WASTEWATER SYSTEM MANAGEMENT by John Lisenko Wastewater systems are indispensable for community health. One of the signs of progress and civilization is how a society deals with its waste products. WA = Department of Ecology OR = Department of Environmental Quality

WASTEWATER SYSTEM MANAGEMENT The managed “product” is waterborne waste. It needs to be transported, treated and disposed of properly. Transportation, treatment and disposal may be under one jurisdiction, or could be handled separately, e.g. transportation by a city, treatment by a special district and disposal by a joint powers authority.

Management objectives for wastewater systems Accept the waste from the generator (residential, commercial, industrial) and dispose of it in a cost-effective manner that protects public health and safety. Return the waste, and the water used to transport it back to the environment in an acceptable form.

Management objectives for wastewater systems Objective 1 is usually achieved under the guidance of local authorities and local public input. Objective 2 is achieved by complying with state and federal regulations which may be promulgated as a result of non-local interests and over which local authorities have little control. The 2 objectives are not always compatible.

Basic Responsibilities: Planning, Financing, Constructing, Maintaining and Operating determine ultimate service area (topography usually dictates) determine service area demographics (city/county general plans) Evaluate needed vs. existing service capacity

Basic Responsibilities: Financing Sewer finances are based on reliance on user fees for existing service and connection/annexation charges for new service. User fees include operations, maintenance and capital replacement charges. Making sure new users pay a fair share is one of the biggest challenges.

Basic Responsibilities: Constructing Reasons for construction vary and include new facilities to accommodate growth, replacement of old facilities that have exceeded useful life and new facilities to address new and more stringent treatment requirements. Construction is financed by user fees and new development fees. Little if any federal/state $$$ is available.

Basic responsibilities: Maintaining Asset management programs and systems take different forms but have one goal in mind – reliability over the useful life, of any system component. Key aspects of any good asset management system is good data that is easily accessed and up to date.

Basic Responsibilities: Operating Collection system – keeping the stuff moving is the challenge – grease, roots and rags are the obstacles. Treatment – big topic, lots to discuss, not enough time. Basically it’s like cooking – you mix the ingredients, monitor the time and temperature, and hope it comes out right in the end. If not, the regulatory agencies will give you lots of indigestion!

Basic Responsibilities: Operating (cont’d) Disposal – the liquid waste stream is relatively simple to get rid of – the solids (sludge) are more challenging.

Current Issues Sewage spills – more often than not the result of errors, mostly human. Big headlines due to high visibility. Collection system monitoring, reporting and management plans (SSMP). Effort underway to put collection system management on par with treatment plant management with respect to reporting, permitting, etc.

Current Issues (cont’d) Reclamation is a requirement of most water supply analyses. Seldom is the water purveyor also the sewage treatment authority. As a result, the priorities may be in conflict and the rate structure as well. Privatization – not as much of a push now, but always lurking in the background and keeps public sector on its toes.

Current Issues (cont’d) Sludge disposal and the classification of sludge as a hazardous waste. With incineration generally frowned upon due to air pollution concerns, how to get rid of sludge is a challenge for the future.

SUMMARY AND Q&A Because sewer revenue is subject only to the political will of the governing board to raise rates, there is no excuse for doing a less than satisfactory job. This puts a lot of responsibility on managers to use their resources effectively and to do as thorough and complete a job as possible.