Fort Collins Utilities
Fort Collins, Colorado
In response to population growth adjacent to the Drake Water Reclamation Facility (DWRF), the City of Fort Collins initiated an odor study to determine the impacts from the plant and identify possible odor mitigation alternatives. Subsequently, numerous technologies were evaluated based on criteria which included sustainability, constructability, and a chemical-free operation. The City’s design-build team, consisting of the contractor, engineer, and DWRF staff representatives, collaborated and selected a compost/woodchip biofilter as the most suitable technology for use. Two sets of biofilters were installed in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Since the commissioning of the biofilters, the City has tracked its performance and found that operation parameters differed from the initial design projections. This report and presentation will describe the odor study and evaluation process, as well as the biofilter design and operation. A key focus, and of direct importance to other facilities located in dry climates, will be the operational challenges and knowledge gained by DWRF staff in maintaining and optimizing the biofilters’ performance.
Metric Used:
Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: 100K-500K, Stormwater, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Improved Customer Relations, Improved Worker Morale, Odor Control, Optimized Biofilter Performance, Plant Optimization, Plant Sustainability | No Comments »
City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities (DPU)
Columbus, Ohio
The water utility industry is facing significant challenges in these uncertain times. Many of these
business drivers have been around for some time but many are new or emerging and
now threaten business as usual and even the viability of utilities. Many water and wastewater
utilities have started asset management (AM) programs to answer these challenges; some have
been on the journey for a number of years. Large infrastructure deficits requiring huge amounts
of money needed for infrastructure replacement have caused many to rush into AM programs,
only to find that they have not realized the benefits they thought they would achieve and needed.
Some AM programs only affect a small portion of staff and staff functions that do not directly
impact the overall operation of the utility. Others have adopted comprehensive AM programs,
but are stuck in visioning and strategy or in implementation of AM areas that have limited
(obvious) benefits.
AM best practices include a broad range of activities, but the key aspects are: Asset Planning,
Setting Service Levels, Managing Risk to drive asset related decisions, Minimizing Life Cycle
Costs, and Managing Asset Related Knowledge. It is also about balancing Service Levels with
Cost, and is extremely important to involve people throughout the organization in the AM
process instead of making it simply a staff function. It requires the right organizational arrangements to sustain gains achieved as the program evolves. This paper provides a case study
on the City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities’ asset management journey and provides
useful tips and guidance to other utilities that are considering asset management or have already
started their journey.
Metric Used:
Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: >1M, Stormwater, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Effective Utility Management Practices, Improved Team Work, Improved Worker Morale, Organizational Sustainability, Plant Sustainability | No Comments »
Lee County Utilities
Fort Myers, Florida
Implementing a comprehensive asset management program with the traditional planning, design,
and implementation phases can typically take three to five years and cost millions of dollars.
Lee County Utilities (LCU) was determined to implement a comprehensive asset management
program to improve the management of their over $700 million dollars worth of assets but didn’t
want to wait over three years to see any meaningful results and wanted to minimize the costs as
much as possible. Because of this, Malcolm Pirnie and LCU formulated a fast track approach
that would complete the planning and design of the program in less than a year, would focus
solely on a small portion of the system, Waterway Estates, and would fully evaluate the small
pilot area in terms of asset condition, criticality, risk, renewal and replacement funding, and
potential rate impacts. This paper will outline in detail the pilot area approach steps and benefits.
Metric Used:
Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: 100K-500K, Stormwater, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Cost Savings, Improved Team Work, Improved Worker Morale, Organizational Sustainability, Plant Sustainability, Time Savings | No Comments »