Using Baseline Monitoring Techniques to Assess Filter Run Performance   WWDmag.com January-December 2005   Michael J. Sadar and Kathleen Bill
Determining if a filter run is approaching a breakthrough condition is a daily challenge for water treatment plant (WTP) operators. Current techniques look for upward trends in either turbidity or particle counts of the filter effluent. However, this does not consistently predict actual filter breakthrough. This study’s objective is to determine if data from different particle detection technologies can be better utilized to characterize filter performance.
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A Strategy for Optimizing Water Treatment Plant Performance Using Light Scatter Technologies   WWDmag.com January-December 2005   Mike Sadar
This study hypothesizes that filter backwash cycles that are consistently monitored to a set turbidity value will correlate to a high performance filter run. If this is indeed true, the process will save the plant time and money. The costs and benefits of using laser nephelometers will be summarized in this study.
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Increasing Reliability while Reducing Maintenance Costs   Water & Wastes Digest December 2004   By Mark Granger
The rapid growth of a large city in the south is overwhelming the current water distribution system and straining the already overworked staff.

How to Skate Through an OSHA Inspection   Water & Wastes Digest December 2004
In those inspections last year, OSHA found 83,539 total safety violations, an 8% increase over fiscal 2002.

Mission Possible   Water & Wastes Digest October 2004   By Megan Larson
When the conditions are right, the Struvite will rapidly form crystals that spread throughout a pipeline forming a concrete-like crust.

Keeping Up With the Times   Water & Wastes Digest October 2004   By Tim Gregorski
WWD examines some of North America’s the latest municipal upgrades.

Parameters for Water Quality Field Testing   Water & Wastes Digest October 2004   By Tony Pagliaro
The most important clues for a water treatment professional’s decision-making process come from accurate water quality analysis information.

Mishawaka Utilities Serves Up High-Quality Water   Water & Wastes Digest September 2004   By Wayne King
Two-phase water system expansion in Indiana depends on technological advancements

Let the Debating Begin   Water & Wastes Digest September 2004   By Larry Kolbert
Less maintenance translates into less money being spent from a water or wastewater maintenance budget for both spare parts and labor.

Securing the Nation’s Wastewater Infrastructure   Water & Wastes Digest September 2004   By Denise Covelli
The nation’s wastewater infrastructure is one of America’s most valuable assets, and several industry groups are working hard to safeguard it.

Dealt A Straight Flush   Water & Wastes Digest August 2004   By Dan McKeague
“Flushing, especially early in the year, was taking my employees away from other, more productive tasks” said Jason Green, owner of CWS.

Triple Option Offers Savings   Water & Wastes Digest June 2004
Ninety percent is the savings in capital cost that HDR, Inc., has been able to provide to the Oro Loma (Calif.) Sanitary District.

NYC-DEP Wastewater Treatment Plants Eliminate Excess Waste   Water & Wastes Digest April 2004   By Jeremy Smith
NYC’s plants treat about 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater from homes, businesses, schools and streets in the five boroughs every day, with water running through hundreds of pump stations and miles of sewers.

Is Your Pump Burning Money Away?   Pump Source April 2004   By Dr. Lev Nelik, P.E., Apics

Pump Up the Volume   Water & Wastes Digest October 2003   G. Michael Strombach
The Grand Coulee Dam releases, on average, 110,000 cubic feet of water per second, primarily for generating electricity. Controlling huge volumes of water requires giant-sized equipment, which can sometimes face giant-sized problems when problems occur. Three of the 24 turbines are rated at 805 megawatts and are some of largest turbines ever built. Making sure they consistently function in a reliable manner can present significant hurdles for maintenance engineers and mechanics.

High Performance Coatings Meet Stringent Standards At Iowa City Water Treatment Facility   Water & Wastes Digest May 2003
Iowa City's population fluctuates regularly due to the arrival and departure of its college students during the year. As a result, water consumption and treatment fluctuate. The new water plant went online on March 7, 2003, designed to better serve Iowa City's growing population, to meet ever-increasing state and federal drinking water quality standards, and to improve the taste and odor of the water supply for the area's Hawkeye State citizens. The selection of protective coating systems was a critical consideration of Howard R. Green Company to ensure long-term corrosion protection and chemical resistance, and to enhance operation and maintenance efficiency.

How Grease-Lubricated Bearings Function   Pump Source April 2003
A shielded, grease-lubricated ball bearing can be compared to a centrifugal pump having the ball-and-cage assembly as its impeller and the annulus between the stationary shield and the rotating inner race as the eye of the pump. Shielded bearings are not sealed bearings.

Intermittent Seal Leak in LPG Pump   Pump Source April 2003   Sourav Kumar Chatterjee
The following case study describes a reliability problem with a Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) handling pump in a field and the way it was troubleshooted and fixed.

Focus On Troubleshooting Water Softeners   Water Quality Products March 2003
Water Quality Products went in search of an expert to bring you the top troubleshooting tips for valves. The search led to Jay Runkle, employed in technical services at Pentair Water Treatment. According to Runkle, issues quickly can be sorted out if you know what to look for. Here are Runkle?s top 10 dilemmas, accompanied by probable causes and suggested antidotes.
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The O-Zone: Today's Lesson: Troubleshooting Ozone Water Treatment Equipment Problems   Water Quality Products March 2003   Roger Nathanson
Troubleshooting an ozone system is no different than troubleshooting any other water treatment system. The main principles apply; only the specifics change slightly.
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Industrial Fouling   Water Quality Products November 2002   Jan de Baat Doelman, Scalewatcher North America, Inc.
Look at the heating element of a washing machine or dishwasher in a hard water area and you will see a white encrustation containing hardness salts. This commonly is referred to as limescale and is an example of domestic fouling. Industrial fouling poses a far greater problem than anything in the domestic sector. Huge volumes of fouled fluids are handled, and the systems that contain the fluids can become fouled as well. The quality of water streams used by industry varies widely and gives rise to numerous fouling problems.
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Are You Ready for CMOM?   Operations & Maintenance Supplement November 2002
CMOM is the acronym for the new Capacity, Management Operation and Maintenance program that soon will be enacted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In its simplest form, it has to do with the operation of sanitary sewers to prevent overloading of waste treatment plants and the overflow prevention of sanitary sewage into lakes and streams.

Keeping Meters On Line: Accurately Measuring Drinking Water and Sewage   Water Engineering & Management September 2002   Rodney Johnson
Detroit Water & Sewerage Department (DWSD) has a high stake in keeping its flowmeters up and running with calibrated accuracy. This is especially true for its 278 wholesale water meters used in its vast network of distribution lines that serve 126 communities. It also is true for metering sewage inputs from wholesale customers for its Wastewater Treatment Plant. This article focuses on a unique answer that DWSD found for keeping its magnetic meters online by means of a portable electronic system that verifies and certifies calibration, all done in-line.
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Controlling Hospital Grease, Sludge Discharges   Water & Wastes Digest September 2002
One of the major problem areas in St Petersburg, Florida has two hospitals and a nursing home that discharge to a common sewer line. Historically, the city had to clean this section of the sewer line at least four times a year to avoid blockages and sanitary sewer overflows. Working together, the city and one of the hospitals took action to control the discharge of grease from the hospital's facilities and to reduce the costs of maintenance for both the city and the hospital.

Concord, N.C. - A Proactive Approach to Beginning a CMOM-Based Program   Water Engineering & Management August 2002   Ron Geiger, PE, and Todd Schuster
The federal government is in the process of establishing a CMOM philosophy for wastewater collection and treatment facilities that hinges on an aggressive, proactive approach, calling for utilities to act like investigative reporters rather than firefighters. Eventually, utility providers will have to follow federal CMOM guidelines, and states may establish similar guidelines.
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Zinc Coatings on Handrail Tubing: A Comparative Analysis   Water Engineering & Management August 2002   Philip G. Rahrig
When applying zinc metal to steel handrail tubing for corrosion protection, batch hot-dip galvanizing and in-line, continuous galvanizing are the two most common methods. Understanding the metallurgy, bond strength, corrosion mechanisms and testing of these two galvanizing methods may lead to better design decisions for particular applications.
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Membranes: Fouling & Cleaning   Water Quality Products May 2002   Bjarne Nicolaisen
Membrane technology offers the possibility of managing total water resources. The spiral wound membrane element configuration is the most widely used due to its high packing density and relatively low price. This article will describe some technological advances in the area of innovative new membranes and application concepts for spiral wound membrane elements.
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Cutting Grease With Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance   Water Engineering & Management March 2002   James M. Russell
Grease is clogging sewers nationwide, creating a costly mess to clean up and a dilemma for officials and regulators. Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that 75 percent of the sewer systems in the United States work at only half capacity because of grease clogs. The cost of keeping sewers open, a cost borne by taxpayers at a local level, is $25 billion per year. The increase in grease in sewer lines is a direct result of the phenomenal growth in dual-income households who choose to eat out or take-out rather than cook at home.
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Minimizing Out-of-Service Time During Tank Painting   Water Engineering & Management February 2002
Tank painting projects can cost many thousands of dollars, but often the most costly aspect of tank rehabilitation is having your tank out of service. What can be done to get your tank back in service sooner? One approach is to control the environment and minimize delays due to poor weather. Another is to use coatings that tolerate a wide range of climatic conditions and cure quickly at ambient temperature. By combining these methods, down-time can be greatly reduced.
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RO Maintenance   Water Quality Products January 2002   Nevin Rudie
Understanding and reacting to the performance of a reverse osmosis (RO) system is necessary for continued successful operation. It is this interaction that allows us to quickly and correctly identify and correct issues that may arise.
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Utilities Rethink Failing Maintenance Strategies   Water Engineering & Management November 2001
To ensure utilities achieve Quality of Service (QoS) targets in a cost-effective manner, Convergent Europe’s asset performance team has developed a unique reliability centered maintenance (RCM) practice designed to support utilities in transforming the effectiveness of asset management programs.
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Headworks: Removing Inorganics and Preventing Wear   Water Engineering & Management October 2001   Kenny Oyler
This article details headworks designs and shows how the system fits into the scheme of the wastewater treatment process.
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Editorial Emphasis: Valves   Water & Wastes Digest October 2001
New Spring-loaded Check Valve Reduces Valve Failure Risk

Pumping Up Big John   Water Quality Products April 2001   Metropolitan Industries
The John Hancock building, located on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, needed to revamp its entire pumping and reservoir system without shutting off water to the building’s residents.
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Privatize Without a Contract   Water Engineering & Management February 2001   Don Renner
The manner in which your plant performs its function and operation as well as the physical appearance of the plant and personnel often are perceived differently by the public and administrative leaders of the community than by the operating personnel.
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Why Shouldn’t We Rebed This Ion Exchange Unit?   Water Quality Products February 2001   William J. Koebel, ResinTech, Inc.
When approaching a rebed of an ion exchange unit it is important to determine if it is the best course of action, how you will remove the resin from the vessel and your plan to load the new resin.
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From Eyesore to State-of-the-Art Facility: Pump Station Transformation   Water Engineering & Management August 2000   Roger Frauenfelder, P.E.
What was formerly a contaminated auto wrecking yard that twice caught fire and was an eyesore to the local community is being transformed into a state-of-the-art pump station. This transformation not only resolves critical infrastructure needs but also is aesthetically pleasing.

To Maintain Or Not to Maintain   Water Engineering & Management June 2000   Don Renner
There is little question that the majority of water/wastewater equipment requires some sort of periodic routine maintenance. The reason for maintenance is simply that replacements are costly and each piece of equipment has a rather long life expectancy.

Low-Tech Needle Strips Solve High-Profile Bird Problem   Water Engineering & Management June 2000
As founder of American Maintenance Supply, Inc., an industrial wholesaler with headquarters in Canyon Country, Calif., Oswald Mercado knows a maintenance issue when he sees one. "Pigeon droppings are a major problem," he said.

The Challenge of Membrane Maintenance   Water Quality Products February 2000   Peter Cartwright
The membrane processing technologies of microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) are widely used to separate suspended and dissolved materials from water solutions in numerous industrial, medical and drinking water applications.

Portable Exchange D.I., Operating Primer, Part I   Water Quality Products November 1999   Nevin Rudie
The following are some issues surrounding the operation of portable exchange deionization (PEDI), beginning with an explanation of what PEDI is through plant logistics and maintenance considerations.

Changing Reverse Osmosis Membranes   Water Quality Products October 1996   Dorothy Korszen, P.E.
Changing membranes in pressure vessels is easy with the proper tools

Bearing Replacement Saves Many Maintenance Dollars   Water Engineering & Management September 1995
By changing bearing types, a 21-year old plant has increased the time between overhauls of its flocculators and saved money, too.

Water Main Flushing   Water Engineering & Management January 1981   Bangalore T. Laksham, P.E.
In order to improve both water quality and system efficiency the Artesian Water Co., an investor-owned water utility, instituted a periodic flushing program in 1974. (article only available in PDF format)
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Supplement PDF   Water & Wastes Digest January 1980   Wendi King, Dan Soltis
View the Supplement PDF
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