August 2015
Wastewater Operators,
As indicated in last month’s newsletter, Maine DEP has revised our
toxicity reporting form for the wastewater program. The change this time
is due to the fact that the Department is using a completely different system
to upload the data from the toxicity reporting sheet to our database.
This new sheet contains embedded functionality that allows the new system to successfully
upload the data. It is imperative that you delete your existing sheet and
replace it with this new sheet, otherwise the new system will not be able to
process the data contained in the sheet.
Please report test results on this new sheet.
The revised toxicity sheet has been posted on the Maine DEP
website at the following location: http://www.maine.gov/dep/water/wd/municipal_industrial/index.html
under the “Reporting Forms” section. The new version of the form can be
distinguished from older versions by the “last revision date” (July 1, 2015)
that appears in the upper left portion of the form in cell B 10 and is
highlighted in purple.
If you have any questions concerning these documents, please feel
free to contact your facility inspector.
Thank you in advance for your assistance with the transition to
this new reporting form in August.
Sterling Pierce
August 19 - Septic Systems: From Design to Approval - Richmond, ME - MRWA
August 25 - Intro to Motor, Drives & Electrical Panels - 6
credit hours - Maine DOT Training Center, Fairfield - JETCC
August 26 - Intro to Motor, Drives & Electrical Panels - 6
credit hours - Kennebunkport Fire Station - JETCC
September 2 - 2015 Drinking Water Protection Seminar - Augusta, ME - MWUA
September 16-18 - MEWEA Fall Convention - Newry, ME - MEWEA
October 6-7 - Advanced Wastewater Treatment - 12 credit hours - Yarmouth, ME - JETCC
October 7 - Facility Operations in Cold Climates - 6 credit hours - Orono, ME - JETCC
October 14-15 - Wastewater 101 - 12 credit hours - Portland, ME - JETCC
October 20-21 - Laboratory Certification with Optional NEWEA exam - 9 credit hours - Brunswick, ME - NEIWPCC
October 19-22 - Northeast residuals & Biosolids Symposium - credit hours tbd - Danvers MA - NEWEA/NEBRA/BioCycle
October 20-21 - Advanced Activated Sludge Process Control &
Optimization - 12 credit hours - NHDES
October 26-27 - CSO/Wet Weather Issues Conference, Exhibit & Tour - credit hours tbd - Lowell, MA - NEWEA
For more information on these programs, please contact the
training provider directly:
JETCC: www.jetcc.org, NEIWPCC: www.neiwpcc.org, MEWEA
(formerly Maine Wastewater):www.mewea.org, MRWA: www.mainerwa.org, NEWEA:
www.newea.org,
MWUA: www.mwua.org
1. To get good nitrification in an activated sludge unit,
the sludge should be:
a. Bad smelling and black in color
b. Brown in color with a musty odor
c. Brown in color with a dark brown foam
d. Settle to 900 mL in a one liter cylinder in 30
minutes.
2. Which sludge is the easiest to dewater
a. Raw secondary sludge
b. Conditioned secondary sludge
c. Raw primary sludge
d. Sludge from the Kraus Process
3. How many cubic yards of material are removed from a
ditch 100 feet long if the depth is 18 feet and the width is 6 feet?
a. 128
b. 400
c. 1,224
d. 10,800
4. What is the best long-term fix for high F/M sludge
bulking?
a. Add chlorine to the RAS.
b. Decrease sludge wasting.
c. Increase sludge wasting.
d. Reduce sludge age.
5. How would you reduce the growth of bacteria in a
filter bed?
a. Adjust the pH
b. Backwash more frequently
c. Pre-chlorinate
d. Slow the rate of filtration
6. If the run time for sludge centrifuge operated in a
batch mode is less than the optimum time,
a. a better centrate will result
b. a better effluent quality will result
c. a dryer discharge solid will result
d. a wetter discharge solid will result
7. Determine the solids loading on a floatation unit if the flow is 1.4 MGD
and the influent suspended solids are 1,200 mg/l
a. 14,000 lb/day
b. 12,600 lb/day
c. 11,200 lb/day
d. 1,700 lb/day
8. What could cause anoxic conditions in your secondary
clarifier?
a. Sludge draw-off line open all the time.
b. RAS rate too high.
c. RAS rate too low.
d. Secondary clarifiers cleaned too frequently.
Public Law 113-121, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of
2014” (WRRDA), amended sections of the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act (FWPCA) that impact the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan
program, administered by the Department.
Section 603(i) was added requiring States to establish affordability
criteria to assist in identifying municipalities that would experience a significant
hardship raising the revenue necessary to finance a project or activity
eligible under the CWSRF program if additional subsidization is not
provided. The amendment requires States
to establish the affordability criteria not later than September 30, 2015, and
after providing notice and an opportunity for public comment. It also requires that the criteria be based
on income and unemployment data, population trends, and other data determined
relevant by the State. A link to EPA’s
Interpretive Guidance on WRRDA can be found at:
http://www.maine.gov/dep/water/grants/srfparag.html
.
Within the funding limits of the
program, the Department currently provides additional subsidization for
affordability in the form of loan principal forgiveness. In determining affordability, the Department
currently uses a standard expressing the sewer user cost for a typical single-family
residence as a percentage of the median household income. In accordance with the amendment, the
Department has developed new affordability criteria based on the required
criteria of income and unemployment data and population trends. In addition to the required criteria, the
Department has determined that two additional criteria are also relevant in
determining a municipality’s ability to raise the revenue necessary to finance
a project. Those criteria are the
municipality’s Poverty Rate and the Sewer User Cost as a Percentage of the
Median Household Income (MHI).
Factoring in a community’s Poverty
Rate into the analysis helps take into consideration the variation in incomes
from the median that might exist between communities, and gives additional
insight into the lower incomes that might exist in the sewered area and the
ability of those households to afford the additional cost of a project. Utilizing the Sewer User Cost as a Percentage
of the MHI in the analysis gives a general sense as to how much the households
in the community are paying for sewer services compared to their income. A lower percentage compared to a higher
percentage generally means that more funds are potentially available to assist
with funding a project. A higher
percentage indicates that a community might experience a hardship in raising
the revenues necessary to finance a project.
Adding these two additional criteria to the required criteria, helps
round out the analysis by providing a better picture of a communities overall
financial condition and its ability to finance a project.
In the affordability analysis, the
five criteria are closely equal in value, with no one criterion significantly
outweighing any of the others. Each of
the State criterions is valued at 1.0 points, making the total State
Affordability Points to be 5.0. Each community
criterion is compared to the State average, if available, and assigned an
affordability point value. If equal to
the State average, the community’s total affordability points would be 5.0. Positive community trends for affordability
result in points less than 1.0 for each criterion and negative trends result in
points greater than 1.0. The community’s
points are added together for their overall Affordability Points.
The requirement and purpose of
establishing affordability criteria is to identifying municipalities that would
experience a significant hardship raising the revenue necessary to
finance a project, if additional subsidization is not provided. In meeting this requirement, the Department
has established that a municipality’s affordability points must exceed the
total of State average points by 40%, in order to be eligible for additional
subsidization (principal forgiveness).
Therefore, the sum of a municipality’s affordability criteria must be a
minimum of 7.0 (140% of 5.0) points to be eligible for possible affordability
principal forgiveness. The Department
estimates that approximately 20 – 25% of the municipalities in the State with
wastewater infrastructure would meet the minimum requirement for principal
forgiveness.
For more detailed information on the
affordability criteria please see the Draft Affordability Criteria Public
Review and Comment Announcement at: http://www.maine.gov/dep/water/grants/srfparag.html
Stakeholders and interested parties
are encouraged to submit written comments to john.n.true@maine.gov regarding the
Affordability Criteria by 5:00 p.m. August 28, 2015.
NEIWPCC/JETCC will be offering new wastewater operator
training classes for both experienced and beginner operators this
October. Advanced Wastewater Treatment will be presented October
6-7 in Yarmouth WWTP. This class covers advanced topics including
industrial pretreatment, wastewater chemistry, applied math, process control
decisions, advanced microscopic analysis, nitrification/denitrification, and phosphorus
removal. It is geared for Grade 3, 4 and 5 operators who are looking to
advance their skill set and challenge themselves. There will be two, six
(6) hour consecutive classes taught by Judy Bruenjes (DEP), Scott Firmin (PWD),
Susan Jasper (PWD) and David Hughes (Scarborough Sanitary District) consisting
of lectures, treatment plant tour, practice questions, and discussions.
Wastewater 101 will be presented October 14-15 at
the Portland Water District (PWD) East End WWTP. The class is designed to
be a basic introduction for operators new to the wastewater field. It
will introduce definitions, terminology, and concepts of biological wastewater
treatment. We will cover abbreviations and vocabulary.
Wastewater math will not be part of the curriculum for this course.
Operators who plan to sit for the Grade 1 or Grade 2 exam should plan to take a
separate Wastewater Math course.
Both courses are approved by DEP for 12 Training Contact
Hours (TCHs). For more information, contact NEIWPCC/JETTC at 207-253-8020
or email info@neiwpcc-jetcc.org.
Many facilities have received their DMR-QA results from the
PT labs and are beginning to send the results to DEP.
Remember this year to include a copy of your PT
results (only for analytes you tested in your lab) with your completed EPA Data
Forms and Checklists. Study 35 results
can be mailed to DEP at 17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333 or e-mail to judy.k.bruenjes@maine.gov.
This is the third and final installment of the article Summer Wastewater Operational Problems
that was reprinted (with edits) from Environmental Leverage, Inc. found at www.environmentalleverage.com/Summer.htm.
The
first part of the article dealt with operational issues that can results from
warm weather. Part 2 discussed bulking
problems that may develop if the wasting rate is not adjusted to accommodate
increased biological activity, and methods to determine if the cause is
filamentous or non-filamentous bulking.
This
month’s article will discuss what to do once you have determined that the
bulking problem is caused by filamentous bacteria. The usual remedy is to apply chlorine to the
system to kill the filaments and to speed up recovery. You must make a process change though, according
to the type of filament present. If you
just chlorinate and not make any process changes, eventually the filaments will
return
Sodium
hypochlorite (10 to 15%) is often used, although sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is
also acceptable but in a more dilute form.
This actually can help provide better dispersion of the chlorine in the
system by preventing uneven oxidation.
For the record, NaOCl has a specific gravity of 1.2and usually contains
an active chlorine concentration of about 12.5 %. It degrades with time and temperature, which
means it actually contains about 1.0 pounds of free available chlorine per
gallon.
Calcium
hypochlorite (usually 70% solid, also known as HTH) could also be used, but a
make-up tank is required to put it into solution prior to application and it
tends to leave a calcium carbonate precipitate that will need to be removed
from the feed tank. It is important to
store HTH in a separate, dry area as it can react with any organic (in
particular oily rags), causing spontaneous ignition (fire).
When
using chlorine, remember that it aggressively reacts with ammonia (NH3-N)
and/or sulfide (such as H2S), which can increase the required dosage
rate. Chlorine also reacts with many
other impurities in wastewater (bacterial enzymes and proteins, BOS, iron
compounds, etc.) so it should not be fed to raw influent. The best place to feed is directly into the
RAS line. Better contact is made with
the filaments and less dilution from the influent takes place, so chemical
costs can be reduced. Hydrogen peroxide
and ozone can also be used, but are less common.
If the
cause of the bulking is non-filamentous – Do NOT chlorinate, as this
will make the problem worse. For
non-filamentous bulking, correct the stress and use a polymer to aid in holding
the sludge in the clarifier (polymers will only aid in the initial settling
rate, but they will not aid in compaction).
Usually a coagulant is used rather than a flocculating polymer since
they can retain too much gas and cause the sludge blanket to rise to the
clarifier surface.
If the
problem is filamentous due to zooglea or nutrient deficiency, adding nutrients
directly to the aeration basin, sludge holding tank, and clarifier
simultaneously can clear up the problem in hours. Make sure that proper mixing occurs. Slime bulking that is caused by nutrient
deficiency can be easy to get rid of by adding nutrients (nitrogen or
phosphorus). In many cases, operators
tend to be overcautious and do not add enough nutrients. Be sure to add enough to solve the problem,
but not cause excessive nutrients to go out with the final effluent.
When
treating for filamentous bulking Do NOT use biocides. These are persistent chemicals (last a long
time in the environment) and will cause more harm to floc-forming (good)
bacteria than is desired, as well as harm surface water when discharged with the
effluent.
Odor
control can also be a problem for plants in the summer. The increase in biological activity can
deplete any oxygen available. Many times
there are dead spots in a system, or plant, such as corners, primary
clarifiers, sludge holding tanks, scum pits, or lift stations. Anoxic or anaerobic activity will then start
to increase, causing malodors to increase as gases (such as H2S ) is
generated.
Ways
to reduce dead spots include changing flow patterns, wasting more often, or
increasing mixing. Sometimes additions
of chemicals such as sodium nitrate are used where mechanical mixing is not
possible. This will chemically prevent
the formation of some sulfur compounds and provide the bacteria with an
alternative oxygen source, thus alleviating some of the odor-causing
problems. Remember, bacteria first go
for free oxygen, then nitrates, then sulfates.
If there is insufficient oxygen, addition of nitrate is a safe
alternative that can help avoid some odor problems.
In
conclusion, remember that the hot season causes increased reproductive rates of
bacteria that may require seasonal adjustments.
Take steps to recognize and reduce summer operational problems, remain
cool, and don’t get burned.
NEIWPCC/JETCC is updating their database to include
Operator’s emails. This will allow
electronic communication of important dates and upcoming training events.
If you have not already done so, please provide your email
address to JETCC/NEIWPCC by contacting Spring Connolly sconnolly@neiwpcc-jetcc.org.
Management Candidate School (MCS), a 12-month
program designed to train the next generation of Water & Wastewater
managers and supervisors will begin its 7th year in November,
2015. The program is offered by
NEIWPCC-JETCC, Maine DEP and DHHS, MEWEA and MWUA to provide intensive
training, networking and skill-development coursework to those providing the critical
work of managing the state's water and wastewater treatment infrastructure.
This exciting training program is aimed at mid-level operators with management
potential.
Following a model established by Rhode Island, NEIWPCC-JETCC's
Board of Directors and the MEWEA Executive Committee spearheaded the effort to
launch the first Maine MCS in 2009. The year-long program includes management
courses, technical courses (i.e. blue-print reading, construction planning), personnel
management, media relations, dealing with regulatory agencies, and budget
preparation. Participants earn more than
70 training contact hours and will be able to count the training for two
renewal cycles.
The next MCS is scheduled to begin November 18 and run the 3rd
Wednesday of every month (excluding holidays). The location is the Greater
Augusta Utility District (GAUD) in Augusta.
If
you or one of your staff members is interested in finding out more about MCS,
please contact Leeann or Spring at (207) 253-8020, or email info@neiwpcc-jetcc.org
1. b.
Nitrifying bacteria require a good, aerobic activated sludge
characterized by a brown color and a slightly musty odor.
2. c. Raw
primary sludge contains materials that settle readily from the raw
wastewater and contains little, if any, trapped water. Thus, primary sludge is the easiest sludge
to dewater.
3. b. 400 cu yd
100 × 18 ft × 6 ft = 10,800 cu. ft. 27 cu. ft. = 1 cu. yd. 10,800 cu.ft./27 cu.ft/cu.yd = 400 cu.yd.
4. b. Decrease sludge wasting. High F:M means there is more food than
the bugs can easily assimilate. To
lower the F:M, more bugs should be added to the aeration tanks by
increasing the amount of sludge in the system (decrease wasting rate).
5. c. Pre-chlorination will help prevent the
build-up of bacteria in a filter bed.
6. d. If the centrifuge runs less than the
optimum time, the sludge will not release all the water possible and the
sludge will be wetter than if the centrifuge was allowed to run for the
correct time.
7. a. 1.4 MGD × 1,200 mg/L × 8.34 = 14,011
lb/day
8. c. RAS rate too low. Anoxic condition may occur when the
mixed liquor sits unaerated for enough time to allow the bugs to use up
all the free oxygen. This can occur
in secondary clarifiers if the return sludge rate is too low and the
sludge sits in the bottom of the clarifiers too long.
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