Florida Water Resources Journal - December 2014

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President: Richard Anderson (FSAWWA)Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority

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Volume 66 December 2014 Number 12

News and Features4 Got DBPs? Sanford’s Journey to Come Into Compliance With a More Stringent Disinfection

Byproducts Rule—Tara Lamoureux and Migdalia Hernandez4 Lehigh Named New FSAWWA Chair

20 Biosolids Technical Seminar Helps Outline the Future of the Industry—Dr. Phil Kane26 Central Florida Water Festival Touts Importance of Water—Chuck Olson34 Florida Teams Compete in WEFTEC Operations Challenge—Brad Hayes36 Register Now for 2015 Florida Water Resources Conference Contests!50 FSAWWA and Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association Strengthen Ties at

Conference—Jason A. Johnson52 How the University of South Florida Won Its Third Student Design Competition—Andrew Filippi56 News Beat

Technical Articles10 Providing Sewer Service to Commercial Properties in Miami-Dade County—Isabel C.

Botero, Steven J. Cook, Alejandro Toro, Bill Hutchinson, Bertha M. Goldenberg, Howard J. Fallon Jr.,and Daniel J. Edwards

22 Cost-Effective Pipe Cleaning for Improved Water Quality—David Abbaspour, James Kinard,Matthew Wilson, John Parks, Richard Voakes, Matt Grewe, Edward Talton Jr., and Weston Haggen

42 Surge Protections: Modeling vs. Design vs. Construction—Jinsheng Huo

Education and Training9 CEU Challenge

17 FSAWWA Conference19 FSAWWA Training21 FWPCOA State Short School28 Florida Water Resources Conference50 TREEO Center Training51 FWPCOA Online Training53 FWPCOA Training Calendar

Columns32 C Factor—Jeff Poteet38 Spotlight on Safety—Doug Prentiss Sr.40 FWEA Focus—Brian L. Wheeler41 FSAWWA Speaking Out—Carl R. Larrabee Jr.49 Certification Boulevard—Roy Pelletier54 Process Page—Jerry Johnson

Departments55 New Products57 Service Directories60 Classifieds62 Display Advertiser Index

ON THE COVER: Distribution facilities at theNorth Springs Water Treatment Plant inCoral Springs. (photo: Michael Gardner)

Florida Water Resources Journal • December 2014 3

4 December 2014 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Tara Lamoureux and

Migdalia Hernandez

Following a mandate from the U.S. Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Cityof Sanford (City) started its compliance withthe new Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts(DBPs) Rule in October 2013. The samplinglocations and dates to perform DBP testingwere selected by EPA; however, the reportingand compliance is the responsibility of theFlorida Department of Environmental Pro-tection.

For many years, the City collected DBP

samples at two locations and the results wereaveraged using the mandated running annualquarterly average. Initially, under the newDBP rule, the City was requested to add anadditional six samples, including tanks. TheCity used a distribution system hydraulicmodel to justify sampling reductions, andonly two sites were added to the City’s existingStage 1 DBP Rule sampling plan. After thisplan was approved by EPA, the City collectedthe first compliance samples in November2013.

The new Stage 2 DBP Rule, however, doesnot allow the City to average all DBP results,

as was done in the past. Each sampling pointis a “compliance site” and the average is an an-nual running average for each sampling point.This new methodology is creating compliancechallenges for potable water providers.

The DBP maximum allowable levels forhaloacetic acids (HAAs) are 60 parts per bil(ppb) and the City is below this regulatorylimit. However, the allowable amount for tri-halomethanes (THMs) is 80 ppb and the Cityexceeded this regulatory limit at two samplingsites. These exceedances could lead to Stage 2Rule annual running average violations.

Got DBPs?Sanford’s Journey to Come Into

Compliance With a More StringentDisinfection Byproducts Rule

On December 3, Mark Lehigh will be-come the 89th chair of the Florida SectionAmerican Water Works Association for 2015,succeeding Carl R. Larrabee Jr.

Lehigh is the water operations sectionmanager for Hillsborough County PublicUtilities Department. He began his employ-ment there directly out of high school andhas continually served the public sector formore than 32 years. He learned the waterbusiness from the ground up, starting out asa water plant operator trainee, earning hisClass A license in water treatment, and work-ing his way through the ranks, gaining valu-able hands-on experience along the way.

Lehigh was born in Ankara, Turkey, toan Air Force family that moved around sev-eral times before settling down in Tampa. Hehas lived in Florida since 1969, raising fourwonderful children: David, Katrina, Lauren,and Tristen. He also loves the outdoors andespecially riding his bicycle, so much so thathe rode across the state from Cocoa Beach toWeeki Watchee Springs on the Gulf of Mex-ico, clocking over 170 miles in one day.

Mark’s service to FSAWWA started in1993. He has served as Region IV secretary,

Region IV chair, Administrative Councilchair, founding member and first chair of theOperators Council, Region IV Golf Commit-tee member, section vice chair, and most re-cently, section chair-elect. He has a truepassion for the industry, admires the strengthand vitality of the water community, and isan advocate for FSAWWA. “I am extremelyproud of this organization and eternallygrateful for the opportunity to serve. I havemet so many talented people and made long-lasting friendships along the way. I truly ap-preciate what FSAWWA is all about. Before Itake any action as chair I will ask myself, ‘Isthis the best thing for the section and themembers?’ The answer must always be ‘YES!’”

When asked about leading FSAWWA in2015, Mark added, “I can’t wait to continuethe journey that began more than 20 yearsago. To be selected by my fellow water pro-fessionals to serve our organization at thehighest level is truly an honor. It’s a great op-portunity and an extremely humbling expe-rience.”

Mark is very excited about working withsection leaders, staff, and members, and high-lighting the section’s value to its membership,

utility members, and the greater water com-munity will be a high priority. “I have foundover the years that volunteering as a memberof FSAWWA has been good for both mymind and body; it has increased my self-con-fidence and self-esteem,” said Mark. “Doinggood works for the community provides anatural sense of accomplishment, whilebuilding a sense of pride. Studies have shownthat volunteering is good for your health, too;it even increases your life expectancy, so youhave more time to work on all of those sec-tion goals. So, if you’re not one already, be-come an FSAWWA member, and for yourhealth’s sake—volunteer!” ��

Lehigh Named New FSAWWA Chair

Continued on page 6


How the City Prepared for the Rule

Step One: Identify Hydraulic Issues CausingHigh Levels of Disinfection Byproducts

Knowing that the City’s infrastructure isvery old, and DBP formation is the result oforganic matter, chlorine residuals, and con-tact time (CT) at high temperatures (DBPs =Cl2 Residual and Contact Time (CT) + Pre-cursors + Temperature), it was obvious thechallenge to meet the Stage 2 DBP Rule wasnot going to be easy.

With knowledge of this more stringentrule, the City started its journey to reduceDBPs in 2005. The first step was to use the ex-isting geographic information system (GIS)infrastructure geodatabase to evaluate possi-

ble hydraulic issues. The GIS data were im-ported into a hydraulic model, and outputdata showed that the City’s GIS geodatabasehad many errors and that the pipes were notconnected properly.

Evaluation of the water distribution sys-tem hydraulics was not possible using exist-ing GIS data. Because the City’s water systeminfrastructure is very old, GIS data correctionwas needed for hydraulic model evaluationsand to expedite water quality improvements.A new GIS intern was hired to expedite GISdatabase corrections in 2006. After one yearof data evaluation, the City’s utility depart-ment added a full-time GIS position to cor-rect GIS findings and to implement a pipeasset management program. This led toproper infrastructure maintenance, whilekeeping the integrity of the utility depart-ment’s critical infrastructure.

A water quality surveillance programwas implemented in 2005 using City staff tocapture areas of concern (low chlorine), aswell as evaluating treatment process changes.The City could not lower the chlorine to re-duce DBPs due to the mandatory 0.2 mg/Lchlorine residual within the water distribu-tion system.

In 2009, after major GIS corrections werecompleted, the City hired Reiss Engineeringas a consultant to calibrate the City’s hy-draulic model. The consultant used staff find-ings to identify water infrastructure areaswith elevated DBPs. The City’s hydraulicmodel showed and confirmed the areas thatneeded to be addressed to expedite waterquality improvements, including DBPs re-ductions, while maintaining a disinfectantresidual in the water distribution system. As aresult of hydraulic model findings, the fol-

lowing steps were immediately taken:1. Implemented the City’s unidirectional

flushing program (UDF), which helpedthe City to save 19 mil gal (MG) of water.This new flushing program also reducedcustomer complaints by 90 percent.

2. Started a more aggressive pipe rehabilita-tion program, including new pipe addi-tions to “loop” water distribution system“dead ends.”

3. Upgraded treatment facility equipment tomaintain and monitor lower chlorineresidual, as high chlorine levels were lead-ing to higher DBPs.

4. Upgraded elevated tank pumps to main-tain water quality by allowing for a bettertank turnover.

5. Started to pilot different treatmentprocesses to reduce DBPs.

Step Two: Prioritize and Correct Distribu-tion System Hydraulic Issues

Pipe rehabilitation areas were selectedbased on pipe age, chlorine demand, and waterloss (i.e., galvanized pipes). To reduce waterage, six dead ends with low water demandwere selected for looping. The City was able toobtain funds from the American Recovery andReinvestment Act (ARRA) and the State Re-volving Fund (SRF) to perform the pipe reha-bilitation project, as shown in Figure 1.

Step Three: Address the Source of theProblem

The City was able to reduce chlorine atthe treatment facilities from 3.5 mg/L dailyaverage to less than 2 mg/L by rehabbing agedpipes with high chlorine demand and bylooping large water main pipes at dead-endlocations, as shown in Figure 1.

A pilot study using granular activatedcarbon (GAC) to reduce DBPs was completedin 2011. The results suggested the need for apowerful oxidant (such as ozone) to extendthe GAC performance. A second pilot studywas performed in 2012 using ozone and GACextended to biological mode to reduce oper-ation and maintenance (O&M) costs, as thegoal was to use the GAC filter in that mode.The pilot study included an equalization tankto make sure ozonated water did not enterthe filter to damage natural biofilm. Figure 2shows a diagram of the pilot study using GACand ozone.

Figure 3 shows the THM pilot study re-sults at 120 hours, which represents the waterdistribution’s highest detention time; theHAA results were below regulatory limits dur-ing this pilot test. Also during the test, GACabsorption stopped after two months and bi-ological mode started at week nine; usually,GAC media is regenerated or replaced after

Figure 1. Pipe Rehabilitation Project

Continued from page 4

Continued on page 8

absorption is no longer present. The City’s in-tention is to run these filters in biologicalmode to reduce O&M costs. The best THMresults are observed at the time these filtersbecame fully biological (weeks 22-32).

Based on these pilot results, the City pre-ceded with water facility design and con-struction of a new water plant, known asWater Plant No. 2.

Conclusion

Construction on Water Plant No.2 wascompleted in July 2014. This upgraded treat-ment facility will have a better water quality,but with higher dissolved oxygen than theone in the water distribution pipes.

The City was concerned about the pos-sibility of discolored water. To minimize cus-tomer impact, the City performed a hydraulicmodel evaluation to follow the water fromthe time this facility was put into service untilit reached the end of the distribution system.

The goal was to flush all metal pipes withthe new water to the end of the line to re-move any discoloration. Using hydraulicmodel results addressing the metal pipe’s im-pact, staff started the flushing system withintwo hours of plant start-up. It took the flush-ing crew 48 hours to move the new waterthrough the metal pipes. The flushing planwas very successful and the City did not re-ceive any customer complaints for discoloredwater.

As shown in Figure 4, the City’s timeline

to reduce DBPs was very long. The use of aut-oflushers, pipe rehabilitation, and UDF re-duced DBPs (THMs) close to compliancelimits, and in April 2014, only one samplingsite was exceeding the 80 parts per mil (ppm)THM level. Since Water Plant No. 2 was puton line, DBP formation has been below 20ppm. It is expected that DBPs (THMs) willincrease close to regulatory limits during car-bon absorption reduction and biofilm food(organic matter) recognition.

At this time, it is unknown when theGAC filters will change to biological filterssince they are still under absorption mode.The City is currently using UV-254 on-lineanalyzers to monitor filter efficiency (organicremoval).

The City’s personnel commitment andits excellent teamwork approach led to a suc-cessful outcome for its water distribution sys-tem.

Tara Lamoureux is a water quality special-ist and Migdalia Hernandez is a water resourceengineer with City of Sanford Water. ��

Figure 4 . Total Trihalomethanes, Prepipe and Postpipe Rehabilitation


Figure 2. Pilot Study Using Granular Activated Carbon and Ozone Figure 3. Total Trihalomenthane Results for 120 hours



Earn CEUs by answering questions from previous Journal issues!

Contact FWPCOA at [email protected] or at 561-840-0340. Articles from past issues can be viewed on the Journal website, www.fwrj.com.

Members of the Florida Water &Pollution Control Association (FWPCOA)may earn continuing education unitsthrough the CEU Challenge! Answer thequestions published on this page, basedon the technical articles in this month’sissue. Circle the letter of each correctanswer. There is only one correctanswer to each question! Answer 80percent of the questions on any articlecorrectly to earn 0.1 CEU for yourlicense. Retests are available.

This month’s editorial theme isDistribution and Collection. Look aboveeach set of questions to see if it is forwater operators (DW), distributionsystem operators (DS), or wastewateroperators (WW). Mail the completedpage (or a photocopy) to: FloridaEnvironmental Professionals Training,P.O. Box 33119, Palm Beach Gardens,FL 33420-3119. Enclose $15 for eachset of questions you choose to answer(make checks payable to FWPCOA). YouMUST be an FWPCOA member beforeyou can submit your answers!

___________________________________________SUBSCRIBER NAME (please print)

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If paying by credit card, fax to (561) 625-4858

providing the following information:

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1. The City’s pilot unidirectional flushing (UDF) program reduced turbidity bya. 79 percent.b. 88 percent.c. an average of 1.21 mg/l.d. an average of 2.0 nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs).

2. The UDF program’s effectiveness in mitigating nitrification could not beevaluated becausea. ammonia nitrogen could not be measured.b. the water’s pH remained unchanged.c. heterotrophic plate counts remained unchanged.d. of the influence from adjacent distribution areas.

3. __________________ in the southern part of the City’s water system duringwarmer months is contributing to nitrification.a. High velocityb. Low flowc. Turbidityd. Calcium buildup

4. Which of the following measures was taken at City parks as part of therecommended action plan?a. Cease irrigationb. Increase irrigation meter size from 4-in. to 8-in.c. Set up continuous flow flush meters discharging into storm drain inletsd. Change irrigation source water from reclaimed to potable

5. The pilot program was planned for a portion of the City’s distribution systemwherea. all mains were less than 20 in. in diameter.b. all mains were known to be undersized.c. historical low chloramine residuals had been identified.d. the unusual number of dead ends made UDF simpler.

Cost-Effective Pipe Cleaning for Improved Water Quality

Matt Grewe, Edward Talton, and Weston Haggen(Article 1: CEU = 0.1 DS/DW)

Operators: Take the CEU Challenge!


Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Depart-ment (Department), with assistancefrom Black & Veatch Corp., developed

a plan, including planning-level cost estimatesand project schedules, for the addition of sewerinfrastructure to commercial and industrialproperties within the Department’s service areacurrently not connected to these systems. Theplan and cost estimates will be utilized to complywith the requirements of the Miami-DadeCounty Board of County Commissioners’ Reso-lution R-597-13, directing the county mayor ormayor’s designee to provide a plan to extendsewer service to commercial areas and industrialareas within the county. The recommended im-provements identified in the plan and respectivecost estimates have been included in the Depart-ment’s capital improvement plan (CIP).

Background

In April 2013, the Department issued an es-timate of the costs to extend water and sewer in-frastructure to various commercial propertieswithin its service area. The methodology for thecosting used a Class 5 Opinion of Probable Cost,which includes a 40 percent contingency and a+/- 40 percent accuracy appropriate for plan-ning-level projects. The implementation sched-ule and potential financing approaches forfunding were also determined.

Site Loadings

Wet weather loads were the basis for deter-mining the diameters of the sewer site loadings,included dry weather wastewater flows, wetweather flows, and corresponding peaking fac-tors. The average dry weather wastewater load-ings for each commercial property weredetermined by applying a unit factor of 1,500 galper day per acre (gpd/acre) to the property areabeing evaluated. This factor was determinedjointly in coordination with Department staff.The peak weather flow from each property wasdetermined by utilizing the Department’s pumpstation flow database. This database contains thedry weather flows, wet weather flow hydrographs,and peaking factors for the existing and future

loading conditions for the collection system. Therespective commercial property’s peaking factorwas assigned by looking up the connecting pumpstation’s basin peaking factor. The pump stationflow database contained separate peaking factorsfor the existing and future loading conditions foreach pump station basin. Accordingly, separatepeak wet weather loads were determined for eachplanning year. These wet weather loads were thebasis for determining the diameters of the sewerextensions to serve these properties.

Sewer Extensions

The Department provided a geographic in-formation system (GIS) shape file of the approx-imately 3,000 commercial properties that wereunder consideration for being connected to theexisting sewer system. To evaluate the feasibilityand relative cost of connecting each commercialproperty, GIS databases and satellite imagerywere reviewed to locate the nearest existing man-hole, and available roadways and routes, for thesewer system extension. In order to focus on themost cost-effective solutions, preference wasgiven to connecting properties to existing gravitylines and avoiding the addition of pump stations,unless necessary. The crossing of major highways,railroad tracks, and canals was also avoided, un-less it was required to serve a high-priority area.Single, isolated properties that could not be eas-ily or cost-effectively connected to gravity lineswere also excluded from the improvements.

The new sewer extensions were drawn in aseparate GIS layer following the most direct pathalong the roadways. It was assumed that sufficientspace and clearance from other utilities withinthe roadway was available to construct the sewerextensions, which would be verified during de-tailed design.

In several locations, the sewer extensionwould likely connect below the invert of the ex-isting collection system. In these cases, a pumpstation was recommended to pump the flow tothe closest force main. The pump stations weresized to have sufficient firm capacity to conveythe peak wet weather flow.

The rim and invert elevations were providedby the Department at the connection points for

subsequent review to verify if the sewer extensioncould connect directly or would require a pumpstation; it was determined that 45 proposed De-partment pump stations would be required. Thereare also some areas that could potentially be servedby 24 private pump stations. All Department-pro-posed pump station force mains were routed to themanifold with the nearest force main.

The wet weather loads contributing to eachsewer extension were summed to determine thepeak wet weather flow in each sewer. The sewerextension should be able to convey the peak flowwithout surcharging the sewer above its crown. Itwas assumed that the sewers would be installedat minimum slope based on the Department’sdesign standards. To determine the required di-ameter, Manning’s formula (an empirical for-mula that estimates the average velocity of aliquid flowing in a conduit that doesn’t com-pletely enclose the liquid) was used with a rough-ness coefficient of 0.013 to determine the capacityfor the pipe when flowing full, under gravity flow,at the required minimum slope. The results of theanalysis showed that the peak flows in the sewerextensions would be less than 0.50 mil gal per day(mgd); therefore, every gravity sewer extensionidentified will be 8 in. in diameter.

Pump Station Basin Capacity Assessment

Extraction of Sub-BasinsThe all-pipe modeling database was supplied

by the Department for analysis of the impact of the

Providing Sewer Service to CommercialProperties in Miami-Dade County

Isabel C. Botero, Steven J. Cook, Alejandro Toro, Bill Hutchinson, Bertha M. Goldenberg, Howard J. Fallon Jr., and Daniel J. Edwards

Isabel C. Botero, P.E., is engineeringmanager, Steven J. Cook, P.E., is seniorplanning engineer, and Alejandro Toro, P.E.,is managing director with Black & Veatch inSunrise. Bill Hutchinson is a principal withPEG in Miami. Bertha M. Goldenberg, P.E.,is assistant director for planning andenvironmental compliance, Howard J. FallonJr., P.E., is planning division chief, andDaniel J. Edwards, P.E., is master planningsection chief with Miami-Dade Water andSewer Department.

F W R J


proposed commercial property’s additional load-ings on the collection system. The pump stationbasins, where the commercial property extensionsconnected, were extracted to establish smaller sub-models to facilitate analysis. Any pump stationbasins discharging into the extracted basin werealso extracted and placed into the submodel. Sim-ilarly, basins downstream of the extracted basinwere also placed into the submodel, as were con-necting pump stations and force mains. Basins wereextracted into the submodel until the connectionwith the pressure network that conveys wastewaterto the wastewater treatment plants was made.

Updated Dry Weather Loadings The dry weather loadings in the all-pipe

modeling database were updated using the fol-lowing two data sources:� Geocoded water consumption data� Pump station basin dry weather loads

There is a geocoded water consumptionGIS layer for all of the Department’s sewer cus-tomers. This database was joined to the manholedatabase in the submodel to determine the waterconsumption records for the contributing cus-tomer for each manhole. The pump station flowspreadsheet supplied by the Department con-tained the dry weather loads for the basins foreach planning year. This dry weather loading wasthen allocated spatially on a geocoded water con-sumption weighted-average basis.

Wet Weather Flow PatternsThe pump station flow database also con-

tained the wet weather flow hydrographs for eachpump station basin corresponding to a two-yearstorm event. A wet weather flow pattern was de-veloped by dividing the wet weather flow hydro-graph to the dry weather flow for the basin. Thispattern was then applied to the allocated dryweather loadings in the pump station basin.

Baseline ImprovementsA baseline model was developed for the ex-

isting loading conditions without the commer-cial property loads. The flow path from theconnection points downstream was analyzedunder wet weather conditions. If a sewer was sur-charged and the hydraulic grade line rose to bewithin 4 ft of grade elevation, a sewer improve-ment was recommended.

It should be noted that the sewer inverts andrim elevations were not updated from the as-built/record drawing database. The inverts in theall-pipe model (and therefore the submodel)were assumed. It is recommended that the invertsand rim elevations in these basins be reviewedand updated in the future to verify the sewer im-provements that are required.

Extensions ImprovementsThe baseline model, with the improve-

ments, was updated with the commercial prop-erty loadings; the existing planning year wasused for this analysis. Similar to the baseline im-provements, if any sewer along the flow pathfrom the proposed developments surchargedwithin 4 ft of grade elevation, an improvementwas recommended. Additionally, locations with

a baseline improvement were reviewed to deter-mine if the additional loading caused the sewerto be surcharged above the crown of the pipe. Ifany surcharging was observed, an additional im-provement was recommended to avoid in-stalling an improvement that would causesurcharging conditions. In cases where sur-charging was observed that resulted from ca-

Table 1. District 1 Improvements

Continued on page 12


pacity limited pump stations, the station was ex-panded within the model to convey the peakflow.

Future Planning Year ImprovementsThe extensions model, with the improve-

ment, was updated for the future planning yearconditions. The update includes both the dryweather flows, as well as the wet weather flowpatterns. Similar to the extension improvement,any surcharged conditions within 4 ft of gradeelevation initiated an improvement to relievethe surcharging to be below the crown of thepipe. Also, any surcharged condition at an im-provement identified in the baseline or the ex-tension improvement models was relieved toeliminate the surcharging.

Manifold Pressure System Capacity Assessment

Design flows were developed and simulatedin the Department model where proposed pumpstations were identified. The analysis indicatedthat no major upgrades to the manifold pressuresystem were required to accommodate the pro-posed improvements to connect the commercialproperties included in this evaluation.

Improvements

The projects were grouped by major com-mercial corridors along a main avenue or street andincluded the infrastructure needs of nearby com-mercial areas that were not located directly on themain avenue or street, but were close enough sothat it was practical to include them in a single con-struction project. Table 1 shows a summary of the

individual improvements that would be requiredto provide sewer connections to the commercialproperties. Improvements listed by the Miami-Dade County Commission District encompassgravity sewer pipe extensions, new pump stations,and new force mains. Also, some existing pump sta-tions in the existing system would need to be in-creased in capacity. The pump stations requiringcapacity expansion are included in Table 2.

The improvements proposed would providesewer service to a total of 2,194 commercial prop-erties, covering an area of 1,189 acres withinMiami-Dade County.

Opinion of Probable Construction Cost

The Opinion of Probable Construction Costcovers the improvements identified and includesthe construction, engineering, and land acquisi-tion costs as needed. Each commission districtcost is summarized in Table 3.

Schedule

Table 4 presents an eight-year timeline, as requested by the Department, after preliminary activities, including land acquisition and archi-tectural/engineering selection, are performed.

Potential Financing Alternatives

This section summarizes the options avail-able for financing wastewater system improve-ments, how these options could be applied forfinancing the projects, and the financial implica-tions of developing these projects to both the po-tential new customers, as well as the Department.

Procedures for Financing Wastewater Projects The basic procedures for financing waste-

water projects, as well as water projects, are de-scribed in the Department’s Implementing OrderNo. 10-8; the financing procedures are differentfor wastewater collection facilities and wastewatertransmission facilities.

Wastewater collection facilities are definedas those lines and pump stations that are neededto provide service only to retail customers, andare generally referred to as local facilities, or as-sets. Wastewater transmission facilities are thosepump stations and lines that are needed to serveall customers, both retail and wholesale, and areoften referred to as regional facilities, or assets.

Wastewater transmission and collection fa-cilities are defined as follows:

“The Water and Sewer Department’s defini-tion of wastewater transmission facilities is all in-terceptor lines and all pump stations and force

Table 4. Capital Expenditures: Proposed Plan

Table 3. Opinion of Probable Construction Cost Summary

Table 2. Improvements to Existing Pump Stations




mains receiving wastewater flows that arepumped from wastewater collection systems.Transmission force mains convey wastewater thathas been collected and pumped from more thanone collection basin. Pump stations and lines thatconnect to these facilities are classified as waste-water collection.”

The minimum size of a force main for pur-poses of defining regional facilities was listed at8 in.

The essential provision of the procedures asthey apply to new sewer service, either to existingor new developments, is provided in Section3.02(3) of the order. This rule stipulates that thecustomer is responsible for the expense of in-stalling any new laterals, or collection lines, re-quired for providing the wastewater service. Fornew developments, the new collection lines aregenerally installed by the developer followingspecifications established by the Department, andturned over to it, upon completion of the devel-opment. For existing developments where collec-tion facilities must be installed, the rule requiresthe new customers to fund the cost of the new col-lection facilities either through the creation of aspecial taxing district or the establishment of feesand charges, through which the Department re-covers its costs of installing the collection system.

For wastewater transmission facilities (partof the regional system), the procedures stipulatedin Section 3.04 state that the Department may re-quire the developer, or customer, to also providemain or transmission lines, or the Departmentmay recover its investment in these facilitiesthrough connection fees, which are currently$5.60 per average-day gal of wastewater expectedto be produced by each new customer.

By collecting this connection charge fromeach new customer, the Department is pre-sumed to be able to provide the necessary waste-

water transmission and treatment facilitiesneeded to serve an average new customer, rec-ognizing that the Department’s actual cost oftransmission facilities varies considerably fromone part of the county to another.

This section of the implementing order alsostipulates that the extension of transmission facil-ities may be paid for through a special taxing dis-trict; this has rarely been used by the Department,but it is widely used in the county for other pur-poses. In general, the establishment of a specialtaxing district requires the concurrence of a ma-jority of the property owners within the district.

As described, the concept of project financ-ing is closely associated with the concept of re-covering all costs of new service from the newcustomers themselves. Application of this con-cept necessitates consideration of County Ordi-nance 93-134, Section 613, which is part of theDepartment’s bond ordinance known as “no freeservice.” This section prohibits providing freeservices or preferential charges to any customer.

In evaluating the application of the Depart-ment’s financing methods and financing alterna-tives, it is recommended that the no-free servicesection of the ordinance be evaluated by an ap-propriate legal authority to assess the impact itmay have when utilizing any of the financing al-ternatives described.

Application of Financing Methods to theProjects

Based on the guidance of the Department’sbond ordinance, implementing orders, and sup-porting information, the projects are classified aseither wastewater collection or wastewater trans-mission facilities. The unfunded costs of the proj-ects, in aggregate, estimated during the course ofthis study, are as follows:� Local costs (wastewater collection facilities):

$232.9 million

� Regional costs (wastewater transmission facil-ities): $40.7 million

� Total costs: $273.6 million

Table 5 shows the estimated wastewater col-lection (local) and wastewater transmission (re-gional) costs by district.

The aggregate cost of providing these serviceextensions on a per gal basis is very high due to theinfill nature of the work and the fact that theeconomies of scale achieved with new develop-ments is not present in these smaller, developedproject areas. As additional refinement of planningand design is done, some cost reductions may berealized through the use of low-pressure sewers orother nonstandard design features, and conserva-tive cost estimates are to be provided; these costsdo not include the cost of wastewater transmissionfacilities already included in the Department’s CIP.It is also important to note that the regional costsinclude only transmission costs, not additionalcosts or repayment of the Department’s imbeddedcosts for wastewater treatment and disposal oftreated effluent. Connection charges from the De-partment are intended to address both wastewatertransmission and wastewater treatment costs.

Financing of Wastewater Collection andTransmission Facilities

As noted, based on the Department’s regu-lations, new customers would be required to di-rectly fund the local (collection) costs toreimburse the Department for the cost of in-stalling wastewater collection lines and pump sta-tions. Based on the information provided by theDepartment, new customers would generate atotal wastewater flow of approximately 1.64 mgd,which is based on their current average dailywater purchases.

Customers are billed for wastewater servicebased on their metered water use. Based on thisadditional wastewater service, the new customerswould be required to pay an average of approxi-mately $25 per gal of expected wastewater use tofund the new wastewater transmission (regional)facilities. The calculation of this charge, as well asthe other figures referenced, is shown in Table 6.

This amount would differ among corridorsand, possibly, within corridors, inasmuch as thecharge is based on the cost of serving each newcustomer or group of customers. The informa-tion provided by the Department indicates thatthe average flow from the new customers to beserved by the projects evaluated in this analysis isabout 800 gpd.

Financing Collection FacilitiesThe standard practice for the Department to

recover the cost of new wastewater collection fa-cilities is to have new customers construct the fa-

Table 5. Local and Regional Costs by District


cilities, as in the case of a new development, or re-imburse the Department the full cost of the facil-ities. Based on the estimated $140 average cost pergal for wastewater collection facilities, the averagenew customer would pay about $111,000 for thoseadditional collection facilities. This cost is fargreater than is typical for new connections in theDepartment’s service area, and upfront paymentof the connection cost would present a serious fi-nancial burden to new customers. To mitigate thehigh costs, the Department has several potentialalternative methods for recovering them:� Funding by the county using general obliga-

tion bonds� Funding by the Department using revenue

bonds� Rate surcharge� Special taxing district� Tax increment financing

Each of these funding methods and theirimplications are described as follows:

General Obligation Bonds Issued by the CountyThe County has funded Department im-

provements, including local collection systemsfor new customers, with general obligation bondproceeds. Funding for the local collection systemcomponent of the project from general obliga-tion bonds would provide the greatest relief toproperty owners. Assignment of available generalobligation bond funds for this purpose would re-quire approval by the board of county commis-sioners.

Revenue Bonds Issued by the DepartmentRevenue bonds are routinely issued by the

Department to finance capital improvements towater and wastewater systems. The proceeds fromthese bonds are generally used to fund projectsbenefitting all or a large number of customers,both retail and wholesale. The bonds are amor-tized through payments made by utility cus-tomers through water and sewer rates. Whilerevenue bond proceeds have routinely been allo-cated to fund new wastewater transmission facil-ities, they historically have not been used toprovide funding for local collection systems toservice new customers. Pursuant to Implement-ing Order 10-8, the use of Department funds forthe extension of local collection systems must bereimbursed to the Department through a specialtaxing district, with fees and charges paid by thecustomers benefiting from the service, or fromother revenues not collected by the Department.

Rate SurchargeThe Department could recover the high cost

of the wastewater collection improvements byimposing a surcharge on new customers. It has

implemented such a program, but only in associ-ation with the acquisition of utility systems.However, in the case of the improvements con-sidered in this study, implementing a surchargewould place the Department at risk of failing torecover the anticipated amount of revenue as aresult of lower than expected water, and waste-water, sales. The risk would probably render thisalternative unattractive compared to formationof a special taxing district, which would not incurthis type of risk.

A variation of the rate surcharge is the basinfee, recently utilized to increase collection systemcapacity in several areas with services that are re-developing and intensifying their uses. This is aper-gal-of-capacity charge that is added to theregular connection charge to support expansionof the local collection system.

Special Taxing DistrictFunding and financing could be provided

through a special taxing district. Under thismethod, the Department would fund the im-provements with bond proceeds and recover thedebt service through a recurring tax on the pro-ject’s beneficiaries—the new customers. The im-pact to each customer would vary according tohow much of the total project cost was financed in

this way, the size or frontage of the parcels com-prising the special taxing district, and the interestrate and duration of the bonds; the costs, however,would be substantial based on the high cost of thecollection and transmission system improvements.

Tax Increment FinancingThis financing method is used mainly to

provide broad assistance to blighted areasthrough community redevelopment agencies.Bonds are sold to make improvements to a des-ignated tax increment financing area, and thebonds are repaid from the increased propertyvalue and corresponding property tax revenuesthat result in part from the improvements thathave been made. Because of the very high costsassociated with bringing sewers to these areas, itappears to be unlikely that property values wouldincrease sufficiently due to the presence of sewersto recover their costs within any reasonable timeperiod. Presumably, separate financing districtswould need to be established for each of the proj-ect areas to utilize this financing approach, andthe process of qualifying and establishing thesedistricts could be time-consuming. This financ-ing alternative does not appear to be practical orapplicable to this project.




Financing Transmission FacilitiesThe total cost for wastewater transmission

facilities to serve the new customers is estimatedto be approximately $40.7 million, which aver-ages out to about $25 per gal of new wastewaterservice. It is important to note that this per-galtransmission cost is far greater than the Depart-ment’s average cost for providing wastewatertransmission services to its customers. The De-partment’s current methods for recovering andfinancing wastewater transmission facilities in-clude the methods described previously, as wellas two other financing methods: connectioncharges, and connection charge surcharge/basincharge.

Each of these funding methods and theirimplications are described as:

Connection Charges The Department has established connec-

tion charges for new wastewater customers of$5.60 per gal of expected average day water use.Based on this amount, the Department wouldrecover about $4,500 from the average new cus-tomer served by these projects. Connectioncharges are deposited into the Department’splant expansion fund and can be used to sup-port capacity improvements to the regionalwastewater transmission system, so to the extentthat the funds are available, the regional systemcosts can be funded in that way.

Connection Charge Surcharge The Department could impose a connec-

tion charge surcharge on each new customer asa condition of connection to recover system ex-pansion costs for some or all of the regional andlocal collection systems. To recover the full costof the transmission facilities not covered bystandard connection charges, the typical newcustomer would be assessed about $15,000.

Conclusions

Using currently available financing meth-ods, the Department’s alternatives for financingthe projects discussed here are limited to the useof general obligation bonds and/or revenuebonds, the collection of the costs for wastewatercollection lines from the new customers, collec-tion of the Department’s standard connectioncharges from new customers, establishment of aspecial taxing district or districts, and tax incre-ment financing. Tax increment financing doesnot appear to be a promising source of revenue,though such an approach might be applicable insome project areas. The availability of grant fundsand State Revolving Funds could be helpful, butit is not possible to anticipate availability.

It is important to recognize that the difficul-ties in finding suitable financing methods for theseprojects is due to the fact that the cost of providingwastewater service to the contemplated new cus-tomers is very high, measured on a per-gal or per-customer basis. Recognizing these high costs,exploring alternative designs and technologiesand/or construction methods could be consideredas alternatives for lowering the costs of these proj-ects. Similarly, recognizing that the cost estimatespresented here are high, more detailed analysis ofindividual projects may enable the Department toidentify projects or corridors where the cost per galor per customer are closer to its norm. Moreover,some of the individual projects can be expected tobe substantially more cost-effective than others byvirtue of their proximity to existing wastewatertransmission lines or a larger concentration of newcustomers or near-term development potential.

Selecting the more cost-effective projects forearly implementation would facilitate financing,as well as reduce the Department’s financial bur-den. Based on these factors, it is recommendedthat the Department assess the individual proj-ects and corridors addressed and identify thosethat could be cost-effectively implemented in anearly timeframe. Cost-effective areas requiringonly new collection facilities may be fundedthrough a combination of direct payment by newcustomers to partially fund the cost of collectionfacilities, connection charges, a rate surcharge orspecial taxing district, and currently availablegeneral obligation bond proceeds. Other eco-nomically attractive projects may be fundedusing these same methods, as well as by county-issued general obligation bonds or Department-issued revenue bonds.

Inasmuch as the use of Department-issuedrevenue bonds to fund new wastewater collectionfacilities would be a departure from establishedDepartment practices, it is important for thecounty to obtain a clear legal opinion on the useof this funding method. ��

Table 6. Calculation of Estimated Costs and Charges to Commercial Properties



Dr. Phil Kane

The Florida Water Environ-ment Association (FWEA)Biosolids Committee hosted aBiosolids Technical Seminar onOctober 17 at the Lee CountyEmergency Management Facility.This year's seminar was titled,"Charting the Future of BiosolidsManagement." Due to the rapidlychanging nature of the biosolidsindustry, this was a much antici-pated seminar.

Seminar Format

Presentation topics startedwith speakers from the Water En-vironment Federation (WEF) ad-dressing the future of biosolids,with an overview of nationaltrends. These were followed by anumber of presentations address-ing state and local government is-sues and regulation updates. Alsoincluded in the program were pre-sentations by private biosolids en-tities on the future direction ofbiosolids.

The seminar had more than70 participants from around thestate, who praised the talentedspeakers and outstanding venue.Intensive discussions, pertinentquestions, and lively debate were

prevalent throughout the seminar.Field trips to two nearby compostfacilities provided up close andpersonal views of the beneficialbiosolids recycling activities.

Attendee Feedback

An integral part of the semi-nar that reinforced its positivevalue was an evaluation question-naire completed by the partici-pants. Comments and observationson the questionnaire, and duringthe seminar, gave insight into thecurrent seminar and guidance forfuture biosolids programs. The keyissues mentioned in participant re-

sponses included: � Future trends regarding domes-

tic wastewater treatment facilitypoint sources that will processbiosolids on-site for beneficialreuse in a cost-effective manner

� Converting biosolids to fertilizer� Biosolids volume reduction � Biosolids regulations� Innovative technologies

Biosolids regulations wereseen by participants as fluid and inconstant change, with a hope thatthey will continue to provide prac-tical guidance for the biosolids in-dustry. Innovative technologieswere mentioned with caveats to the

costs and applicability to the widerange of biosolids generators in thestate.

The FWEA Biosolids Com-mittee, led by Chris Collins, waslauded by the participants. Thisfeedback was well received and at-tendee comments will be use by fu-ture program planningcommittees. The participants defi-nitely want more of these seminars.

Awards Program

An announcement of impor-tance at the seminar was the up-coming FWEA biosolids awardsprogram. In its third year, the pro-gram has added a new category forprivate biosolids managementcompanies. Privately ownedbiosolids haulers, biosolids treat-ment facilities, and land applica-tion sites will now have a chance towin a prestigious biosolids award.

The historic biosolids awardcategories are still in place forrecognition of outstanding work inthe industry. The FWEA websitewill have details in the near futureon this year’s biosolids awards andhow to apply.

Dr. Phil Kane is vice chair ofthe FWEA Public Communicationsand Outreach Committee. (photos:Gary Hammond) ��

Biosolids Technical Seminar Helps Outline the Future of the Industry

Biosolids Seminar GroupPresentation Slide

Presentation SlideChris Collins, FWEA Biosolids Committee Chair


FREE BBQ DINNER

� Monday, March 16, 4:30 p.m. �

COURSES

SCHEDULE

Florida Water & Pollution Control Operators Association

FWPCOA STATE SHORT SCHOOLMarch 16 - 20, 2015

Indian River State College - Main Campus

– FORT PIERCE –

Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester ..........................$375/$405

Backflow Prevention Assembly Repairer ......................$275/$305

Backflow Tester Recertification ......................................$85/$115

Basic Electrical and Instrumentation ............................$225/$255

Facility Management Module I ......................................$275/$305

Reclaimed Water Distribution C, B & A ........................$225/$255(Abbreviated Course) ................................................$125/$155

Stormwater Management C & B ...................................$260/$290

Stormwater Management A .........................................$275/$305

Utility Customer Relations I, II & III................................$260/$290

Utilities Maintenance I & II ............................................$225/$255

Wastewater Collection System Operator C, B & A ......$225/$255

Water Distribution System Operator Level 3, 2 & 1 ......$225/$255

Wastewater Process Control ........................................$225/$255

Wastewater Sampling for Industrial Pretreatment& Operators................................................................$160/$190

Wastewater Troubleshooting ........................................$225/$255

Water Troubleshooting ..................................................$225/$255

CHECK-IN: March 15, 20151:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

CLASSES: Monday – Thursday........8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Friday........8:00 a.m. to noon

For further information on the school, including course registration forms and hotels, download the school announcement at www.fwpcoa.org/fwpcoaFiles/upload/2015SpringSchool.pdf

3209 Virginia AvenueFort Pierce, FL 34981

For more information call the

FWPCOA Training Office 321-383-9690

FWPCOA STATE SHORT SCHOOL


The City of St. Pe-tersburg (City),like most chlo-

ramine disinfectantwater systems inFlorida, faces the chal-lenge of controlling ni-trification in itsdistribution systemduring warmermonths. To optimizedelivered water qualityto its potable water cus-tomers and reduceflushing water volumesin the south portion ofits service area, the Cityimplemented cutting-edge nitrification miti-gation strategies as recommended by its strate-gic autoflusher program. Higher waterdistribution age or stagnation, coupled withutilization of chloramine disinfectant and ele-vated summer temperatures, typically result innitrification. The flusher program was pre-pared in 2010, with assistance from Reiss En-gineering, to help address high water ageconcerns in the southern extremities of the sys-tem in three phases:� Phase 1 – Develop Action Plan � Phase 2 – Design/Implement Recommended

Improvements� Phase 3 – Track Program Progress and Adjust

as Needed

Phase 1 of the program confirmed that ni-trification was occurring in the southern por-tion of the City’s distribution system, especiallyduring summer months. The City is two yearsinto implementation of Phase 2, includingconverting park irrigation, deploying aut-oflushers, pilot testing unidirectional flushing(UDF), and tracking the program’s progress.Available research indicated that nitrifying bac-teria can take refuge in distribution pipe sedi-ment (Fundamentals and Control ofNitrification in Chloraminated Drinking WaterDistribution Systems; AWWA, 2006); therefore,UDF was considered a potential nitrificationmitigation tool. This article focuses on the use

of UDF to support maintenance of water qual-ity improvement.

Background

The City had concerns about oversized pipesand mains being the cause for water quality issues,which in turn was the need for excessive distribu-tion system flushing. The majority of the City wasnot experiencing nitrification and, over a decadeof chloramine disinfection, had maintained a sta-ble distribution system. Excessive flushing re-quirements had been confined to the southernextremity of the service area. Water mains are typ-ically sized for peak demand and proper fire flowswithout regard for water quality. These low-flowmains can cause sediment buildup in the bottomof the mains and the high water age in the south-ern part of the City’s water distribution systemwas causing nitrification during warmer months,creating biofilm. The City actively implementedrecommendations from the flusher program toclean transmission and distribution mains and re-duce water age to mitigate nitrification.

Methodology

The City has implemented a portion of therecommend action plan, including: conversionof four City parks, ranging from 4-in. to 8-in.meters from reclaimed water to potable water ir-rigation; installation of an additional 17 newautoflushers throughout the south service area(as shown in Figure 1); and piloting a method toclean sediment and biofilm out of the transmis-

Cost-Effective Pipe Cleaning for Improved Water Quality

David Abbaspour, James Kinard, Matthew Wilson, John Parks, Richard Voakes, Matt Grewe, Edward Talton Jr., and Weston Haggen

David Abbaspour, P.E., is senior professionalengineer, James Kinard is water distributionsystem coordinator, Matthew Wilson is civilengineer II, John Parks, P.E., is technicalsupport manager, and Richard Voakes iswater treatment and distribution managerwith City of St. Petersburg. Matt Grewe isUDF design engineer, Edward Talton Jr., P.E.,is project manager, and Weston Haggen,P.E., is project engineer with ReissEngineering in Winter Springs.

F W R J

Figure 1. Conversion to Potable Locations, New Autoflushing Locations, and Pilot UnidirectionalFlushing


sion and distribution mains. Based on a reviewof, and experience with, various pipe cleaningtechnologies, the City selected UDF for thepilot; the UDF has significantly lower costs thanother available technologies and the City hashad a successful experience with UDF in thepast.

South Unidirectional Flushing Pilot Program

The UDF pilot was approved by the Cityas it provided the information it needed tomake the decision to proceed with a future full-scale UDF implementation in the south area.The pilot program was planned for a portionof the City’s distribution system where histor-ical low chloramine residuals had been identi-fied. This pilot area is circumferentiallysupplied by 20-in. transmission mains, ofwhich a section was included in the UDF pro-gram. The 20-in. mains were sized years ago toserve commercial fire flows and demands thathave been significantly reduced due to waterconservation, reclaimed water, and lower den-sity development, and are now oversized. Thepipelines flushed during the UDF program areshown in Figure 1.

The pilot UDF program was designed byReiss Engineering using the City’s existing hy-draulic model for all mains up to 20 in. in thepilot UDF. The pilot had eight zones, shown inFigure 2, including 51 flushing sequences inzone 1, which was a custom UDF design for thesection of 20-in. transmission main. Approxi-mately 3 mil gal (MG) of water were used tocomplete the pilot area UDF program. Thecustom 20-in. UDF included a 7,800-ft se-quence that flushed over a half MG of water fortwo hours and 10 minutes.

The UDF pilot program was executed byCity staff, which involved delivery of public no-tices, assessment of 122 system valves, 53 hy-drants, and four blowoff valve assemblies(blowoffs). The assessment of the valves, hy-drants, and blowoffs showed that the City hadkept its system in excellent condition with allassessed valves, hydrants, and blowoffs locatedand operational. This was a major advantage

as UDF redesign is required when valves, hy-drants, and blowoffs are in disrepair or cannotbe located.

The UDF pilot required the City crews toturn over a 100 valves to execute the program,with some sequences requiring up to 29 valveclosures prior to implementing flushing activ-ities. The City’s policy is to hand-operate allvalves to minimize damage. The large amountof valve closures was the direct result of suc-cessfully completing the pilot UDF program inthe middle of an extensively interconnected

distribution system. The UDF was designed touse the 16-in. and 20-in. transmission mains assource water for the smaller mains and valvingoff all other interconnected mains. This wasdone to maintain clean source water for theUDF, while maintaining minimum systempressure. Additionally, the City had to coordi-nate around ongoing stormwater projects toprevent flooding of neighborhood streets, res-idential yards, and driveways.

Figure 2. Eight Zones in the Pilot UDF

Figure 3. Examples of Sediment, Debris, and Iron Removal


Figure 4. Iron Results Data for Pre-UDF and Post-UDF Sampling Events Figure 5. Turbidity Results Data for Pre-UDF and Post-UDF Sampling Events

Figure 6. Zone 7 Initial Versus Final Turbidity During UDF Figure 7. Turbidity Results Data Summary: Percent Turbidity Reduction Dur-ing UDF


Results

Due to the hard work and coordination ofthe City’s crews, the pilot UDF program wassuccessful in removing a significant amount ofsediment and debris, including polyvinyl chlo-ride (PVC) service taps, large sections of pipelining, and pieces of metal, as shown in Figure 3.The flushing also removed a large amount ofiron (shown in the white buckets), as the waterthat was flushed turned from reddish in color toclear.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the pilotUDF program, water quality parameters werecollected by the City before and two weeks afterthe flushing occurred at eight strategically se-lected sampling points to encompass the overalleffect from each UDF zone. The water qualityparameters concluded that the pilot UDF pro-gram significantly reduced iron and turbidity

levels. Iron had an average reduction of 88 per-cent, with a preflushing average of 313µg/L, to apostflushing average of 39 µg/L, as shown in Fig-ure 4. Turbidity had an average reduction of 79percent, with a preflushing average of 1.54nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs), to apostflushing average of 0.33 NTUs, as shown inFigure 5.

Nitrite, nitrate, and chloramine levelswere also tested two weeks after the flush.However, it was realized that upon review ofthe hydraulic flow paths into the pilot area, thenitrified water was flowing in from areas thathad not been unidirectionally flushed; the ni-trite, nitrate, and chloramine results confirmedthis conclusion.

For fire flow and reliability reasons, the Citycould not keep the pilot area isolated, and hy-draulic modeling indicated that most of thewater flows into the pilot area from neighbor-ing distribution areas and not from the cleanedtransmission mains. Therefore, to get meaning-

ful results for the effectiveness of UDF on nitri-fication mitigation, either a more isolated areashould be tested or the entire south distributionarea and major feeder transmission mainsshould be cleaned.

Turbidity readings were also performedduring flushing activities showing a turbidityprofile and how reduction took place. The tur-bidity profiles were very helpful to field crews totrack flushing effectiveness and complete theflushing in an efficient manner. An example ofthis profile is shown in Figure 6 and an overallsummary of all zones turbidity reduction isshown in Figure 7.

Conclusions

Since implementation of the strategic aut-oflusher program in spring 2011, the City hasconsistently reduced the potable water quanti-ties flushed, resulting in lower labor andpotable water costs. The flusher program has



saved the City approximately $80,000 per yearin flushing costs over the first two years of theprogram.

The UDF pilot program was successfullyand efficiently completed due to the hard workof the City’s staff, which was very effective at lo-cating valves and executing the UDF flushing se-quences. The City’s diligent valve and hydrantmaintenance program allowed UDF to be fullyexecuted with minimal delay for repairs andUDF redesign. Staff knowledge of the systemand familiarity with adopted procedures elimi-nated broken valve issues and saved the Cityconsiderable cost. The City’s policy of hand-op-erating all valves resulted in no damaged valvesduring the UDF effort. Also, due to the highnumber of valves operated for each sequence,the City’s flushing team resourcefully devised aprotocol for tracking and checking valve open-ings and closures.

Water quality testing during the pilot pro-gram indicated that there was a significantamount of sedimentary particles in the pilot dis-tribution area, especially in the larger diameter20-in. transmission main. The pilot demon-strated that UDF was effective in cleaning thepipes, including the 20-in. transmission main,and flowing turbidities were reduced from over100 NTUs in some cases to less than 3 NTUs.Preflush turbidities were reduced from up to 3NTUs to less than 0.5 in almost all locations.Turbidity profiles devised during this projectwere vital in assessing the flushing effectivenessand flush durations. While UDF’s effectivenessto mitigate nitrification could not be evaluateddue to the influence from adjacent distributionareas that were not unidirectionally flushed, andresearch has identified that significant nitrifica-tion biomass exists in distribution sediment, it issurmised that a larger scale effort could signifi-cantly reduce nitrification rates.

A very complex pilot UDF was conducted,and a future full-scale UDF of the south systemwould significantly reduce the valve closingcomplexities. The pilot UDF demonstrated out-standing removal of turbidity and iron, whichwas sustained for at least two weeks after theflushing. The pilot UDF also demonstrated the

effectiveness in cleaning 20-in. transmissionmains, heretofore considered too large for UDFapplication. Overall, the pilot program demon-strated that the City could utilize UDF as an ef-fective tool to help clean and maintain waterdistribution and transmission mains, providingCity customers continued high-quality potablewater delivered to the tap. ��


Chuck Olson

The fourth annual Central Florida WaterFestival, which celebrates the importance of waterin Florida's environment, was held on October 25at Cranes Roost Park in Altamonte Springs. A sig-nificant difference of this year’s festival from theprevious three is that it was entirely organized bymembers of the Central Florida Chapter steeringcommittee.

As with previous festivals, the objective of thisfree event is to promote to the public the impor-tance of protecting the water environment. Themix of activities appealed to people of all ages andincluded Walk for Water, water quality testing,biosolids demonstrations, open channel flow andgroundwater recharge model demonstrations,water conservation demonstration, oil and greasedemonstration, wastewater demonstration, a watercolor poster contest, and a water scavenger hunt.

The festival was funded by donations fromsponsors and local businesses. The CentralFlorida Chapter gratefully thanks all of thesponsors and businesses who made this event sosuccessful:

Premier sponsor:� CH2M HILL

Gold sponsors:� Hazen and Sawyer� Orlando Utilities Commission� City of Orlando Wastewater

Silver sponsors:� Reiss Engineering� CPH Inc.

Thanks also go to the Central Florida WaterFestival Committee, which consisted of StaceySmich, festival chair and chapter vice chair;Alyssa Filippi, festival vice chair; Greg Kolb, chap-ter chair; Bob Cadle, Tim Madhanagopal, JasonWeiss, and Kunal Nayee; and the many who vol-unteered the day of the festival.

Chuck Olson, P.E., is a senior engineer withNeel-Schaffer Inc. in Maitland. ��

Central Florida Water FestivalTouts Importance of Water

The festival was a rousing success again this year, thanks to the efforts of the volunteers. (photo: Kunal Nayee)

At the Water for People booth, Yvonne Picard and Da Yu discuss water quality for sur-face water bodies with interested attendees. (photo: Kunal Nayee)

Lisa Prieto, left, gave the opening announcements for this year’s festival. BobCadle, right, again served as master of ceremonies. (photo: Greg Kolb)


Traditionally, our last meeting of the yearis held in November; however, this yearthe meeting was held the last week of

October. This change allowed the regional di-rectors the opportunity to celebrate with theBishops, Betsy and Rim, at the annual BishopBirthday Bash. The setting was at the JupiterCivic Center, which is located right on JupiterBeach. Friends, family, and professional col-leagues celebrated Rim’s birthday in a settingthat was simply breathtaking! Along with aplethora of friends and food, there was a liveband and an open bar. My wife and I really en-joyed the opportunity to spend time with theBishop’s, their friends, and our members whowere able to attend. I hope to be able to jointhe celebration again next year.

After leaving the party, I met up with sev-eral colleagues back at the hotel billiard room.Several of our members showed up, includingJon Meyer, Patrick Murphy, Tim and TerryMcVeigh, and Holly Hanson, executive direc-tor for the Florida Water Resources Confer-ence (FWRC). Jon and Patrick challenge Hollyand me to several games of Scotch Doubles 8-Ball. Although Jon and Patrick playedvaliantly, it was the outstanding play by Hollythat made our team victorious!

Why am I sharing this event with you?It’s simple: it’s the memories, which is what Ihave been trying to communicate to you in mylast 22 articles. Memories, the great ones, aremade by getting involved in the things thatyou do. I truly love the industry we work in forseveral reasons. For instance, the people loveto get involved to help make our communitiesa better place to live, and those same peopleare there to help in time of need. My hero’s in-clude people like Rim Bishop, Tim McVeigh,Ray Bordner, and Jon Meyer (just to name afew). These people are passionate about thethings that they do and they take the time toshare their knowledge to all who want to learn.Our industry needs more people to becomeinvolved in the Association in an effort to im-prove our workforce—and our communities.

Your involvement will leave you with a lifetimeof great experiences!

Busy Board Meeting

We had a couple of notable guests at ourrecent board of director’s meeting held inJupiter. Ron McCulley, with the Florida De-partment of Environmental Protection(FDEP) Operator Certification Office,thanked FWPCOA, and particularly TomKing, for our support of the industry certifi-cation program at the local Heritage HighSchool. Since the inaugural year of the pro-gram (it’s now in its second year), the partici-pation has more than doubled. This year, threeof the students passed the Florida Class Cwastewater plant operator licensing exam andeight others students scored within five pointsof passing.

Other Florida high schools, in Hillsbor-ough and Charlotte counties, have expressedan interest in the program. This is very excit-ing news as we try and recruit the youngergeneration into this industry.

If you read my previous article, you knowthat FDEP’s contract with the firm that ad-ministers the Florida’s operator licensingexams expired. Ron noted that, in an effort tokeep costs down so that examination fees canremain the same, the certification office is dis-cussing cooperative computer-based testingalternatives with other state agencies. If sucharrangements can be made, FDEP’s costscould decline, thus keeping exam fees low.

Ron also reminded the board that the pe-riod for obtaining continuing education unitsfor license renewal is drawing to an end. TheFWPCOA has the solutions for you to meetthose renewal requirements.

Brad Hayes, representing the FloridaWater Environment Association (FWEA), gavea report on the Operations Challenge compe-tition and is trying to get more utilities in-volved in participating. I am a huge advocateof both the Operations Challenge and the TopOps Competition, as they foster camaraderieamong the participants, give sponsors somenotoriety, and promote the industry by show-ing off the things that we do. Please contactBrad at 352-742-6485 if you would like to starta team or get involved in the contest.

Hands-on training is what separates FWPCOA from most other training organiza-

tions. One of our members, Bob Case, is a per-fect example of what the Association is allabout. Bob talked about a device he has builtthat will help train people on how to properlyalign pumps and motors. This device willallow us to do hands-on alignment training ina classroom setting. There is a clear need forthis training that will potentially save yourutility thousands of dollars a year by havingsomeone on your staff that can align pumpsand motors. We are very excited about Bob’sefforts and plan to have a pumps alignmentclass at the spring short school.

Holly Hanson gave a report on this year’sFWRC. Holly noted that the conference con-tinues to expand; in 2014, it was attended by2,600 people and 300 booths were sold. Interms of numbers and revenue, this was thebest show ever! I personally talked to manypeople about the technical sessions and allwere extremely impressed. I am looking for-ward to next year’s conference, which will beheld May 3-6, 2015, at the Caribe Royale Re-sort in Orlando.

Rene Moticker, our Awards Committeechair, is actively seeking nominations for thePat Robinson scholarships. The scholarshipawards goes to deserving members of the As-sociation to attend the state spring or fall shortschool. There are 13 scholarships, one for eachregion, given out each calendar year. In theevent that a region doesn’t submit a nomina-tion, that scholarship will be available to thoseregions that submit multiple nominations.The scholarship consists of a fee waiver for at-tendance at the annual state short school andreimbursement of travel costs up to $800.Please get your nominations into your re-gional director as soon as possible; the dead-line is Dec. 31, 2014.

The election for the FWPCOA 2015 stateofficers took place at this meeting. I am ex-cited, as the Association could not be in betterhands. The 2015 slate of state officers is as fol-lows:President ..............................Tom KingVice President ......................Scott AnaheimSecretary-Treasurer ..............Rim BishopSecretary-Treasurer-Elect ....Mike DarrowPast President ......................Jeff Poteet

Our next board meeting will be held onJan. 17, 2015. ��

Jeff PoteetPresident, FWPCOA

Create Some Memories! C FACTOR


Brad Hayes

I recently had the pleasure to travel to theWater Environment Federation Technical Ex-hibition and Conference (WEFTEC) in Octo-ber to support our two Florida teams, MethaneMadness, from St. Cloud, and Rusty Pelicans,from St. Petersburg, in the national OperationsChallenge competition. There were a total of43 teams entered in the contest from aroundthe United States, with one international teamfrom Argentina. The event area was full of freshfaces, as 14 of the 43 participating teams werenew to the competition. Traveling the farthestto the conference was the team from BuenosAires.

While a serious competition, the teamscertainly showed their sense of humor, as re-flected in their names, which very often com-bined their profession and geographic location,such as Motley Poo, Sewer Rats, Force Maine,Brown Tide, Poo Fighters, Colorado BrownTrout, and Royal Flush, to name a few. Most ofthe teams have hard hats and shirts that are in-dividualized to promote their name and bol-ster team spirit.

Event Categories

The competition consisted of events infive competitive wastewater operations cate-gories: collection systems, laboratory, mainte-nance, process control, and safety. � Collection Systems Event - Simulates con-

necting a 100-mm (4-in.) polyvinyl chloride

(PVC) lateral sewer to an existing 20-mm(0.8-in.) PVC sewer pipe and the identifica-tion of known pipe defects.

� Laboratory Event - Competitors perform abiochemical oxygen demand (BOD) analy-sis using an optical BOD probe.

� Maintenance Event - Competitors performroutine maintenance on a centrifugal pump,positioning it at the lift station and installingsuction and discharge hoses from the pumpto the lift station inlet manhole and flangedforce main tie-in gate valve. A level con-troller connects to the pump to enable un-attended operation.

� Process Control Event - This is a written test.There were two new changes this year:questions containing math or process datawere in both English and metric units, andone of the process scenario problem sets wasmandatory to encourage study in a particu-lar area of wastewater operation.

� Safety Event - Teams respond to a simulatedserious, life-threatening scenario. Onemember of a crew collapses inside a man-hole and is found unconscious at the bot-tom of a confined space/lift station; it issuspected that this coworker has been over-come with an unknown gas or lack of oxy-gen. The in-plant rescue team is calledimmediately to the scene. As soon as theteam arrives, another person has a heart at-tack; this is when the stopwatch starts foreach team and a rescue effort begins. Theheart-attack victim is unconscious, and thedesignated first responder calls 911 emer-

gency services. The rescuer begins giving aidto the heart attack victim. Once the rescuerhas finished giving aid, he or she will place alock-and-tag on the gang hasp. At this point,the rescuer assists the rest of the team.

Teams Garnered and Gave Support

This year the competition took place overtwo days. By utilizing a schedule of no morethan three hours between events, teams wereable to have their supporters present as theymoved from one to the next. The excitementand enthusiasm was something to see! Thispassion for our work is at the very core of ourindustry operation and maintenance person-nel.

This year’s competition was gut-wrench-ing, but solidarity amongst the teams was in-describable. The two FWEA teamsdemonstrated a lot of camaraderie. MethaneMadness, a repeater at this national event, pro-vided numerous tips and suggestions to thenewcomer, Rusty Pelicans. The Rusty Pelican’scoach, Anthony Lee, was at Methane Madnessevents coaching them during some of the cat-egories. Both teams gave it their all and proudlyrepresented Florida against the 41 other na-tional teams.

Although our teams did not bring homeany awards, they represented Florida with pas-sion, camaraderie, and competiveness in everyevent. They went there to compete, learn, andhave fun. They saw firsthand what it takes tobecome number one, and yes, some of the

Florida Teams Compete inWEFTEC Operations Challenge

members felt disappointment. Like the profes-sionals that they are, however, they sat togetherafter the competition to discuss where theymade mistakes and what they could have donebetter.

The Florida Water Environment Associa-tion (FWEA) would like to say thank you to allthe members who participated. I would hopethat we as an industry can get behind this eventin the coming year to support and elevate ourteams to an award-ranking level.

Sponsors Provide Travel Support

A big thank you also goes out to all of thesponsors, without whom these teams mightnot have been able to travel to New Orleans tocompete in this important industry event. Thisyear’s sponsors were: � Blue Planet Environmental Systems Inc. � Odyssey Manufacturing Co. � L.J. Ruffin & Associates � ARCADIS � Water Resource Technologies� Crom LLC � FWPCOA � Heyward Florida Inc. � HD Supply Waterworks

� Jones Edmunds� Dallas1 Corporation� Tetra Tech Inc. � Reiss Engineering Inc. � Polston Process

We look forward to their continued sup-port of this event.

Competition Involvement andSponsorship

These competitions present the very bestof our industry. Do you ever wonder whattranspires behind the scenes during the opera-tion of a wastewater treatment facility? Do youwant to know how operators and techniciansovercome flooding, sewer collapse, process fail-ure, and other emergencies? Don’t take theseunsung specialists for granted! Come see someof the best wastewater collection and treatmentpersonnel in the world display their skills dur-ing Operations Challenge 2015 at next year’sFlorida Water Resources Conference (FWRC),to be held May 3-6 in Orlando.

Each team is entered by a Florida utility orcould be part of a Florida Water and Pollution

Control Operators Association (FWPCOA)district. The first- and second-place teams fromFWRC will be cosponsored by FWEA, FWP-COA, and various industry sponsors to com-pete at the national level at WEFTEC, which isbeing held Sept. 26-30, 2015, in Chicago.

My goal for writing this article is to pro-vide more exposure for this competition andto increase the number of teams entering thecompetition at the state level at FWRC. To helpoffset the cost to send a team to the nationals,we need help from the industry. You can sup-port the Operations Challenge by becomingpart of the sponsorship team. There are threelevels of support and contributions can be sentto:

FWEAOperations Challenge

P.O. Box 782164Orlando, FL 32878

For more information please visit theFWEA website at www.fwea.org or send me anemail at [email protected].

Brad Hayes is director of the City of TavaresUtilities Department. ��



Operations Challenge

Treatment plant operators from acrossFlorida will compete in the 26th annual Opera-tions Challenge at the Florida Water ResourcesConference, which will be held May 3-6, 2015,in Orlando.

Participants will be timed in five separateoperational competitions to determine thestate’s representative for the national OperationsChallenge at WEFTEC 2015.

The Operations Challenge promotes team

building, leadership, education, and pridewithin a utility. Any utility that didn’t have ateam in last year’s contest is especially encour-aged to participate in the 2015 event.

For information and entry forms, contactChris Fasnacht, Operations Challenge chair, at407-709-7372 or [email protected].

Top Ops Competition

The annual statewide Top Ops contest willalso be held at the 2015 Florida Water ResourcesConference. Top Ops is the “College Bowl” of thewater industry. Teams of one, two, or three wateroperators or laboratory personnel from theFSAWWA regions compete against each other ina fast-paced question-and-answer tournamentat the conference. A moderator poses a widerange of technical questions and math problems,and the team scoring the most points in thechampionship round is awarded the Florida Sec-tion AWWA Top Ops championship. The win-

ning team will earn a trip to ACE15 in Anaheim,Calif., to compete with teams from other AWWAsections in AWWA’s Top Ops contest.

Utilities throughout the state are encour-aged to enter. Teams do not have to consist ofemployees of the same utility; multiple utilitiescan sponsor a team.

No video, audio, or digital recordings willbe allowed during the competition. For regis-tration forms and the 2015 rules, contact ChrisWetz, Top Ops Committee chair, at [email protected] or 727-215-3514, orvisit www.fsawwa.org/topops. ��

Register Now for 2015 Florida Water Resources Conference Contests!

Doug Prentiss Sr.

Safety is and has always been a moving target, andone of the things I have tried to do is bring themost important changes in safety to the water

and wastewater field—especially those changes thataffect our core water industries. This year, I noticed

several changes that were, in my humble opinion, very positive. Some ofthe items in this article have been discussed before, but some have not,so read on if you have any interest in keeping up with safety.

Trench Update

This news came from Scott Holowasko at Gainesville Regional Uti-lizes. Scott is one of our long-time FWEA Safety Committee membersand he picked this up at his last in-service Occupational Safety andHealth Administration (OSHA) trainer update class at Georgia Tech.

A new letter of interpretation focuses on the part of a protective sys-tem that prevents materials from rolling over the side and into an opentrench. The old rule consisted of a 2-ft setback of the spoil pile, but alsorequired an 18-in. lip sticking up around the excavation opening to pro-vide a fence or barrier so something like a pipe could not roll into the ex-cavation and endanger the workers inside. The new interpretation nolonger requires the 18-in. barrier to be above the ground-level surface.For instance, a trench shield being used with angle of repose must onlyhave the upper top of the protective box at 18 in. above where the angleof repose meets the upper part of the box. So, if the top of the protectivesystem is lower than the existing ground surface, but a slope or angle ofrepose is used to provide adequate protection down to the box and stillprovides the 18-in. barrier, it is acceptable.

This was really a common-sense adjustment, but we all know com-mon sense just isn’t that common any more. The last update before thisallowed the use of an earthen ramp instead of a portable ladder. Ladders,ramps, or stairways must be located so as to allow no more than 25 ft oftravel for workers to escape.

Chlorine Update

This update is prettyexciting for me because I amso pleased with some verypositive movement in theworld of chlorine gas. PatAllman, who is widelyknown in our industry forhis work related to bleachdisinfection, used to call methe “Gashead fromGainesville” because of myinvolvement and support forthe chlorine gas form of dis-infection. As a currentmember of the Florida Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers, I gotto nominate Pat for the group’s award that was presented at this year’sFlorida Water Resources Conference. When Tom Baber ushered Pat intothe society, he talked about all the positive contributions Pat has made asa parent, professional, and volunteer, but I submitted the nomination torecognize him as one of the people who has helped to improve publicand worker safety in Florida.

Chlorine Gas

Perhaps the reason I am excited this year is that, in my view, the chlo-rine gas industry, in general, is making noticeable improvements that ben-efit everyone using gas or elemental liquid. The Chlorine Institute has alwayspromoted safety and good stewardship of chlorine. There have always beenmany good chlorine vendors who promoted safety, but there were manywho simply operated on price. It’s interesting that some organizations did-n’t understand that price is not a reason when public safety is the issue.

The good news I see is from the Institute, chlorine suppliers, stateregulators, and from our operators. The Institute has funded research

and enhanced safety stan-dards in its guidance docu-ments and standards. Thechlorine suppliers are adopt-ing and applying proceduresto improve safety and work-ing directly with plants to en-sure a coordinated effort.State regulators are perform-ing risk management planaudits at all gas facilities andencouraging the use of thelatest technology to ensurepublic safety and that our op-erators are better trained andhave better equipment.

The first improvementof note is the increased qual-ity control effort by the busi-

Safety Updates

SPOTLIGHT ON SAFETY

Chlorine gas apparatus

Green dragon represents toxic gasesused by water and wastewater utilities,such as chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, andcarbon monoxide

Excavation for a new lift station at Gainesville Regional Utilities


nesses that repackage elemental chlorine and provide many of our treat-ment plants with gas and elemental liquid. This year, I travelled all overFlorida, and the quality of service being given to containers and cylindershas improved visibly; examples are quality control indicators on the con-tainers and cylinders fresh tare weights written legibility next to the orig-inal tare weight, which allows operators to make accurate decisions.

Chlorine Containers

Packing nuts are being torqued and then labeled to reduce leaks bydiscouraging operators from loosening them when trying to open stuckvalves. Valves are being closed by torque wrenches to allow for a morecontrolled resistance during opening of valves by an operator. Becauseof these actions, the service, inspection, and replacement or rebuilding ofvalves and fuse plugs appears to have improved. I do still see some 1-in.thread fuse plugs, but all appeared to be installed perfectly with the cor-rect range of threads showing. Properly serviced, these containers weredesigned to give a lifetime of safe service.

Right now, sitting in secure sites in the Unites States are similar con-tainers filled with our most dangerous military chemicals. Buried inbunkers waiting to be neutralized or destroyed, some of these same toncontainers have held chemicals captive since the end of World War II. Thebasic design of 1-ton containers is very safe, rugged, and reliable, but stillrequires trained professional to handle, store, and use them, and I thinkthat is what I am seeing at our plants. Our workers are better trained, andso are the suppliers’ workers, and the result appears to be a new level ofprofessionalism by handlers of hazardous chemicals at every level.

Overall, the appearance and function of 1-ton containers and 150-lb cylinders appears to have improved, and those improvements seem tohave been adopted by all of the Florida elemental chlorine suppliers. TheInstitute only makes recommendations, and each of these chlorine sup-pliers must ultimately decide the level of safety they will employ on adaily basis. It’s been good this year to see the bar raised by our Floridasuppliers and the Institute itself.

New Chlorine A and B Kits

The Chlorine Institute has released the much awaited updates to thechlorine A and B emergency response kits, and they are excellent. The 1-

ton kit contains a new device that works on valves or fuse plugs and itworks really well on both! The kit is over $3000, but it’s worth everypenny. I recently had a chance to use one of the new B kits and it resolvesseveral significant issues present in the old ones. The A kit looks evenbetter because the hood now has the bolts located on it so you can indi-vidually adjust each bolt to ensure that the hood tightens down evenly tostop the leak.

The program being developed for chlorine technicians at the Train-ing Research and Education for Environmental Occupations (TREEO)Center, which will be presented in January, will include training for thenew kits, and we will have one new 1-ton kit for some hands-on training.If you coordinate gas chlorine use, this would be a good program to at-tend if you’re interested in the new kits and their capabilities.

The 150-lb emergency recovery and containment vessel is not new,but its use as a primary tool for utility first responders is. The emergencyrecovery vessel is becoming the new best friend of many chlorine first re-sponders. Similar to a torpedo tube on wheels, the cylinder is slid into thetube and a door with six latches is bolted down to lock away the danger-ous gas. The recovery vessel also has a valve on it to remove the gas andsafely deal with the damaged cylinder. Once again, this device is over$3,000, but what it gives responders is a way to resolve any leak on a cylin-der. Yes—any leak!

Complete information about the kits is available at www.chlorine-institute.org.

Gas Detection

Years ago, gas detectors were the size of a large suitcase and tookthree separate bottles of gas to calibrate, but they were a lot safer thanlooking for coach roaches. We all liked it when they became smaller andstarted using one bottle for all the gases—but more big changes are hap-pening. The latest technology stretches the warranty time on sensors,simplifies the calibration process, and makes the bump test possible withthe push of a button. If you’re thinking at all about replacing or pur-chasing a gas detector, do your comparison shopping because prices arecoming down and capabilities are going up in gas detection.

If you have any other new information related to safety that youwould like to share, please contact me at [email protected].

I wish each of you Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a safeNew Year!

Doug Prentiss Sr. provides a wide range of safety services throughoutFlorida. (photos and graphic: Doug Prentiss Sr.) ��

Silver chlorine containers

New side patch device in Chlorine Institute emergency B kit



Now that the U.S. election is over, thewater and wastewater industry can beginto assess its impacts and begin to look to-

wards the 2015 legislative session. Next year’s ses-sion has the potential to be very significant withrespect to water resources and water quality. Priorto the election, Governor Rick Scott, Senate Pres-ident Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando), and Speakerof the House Steve Crisafulli (R-Meritt Island)had signaled that one of the main focuses of thesession would be water resources. Some havebegun to label next year’s legislative session as the“Year of Water,” but time will tell.

Potentially, the most significant outcome of

the election for the water and wastewater in-dustry, and perhaps the state, was the landslidepassage of Amendment 1, known as the Waterand Land Conservation Amendment to theFlorida Constitution. The amendment requires33 percent of the net revenues from the excisetax on documents for the next 20 years to bededicated to the “Land Acquisition Trust Fundto acquire, restore, improve, and manage con-servation lands. . .lands protecting water re-sources and drinking water resources, includingthe Everglades and the water quality of rivers,lakes, streams. . .” The primary source of thedocument tax is real estate transactions, with theestimate of the amount available under Amend-ment 1 for 2015 to be around $700 million, andgrowing to over $1 billion in several years, if the

economy continues its recovery. Does this amendment mean that there will

be significant new funding for water projectsand programs in the next 20 years? Based on thestatements of various legislative leaders aboutAmendment 1, there will most likely be someadditional funding designated for water re-source-related projects or programs; however,all of the Amendment 1 revenue will not fundnew programs and projects.

There are presently a number of existing en-vironmental and water resource-related programsthat are presently funded annually by the legisla-ture, which will now receive their funding fromAmendment 1. For example, in the last two years,the legislature has allocated significant funds to

Brian L. Wheeler, guest columnist

After the Election: The Futureof Water Resources Funding

FWEA FOCUS



The quote, “The only thing that is constantis change,” is attributed to Greek philoso-pher Heraclitus (c. 535–475 BC). Whether

we want it to occur or not, change happens.Change in and of itself is neither good nor bad.Change can be for the better or for the worse.Sometimes change is thrust upon you, andsometimes you make it happen. Oftentimes, youdon’t know the results until something has beenchanged and it’s been experienced for a while.

Those of us in the water industry are contin-ually impacted by change. Technologies are everexpanding. Workers change employers or retire.The economy races ahead or stalls. Costs increase.Treatment plants are expanded and/or upgraded.New (cheap) water sources become scarcer. Polit-ical policies vary with election results; alteredbudgeting philosophies follow and are taken instride. Competition occurs as utilities’ boundariesdraw nearer. Rules for withdrawing, treating, anddistributing water are amended, requiringchanges to rates, human resources policies, and/ortreatment methods and equipment.

Fortunately, humans have the capacity foradaptation. Many of us are problem solvers.Others are good at putting solutions into prac-tice and making them work. In spite of all thesechanges, overall, the record for continuous water

supply to customers is consistently extremelyhigh throughout our country.

I know at my home of 28 years in Cocoa, Idon’t recall the water ever being out of service.That’s definitely not the case for power, tele-phone, and cable TV!

The dedication and the performance of theprofessionals in public water supply are trulyphenomenal. I recall in my 33 years in munici-pal utilities scores of situations that were dealtwith to keep the water flowing.

Treatment plant workers routinely dealtwith commercial power outages or minorequipment failures. The resourcefulness theyconsistently exhibited kept the water supplygoing without customers being impacted oreven knowing there was a problem. During hur-ricanes, operators and maintenance workersstayed at their posts, assuring continuous flowduring and after the high winds subsided.

In the distribution system, utility workersmade repairs, often maintaining water pressure toavoid disruption of service. On one occasion, apuncture leak caused by a grading contractor ona 36-in. pipe was temporarily stopped by insertinga carved wooden shovel handle. Water loss andtraffic disruption were abated until permanent re-pairs were scheduled for a more opportune time.

I’m sure that many of you reading this havenumerous similar accounts. If they were writtenand compiled, they’d make a wonderful testi-monial to the commitment of the folks in thisindustry.

Dealing successfully with the changesthrown at those providing safe, affordable wateris one aspect of change. Another major one is

promoting change from within.“The most damaging phrase in the English

language is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’” Thisquote is attributed to Rear Admiral Grace Hop-per (1906–1992). The mindset that precedes theutterance of this phrase is in direct conflict withchange. Oftentimes it stymies constructivechange; good ideas that, once implemented,could reduce costs, improve service and relia-bility, and provide a stepping stone to evengreater advancements.

Two groups you aren’t likely to hear such aphrase from are employees just entering the fieldand experienced new hires. Look for them in theworkplace. Encourage opportunities for them toask “why” or “what if ” questions. If you aren’tin one of those groups, you would do well tofight the tendency to ignore looking beyondstandard operating procedures. It probablywon’t be easy, but what you may find are freshfields ripe with opportunities for change—realchange that actually turns out for the better!

This is my last “Speaking Out” column. Asthe Florida Section AWWA chair, it’s been funbringing you these writings each month. This pastyear has gone by especially fast; as soon as one ar-ticle was written, it seemed another one was al-ready due! Rick Harmon, editor for this magazine,has been a pleasure to work with. My daughter,Jessica Endress, has been my personal copy editorthroughout the year. Thanks to both of you, mycolumns have had that professional touch!

To all of our readers, thank you as well forletting me share a bit of my life’s knowledge andexperience with you this past year. It’s been a realtreat! ��

Carl R. Larrabee Jr.Chair, FSAWWA

Change is the Key!FSAWWA SPEAKING OUT

projects related to the Everglades Restoration Proj-ect, totally approximately $120 million this year. Inthe future, those types of funds will most likely bebudgeted from the Amendment 1 revenue. Addi-tionally, in the last couple years, the legislature hasbudgeted $50-70 million for local water projects,funding that could now come from Amendment 1.Environmental interests, which were behindAmendment 1, expect a significant portion of thefunds to be spent for purchase and management oflands for conservation. In other words, there areexisting programs that will be competing for a sliceof the Amendment 1 revenue pie.

The previously mentioned expressions ofintent by the governor and legislative leaders to

have some focus on increased funding for waterresource projects in 2015 probably means thatAmendment 1 will be that source of increasedfunding. There are some common themes beingheard relative to that potential for increasedfunding. One area of focus will be for springsrestoration and preservation. Some form of thesprings bill, which passed the senate last year, isexpected to be proposed again in 2015.

There are several areas related to springsrestoration and preservation that would requiresignificant funding; for example, converting sep-tic tanks to central sewage systems and improvingnitrogen removal levels from wastewater treatmentfacilities within a spring protection and manage-ment zone. Funding for water resource projectswill most likely focus on alternative water supply

(AWS) projects and include some formula formatching funding from the water managementdistricts and a significant local match. Emphasisfor AWS funding could by prioritized for regionalprojects that involve multiple agencies. These aretwo of the areas that are likely to benefit from theAmendment 1 funding in the short term.

The implementation of Amendment 1 be-ginning next year will begin a discussion and de-bate that will continue over the next several yearsover the best application of the designated funds.The water and wastewater industry needs to be astrong voice in that discussion, articulating and ed-ucating the legislature about the needs of the state.

Brian L. Wheeler is executive director of TohoWater Authority in Kissimmee. ��

FocusContinued from page 40


Hydraulic transients, also known as pres-sure surge or water hammer, are the time-varying phenomena that occur when the

equilibrium of steady flow in a system is disturbedby a change of flow that occurs over a relativelyshort time period, such as rapidly closing a valve orloss of power on a pump. Hydraulic transients canintroduce large pressures and rapid fluid accelera-tions into a water distribution system, which canresult in pump and device failures, system fatigueor pipe ruptures, and dirty water backflow and in-trusion. Thus, surge control is extremely impor-tant for the design of hydraulic systems and forwater system operation and protection.

To complete surge protection systems, en-gineering projects typically have three phases(modeling, design, and construction) that mightlead to changes in a system. During the model-ing phase, the surge problems are identified bythe surge modeling programs and alternativesare evaluated and recommended based on themodeling results. Although modeling resultsprovide a good reference on what to do to mit-igate potential surge damage, it is sometimesimpractical to apply all of these methods. As aresult, during the design phase, sound engi-neering judgments are needed to finalize the en-gineering design, as well as the consideration ofother factors, such as tradeoff between risk andcost, client preferences, etc. The last phase is theconstruction phase, where uncertainties couldbe anywhere and anytime. Therefore, it is notuncommon that some engineering design mayneed to be re-evaluated and revised based on thereal field conditions and other factors, such asunavailability or unreliability of specified or al-ternative equipment, which may be changedduring the value engineering or bidding phase.

The surge analysis might be needed to re-evaluate the new conditions and confirm thatthe revised surge protections can meet the des-ignated requirements. To elaborate why andhow the surge protection systems changed dur-ing these three phases, the regional Peace RiverWater Treatment Facility expansion project ispresented. Its final surge protection systems in-clude hydropneumatic tanks, bypass valves,surge valves, air valves, etc., as well as operationsand maintenance guidelines. The final simula-tion results indicate that the surge control

strategies will provide adequate surge protec-tions to the pumping and pipe systems.

Common methods of surge control in-clude: careful design of the plan and profile ofthe pumping station and pipeline system; selec-tion of pipes and fittings to withstand the an-ticipated pressures; identification of properstart-up, operation, and shutdown proceduresfor the system; and selection and location of theproper control devices to mitigate the adverseeffects of surge events. The advantages and dis-advantages of the control devices, such as hy-dropneumatic tanks, air vacuum or releasevalves, surge anticipation or relief valves, andpump control valves, are also discussed. Fur-thermore, analysis of a surge protection systemfor a large pumping system is presented.

Methods

Surge ReviewThe primary cause of hydraulic transients

is start-up or shutdown of pumps, or rapidopening or closing of valves. The analyses ofpressures, velocities, and other abnormal be-haviors caused by hydraulic transients make itpossible to effectively choose various controlstrategies, such as: 1) selection of pipes and fit-tings to withstand the anticipated upsurge anddownsurge pressures, 2) selection and locationof the proper control devices to mitigate adverseeffects of pressure transients, and 3) control ofstart-up, operation, and shutdown proceduresto avoid rapid flow changes.

Pumping and piping systems are subject topotential surge problems. However, in practice,sometimes it is impossible to analyze them alldue to time and budget constraints. Therefore,empirical guidelines can be used to determinewhether a complete transient analysis is re-quired (Jones, G.M.; Sanks, R.L.;Tchobanoglous, G.; and Bosserman, B.E., 2006).Generally speaking, a surge analysis is recom-mended if a system has one of following cases:� Pumping system with a total dynamic head

(TDH) larger than 14 meters (m) or 50 ft,and a flow greater than 115 cu meters perhour (m3/h) or 500 gal per minute (gpm).

� Any pressurized pipe with a diameter greaterthan 200 mm (8 in.) and a length longer than

300 m (1000 ft).� Any system where column separations can

occur, such as systems with knees (pointswhere gradient reduces) or high points, orpressurized pipelines with a more than 100-m (300-ft) steep gradient followed by a long,shallow gradient.

There is no simple way to perform reliabletransient analyses due to many complicated fac-tors. Computer modeling is available to analyzesurge events; however, it might not always bepractical to conduct surge analysis due to thehigh cost of proprietary surge programs. There-fore, the extent of the analysis should be relatedto the size and cost of specific project require-ments. It is suggested that designers use morethan one program to compare results as a checkon the surge simulations. Experience shows thatdifferent programs might provide significantlydifferent simulation results, although these pro-grams are based on the same or similar princi-pal theories. Two principal equations are:

(1)

(2)

Where, a is elastic wave speed in water con-tained in a pipe (m/s, or ft/s), K is the bulk mod-ulus of elasticity of water in (N/m2, or lb/ft2), Eis modulus of elasticity of pipe material (N/m2,or lb/ft2), D is inside pipe diameter in meters (m,or ft), e is the pipe wall thickness (m, or ft), C isa correction factor for type of pipe restraint, ris the density of water (kg/m3, or slugs/ft3), Dh isthe change in pressure head (m, or ft), is thechange in velocity of water caused by the event(m/s, or ft/s), and g is the acceleration due to

Surge Protections: Modeling vs. Design vs. Construction

Jinsheng Huo

Jinsheng Huo, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, is capitalprojects manager with City of Sunrise and ispresident and chief engineer of JINSHENGHUO in Fort Lauderdale.

F W R J


gravity (m/s2, or ft/s2); Jones, G.M., et al, 2006.Table 1 shows the typical values for wave

speed for water in pipes.Program developers provide designers a

“black box” solution. Designers generally donot exactly know how the computer analysisprogram solves the complicated surge events.Therefore, designers should not depend solelyon computer results; instead, they should usetheir own judgment to make the reasonable de-cisions, with help from computer simulations.

Surge Control MethodsThree key elements should be considered

when designing a surge protection: 1) identifyevents that result in surge conditions, 2) evaluatesystem vulnerability to surges, and 3) considersusceptibility to infiltrations under low pressure(down surge) transients. Surge control strategiesare developed according to operational practicesthat can cause transients, engineering practicesthat will minimize the impact of transients, andmaintenance practices to reduce the likelihoodof intrusion when surge occurs.

The commonly used surge control devicesand their advantages and disadvantages areshown in Table 2; surge control strategies areshown in Table 3.

From a review of the plan and profile ofthe pumping station and pipeline system, aswell as the operation and maintenance proce-dures, it is possible to determine where poten-tial hydraulic transient problems may exist andwhat methods might be taken to control themwith the help of computer simulations.

Designers can reduce transient pressure byavoiding knees, high spots, and steep gradientsnear the pump or along the pipelines (i.e., flattengrade lines). If any of these conditions cannot beavoided, a combination of piping/fitting strengthand control strategies can be used to provide ad-equate protection at reasonable cost. It is recom-mended to design the surge protections based onadvanced surge analyses and simulations.

Surge Analysis ProgramsThese programs have their advantages and

disadvantages. There is no easy way to chooseone program over another; ideally, a designershould have access to at least two programs sothat the results can be compared and evaluated.

Surge Analysis

Project DescriptionThe Peace River/Manasota Regional Water

Supply Authority (Authority) is an independentregional water supply company providing drink-ing water to Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, andSarasota counties in southwest Florida. A con-

sultant will design and expand the RegionalPeace River Water Treatment Facility from 24 milgal per day (mgd) to 51 mgd. This expansionprogram included three major pumping stations: � North Regional High-Service Pumping Sta-

tions (NRHSPS) – The North System: De-sign Flow = 21 mgd, Head = 80 pounds per

sq in. (psi) � South Regional High-Service Pumping Sta-

tion – The South System: Design Flow = 45mgd, Head = 80 psi

� River Pumping Station – Design Flow = 90mgd, Head = 40 psi

Table 2. Commonly Used Surge Control Devices

Table 3. Commonly Used Surge Control Strategies

Table 1. Typical Wave Speed in Pipe for Water Containing Dissolved Air


The North System is reviewed as an exam-ple; the South System will also be discussedbriefly because it changed to an integrated sys-tem with the North System during the con-struction/operation phase.

The North System consists of four variablespeed pumps with a firm capacity of 21 mgdand discharge head of 80 psi. The design condi-tion of each pump is 7 mgd, 80 psi, or about5840 gpm, 185 ft. The main transmission line is23 mi of 42-in. thin-wall (3/16-in.) steel pipe. Itconveys finished potable water at the plant tothe North Regional Transmission System, pri-marily pumping to ground storage located atSarasota County’s T. Mabry Carlton Jr. WaterTreatment Plant (Carlton WTP). This pumpwas designed to pump 21 mgd flow with a min-imum of 20 psi residual pressure at the end ofthe 42-in. diameter pipeline, in accordance withthe Authority’s water supply contract.

Hydraulic ModelingIt is necessary to run the hydraulic model-

ing first to determine the starting point before asurge event happens. As shown, the hydraulicmodeling of the NRHSPS system is completed

Figure 1. Pipe Length (ft) and Junc-tion Elevation (ft) of the North System


Figure 2. Profile of the North Regional System Transmission Main



to: 1) confirm the design of pumping and pip-ing systems, and 2) determine the startingpoint for the following surge analysis: 1. Discharge pressure for Sarasota County at

the Carlton WTP is set at 20 psi (about 47ft). The pipeline terminates at a futureground storage reservoir.

2. The North Regional Transmission Line is a122,000-ft (38.71-km), 42-in. steel pipe. Aroughness factor of C = 120 was used.

3. With three pumps running and onestandby, the simulated operating conditionfor each pump running is 5,758 gpm, 189 ft,according to the simulation results. The hy-draulic system is shown in Figure 1.

For hydraulic modeling, a lower C-valueneeds to be selected to be conservative. How-ever, for surge analysis, it is opposite—thehigher the C-valve is, the more conservative themodeling result is.

Surge Analysis: Settings1. Pressure Wave Speed – The wave speed varies

from 340 m/s (1,115 ft/s) to 1,438 m/s(4,718 ft/s) for thin-wall plastic pipes tothick steel pipes. The North Regional Trans-mission System has thin steel pipes. A pres-sure wave speed of 1,000 m/s (3,280 ft/s) iscalculated using Equation (1).

2. Critical Time Period – The equation (tc =2*L/a = 2*122,000 ft / 3,280 ft/s ≈ 75 s)means a valve closed in any shorter time pro-duces the maximum pressure head rise at thevalve, where pressure rise is reduced if thevalve is closed in a longer time interval.

3. Liquid Properties – Because the pumpedfluid in the system is drinking water, a tem-perature of 20 ºC (68 ºF) and a specific grav-ity of 1.0 are assumed.

4. Vapor Pressure – For drinking water systemsat typical temperatures and pressures, anapproximate vapor pressure of –10.0 m (–14.2 psi, –32.8 ft) is used. If the system’s el-evation is significantly different from sealevel, the vapor pressure should be adjustedaccording to published references.

5. Elevations – Extremely important in hy-draulic transient modeling. Therefore,defining the profile of a pipeline is a key re-quirement prior to undertaking any hy-draulic transient analysis. The pipingprofile, as shown in Figure 2, is built basedon the record drawings.

Modeling of Surge Protection Systems The hydraulic modeling and surge analy-

sis of the North System is completed and cor-responding surge control strategies andequipment are recommended based on the

modeling results. The surge analysis of the ex-isting system without surge protections is il-lustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 3 shows that: � There are serious downsurge problems, as

highlighted with the gray color under thepipelines. The most serious consequence ofdownsurge is column separation, which

must always be avoided. Column separationoccurs if water is boiling and forming largeair pockets when external air pressure dropsbelow the saturated vapor pressure at a cer-tain temperature.

� There are also air pocket problems, which isalso likely to occur at knees. When air pock-ets collapse, two or more liquid columns can

Figure 3. Surge Analysis of the North System Without Surge Protections

Figure 4. Surge Analysis of the North System with Recommend Protections


collide at extremely high speed, which cancause enormous forces and damages; the firstand second highest point and the dischargepoint from pumps will be considered. Itshould be noted that air pocket problemscommonly are the key reasons for down-surge/upsurge problems. The correspondingcontrol strategies and equipment are similaras previously discussed.

� Various control methods for preventing col-umn separation include, but are not limited

to: 1) adding flywheels to the pumps sized toprevent the column separation, 2) installingpneumatic tanks (air chambers), and 3)adding air vacuum or release valves.

Theoretically, adding flywheels to thepumps is an option to prevent column separa-tion and downsurge pressures by extending thepump shut-off time, especially when there is apower outage; however, the mechanical flywheelmight not be practical in reality. Some pumpmanufacturers hesitate to use flywheels because

of potential adverse effects on the pump per-formance (for example, reduced efficiency).

A hydropneumatic tank is selected to pro-vide the required surge protection, especially fordownsurge, which is modeled at Junction J28(pump discharge point). According to recorddrawings, a 6-in. air combination valve is alsoinstalled at Junction 60 (flow meter), which hasthe highest elevation (25 ft). Figure 4 shows theresults of the surge analysis without proposedsurge protections.

From the simulation results, it can be con-cluded that: � The selected hydropneumatic tank is a 3600-

ft^3 bladder tank with an inlet diameter of24 in. and a preset pressure of 50-ft H2O.

� With recommended surge protections, it willreduce upsurge and downsurge pressures sig-nificantly.

Ideally, negative pressure should be elimi-nated under any condition; however, modelingresults indicate that the theoretical size of a hy-dropneumatic tank to eliminate native down-surge is impractically large. The allowablenegative pressure will be discussed.

During the modeling phase, the North andSouth systems are designed to operate separately.These two systems have two interconnections,but both connections are defaulted as “closed.”

Design of Surge Protection SystemsAlthough modeling results provide a good

guidance to designers on the selection of surgecontrol devices, the indicated selections andsizes of devices may be impractical to construct.As a result, during the design phase, sound en-gineering judgment is needed.

A document provided by a manufacturerof surge tanks shows that pipe systems will betested and qualified in terms of their ability towithstand a certain “negative pressure.” If thereis no further explanation, it means that it is anatmospheric test: atmospheric pressure air out-side the pipe, with cyclical pressure drop inside.In practice, pipes are usually buried, and the ex-ternal pressure is different from atmosphericpressure. The North Regional TransmissionMain is a 42-in. steel pipe with a 3/16-in. wallthickness. The theoretical design standard toprevent buckling of this pipe is a negative pres-sure of -5 psi. For selection of the surge controlsystem, a design goal of -2 psi is used, with asafety factor of 2.5.

To do this, use of hydropneumatic tankscould be avoided by considering that the exist-ing 42-in. transmission has roughly one 6-in. airvalve every half mi and adding one 18-in. pumpbypass line. The results indicate that the pres-sure in the pipeline will not fall below –2 psi (-

Figure 6. Recommended Surge Protections for the North and South System During the Design Phase


Figure 5. Surge Analysis of the North Regional High-Service Pumping Stations System With Recommend Surge Protections



4.62 ft) if 6-in. fast-acting air valves are in-stalled every mi (not even every half mi). Themodeling results are shown in Figure 5.

After evaluation of the surge simulationresults, the recommended surge protections forthe NRHSPS are: 1) add four 6-in. quick-re-sponse combination air valves at four pumpdischarge lines, 2) upgrade the combination airvalve next to the flow meters to a 6-in. air valve,3) use pump control valves instead of regularweighted check valves, 4) add one 18-in. surgeanticipation and relief valve, and 5) add a 18-in. pump bypass line.

For the South System, the recommendedsurge protections are: 1) add five 6-in. quick re-sponse combination air valves at pump dis-charge lines, 2) upgrade the air valves next tothe flow meters to 6-in. combination air valves,3) use pump control valves instead of regularweighted check valves, 4) add one 18-in. surgerelief valve, 5) add a 18-in. pump bypass line,and 6) use two hydropneumatic tanks at Node116 at the pump discharge manifold, with atotal volume of 2500 ft^3.

For the River Pumping Station, the rec-ommended surge protections are: 1) add 6-in.quick-response combination air valve at pumpdischarge line, 2) add or replace the 6-in. com-bination air valves next to where the flow meteris, at the local high point, 3) use pump controlvalves instead of regular weighted check valves,and 4) add one 24-in. surge anticipation andrelief valve to release high-pressure backflowwater to the Peace River.

For the Recycle Pumping Station, the rec-ommended surge protections are: 1) add 6-in.quick-response combination air valve at pumpdischarge line, 2) add or replace the 6-in. aircombination valves next to where the flowmeter is, at the local high point, 3) use pumpcontrol valves instead of regular weightedcheck valves, and 4) add one 18-in. surge an-ticipation and relief valve to release high-pres-sure backflow water to the wet well.

Construction of Surge Protection SystemsThe last phase of implementation is the

construction phase, where various details andneeds to coordinate with related constructionwill become apparent. Therefore, it is not un-common that some engineering designs mayneed to be re-evaluated and revised based onfield conditions and other factors, such as un-availability or unreliability of specified or al-ternative equipment. Based on finaladjustment or constraints on equipment, thesurge analysis may need to be updated to re-evaluate the new conditions and verify that thefinalized surge protections can meet the desig-nated requirements.

Two major changes occurred during theconstruction phase:� It was decided to interconnect the North

and South system discharge piping to func-tion as one system to improve reliability andprovide backup systems. This change wasmade in consideration of existing piping,system reliability, compatibility of Northand South system operating pressures, com-mon ground storage tanks, and proximity.

� Due to indoor space limitation and con-struction feasibility, the two indoor smallerhydropneumatic tanks established in the de-sign phase were revised to one large tankand moved out to the closest location out-side the pump building.

The revised configuration was re-evalu-ated and confirmed by the modeling results.

Other minor changes are mainly to origi-nally specified equipment: � The surge valve manufacturer was changed

during value engineering. These surge valvesrequire positive pressurized water source toclose the valves.

� The hydropneumatic tank was changedfrom a bladder to nonbladder tank using anair compressor due to vender experienceand cost concerns.

Figures 6 and 7 compare the as-designedversus as-constructed configuration of theNorth and South pumping system.

Conclusions

Commonly used surge control strategieswere presented, including: 1) redesign of theplan and profile of the pumping station andpipeline system, 2) selection of pipes and fit-tings to withstand the anticipated pressures,3) identification of proper start-up, opera-tion, and shutdown procedures for the sys-tem, and 4) selection and location of theproper control devices to mitigate the adverseeffects of surge events. The advantages anddisadvantages of the control devices, such ashydropneumatic tanks, air valves, surgevalves, and pump control valves, were alsodiscussed.

To complete the surge protection systems,typical engineering projects have three phases:modeling, design, and construction. Duringthe modeling phase, the surge problems areidentified by the surge modeling programsand several alternatives are evaluated and rec-ommended based on the modeling results. Toavoid overdependence on “black box” soft-ware, independent analyses using three differ-

Figure 7. Recommended Surge Protections for the North and South System During the Construction Phase


ent programs were conducted to verify the sim-ulation results.

Although modeling results provide a goodguidance of selecting a surge control device andstrategy, it is sometimes impractical to apply allof these methods. As a result, during the designphase, sound engineering judgment is neededto finalize design details.

The last phase is the construction phase,where various details and the need to coordinatewith related construction will become apparent.Therefore, it is not uncommon that the designdetails will need to be re-evaluated and revisedbased on field conditions and other factors, suchas unavailability or unreliability of specified oralternative equipment. The surge analysis mightbe needed to re-evaluate the new conditions andconfirm that the revised surge protections canmeet the designated requirements.

To illustrate why and how the surge pro-tection systems changed during these threephases, the 51-mgd Regional Peace River WaterTreatment Facility expansion project was pre-sented. Obviously, the pipelines and pumpingsystems serving public water supplies are criti-cal and no failures are acceptable; plus, effec-tiveness of surge control cannot be tested.Therefore, reliable surge analysis and protectionsystem are needed and redundant surge controlsystems are also recommended. The final surgeprotection systems as constructed include hy-dropneumatic tanks, bypass valves, surge valves,air valves, etc., as well as operations and main-tenance guidelines. The final simulation resultsindicate that the surge control strategies willprovide adequate surge protections to variouspumping systems and large-capacity transmis-sion mains.

Reference

• American Water Works Association (1989),Manual of Water Supply Practices: Steel Pipe -A Guide for Design and Installation, AWWAM11.

• AECOM/Boyle Engineering Corp. (2005),Basis of Design Report, Peace River Facility Ex-pansion, Peace River/Manasota RegionalWater Supply Authority.

• HAMMERTM User Guide, Bentley SystemsInc. 2005.

• Huo, J.; Eckmann, D.H.; and Morris, K.E.(2007), Surge Protections:Review, Analysis, andEngineering Design, Proceedings ofAWWA/ACE07, Toronto, Ont., Canada.

• Jones, G.M.; Sanks, R.L.; Tchobanoglous, G.;and Bosserman, B.E. (2006) Pumping StationDesign, Third Edition, Butterworth-Heine-mann, Woburn, Mass. ��



Florida Water Resources Journal • December 2014 49Florida Water Resources Journal • December 2014 49

1. What is the term for the slope thatgranular material forms when it finallycomes to rest?

A. Angle of reposeB. PitchC. ExfiltrationD. Friction

2. When a flap gate is mounted in a pipe,the fluid is allowed to flow only in onedirection.

A. TrueB. False

3. Ammonia and sulfuric acid are commonoxidizing chemicals used to counteractthe corrosion caused by hydrogen sulfidein collection systems and pumpingstations.

A. TrueB. False

4. What is water entering a collection systemfrom the ground level, like a manholecover, called?

A. InfiltrationB. ExfiltrationC. InflowD. Oxidation

5. Given the following data, how many cubicyards of backfill will be required to fillthis trench?• 6.75 ft wide• 125 ft long• 8.5 ft deep

A. 7,172 yd3 B. 959 yd3

C. 36 yd3 D. 266 yd3

6. What type of machine is used to constructcollection system pipelines when they aretoo deep for trench excavations?

A. PigB. TV deviceC. Boring machineD. Backhoe machine

7. Which type of sewer system contains bothsanitary wastewater and stormwater?

A. Domestic wastewater systemB. Combined sewer systemC. Separate collection systemD. Sewer system evaluation survey

8. Given the following data, how long will ittake for wastewater to flood a wet well ifthe wet well is empty and the pumpingstation fails?• 450 ft of 10-in. force main pipe

entering the wet well • wet well diameter is 10 ft• bottom elevation of wet well is 78.5 ft• top elevation of wet well is 89.4 ft• flow entering wet well at 75 cu ft/min

A. 2.1 hours B. 11.4 minutesC. 9.35 minutes D. 1.4 hours

9. What is the minimum velocity in asanitary sewer pipeline necessary toprevent settling of solids and debris?

A. 1 fps (ft per second)B. 0.5 fpsC. 2 fpsD. 2 fpm (ft per minute)

10. Given the following data, what is thevolume of this wet well?• flow entering is 155 gal per minute

(gpm)• frequency and duration of flow is 4

minutes every 10 minutes• detention time is 1.2 hours

A. 169,280 galB. 0.08928 mgC. 4,464 galD. 0.0744 mg

Answers on page 62

Readers are welcome to submitquestions or exercises on water or wastewater treatment plantoperations for publication inCertificationBoulevard. Sendyour question (with the answer)

or your exercise (with the solution) by email [email protected], or by mail to:

Roy PelletierWastewater Project Consultant

City of Orlando Public Works DepartmentEnvironmental Services

Wastewater Division5100 L.B. McLeod Road

Orlando, FL 32811407-716-2971

Certification Boulevard

Roy Pelletier

SEND US YOURQUEST IONS

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about topics youʼll face each day as a water/waste-water professional?All past editions of Certification Boulevard through the year 2000 are available on

the Florida Water Environment Associationʼs website at www.fwea.org. Click the “SiteMap” button on the home page, then scroll down to the Certification BoulevardArchives, located below the Operations Research Committee.

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS?

Jason A. Johnson

This past October, FSAWWA chair-elect,Mark Lehigh, participated in the CaribbeanWater and Wastewater Association (CWWA)Conference and Exhibition that was held in Par-adise Island, Bahamas. Mark’s participation ispart of a memorandum of understanding(MOU), executed in July 2011, among theAmerican Water Works Association (AWWA);the Caribbean Basin Water Management Pro-gram (CBWMP), now known as the CaribbeanWater and Sewerage Association (CAWASA);and the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Asso-ciation (CWWA). The MOU envisions the com-pletion of a work plan to:� Create a collaborative relationship among the

parties.� Increase the regional water-focused intellec-

tual and professional capacity.

� Work toward establishing an agreementamong the parties to explore the additionalvalue to what already exists within AWWAand the two Caribbean associations.

During the CWWA conference, Mark par-ticipated in a workshop on risk managementand natural disasters for water operators in theCaribbean that was co-organized by the regionalplatform of Water Operators' Partnerships inthe Caribbean (Cari-WOP), Water Operators'Partnerships-Latin America and the Caribbean(WOP-LAC), and Global Water Operators Part-nership Alliance (GWOPA)/United NationsHuman Settlements Program (UN-Habitat).

The meeting concluded with inquiriesabout the possibilities for establishing water op-erator partnerships between Caribbean and U.S.utilities. Mark suggested that CariWOP couldbegin by introducing itself, its partners, and its

programs by sending profiles and informationabout CariWOP and its member utilities, in-cluding CWWA and CAWASA, to FSAWWA’s fallconference. The CWWA has now committed tosending representatives to attend the conferenceto distribute information and make contacts.

Additionally, Mark was able to accept abanner on behalf of FSAWWA as the cohost forthe 2015 CWWA Conference and Exhibition tobe held in Miami, Fla., the week of August 24.The FSAWWA Region VII, in cooperation withCWWA, has already initiated planning andpreparations, with additional announcementsto be made at the FSAWWA fall conference.

Jason A. Johnson, P.E., is president of theCaribbean Water and Wastewater Association. ��

FSAWWA and Caribbean Waterand Wastewater Association

Strengthen Ties at Conference

Mark Lehigh, FSAWWA chair-elect, at the Risk Man-agement and Natural Disasters Workshop.

Mark Lehigh accepts the 2015 CWWA host ban-ner with Jason Johnson, the then-incomingCWWA president.


Andrew Filippi

The Water Environment Federation Tech-nical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) isthe largest conference of its kind in NorthAmerica and offers water quality professionalsfrom around the world some of the best waterquality education and training available today.It is also recognized as the largest annual waterquality exhibition in the world.

Our University of South Florida (USF)team competed against seven other universitiesat the national-level Student Design Competi-tion held at WEFTEC in New Orleans on Sep-tember 28. Each university was representingtheir region within the United States. We wonthe regional competition in May at the FloridaWater Resources Conference in Orlando to earna spot in the national competition.

Work on this project started in December2013 as part of the capstone senior design course,which is traditionally taken in the last semester ofan engineering student’s undergraduate program.It was a great experience that puts all of the con-cepts we learned in school into practice.

One of the great things about the program atUSF is that all of the capstone projects use real-world issues. Our instructors, Professor SarinaErgas and Tom Cross, ask local municipalities towork with students to solve real-life problems. Ourteam worked with Tom Rawls and Kim Rogers ofthe Hillsborough County Public Utilities Depart-ment to analyze three wastewater treatment plantsin its south/central service area and to design anexpansion for one of them. Our project was titled“South/Central Hillsborough County Service AreaCapital Improvements Project.”

In addition to working with professionals atHillsborough County, we also had the pleasure of

working with Juan Oquendo of Gresham Smith& Partners and Ifetayo Venner of ARCADIS U.S.Inc., who both mentored us throughout the proj-ect. Working with all of these individuals helpedbridge the gap between school and the work en-vironment. With all of us graduating soon, it wasa very valuable experience.

Dr. Ergas has had teams competing in theWEF and Florida Water Environment Associa-tion (FWEA) student design competitions since2011.This is the third year in a row that USF haswon first place at the national level in either thewastewater or environmental design categories(2012, environmental; 2013, wastewater; and2014, wastewater). Our team put a lot of timeand effort into this year’s competition. We’re gladthat we could keep USF’s momentum going. It

goes a long way in bringing positive nationalrecognition to our school’s program.

This year, the first-place prize included a$2,500 cash award; copies of Computer Applica-tions in Hydraulic Engineering, 8th Edition; anengraved plaque; and a year-long subscriptionto USF for a suite of architecture, engineering,construction, and operations (AECO) computerprograms offered by Bentley Systems Inc.

Our team was able to travel to New Orleansfor the national competition with sponsorshipsfrom FWEA and ARCADIS. We want to saythank you to everyone who has helped us alongthe way. Go Bulls!

Andrew Filippi was the project manager forthe University of South Florida team. ��


How the University of South Florida Won Its Third Student Design Competition

Undergraduate students from the University of South Florida win first place in the national wastewater designcompetition at WEFTEC in New Orleans. From left to right: Winsome Jackson, Lauren Davis, Andrew Filippi,Herby Jean, Richard Johnson, Michael Esteban, and Dr. Sarina Ergas (adviser).

FWPCOA TRAINING CALENDAR


Jerry Johnson

Lee County Utilities owns and operates theThree Oaks Wastewater Treatment Plant,which has a permitted treatment capacity

of 6 mil gal per day (mgd) annual average dailyflow (ADF). The current process train consistsof influent flow metering, screening and grit re-moval, odor control, biological treatment withnitrogen removal using simultaneous nitrifica-tion/denitrification (SND) in three extendedaeration oxidation ditches with brush aerators,two center feed clarifiers, four peripheral feedclarifiers, deep bed filters, and chlorine contacttanks. Biosolids are held in aerobic storage tanksand dewatered with a belt filter press. Figure 1shows the main components of the plant.

The facility is permitted to dischargetreated effluent to an unrestricted public accessreuse system and deep injection wells. Use of thedeep injection well is strictly as an emergencybackup when the reuse storage tanks and reusesites are full. Historically, all the effluent has

been used for reuse. The irrigation ponds at thegolf courses in the area that accept reclaimedwater have responded well to the better qualitywater, and little algae can be seen floating in thewater.

Lee County Utilities is very proud of theplant and the crystal clear effluent it produces.Effluent turbidity averaged under 0.20 nephelo-metric turbidity units (NTUs) for 2013. Figure2 shows a photo of the treated effluent in thechlorine contact tank, which is 12 ft deep.

The process control and field monitoringsystem at the facility has been upgraded to in-clude daily ammonia and nitrate analysis,which allows the levels to be more closely con-trolled and produces a very consistent effluent,with levels of nitrate below primary drinkingwater standards. The plant does not have ded-icated anoxic zones in the process train. In2013, the use of SND in the oxidation ditchprocess resulted in average effluent concentra-tions for ammonia and nitrate of 0.18 mg/Land 5.7 mg/L, respectively. Table 1 summarizes

the secondary treatment process performanceof the facility.

The superior effluent the facility producesis not the only thing that the operations staff atthe plant is proud of. Each staff member is as-signed a portion of the facility grounds to main-tain and all of them have been noticed by thelocal students who frequently tour the facilityfor educational purposes. This facility is truly anasset to the residents of Lee County.

Jerry Johnson is with Lee County Utilitiesand is lead operator with the Three Oaks Waste-water Treatment Plant in Fort Myers. ��

Table 1. Facility Performance Data For 2013

Parameter BOD5 TSS

Influent 188 233

Effluent 1.0 0.20

Permit Limit 20 5

Percent Removal 99.5% 99.9%

Lee County Utilities Three OaksWastewater Treatment Plant

PROCESS PAGEGreetings from the FWEA Wastewater Process Committee! We are excited to bring you this edition of “Process Page,” with information on oneof the many outstanding treatment facilities in Florida. This column highlights the winners of this year’s Earle B. Phelps Award. We hope thatyou will enjoy reading about these award-winning facilities and learn something that could be implemented at your plant.

Figure 1. Treatment and Reclaimed Water Components Figure 2. Treated Effluent Being Chlorinated


Biosolids drying systems from Komline-Sanderson can handle more than 1,000 tonsof wet cake per day. They use steam or ther-mal fluid, and heat is supplied by natural, di-gester, and landfill gas, or fuel oil. Excess heatfrom combustion engines or turbines can alsobe used to heat thermal fluid or producesteam. The dryer’s shaft, hollow paddles, andtrough are all heated. Indirect drying usingthe airtight dryer minimizes off-gases, sim-plifying odor control and enhancing safety.The system produces Class A exceptionalquality granular product for agricultural uses.It can operate as a scalper to generate an au-togenuous product for use as green fuel(www.komline.com)

�The Spiral Press from JDV Equipment

Corp. combines dewatering, compacting, andconveying in a single compact unit for waste-water screenings and miscellaneous debris. Adrainage zone at the feed end drains freewater as solids are conveyed through the sys-tem. The compaction zone forms the materialinto a plug that is squeezed against an ad-justable-pressure, spring-loaded door, whichfurther dewaters and compresses the materialagainst a wedge wire cage. The resulting liq-uids are drained off to return into plant flow.The end product of plugged solids is periodi-cally expelled into a bagging system or con-tainer. (www.jdvequipment.com)

�The MetroMail™ alarm-messaging sys-

tem from Metropolitan Industries providesend users with reliable alarm notification ca-pability of equipment status or problems andcan assist customers in avoiding potential dis-aster when troubles arise. Designed to sendemail and text messages based on the statusof eight optically-isolated dry inputs accept-ing 10 to 30 volts of AC or DC power, the sys-tem can monitor any electrical and/ormechanical system, including water, waste-water, and stormwater applications.(www.metropolitanind.com)

�Singer Valve has designed an innovative

vertical diaphragm that rolls while openingand closing, enabling it to lock the valve inplace without any friction. This ensures stablepressure from the highest to the lowest flows,unlike flat diaphragm or traditional piston-style valves. By reducing pressure, the valvetechnology also reduces leakage. The rollingdiaphragm reacts faster to changing pressureas it typically has much less water volume

above the diaphragm, enabling a quicker re-sponse. Sizes range from 6 to 36 in. and areNSF-372 certified. (wwwsingervalve.com)

�LabStrong Corp. has manufactured a

ventgard filter suitable for operation inThermo Scientific Barnstead water purifica-tion storage reservoirs. The product protectspure water during storage by preventing air-borne impurities such as organic vapors, car-bon dioxide, alkali, and acid gases fromentering the water storage reservoir. Theproduct effectively filters dust and particles assmall as 0.2 µm from the air. Under normaloperating conditions, the filter will last up to90 days or until 1,000 gals of water have beendrawn from the reservoir.(www.labstrong.com)

�The Amacan P submersible motor pump

from KSB Inc., previously known as the PNTpump and originally designed for stormwaterand wastewater applications, is an ideal fit forthe wave machines commonly used in waterparks. The pump has a capacity of up to110,000 gal/min and a power range up to 550hp. It can be installed vertically or horizon-tally. Built to handle stormy conditions, thissystem includes a sealed shaft and motor anddouble-sealed cables. This design protects thecables at entry to the pump motor and pre-vents movement inside the tube, stabilizingthe cables and helping to prevent damage. Thediffuser casing and motor housing are madeof cast iron; the shaft, casing wear ring,screws, bolts, and nuts are stainless steel. Analuminum-bronze/duplex stainless steel pro-peller completes the pump. In addition to itsuse in wave simulators, the pump is suited forother water features, such as river rafting andflumes. (www.ksb.com)

�Stonchem linings from Stonhard are

seamless, resinous systems that protect un-derlying substrates from a broad range ofchemicals, including most fuels, salts, oils, al-kalis, acids, and petroleum. Designed to resistcorrosion and abrasion, temperature ex-tremes, and chemical attack, the systems areapproved by the U.S. National Science Foun-dation. The linings provide protection forsecondary containment, clarifiers, equaliza-tion basins, digesters, and walls. They can beapplied over many substrates and on bothhorizontal and vertical surfaces to restoresafety and productivity. (www.stonhard.com)

�The 1100 series magnetic level indicator

from SOR Controls Group provides an alter-native to traditional sight glasses. Vessel con-tents are totally contained within the floatchamber for use in high-pressure systems. Ex-ternal point-level switches or continuous-level transmitters can be incorporated intothe system without breaking the pressureboundary or disturbing existing piping. Ap-plications include oil and water separators,flash drums, surge tanks, gas chillers, vacuumtower bottoms, alkylation units, propane ves-sels, and storage tanks. (www.sorinc.com)

�The DR1900 portable spectrophotometer

from Hach is flexible and built for rugged con-ditions, accepting the widest range of vialsizes. Created with field use in mind, theDR1900 has a large, clear screen and a simpleuser interface that makes testing easy in eventhe most demanding conditions. Easy to holdand operate, it is a valuable tool for field tech-nicians. Tests are performed with a wavelengthrange of 340 to 800 nm, which makes this afield instrument that finds results usually seenin laboratory instruments. (www.hach.com)

�MCI®-2005 NS from Cortec Corporation

is a liquid concrete admixture that provides pro-tection of multimetals embedded in concretefrom corrosion induced by carbonation, chlo-ride, atmospheric attack, and other corrosivecontaminants without changing the set time ofconcrete mixes. This long-term inhibitor dou-bles the time to initiation of corrosion and re-duces the corrosion rate up to five times over thelife of the structure. It also reduces the effects ofshrinking and cracking. (www.cortecvci.com)

�Fiberglass aboveground tanks and basins

from Orenco provide long-lasting, low-mainte-nance bulk storage solutions for wastewater,potable water, and process applications. Thesehelically-wound, lightweight vessels are morecorrosion-resistant than steel and have longerservice lives. They are available in sizes up to250,000 gal and underground basins range from2-24 ft in diameter. Both can be shipped as sin-gle units or in sections that are stacked and canbe assembled on-site. (www.orenco) ��

New Products


John Giachino has been hired by PC Con-struction as a director of business developmentto focus on the firm’s integrated delivery pub-lic-private partnership markets in the Southeast,with a focus on the Florida sector.

President of the Florida region of the De-sign-Build Institute of America (DBIA), Giachinobrings more than 40 years of industry experienceto his new role, including more than 35 years inmunicipal water and wastewater utility assetmanagement, operations and maintenance, andcapital program execution. While working formajor global engineering, construction, and op-erations companies, his contributions have beeninstrumental in the development and manage-ment of more than 20 water and wastewater util-ity projects in the United States and abroad.

Giachino plays an active role in several in-dustry groups, serving as DBIA Water/Waste-water Markets Committee chair, the FloridaWater Resources Conference board of directors,and the Florida Water Resources Journal boardof trustees. He is also a member of the House ofDelegates Steering Committee for the Water En-vironment Federation (WEF) and its conferenceadvisory committee.

�Leading conservation organizations in Florida

are joining forces to launch the Florida Water and Land Legacy Campaign—a constitutionalamendment for the state’s November ballot. Theamendment would provide 20 years of funding forconservation, land acquisition, wildlife manage-ment, and urban and suburban conservation.

In order for the amendment to be placed onthe ballot, the campaign must collect 683,149valid signatures, which is 8 percent of all regis-

tered voters who cast ballots in the last generalelection. According to the Florida Wildlife Feder-ation, the campaign currently has more than300,000 signatures. If the amendment goes to avote and is passed, it would be the largest state-level conservation initiative in the United States.

The petition can be found online atwww.floridawaterlandlegacy.org.

�A bipartisan group of state senators is

preparing to launch what could be the first in aseries of bills protecting Florida’s naturalsprings, lakes, and aquifers.

The first bill would focus on reducing nutrientlevels in state waters. It would encourage water re-cycling and storage by developers and the agricul-ture industry, limit the amount of water removedfrom spring sheds, and develop buffer zones to re-duce pollutants from entering water supplies.

Increasing water flow into natural springsthroughout northern and central Florida wouldcost the state millions of dollars, with land pur-chasing around waterways constituting thebiggest expense.

�Governor Rick Scott and The National Fish

and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announcedthe funding of $34.3 million for nine Floridaprojects that address high priority conservationneeds. The projects, developed in consultationwith the Florida Fish and Wildlife ConservationCommission, the Florida Department of Envi-ronmental Protection, and federal resource agen-cies, are designed to remedy harm or reduce therisk of future harm to natural resources that wereaffected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The money is the second obligation fromNFWF’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, cre-ated 18 months ago as part of the settlement be-tween the U.S. Department of Justice and BPand Transocean to resolve certain criminalcharges against both companies in relation tothe spill. Under the allocation formula and otherprovisions contained in the plea agreements, atotal of $356 million will be paid into the GulfFund over a five-year period for conservationprojects in the state of Florida.

“The model for the Gulf EnvironmentalBenefit Fund is one of partnership,” said JeffTrandahl, executive director and chief executiveofficer of NFWF. “In order to succeed, NFWFmust bring together state resource agencies, fed-eral agencies, and other public and private part-ners, all working in harmony, to fund the bestprojects that will do the most good for the Gulfof Mexico and the communities that depend onit each and every day. The projects we announcetoday demonstrate the value of our efforts towork in a collaborative fashion to select projectsthat will provide significant benefits to wildlifeand people for many years to come.”

�The Big Coppitt Regional Water Recla-

mation Facility received the Domestic Waste-water Plant Operations Excellence Award fromthe Florida Department of Environmental Pro-tection. The facility won in the medium-sizedplant category over 34 other utilities. Selectioncriteria for the award is based on compliance his-tory, recordkeeping, and reporting; customer re-lations and outstanding operation andmaintenance practices; and facility operation, in-cluding staff training and safety. ��

News Beat

ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

Tank Engineering And ManagementConsultants, Inc.

Engineering • Inspection

Aboveground Storage Tank SpecialistsMulberry, Florida • Since 1983

863-354-9010www.tankteam.com

ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

Showcase Your Company in the Engineering or Equipment & Services Directory

[email protected]

EQUIPMENT & SERVICES DIRECTORY

Contact Mike Delaney at 352-241-6006

CEC Motor & Utility Services, LLC1751 12th Street EastPalmetto, FL. 34221

Phone - 941-845-1030Fax – 941-845-1049

[email protected]

• Motor & Pump Services Test Loaded up to 4000HP, 4160-Volts

• Premier Distributor for Worldwide Hyundai Motors up to 35,000HP

• Specialists in rebuilding motors, pumps, blowers, & drives

• UL 508A Panel Shop, engineer/design/build/install/commission

• Lift Station Rehabilitation Services, GC License # CGC1520078

• Predictive Maintenance Services, vibration, IR, oil sampling

• Authorized Sales & Service for Aurora Vertical Hollow Shaft Motors

Motor & Utility Services, LLC


EQUIPMENT & SERVICES DIRECTORY

Posi t ions Avai lableCity of Vero Beach

Electronics TechnicianServices, maintains, installs and performs preventative maintenance ofelectronic and electrical equipment throughout the water and sewer sys-tem. Must have thorough working knowledge of configuring, program-ming and maintenance of Modicon Programmable Logic Controllers andGE IFix HMI software version 5.5 and later. Visit website for complete jobdescription, qualifications needed, and instruction to apply. $28.04 p/hrwww.covb.org City of Vero Beach EOE/DFWP 772 978-4909

Asset Management/Project Specialist$50,514-$71,077/yr. Implements and maintains the Utility’s Asset Mgmt &Maint. database. BS degree with major coursework in Computer Science,IT or Communications.

Utilities Treatment Plant Operations Supervisor$53,039 - $74,631/yr. Assists in the admin & technical work in the mgmt,ops, & maint of the treatment plants. Class “A” Water lic. & a class “C”Wastewater lic. req. with 5 yrs supervisory exp.

Utilities Treatment Plant Will Call Operator$17.93-$27.82/hour. Part time. Must have passed the C drinking water orwastewater exam.Apply: 100 W. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach, FL 33060. Open until filled.E/O/E. http://pompanobeachfl.gov for details.

US PEROXIDEApplication Specialist

We are seeking an Applications Specialist to work on challenging and in-dustrial and municipal projects. Provide critical technical and operationalsupport for these programs. BS Degree in Chemical/Environmental Engi-neering, Chemistry or related field. Minimum of 2-4 years experience. In-quire at [email protected]

UTILITIES TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORBay Laurel Center CDD is now accepting applications for a State certifiedtreatment plant operator, seeking full time employment to join our team.All applicants must hold at least a minimum “C” operator’s license in waterand wastewater treatment.Valid FL driver’s license is required. Salary is based on experience. Applications are available at:9850 SW 84th Court,Suite 400Ocala, FL 34481Phone: 352-414-5454Fax: 352-414-5461Job description is available on our website. www.blccdd.comPosting will remain open until the position is filledDFWP/EOE

Deputy Director of UtilitiesMartin County Board of County Commissioners is seeking a Deputy Di-rector of Utilities who will assist in the long range planning for new watersupply sources and facilities, provide professional administrative oversightfor the County's water & wastewater operations, and coordinate with gov-ernmental agencies, engineers and financial staff to assure the most costeffective systems.

The ideal candidate will hold a P.E., a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineer-ing and have 8 years of experience in water or public utilities field.

Please visit www.martin.fl.us and click on the Jobs board for additional in-formation regarding this position.

City of Marco IslandWater & Sewer Customer Service Manager

The City of Marco Island is seeking qualified applicants for a Water &Sewer Customer Service Manager. Three years of experience in automatedbilling and accounting functions; Supervisory experience required. Expe-rience in Tyler-Munis municipal billing preferred. Visit www.cityofmar-coisland.com for more information and to download an application.EOE/DFWP/VP

C L A S S I F I E D S


Orange County Utilities (OCU) is one of the largestutility providers in Florida and a leader in many as-pects of effective utility management, including na-tional certification, a strong credit rating, and acomprehensive capital improvement program. OCUhas a workforce of over 900 employees who serviceover 200,000 water and wastewater customers; oper-ate the largest publicly owned landfill in the state; andmanage in excess of a billion dollars of water, water reclamation and solidwaste infrastructure assets. Our focus is on maintaining excellent quality,customer service, and sustainability.

Orange County Government in Orlando, Florida is seeking a highlyqualified individual to fill a Deputy Director position for Utilities. Thisis an appointed, executive-level position, whose incumbent serves at thepleasure of the County Mayor. This position reports to the Director ofOrange County Utilities.

Interested applicants should apply at www.orangecountyfl.net using JobID 14870. Questions call 407-254-9652

Job Title: Deputy Director, Utilities Job ID: 14870

Application DeadlineOPENING DATE: 11/23/2014CLOSING DATE: 12/31/2014

Salary $87,755 - $144,830Minimum Qualifications Graduation with a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution in En-gineering, Business Administration or a related field and ten years of pro-gressively responsible experience in water, wastewater or solid wasteengineering or management, including five years of supervisory experi-ence. A Master's Degree in specified areas can be substituted for two yearsof required experience.Applicant must possess and maintain registration as a State of Florida Pro-fessional Engineer.Representative Duties • Prepare, coordinate and review consent agendas and discussion reports

for discussion with the Director and placement on the agenda. Coordi-nate the preparation of amendments to county ordinances and regula-tions as directed.

• Meet with representatives of the development community and otheragencies outside the County for coordination purposes. Assist in the for-mulation and negotiation of agreements on behalf of the utility.

• Meet with the County Mayor, County Commissioners, County Admin-istration and other senior staff. Attend Board meetings to facilitate andcommunication Utilities related matters. Meet with citizens to discussissues and problems that can be addressed and resolved by the County.

• Provide input and assist the Director in the preparation and review ofthe Department's Capital Improvement Program, Operations andMaintenance budgets to ensure consistency with County, Departmentand Division objectives.

• Responsible for personnel matters within the Department, including hir-ing, discipline, training, employee development, performance appraisalsand related activities.

• Provide direction and guidance to Utilities Division managers and acton behalf of the Director during absences.

Address 9150 Curry Ford Road

Orlando, FL 32825

CITY OF WINTER GARDEN – POSITIONS AVAILABLE

The City of Winter Garden is currently accepting applications for thefollowing positions:

- Collection Field Tech – I & II- Utilities Operator II- Water/Wastewater Plant Operator Class C- Distribution Field Tech – I & II- Public Service Worker I/Parks

Please visit our website at www.cwgdn.com for complete job descriptionsand employment application. Applications may be submitted online,emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 407-877-2795.

Sarasota County GovernmentWatershed Coord or Stormwater Maintenance Coord

Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related field and threeor more years of related experience. A Master's Degree may substitute forone year of experience. Must have or obtain EI Certification within 12months.

See entire job descriptions at www.scgov.net/Careers and submit an on-line application. Make sure you refer your application to each position ofinterest. For assistance call (941) 861-5742.

City of GrovelandClass C Wastewater Operator

The City of Groveland is hiring a Class "C" Wastewater Operator. SalaryRange $30,400-$46,717 DOQ. Please visit groveland-fl.gov for applicationand job description. Send completed application to 156 S Lake Ave. Grov-eland, Fl 34736 attn: Human Resources. Background check and drug screenrequired. Open until filled EOE, V/P, DFWP

Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator The City of Edgewater is accepting applications for a Wastewater Treat-ment Plant Operator, minimum Class C license required. Valid FL driverlicense required. Annual Salary Range is $31,096 - $48,755. Applicants willbe required to pass a physical and background check. Applications and in-formation may be obtained from the Personnel Dept or www.cityofedge-water.org, and submitted to City Hall, 104 N Riverside Dr, Edgewater, FL32l32. EOE/DFWP

UTILITIES DEPARTMENT OPPORTUNITIESThe City of Venice has several openings in the Utilities Department: Util-ities Director, Project Manager, and two Field Operations Technicians.View Job Announcements and apply before posted deadlines atwww.venicegov.com or Administrative Services Dept., 401 W Venice Ave,Venice 34285, phone 941-486-2626 x21003, or e-mail [email protected] EOE/DFWP

Certification Boulevard Answer Key

From page 49

1. A) Angle of ReposeThe angle of repose, or the criticalangle of repose, of a granularmaterial is the steepest angle ofdescent or dip relative to thehorizontal plane to which amaterial can be piled withoutslumping. At this angle, thematerial on the slope face is on theverge of sliding. More simplystated, the angle of repose is theslope that granular material formswhen it comes to rest. The naturalslope of a pipe is called pitch.

2. TrueA flap gate allows flow to travel in

only one direction, preventingbackflow.

3. FalseThe most common oxidizing

chemicals to minimize corrosioncaused by hydrogen sulfide arechlorine and hydrogen peroxide.

4. C) InflowWater entering a collection systemfrom manhole covers and otherdrain connections is called inflow.Infiltration is when waterunderground enters the collectionsystem through joints, cracks, andholes in the pipes.

5. D) 266 yd3

6.75 ft wide x 125 ft long x 8.5 ftdeep ÷ 27 cu ft per cu yd = 265.6cu yd

6. C) Boring MachineA horizontal boring machine, orhorizontal boring mill, is a machinetool that bores holes in a horizontaldirection. There are three maintypes: table, planer, and floor.

7. B) Combined sewer systemA combined sewer is a type ofsewer system that collects sanitarysewage and stormwater runoff in asingle pipe system. Combinedsewers can cause serious waterpollution problems due tocombined sewer overflows, whichare caused by large variations inflow between dry and wet weather.

8. B) 11.4 minutesDetention time, minutes = wetwell capacity, ft3 ÷ flow, cfm

(0.785 x d2) x (89.4 ft - 78.5 ft) ÷75 cfm78.5 ft2 x 10.9 ft ÷ 75 cfm855.65 ft3 ÷ 75 cfm = 11.4 minutes

9. C) 2 fpsAt design pumping rates, acleansing velocity of at least 2 fpsshould be maintained to preventsolids from settling.

10. C) 4,464 galQ, mgd ÷ 24 hrs/day x D.T., hrs =volume, mil gal

Q = 24 mins/hr x 24 hrs/day = 576 mins/day x 155 gpm = 89,280 gpd0.08928 mgd ÷ 24 hrs/day x 1.2 hrs = 0.004464 mil gal x 1,000,000 = 4,464 gal

Display Advertiser Index

Blue Planet ............................63CEU Challenge ........................9Crom ....................................48Data Flow ..............................33FSAWWA Conference ........17-19FWEA Collection ....................25FWPCOA Online Training ........51FWPCOA Short School ..........21FWPCOA Training ..................53FWRC ..............................28-31Garney ...................................5

Gemini Group ........................13GML Coating....................40, 44Hudson Pump........................27Hydro International ................36PCL ......................................15Polston Technology ................37Reiss Engineering ....................7Stacon.....................................2Stantec..................................56TREEO ..................................50Xylem ...................................64

Editorial CalendarJanuary . . .Wastewater TreatmentFebruary . . .Water Supply; Alternative SourcesMarch . . . . .Energy Efficiency; Environmental StewardshipApril . . . . . .Conservation and ReuseMay . . . . . .Operations and Utilities Management; Florida Water Resources . . . . . . . . . .ConferenceJune . . . . . .Biosolids Management and Bioenergy ProductionJuly . . . . . .Stormwater Management; Emerging Technologies; FWRC ReviewAugust . . . .Disinfection; Water QualitySeptember .Emerging Issues; Water Resources ManagementOctober . . .New Facilities, Expansions, and UpgradesNovember . .Water TreatmentDecember . .Distribution and Collection

Technical articles are usually scheduled several months in advance and aredue 60 days before the issue month (for example, January 1 for the March issue).

The closing date for display ad and directory card reservations, notices,announcements, upcoming events, and everything else including classified ads, is30 days before the issue month (for example, September 1 for the October issue).

For further information on submittal requirements, guidelines for writers,advertising rates and conditions, and ad dimensions, as well as the most recentnotices, announcements, and classified advertisements, go to www.fwrj.com orcall 352-241-6006.

Water Operator IFull Time position -$16.83 - $24.04 Hourly

Minimum “Operator C” license.“Operator B or A” candidates welcomed to apply for consideration.

H. S. Diploma/GED. Florida Driver’s License.For more info and to submit an application, please visit

www.wellingtonfl.gov

WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORUtilities, Inc. is seeking a Water/Wastewater Operator for the Pasco/Pinel-las County area. Applicant must have a minimum Class C FDEP Water li-cense. A dual license is preferred. Applicant must have a HS Diploma orGED & a valid Florida driver’s license with a clean record. To view com-plete job description & apply for the position please visit our web site,www.uiwater.com, select the Employment Opportunities tab. Search theOperations & FL, Holiday categories.

Posi t ions WantedSHARIFF THOMAS – Passed the Wastewater C Exam and needs additional plant hoursto obtain his license. Prefers the area from Sanford to Kissimmee. Contact at 844 GrandRegency Point, Altamonte Springs, Fl. 32714. 321-460-3164

EDWARD T. URBANEK – Holds a Florida Dual C level water and wastewater operatorslicense with eight years experience with five years in route work and a clean drivers li-cense and strong maintenance skills. Seeking permanent employment in anywhere in Re-gion 9. Contact at 15750 NE 45th St. Williston, Fl. 32696. [email protected]

Utilities, Inc.


Looking For a Job? The FWPCOA Job Placement Committee Can Help!

Contact Joan E. Stokes at 407-293-9465 or fax 407-293-9943 for more information.

Florida Water Resources Journal - December 2014

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Transcript of Florida Water Resources Journal - December 2014