SCALE

The Chlor-Scale ton container scale from Force Flow/Halogen safely
cradles a chlorine ton container while providing feed and chemical
inventory information. Know in real time exactly how much chlorine
has been fed and how much remains in the tank. Receive warnings of
excessive or insufficient feed rates and
remotely monitor from a PLC or SCADA
system. To protect the chlorination system
from a dangerous leak, the Eclipse emergency valve shut-off system instantly closes
the container valve when a signal
Chlor-Scale ton container scale
is received from a leak detector,
from Force Flow/Halogen
panic button or from SCADA. The
actuator quickly installs on the tank without the use of any tools and
allows manual operation of the valve while in place. During an emer-
gency shutdown event, the system measures the actual torque applied
to the valve to ensure the valve is closed to Chlorine Institute recommended standards, and provides remote confirmation that the
emergency close operation successfully closed the valve. 800/8936723; www.forceflow.com.
NEPTUNE CHEMICAL PUMP

COMPANY POLYMASTER
The Polymaster polymer make-down system
and custom chemical feed systems from Neptune
Chemical Pump Company dilute, mix and thoroughly activate emulsion, dispersion and solution
polymers, including the new lines
Polymaster systems from
of high-molecular-weight prodNeptune Chemical Pump Company
ucts. Systems comply with both
UL778 and CSA C22.2 No. 108-01 standards and are available in a
range of models to produce 20 to 1,200 gph of activated solution at
concentrations from 0.1 to 2 percent. The Gatlin motorized mixing
chamber contains no blades that can damage fragile polymer chains.
Chemical feed systems are built to customer specifications, are supplied mounted on a skid, and include diaphragm metering pumps,
tanks, mixers and controls. Supplied in configurations that are flexible and expandable to meet any process requirement, all systems are
fully piped, wired and tested. 215/699-8700; www.neptune1.com.
PULSAFEEDER PULSABLEND
PULSAblend polymer make-down systems from Pulsafeeder
have control options including automatic, manual or dry contact.
Their three-step static blending systems provide dilution without
harming the polymer chains. These fabricated assemblies offer turnkey simplicity and industrial-grade durability. With a wide range
of dilution using three different water flow rates to choose from (0
to 5, 5 to 10, and 10+ gpm), the system is custom-sized to provide
activation of all types of polymers. Five neat
polymer pump flow rates ensure the right makedown for any application. Systems include an
auto-fill calibration column, an adjustable flowmeter, and a neat polymer backpressure regulator to maintain a consistent final product. The
system will automatically run a 30-second flush
cycle when the contact opens to clean the internal components, preparing it for the next demand.
The manual and dry contact systems have an
option for an incoming water lowPULSAblend polymer make-down
flow cutoff switch, which will dissystems from Pulsafeeder
able the neat polymer injection
pump should the dilution water flow drop below 1 gpm. 800/3336677; www.pulsatron.com.
SCALETRON INDUSTRIES
MODEL 3001 - 3006
The Model 3001 - 3006 ton cylinder
scale from Scaletron Industries has a
light, simplified design that is less cumbersome to set up and install. It
Model 3001 - 3006 ton cylinder
offers a safety factor rating equal
scale from Scaletron Industries
to the original model due to its
construction from high-grade plate steel. Designed for modular use,
each base weighs one cylinder with the ability to connect up to six
bases to a single indicator. To improve corrosion resistance, the scale
is zinc oxide primed and dry powder epoxy coated. It includes a
59
product focus
Biosolids Management and Headworks
cover plate to protect the load cell from dust, dirt and condensate. The
capacity is 4,000 pounds with accuracy to plus-or-minus 0.5 percent.
The base size is 39.88 by 22.38 inches. A 4 1/2-digit display is standard
with options for a five-digit or 1099 chemical process controller. 215/7662670; www.scaletronscales.com.
SEE WATER OZONE GENERATOR

Ozone generators from See Water allow operators to effectively implement ozone to new or
existing water treatment systems. The O3-100 (100
gallons per hour) and O3-50 (50 gallons per hour)
use an electric arch method to create ozone. The
units help kill bacteria, destroy odor and
VOCs, and oxidize metals. 888/733-9283; Ozone generators from
See Water
www.seewaterinc.com.
SEEPEX INTELLIGENT METERING PUMP

The programmable, precise, low-pulsation Intelligent
Metering Pump from SEEPEX operates from standard
1x120 VAC, 20-amp circuits with a grounded plug. It has
an electronic programming memory chip on which parameters can be preconfigured for simple plug-and-play installation.
Duplication of drive settings is quick and accurate. Program an
entire line of pumps within minutes without starting issues. Conveying capacities are 0.08 to 5 gpm with pressures up to 360 psi
and speeds from 20 to 600 rpm. It can be installed
Intelligent Metering
vertically or horizontally. A 4-20mA process sigPump from SEEPEX
nal, external high pressure and low-flow or dry-run
protection can be connected via a terminal strip inside the control box.
937/864-7150; www.seepex.com.
Composting Equipment
BROWN BEAR CORPORATION
R31 SERIES
R31 Series paddle aerator attachments
from Brown Bear Corporation can be used
for sludge drying and aeration of compost
windrows. They attach to high-flow skidR31 Series paddle aerator
steers and compact track loaders. The aerattachments from Brown
ator attachment can be used with flows of
Bear Corporation
up to 50 gpm and pressures up to 5,500
psi, creating up to 95 hydraulic hp that can be transmitted to the aerator rotor. It is available with or without the universal skid-steer hitch
and in either 8- or 10-inch widths. The 31-inch-diameter aerator exposes
100 percent of the material to oxygen so noxious odors are minimized.
Pad space can be conserved since the aerator can stack windrows adjacent to one another. Drive to the aerator rotor is through the high-flow
hydraulic system of the carrier. Changing from the bucket to the aerator takes a matter of minutes and eliminates the need for separate
machines. 641/322-4220; www.brownbearcorp.com.
ROTO-MIX INDUSTRIAL COMPOST

Industrial Compost Series mixers from Roto-Mix come with the
GeneRation II Staggered Rotor, a rotary design that combines gentle
tumbling with quick, complete mixing to ensure rapid decomposition
and quality compost. Ingredients are lifted up to the side augers that
move the material end to end for a fast, thorough mix. Total movement of material in the
mixing chamber eliminates dead spots common in conventional auger mixers. The rotor
lifts the material past the wedging point of
Industrial Compost Series
the lower side auger, providing a fluffier mixmixers from Roto-Mix
ture while lowering power requirements. The
conveyor is used to build windrows or static piles. Mixers are available
in 16.7-, 23-, 27.8- and 34.1-cubic-yard capacities as stationary, trailer or
truck-mount units. 620/338-0090; www.rotomix.com.
SCARAB INTERNATIONAL
COMPOST WINDROW TURNER
The Scarab International compost windrow
turner can turn windrows from 8 to 27 feet wide.
They have belt-driven drums that deliver a large
amount of horsepower to the drum, translating
into lower fuel consumption and less time in the
windrow, which means lower labor costs.
Compost windrow turner
Radiators, engines, drive systems, suspenfrom Scarab International
sions and final drive motors are all oversized
for reliability and longevity. The track system allows windrow turning in
the most challenging conditions, while panoramic cabs and simple controllers make it a safe and efficient way to turn compost. Open access for
easy maintenance and rubber-lined tunnels to decrease debris in the air
when operating are important features. Flexible designs can be customized
to fit all windrow composting needs. 806/883-7621; www.scarabmfg.com.
Dewatering Equipment
AQUA-ZYME DISPOSAL
SYSTEMS ADS 30-YARD
DEWATERING UNIT
The ADS 30-Yard Dewatering Unit from
AQUA-Zyme Disposal Systems can be filled
ADS 30-Yard Dewatering
with 22,000 to 25,000 gallons of septic,
Unit from AQUA-Zyme
grease trap or municipal biosolids at 1 to 2
Disposal Systems
percent solids in two hours. After draining
24 hours, it can be picked up using a standard roll-off truck and transported for solids disposal. Sludge volume can be reduced by 80 percent,
with reductions to 98 percent in BOD, COD, FOG and TSS. Effluent is
clean, the unit has few moving parts, and the size of the filter media can
be customized. Standard equipment includes a roll-over tarp system;
side, floor and center screens; 1/4-inch floor plate; 7-gauge side plates;
four door binder ratchets; eight drain ports; two inlet ports; and a longhandle scraper. The average life span is 12 to 14 years. Models are also
available in a 15-yard size. 979/245-5656; www.aqua-zyme.com.
IN THE ROUND
DEWATERING DRUM
User-friendly horizontal dewatering drums
from In The Round Dewatering are mounted on
a roll-off frame. They can dewater 18,000 to
25,000 gallons per fill, providing liquid-free
Dewatering drums from
material overnight. The drum provides results
In The Round Dewatering
with any material that will flock, including
grease. Filling can be done multiple times prior to rotation, and the unit
turns every two hours, usually overnight. It is energy-efficient, as it only
requires 1/4 hp to operate. 317/539-7304; www.itrdewatering.com.
60
Grinders/Shredders
BOERGER MULTICRUSHER
The Multicrusher twin-shaft grinder from
Boerger is widely applicable for solids and debrisladen fluids. It grinds and crushes foreign objects
like stringent materials, wood, plastics, fruits,
textiles, etc., to ensure the trouble-free operation of downstream equipment. It homogMulticrusher grinder
enizes the medium, thereby facilitating the
from Boerger
pumping process. It is available in five
series, with throughput volumes up to 1,400 gpm. It incorporates
the MIP-Design that allows for the quick and convenient replacement of all wetted parts without the removal of pipes. 612/435-7341;
www.boerger.com.
HYDRA-TECH PUMPS S6SHR

The S6SHR 6-inch hydraulic submersible shredder
pump from Hydra-Tech Pumps is designed to continuously rip and shear solids with a 360-degree
shredding action. A carbide-tipped impeller and hardened macerator suction plate
work together to produce a violent shredding
action that keeps the discharge open. Depending
on the application, there is a verS6SHR hydraulic shredder
sion for portable or fixed instal- pump from Hydra-Tech Pumps
lations. A guide rail assembly is
available for stationary applications. Combined with HT35 to HT75
power units, it is capable of flows up to 1,000 gpm. A safe and variable-speed hydraulic drive can be used where electric power is hazardous or impractical. 570/645-3779; www.hydra-tech.com.
JWC ENVIRONMENTAL 10K SERIES

MUFFIN MONSTER
The 10K Series Muffin Monster from JWC
Environmental grinds waste in a compact, easyto-install unit. It is available in pipeline, open
channel and pump station configurations. The
dual-shaft design pulls material into and through
the hardened steel cutters so the grinder can handle a wide variety of debris. To shred solids commonly found in waste streams, it
10K Series Muffin Monster
comes with top and bottom bearfrom JWC Environmental
ings that prevent shaft deflection.
Small particles produced by the unit can pass easily through pumps
and pipelines. Custom stainless steel support frames allow for installation directly at the inlet sewage line on the wall of a pump station or into an existing channel. 800/331-2277; www.jwce.com.
Grit Handling/Removal/Hauling
SCHREIBER GRIT & GREASE
The Grit & Grease removal system from Schreiber consists of two rectangular concrete channels that separate and collect grit and grease. One
channel settles particles while the other collects
grease. A rotating spiral flow pattern washes
organics from the grit, then deposits it in
Grit & Grease removal
system from Schreiber
a trough at the bottom of the channel. A grit pump mounted to a traveling bridge then pumps the grit to an elevated trough sloped at one end
to transfer the slurry to a classifier for further washing and dewatering.
Floating grease is transported to one end of the channel by an air-skimming system. Air is directed onto the surface of the grease channel in
the direction of a rotating screw conveyor. The screw conveyor rotates,
lifting the grease for disposal in a collection container. 205/655-7466;
www.schreiberwater.com.
SMITH & LOVELESS OPTIFLOW 270

BAFFLE SYSTEM
The OPTIFLOW 270 Baffle System from Smith & Loveless addresses
the numerous 270-degree vortex grit chambers that are installed throughout North America and elsewhere. The simple retrofit baffle system
allows 270-degree grit systems to achieve improved removal efficiencies.
Vortex grit removal systems designed to meet
previous standards can be upgraded to remove
95 percent of grit down to 150 microns with the
retrofit. The baffle system achieves improved
efficiencies by directing the flow toward the hopper for an additional pass along the chamber
floor, reducing the weir effect at the outlet and
ensuring ideal velocities at all times. The
OPTIFLOW 270 Baffle System
retrofit system is available not only for flatfrom Smith & Loveless
floor vortex grit chambers, but as a conversion system for sloped and cone-shaped grit chambers. It can be
installed for new systems requiring 270-degree layouts. 800/898-9122;
www.smithandloveless.com.
(continued)
61
product focus
Biosolids Management and Headworks
Headworks
BADGER METER MODMAG
ModMAG electromagnetic flowmeters from
Badger Meter have a nonintrusive, open-flow
design that virtually eliminates pressure loss.
With no moving parts to impede the flow stream,
maintenance is minimal, even in challenging fluid
conditions. They are available with
ModMAG electromagnetic
a battery-operated option for stand- flowmeters from Badger Meter
alone applications and models built
for field verification testing. Whether its improving accuracy, decreasing system maintenance or meeting the demands of challenging liquid
conditions, they deliver the performance required by critical flow-measurement applications. 877/243-1010; www.badgermeter.com.
DUPERON CORPORATION PERFORATED

PLATE MILLENNIAL
The Perforated Plate Millennial fixed-element perforated
screen from Duperon Corporation provides absolute protection for downstream processes. Active Hydropression technology requires no brushes and eliminates carryover, stapling
and blinding, while incorporating FlexLink technology. It
has no seals, eliminating dynamic seal fail- Perforated Plate Millennial
ure. 800/383-8479; www.duperon.com.
perforated screen from
Duperon Corporation
Screening Systems
AQUALITEC CORP. RAKETEC
Raketec multiple rake

screen from
Aqualitec Corp.
can use it for wastewater treatment and product processing. The drive
system requires no lubrication or trunnion wheels, which lowers maintenance while improving operational reliability. The friction-driven rotating cleaner brush results in low spray water usage. The automatic overflow
bypass with overflow sensor protects sensitive downstream processes
from damage. The screen perforations range from 0.6 to 6 mm
diameter, with capacities up to 10 mgd. The standard material of construction is 304 stainless steel, with 316L stainless
steel available. 886/929-7773; www.cleantekwater.com.
The Raketec multiple rake screen from

Aqualitec Corp. offers up to 80 mgd flow capacity. It is highly resistant to clogging and debris
damage because it has no submerged moving
parts. It increases debris capture efficiency,
prevents downtime and repairs, and allows safe
and efficient plant operation. 855/650-2214;
www.aqualitec.com.
BILFINGER WATER
TECHNOLOGIES REGAINER
The Regainer rotary fine screen from Bilfinger Water Technologies
is an internally fed, self-cleaning cylindrical screen constructed from
Vee-Wire that captures a high level of solids. The screen is attached to
a segmented sprocket driven by a chain,
and rotates on four trunnion wheels mounted
on the frame. Influent enters through the
weir tank, which reduces turbulence, and
cascades onto the rotating screen surface
through a 90-degree arc. Screened influent will shear along the Vee-Wire,
Regainer rotary fine screen from
where liquid will separate from the
Bilfinger Water Technologies
solids and pass through into a discharge tank. Solids retained inside the screen are directed toward the
discharge by diverter plates. Additional reduction of liquid content will
occur when the solids are continuously rolled along the length of the
screen. The Vee-Wire screen is cleaned using water injected by an internal and external spray bar. 651/638-3151; www.water.bilfinger.com.
ENVIRO-CARE COMPANY
ENVIRO-CARE/SAVI FLO-DRUM SCREEN
The Enviro-Care/SAVI Flo-Drum Screen with a 2
mm perforated opening has a proven capture rate of 86
percent as verified by UK-WIR testing in 2015. A triple
face seal is the first barrier to incoming solids in the flow.
The labyrinth seal prevents even small solids and
Enviro-Care Company
Enviro-Care/SAVI
hair from bypassing the screen. As the drum
Flo-Drum Screen
rotates, solids are captured on the interior of the
drum and collected by strategically placed scoops that deposit the solids
into the conveyor trough, where they are moved to discharge. A brush
and spray on the exterior of the drum keep even the smallest solids inside
the perforated drum. 815/636-8306; www.enviro-care.com.
HYDRO-DYNE ENGINEERING
GREAT WHITE
The Great White center/dual flow screen from HydroDyne Engineering has been independently certified to have
a high screening capture ratio. It easily collects and offloads screenings, including rags and stringy material. Its
dual spray wash grid design, sealing system and UHMWPE guide links make it ideal for the filtering and offloading of water and wastewater screenings. The sealing
system ensures all tolerances are held to 1/2 mm. It is
designed to handle low to high flows
with 1/2 to 25 mm openings, and can Great White flow screen from
Hydro-Dyne Engineering
be incorporated into a septage receiving station. 813/818-0777; www.hydro-dyne.com.
Screw Conveyors
CLEANTEK WATER SOLUTIONS

ROTO-SIEVE
The Roto-Sieve internally fed, self-cleaning,
inclined drum screen from CleanTek Water Solutions can be used as a fine screen to protect MBR
systems, and for primary screening and biosolids
screening. Industrial users such as poulRoto-Sieve drum screen from
try processors, meat processors, food proCleanTek Water Solutions
cessors, breweries/wineries and recyclers
ML SPIRALS SCREW CONVEYOR

Screw conveyors from ML Spirals use highstrength alloy steel that provides wearing ability,
as well as torque requirements in various spiral
Screw conveyors
applications.
They are cold-formed in a multitude
from ML Spirals
of close-tolerance diameters, and pitches up to 30
inches in diameter, and in a variety of bar sizes as large as 5 by 1 1/2
62
inches. Aftermarket Spaans Screw Conveyor parts are also available.

416/277-4262; www.ml-spirals.com.
SPIROFLOW SYSTEMS FLEXIBLE

SCREW CONVEYOR
Spiroflow Systems flexible screw conveyors provide dust-free,
low-energy, low-maintenance and low-cost conveying solutions.
The motor-driven spiral, which is the only moving part, rotates within a sealed tube, moving
materials along by its Archimedean screw action.
This design simplicity eliminates the need for
any additional operating equipment such as filters or bearings, all adding up to a system thats
hygienic, easy to clean, low on installation
and maintenance costs, and high on effiFlexible screw conveyors
from Spiroflow Systems
ciency and performance. 877/294-9595;
www.spiroflowsystems.com.
Septage
Receiving Stations
LAKESIDE EQUIPMENT
CORPORATION RAPTOR
Raptor Septage Acceptance Plant/
Complete Plant pretreatment systems
from Lakeside Equipment Corporation
The Raptor Septage Acceptance Plant and Raptor Septage

Complete Plant pretreatment sys-
tems from Lakeside Equipment Corporation can help manage the

unloading process and protect downstream equipment. The systems
security access and hauler management and accounting software
provide municipalities with the tools to maximize revenue generation and produce more energy with minimum maintenance. 630/8375640; www.lakeside-equipment.com.
SCREENCO SYSTEMS
MAXI SCREEN
The high-capacity Maxi Screen receiving station from Screenco
Systems is constructed of aluminum with stainless steel screens,
with a collection sump and a high-capacity 6-inch drain. The screen
has two 3/8-inch-gapped stainless steel bar screens at opposing
angles, with the front screen virtually self-cleaning. It is a nonmechanical, simple way to remove large
pieces of trash, rocks and other debris
from the flow stream. This unit has a
4-inch telescoping inlet hose that moves
laterally and can be easily connected to
any vacuum truck or other flow stream.
The system is portable, and the
Maxi Screen receiving station
19 1/2 square feet of screening
from Screenco Systems
area allows for continued use
and is easy to rake clean to the garbage drain tray. It can treat over
500 gpm. Various-gapped screen sizes are available. 208/790-8770;
www.screencosystems.com.
For FREE information on these products, check the box(es) below:

Aftermarket Parts/Service
Brentwood Industries Polychem support

Environmental Dynamics International Aeration Works
Belt Filter/Rotary Presses
Bright Technologies belt filter press
Biosolids Handling/Hauling/Disposal/Application
JDV Equipment LEVEL LODOR cover system
Paxxo Longofill continuous bag system
Dewatering Equipment
AQUA-Zyme Disposal Systems ADS 30-Yard
Dewatering Unit
In The Round Dewatering drum
Grinders/Shredders
Boerger Multicrusher grinder
Hydra-Tech Pumps S6SHR shredder pump
JWC Environmental 10K Series Muffin Monster
Biosolids Heaters/Dryers/Thickeners
HRS Heat Exchangers Unicus Series heat exchangers
Grit Handling/Removal/Hauling
Schreiber Grit & Grease removal system
Smith & Loveless OPTIFLOW 270 Baffle System
Centrifuges/Separators
Alfa Laval ALDEC G3 decanter centrifuge
Centrisys Corporation THK Hybrid Thickening Centrifuge
Headworks
Badger Meter ModMAG electromagnetic flowmeters
Chemical/Polymer Feeding Equipment

Eagle Microsystems VF-100 dry chemical feeder
Fluid Dynamics dynaBLEND liquid polymer system
Force Flow/Halogen Chlor-Scale ton container scale
Neptune Chemical Pump Company Polymaster systems
Pulsafeeder PULSAblend polymer make-down systems
Scaletron Industries Model 3001 - 3006 ton cylinder scale
See Water ozone generator
SEEPEX Intelligent Metering Pump
Composting Equipment
Brown Bear Corporation R31 Series paddle aerator
attachments
Roto-Mix Industrial Compost Series mixers
Scarab International compost windrow turner
Screening Systems
Aqualitec Corp. Raketec multiple rake
PRINT NAME:
Bilfinger Water Technologies Regainer rotary

fine screen
CleanTek Water Solutions Roto-Sieve drum screen

Duperon Corporation Perforated Plate Millennial screen
Enviro-Care Company Enviro-Care/
SAVI Flo-Drum Screen
Hydro-Dyne Engineering Great White flow screen

Screw Conveyors
ML Spirals screw conveyor
Spiroflow Systems flexible screw conveyor
Septage Receiving Stations
Lakeside Equipment Corporation Raptor Septage
Acceptance Plant/Complete Plant pretreatment systems
Screenco Systems Maxi Screen receiving station
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63
case studies
BIOSOLIDS MANAGEMENT AND HEADWORKS
Mixing system leads to significant energy savings
Problem
The Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Metropolitan Sewerage District needed to

reduce the mixing energy in the anaerobic digestion process at the South
Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant while maintaining consistent and optimal volatile solids destruction and methane gas production.
Solution
A study compared two 125-foot-diameter anaerobic digesters to determine if the JetMix Vortex Mixing System from Evoqua Water
Technologies could perform better than linear motion mixing at a reduced
energy level. The JetMix system uses two pumps with 100
hp motors, delivering 9,000
gpm through nine jet nozzles.
A variable-frequency drive
optimized the run periods for
less variable, optimal volatile
solids destruction and methane production.
RESULT:
The district found that the total energy use could be reduced by
over 80 percent without negative impacts on volatile solids destruction,
gas production or operation of the digesters. The district was able to
optimize methane gas production, preventing spikes and providing a
consistent flow to its cogeneration units. 800/524-6324; www.evoqua.com.
Dewatering container helps municipality

save on hauling costs
Problem
The South Lake Utilities Municipal District in Clermont, Florida,

became frustrated with the high cost of hauling liquid biosolids straight
from the digester, as land application was no longer available in the area.
Solution
A local representative introduced the plants director of utilities to Flo

Trend Systems Sludge Mate dewatering containers. Using the
system with a Poly-Mate
Polymer Injection Unit and
specially formulated Flo
Trend Polymer, the plant
reduced the volume and
weight of hauled material
by 85 to 90 percent.
RESULT:
The utility has seen
a significant savings. We
have an annual savings of $80,000, and this reduction will continue for
the life of the system, says Randy Corbin, director of utilities. The
box paid for itself in savings after the first nine months. It truly is
dewatering made simple. 713/699-0152; www.flotrend.com.
64
By Craig Mandli
Rotary press system used to make biosolids

processing program more efficient
Problem
Operators of the East Providence (Rhode Island) Wastewater Treatment

Plant sought to update their two-digester segregated system (one for primary sludge, one for waste activated sludge) to improve biosolids processing
cost and efficiency.
Solution
The plant converted its old system into a pair of co-mixed, recirculated
holding tanks. New positive displacement pumps
keep the biosolids mixed
and feed the dewatering
system. Two old belt presses
were replaced with a single
rotary
press from
Fournier Industries.
RESULT:
The district no longer has to haul liquid biosolids, and the overall
processing cost is half of what it used to be. The Fournier rotary press
has been in continuous operation for over 3 1/2 years and we havent
changed anything, says Tom Azevedo, project manager with United
Water, which operates the plant. Over that period, there have been no
major maintenance issues. 418/423-6912; www.rotary-press.com.
Covering existing ponds makes effective

anaerobic digesters
Problem
United Liquid Waste Recycling of Watertown, Wisconsin, recycles food

and beverage waste into valuable byproducts such as fertilizer. Its biological
treatment process released odors. The anaerobic treatment process needed
to be improved to enable the company to expand. The two lagoon anaerobic
digesters needed an affordable system to capture biogas and control odors.
Solution
The company selected Industrial & Environmental Concepts to

cover the two 3 1/2-million-gallon ponds. The 57,600-square-foot membrane covers collect the biogas and channel it to a draw-off location where
the company can effectively control it. The covers are functional at any
water depth, providing operational flexibility. The company
injects its fertilizer product
into farm fields twice per year,
so the system needs to function
whether the ponds are full or
empty. Minimal maintenance
is required.
RESULT:
The design used existing infrastructure, making the upgrade efficient and uncomplicated. The covers continue to perform as advertised. 952/829-0731; www.ieccovers.com.
Filter and dryers system converts biosolids

to marketable end product
Problem
The Western Wake Regional Water Reclamation Facility in North Carolinas Research Triangle region needed to meet strict nitrogen and phosphorus standards for permitted discharge to the Cape Fear River and for
reclaimed use at the plant.
Solution
Plant personnel chose an advanced five-stage biological treatment process for biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorus, followed by secondary clarifiers. The clarified effluent flows by gravity to eight HSF2220-2F
Hydrotech Discfilters from
Kruger USA, followed by UV
disinfection. Biosolids are dewatered with belt filter presses and
dried with BioCon dryers. The
Class A product is sold and
transported off site by a nutrient management company and
applied as an agricultural soil
amendment.
RESULT:
The Hydrotech Discfilters treat 15.3 mgd average and 47.5 mgd
peak flows. Two wet biosolids cake silos, two BioCon dryers, a dryproduct handling and storage process including a pelletizing and
screening system, and an inert gas and dust collection system complete
the process. The two-dryer system is designed for a build-out capacity
of 14 dry tons per day. The dryers minimize the amount of biosolids
handled and provide a desirable and marketable product. 919/6778310; www.krugerusa.com.
System lowers the costs of managing

biosolids on Navy base
Problem
Naval Air Station Jacksonville is the largest Navy base in the Southeast
and the third-largest in the nation. To meet the Navys aggressive energy
reform targets, the base searched for technologies to reduce energy
consumption.
Solution
The base hired NuTerra

Management to implement its CleanB system
into the wastewater treatment
plant. A unit was installed to
treat waste activated sludge
to Class B standards before
dewatering.
RESULT:
The project substantially reduced energy consumption and lowered overall biosolids costs by eliminating aerobic digestion. The solution
produced Class B biosolids suitable for land application. 904/819-9170;
www.nuterra.green.
Bar screens keep large solids out of treatment plant
Problem
The West Point Treatment Plant in Seattle, Washington, treats up to 90 mgd

during the dry months and up to 440 mgd during the rain/storm season. The
facility had six climber-style bar screens with 5/8-inch bar spacing. Over time
the bars bent, allowing larger material to pass through and creating maintenance issues. By permit, the county was mandated to have no identifiable
plastics going to the wheat fields; the existing screens needed to be replaced.
Solution
King County and design engineer CDM Smith decided on ProTechtor Multi-Rake Bar Screens from Kusters Water with 6 mm and 10
mm bar spacing due to their reliability, low
maintenance, and easy-cleaning bar rack.
The screens include multiple rakes typically spaced on 5-foot centers that clean the
bar rack every five seconds at the highest
speed setting. This increased cleaning frequency is advantageous, particularly under
higher flow conditions. If there is damage
to the bar rack, each individual bar can be
quickly and easily replaced by maintenance
personnel with simple hand tools.
RESULT:
The screens were placed into service
in the summer of 2014, and plant operators have indicated improved
screening removal efficiencies, as well as improved performance of
downstream processes. 800/264-7005; www.kusterswater.com.
Conversion of suction-tube-type clarifiers to spiralblade clarifiers rectifies clogging and seal issues
Problem
The City of Lake City, Florida, operated a pair of 60-foot-diameter secondary suction tube (organ pipe) clarifiers from 1974 to 2013. In their later
years the clarifiers required high maintenance, exhibiting frequent suction
tube clogging and sludge return box seal failures.
Solution
Ovivo USAs Clarifier Rebuild Group replaced the clarifier components with new-style spiral-blade clarifier systems using a center manifold device (CMD). The existing tanks piping used the typical centrally
and concentrically located return
activated sludge (RAS) pipe within
center support/influent columns.
The CMD allows the sludge collected by the spiral blades to be
withdrawn through the existing
under-tank RAS piping without
modification.
RESULT:
The project saved the expense of digging into the reinforced concrete of the tank bottom to relocate the RAS collection port and its connection to the existing piping layout. The clarifiers have been reliable
and consistently perform better than the original units. Since no tank
modifications were required, the clarifiers could be converted to the
new-style mechanisms without any construction delays for under-tank
piping changes. 512/834-6000; www.ovivowater.com.
(continued)
65
case studies
BIOSOLIDS MANAGEMENT AND HEADWORKS
Lift station employed to remove higher level of solids
Problem
The Granite Falls (Minnesota) Wastewater Treatment Plants original

main lift station was built in a floodplain on the Minnesota River. It lacked
sufficient capacity and was in poor condition. Removal across the step
screen was poor, creating maintenance issues in the pumps and introduction of inert solids into the package plant and sequencing batch reactor. The
few solids removed through the step screen contained high moisture and
fecal content.
Solution
The city hired Stantec to design

a new higher-capacity lift station
located outside the floodplain and
equipped with a Parkson Corp.
Aqua Guard 6 mm screen
with an Aqua Wash Press.
Dewatering press decreases disposal costs

for pickling and canning company
Problem
A pickling and canning company in North Carolina faced handling of

solids produced by a 0.4 mgd wastewater treatment plant. Its rental belt
press could produce landfill-quality solids, but at only 15 percent solids.
Disposal costs over $250 per dry ton required a more cost-effective solution.
Solution
PWTech conducted a pilot study with the Volute Dewatering Press

next to the rental belt press. Cake solids content increased up to 53 percent
above the belt press average solids content while the volute was operating at
133 percent of rated capacity. Further testing revealed that the volute could
substantially improve solids capture and cake solids
while operating at over 300
percent rated capacity.
RESULT:
RESULT:
Since the Aqua Guard screen

was installed, the plant has operated in a mode to flush the system of rags and inert material. I was
impressed by the volume of solids removed by the Aqua Guard, says
operator Cindy Fjermestad. Thirty-five gallons of washed, dewatered,
compacted material is now removed per week, compared with 16 gallons of wet, uncompacted material with the old screen. Operator Jim
Finken adds, We have seen a reduction in rags in pumps and will see
a reduction in the rags and inerts in the clarifiers. In addition, the
Aqua Guard screen has reduced grit from our grit system by 50 percent. 888/727-5766; www.parkson.com.
The ES353 Volute

press saves the company
up to $100,000 per year
in disposal fees and a
similar amount by eliminating rental fees. SCADA-linked touchscreen controls remove the requirement for a dedicated press operator.
A modular dewatering drum allows the plant to order a unit with two
drums installed, then add an additional drum if throughput increases.
410/238-7977; www.pwtech.us.
Rotary fan press creates efficiencies at treatment plant
Problem
Plant sees economic and environmental return

on investment with biosolids drying system
Problem
The Madisonville (Kentucky) Wastewater Treatment Plants biosolids

dewatering system required constant monitoring and was subject to consistent downtime, frequent maintenance, and high energy use.
Regulatory, economic and environmental pressures prompted a midsized Arkansas plants operator to seek a drying system that could transform biosolids into Class A product, eliminating the time, transportation
and landfill costs associated with Class B biosolids.
Solution
Solution
Prime Solutions Rotary

Fan Press 48 Dual 2.0 Skid
System was installed in March
2015, replacing an old belt filter
press. Since the press is a plugand-play system, the installation
went smoothly.
RESULT:
Amazingly, the outcome is
always stable at 20 percent solids, says operator Dean Durham. No matter if the incoming biosolids are lower or higher in solids. The system is always automatically
adapting. And Primes service technicians were on site to assist with
the startup and have been available for support as needed as the plan
ramped up. Less cleanup, less downtime and lower energy use provide
savings. 269/694-6666; www.psirotary.com.
66
The Therma-Flite drying system fills the need for a continuousfeed system matched to the communitys dewatering technology and the need
for odor control. Software is preprogrammed with the right timing and temperature variables during startup and testing, and the dryer can run 24/7 with
less operations staff. The system runs five days a week, 14
hours a day, starting with material at 19 to 20 percent solids.
The final Class A dried product is about 94 percent solids.
RESULT:
Three years from the
startup, the city has achieved
its goals. Class A biosolids eliminate trucking and disposal costs, saving more than $400,000 annually. The plant is recovering nutrient-rich
material valued by local hay farmers. 877/379-7537; www.therma-flite.com.
Screw press and Bioset demo leads

to treatment plant expansion
Problem
The Springfield (Illinois) Metro Sanitary District Sugar Creek Plant

will expand over the next two years. With no current dewatering capability,
the plant treats liquid biosolids with lime and land-applies it on fields at the
plant. Plant personnel sought efficient dewatering options.
Solution
Schwing Bioset ran a dual demo of its screw press and Bioset system. During the pilot, the company brought its FSP 600 Screw Press
to dewater the partially aerobically digested waste activated sludge. The
dewatered product was then passed along to the mobile Bioset reactor, an
advanced alkaline stabilization process that produces a Class A/EQ biosolids. Over the two-week pilot, the screw press produced a dewatered product
of 30 percent solids on average, even while operating the machine at 130 to
150 percent of design throughput capability. After polymer optimization,
the end result was realized with 14 pounds of
active polymer per ton,
and the capture rate was
above 95 percent. The
Bioset system was used
during the entire second
week, producing the
Class A/EQ product.
RESULT:
Based on the pilot results, plant personnel are designing the new
biosolids-handling facility to include two screw presses, each with
capacity of 1,330 dry pounds per hour. They are also installing the
Bioset Process configured as a Class B system. Space was left to upgrade
to Class A in the future. 715/247-3433; www.schwingbioset.com.
Equipment converts farm waste into energy
Problem
Porcynergies methanization plant in Frances Marne River Valley processes livestock manure and crop byproducts. The plant wanted to eliminate waste disposal costs and take advantage of government renewable
energy incentives, notably sale of electricity produced from biomethane.
Solution
RWL Water provided equipment that allows the plant to convert 39

tons of farm waste a day into methane for power generation and hot water.
The equipment included liquid manure harvest tanks and crop byproduct
silos, a premix and pulverizing tank, a 1,900-cubic-meter anaerobic digestion tank, a gasometric dome
made with a double-sealed
membrane above the digestion tank that stores the biomethane, a 700-cubic-meter
post-digestion tank, a 250
kW cogenerator, a flare, and
digestate storage tanks for
fertilizing.
RESULT:
The Porcynergie methanization plant turns farm waste into a valuable
and previously untapped resource. 800/879-3677; www.rwlwater.com.
Biofilm removal helps remove hydrogen sulfide odor
Problem
A large Florida city was experiencing chronic hydrogen sulfide odor

and corrosion problems at a force-main discharge manhole and further
downstream at a lift station, resulting in community complaints and collections system corrosion. The force main was located in the median of a busy
roadway with no place to store a permanent chemical injection system. The
force main length is 8,600 feet with a diameter of 8 to 10 inches and a retention time of 4 to 6 hours. It has a wastewater flow of 0.128 mgd, and prior to
treatment, had a baseline of hydrogen sulfide vapor levels at 50 to 119 ppm
and total liquid sulfide levels at 7.8 mg/L at the control location.
Solution
USP Technologies performed a system trial using its Cloevis biofilm removal service. The trial quickly reduced hydrogen sulfide to
desired levels at both control points and eliminated all odor complaints.
The initial conditioning period involved two separate 24-hour treatments,
which were completed two days apart. Maintenance treatments included
one 12-hour treatment after the first 12 days and one 8-hour treatment after
an additional 24 days.
As ongoing maintenance, treatments are
completed every three
to four weeks, depending on the rate of biofilm regeneration.
RESULT:
Since the initial
conditioning period, hydrogen sulfide average levels have steadily been
at 5 ppm or less at the force-main discharge manhole and sulfides at
the downstream lift station have been significantly reduced. 877/3464262; www.usptechnologies.com.
What makes it all work

is the people. I am really
proud of our team.
We look for responsibility
and a good work ethic.
We can teach wastewater
operation or lab technique,
but we cant teach character.
Each person brings that
with them the first day.
James Pendleton
Plant Superintendent
Harpeth Valley Utilities District Wastewater
Treatment Plant, Nashville, Tenn.
People.
The greatest natural resource.

tpomag.com
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67
AllMax Software can

save you time and make
your job easier!
Contact us today
to nd out how.
industry news
Endress+Hauser, Rockwell Automation
invest in training unit
Industry partners Endress+Hauser and Rockwell Automation contributed to a $1 million, 1,800-square-foot Process Training Unit (PTU) at BridgeValley Community and Technical College in South Charleston, West
Virginia. The BridgeValley PTU will serve companies seeking workforce
training for their employees and customers and for students to utilize as they
pursue degree programs.
Carollo Engineers names

senior vice president
Antero
Maintenance
Operator10
Wastewater &
Water
Synexus
Pretreatment
Carollo Engineers named Susan Gilbert senior vice

president. She will assist with implementing Carollos
strategic plan, working with clients to implement, procure and execute solutions to their water needs. Gilbert
is an engineer with 30 years of water engineering expertise. She has a bachelors and masters degree in civil and
environmental engineering, as well as a masters degree
in business administration.
Susan Gilbert
Aqua-Aerobic merges with METAWATER

Aqua-Aerobic Systems of Loves Park, Illinois, merged with METAWATER
Co. of Tokyo, Japan. Aqua-Aerobic Systems, including its subsidiary, Mecana
Umwelttechnik of Switzerland, will be part of METAWATER USA, the companys U.S. subsidiary with operations in Rutherford, New Jersey.
20 YEARS
Specializing in
Software & Service
There are a lot of people depending on us for clean drinking water. Thats one thing I like
about the water treatment business. You can take a lot of
pride
in your job.
Don Gariepy
Water Treatment Plant Mechanic
Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) Utility Department
Technology Deep Dive:

Quick-install
lift station control
PAGE 62
How We Do It:
High-performing
treatment lagoon
PAGE 46
www.tpomag.com
SEPTEMBER 2014
Ed Matheson
Lead Operator
La Conner, Wash.
Plan B Leads to
Class A
A WASHINGTON TOWN CREATES
A POPULAR AND REVENUEPRODUCING COMPOST
PAGE 32
Hearts and Minds:

Drive-up education
in Santa Rosa, Calif.
PAGE 28
Read what matters to operators in every issue of TPO.
68
Subscribe for FREE at

www.tpomag.com
69
product news
10
11
1
3
2
6
4
7
1. LARSON ELECTRONICS EXPLOSION-PROOF LED
ON ADJUSTABLE STAND
The EPL-24BS-5FT-1X150LED-100 portable, explosion-proof LED
light from Larson Electronics features a 150-watt light head that produces 13,000 lumens mounted atop a non-sparking aluminum base
stand. The lamp can be adjusted up or down 90 degrees and locked into
position by loosening two hand screws on the side of the light head.
800/369-6671; www.magnalight.com.
2. EATON MECHANICALLY CLEANED FILTER

The DCF-3000 mechanically cleaned filter from Eaton is capable of
processing highly viscous liquids in challenging conditions. The dual
cleaning disc and twin actuator design of the filter can be fabricated in
a variety of materials to handle wastewater flow rates up to 1,500 gpm.
732/212-4700; www.eaton.com.
3. SIERRA INSTRUMENTS INLINE AND

INSERTION METERS
InnovaMass 240i (inline) and 241i (insertion) vortex mass flowmeters
from Sierra Instruments are designed for precise flow energy management in gas, liquid and steam applications. Each instrument can measure
up to five variables: volumetric flow, mass flow, density, pressure and
temperature. Features include the Raptor II operating system for precise
flow measurement, FloPro software for improved point-velocity accuracy
and onboard Smart Interface Portal for easy-to-use field diagnostics, validation and adjustment. 800/866-0200; www.sierrainstruments.com.
4. OMEGA CONTROLLER DEMONSTRATION/

EVALUATION KIT
The PT-Demo PID controller from Omega features a fully integrated
temperature control system suitable as a platform to investigate the use

of closed-loop (PID) and single on/off temperature control in heating and
cooling applications. Features include intuitive menu flow, panel-mounted
USB and Ethernet connectivity, alarm indicator, 4-20mA remote setpoint
potentiometer, push-button digital input and aluminum plate, enabling
the user to feel temperature responses. 800/826-5342; www.omega.com.
5. KOHLER DIESEL-POWERED MOBILE GENERATOR

The 55REOZT4 diesel-powered mobile generator from KOHLER
Power Systems is EPA emission-certified for non-road use, mounted on
a DOT-certified trailer and compatible with KOHLERs Mobile Paralleling Box. Features include a KDI 3404 Tier 4 Final engine that does
not require a diesel particulate filter, fuel tanks sized for 24-hour runtime, external emergency stop, stainless steel door latches and hinges,
cold-weather package that includes block and battery heater, singlepoint lifting eye, sound-attenuating housing (69 dBA at 23 feet), voltage,
current, frequency and power monitoring, analog inputs, warnings, and
faults monitoring. 800/544-2444; www.kohlerpower.com.
6. ASA ANALYTICS MINI COPPER ANALYZER

The ChemScan mini copper analyzer from ASA Analytics is designed
for water, wastewater and industrial applications. The analyzer provides
real-time data for process monitoring and cost control. It can detect down
to a few hundredths of a ppm and hold calibration and accuracy for long
periods without operator attention. 262/717-9500; www.asaanalytics.com.
7. GOULDS END SUCTION CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

The 316L stainless steel end suction centrifugal pump from Goulds
Water Technology - a xylem brand is designed for water circulation, booster
service, spray system, washing/cleaning system, air scrubbers and gen-
70
12
eral water services. The pumps can be mounted horizontally or vertically. The standard NEMA single- or three-phase motors are made for
continuous duty under all conditions. 866/325-4210; www.goulds.com.
11. INPRO/SEAL SMART SHAFT GROUNDING

PROTECTION
The Smart Shaft Grounding product portfolio (Smart CDR, Smart
MGS, Smart Ground Monitor) from Inpro/Seal provides permanent
protection from conduction-inhibiting shaft oxidation, providing continuous monitoring and feedback of shaft grounding performance. Isolated conductive filaments and zero-maintenance conductive bronze
rotors provide connectivity in harsh conditions. The Smart Ground
Monitor alerts users in real time of non-optimal contact between the filaments and shaft. Contact is measured through the Smart Terminal
(standard on every Smart CDR and Smart MGS). Smart Shaft Grounding meets NEMA MG1 31.4.4.3 and CSI 23 05 13 specifications (available
on standard and custom sizes). 800/447-0524; www.inpro-seal.com.
8. FLOMATIC RUBBER FLAPPER SWING CHECK VALVE

The model 745ASC rubber flapper swing check valve with adjustable spring closure from Flomatic Valves has an epoxy-coated, ductile
iron body with encapsulated valve disc in 3- to 14-inch sizes. The valve
is designed for high head, long pipe lines, multiple pump and surge
tank installations. The spring closure is field-adjustable and can be
replaced without removing the valve. 800/833-2040; www.flomatic.com.
9. INDUSTRIAL VIDEO & CONTROL HD CAMERA

The APTZ-3045-06 high-definition, industrial video camera from
Industrial Video & Control is designed and certified for use in hazardous environments. The 30x color pan-tilt-zoom camera offers 1080p resolution and low-light performance. The camera integrates with
third-party security systems or can be operated through a SCADA system. 781/255-7400; www.ivcco.com.
12. WILDEN AODD BOLTED METAL PUMPS

The Brahma Advanced metal air-operated double-diaphragm
(AODD) pump from Wilden Pump & Engineering, part of PSG, a Dover
company, is designed for large solids passage and high performance in
difficult applications. Incorporating flap valves, a unique top inlet and
bottom discharge orientation, the pump is able to pass up to 3-inch
solids. The pumps are submersible, self-priming and shear sensitive.
They can run dry, handle pressures up to 125 psig, and have maximum
flow rates of 169 gpm (PS810) and 233 gpm (PS1510). 909/422-1730;
www.wildenpump.com.
10. IN-SITU MULTIPARAMETER SONDE WITH FIELD APP

The Aqua Troll 600 multiparameter sonde with field access through
the VuSitu mobile app for Android devices from In-Situ features a
quick-read LCD status screen for visual indicators of overall readiness,
battery life, internal log and sensor status, as well as integrated Bluetooth connection for wireless data access. The multiparameter sonde
has a sub 2-inch passive and active antifouling system for all sensors,
including conductivity. 800/446-7488; www.in-situ.com.
water:
product spotlight
Neptune mechanical diaphragm metering pumps offer
high-pressure, flow-through design
By Ed Wodalski
Series MP7000 mechanically actuated diaphragm metering pumps
from the Neptune Chemical Pump Co., part of PSG, a Dover company,
are designed for water and wastewater applications. The self-priming
pumps have a maximum capacity of 275 gph and pressures to 235 psi. The
pumps feature a metallic, corrosion-resistant gearbox, oversize check
valves to improve performance (minimum friction losses), bronze gears
for quiet running and longer service life, suction lift capacity exceeding
20 feet on water-like chemicals, and the ability to handle viscosities in
excess of 2,500 cps.
There are applications that are above the normal 100-150 psi maximum capabilities of most mechanically actuated diaphragm metering
pumps, where hydraulically actuated diaphragm metering pumps need
to be employed to meet higher pressure requirements, says Tom ODonnell,
director of business development for PSG Dover.
Neptune can now handle these applications with a mechanically
actuated diaphragm meter pump, he says. Say youre pumping into a
200 psi line, instead of having to use a hydraulic-actuated diaphragm
metering pump to overcome the higher pressure, a Neptune mechanically
actuated diaphragm metering pump can be utilized, offering a lower price
and ease of operation. One of the benefits of the mechanically actuated
Series MP7000 from

Neptune Chemical Pump Co.
diaphragm metering pump is the ease of startup.

No need to warm up the hydraulic
fluid and bleed the air out of the oil.
The Neptune mechanically
actuated design eliminates the
use of contour plates on the liquid side of the diaphragm. The
straight-through valve and head
allows for improved flow when pumping chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite, which can off-gas.
Theres no place for the gas bubbles to lodge and bind the pump,
ODonnell says.
Accessories include a leak detection sensor.
If you rupture the diaphragm, the sensor is activated, he says. It
can be wired to a control panel to shut down the pump, light a light, or
sound an alarm.
The mechanical pump can also be ordered with a variable-frequency
drive for automatic/remote control. 215/699-8700; www.neptune1.com.
(continued)
71
wastewater:
product spotlight
Hydro International grit removal
system adaptable for
intermittent pumping
By Ed Wodalski
The HeadCell grit removal system from Hydro
International can be adapted for intermittent operation by incorporating a deeper grit sump and can be
HeadCell grit removal system
configured to accept submersible pumps within the
from Hydro International
separation chamber.
The HeadCell has been around for about 15 years
and has generally been applicable to a range of plant
sizes. Basically weve offered one operating mode and
one pump configuration, says Marcia Sherony, national sales manager
its a very small footfor Hydro International in North America. We now offer a larger-diamprint. You could process
eter grit sump for intermittent pumping or to utilize a submersible pump.
about 92 mgd with a 100-micron cut point in a
Designed for new plant construction and retrofits, the modular, mulroughly 16- by 65-foot footprint.
tiple-tray solids settleable concentrator features a stacked design that can
The grit removal system operates continuously without power. When
remove grit 75 microns and larger. Tray diameters range from 4 feet to 12
intermittent pumping is utilized and it is not necessarily recommended
feet; the number of trays can be varied to treat a range of flows.
for every plant at predetermined periods according to site conditions,
Influent enters trays tangentially via the distribution header, splitting
fluidizing agitates the collected grit prior to it being pumped to the clasflow equally between the trays, setting up a rotary flow pattern that forces
sifying and dewatering systems. The HeadCell can be designed to remove
particles into a boundary layer. This forces grit particles toward the cen85 to 95 percent of all grit entering the plant.
ter of the unit into the underflow collection sump. De-gritted effluent
Using our cost of grit calculator, you can input numbers from your
leaves the chamber over a high-level weir that can be positioned on any
plant and it will tell you how much grit costs you, she says. People dont
of the basins four walls.
think about cleaning up the aeration basin; they dont think thats caused
We have systems installed at smaller plants that have a peak of about
by poor grit removal. They think its normal maintenance that has to be
2 mgd. Our largest installation is over 500 mgd, Sherony says. For a 2
done on a regular schedule, but it is often largely due to poor grit removal.
mgd plant, we can use a 4-foot-diameter unit and a couple of trays. When
The grit removal system is also suitable for pretreatment for memyou get into very large flows, 100 mgd, you need multiple units. But because
brane bioreactor and other advanced treatment processes. 866/615-8130;
they are the stacked-tray design, even if you have four large HeadCells,
www.hydro-int.com.
FREE INFO ON THIS PRODUCT RETURN FOLLOWING FORM
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Larson Electronics EPL-24BS-5FT-1X150LED-100 explosion-proof LED light
Eaton DCF-3000 mechanically cleaned filter
Sierra Instruments InnovaMass 240i (inline) and 241i (insertion) vortex mass flowmeters
Omega PT-Demo PID controller
KOHLER Power Systems 55REOZT4 mobile generator
ASA Analytics ChemScan mini copper analyzer
Goulds Water Technology - a xylem brand 316L centrifugal pump
Flomatic Valves model 745ASC rubber flapper swing check valve
Industrial Video & Control APTZ-3045-06 industrial video camera
In-Situ Aqua Troll 600 multiparameter sonde
Inpro/Seal Smart Shaft Grounding product portfolio
Wilden Pump & Engineering, part of PSG, a Dover company, Brahma Advanced
AODD pump
Neptune Chemical Pump Co., part of PSG, a Dover company, Series MP7000 diaphragm
metering pumps
Hydro International HeadCell grit removal system
1.
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73
worth noting
people/awards
Joyce Ruocco, a clerk in the Wastewater Division of the Department of
Public Works, was named October Employee of the Month in Milford, Connecticut, for her outstanding work performance, dedicated service to the
city, and her professional and positive attitude.
events
Feb. 1-5
AMTA/AWWA Membrane Technology Conference & Exposition, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas.
Visit www.awwa.org.
Feb. 3-4
AWWA Hawaii Section Conference, Hawaii Convention Center,
Honolulu. Visit www.awwa-hi.org.
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies honored the City of

Tulsa (Oklahoma) Lower Bird Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant with a
Platinum Peak Performance Award.
Feb. 8-10
New York Water Environment Association Annual Conference
and Exhibition, New York Marriott Marquis. Visit www.nywea.org.
The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department received an award from

the Design-Build Institute of America-Florida Region for a cogeneration facility improvements project at the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Brown & Caldwell, with design-build partner Poole & Kent, replaced the existing cogeneration system with state-of-the-art equipment that generates almost
three times the electricity without discharging additional air pollutants.
Feb. 9
Central States Water Environment Association-Minnesota
Section Innovative Operations Conference, St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Visit www.cswea.org.
The Cedartown (Georgia) City Commission approved a plan to honor a

local family by renaming the wastewater treatment facility after J.L. Wright,
one of the citys longtime employees. Wright had a 35-year career that ended
with his retirement in 1976.
Mars Chocolate North America was recognized by the Kentucky-Tennessee Water Environment Association with an Outstanding Operation Award
for industrial pretreatment.
The Kansas Water Environment Association presented the City of El Dorado
with the Crystal Crucible Award for contributions to the wastewater laboratory, and the Biosolids Award for exceptional quality treatment of biosolids.
Jim R. Burris, chief operator for the City of Wood River Water Treatment Plant, was named Groundwater Operator of the Year by the Illinois
Potable Water Supply Operators Association and the Illinois EPA.
Connecticut Water Co. received the 2015 Management Innovation Award
from the National Association of Water Companies for its efforts to protect
customers against criminal imposters.
The Borough Council of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, hired John Ruth as
an operator for its membrane water filtration plant.
Richard Sanders of Broadway Water & Sewerage was named Water Operator of the Year by the South Carolina Rural Water Association.
The City of Abilene, Texas, named Rodney Taylor as Water Utilities
director. Taylor has more than 27 years of experience in municipal water
utility operations.
James Moon Tom was recognized by 200 of his peers and associates
at the First Nations Operators Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia,
as he retired as water treatment operator in Ahousat after 40 years.
The City of Rome, New York, received the 2015 Environmental Project
of the Year Award from the CNT Branch of the American Public Works Association for its $5.2 million Water Filtration Plant Improvements Project.
The Cork County Council won the Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award for the Clonakilty Wastewater Treatment Plant project at the
Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards. The Kerry Group Global Technol-
74
Feb. 17-20
Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport
(WWETT) Show, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis.
Visit www.wwettshow.com.
Feb. 23
AWWA 2016 YP Chair Training, Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
Visit www.awwa.org.
Feb. 24-25
49th International Conference on Water Management Modeling,
Marriott Courtyard Toronto. Visit www.chiwater.com.
Feb. 24-27
Utility Management 2016, presented by the WEF, AWWA and
California Water Environment Association, Hilton San Diego
Bayfront Hotel. Visit www.wef.org.
Feb. 29-March 2
Illinois Water Environment Association Annual Conference,
iHotel and Conference Center, Champaign. Visit www.iweasite.org.
March 7-8
Virginia Water Environment Association Industrial Waste and
Pretreatment Conference, Omni, Charlottesville.
Send your event notices to editor@tpomag.com.
ogy & Innovation Centre in County Kildare was voted Engineering Project of the Year by the Irish public.
The Lewisville Water Treatment Plant staff received a Texas Optimization Program Award from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for meeting stringent drinking water quality standards. Lewisville is one
of two plants that have met the criteria continuously for the past 10 years.
The American Public Works Association Oregon Chapter named the
City of Gresham as winner of the Public Works Project of the Year in the
Environmental category for its Cogeneration Expansion Project, which
allowed the plant to attain net zero energy status.
TPO welcomes your contributions to this listing. To recognize members of your
team, please send notices of new hires, promotions, service milestones, certifications
or achievements to editor@tpomag.com.
Vaughans Rotamix System sets the standard for hydraulic mixing, providing the customer with
lower operating and maintenance costs, more efficient breakdown of solids and Vaughans
UNMATCHED RELIABILITY. Its perfect for digesters, sludge storage tanks, equalization basins
and other process or suspension type mixing applications.
- Over 1000 installations worldwide
- Optimizes solids contact with its unique dual rotational zone mixing pattern
- 10 Year Nozzle warranty
See videos, drawings, and details at ChopperPumps.com or call 888.249.CHOP
The LEVELGAGE is an excellent general purpose

liquid level transmitter. It provides your choice of
analog outputs for levels up to 900 feet of water,
and is compensated over a wide temperature
range to ensure reliable accuracy in real-world
conditions.
Keller America manufactures the Levelgage in

the U.S. to your specifications in only 3 business
days and models with 4-20mA output include
Kellers guaranteed lightning protection. This
feature is included at no additional cost and
carries a lifetime warranty against damage from
electrical surge.
THE MARK OF VALUE.

WWW.KELLERAMERICA.COM
SALES@KELLERAMERICA.COM
877-253-5537

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IN MY WORDS:

Training for a new generation

TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE:

NORTH BATTLEFORD MAKES

HEARTS AND MINDS:

Education takes center stage

SI MPLE. E FFI C I E NT. I NT E LLI GE N T.

All trademarks owned by Lakeside Equipment Corporation.

NOT YOU R O RDI N ARY

Cleaner Water for a Brighter Future

Enviro-Care_TPO_1-2_Jan2016_4x10_010416.qxp_Layout 1 1/4/16 1:06 PM Page 1

Rotating Drum Screen

Aerzen USA .............................. 23

JDV Equipment Corporation 61

Keller America Inc. .................. 76

AllMax Software, Inc. ............. 68

Kuhn North America, Inc. ........ 49

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McNish Corporation ............... 73

Penn Valley Pump Co., Inc. ...... 15

Carylon Corporation ................. 37

Schneider Electric - Invensys .. 31

Cornell Pump Company ........ 39

Smith & Loveless, Inc. ............. 43

SAVI prepares to deliver the first

Screenings Capture Ratio (SCR)

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Tergo Environmental, LLC ..... 73

Fournier Industries, Inc. ........ 11

Vaughan Company, Inc. ......... 75

Hach Company ....................... 5

The most trusted brands in water & wastewater

TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR

Scan and email to: nicole.labeau@colepublishing.com / Fax to: 715-546-3786

To learn your savings potential with RTC, visit: hach.com/RTC

Phosphorus Removal | Nitrification Control | Sludge Treatment

FREE INFO SEE ADVERTISER INDEX

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The Saskatchewan community of

Aiming Ever Higher

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Turning Up the Heat

A Saskatchewan treatment facility makes big strides in biosolids quality

LETS BE CLEAR Page 8

When Did Resource Frugality Become

Drought Response Stage Right

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PRODUCT NEWS Page 70

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WORTH NOTING Page 74

Kansas Municipal Utilities organization starts

coming next month: March 2016

BUILDING THE TEAM Page 54

Continuous training gives Union Sanitary

Lets Be Clear: Historys greatest medical milestone

Visit daily for exclusive news, features and blogs.

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WWETT SHOW PREVIEW Page 38

Gear Up for a Great Time