January 2017
Mark your Calendar for Upcoming Conferences/Conventions
The New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) will hold its 2017 Annual Conference & Exhibit on January 22-25 at the Marriott Copley Place in Boston. More info at www.newea.org.
The Maine Water Utilities Association (MWUA) will hold its 91st Annual February Meeting & Trade Show on February 6 - 8th at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. More info at www.mwua.org.
JETCC is hosting the North Country Convention April 26-27 in Presque Isle.
Don’t miss the chance to get together with other water/wastewater professionals for the latest practices, technologies, training, products, services, and networking opportunities.
Calendar
Note: Contact the sponsoring organization for more information on training courses.
January 9,11,18, 23, & 25 - MRWA - VSWS & Class I Prep Course, Farmington & Newport
January 10,12,17,19, & 24 - MRWA - VSWS & Class I Prep Course, Oxford & Richmond
January 10 - MRWA - Crisis Comm. Planning, Farmington, Presque, & Calais
January 12 - JETCC - Wastewater Operator School (WOS) meets every other Thursday through June 15, 2017 (twice/month) , Southern Maine Region
January 13 - MRWA - Crisis Comm. Planning, Gorham, Greenville, & Richmond
January 18 - MRWA - Backflow Devices, Richmond
January 19 - MRWA - Basic SOP Writing, Calais, Oxford, Newport, & Richmond
January 22 - 25 - NEWEA - Annual Conference & Exhibit, Boston, WW Variable TCH
January 25 - MRWA - Backflow Devices, York
February 1,8,15,& 22 - MRWA - Wastewater Grade 1 & 2 Prep, Gorham, Newport, Presque Isle, & Richmond
February 6 - 8 - MWUA - 91st Annual Meeting & Trade Show, Portland, Variable TCH
February 7 - MRWA - Microbiology for Water Operations: Bacteria, Viruses & Parasites, Oh My! Newport, Oxford, Presque Isle, & Richmond
February 14,16, 20, 22,& 27 - MRWA - Class II Prep, Location TBD
February 16 - JETCC - Ensuring Biosolids Quality w/ Process Control, Bangor, WW 6 TCH
February 21 - JETCC - PVC Valves Connections & Joining, Waterville, WW 6 TCH
February 23 - JETCC - PVC Valves Connections & Joining, Kennebunkport WW 6 TCH
February 2017 - MRWA - Basic Plumbing, Boothbay & Yarmouth Areas
March 1 - JETCC - Things That Make the World Turn, Augusta , WW 6 TCH
March 7 - JETCC - Basic Chemistry for Operators, Bangor, WW 3.5 TCH
March 7 - MRWA - Maps & Plans, Livermore Falls
March 8 - MRWA - Basic Electricity, Caribou
March 14 - MRWA - Maps & Plans, Bangor
March 15-18 - JETCC - O & M of Wastewater Collection Systems, Portland, WW 15 TCH in cooperation with NEIWPCC
April 26 & 27 - JETCC - North Country Convention, Presque Isle
Flow Monitoring Questions, Part 1
True-False
1. The expression V= Q/A means the volume of water is equal to the flow divided by the cross-sectional area of the channel or pipe
A. True
B. False
2. Open channel flow conditions occur whenever the conduit is completely filled and under pressure
A. True
B. False
3. For measuring flow in open channels, the primary device is a hydraulic structure that restricts the flow stream and produces a change in level. The secondary device measures the level.
A. True
B. False
4. One method to measure the flow rate in a closed pipe is to measure the pressure differential through a constriction, such as a Venturi or orifice plate.
A. True
B. False
5. Types of secondary devices in open channel flow include weirs and flumes.
A. True
B. False
6. Liquid levels may be measured by bubble tubes, floats, probes, sight tubes, and ultrasonic flow meters.
A. True
B. False
7. Disadvantages of bubble tubes are they may become clogged with oil or fine solids, and must be cleaned frequently.
A. True
B. False
Math
8. A stick travels 48-ft in 32 sec in a grit channel. What is the approximate flow velocity in the channel?
9. Influent flows through a 24-in diameter culvert flowing full at 15.5 cfs to the headworks. What is the velocity in fps?
10. Next, water flows to a 4-ft square grit channel. What is the velocity in the channel?
Clean Water State Revolving Fund – Stormwater Funding Opportunities
When the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program was created under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) in 1989, Maine adopted State statute to run the program. Initially, the program focused solely on wastewater infrastructure, however over the course of time federal and state funds capitalized the program and the fund grew from repayment funds sufficiently to where it could begin to finance other water quality protection or improvement projects that were allowed under the program. In addition to our “bread and butter” wastewater projects, the program now funds non-point source landfill closures, and partners with FAME and commercial banks to finance agriculture and silviculture best management practices. We’re currently working with FAME to develop a program to fund the removal and/or replacement of oil storage tanks and facilities that will be rolled out in the spring. It’s all about protecting the water!
What I have mentioned above doesn’t really have anything to do with stormwater, but it does illustrate how the CWSRF program continues to adapt to changes in available funding and in the case of stormwater, changes in project eligibility under the program. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA) made the most sweeping revisions to the CWSRF program since its creation. One of the revisions was to open up eligibility for projects in the stormwater area. Here are three of the areas that changed relating to stormwater and the FWPCA section amended:
1. Stormwater Management, Section 603(c)(5) – Publicly and privately owned *, permitted and unpermitted projects that manage, reduce, treat, or recapture stormwater or subsurface drainage water are eligible. The change in this area is that the language removes the ownership constraints on regulated stormwater projects. For example, projects that are specifically required by a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permit, regardless of ownership. Projects may include, but are not limited to green roofs, rain gardens, roadside plantings, porous pavement, and rainwater harvesting. The change also allows for the eligible funding of stormwater pipes designed to manage, but not treat, stormwater. Previously our funding was limited to stormwater pipes needed for combined sewer overflow separation or a stormwater project that had treatment, such as a bio-swale.
2. Watershed Projects Meeting Section 122, Section 603(c)(7) – Projects that develop and implement a watershed pilot project related to at least one of the six areas identified in section 122 of the FWPCA are eligible: 1) watershed management of wet weather discharges, 2) stormwater best management practices, 3) watershed partnerships, 4) integrated water resource planning, 5) municipality-wide stormwater management planning, or 6) increased resilience of treatment works. Assistance recipients may be public or private entities *.
3. Wastewater, Stormwater, or Subsurface Drainage Water Reuse or Recycling, Section 603(c)(9) – Projects for reusing or recycling wastewater, stormwater, or subsurface drainage water. Although this category of projects is not as critical in a water rich state like Maine, eligible projects include, but are not limited to, distribution systems to support effluent reuse, including piping the effluent on the property of a private consumer, recharge transmission lines, injection wells, and equipment to reuse effluent. Assistance recipients may be public or private entities *.
* Although Federal Law allows for the assistance recipients to be public or private entities, the Maine Municipal Bond Bank is limited by statute to financing only governmental or public entities. The CWSRF program does not currently have a financial mechanism to loan to private entities for the stormwater activities listed above.
John True at 287 7808, john.n.true@maine.gov.
Certification Update – Certificate Renewals
It’s getting to be that time of the year again when many certified operators will need to renew their certificate. March 1, 2017 is the renewal deadline for operators’ whose license ends in an “odd” number. Operators holding “even” numbered licenses have another year until they renew March 1, 2018.
That means renewing operators must make sure they have the required eighteen (18) Training Contact Hours (TCHs) of approved wastewater continuing education training.
Not sure when your license expires or how many TCHs you have? Not to worry! JETCC updates operator records monthly on their website. Active operators can always find their Renewal Period End Date and Total Approved Hours on JETCC's website, www.jetcc.org.
Just click on the pull-down menu for “Certification”, choose Wastewater Operator License Renewals, and click on “View TCH Summary”. You will see this information listed by certificate number.
Remember: TCHs may only be used for the renewal period in which the training occurred.
NOTE: Continuing education must be directly related to the day-to-day operations of a wastewater treatment plant and/or collection system to be acceptable for TCHs. As an option, up to six (6) TCHs of applicable safety training can be accepted.
Not sure what “counts” as safety training? For example, Confined Space, Lockout/Tagout, Blood Borne Pathogens, and Emergency Preparedness are acceptable, whereas Human Resource or general office safety training is not. Defensive driving training is allowed only if part of an operator’s job duties and not solely for commuting purposes.
Remember, all TCHs for license renewal must be approved by DEP. It is the responsibility of the operator to ensure that TCHs are approved by DEP before attending the session. DEP pre-approves training programs offered by MEWEA, MRWA, MWUA, NEWEA, NEIWPCC-JETCC, CSUS, EPA and others.
In-house and online training or webinars may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. To submit a course for DEP approval (if not pre-approved), use the “proof of training” form on the website www.jetcc.org. Click on the “Certification” tab, “Wastewater Operator License Renewals”, and click on “proof of training” for the form. Send completed form to JETCC.
If you have any questions, please email judy.k.bruenjes@maine.gov or call 207-287-7806.
1. False. The “V” in the equation stands for Velocity, not Volume. The “Q” stands for flow, and “A” is the cross sectional area of the channel or conduit.
2. False. Open channel flow has a free surface open to the atmosphere, whereas closed channel, or pressure pipe conditions occur whenever the conduit is completely filled and under pressure.
3. True. The primary device is a hydraulic structure (such as a flume or weir) that restricts the flow stream and produces a change in level. The secondary device (such as ultrasonic, bubbler, float, sight tube, or probe) measures the level.
4. True. Methods to measure flow in closed pipes include measuring the pressure change through a constriction such as a Venturi or orifice plate.
5. False. Weirs and flumes are primary devices used in open channel flow to create a change in level that is proportional to the flow. Secondary devices, such as ultrasonic or bubbler tubes, measure the level change.
6. True. Liquid levels may be measured by bubbler tubes, floats, probes, sight tubes, and ultrasonic flow meters.
7. True. Bubble tubes are widely used for monitoring liquid levels in a tank. A small but uninterrupted flow of air or inert gas is forced down through a dip tube which extends to near the bottom of the tank. The back pressure of the introduced gas is a function of the liquid level or head in the tank. The pressure transmitter converts the pressure signal to liquid level. The plant operator will then be able to monitor the exact level in the tank.
Because of the small tube diameter, the fine tubes may become clogged with oil or fine solids, and must be cleaned frequently. For this reason they are often not suitable for domestic wastewater applications.
For questions 8-10 below, Use the formula in Question 1, V = Q/A. It helps to draw a picture of the structures.
8. Velocity = 48 ft / 32 sec = 1.5 fps (ft per sec or ft/sec)
9. First, find the cross sectional area of the culvert (A) using the formula
πR2 or 0.785 X Dia2 (diameter squared). Don’t forget to change inches to feet.
0.785 X 2-ft X 2-ft = 3.14 sf (square feet)
Next, divide the flow rate by the area:
15.5 cfs ÷ 3.14 sf = 4.9 ft/sec
10. First find the cross sectional area of the square tank: 4 ft wide X 4 ft deep = 16 ft2
Next divide the flow rate (given in #9) by the area: 15.5. ft3/sec ÷ 16 ft = 1 ft/sec
Update One – Searching Google to find the NetDMR Login Page
Do you use a Google search to get to the NetDMR login page? This used to be a great way to find the login page, but within the last couple of weeks, something has changed with Google and it no longer provides the NetDMR login page for the Production site (this is the site you use to submit your DMRs).
Instead the search currently provides the NetDMR “Test” site (the site we used for training) as the first choice from your search. If this has caused issues for you, you are not alone! I have heard from many of you who do use a Google search to get to the login page for NetDMR and have had this problem. So, when trying to log in to NetDMR, make sure that you do not see the word “TEST” after Maine Department of Environmental Protection or your login will not work!
If you have NetDMR bookmarked, this method to get to the login page still works great.
Google has been made aware of the issue, but in the meantime: please make sure that the link you use is: https://netdmr.epa.gov/netdmr/public/home.htm NOT the web address that contains the word “TEST”. As of December 21st, if you use Bing to search “NetDMR login,” the first choice that shows up is https://netdmr.epa.gov/netdmr/public/home.htm, but a Yahoo search also yields the “TEST” site.
So, please remember that no matter which search engine you use, your user account is for Production, not "TEST". Hopefully the issue will be resolved by next month, but if not please make sure your URL (web address at the top of the internet browser) does not contain the word “TEST”.
Also, remember that you can access the NetDMR login page through the Zendesk Support Portal (aka, the NetDMR helpdesk): https://netdmr.zendesk.com/hc/en-us.
Update Two – Make Sure You Submit the Correct Year (2017)
As the New Year approaches and users begin to reach the one year mark of using NetDMR (wow, nice job!), make sure you are submitting DMRs for 2017 and not accidently using blank DMRs from 2016.
Some facilities, but not all, have blank DMRs from when you registered for NetDMR. These DMRs were never submitted in NetDMR because DEP was in the process of transitioning to NetDMR and your facility was still submitting by paper or eDMR. We know that this has caused some confusion and we are trying to figure out a way to get rid of those DMRs that will never get submitted. If you have some of these old DMRs from 2016 hanging around, make sure to check the year and only submit DMRs for 2017!
I have suggested before that using the Monitoring Period End Date Range can be useful when searching for your DMRs. If you do not use the Monitoring Period End Date Range on the All DMRs & Copies of Record (CORs) search page (this is the page you come to automatically after logging in), now would be a great time to start! Using the Monitoring Period End Date Range to search for your DMRs will help you to find the DMRs you are looking for, reducing chances of accidently submitting old DMRs from 2016.
As always, if you have any questions regarding NetDMR call your inspector or contact Rebecca Beam – NetDMR Coordinator – at 207-287-9034 or rebecca.m.beam@maine.gov.
| 
