Transcript the file - Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Rural Community Assistance Partnership
Practical solutions for improving rural communities
Effectively Managing
Your Water/Wastewater
System
© 2013 All rights reserved. Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Inc. This presentation may not be used in any for-profit venture without permission from RCAP, Inc.
This training was created
by
Rural
Community Assistance
Partnership
Practical solutions for improving rural communities
Western RCAP
Rural Community
Assistance Corporation
(916) 447-2854
www.rcac.org
Midwest RCAP
Midwest Assistance Program
(952) 758-4334
www.map-inc.org
Southern RCAP
Community Resource Group
(479) 443-2700
www.crg.org
Northeast RCAP
RCAP Solutions
(800) 488-1969
www.rcapsolutions.org
Great Lakes RCAP
WSOS Community
Action Commission
(800) 775-9767
www.glrcap.org
RCAP National Office
1701 K St. NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20006
(800) 321-7227
www.rcap.org | [email protected]
Southeast RCAP
Southeast Rural Community
Assistance Project
(866) 928-3731
www.southeastrcap.org
What are effective management practices?
 Also known as best management practices (BMP)
 Methods or techniques widely understood to be the
most effective and practical means in achieving an
objective (such as treating water or wastewater)
while making the optimum use of the resources of a
system
 Doing your best with what you have
Effective management practices include:
 Written operation &
maintenance (O&M) manuals
– Standard operating
procedures (SOPs)
 Benchmarking programs
 Plans for operator training, retention, and
recruitment
 Tools to assure financial sustainability, including
asset management, viable rates, and integrated
planning and budgeting
Effective management practices
 Written O&M manuals
 Benchmarking program
 Employ trained operators
 Assure financial sustainability
Two types of O&M manuals
 Operational O&M manuals
describe how to run the
system normally and in
times of emergency.
 System O&M manuals
describe how to run the
business side of the
water or wastewater system.
Operational O&M manual
 System identification page
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System’s name
Owner’s name(s)
Address(es)
Physical location
Phone number(s)
Design flow capacity
Type of treatment
Water source
Water system design elements
 Source water
 Description of type of treatment
 Principal design criteria
 Flow diagram
 Analysis of hydraulic capacity
 Pumping stations
 Storage tanks
 Distribution system map
 Public Water System Identification Database
(PWSID) information
Wastewater system design elements
 Collections system maps
 Description of treatment
 Principal design criteria
 Flow diagrams
 Hydraulic analysis
 Pumping station locations
 Where water is returned to the environment
 Sludge removal, processing and disposal
Common to water and wastewater systems
 Written standard operating procedures (SOPs)
 Vulnerability assessment (VA)
 Written emergency operating procedures
(EOPs) and emergency response plans (ERPs)
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personnel assignments
chain of command
emergency equipment inventory
emergency phone numbers
copies of WARNs and EMACs
Common to water and wastewater systems
 Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network
(WARN) voluntary agreements are meant for
systems within a state’s boundaries.
 Emergency Management Assistance Compact
(EMAC) voluntary agreements are meant for
systems that offer help across state boundaries.
 WARN and EMAC are discussed later in this
presentation.
Water system SOPs: Daily
 Check water meter readings, and record water
production
 Inspect chemical feed pumps
 Check chemical solution tanks, and record
amount of chemical used
 Record water level in storage tanks
 Record chlorine residual at application point and
in distribution system
 Record turbidity (if applicable)
 Inspect booster pump stations (if applicable)
Water system SOPs: Daily (cont’d)
 Record fluoride concentration in distribution system (if
applicable)
 Record well pump running times and cycle starts (if
applicable)
 Check instrumentation for proper signal input and output
 Investigate customer complaints
 Complete a daily security check
 Inspect heater operation during winter months
 Inspect well pumps, motors and controls (if applicable)
Water system SOPs: Weekly
 Inspect chlorine and fluoride testing equipment (if
applicable)
 Clean buildings and grounds and make sure fire
hydrants are accessible
 Record pumping rate for each well or source water pump
 Conduct security check
Water system SOPs: Monthly
 Read and record electric meter values
 Take appropriate monthly water-quality samples
 Check and record static and pumping levels of each well
(if applicable)
 Read all customer meters and compare with total water
produced
 Inspect well heads (if applicable)
 Lubricate locks
 Compare on-site readings with lab results
 Confirm submission of monthly reports
Laboratory information
 Sampling locations, time, and
methods
 Collection procedures
 Preservation requirements
 Safety precautions
 How to interpret laboratory results
and use the results to improve the process
 What should be in laboratory supply and
chemicals inventory
Laboratory information (cont’d)
 Recommended laboratory equipment, supplies,
chemicals and a list of laboratory references
 Instructions for completing worksheets (include
examples and sample worksheets)
 For tests to be performed by certified laboratories
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name of the laboratory
contact person
telephone number
shipping procedures
method of requesting sample pick-up or schedule for
sample pickups
Let’s review: Operational O&M manuals
 Operational O&M manuals tell how to run the
_______ normally and in _______.
 True or false? Design basis of the system
should be included in an operational O&M
manual.
 What is the difference between a WARN and an
EMAC?
Let’s review: Operational O&M manuals
 Why is a written chain of command important?
 Why should example sampling sheets be
included in your operational O&M manual?
 How does your system’s operational O&M
manual compare normal operation with
emergency operation?
System O&M manual
 Asset-management plan
 Preventive-maintenance plan
 Vulnerability assessment (VA)
 Emergency-response plan (ERP)
Asset-management plan
 Effectively manage land, structures, equipment,
software, and other assets of the system in order
to use your limited finances on them wisely
 Incorporates
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Expected lifetime of asset
Planned savings for repair/replacement/upgrade
Scheduled maintenance
Performance measurements
EPA STEP Guide for Asset Management
 Call 800/426-4791 and request EPA 816-R-03-016
 Go to www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys/ssinfo.htm
CUPSS: Check-Up Program for Small Systems
Asset-Management Tool for Small Utilities
 Free, CD-based, stand-alone AM tool
 For utilities serving fewer than 3,300 population
 Based on successful STEP Guides
 www.epa.gov/cupss
Preventive Maintenance Plan
 A plan of regularly scheduled repair and
replacement of equipment parts that wear out in
order to avoid emergency repairs or failure of
service.
 Includes
– Scheduling inspections
– Detecting necessity of repair/replacement
– Performing repair/replacement
Vulnerability assessment
 Discover which emergencies are most likely to
affect your system
 Discover which assets are the most important to
providing service
 Discover which assets are the most vulnerable
to damage or disruption during an emergency
Vulnerability Assessment (cont’d)
 Rank the annual likelihood of emergency from 1 to 10
(10 is the most likely) for RISK
 Rank the damage to the equipment from 1 to 10 (10 is
complete loss) for DAMAGE
 Rank the importance of equipment or treatment from 1 to
10 (10 is most important) for CRITICALITY
 RISK x DAMAGE x CRITICALITY = RANKING
 Highest ranking = most vulnerable
Setting priorities with a risk matrix
Vulnerability assessment (cont’d)
 Once VA is completed for every piece of equipment, plan
to mitigate damage from emergencies
 Use ranking to prioritize which equipment is addressed
first
 Use ranking to budget for mitigation
 Review VA annually at a minimum
Emergency-response plan
Basic elements
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Know the information about your system
Establish roles and responsibilities
Establish and use communications procedures
Make sure your personnel are as safe as possible
Identify alternative water sources
Plan for replacement equipment and chemical
supplies
– Protect your system’s property
– Perform water sampling and monitoring
Emergency-response plan (cont’d)
 Join a WARN (Water/Wastewater Agency
Response Network) for assistance within state
boundaries
 Establish an EMAC (Emergency Management
Assistance Compact) for assistance across state
boundaries
 Evaluate the plan at least annually by using a
simulated emergency on at least a tabletop
scale
 If there are problems with the plan, fix it and test
it again
Let’s review: System O&M manual
 Asset management includes recording the asset’s
expected _____, planned savings for _____,
preventive _____, and _____ measurements.
 Why is preventive maintenance important?
 Ranking the most vulnerable piece of equipment or
portion of your system helps you _____ damage
and _____ for budgeting.
Let’s review: System O&M manual
 ERP is the abbreviation for _____.
 (Any) Four of the eight elements of an ERP are
_____, _____, _____, and _____.
 What is the purpose of reviewing an ERP
annually?
Effective management practices
 Written O&M manuals
 Benchmarking program
 Employ trained operator(s)
 Assure financial sustainability
Benchmarking program
 A benchmarking program is the process of
determining who is the very best, who sets the
standard, and what that standard is.
 Benchmarking allows you to compare your
system with others, to identify comparative
strengths and weaknesses, and learn how to
improve.
 Benchmarking is a way of finding and adopting
the most effective practices.
Effective management practices
 Written O&M manuals
 Benchmarking
program
 Employ trained
operators
 Assure financial sustainability
Employ trained operator(s)
 Requirements for training and certification
 Should have training for other parts of their jobs
 Support your current operator(s) but have a
succession plan in place
Effective management practices
 Written O&M manuals
 Benchmarking program
 Employ trained operators
 Assure financial sustainability
Major components of financial management
 Budget
 Budget reports and monitoring
 Rate setting
 Asset management
 Strategic planning
Budget requirements
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Annual operating expenses
Annual reserves
Annual revenue
Revenues should cover expenses
(including reserves)
 Use the past to predict the future
39
Creating a budget
1.
2.
3.
4.
Estimate annual operating expenses.
Include setting aside reserves.
Estimate revenues.
Balance the budget.
More assistance for small communities
 Visit the RCAP website at www.rcap.org
– Library of resources
– Links to other helpful tools and organizations
– Publications (magazine and email newsletter)
 [Trainer’s name and contact info here]