Technical SustainabilityIndiana Regional Sewer District

Association October 26, 2015

Joe Tierney

Sustainability

• “Sustainability is the capacity to endure”

• “Technical Sustainability for RSD means using BMPs for utility management combined w/current technologies to get the most out of your utility system.”

What is Sustainability?

Maintain what you

have.

Minimize what you

build.

IRSDA Mission

Be supportive and share Information that :•Protects the Environment•Protects Public Health •Supports Economic Development•Provides a Public Convenience

Sustainably Managed

Utility

Sustainably Managed Utility• Stakeholder Understanding and Support (SS)

– Customers, regulators, community

• Service Quality (SQ)– Meet regulations, public health, ecological needs

• Customer Satisfaction (CS)– Reliable, responsive, affordable

• Staff Development (SD)– Competent, motivated, adaptive workforce

• Operational Optimization (OO)– Ongoing, timely, cost-effective, reliable, sustainable

Sustainably Managed Utility

• Operational Resiliency (OR)– Leadership & staff working together

• Infrastructure Stability (IS)– Understand condition & costs of critical infrastructure

• Financial Viability (FV)– Life cycle cost, balance debt, assets, O & M, revenues

• Community Sustainability (CS)– Long-term watershed, community health & welfare &ED

• Water Resource Adequacy (WA)– Protect Watershed & meet current & future sanitation

needs

Service Quality and Regulatory Compliance

• Permits & Compliance

– IDEM, IDNR, INDOT, Rule 5

– NPDES, Land App. Stormwater

– MRO & Overflow reports

– Safety/ OSHA

• Engineering & Construction Standards

• Stay current w/ regulations

Customer Satisfaction • Utility Services

– Reliable

– Responsive

– Affordable

– Interaction w/Stakeholders

– Request & receive customer feedback

Staff Development & Stakeholder Support

People are assets too!• Recruit & Retain

• Resource of system knowledge & history

• Licensing & certifications

• Career enhancements

• Training & Safety programs

• Personal relationships

Infrastructure Stability

• System Inventory & Mapping

• Conditional Assessments

• Preventive Maintenance

• Capital Improvement Plans

• Energy Planning

Infrastructure Stability“you need to know your system”

• Inventory & Mapping

– Traditional As-Builts

– GIS system

– Google Earth

• Conditional Assessments

– Equipment inspections

– In-situ- video inspections of pipe systems

Infrastructure Stability“Preventive Maintenance & Planning go together”

• Preventive Maintenance

– Clean & flush sewers

– Protective coatings

– Pump & equipment service

– Maximize efficiency & service life & reduce $$

Infrastructure Stability“Preventive Maintenance & Planning go together”

• Capital Improvement plans

– Identify system needs

– Identify new technologies

– Anticipate regulatory changes

– Estimate future OM&R requirements

– Estimate energy savings with new technology investments

– Life cycle cost comparisons

Infrastructure Stability“Energy is a big part of annual operations cost”

Technical Sustainability Examples

Collection System“maintain what you have”

• Leaky sewers cost $$ • Excessive I/I

– Steals capacity – Causes SSOs– Triggers regulatory

actions

• Sewer rehabilitation – Cured-in-place pipe

(CIPP) – Green alternative

• Reduces I/I• Adds capacity, customers &

revenue• Extends service life

Green AlternativesWhy Should You Care?

• Sustainability incentive• SRF interest reduction up

to 0.5%• Improved ranking • I/I for energy reduction• Lighting• SCADA• VFDs• Life cycle cost analysis

• PV = $1,000,000

• 4.00% vs. 3.50%

• Annual savings $10,067

• 20-yr savings $201,334

Pumping

• VFDs for flow control and energy savings

• Jockey pump w/big pump

• Protective coatings for structures

• Back-up generators– Fuel types natural gas,

diesel

Plant Examples

• Cost savings

– Energy

– Chemicals

– Maintenance

• Back-up power sources

Plant Examples

• Natural lighting & Building lights

• Instrumentation

• Building insulation

• Sludge recycle/reuse

• Low mow grasses

D.O. Probes & VFDs for Blowers0.4 MGD EA WWTP energy cost savings

Current Proposed

Yr-1 blower = $47k Yr-1 blower = $25k

Yr-20 blower = $125K Yr-20 blower = $67k

Total 20-yr = $1.69 M Total 20-yr = $908k

• Total savings $782k• Payback period 11 years

Phosphorus treatmentChemical savings

Chemical Biological w/chemical backup

On-going cost increases Process & operations adjustments

Add. sludge generation New equipment & tankage

Long-term cost estimates

Reduced chemical usage & sludge generation

Compare •Capital & annual costs•Estimate payback period

U.V. equipment upgradesNew technology

• Old equipment

• High energy use

• Manual cleaning

• High labor

• New equipment • Lower energy use• Self cleaning • Low labor

Adequate Utility Rates“none of this is possible without adequate rates”

• Labor & energy cost increase / inflation

• Aging system maintenance

• Repairs & replacements

• New regulations

• Capital improvements

• Periodic rate adjustments

Technical SustainabilitySummary

• Stay current w/ rules & regulations

• Customer satisfaction

• Staff & Stakeholder support

• Know your system

• Preventive maintenance & planning

• Sufficient rates & charges

Reference Sources

• Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI)– sustainableinfrastructure.org– envision rating sheet

• USDA Rural Development– water.epa.gov/infrastructure

• LEED – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design• State Revolving Fund Loan program

• Green Project Reserve / Sustainability Incentive Fact Sheet– www.Watereum.org

Check Up Program for Small Systems (CUPSS)

• 16,000 ww systems– 70% serve <

10,000 pop

• 134,000 dw systems serve < 3300 population

http://www.epa.gov/cupss/index.html

References

Questions?

• Contact Information • Joe Tierney• 317-347-3650• jtierney@grwinc.com