florida water resources journal - august 2014

Editor’s Office and Advertiser Information:Florida Water Resources Journal

1402 Emerald Lakes DriveClermont, FL 34711

Phone: 352-241-6006 • Fax: 352-241-6007Email: Editorial, [email protected]

Display and Classified Advertising, [email protected] Office:

P.O. Box 745, Windermere, FL 34786-0745Web: http://www.fwrj.com

General Manager: Michael DelaneyEditor: Rick HarmonGraphic Design Manager: Patrick DelaneyMailing Coordinator: Buena Vista Publishing

Published byBUENA VISTA PUBLISHING for

Florida Water Resources Journal, Inc.

President: Richard Anderson (FSAWWA)Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority

Vice President: Greg Chomic (FWEA)Heyward Incorporated

Treasurer: Rim Bishop (FWPCOA)Seacoast Utility Authority

Secretary: Holly Hanson (At Large)ILEX Services Inc., Orlando

Moving?The Post Office will not forward your magazine. Do notcount on getting the Journal unless you notify us directly ofaddress changes by the 15th of the month preceding themonth of issue. Please do not telephone address changes.Email changes to [email protected], fax to 352-241-6007, ormail to Florida Water Resources Journal, 1402 Emerald LakesDrive, Clermont, FL 34711

Membership QuestionsFSAWWA: Casey Cumiskey – 407-957-8447 or

[email protected]: Karen Wallace, Executive Manager – 407-574-3318FWPCOA: Darin Bishop – 561-840-0340

Training QuestionsFSAWWA: Donna Metherall – 407-957-8443 or

[email protected]: Shirley Reaves – 321-383-9690

For Other InformationDEP Operator Certification: Ron McCulley – 850-245-7500FSAWWA: Peggy Guingona – 407-957-8448Florida Water Resources Conference: 888-328-8448FWPCOA Operators Helping Operators:

John Lang – 772-559-0722, e-mail – [email protected]: Karen Wallace, Executive Manager – 407-574-3318

WebsitesFlorida Water Resources Journal: www.fwrj.comFWPCOA: www.fwpcoa.orgFSAWWA: www.fsawwa.orgFWEA: www.fwea.org and www.fweauc.orgFlorida Water Resources Conference: www.fwrc.org

Throughout this issue trademark names are used. Rather than place a trademarksymbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name, we state we are using the namesonly in an editorial fashion, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no in-tention of infringement of the trademark. None of the material in this publicationnecessarily reflects the opinions of the sponsoring organizations. All correspon-dence received is the property of the Florida Water Resources Journal and is subjectto editing. Names are withheld in published letters only for extraordinary reasons.

Authors agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Florida Water Re-sources Journal Inc. (FWRJ), its officers, affiliates, directors, advisors, members,representatives, and agents from any and all losses, expenses, third-party claims, li-ability, damages and costs (including, but not limited to, attorneys’ fees) arising fromauthors’ infringement of any intellectual property, copyright or trademark, or otherright of any person, as applicable under the laws of the State of Florida.

Florida Water Resources Journal, USPS 069-770, ISSN 0896-1794, is published monthly by Florida Water Resources Journal, Inc., 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive, Clermont, FL 34711, on behalf of the Florida Water & Pollution Control Operator’s Association, Inc.; Florida Section, American Water Works Association; andthe Florida Water Environment Association. Members of all three associations receive the publication as a service of their association; $6 of membership duessupport the Journal. Subscriptions are otherwise available within the U.S. for $24 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Clermont, FL and additional offices.

POSTMASTER: send address changes to Florida Water Resources Journal, 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive, Clermont, FL 34711

Volume 66 August 2014 Number 8

Florida Water Resources Journal • August 2014 3

News and Features4 Can Mixing Systems Help Prevent Aging Surface Water?—Erika Henderson

31 FWEA’s “Larry, Darryl, and Darrell” Attend WEF Specialty Conference53 Correction54 News Beat

Technical Articles32 Calibrated Hydraulic and Water Quality Model Predictions Merge with Break History

for an Innovative Approach to Prioritizing Water Main Replacement—Roberto A. Rosario,Christopher C. Baggett, and James McLellan

44 Distribution System Water Quality Models Support Treatment Process Decisions—Brandon Bryant, Michael Harber, and Robert Dehler

Education and Training23 FWPCOA Online Training Institute 24 FSAWWA Conference31 FSAWWA Water Conservation Awards41 CEU Challenge43 FWPCOA Training Calendar50 TREEO Center Training57 Florida Water Resources Conference

Call for Papers

Columns40 FWEA Chapter Corner—Danielle Bertini42 FWEA Focus—Kart Vaith50 FSAWWA Speaking Out—Carl R. Larrabee Jr.51 Spotlight on Safety—Doug Prentiss Sr.52 Process Page—Terrence McCue and John Milligan53 C Factor—Jeff Poteet60 Certification Boulevard—Roy Pelletier

Departments55 New Products61 Service Directories64 Classifieds66 Display Advertiser Index

ON THE COVER: The Journal’s 65thAnniversary logo. In this issue, read aboutthe history of the magazine, the FloridaWater Resources Conference, and thethree organizations that publish themagazine: FSAWWA, FWEA, and FWPCOA.

65th Anniversary Issue8 Introduction: 65 Years and Counting!8 65-Year Journey of the Journal

10 Florida Water Resources Conference11 History of the Florida Section AWWA16 History of the Florida Water Environment Association18 Florida Water and Pollution Control Operators Association History

4 August 2014 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Erika Henderson

In the past, many water operators thoughtdaily turnover and fluctuation of volume wasenough to mix the water in a storage tank. Today,research and tests are showing more effort maybe needed to effectively mix storage tank waterand improve water quality. Several water tankfeatures can contribute to how effective water ismixed and the rate at which it ages.

A tank’s design, daily use, and location inthe system should all be considered when decid-ing the best action for improving water quality.Tanks with high height-to-diameter ratio, suchas standpipes, are more susceptible to aging sur-face water because greater water variations candevelop among the many layers. As the distancebetween surface and bottom water increases,more effort is required for the bottom layers toreach the distant top layers. The same thing ap-plies when inlet and outlet pipes are both placedin the bottom ring of a tank. The new incomingwater is also the first to exit the tank while surfacewater is left to continue aging. However, if theinlet pipe is extended to allow over-the-top fill-ing, surface water can be pushed to the bottomand mixed with incoming water.

The American Water Works Association(AWWA) Manual M42, Steel Water StorageTanks, states:

“Water quality is a significant concern towater distribution system managers. Disinfectionbyproduct (DBP) formation is largely depend-ent on reaction time, and it can continue for sev-eral days within the distribution system. At thesame time, disinfectant residual must be main-tained throughout the most remote componentsof the system to ensure pathogen-free water.

Managing the residence time of water withinstorage tanks is one practice available to mini-mize water age within the distribution system.Water system managers and engineers shouldconsider the need for circulation of water andresidence time management within storage tanksduring the design phase.”

Although water quality and circulation areoften discussed during the design phase, they arecontinuing concerns for water operators. Aroundthe world, deaths and illnesses occur daily fromunhealthy water, and water operators can losetheir licenses to operate a water system if un-healthy water is found in their systems.

Great responsibility comes with being awater operator and many pride themselves onproviding excellent water quality. A popularmethod for improving water quality is to install

a mixing system. Mixing systems can help pre-vent aging surface water that often leads to strat-ification, accumulation of DBPs, water qualityloss, and ice formation.

Stratification

Stratification occurs when water has be-come separated into layers, which are arrangedaccording to density. Differences in density arecreated when variations of water temperature orpH exist. The warmer, less dense, older water sitsabove the cooler, denser, newer water coming inand creating layers. The incoming water staysnear the bottom and is also the first to exit thetank if an over-the-top fill has not been installed.

The top layer of older water is left to ageeven further. As water ages, the quality deterio-rates and bacterial growth increases. The bacte-ria may not cause sample problems in thewarmer months, but may show up when theolder, surface water begins to cool and sink to thebottom in the cooler months.

Water temperature can be checked every 5 ft during an inspection to help determinewhether stratification is a problem. If stratifica-tion is an issue, then a mixing system may beneeded. Mixing systems should be designed ac-cording to the tank’s unique dimensions andneeds; most are designed to take the newer waterfrom the bottom and mix it with the warmersurface water. Mixing helps maintain consistentwater temperatures and pH levels throughoutthe tank, thus preventing stratification. How-ever, mixing must occur regularly to prevent re-occurring stratification, sample inconsistences,and inaccurate disinfection treatment.

Can Mixing Systems Help Prevent Aging Surface Water?

Continued on page 6

Disinfectant Byproducts

Disinfectant decay occurs when chemicalsused for disinfection react with other organicmaterial, organisms, and surfaces. These reac-tions create carcinogenic disinfectant byproductsknown as trihalomethanes (TTHMs) andhaloacetic acids (HAAs). Byproducts are pres-ent in almost all chlorinated water supplies, butthe key is keeping these levels as low as possible.Mixing systems can help keep these levels low byeffectively blending all water with disinfectantsand increasing the contact time. When disinfec-tant contact time is increased, less chlorine con-centration is needed and fewer byproducts areproduced.

Ice Formation

Most compounds become denser as theychange from a liquid to a solid because themolecules become more tightly packed. How-ever, water is most dense at 39.2°F (4°C), andbecomes less dense at lower temperatures,causing ice to float. Water in a tank is the same,and according to the National Fire ProtectionAssociation (NFPA) Standard for the Inspec-tion, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based

Fire Protection Systems, “the temperature ofwater tanks shall not be less than 40°F (4.4°C).”When temperatures fall below freezing, ice canform on the surface. The ice will continue toexpand and get thicker as the water tempera-ture remains below freezing. Ice can cause se-rious damage to a tank: tank coatings are oftendamaged, pipes can become clogged, leaks andstructural damage can result, and even tankfailures have occurred from ice forming inwater tanks.

The AWWA Manual M42 also states:“When a tank freezes, one or more of the

following conditions usually results and causeleakage:� Inside overflow or other piping breaks occur. � Ladders or other attachments to the container

are pulled out by ice, making a hole at thepoint of attachment.

� Ice pressure can expand and place hoop stressloads on the steel and seams, which may causethe tank wall to yield or burst.

� Leaks due to corrosion become apparent.”

Mixing systems can provide regular watercirculation to help maintain a consistent watertemperature above freezing and prevent thewater from separating into layers where dan-gerous ice can form on the surface and sidesof tanks.

Maintaining Water Quality

All tanks should be regularly monitoredfor mixing efficiency, but tanks with low fill-ing cycles, high volume, or at the end of awater system should be monitored more often.These types of tanks may not only requiremixing system upgrades, but may also requiremore frequent inspections and cleanings tomaintain water quality and reduce aging sur-face water. Mixing systems can help preventaging surface water, but they must be designedand installed properly to be effective.

References

• American Water Works Association, 2013. SteelWater Storage Tanks. Manual M42 Revised Edi-tion, Chapter 5, Water Quality Issues.

• American Water Works Association, 2013. SteelWater Storage Tanks. Manual M42 Revised Edi-tion, Chapter 10, Results of Freezing.

• National Fire Protection Association, 2011.Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Main-tenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Sys-tems. NFPA 25 2011 Edition, Section 9.2.4.1.

Erika Henderson is director of researchwith Pittsburg Tank & Tower Co. Inc. in Hen-derson, Ky. ��

Continued from page 4


H I S T O R Y

In 1949 the then-named Florida Water andSewerage Works OperatorsAssociation conducted astudy of its membership,spearheaded by EmoryDawkins, the president-elect of the organization.One of the results of thestudy indicated that themembers were in favor of aformal and monthly publi-cation to address issues ofimportance to water pro-fessionals. By action of theboard of directors, anewsletter was created andthe title of editor wasadded to Dawkins’ position.

Dawkins, having access to the necessary print-ing and production equipment, and with the aidof the University of Florida sewage treatment plantoperating staff, began publishing the newsletter, towhich he gave the name The Overflow.

Initially, the new publication was a small,black-and-white, mimeographed, and staplednewsletter, but it was providing important infor-mation to the industry. The editor post was a vol-unteer position, and in 1952, Dawkins wasfollowed by George Lohmeyer, who was succeededby Bob Simon in 1955. In that year, the newsletterbegan accepting advertisements.

In 1957, the operators association welcomedits sister organizations, the Florida Section Amer-ican Water Works Association (FSAWWA) , andthe wastewater group then known as the FloridaSewerage and Industrial Waste Association, to helpproduce the newsletter.

In its tenth year, in 1959, the newsletter pro-gressed to a magazine, with its first full-color coverin 1961. Dawkins returned as editor in 1965. Thefollowing year a contract was signed with CodyPublications in Kissimmee to provide editorialpreparation, advertising sales, printing, and dis-tribution of the magazine; the editor would nowbe mainly responsible for gatherings articles andother editorial information.

The first editor under this new arrangementwas Bill Simpson. In 1967, Dawkins, proposed a

name change for the mag-azine to something thatwould be better descrip-tive, but no action wastaken.

The editor position re-mained voluntary. In 1971Ellis K. Phelps took overas editor until 1979, whenhe was replaced by EverettKinloch.

In 1985, the organiza-tions ended the contractwith Cody Publicationsand Emory Dawkins re-turned for his third tenureas editor. The name of thepublication was changed

to Florida Water Resources Journal.John Crane took over as editor in 1987; he

also sold the advertising and produced and pub-lished the magazine. In 1988, the Journal becamea monthly periodical, and in the following year, itwas printed in a full four-color format.

During Crane’s tenure, Florida Water Re-sources Journal Inc. was created as a nonprofitcorporation to oversee the magazine’s production.A board, consisting of a president, vice president,treasurer, and secretary, includes representativesfrom FWEA, FSAWWA, and the operators groupnow known as the Florida Water and PollutionControl Operators Association (FWPCOA).

In 2002, Buena Vista Publishing, a Floridacompany, became publisher of the magazine,handling advertising sales and all production. Thecompany also hired James Allen as the new editor,which was now a paid position.

Allen retired in July 2011. Rick Harmon, whoworked for AWWA in Denver for 25 years, tookover and is the current editor.

With technology not imagined in 1949 at themagazine’s inception, Harmon is able to remainin Denver and conduct all business for Buena Vistaand the Journal online.

The magazine continues to serve theFlorida water industry and today prints nearly10,000 copies for distribution throughout thestate. It can also be accessed from its website atwww.fwrj.com. ��

The Florida Water Resources Jour-nal is excited about bringing you thisAugust issue, which celebrates the65th year of the magazine. As the of-ficial publication for the FloridaWater & Pollution Control Opera-tors Association (FWPCOA), theFlorida of the Section AmericanWater Works Association(FSAWWA), and the Florida WaterEnvironment Association (FWEA),the Journal is proud to report everymonth on Florida’s growing andever-changing water industry.

The issue includes the history ofthe magazine, the Florida Water Re-sources Conference, and the threesponsoring organizations. As youread the three articles aboutFSAWWA, FWEA, and FWPCOA,you will see that they share some ofthe same history, which shows howintertwined they were at the begin-ning and continue to be to this day.While each association serves a dis-tinct group, they all have one goal: toserve Florida’s water professionals.

As the water industry has changedand grown, so has the magazine. Withtimely and informative technical andfeature articles addressing pertinentwater topics; information on educa-tion, training, and professional devel-opment; updates from the heads ofthe three organizations; columns oncertification, safety, continuing educa-tion units, legal, contractor, and otherissues; company and reader profiles;the latest news and product informa-tion; and a classified and service di-rectory, we strive to keep youup-to-date and give you the informa-tion you need to do your job well.

We appreciate the support you’vegiven to the Journal over the decadesand I’ve enjoyed my three years here.We look forward to the work aheadto help keep you—and Florida—atthe forefront of the water industry.

Rick Harmon, Editor

65 Years—and Counting!The 65-Year Journey of the Journal


The Articles of Incorporation to form FloridaWater Resources Conference Inc. were signed onApril 29, 1989, by E.H. Pearch, Robert L. Claudy, andKenneth M. Drury. The purpose of this nonprofit or-ganization was solely for general charitable and edu-cational purposes in accordance with Floridastatutes. It operates for the advancement of scienceand education by distribution of its funds, particu-larly for development of professional continuing ed-ucation in environmental materials, journals,services, and scholarly activities associated with thewater and wastewater industry.

The board of directors for the organization con-sists of seven members from each of the three mem-ber organizations: the Florida Section AmericanWater Works Association, the Florida Water Envi-ronment Association, and the Florida Water and Pol-lution Control Operators Association. The board oftrustees consists of three members from each of thesegroups. Initial trustees at the organization’s incep-tion were:� E.H. Pearch� Patricia Lodge� Patrick Karney� Timothy Brodeur� Robert Claudy� Allen Roberts� Robert Parmelee� Kenneth Drury� Mary K. Kinloch

Inaugural Conference

In 1990, the first Florida Water Resources Con-ference (FWRC) was held at the Twin Towers in Or-lando, with 55 exhibitors and 1,063 attendees. Acommittee of local volunteers engineered the FWRCfor the first 10 years. The conference rotated aroundthe state, with the premise of traveling to north,south, and central Florida, and to include the cities ofTampa, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Meyers, andMiami. Due to attendee preference, the conference isnow usually held in the Orlando area.

In 2000, the board named an executive directorand decided to outsource complete conference serv-ices. The 2014 FWRC, recently held at Disney’s Coro-nado Springs Resort, had 302 exhibitors and 2,626attendees—an overall growth of almost 35 percent.

Future Conferences

The 2015 FWRC will be held May 3-6 at theCaribe Royale Resort in Orlando. The GaylordPalms Resort, in Kissimmee, will host the 2016event on April 24-27. ��

Florida Water Resources Conference Continues to Serve the Water Industry

H I S T O R Y


The Florida Section American Water WorksAssociation (FSAWWA), came into being in1926at an organizational meeting in Tampa. For twoyears before this, many water works individualsteamed together to bring this auspicious eventabout. This history does not mention all of thepeople who worked so hard toward this success,but some of the prime movers are noted.

Fred Lane, superintendent of the St. Peters-burg Water Department, was instrumental in thestate’s break from the Southeastern Section ofAWWA. In July 1925, H. T. Oberly, assistant su-perintendent at St. Petersburg, started workingto form a Florida Section, ably abetted and en-couraged by E. L. Filby, chief engineer of theFlorida State Board of Health. They workedalone for six months, but once the idea becomeknown, there was enthusiasm from many others,principally Anson W. Squires, superintendent ofthe Tampa Water Department; A. F. Michaels,chief engineer of Orlando Utilities Commission;and C. C. Brown in Lakeland.

For a new section to be formed, a petitionfrom the sponsoring group needed to be pre-sented to AWWA at one of its meetings. Thegroup’s petition was prepared and signed by25 sponsors.

The legwork required to visit the manywater works personnel around the state to gettheir input was handled by Filby and severalwater works equipment salespeople, whose workrequired them to travel to the state’s variouswater plants. Their reports as to the interest inthe formation of the Florida section were col-lected and consolidated by the St. PetersburgWater Department. Most of the clerical work washandled and paid for by Lane and Oberly (whoalso paid for some traveling expenses out of theirown pockets) and by Filby.

In June 1926, a delegation from Florida pre-sented the petition to AWWA at its annual meet-ing in Buffalo, N. Y., asking for a charter for theformation of a Florida section. This petition wasacted upon favorably, paving the way for the newsection. At this time, there were 19 active AWWAmembers listed in Florida.

Filby wrote a series of inspiring messagesthat he termed "Florida Section Notes" andmailed them to members of AWWA living inFlorida, and to prospective members. He also ad-dressed a letter to "Honorable City Clerk" to allcities known to have water works, giving the rea-son for the formation of this group and its im-portance to the future of Florida, and asked thateach city clerk take up this matter with the citycouncil, encouraging the attendance of theirwater works superintendent at a first organiza-

tional meeting. There is no doubt that this workof Filby’s was responsible for the unexpectedlylarge turnout at the first meeting.

In 1926, the fantastic "land boom" in Miamihad spread over most of the state, followed by anenormous population increase. The so-called“Florida Story,” where millions could be madeovernight, was spread across the United States.In all of 1925, Miami issued over 7,500 real es-tate licenses. Since the start of the boom in 1921,nearly 1,000 subdivisions had been platted in theMiami area alone.

This development was not confined tothe Dade County area. St. Petersburg, Tampa,Sarasota, Daytona, and St. Augustine were ex-panding rapidly.

With all of this sudden growth in mind, itis no wonder that the responsible people in thewater works industry became concerned. Prob-ably of most concern to the State Board ofHealth was the potential for a massive epidemicever present in the overcrowded conditions, par-ticularly in Dade County. Lack of safe water sup-plies was only one of the problems—but a vitalone. Where was the water to come from to sup-

ply the needs for all of these people? Where wasthe money for the physical plants to produceand deliver the water? It’s no wonder that thosein the water works industry wanted to band to-gether to try to help solve these problems.

Florida’s future at the time looked verybright—but then came the hurricane of Sept.17, 1926. Suddenly, the Florida boom ended,not to be regenerated until the end of WorldWar II. The greatest damage was in DadeCounty, but the financial panic was felt overmost of the state.

In spite of this disaster and the revisionof water works priorities, plans for the Floridasection went on.

Plans for the new section’s first organiza-tional meeting were made at utilities in St. Pe-tersburg, Tampa, and Orlando. Squires,Oberly, Michaels, Filby, and Brown were theprincipal organizers and the meeting was heldat Squires’ office in Tampa’s city hall. At thistime, it was estimated that between 15 and 20interested people would attend.

Organizational Meeting

On Nov. 18, 1926, Squires, serving as actingchair, called the meeting to order. He recountedthe events leading up to the formation of the sec-tion, the preparation and presentation of the pe-tition to AWWA, and its concurrence granting acharter for the new section.

History of the Florida Section AWWA

Continued on page 12

H I S T O R Y


Old Tampa City Hall

Florida had plenty of water, but the bestwater was in the most slowly growing areas of thestate. The central highlands were predominantlyagricultural, while the most populous areas ofthe state along the coasts had the most problemsin securing water of adequate potability, due tohigh salinity, hardness, and iron content. The for-mation of the section, it was hoped, would resultin exchanges of experiences and informationamong the members that would lead to bettersolutions for all concerned.

Filby, the acting secretary-treasurer, re-ported on the present status of the section andthe need for additional members if the group wasto prosper and accomplish its intended purpose.He pointed out that membership would includethe Association’s magazine, Journal AWWA, amonthly publication containing many articlesconcerning water works practices, covering bothoperational and management topics.

During the meeting, officers of the newsection were selected: Squires was elected thefirst chair; Eugene Masters, St. Augustine, vicechair; and Filby, the first secretary-treasurer.The directors, as they were called at the time(at the Tampa meeting in April 1936, a motionwas proposed and adopted to change the word"directors" in the constitution to '"trustees"),who were elected were: Brown; Michaels; Y. A.Richards, Daytona Beach; Lane; L. B. Duane,Sanford; and F. J. Stewart, Hollywood. A con-stitution had been prepared, which was readand adopted at the meeting, and the sectioncame into being.

The first annual meeting was held in Holly-wood on April 12, 1927, with, on the followingday, inspection trips to the new Ft. Lauderdale

water filtration plant and the West Palm Beachplant. Squires presided at the business meetingwith Filby and there were approximately 60 peo-ple registered.

The members petitioned the state legisla-ture for laws regulating cross connections be-tween potable supplies and unacceptablesupplies, and to appropriate additional funds forthe use of the state geologist, Dr. Herman Gunter,and the U. S. Geological Survey to continue thenecessary investigations, study, and determina-tions as to the character, sources, and quantity ofunderground waters of the state being used forpublic purposes. They petitioned the State Boardof Health to provide for extending its valuableservices to the chemical analysis so that advice,information, and recommendations of thechemical properties of the water supplies usedfor public purposes could be secured.

Annual Meetings Continue

The second annual meeting was held in Or-lando on April 3-4, 1928, and Jacksonville servedas the site of the third annual meeting held April10-11, 1929. These and subsequent meetings fol-lowed the same format as the first.

At the third meeting, the resolutions thatwere adopted included the following:

"Resolved in view of the increasing interestin the possibility of licensing and certification ofwater works operators, this section will lendmuch support to this movement as subsequentlyappears desirable to its members, and that in themeantime, the chair of this section be empow-ered to appoint a committee of one to investigatewhat action is being taken on this subjectthroughout the country and to report with a def-

inite recommendation to this section at its nextannual meeting."

No further comments on this subject arerecorded until the ninth meeting, which was heldin 1935. At that meeting, a report was given onthe licensing of water plant operators and a re-view of practices in other states. It took until 1970before the state adopted mandatory certificationof water and wastewater plant operators.

Of great concern to local engineers wasthe fact that no topographic survey of the statehad ever been made. Land elevations wereknown only at railroad stations, where theyhad been established by railroad engineers intheir surveys.

Two resolutions were passed at the 1929meeting in Jacksonville. The first resolutioncalled for preparation of a bill to be presented tothe 1929 legislature that requested an annual ap-propriation of not less than $25,000 for this sur-vey work and to stipulate the state agencyauthorized to direct the expenditure of thismoney in cooperation with the federal govern-ment. The second resolution urged Florida's na-tional senators and members of Congress toexert every effort to secure the necessary appro-priations.

The federal government, through its geo-logical, coast, and geodetic surveys, had offeredto prepare topographic maps of the state and tobear the major cost of the work. The estimatedprice tag was $108,000, and the U.S. Congress ap-propriated the money needed for completion ofthis work.

The fourth annual meeting was held inGainesville on April 11, 1930. The meeting washeld in conjunction with the first short schoolfor water works operators.


H I S T O R Y


Short School BeginningsIn 1929, Professor A.P. Black, with the back-

ing of the executive board of the section, ap-proached the General Extension Division of theUniversity of Florida, which had responsibilityfor correspondence courses and the short schoolsoffered by the university. The request to sponsora short school for water works operators was atfirst turned down due to lack of budgeted fundsat the time and the feeling that the cost of such aschool could not be justified.

However, the proponents of the idea, led byBlack and supported by the FSAWWA, did con-vince the General Extension Division of themerit of the proposal and a program was pre-pared for a short school to be held in conjunc-tion with the 1930 annual meeting.

The school was held April 8-11, withthe section meeting held April 10-11. Due tothe careful planning of Professor Black andhis committee, several nationally prominentwater works authorities were attracted tothis school, in addition to local water pro-fessionals who provided the major portionof the instructional staff.

This first school was a great success, with58 registrants. This performance demon-strated to the General Extension Division ofthe University the interest of the water worksindustry and the value to the state to be de-rived from its continuation.

In conjunction with the fifth annualmeeting of FSAWWA, held April 2-3, 1931, inWest Palm Beach, another short school was of-fered. Registration for the short course was 76and registration for the meeting reached 98,the largest attendance ever at a section meetingup to this time.

St. Petersburg was the site of the sixth an-nual meeting held March 16-18, 1932. This is thefirst time that a financial statement was includedin the secretary's report. The only expenses were$77.95 covering postage, stationery, and theprinting of 200 programs. The report showed abalance on hand of $137.38. The only revenuewas $126.25 from AWWA headquarters.

In 1932, at the time of the sixth meeting,the U.S. president was Herbert Hoover. Thestock market crash had occurred in October1929, his first year in office. His efforts to curbthe resulting depression, such as the "EmergencyRelief and Reconstruction Act," did not help thecountry much. Efforts to liberalize the bill inorder to make money available to state, munic-ipal, and other public bodies for works "needfuland in the public interest," rather than being re-stricted to "self liquidating" projects, were hin-dered by the fact that in the 1932 nationalelection, Hoover was defeated by Franklin D.Roosevelt.

As was happening across the country,Florida’s state and municipal services suffered,and water works maintenance and expansionhad a low priority.

The seventh annual meeting was held inGainesville on April 12, 1933, in conjunctionwith the third annual short course. No reason isgiven for restricting this meeting to one day, butit is possible that the depression had a lot to dowith it: No fee was charged for the short course.

On July 5, 1933, a meeting was held inGainesville to discuss the provisions of the Na-tional Recovery Act (NRA) as they applied towater works projects and to formulate plans totake advantage of this federal program. An exec-utive committee to act as a steering committeeor clearinghouse was appointed, consisting of J.R. Hoy, W. Austin Smith, and L. G. Lenart. Planswere made to survey the state to locate projectsthat would qualify for the federal financial assis-tance. A project committee was also selected,with each member given responsibility for se-lecting the water works improvements deemedeligible under the provisions of the NRA.

Due to the economic hardships of thecountry, section membership dropped. In 1931the total membership was only 24, down from50 in 1928. This was temporary, however, and by1936, 49 active members were listed.

Daytona Beach was the site of the eighth an-nual meeting, held April 16-17, 1934. During amorning session, one paper presented was ofparticular interest to the water works industry.The Federal Public Works Administration(PWA) was getting underway and money wasavailable for all manner of public facilities, in-cluding water works. The state administrator forPWA was James E. Cotton, who spoke about theprogram and explained how municipalitiescould qualify for federal financing. During thenext few years, many millions of dollars were

spent in Florida, not only on water works proj-ects, but also for sewage treatment and highwayimprovements.

The ninth annual meeting was held in WestPalm Beach on March 27-30, 1935, again in con-nection with the short course. Unlike past meet-ings, there were no separate sessions foroperators and AWWA members; the program forFSAWWA and the short course were identical.

Starting at this meeting, some of the paperspresented were mimeographed and bound fordistribution to the members. This meeting’s pro-ceedings included a report from a survey of statesanitary engineers conducted by AWWA.Twenty-nine of the respondents reported havingno laws or regulations concerning qualificationsof water works operator personnel. Two states,New Jersey and Michigan, had laws requiringcertification of superintendents and operators bywritten examination in several grades of compe-tence.

It is apparent from a reading of the reportthat most of the state sanitary engineers andhealth departments were in favor of operator cer-tification. Another concern was operatorturnover due to changes in local politics; super-intendent and operators were often hired on thebasis of political favor rather than by qualifica-tions for the job.

Texas had a voluntary certification plan car-ried out by the Texas Section AWWA, which con-ducted short school classes for training. Thestated objective was “to set up some defense forthe operators against local job seekers, politicalfavorites who seek office with the change in ad-ministration.”

The current section membership totaled 46active members and 4 corporate members.

The tenth annual meeting was held inTampa on March 31-April 2, with the short


H I S T O R Y


FSAWWA Annual Meeting at Camp Roosevelt in Ocala.

course included. A resolution was adopted re-questing that the University of Florida include inits Extension Division budget an amount suffi-cient to finance an annual short course in waterworks and water treatment. Such a course wouldbe a direct benefit to the inhabitants of Floridaand a justifiable expenditure for the protectionof their health.

Short School Comes Into Its OwnIn 1937, it was decided to cooperate with

the University of Florida and the State Board ofHealth in putting on a short school in water andsewage immediately preceding the convention,but not as a part of the convention as in pastschools. This practice was followed at the 1938meeting in Daytona Beach.

The title of the short course was changedfrom "Short Course in Water Treatment” to“Short Course in Water and Sewage Treatment,"recognizing the importance of the careful dis-posal of the increasing amounts of municipalwastes to the future of Florida.

At the executive committee meeting onNov. 28, 1938, the question of the separation ofthe short course and the annual convention wasdiscussed at length. It was becoming apparentthat the short course should be held atGainesville each year because of the availabilityof the necessary facilities. Separation from theconvention would provide more time and a bet-ter environment for the school.

The separation of the section meeting andthe short course was made and continued until1941, when the section changed to a fall meet-ing. It was decided that the short course would beheld in April to coincide with the spring schoolholidays at Gainesville.

This schedule remained essentially un-changed for the next 40 years, except in 1943 and1944, which was due wartime disruptions.

Certification of OperatorsThe first indication of interest in the certi-

fication of plant operators was brought up at thethird annual meeting in Jacksonville in April1929. A resolution was adopted authorizing thechair to appoint a committee to investigate whataction was being taken throughout the countryin this matter. There is no record as to who wasappointed this task and no record of any furthercomment on this matter until the ninth annualmeeting in March 1935, when a report was givensummarizing the practices in other states.

No record of any comments about the sub-ject has been found until the trustees meeting inApril 1943. At that meeting, the records showthat a decision was reached to offer examinationsin connection with the next short course for

Class B, C, and D operator certification. This es-tablished the voluntary certification plan, whichremained in effect until mandatory certificationwas adopted in 1971.

After the Half-Century Mark

In 1971, central Florida and its water sys-tems were changed forever with the arrival ofWalt Disney World. The construction of MGMStudios in the late 1980s and the subsequentgrowth in construction and facilities due totourism continued to impact the area.

In 1983, the discovery of ethylene dibro-mide (EDB) in some water wells provided themedia with an abundance of news coverage; evenradiation was found in wells at phosphate minesites. These situations were of great concern to allwater utilities, and consequently, it led the in-dustry to a more sophisticated monitoringprocess.

The section diligently opposed the Con-serve I wastewater injection plan in centralFlorida. Several energetic and knowledgeablemembers of the section we were able to informthe authorities of the long-range adverse effectsof such a plan.

A constructive spinoff from the Conserv Iexercise resulted in a motion to the AWWAboard of directors, which was unanimouslyadopted, to “develop and adopt a standard forsafe drinking water.”

Passage of a comprehensive plan by the1985 Florida legislature gave the state a strategyto guide growth into the next century. The im-portant portion of this legislation addresseswater resources, which states:

“Florida shall assure the availability of anadequate supply of water all competing usesdeemed reasonable and beneficial and shallmaintain the functions of natural systems andthe overall present level of surface and ground-water quality.”

In other areas of change affecting the waterresources of Florida, the Environmental Effi-ciency Study Commission (EESC) recom-mended that the entire potable water programbe put into the Department of EnvironmentalRegulation (DER). The DER reorganized intofour divisions: air resources management, wastemanagement, water facilities, and water man-agement. Further efforts to consolidate the man-agement of water resources in Florida werediscussed at a seminar sponsored by the JointWater Resources Board on April 18, 1988.

The pressure on the industry to use waterwisely resulted in the promotion of the conceptsof water reuse and water conservation. Manyutilities explored the use of wetlands for waterreuse and Xeriscape landscaping for water con-

servation programs. The state’s five water man-agement districts continued to look at waterreuse and water conservation during applicationfor consumptive use permits.

A major event for the section was the host-ing of the 1988 AWWA Annual Conference inOrlando on June 19-23. The conference had11,517 attendees, setting a registration record.The membership of the section that year reached2,115.

In 1991, FSAWWA began operating under acompletely new organizational structure con-sisting of councils that paralleled those ofAWWA: administrative, education, technical,and utility. In February, the section‘s leadershipheld a strategic planning meeting to develop amission, goals, and charges for the four councils.The mission statement outlined the section’s po-sition as:

“The Florida Section of AWWA provides itsmembers with an opportunity to address drink-ing water issues to assure present and future gen-erations of Florida with sufficient supply ofhigh-quality drinking water.”

Five primary strategic goals were developed:(1) promote public understanding of the drink-ing water industry and related issues, (2) supportthe professional development of its members, (3)participate in Florida’s legislative and regulatoryprocesses as a regular and respected voice for thedrinking water industry, (4) promote effectivemanagement and protection of Florida’s drink-ing water, and (5) enhance FSAWWA’s organiza-tional structure.

Full-Time StaffThe section raised its dues and hired a part-

time executive director to establish a more per-manent address (previously, the section used theaddress of the chair, which rotated every year)and to provide better membership recruiting andfocus on training programs. The section choseAllen B. Roberts as the first section director afterhe retired from the City of Ft. Lauderdale as util-ities director. Roberts had previously served aschair of the section in 1987.

After a number of years, Roberts retiredfrom the section, and his replacement was thesection’s first full-time executive director, Char-lotte St. John. She had previous experience withutilities and was director of public affairs atAWWA, which proved very helpful in the sec-tion’s counsel and support from the Association.Charlotte served for about five years and was suc-ceeded by Michelle Miller, who continues towork with the section in coordinating educa-tional training programs and the record keepingfor continuing educations units (CEUs) and pro-fessional development hours (PDHs).

The next executive director, Bobbi Hinde,


H I S T O R Y


was hired in 2004. She continued the mission ofthe section, especially in the areas of recruiting,finances, and training programs. While the sec-tion reached 2,000 members in 1987, it tookabout 20 years to break the 3,000-members markin 2006.

ConferencesAfter a long and continued history of joint

annual conferences with FWEA and FWPCOA,the section decided to start its own separate con-ference in 1997. One of the main reasons was tokeep to a fall meeting schedule for the rotationof the section’s officers. The first conference wasin Orlando, with a customer service theme, andhad about 100 registrants.

Utility CouncilIn the 1970s and 80s, the section had a leg-

islative committee, and the most active memberwas Tom Smith of the City of Tallahassee. Sincehe lived in the state capital, Smith would attendvarious committee hearings and legislative ses-sions on bills of interest that the section tracked.As something of interest came up, he would putout a call and section members would go to thecapital to testify and have conversations withlocal delegates. During this period, Glenn Dykes,a section chair who was formerly with the De-partment of Health and later with DER, wouldlet the section know of pending rule and regula-tory changes so that members could participatein public hearings.

In the late 1980s, the section was able to geta bill passed about the unscrupulous advertise-ments by point-of-use water equipment vendors.The board of governors soon realized that to berecognized as an authority on drinking water, thesection would have to hire a lobbyist to providemore presence in the house and the senate forthe all-important committee meetings and hear-ings.

The section’s Utility Council was created,and it was aligned with the AWWA council struc-ture. With Ray Boyd, of Orlando Utilities Com-mission, as chair, the council started to solicitmembership by subscription to raise money fora paid lobbyist. The section is now considered astrong and recognized voice for water matters.

Strong RegionsIn the early 1990s, the section reorganized

into local regions so more members could par-ticipate at the local level, both in educational op-portunities and leadership positions. The regionshelped to promote the responsibilities of the sec-tion trustees who served on the board of direc-tors but did not have any other major roles.While the board, in practice, readily adapted theidea, there was a long implementation period.

Since 1999, the regions have grown in num-ber and membership, and many have their ownofficers and committees.

To further enhance the regions, young pro-fessionals were encouraged to participate in lead-ership roles on committees, and in training andeducation ptograms.

Emergency PreparednessThe section was able to quickly develop a

model training course for utilities as part of theoverall national defense program following theevents of September 11th. This security programwas developed under a federal grant, specificallywith input from state utilities, and has become amodel for other sections in AWWA to follow.

After Hurricane Charley hit Florida in 2004,it became evident to water utilities that there wasa need to establish a cooperative working agree-ment that could be used ahead of natural disas-ters to share help and equipment and to becomeeligible for reimbursement by the Federal Emer-gency Management Agency (FEMA), when theyqualified. In response, the Florida Water AgencyResource Network (FlaWARN) was created.

The new organization was tested soon afterCharley when Hurricanes Rita and Katrina hitthe Gulf States, and Wilma hit south Florida in2005, and proved to be helpful in quickly restor-ing services to citizens. Many other sections ofAWWA have developed their own versions ofFlaWARN.

Charitable CausesThe section has two charitable causes: the

Roy Likins Scholarship and Water For People. The scholarship fund has grown over the

years, especially after the section started an an-nual golf tournament to raise money. As the re-gions have become stronger, several of them holdtheir own golf tournaments, silent auctions, andfishing events, with the proceeds contributing tothe fund. The Scholarship Committee awardsseveral scholarships, totally approximately$25,000, each year to deserving students atFlorida universities.

The section and its regions collect morethan $60,000 each year for Water For People.Some of the money goes to the national organi-zation, as some has been used to assist the state’sCaribbean neighbors, such as Honduras, in timesof need after hurricane disasters.

Recent History

In 2006, the section celebrated its 80th an-niversary. The Section held the first joint confer-ence with AWWA section leaders from Alabama,Mississippi, and Louisiana. The primary topic ofdiscussion was the National WARN (Water and

Wastewater Alert Response Network) Systemand how it can be enhanced to ensure that an ac-tion plan for mutual aid and assistance amongstates happens as effortlessly as possible.

In 2007, the section established head-quarters in a downtown Orlando office andexpanded its staffing. Peggy Guingona washired as an administrative assistant in Sep-tember. In 2009, the headquarters moved to St.Cloud City Hall.

Following on the success of the ContractorsCouncil founded in 2008, the board of governorsapproved the formation of an Operators Coun-cil. The mission of the council is to increasemember services to water and distribution sys-tem operators and to provide direction on long-term operator needs and priorities.

Florida 2030 Water SummitThe Florida 2030 initiative experienced

great success in its first year in 2008. An inaugu-ral Florida 2030 Water Summit, sponsored by thesection’s Utility Council, was held at the 2009 fallconference to develop legislative priorities andinitiatives for 2011, addressing topics such as ad-equate water supply, agriculture, and the envi-ronment.

A Look at Today—and What’s AheadThe section has grown to nearly 3,000

members and is the fourth largest section inAWWA. Six Association presidents have comefrom the section: A.P Black, Cesar Wurtz,Charley Black, Curtis Stanton, Ed Singley, andBevin Beaudet. The fall conference now attractsmore than 1400 attendees and 190 exhibitors.

The section’s 2014 strategic plan has identi-fied the following to keep the section moving for-ward:Vision – A Better Florida through Better WaterMission – Uniting the water community to effec-tively manage water, the world’s most importantresource.Core Principles –� Protect public health� Safeguard the environment� Pursue excellence� Act with integrity� Provide value� Foster diversity and inclusion

This article was compiled and edited by TimBrodeur. Special thanks to Bob Claudy who or-ganized the early history with contributions fromsome of the first members, Keith Chin and BobHoy. Also thanks to Ana Gonzalez, Hazen &Sawyer staff, and Anke Becker, who helped with therecreation of text from early records. ��

H I S T O R Y



The Florida Water Environment Asso-ciation (FWEA) began in 1941 as the FloridaSewerage and Industrial Waste Association.The name was changed in 1960 to FloridaPollution Control Association, and to itspresent name in 1992. The name changes arereflective of the evolution of public attitudesabout the wastewater environment over theyears.

The purpose of FWEA is to share infor-mation about water reclamation amongFlorida utilities and with the public. The or-ganization’s mission is to unite water qualityprofessionals who protect Florida’s cleanwater environment through education pro-grams and professional development, and bythe promotion of sound public policythrough its committees, local chapters, andstudent chapters, and by the Utility Council.

The first officers of the Associationwere David B. Lee, president; Leland F.Drew, vice president; and S.W. Wells, secre-tary-treasurer.

Beginning of the Conference andMagazine

The Association began holding annualconferences in 1942 and in conjunction withthe Florida Section American Water WorksAssociation (FSAWWA) in 1949. At the con-ference, FWEA offers workshops, seminars,and technical sessions. It also sponsors anannual banquet, where a number of presti-gious awards are presented that recognizeoutstanding accomplishments of its mem-bers. The awards are:� Arthur S. Bedell Award, which was estab-

lished in 1951 and recognizes extraordi-nary personal service to the Association.

� Leroy H. Scott Award, established in 1952and given for demonstrated willingnessto help others solve utility-related issues.

� William D. Hatfield Award, given for out-standing performance, management, andadvancement of knowledge in the field ofwater pollution control and recognizesoutstanding treatment plant operation. Itwas established in 1956.

� L.L. Hedgepath Award was established in1960 and is given for outstanding work inindustrial treatment or industrial wasteprograms.

� Earl B. Phelps Award recognizes out-standing treatment plants and was estab-lished in 1964.

� Ralph H. Baker Award was established in1974 and is presented to an FWEA mem-ber who has done outstanding work inmembership recruitment.

� Al Herndon Award recognizes outstand-ing industrial pretreatment programs.

� David York Reuse Award recognizes thecontribution to the advancement of re-claimed water use in Florida by an indi-vidual or utility.

The FWEA also presents a uniqueaward each year at the conference to recog-nize individuals who have made significantcontributions to the Association. The highlycoveted sludge shovel pin is presented to aconsultant, vendor, or utility owner or op-erator to recognized induction into theFlorida Select Society of Sanitary SludgeShovelers.

The FWEA joined with FSAWWA andthe Florida Water and Pollution ControlOperators Association (FWPCOA) to man-age what was becoming two enormous un-dertakings: the annual conference, presentedevery spring, and the industry magazine, theFlorida Water Resources Journal.

The Florida Water Resources Confer-ence Inc. (FWRC) and the Florida Water Re-sources Journal Inc. (FWRJ) now functionas not-for-profit entities under the federaltax code. The conference draws over 2500attendees for its four days of workshops,technical sessions, exhibits, and meetings.The magazine is published monthly and in-cludes technical and feature articles; indus-try, product, and host organization news;columns on certification, safety, law, andother topics; and columns from the heads ofthe three organizations.

Association Entities

Water Utility Council The Utility Council was formed in 1998

to promote sound public policy in the waterquality and wastewater industry. The coun-cil consists of representatives of wastewaterutilities throughout the state who work to-gether to address legislative and regulatoryissues and keep FWEA members informedof the latest developments. The councilworks to educate policy makers about theintricacies of water quality and wastewatermanagement.

ChaptersEight local chapters provide opportuni-

ties for professional development and net-working for members at regular chaptermeetings. Each meeting focuses on a topicof local interest related to water quality andwastewater, and chapters develop and hosttechnical and fundraising activities. Localchapters include Big Bend, Central, FirstCoast, Manasota, Southeast, Southwest,Treasure Coast, and West Coast.

Student ChaptersStudent chapters are active at ten uni-

versities: Florida Atlantic University (FAU),Florida International University (FIU),Florida State University (FSU), Florida GulfCoast University, University of CentralFlorida (UCF), University of Florida (UF),University of Miami (UM), University ofNorth Florida (UNF), University of SouthFlorida (USF), and Florida Institute of Tech-nology (FIT).

Student activities include meetings fea-turing speakers from the wastewater industry,career fairs, and a student design competitionthat showcases senior capstone projects,which enables student teams to receive schoolcredit and compete for scholarships, cash andtravel awards, and membership in the WaterEnvironment Federation (WEF). The compe-tition has been praised by professors and stu-dents as an opportunity to work on real-worldprojects and has resulted in job offers to sev-eral design team members. The Associationpays for the winning team to travel to andcompete in the national student design com-petition at the Water Environment FederationTechnical Exhibition and Conference(WEFTEC), which was started in 2002 andmodeled on FWEA’s design contest.

History of the Florida Water Environment Association

H I S T O R Y

Committees

Twenty-four committees provide tech-nical education and professional programsfor members through seminars, workshops,and conferences, offering access to technicalexperts in the wastewater field. Active com-mittees include the following:� Air Quality� Awards� Biosolids� Collection Systems� Communications� History and Constitution� Industrial� International� Leadership and Development� Membership� Nominating� Operations Challenge� Organization Performance� Operations Research� Policies and Procedures� Phelps Award� Public Education� Safety� Seminars� Stormwater� Young Professionals� Training� Water Reuse� Student Activities

Over the years, FWEA committees havepresented programs on biosolids; stormwa-ter management; emerging issues in re-claimed water; implementation of capacity,management, operation, and maintenance(CMOM); and workplace efficiency. Com-mittees also offer outstanding opportunitiesfor networking, and also leadership andmanagement development.

Organization Growth

Membership in the organization was200 in 1955, at 500 in 1963, more than 1,000in 1974, and today it exceeds 1,700. The As-sociation continues to make historic stridesin the advancement of the science and tech-nology of the water environment, making ita leading professional water organization inFlorida. ��


The Florida Water and Pollu-tion Control Operators Associa-tion is comprised of memberswho are actively engaged in ordeal with the production, treat-ment, or distribution of waterand/or the collection, treatment, ordisposal of wastewater, both industrialand domestic. The Association was cre-ated to advance the professional status ofwater and wastewater operators, provide a sys-tem for licensing operators, and arrange educa-tional and training programs.

The organization works closely with theFlorida Section American Water Works Associa-tion, Florida Water Environment Association,Florida State Department of Health, Florida StateDepartment of Environmental Protection, andthe state education system—in particular, theUniversity of Florida—to accomplish these goals.

The Beginning

A history of the Florida Water and Pollu-tion Control Operators Association begins in1929, when the organization first came intobeing as the Water and Sewage Plant OperatorsAssociation. For who are old enough to remem-ber, the mere mention of 1929 brings to mindthe dark picture of the lean years that the StockMarket Crash in October of that year initiated.

The Crash, which came so close on theheels of the “burst” of the Florida real estateboom of 1925-26, left many of Florida’s com-munities with unfinished water systems andwith no or inadequate treatment works. TheGreat Depression that followed further ham-pered the development of these water facilities.

When the state’s General Extension Divi-sion, which had the responsibility for corre-spondence courses and short schools, wasapproached in the year 1929 with a suggestion ofa short course for water plant operators it at firstrefused to be involved because of lack of suffi-ciency in its own budget and it couldn’t risk anyof it on a school that was seen as a questionableinvestment. However, because it was believed bya few that the members of the state’s water util-ities were interested enough to finance thecourse through their own fees, and because aportion of the course expense was guaranteed ifit was not met by these fees, the first short courseconvened in Gainesville on April 8-11, 1930,with 58 operators attending. As a result of care-ful planning, many of the great names in the

water utility industry of that daywere attracted to this short course.

Due to the success, which ina large measure reflected a need, ashort school was again held in

1931 and then biennially until1935, when one was convened in

West Palm Beach, followed in 1936 byone in Tampa, one at Camp Roosevelt

near Ocala in 1937 (with 92 attendees), andone in Daytona in 1938.

The Florida Section AWWA had encour-aged, and in many ways contributed to, the suc-cess of the school. The Florida State Board ofHealth, seeing the school an efficient way of ful-filling a portion of its responsibility, also lent in-valuable aid. These two organizations havecontinued to be sponsors of this program.

In spite of the Great Depression, commu-nities gradually began to improve their waterutilities, and the need for operators educated inthe field brought about a change in thinking,both on the part of the communities and of theoperators themselves. Thus, the short school wasseen as having an increasingly important role inthe Florida water industry.

The Growth of an Industry

Community sewage treatment plants wereall but unknown in the septic-tank-riddledFlorida in the 1930s. Only six or seven sizablecities or towns had plants, but in some cases,they were like Fort Lauderdale, which had a fineactivated sludge plant built during the boomdays. The State Board of Health was working onobtaining improvement to the treatment facil-ity in Miami (i.e., Biscayne Bay), as well as inTampa (Tampa Bay) and Jacksonville (St. JohnsRiver). Perhaps these help account for the 25plants that came into being in Florida by 1940,as shown by the State Board of Health records.Other communities were not fortunate enoughto have the large dilution factor available tothese three cities, and as the influx of peopleinto Florida continued and increased, somecommunities faced severe problems.

A greater threat was beginning to challengethe world. Storm clouds gathered over Europeas conflict erupted, which caused a flurry of pre-paredness in the United States. There was agreater availability of money, and towns andcities began to prepare plans for utility im-provement, but the outlook for sewage treat-ment for the communities of Florida continued

to look slim. In May 1940, a few interested waterprofessionals banded together to change the or-ganization created in 1929 into the FloridaSewage Works Association.

David B. Lee, the director and chief engi-neer for the Florida State Board of Health, was astrong proponent for the new organization. Hehad strong, forward-looking ideas aboutFlorida’s needs in the field of water supply, wastecollection, and treatment, as well as in other fieldsover which his department had supervision.

As the Florida Sewage Works Associationwas completing its formation, a small group ofpeople at the Florida Section AWWA meeting inOrlando in 1941began to discuss the growinghealth problems of the state they called home.They recognized that, in that era, membershipof both the Florida Section AWWA and theFlorida Sewage Works Association was largelyplant superintendents, consulting engineers,manufacturers’ representatives, community util-ity officials, and similar water-related personnel.It was J.R. Hoy, a local representative for the Wal-lace and Tiernan Company, who suggested thatthere was a need for an association of waterworks operators. This suggestion was supportedby the man who organized the first Florida waterworks short school and who had been, in largemeasure, responsible for the schools between1930 and 1940 —Dr. A. P. Black.

With this strong backing and the unani-mous vote of several operators present, DickGibson, then superintendent of the Fort PierceWater Plant, was persuaded to be the chair of acommittee to do a feasibility study for the or-ganization. Gibson deserves the credit for put-ting wheels under the plan. He visited SouthCarolina where an operators association was al-ready in place.

The personnel of the Florida State Board ofHealth, prior to 1941, had strong reservationsabout adding their vote of approval for any suchplan, feeling that it would tend to operate as anorganization with an interest in the financial bet-terment of the operators themselves rather thanin the interest of the public. However, the per-sonnel of the State Board of Health, beginningin mid-1941, were highly in favor of the opera-tors association. Those influential in the organi-zation’s development that they labored diligentlyto produce developed a plan they thought wouldbe acceptable to the Board of Health.

As the operator’s organization appearedon the verge of being realized, Keith Chinn, su-perintendent of the West Palm Beach Water

Florida Water and Pollution Control Operators Association History

H I S T O R Y


Plant, persuaded his company’s attorney todraw up a constitution and bylaws. In a meet-ing of five people, including Chinn, Gibson,and Hoy, in West Palm Beach in the summerof 1941, the Florida Water Works OperatorsAssociation had become a reality.

Keith Chinn was elected the first president;R. M. Johnson, the vice president, and Bob Car-nahan of Bradenton, the first secretary-treasurer.The members of the first board of governorswere Harry Gahn, Anson DeWolf, RalphReynolds, Hoy, and Gibson.

Changes From War

The war in Europe continued and therewas concern that the United States might be-come involved, or might even be forced to de-fend itself against an invasion. The U.S.government was taking what it believed to be thenecessary steps to meet this threat, and as a re-sult, military training camps and establishmentshad sprung up all over the country. Florida, withits coastal location, had its lion’s share.

Such establishments were, in a large sense,specialized municipalities. The Army, Navy,Marines, and similar military bodies had nodoubts about the importance of water supplies,sewage treatment, and refuse disposal. The mil-itary establishments were therefore equippedwith utilities, which in many cases were superiorto those of the towns around them.

The water plant operators with reserve sta-tus were rapidly being called up, and one ofthese was Bob Carnahan. The operators associ-ation thereby lost a man, who had been very ac-tive in its formation even before he had much, ifany, chance to attend to the duties of his office.

On Dec. 7, 1941, the decision for the UnitedStates to enter the war was decided by the Japan-ese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Shortly afterward,the country declared war on Hitler and his co-horts. Military preparedness now became mili-tary mobilization, and military establishments inFlorida doubled, and then tripled; who was wor-ried about an operators association? It is under-standable that the short course for water plantoperators held in Gainesville in 1942 had, at 48,a near-record-low attendance. Some operatorswere leaving their old positions in order to helpout the military and usually, at the same time,line their pockets a little better with military pay.

Plants were being operated by novices. Leeof the Florida State Board of Health was calledfrom reserve to active status and John Miller be-came acting chief sanitary engineer. Due to thecall of the reserves and resulting depletion ofstate health organizations, the Public HealthService tried to help out by assigning personnelto the state health departments.

The personnel remaining, all of whomwere now thoroughly sold on the value of shortschools, realized that there was a definite needfor education of the many inexperienced per-sonnel in the water utility field. With the num-ber of sewage plant operators having nowincreased from practically zero to a considerablenumber, the State Board of Health decided that,in spite of travel restrictions and other problems,a short course to include both water and sewageoperators was needed and long overdue.

With the cooperation of the Army (Sani-tary Engineering Corp.), the short school forwater and sewage works operators was held atWest Palm Beach in April 1943. The Army cutorders for many of its operators and also helpedsupply instructors for the school, includingCapt. Leroy Scott and Capt. D. R. (Doc) Taylor.Most of the contact for arrangements had beenmade by Fred Eidsness, who was with the Pub-lic Health Service but assigned to the FloridaState Board of Health. Dr. Black’s advice con-tributed much to planning and to the recruit-ment of instructors. Miller presided over thisshort course on behalf of the Florida State Boardof Health. Most of its instruction was outstand-ing, with operators and U. S. Public Health Serv-ice personnel, as well as people from the StateBoard of Health and the Army, serving as in-structors.

A meeting of the operators association wascalled and nonmembers, who were water plant

operators, and sewage plant operators, were in-vited to sit in as observers. R. M. Johnson ofTampa, the president-elect in 1941, yielded thechair to Gibson because of a hearing handicap.Since the first officers of the association had notbeen able to serve long enough to establish poli-cies for the association, discussion from the floorof the meeting concerned what these policiesshould be. The discussion sometimes becameheated, often with sewage plant operators enter-ing the discussion without recognition by thechair. Several times Gibson had to call the meet-ing to order and at times was on the verge of be-coming his own sergeant at arms. It soonbecame evident, however, that those interestedin staying in this field of work were also inter-ested in a strong educational program.

Officers elected at this meeting were R. M.Johnson, president; Charles (Charley) Fiveasheof Fort Lauderdale, president-elect; and WilsonT. Calaway of West Palm Beach, secretary-trea-surer. Several people were elected to the boardof governors. It was decided that the operatorsassociation might become a water and sewageplant operators association if a sufficient num-ber of sewage plant operators were interested,but they were subject to the approval of the as-sociation, and at the time, if the sufficiency re-quirement was met.

Because of the restriction in travel and be-cause most of the operators had their hands full


H I S T O R Y


The first Short School held on Apriil 1, 1931.

with war work, promoting the organization de-pended on the help of personnel from the StateBoard of Health and industry salespeople, whowere at the time were called “peddlers.” Whilethis word had a bad connotation in many fields,most of the sales representatives in the industrywere helpful during this time, and as they trav-elled for work, they were able to spread the wordabout the work of the association.

The Board of Health personnel and mem-bers of the staff of the University of Floridastarted to collect and contribute news items andideas about the water industry that made possi-ble a quarterly newsletter. Captains Scott andTaylor frequently added their contributions.These two men, who were not just book engi-neers but men who had been plant superin-tendents prior to being called from reservestatus, knew how to pack a pump, find the trou-ble with a check valve, and suggest simple reme-dies for operating troubles, and moreover, theirremedies worked. Florida’s military establish-ments were indeed fortunate to have such menas these at the state supervisory level.

The planning of the first officers of the as-sociation had progressed far enough that an ex-amination and voluntary certification schemehad become a concrete part of the plan for up-grading the operation. Two persons passed thefirst examination that was given at the WestPalm Beach short course: Cliff Courson andCalaway, and each received a Class C certificate.

The work of the 1943 short course was so

helpful that there was no question about repeat-ing it the next year, and that school was held inDaytona. Fiveashe became the new president andpresided over the operators meeting, with John-son retiring from the executive office. Again thediscussion dealt with the opening of the associ-ation to waste treatment operators and with therole of the association in helping the operator.

There was considerable grumbling amongoperators about “why do I have to know thechemical reaction involved in water treatmentwhen all I do is throw switches, read gauges, andoperate valves?” There were also a number ofpeople present who thought that the associationshould act as a labor union and force the in-crease of operator pay. While there was no argu-ment about the desirability and reasonability ofpay increases, the upgrading of the operatorprofessionally remained the prime objective ofthe association. It was also evident that the ad-mission of the sewage plant operators to the as-sociation would eventually take place. In themeantime, the meetings were open to them andthey took part in discussions.

The 1944 meeting at the time of the shortcourse in Daytona elected Fiveash as president;Tommy Paul of Bradenton, president-elect; andre-elected Calaway secretary-treasurer. AlbertMc Gregor of Boca Raton was elected to theboard of governors.

The news on the war in Europe and in thePacific was beginning to be encouraging and thecommunities in Florida began to think aboutthe day when they would be able to expand their

water and sanitary services to meet the needs ofa population growth that was predicted whenthe war finally ended.

The short course was held in Gainesville in1945 and the operators at that association meet-ing elected Ralph Brennan of Daytona, presi-dent; Paul, president-elect; and returnedCalaway as secretary-treasurer.

The year 1945 also brought the war to aclose and the deactivation of military basesbegan to leave Florida with a surplus of bothwater and wastewater treatment operators.However, in some cases, the adjacent munici-pality took over the military facilities and sometowns acquired their first waste treatment plantsand had their first treated water.

The war had influenced the water andsewage operation in Florida in the following ways:� The growing recognition on the part of the

operators that their work was important andthat increased understanding of the job wasdesirable.

� A banding together of the operators for mu-tual help, particularly by encouraging themto be informed about their own work.

� A large increase in the number of operatorswho were educated through their own effortsand with the help of the operators associa-tion, the Florida State Board of Health, andothers.

� Due to high respect of the military for thevalue of water and sewage facilities, togetherwith the evident health of the troops andthe lack of widespread epidemics such as


H I S T O R Y


Wilson Calaway receiving Honary LifeMembership in FWPCOA, 1955.

1962 Short School, Excellent Plant Operations Awards. Seated left to right: Robert Kelly, Coral Gables;D.G. Raye, Cleearwater; David B. lee, FSBH, Jacksonville (presenter); John B. Sellers, Vero Beach.Standing left to right: Carl Cheatham, Lake Wales; Frederick P. Funnell, Ft. Lauderdale; Pete Willis,Palatka; W.B. Stanwix-Hay, Jacksonville

the influenza of the First World War, thepeople of Florida, and those of the entirenation, came to recognize the great impor-tance of these services.

� Because of the desire of the operators to dotheir job well, and the relatively high mone-tary value the Army, Navy, and other branchesof the service placed on their work, the oper-ator had now become a semiprofessionalrather than a laborer, both in regard to rec-ompense and in the esteem of fellow citizens.

� The willingness of the citizens of Florida toinvest their tax dollars in water and sewage fa-cilities in order that the state might achieveand maintain a high position with regard tothese valuable public utilities.

In the last item, more than any other, therole of the State Board of Health must be recog-nized. It stressed to the municipalities of Floridathe continuing importance of proper sanitaryfacilities. In the cases where persuasion did notpry loose the dollars from tight-fisted city coun-cils, it was sometimes guilty of a little backdoorcoercion, and if all this failed, it hauled up thebig guns provided by the needed adherence tothe excellent state sanitary code. It was fortunatein having the cooperation of individual state leg-islators, a condition envied by many states.

The 1946 short course was held inGainesville and the operators meeting was heldon June 6. Calaway had moved to Gainesvillein April of 1946, and since he was no longer anoperator, the association was informed that hehad resigned from the secretary-treasurer po-sition. Brennan assumed the president’s chair,W. L. Burnett of Tampa was elected president-elect, and Patricia Sherwood of Ft. Lauderdale,who had been appointed interim secretary, be-came secretary-treasurer. Clarence Henry ofMiami was elected to fill the vacancy on theboard of governors. At this time, many opera-tors still expressed dissatisfaction with the highlevel of knowledge expected of them.

The attendance at short courses had beensteadily decreasing over several years and itlooked like their usefulness was coming to anend. It had been decided, however, that equip-ment and facilities at the University of Floridafacilitated short-course instruction had madethe continuing use of this location for water andsewage short courses desirable. Previous shortschools had been two to three days in length,which was not a sufficient time to do a good job;therefore, beginning with the 1947 short course,all such schools were five days in length and at-tracted more than 125 attendees.

At a meeting on June 10, 1947, during theannual short course, Burnett assumed the officeof president. Charles Carouthers became the

president-elect and the first officer from thesewage works field. The meeting also passed sev-eral constitution revisions, among which werethose necessary to make a joint association, andSherwood was re-elected secretary-treasurer.Cliff Earles of St. Augustine was also elected tofill a vacancy on the board of governors

The governing board was authorized by themembers at this meeting to appoint new mem-bers to the examining board. At a governingboard meeting, the following where appointed:Lee from the Florida State Board of Health;Black and David Emerson from the Universityof Florida; Fiveash, Albert McGregor, and Ken-neth Morkett, sewage plant operators; and Bren-nan, Chinn, and Paul, water plant operators.

Action taken during the operators meetingrequired the appointment of two committees: apublicity committee, comprised of HardyCroom of New Symrna Beach, and W. F. Ebsaryand Elroy Wine, both of Tampa; and a mem-bership committee, with Lemar Bomar of FortMeyers; Burney Cowden, Polk County sanitaryengineer of Bartow; and Earles.

The next annual meeting was on June 8,1948, during the 16th annual short course.Carothers assumed the president’s office andCharles Fisk of Clewiston was voted in aspresident-elect. Sherwood had already re-signed as secretary-treasurer and Paul waselected to the office. There was dissatisfactionwith the activity of the members of the boardof governors, and on the passage of a motionfrom the floor, all members of the board wererelieved of their responsibility. A new boardwas elected, consisting of Brennan, WilliamEbsary, Earles, Jack Whitney, and J. Domin-quez, with retirement to be inverse to theorder of election.

It was reported that the records of the as-sociation from 1943 to 1948 were damage by ahurricane and were almost a complete loss.

The new board of governors called a meet-ing of the association on June 10, 1948, in orderto hear the will of the organization concerningmembership eligibility and to encourage re-cruitment of all operators to the organization.

During the 1949 meeting, Carothershanded the gavel to Fisk. W. C. (Bill) Tims, thenlocated in Tampa, was elected as secretary-trea-surer and Emory Dawkins of the UniversitySewage Treatment Plant in Gainesville becamepresident-elect. D.J. (Joe) Ray was selected tosucceed Dominguez on the board of governors.

The membership present went on recordas supporting mandatory licensing and request-ing the State Board of Health to take part in sucha move. A committee composed of Dawkins,Courson, Croom, H.F. Kline, Jr., and C.C. Shrevedrew up the resolution expressing the attitudeof the operators in order that it might be pre-sented to the Florida State Board of Health.

The results of a study made by Dawkinsindicated that the membership was in favor offormal and monthly publication of a newslet-ter, and by action of the board, the title of edi-tor was given to Dawkins. At the 1950 meeting,Dawkins assumed the executive post and FrankLittle of Orlando became president-elect.

To get the publication of the newsletter un-derway, Dawkins, having access to the necessaryequipment, and with the aid of the University ofFlorida Sewage Treatment Plant operating staff,published the long-proposed newsletter, towhich he gave the name The Overflow.

Little became president at the next annualmeeting held in June 1951, during the 19th an-


H I S T O R Y


nual short course, and Ray was elected to suc-ceed him. Tims was returned to the office of sec-retary-treasurer/editor.

The next, and what became the annual,meeting of the operators association was held inJune 1952, where Ray was elected to the presi-dent’s office, Paul was installed as president-elect,and George Lohmeyer of the University ofFlorida Plant, became secretary-treasurer/editor.

The year was marked by the report thatFisk, a former president, was electrocuted whileprobing for a water main. The association trulymourned the untimely death of this brilliant,cheerful, and energetic young man.

To Ray and Lohmeyer belongs a very largemeasure of the credit for laying the firm foun-dation on which the organization still stands.Fortunately, Ray’s preparation for the office heassumed had been most thorough. He re-quested county sanitary engineers and otherofficials to send him the names of the opera-tors within their jurisdiction who would serveconscientiously on committees he envisioned.Upon assuming office, he established a num-ber of committees, each of which was chargedwith certain responsibilities. He was aided byLohmeyer, who was an able and hardworkingsecretary. In addition to his voluminous duties,he published The Overflow regularly.

About 1953, honorary life membershipswere awarded to persons who had done out-standing service for the organization. Theseawards were named for David B. Lee, John E.Lee, John E. Kiker, Dr. A. P. Black, ManuelTurner, and Wilson T. Calaway. Since that time,Dick Gibson and Tommy Paul have been simi-larly honored.

Another phase of operator education hasbeen the administration of correspondencecourses in chemistry, mathematics, and chemistryfor both water and sewage treatment operators.Between 200 and 400 people each year have takenthe mathematics course and 40 to 50 have takenthe chemistry courses since they were established.

Regions and a Magazine are Established

To better serve its members, it was de-cided that the association should be dividedinto regions. West Florida became Region 1 in1947 and the number of regions grew to eight.Besides the West Florida district, they are: theNortheast district, centered in Jacksonville(No. 2); the Central Florida district, includingGainesville, Daytona, Orlando and points be-tween (No. 3) the West Peninsular region cen-tered around Tampa and extending to FortMeyers (No. 4); and the Southeast district, in-

cluding an area north of West Palm Beach andextending south of Miami and westward toLake Okeechobee (No. 5). Region 5 has re-cently been divided and the other three dis-tricts were created. The first regional shortcourse was held in Tallahassee in 1948, fol-lowed by one in 1954, 1955, and 1956.

The challenges brought by the formationof regions indicated the desirability of radicalconstitution changes. The study necessary todetermine the needed provisions, as well as therewriting of the association’s constitution wasundertaken by Dr. David B. Smith, and a newconstitution was approved by the membershipin 1954.

Lohmeyer continued in the office of secre-tary-treasurer/editor for three years, servingwhile Ray, Paul, and Seager were presidents. Withthe assumption of the presiding officer’s chair byHenry, Bob Simon began a two-year term as sec-retary-treasurer/editor. During his term in office,The Overflow, which had been produced quar-terly as several mimeographed sheets for manyyears, became a printed magazine.

Over the years, the magazine received as-sistance from and served the Florida SectionAWWA and the Florida Sewage and IndustrialWastes Association (formerly the FloridaSewage Works Association) and beginning in1956, it became a joint publication.

Besides serving with Henry during 1956,Simon served with Courson in 1957, while DonJones of North Miami served as president-elect.Due to a heavy expansion program carried outby the City of North Miami in 1956-1957, Jonesrequested that his name not be considered forelection to the presidency in 1957. The associa-tion, for this reason, elected Lohmeyer directlyto the presidency, with Jones again serving aspresident-elect. In 1957 when Lohmeyer becamethe presiding officer, Simon still serving as secre-tary-treasurer/editor, but at the close of the year,the editor’s position was made separate from theoffice of secretary-treasurer to reduce the workexpected of any single individual. Simon was re-quested to remain as editor. At the 1958 meeting,Jones was elevated to the presidency, Simon be-came the new president-elect, and Shreve waselected as secretary-treasurer for a second year.

The Organization Modernized

The 1960s saw a continued growth in theassociation, with membership climbing past the1,000 mark. This continued growth, along withincreased activity from within the regions,helped to strengthen the organization. Articles ofincorporation were drawn up, and in 1964, theorganization officially became known as theFlorida Water and Pollution Control Association.

At this time, there was also a renewed efforton the part of the association to bring aboutmandatory certification. Several bills were in-troduced in the state legislature, but none wereaccepted or voted into law. It wasn’t until 1971that mandatory certification became a reality.

Another push in the 1970s was for in-creased operator training. A training program,known as the Training, Research, and Educationfor Environmental Occupations (TREEO) Cen-ter, was established by the University of Floridaand provides noncredit continuing educationcourses and certification programs. State train-ing manuals were created and a unified trainingprogram is used by all regions.

The state training programs continued toexpand with the addition of specialty classes atthe state short schools and “on the road” train-ing classes.

In another nod to modernity, the associ-ation, in the late 1980s, elected Katherine Kin-loch as its first woman president. She servedfor two terms, after one term as vice president.Kinloch began her career as a wastewater plantoperator trainee for City of Lake Wells in 1969.In 1971, she became involved with Region X,working as short school chair, secretary-trea-surer, chair, and state director. Kinloch at-tended all of FWPCOA’s board meetings,advocating for operator training and certifica-tion, and for greater involvement by the or-ganization with FSAWWA, FWEA, the FloridaWater Resources Conference, and the Journal.

After many years of being run by volunteers,it was felt that the organization needed a full-time staff member. The association hired Shon-dra Neumeister as its first executive director in2005. In January 2012, she was replaced by Tim-othy McVeigh, who served until March 2014.

In 2007, FWPCOA launched an improvedassociation website, reformatted and updated itspolicies and procedures manual, and imple-mented mandatory water distribution systemoperator licensing and staffing requirementsfrom the Florida Department of EnvironmentalProtection. An expanded membership recruit-ment effort and the introduction of group mem-bership billing led to a record of 6,400 members.

In 2008, the association opened its firstheadquarters office in Port Saint Lucie. The or-ganization started electronic filing and archivingof its numerous paper records. It developed amaster guidance manual for its certification pro-grams and an ethics policy to address complaintsregarding abuse of program requirements.

The information in this article came fromWilson T. Calaway, the FWPCOA History Com-mittee chair in 1970 and Al Monteleone, the cur-rent committee chair, and William Allman. ��


H I S T O R Y


The CBS television series, Newhart, which ran in the1980’s, had three quirky brothers, always introduced by Larrysaying, “Hi, I’m Larry; this is my brother Darryl, and this ismy other brother Darryl.” While not related (and one of thenames is not spelled the same), the three namesakes from theFWEA Air Quality Committee recently attended the WaterEnvironment Federation’s biennial Odors and Air PollutantsConference. The program was held May 31-June 3 in Miami,and attendees learned about odor problems and measure-ment, assessing community odor impacts, pollution solutions,odor in collection systems, modeling tools, and odor controlresearch. ��

FWEA’s “Larry, Darryl, and Darrell” Attend WEF Specialty Conference

Pictured above, left to right are: Larry Hickey, committee chair; Darryl Parker, cochair;and Darrell Milligan, past chair.



Anew approach to prioritizing watermain replacements that goes beyondconventional statistical age-based

economic analyses merges utility-specificwater main break history records with re-sults from a calibrated hydraulic and waterquality model that not only prioritizes re-placements to reduce maintenance costs as-sociated with failures, but also improveshydraulic capacity and water quality as well.

The new approach is based on the pipereplacement program developed for the Cityof Bradenton water distribution system. TheCity relies on water mains installed as earlyas 1939 to convey water to customers. Over70 miles (about 30 percent) of the City’swater mains are made from unlined cast-iron and asbestos-cement materials, mostlyinstalled before 1970.

A statistical analysis of the City’s watersystem indicated that all cast-iron and as-bestos-cement water mains should be re-placed immediately. However, this is noteconomically feasible and is not likely to bethe optimum approach. Statistical predic-tions based on age, economics, and standardmaterial failure probabilities do not alwaysreflect the actual condition of water mains.

The City sought a more innovative ap-proach to water main replacement prioriti-zation that considers more parameters. Thenew approach includes analyzing historicalbreak records and merging this with resultsfrom a calibrated hydraulic and water qual-ity model of all water mains in the City’swater distribution system. The amount bywhich each water main in the system is re-ducing hydraulic capacity and water qualityis determined and an associated score is as-signed. The combined score allows for a pri-oritization to be established. As an extensionto this approach, costs associated with thereduced hydraulic capacity and water qual-ity can be determined. The annualized re-placement costs based on break historyanalysis can be combined with these costs to

develop an optimized water main replace-ment prioritization that maximizes mainte-nance, energy, and chemical cost savings.

The City of Bradenton authorized JonesEdmunds & Associates Inc. to conduct adata and model study for the Bradentonpublic water system (PWS) distribution net-work. As part of this study a hydraulic andwater quality model of the Bradenton PWSnetwork was updated and calibrated. In theBradenton PWS network, breaks are occur-ring frequently, hydraulic capacity is re-duced in some areas, and water quality isimpaired in older parts of the system. Thecalibrated 2012 Bradenton PWS networkhydraulic and water quality model was usedto recommend and strategize the priority ofimprovements for the water system.

As water mains age, natural processesresult in water main degradation. The Fed-eration of Canadian Municipalities and Na-tional Research Council (NRC, 2003, p.3)noted the following manifestations as evi-dence of deterioration in water systems:� Frequent breaks due to corrosion, mate-

rial degradation, poor installation prac-tices, manufacturing defects, andoperating conditions.

� Reduced hydraulic capacity due to inter-nal corrosion (i.e., tuberculation) of un-lined metallic components.

� Impaired water quality due to internalcorrosion of unlined metallic compo-nents and/or poor maintenance practices.

� High leakage rate due to corrosion and/ordeteriorating joints.

To recommend and prioritize improve-ments, 18 years of break history data wereassessed and used to performed hydraulicand water quality model simulations. Thefollowing steady-state and extended periodsimulations (EPS) were performed to assesshydraulic capacity and water quality condi-tions that would affect improvement rec-ommendations:� 2011 maximum daily demand (MDD)

and fire-flow steady-state simulation� 2030 MDD EPS� 10-day average August 2011 demand

water quality EPS

Objective

This article discusses the perceivedwater system deficiencies, introduces thewater main scoring methodology used toprioritize replacements, and presents an im-provement plan.

Water System Deficiencies

Through the break history data assess-ment and modeling effort, the following

Calibrated Hydraulic and Water QualityModel Predictions Merge with Break

History for an Innovative Approach to Prioritizing Water Main Replacement

Roberto A. Rosario, Christopher C. Baggett, and James McLellan

Roberto A. Rosario, P.E., is projectmanager and Christopher C. Baggett issenior engineer at Jones Edmunds &Associates Inc. in Gainesville. JamesMcLellan is engineering section managerwith City of Bradenton.

F W R J

Figure 1. Cross Section Cut ofRing Sample No. 16 (Lewis, 2001) Continued on page 34

Figure 9. Polyvinyl Chloride and High-Density Polyethylene Failure CurvesFigure 8. Cast-Iron Failure Curves

Figure 7. Ductile-Iron Failure Curves

Figure 3. Total Water Main Breaks per Month (18-year Period)Figure 2. Total Water Main Breaks per Year

Figure 5. Total Water Main Breaks by Month per Year

Figure 4. Total Water Main Breaks per Year by Material

Figure 6. Total Water Main Breaks by Size per Month (18-year Period)


were observed: water system deficiencies inthe Bradenton PWS network, includingwater mains with high break rates; hydrauliccapacity reductions; and high rates of totalresidual chlorine (TRC) consumption. All ofthese issues are related in part to corrosionin unlined cast-iron water mains that makeup about 28 percent of the Bradenton PWSnetwork. Figure 1 shows significant corro-sion in a cross section view of a ring sampleof unlined cast-iron water main taken fromthe Bradenton PWS network in 2001. Inter-nal corrosion can become apparent in dif-ferent ways, such as: � Water main degradation (e.g., pitting

corrosion) that can lead to leakage or vul-nerability to mechanical failure.

� Scale formation and tuberculation thatcan lower hydraulic capacity and degradewater quality.

� Corrosion byproduct release (e.g., rusty orred water) that can impair water quality.

Water Main Break History

For the study, Bradenton provided 18years of water main break documentation,including the address and water main sizeinformation; figures 2 through 6 show yearlyand monthly statistics for the break historyrecords. The data show that in 2010 watermain breaks were far above average. This canbe attributed to a temporary increase in thedischarge pressure from Bradenton’s high-service pump station. At the Bradenton FireDepartment’s request, discharge pressurewas apparently increased to about 80pounds per sq in. (psig) for a short duration,which led to a high number of breaks in Jan-uary 2010.

Generally, it was observed that mostwater main breaks occur in the coldermonths—December and January. Figure 4shows that most water main breaks occur inwater mains made of cast iron. The watermain material with the next most frequentbreak occurrence is polyvinyl chloride(PVC). In addition, according to Figure 6,the 6-in.-diameter water mains break most

frequently. Eighteen years of historical data were

combined with the model water main mate-rial information, and failure curves were de-veloped for each water main based onmaterial and size. These failure curves areunique to break history data that was set forthe Bradenton PWS network water mains.Figures 7 through 9 show the failure curves;dashed lines are for water main sizes wheresufficient data were available to calculate afailure curve, and solid lines are for watermain sizes with extrapolated failure curvesbased on standard assumptions that breakfrequency decreases with increasing watermain diameter. As shown, the ductile-ironwater mains are predicted to have thelongest useful life. According to the failurecurves, PVC and cast-iron water mains arepredicted to have similar useful lives, withPVC having a higher failure rate for watermain diameters less than 8 in. and a slightlylower failure rate for water main diameters 8in. and greater compared to cast-iron watermains.

These failure curves do not considerwhat is known as the burn-in phase (Berardiet al., 2008), which is a period when watermains usually fail due to poor installationpractices or significant material defects, butit does not influence the economic life cal-culations.

Statistical predictions based on age,economics, and standard material failureprobabilities do not always reflect the actualcondition of water mains. At times, moredetailed inspection of water mains classifiedas being beyond their economic life (the ageafter which annual maintenance costs ex-ceed annualized replacement costs) revealsthat these water mains are actually in ade-quate condition. At other times the oppositeis true, and water mains are in poorer con-dition than statistical analyses predict.

The statistical approach is usually onlyeconomically viable for predicting failure insmaller-diameter water mains (Berardi et al.,2008); therefore, before a larger-diameter(greater than 10 in.) water main is consid-ered deficient based on a predicted failure

rate, a physical inspection to assess its actualcondition may be warranted.

Fire Department Fire-Flow Goals

Jones Edmunds met with the Braden-ton water department and fire departmentstaff to determine the fire-flow goals forflows from Bradenton fire hydrants. Al-though Bradenton does not have formalfire-flow requirements in its ordinances, thefire department has its own goals. For firehydrants that contribute to available fireflow (AFF) to a commercial building, thegoal is to provide 2,000 gal per minute(gpm) of AFF. For hydrants that contributeto AFF to a commercial building that has asprinkler system or to a residential building,the goal is to provide 1,000 gpm of AFF.

Fire hydrants in Bradenton that servecommercial buildings and residential build-ings were identified. The fire department re-ported whether the commercial buildingswere sprinklered or nonsprinklered. This al-lowed a determination of fire-flow goalsthroughout the Bradenton PWS network.The difference between model-predictedAFF and fire department fire-flow goals wasused to establish areas where fire flows donot achieve the fire department goals.

Hydraulic Capacity and Water Quality

The hydraulic capacity and water qual-ity in the Bradenton PWS network appear tobe adversely affected by corrosion. In theunlined cast-iron water mains, metal oxidesresult from pitting corrosion and form tu-bercles over the pits. These tubercles gradu-ally grow and restrict the hydraulic capacityof the water main (NRC, 2003). The exis-tence of tubercles has been observed byBradenton staff in the PWS network in nu-merous locations. Additionally, the rate ofinternal corrosion in water mains not onlyaffects, but is influenced by, the water qual-ity (NRC, 2003).

In the Bradenton PWS network, a sig-nificant amount of water is flushed to main-tain acceptable TRC concentrations at theends of the water system. The Florida De-partment of Environmental Protection re-quires the TRC concentration to bemaintained at 0.6 mg/L throughout theBradenton PWS network at all times. Basedon water quality modeling, the predictedTRC decay rates are orders of magnitudehigher in older water mains of the water sys-tem than in newer water mains.

Table 1. Break History Scoring and Replacement Need




Water Main Scoring System

Individual water main scores were de-veloped relating to break history, fire-flowgoals, hydraulic capacity, and water quality.

Break History Score

The break history scoring for each watermain is based on the relative economic life of

each water main. Table 1 shows the scoring sys-tem based on the failure rates, which indicates areplacement need classification for each score.Figure 10 shows the spatial distribution of watermain breaks based on the scoring system.

Replacement needs classifications indi-cate the annual maintenance risk cost for thewater main is as follows:� A: Immediate-Term – has exceeded the

annualized replacement cost.� B: Near-Term – has equaled or exceeded

the annualized replacement cost.� C: Intermediate-Term – has equaled or not

exceeded the annualized replacement cost.� D: Long-Term – has not exceeded the an-

nualized replacement cost.� E: Distant-Term – will not exceed the an-

nualized replacement cost for some time.

Fire-Flow Goals Score

Fire-flow simulations were performedusing the calibrated hydraulic model. Com-parisons of model-predicted AFFs with thefire department AFF goals revealed areasthat could be improved. Figure 11 highlightsthese improvement areas by showing watermains that may be replaced to improve thesystem and better meet the fire departmentgoals.

These improvement areas received afire-flow score as shown in Table 2 corre-sponding to the relative percent differencebetween the model-predicted AFFs and firedepartment AFF goals in the area.

The scores reflect the consensus that noPVC, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), orductile-iron water mains need to be replacedto improve AFF.

Hydraulic Capacity and Water Quality Score

A combination of hydraulic and waterquality parameters were used to attribute athird score to the water system water mainsbased on the calibrated model prediction fortime-weighted mean consumption of chlo-rine chemical per water main using Equa-tion 1:

Equation 1

Where:m = Rate of chlorine mass consumption

(mg/min)T = Time (minutes)CCalibrated = Predicted change in chlorine

concentration (mg/L) across cal-ibrated model water main

CIdeal = Calculated change in chlorine con-centration (mg/L) across water mainwith no wall decay

Q = Flow Rate (gpm)

Scores that were per-water-main-basedwere established on each water main’s rela-tive as shown in Table 3.

Figure 12 shows water quality scoresthroughout the system.

Figure 10. Break History Scores

Figure 11. Fire-Flow-Based Replacement Needs

Table 2. Fire-Flow Scores Table 3. Chlorine Consumption Scores



Score Definitions and Hotspot Analysis

A three-digit scoring system was devel-oped: the first digit corresponds to the breakhistory score, the second corresponds to thefire-flow score, and the third to the hy-draulic capacity and water quality score.Based on the scoring methodology, a watermain could have a score as high as 533 or aslow as 101.

A score of 533 indicates a cast-iron orasbestos-cement water main that: � Is in immediate need of replacing based

on its failure risk. � Is near a hydrant that provides only 50

percent of the fire department AFF goaland would improve the AFF if replaced.

� Consumes chlorine at the highest brack-eted consumption rate.

Conversely, a score of 101 indicates aPVC, HDPE, or ductile-iron water main that: � Does not need to be replaced, based on its

failure risk. � Does not need to be replaced to improve

flow from a hydrant to meet the fire de-partment AFF goal.

� Consumes chlorine at the lowest brack-eted rate.

The resulting scores are provided in de-scending order to establish a replacementprioritization on an individual water mainlevel:

533 511 422 203532 501 421 202531 433 401 201523 432 303 103522 431 302 102521 423 301 101

These scores reflect the consensus thatno PVC, HDPE, or ductile-iron water mainsneed to be replaced to improve AFF.

After each water main was assigned awater-main score, a hotspot analysis wasperformed. The hotspot analysis allows aspatial assessment of the relative density ofhigh-scoring water mains and further de-fines the priority for replacement based onareas in the water system. Using this methodwill allow replacement work to begin andend in each area of the water system with-out a location being revisited, thereby re-ducing the associated engineering, survey,and contractor mobilization costs.

The total number of priority replace-ment areas is not constrained by the total

possible number of water-main scores be-cause priorities are ordered based on the rel-ative density of high-scoring water mains.

Figure 13 shows the resulting hotspotanalysis map (the darker the area, the morehotspots) for the limits of the BradentonPWS network, which allowed a spatial as-sessment of the relative density of high-scor-ing water mains based on the scoringmethodology established earlier.

Future Work

In an extension to this work, a methodwas developed to account for each water main’scontribution to chemical and electrical costs.Using the calibrated hydraulic and water qual-ity model, the chlorine consumption and fric-tion loss in each water main can be calculated.Then, each modeled water main can be re-placed with a modeled replacement watermain. This main would have appropriate walldecay coefficients (the parameter that influ-

ences how much chlorine is consumed in thesimulated water main) and friction coefficients(the parameter that influences the amount offriction loss that occurs in the simulated watermain) for a water main in new condition.

After model simulations with the re-placement water mains were performed, theresults could be compared to the calibratedmodel results. It’s expected that, in each case,the chemical consumption and friction losswill reduce by a specific amount. This specificamount would be attributed to the water mainunder consideration and could be used to es-tablish how much chemical is consumed andhow much energy is lost through that watermain over time. Annual chemical and energycosts to keep the aged water main in servicecould be calculated and used in a replacementprioritization. Combined with the economiclife calculations, annualized chemical and en-ergy costs would result in a replacement pri-oritization that maximizes cost savings.

Figure 12. Water Quality/Hydraulic Based Replacement Needs

Figure 13. Hotspot Analysis Map



Recommendations

It was concluded that the aged cast-ironand asbestos-cement water mains should bereplaced because they are past their usefullife. Bradenton already had a replacementprogram in place; however, the schedule andprioritization of replacements were adjustedto incorporate the water-main-scoringmethodology outlined to allow Bradentonto target improvements in the most prob-lematic areas first.

Budgeting and Priorities

The oldest water mains installed in theBradenton PWS network have reached theend of their expected useful life or will do so

during the next 30 years. This study esti-mated that $35 million should be investedover the next 30 years to replace existing(deteriorated) water mains in the network.

The current rate of water main replace-ment is largely influenced by the annualwater main replacement budget. Figure 14shows the historical range of water systeminfrastructure replacement cycles and ratesfor the City based on a high- and low-costper-ft assumption.

Based on the construction materialsand water main sizes in the network, a real-istic average water main replacement cost isabout $100 per ft. This means that at the2012 budgeted water main replacement dol-lar amount, Bradenton is on an approxi-mately 426-year replacement cycle, which isunsustainable. A more sustainable approachis to replace the water system at a rate con-

sistent with its useful life. To begin movingtoward sustainability and decrease watermain repairs, Bradenton used the watermain scoring and hotspot analysis to prior-itize water main replacements and justify in-creasing the water main replacement budget.The result is the water main replacementcycle time has decreased to less than halfwhat it was in 2012.

Figure 15 shows the prioritized watermain replacement groups for the first 10years, based on the hotspot analysis.

Conclusions

As Bradenton implements the recommenda-tions from this study, the City will reduce thewater main break frequency and improve hy-draulic capacity and water quality. The watermain scoring methodology presented allowsBradenton to prioritize water main replace-ments based on relative water main condi-tion and each water main’s relative influenceon hydraulic capacity and water quality. Tar-geting water main replacement using thismethod should result in the lowest overallcost for improvements. Extending this ap-proach to an assessment of each water main’seffect on chemical and energy costs could re-sult in the development of a purely cost-based replacement prioritization thatminimizes operation and maintenance costs.

Acknowledgements

Jones Edmunds thanks all of theBradenton Water Department staff whoprovided excellent support throughout thedata and model study and the BradentonFire Department staff who assisted with datacollection for model calibration.

References

• Berardi, L., O. Giustolisi, Z. Kapelan, andD.A. Savic, 2008, “Development of PipeDeterioration Models for Water Distribu-tion Systems using EPR.” Journal of Hy-droinformatics, IWA Publishing.

• Federation of Canadian Municipalitiesand National Research Council (NRC).April 2003. Deterioration and Inspectionof Water Distribution Systems: A BestPractice by the National Guide to Sustain-able Municipal Infrastructure.

• Lewis, Richard, P.E., October 2001. Reportof Findings: Metallurgical Evaluation ofWater Distribution System Pipe Samples,City of Bradenton, Fla. Lewis Engineeringand Consulting Inc. ��

Figure 14. Water Main Replacement Cycles and Rates

Figure 15. Prioritized Water Main Replacement Groups



The Manasota Chapter: Making Waves!

Danielle Bertini

The Manasota Chapter hashad a very productive yearso far. The May quarterlyluncheon had one of the

best turnouts yet. Chris Collins, biosolids andreuse supervisor with Manatee County, gavea presentation on the County’s method forgoing “green.” It’s amazing how much theCounty saved by making little changes; nomore below-desk fridges! The presentationgave everyone much to think about in termsof saving energy and money.

The Chapter sponsored a summer socialfor members on July 10. All of the members inattendance (and their friends and significantothers) enjoyed refreshments and appetizers atthe Blasé Café on Siesta Key in Sarasota.

The fifth annual joint FWEA/AWWAkayak event was a huge success, raising nearly$1,000 for Water For People. This year 30 peo-ple participated in the event, which was heldat the Robinson Preserve Park in Bradenton.The tour was led by Happy Paddler, an expe-

rienced and knowledgeable kayak guide in theBradenton area. Paddlers of all ages attended–from 7 up to 86! This event would not havebeen possible without the tireless efforts ofLindsay Marten, who did an outstanding jobof planning.

The Chapter has expanded it steeringcommittee once again: � Mike Knowles, who has served on the West

Coast and First Coast steering committees,is now joining us as the Manasota vicechair.

� Kyle Kellogg has joined as the educationoutreach coordinator and will be organiz-ing outreach events at middle schools andhigh schools throughout the area to pro-mote the water and wastewater engineer-ing fields.

� Samantha Nehme will be helping to keepthe Manasota webpage up to date as thenew webmaster.

� Mike Nixon will help to plan events as thespecial events coordinator. He served asvice chair of the Florida Gulf Coast Uni-versity (FGCU) student chapter.

The Manasota members have beenbranching out into FWEA: � Kristiana Dragash is now serving on the

FWEA board of directors as a director-at-large. She is responsible for overseeing theManasota and Central Florida chapters,University of Central Florida (UCF) stu-dent chapter, Students and Young Profes-sionals (S&YP) Committee, and theWastewater Process Committee.

� Chris Collins is the chair of the BiosolidsCommittee and I will serve as vice chair ofthe S&YP Committee this year.

� Julie Karleskint, chair of the public educa-tion awards for the Public Communica-tions and Outreach Committee, recentlygave an outreach presentation at the SkyAcademy.

Congratulations to all and good luck inyour new roles!

Danielle Bertini, EI, is with Carollo Engi-neers in Sarasota. ��

FWEA CHAPTER CORNER

Welcome to the FWEA Chapter Corner! Each month, the Public Relations Committee of the Florida Water Environment Association hosts this article to celebrate the success of recent

association chapter activities and inform members of upcoming events. To have information included for your chapter, send the details via email to Suzanne Mechler at [email protected].

SuzanneMechler

Kayakers as seen from the observation tower at Robinson Preserve. Julie Karleskint and her father, Albert, enjoy some shade while paddling.


Earn CEUs by answering questions from previous Journal issues!

Contact FWPCOA at [email protected] or at 561-840-0340. Articles from past issues can be viewed on the Journal website, www.fwrj.com.

Members of the Florida Water &Pollution Control Association (FWPCOA)may earn continuing education unitsthrough the CEU Challenge! Answer thequestions published on this page, basedon the technical articles in this month’sissue. Circle the letter of each correctanswer. There is only one correctanswer to each question! Answer 80percent of the questions on any articlecorrectly to earn 0.1 CEU for yourlicense. Retests are available.

This month’s editorial theme is

Disinfection and Water Quality. Lookabove each set of questions to see if it isfor water operators (DW), distributionsystem operators (DS), or wastewateroperators (WW). Mail the completedpage (or a photocopy) to: FloridaEnvironmental Professionals Training,P.O. Box 33119, Palm Beach Gardens,FL 33420-3119. Enclose $15 for eachset of questions you choose to answer(make checks payable to FWPCOA). YouMUST be an FWPCOA member beforeyou can submit your answers!

Operators: Take the CEU Challenge!

1. Data from this study reveal that _____________ watermains are predicted to have the longest useful life.a. cast-ironb. asbestos-cementc. ductile-irond. polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

2. The period during which water mains usually fail due topoor installation practices is known as thea. warranty period.b. burn-in period.c. trial period.d. equilibrium phase.

3. The growth of ____________ in unlined cast-iron watermains restricts their flow capacity.a. biofilm b. calcificationc. tubercles d. demand

4. By applying the water main scoring system described inthis article, water main replacement cycle time was reducedby approximately ___ percent.a. 25 b. 50c. 75 d. 90

5. Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)regulations require Bradenton to maintain a ____ mg/lchlorine residual throughout its water system at all times.a. 0.2 b. 0.6c. 1.0 d. 1.5

Calibrated Hydraulic and Water Quality Model Predictions Merge with

Break History for an Innovative Approach to Prioritizing Water Main Replacement

Roberto A. Rosario, Christopher C. Baggett, and James McLellan

(Article 2: CEU = 0.1 DW/DS)

___________________________________________SUBSCRIBER NAME (please print)

Article 1 ________________________________________LICENSE NUMBER for Which CEUs Should Be Awarded

Article 2 ________________________________________LICENSE NUMBER for Which CEUs Should Be Awarded

If paying by credit card, fax to (561) 625-4858

providing the following information:

___________________________________________(Credit Card Number)

___________________________________________(Expiration Date)

1. Which of the following treatment process options were notconsidered in this study?a. Air stripping b. Granular activated carbonc. Biologically activated carbon d. Ozonation

2. Batch and pilot-scale testing of the treatment alternatives were runto determinea. potential corrosivity.b. cost of treatment.c. effectiveness for H2S and organics removal.d. potential for 4-log virus inactivation.

3. A 48-hour diurnal demand pattern was established toa. allow sufficient time for disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation.b. determine whether a given alternative was more effective over

24 or 48 hours.c. allow for weather fluctuations.d. simulate one normal irrigation and one nonirrigation day.

4. Model results for the granular activated carbon (GAC)-ozonesimulation showed that at four selected distribution sites,compliance with Stage 2 D/DBP requirements coulda. not be met.b. only be met if 100 percent of the water was treated with GAC-

ozone.c. only be met if 75 percent of the water was treated with GAC-

ozone.d. be met if 25 percent of the water was treated with GAC-ozone.

5. Florida Section AWWA’s standard for calibrated model accuracy is___ percent.a. 80 b. 85c. 90 d. 95

Distribution System Water Quality Models Support Treatment Process Decisions

Brandon Bryant, Michael Harber, and Robert Dehler(Article 1: CEU = 0.1 DW/DS)


In this month’s column, I want to focuson where we are relative to our goals for2014-2015, which are as follows:

1. Development of a clear vision to guide usthrough the next six to eight years.

2. Integration of more Gen Xers and GenYers into our mix.

3. Inclusion of more members of the utilitycommunity into our mix.

4. Operating FWEA well and in a mannerthat sustains our long-term viability andgrowth.

To develop a clear vision for where wewant to be, we are planning on a visioningworkshop with FWEA leadership in Sep-tember. From this workshop, we hope tohave our vision, with supporting goals andmetrics, to carry us forward through 2020—and beyond. I welcome your thoughts andideas for this workshop; do email me di-rectly at [email protected].

Our Gen X and Gen Y integration ef-forts are also bearing fruit; we are findingthat most Gen Xers and Gen Yers want to bea part of a smaller subgroup with a specificinterest commensurate with their own. Tothat end, we are planning on many more tar-geted, smaller events versus planning on oneor two large events each year. For example,the wastewater process group held a seminarthat was attended by nearly 70 people onJune 19 at the Guana River State Park inPonte Vedra Beach.

Our focus is to have many more suchevents covering a broad range of topics through-out the year and across all of Florida. This inturn will allow greater Gen X and Gen Y partic-ipation in these events. On October 19, ourBiosolids Committee will host a seminar enti-tled, “Charting the Future of Biosolids Manage-ment,” in Ft. Myers, and on November 6, ourWastewater Process Committee will host a sem-inar entitled, “Innovation and Energy Savingson Wastewater Treatment in Boca Raton.” Bothof these events will offer excellent technical con-tent, be competitively priced, and offer continu-ing education units (CEUs) and professionaldevelopment hours (PDHs). See the “Confer-ence and Events” tab of the FWEA website(www.fwea.org) for more information.

To facilitate more utility participation inour Association, we are planning on workingside by side with the FWEA Utility Council.The mission of the council is to assist its mem-bers to achieve sound public health and envi-ronmental goals for the millions of users theyserve in an efficient and cost-effective manner.The council works for the reduction and elim-ination of water pollution in Florida and isspecifically and primarily organized to supportthe adoption and implementation of effectiveenvironmental water quality policies at federal,state, regional, and local levels that affect theFlorida wastewater utility industry.

The group is currently composed ofabout 55 wastewater utilities from all

around the state, ranging in size from theMiami-Dade Water and Sewer Departmentto South Walton Utilities Inc. To promotecouncil participation in FWEA, we willcharter the formation of two workinggroups: one for springs-related issues andthe other for reclaimed water policy guid-ance. Working side by side with the council,these two FWEA working groups will pro-vide technical support and champion com-munications to the water industry at large.Furthermore, these groups will bring to-gether a diverse cross section of the waterindustry to gather stakeholder input andprovide a broader consensus on policy mat-ters. This in turn will allow the council toadvance these policies more effectively.

On August 22, the council is meetingwith personnel from the Florida Depart-ment of Environmental Protection in Talla-hassee to review crucial policy issues such asaquifer storage recovery, bacteriologicalstatewide total maximum daily loads relatedto collection systems, sanitary sewer over-flows, and other important topics. I encour-age you to participate in FWEA and becomeactive in these new groups to allow yourvoice to be heard!

Finally, I want to report to you that thefinancial health of the FWEA is sound. Beinga not-for-profit entity, our budgets are all de-signed to break even, while providing learn-ing and networking opportunities for ourmembership through the many events struc-tured to meet your specific area of interest.

I am happy to report that the directors-at-large are working with the local chaptersand committees to develop and disseminateinformation through seminars, meetings,and other events. Another way to get in-volved is by participating in the recreationalevents that are being conducted across thestate to raise money for various local schol-arships and charities.

I encourage you to visit the FWEA web-site to learn more about these events andconsider attending, sponsoring, or even vol-unteering at an event or two in your area.��

FWEA Goals: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

FWEA FOCUS

Kart VaithPresident, FWEA


FWPCOA TRAINING CALENDAR

* Backflow recertification is also available the last day of BackflowTester or Backflow Repair Classes with the exception of Deltona

** Evening classes

*** any retest given also

SCHEDULE YOUR CLASS TODAY!

AUGUST11-15........FALL STATE SHORT SCHOOLFALL STATE SHORT SCHOOL ..............Ft. Pierce

22........Backflow Tester Recert*** ....................Deltona ................$85/115

25-29........Stormwater C ............................................Deltona ................$260/290

SEPTEMBER2........Backflow Recert ......................................Lady Lake ............$85/115

8-11........Backflow Tester ........................................St Petersburg ........$375/405

8-12........Wastewater Collection C, B..................Orlando ..............$225/255

22-26........Wastewater Collection C, B..................Deltona ................$325/355


OCTOBER6-8........Backflow Repair ......................................Deltona ................$275/305

20-23........Backflow Tester ........................................Pensacola ............$375/405


NOVEMBER3-6........Backflow Tester ........................................St. Petersburg ......$375/405

3-6........Backflow Tester ........................................Deltona ................$375/405


You are required to have your own calculator at state short schools

and most other courses.

Course registration forms are available at http://www.fwpcoa.org/forms.asp. For additional information on these courses or other training programs offered by the FWPCOA, please

contact the FW&PCOA Training Office at (321) 383-9690 or [email protected].


The U.S Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) has estimated that over260 million individuals in the country

are exposed to disinfectant/disinfectionbyproducts (D/DBPs). The Stage 2 D/DBP Rulewas implemented by EPA to regulate D/DBPsto within standards for human health, withoutincreasing the risk of microbial contamination.In advance of the rule, the Seminole CountyEnvironmental Services Department (SCESD)proactively addressed areas with potential com-pliance issues to provide its customers withcontinued water quality excellence.

The SCESD identified the need to furthertreat source waters to reduce D/DBP formationin one of its service areas to ensure compliancewith the Stage 2 D/DBP Rule. When designingany new enhanced treatment processes, the typeand amount of treatment necessary must beidentified. Water quality models were utilized by

SCESD to measure and compare different treat-ment processes available, as well as identify theoptimal treatment blending ratios. The blend-ing analysis identified the amount of water re-quired for enhanced treatment to potentiallyreduce the treatment equipment footprint andcost. This article discusses the innovative ap-proach of utilizing a water quality model to pre-dict system chlorine residuals and D/DBPsbased on pilot tested results for several differentenhanced water treatment processes to complywith the Stage 2 D/DBP Rule.

Pilot-scale treatment studies were per-formed at existing water treatment plants(WTPs) to support treatment alternative eval-uations and recommendations to fulfill Stage2 D/DBP Rule requirements. Alternate treat-ment options, including ozonation, granularactivated carbon (GAC), biological activatedcarbon (BAC), ion exchange with MIEX®, and

reverse osmosis were considered. Based on theD/DBP formation and chlorine decay corre-sponding to each process evaluated during thepilot study, coefficients of D/DBP formationand chlorine decay were developed.

The resulting D/DBP formation andchlorine decay coefficients were entered intothe wa-ter quality models for different alter-natives, such as ozone (O3) followed by GAC.The primary DBPs, trihalomethanes (THMs),

Distribution System Water Quality ModelsSupport Treatment Process Decisions

Brandon Bryant, Michael Harber, and Robert Dehler

Brandon Bryant is project engineer withReiss Engineering in Casselberry. MichaelHarber is project manager and RobertDehler is project manager/field coordinatorwith Seminole County EnvironmentalServices Department in Sanford.

F W R J


and haloacetic acids (HAAs) were simulatedand predicted at monitoring locationsthroughout the distribution system to confirmthat the level of treatment would be acceptableto meet Stage 2 D/DBP Rule requirements.The water quality model simulation resultswere used to assist SCESD and the WTP de-sign team in making decisions related to thelevel and methods of treatment, in addition torespective cost of each service areas treatmentalternatives to comply with Stage 2 D/DBPRule requirements.

Project Purpose

The overall goal of the project was to de-velop successful water treatment alternativesto achieve Stage 2 D/DBP Rule compliance atthe established monitoring locations andthroughout the entire distribution system dur-ing existing and future operational scenarios.The plan to accomplish this goal was to:1. Review different treatment processes and

options that align with established goals.2. Select treatment processes for pilot testing. 3. Assess design parameters with each process.4. Pilot-test processes to determine design

criteria and capacity requirements.5. Develop advanced water quality hydraulic

model to predict THM/HAA formation ina distribution system.

6. Perform various model evaluations for fu-ture potential operational scenarios.

7. Develop viable treatment alternatives(footprint, capital cost, operation andmaintenance costs, pros/cons).

8. Recommend proposed alternatives.

Model Development

When developing a water quality hy-draulic model it is important to create as ac-curate a representation of the system aspossible prior to running any simulations.Many existing created models were initiallyonly used for hydraulic purposes and typicallyneed significant modifications in order tosimulate water quality. Additionally, similar toa geographic information system (GIS), if themodel does not receive regular updates of in-formation its value can diminish. As a modelbecomes more and more out of date, confi-dence in the model will decline.

However, modeling software advanceshave made the transfer of data almost auto-matic, making model updates much less laborintensive. For this project, it was important tocreate an accurate representation of the SCESDsystem in order to estimate future water qualitywithin the distribution system for Stage 2D/DBP Rule compliance. Results of the model

simulations, pilot data, and field sampling wereall used to make decisions of the type andamount of treatment upgrades needed, whichwould result in multimillion dollar upgrades toa WTP. The following actions were used to cre-ate the SCESD water quality hydraulic model:� Perform and update model components:

• Structurally (pipe, junctions, pumps,tanks, and valves)

• Demand • Scenario management

� Perform a hydraulic and water quality cal-ibration:• Hydraulics

•• At point-of-entry locations (WTPs)•• At hydrant-field-recorded pressure lo-

cations• Water quality (CL2, fluoride/water age,

THM, HAA)� Utilize the calibrated model to assist with

treatment level decision making and com-pliance with Stage 2 D/DBP Rule

Model Components Update

The latest SCESD system component in-formation was utilized and compared to the

Figure 1. Seminole County Environmental Services Department Service Areas

Figure 2. Facility Update Utilizing As-Built Drawings



existing model for accuracy. The model de-mands were updated based on demand datacollected in 2011-2012. Separate data sets forexisting and future demands were generatedfor the scenarios and extended period simula-tion (EPS) scenarios were also created to en-able water quality modeling capabilities.

Structural UpdateStructural components, including pipes,

pumps, groundwater storage tanks, watersupply sources, and junction elevations wereupdated in the hydraulic model from infor-mation collected from SCESD. Differencesbetween the GIS data and hydraulic modeldata were identified and updated. The hy-

draulic model structural components werealso integrated with GIS. Integration utiliz-ing a unique identification provides SCESDwith the ability to more efficiently updatemodel components from the GIS informa-tion. Additional modifications to facilitycontrol operations and the decommissioningof water facilities were incorporated for fu-ture hydraulic simulations. Expansion of thewater facilities, which included the additionof future high-service pumps, was also in-corporated into the hydraulic model. Themodel was updated to include all currentsystem information, including recently con-structed transmission mains and futurewater mains.

Demand UpdateOne year of historical water meter

billing information was converted intogeocoded demands and allocated into thehydraulic model junctions. A yearly average,in gal per minute (gpm), was calculated foreach meter location. The geocoding processinvolved linking the water meter billing datawith Seminole County property appraiserGIS parcel data by the unique parcel identi-fication numbers. The water meter billingdata was then assigned the associated geo-graphic coordinate from the parcel. Once thewater meter billing data had geographic co-ordinates, the features were mapped and en-tered into GIS. The geospatial referencedwater meter billing data was used to allocatethe calculated demand information into thehydraulic model junctions. The demand al-location was done by spatially joining thepoint demand data to the closest pipe. Thedemand was then split in a distance-weighted fashion between the two nodesconnecting the pipe.

Scenario ManagementHydraulic model scenarios were created

to represent steady state and extended periodsimulations with the updated demand infor-mation. Average-day, maximum-day, maxi-mum-day plus fire flow, and peak-hourdemand scenarios were created for existingand future build-out conditions. The hy-draulic model was updated to include existingand future EPS scenarios with the ability tosimulate water age DBP formations, fluorideconcentrations, and chlorine residual concen-trations. The supervisory control and data ac-quisition (SCADA) system flow informationwas used to create a 48-hour diurnal demandpattern based on one normal irrigation andone nonirrigation day. Each of the allocateddemands would increase and decrease basedon the pattern throughout the selected days.

Model Calibration

Distribution System Field SamplingA hydraulic and water quality model cal-

ibration protocol for obtaining measurementsand correlating the measurements with the hy-draulic model simulated results was devel-oped. Coordination among supply facilities,operators, and field personnel was required toensure the system was operated consistentlyunder typical operation, and that standardcustomer service levels were maintained dur-ing the data collection process. Two levels ofdata collection and calibration were requiredto increase hydraulic precision that, in turn,proved to increase the models water quality

Figure 3. Demand Allocation

Figure 4. Field Sampling Locations



predication accuracy. The first level of data collection and cali-

bration began at the water facilities point-of-entry locations and included data collection ofrecent SCADA information such as treatmentplant pressures, flows, pump operations, vari-able frequency drive speeds, tank levels, anddischarge chlorine residuals, as well as dis-charge fluoride, chlorine decay, and DBP for-mation sampling. Approximately 200,000hydraulic data points of SCADA informationwere collected to confirm and calibrate waterfacility hydraulics in the model for existingconditions.

The second level of data collection andcalibration consisted of collecting distributionsystem hydraulic and water quality data to cor-relate potential increases from the point-of-entry locations to the selected sampling sites,and more specifically, the Stage 2 D/DBP Rulelocations. Field pressure recorders, chlorineresiduals, DBPs, and fluoride sampling werecollected at the locations shown in Figure 4.

The facility and distribution system datacollected for calibration were collected duringthe same two-week time period in order to in-crease model-to-field accuracies by havingconsistent hydraulic and water quality data.Additional field pressure measurements werecollected by installing pressure recording in-struments at key locations in the distributionsystem. Approximately 800 chlorine, fluoride,THM, and HAA field samples were collectedfor the distribution system water quality cali-bration. The facilities-collected SCADA dataidentified a two-day pattern that repeatedthroughout the sampling period, which wasused to create a two-day diurnal demand pat-tern that simulates irrigation and nonirriga-tion days. Modifications to the models weremade based on field-collected pressure, chlo-rine, THM, and HAA measurements to accu-rately simulate the existing system conditionsin the constructed models. Figures 5 through10 represent model versus field data calibratedresults. As illustrated, the accuracy of the fieldversus model results exceed the establishedgoal of the Florida Section American WaterWorks Association (FSAWWA), which isgreater than 95 percent accuracy, and it isready to support SCESD and the design teamin making a decision on the type of treatmentprocess and level of treatment necessary tocomply with the Stage 2 D/DBP Rule.

Pilot Sampling and ResultsIn parallel with the water quality hy-

draulic model structural update, field sam-pling, and calibration, pilot- and bench-scaletesting was performed for the identified treat-

Figure 5. Southeast Regional Water Treatment Plant Field Flows and Pressures Versus Model-Simulated

Figure 6. Field-Collected Pressures Versus Model-Simulated

Figure 7. Field-Collected Fluoride Versus Model SimulatedContinued on page 48


ment alternatives. The objectives of the pilotstudies were to determine the effectiveness ofthe treatment options to reduce hydrogen sul-fide and organic content. Sulfide levels neededto be reduced to low or undetected levels inorder to minimize odor complaints, as well asreduce the chlorine demand. Chlorine is usedto oxidize sulfide, which results in an increasein chlorine demand over the required demandfor disinfection. The chlorine reaction withtotal organic carbon (TOC) over time leads tothe formation of DBPs. The removal of or-ganics, and hence the removal of DBPs, wasalso evaluated as part of the study to achievecompliance at the Stage 2 D/DBP Rule loca-tions and throughout the distribution system.The DBP formation potential for the selectedtreatment options were evaluated to deter-mine the levels of treatment required to meetthe following THM/HAA finished water qual-ity goal:� SCESD distribution water quality goals

• 60 µg/L THM at Stage 2 locations (waterquality goal exceeding Stage 2 D/DBPRlimit)

• 40 µg/L HAA at Stage 2 locations (waterquality goal exceeding Stage 2 D/DBPRlimit)

� Process configurations assessed duringpilot testing• Existing treated water• Existing treated water plus ozone • Ozone • GAC• Ozone plus GAC• Nanofiltration• Nanofiltration plus ozone (permeate)• Ion exchange

Water quality results from the pilot test-ing obtained information on total sulfide,chlorine residual, temperature, pH, TOC, Ul-traviolet-254, THMs, and HAA. The waterquality information obtained was utilized todetermine the effectiveness of the combina-tions of the treatment alternatives to meet thegoals and comply with Stage 2 D/DBP Ruleregulations. In addition to evaluating theDBP formation on the various treatment ef-fluents, DBP formation was also evaluated onseveral blended influent and effluent streams.Without these evaluations, only a theoreticalextrapolation between source waters consti-tuting the blended streams could be per-formed, which would not be an accurateevaluation. The DBP formation and chlorinedecay potential were evaluated using the fol-lowing treated water at different levels ofblend ratios:� GAC – Existing treated water blends

Figure 8. Field-Collected Chlorine Versus Model Simulated

Figure 9. Field-Collected Trihalomethane Versus Model-Simulated

Figure 10. Field Collected Haloacetic Acids Versus Model-Simulated




• 100 percent GAC filtered• 75 percent GAC filtered – 25 percent ex-

isting treated water blend (no ozone)• 50 percent GAC filtered – 50 percent ex-

isting treated water blend (no ozone)� NF - O3 water blends

• 100 percent NF • 75 percent NF – 25 percent existing

treated ozonated water blend• 50 percent NF – 50 percent existing

treated ozonated water blend• 25 percent NF – 75 percent existing

treated ozonated water blend� GAC - O3 water blends

• 100 percent GAC • 75 percent GAC – 25 percent existing

treated ozonated water blend• 25 percent GAC – 75 percent existing

treated ozonated water blend� GAC - O3 partial breakthrough water

blends • 100 percent GAC • 75 percent GAC – 25 percent existing


treated ozonated water blend� GAC - O3 full-breakthrough water blends

• 100 percent GAC • 75 percent GAC – 25 percent existing


treated ozonated water blend

The pilot study data was used to createkinetic formation coefficients (Kb), initial lev-els of THM and HAA (C0), and limiting levelsof THM and HAA (CL) for utilization withinthe hydraulic model. The collected data wasplotted and a best-fit line was established asillustrated in Figure 11 and summarized inTable 1, which shows the GAC followed byozone blended pilot information.

Simulation Results and Conclusions

Approximately 75 different model sce-narios were created based on the pilot dataand future operational changes established toevaluate the ability of the potential futuretreatment alternatives to meet the treatmentgoals and comply with the Stage 2 D/DBPRule within the distribution system. Simu-lated model output for the different waterquality scenarios and variables were summa-rized for each of the sampling locations. Table2 shows four of the locations of the waterquality hydraulic model results of the GAC-Ozone scenarios.

The simulation results of the water qual-ity models provided key information used to

assist SCESD and the WTP design team inmaking decisions related to the level andmethods of treatment needed to meetSCESD’s finished water quality goals. Thewater quality modeling confirmed specificGAC and ozone treatment capacities forblending, thereby optimizing treatment facil-ities requirements and cost. The valuable in-formation gleaned from the pilot study, inconjunction with field sampling and watermodel quality simulations of future condi-tions, increased the team’s confidence level inprocess decision making and reduced overlyconservative assumptions. The water qualitymodeling projects water quality changes fromthe treatment plant into the distribution sys-tem, where the compliance is measured. Thetreatment evaluation, coupled with the waterquality modeling, indicated that a blendedtreatment using GAC and ozone resulted in adecrease in THM formation levels at the loca-tions identified within the distribution system

and projected compliance with the Stage 2D/DBP Rule.

References

• Kennedy, M. S., Sarikelle, S., and Suravallop,K. (1991). Calibrating Hydraulic Analyses ofDistribution Systems Using Fluoride TracerStudies. American Water Works Association,54-59.

• Methods, H., Walski, T. A., Chase, D. V.,Savic, D. A., Grayman, W., Beckwith, S., et al.(2003). Advanced Water Distribution Model-ing and Management (Vol. First Edition).Waterbury, CT: Haestad Methods Inc.

• Munavalli, G. R., and Mohan Kumar, M. S.(2003). Optimal Scheduling of MultipleChlorine Sources in Water Distribution Sys-tems. Journal of Water Resources Planningand Management .

• Innovyze. (1996-2007). InfoWater:UsersGuide. Broomfield, Colo.: Innovyze. ��

Figure 11. GAC-Ozone Blend

Analyzed Data

Table 1. GAC-Ozone Blended Model Inputs

Table 2. GAC-Ozone Distribution Model Simulated Results

If you attended this year’s American WaterWorks Association (AWWA) conference,ACE14, in Boston, I hope you attended the

opening general session. The Florida Sectionhad a good turnout. Our own executive direc-tor, Peggy Guingona, somehow had us upfront and center for the best seats in the house.Each year this session seems to be getting bet-ter and better, and this year was no exception.

Jim Chaffee, AWWA president, openedwith a greeting, followed by David LaFrance,AWWA‘s executive director. Dave was wearingwhat looked like an official Boston Red Soxshirt with ACE14 as the number. Awards weredistributed and dedicated service was recog-nized. Our own Jeff Nash garnered thanks forhis service as an AWWA vice president thispast year. He made the Florida Section proud!

After a few more short speeches and re-marks, the keynote speaker was introduced to astanding ovation: the former mayor of New York

City, Rudy Giuliani. The crowd became electri-fied (a little dangerous around water folks!).

The mayor spoke about his role in responseto the 9/11 attacks, subsequent rescue efforts,and massive cleanup. He mentioned that histeam of city officials had done quite a lot ofplanning for various possible crisis scenarios,but nothing as monumental as the collapse ofboth Twin Towers at the World Trade Center.

As resources were mobilized, they all real-ized that the planning they’d done would indeedbe put to use. Police and rescue personnel train-ing, evacuation plans, auxiliary power, purchas-ing procedures, and a myriad of other supportservices were simultaneously employed. NewYork City’s response to the worst attack on U.S.soil in this century was exemplary.

Hearing a firsthand account of such aneffort was one of those lifetime memorableevents. The mayor didn’t stop there, however;he continued by describing how to be a suc-

cessful leader. He’s written a book that in-cludes all his experience and ideas, and here isan abbreviation of his abbreviated version:“Before you do anything, you need to first askyourself, ‘What are you’re trying to accom-plish?’ Then think, ‘How are we going to solvethis?’ Remember that every problem has a so-lution or approach.”

He then described the six characteristicsof a successful leader:� A leader should have strong beliefs. Do

what’s right. It may not be popular. You maybe criticized. You may even lose your job.But if it’s the right thing to do, do it.

� A leader must be an optimist, a problemsolver. The world is full of naysayers tellingyou why you can’t do something. Optimistshave a lot more fun getting things accom-plished!

� A leader must have courage, be willing totake risks. A leader can’t be afraid to chal-lenge the status quo. It’s okay to make somemistakes along the way.

� A leader must understand the value of re-lentless preparation. Prepare for the uncer-tain. Learn to think on your feet.

� A leader must fully appreciate and practiceteamwork. It’s not about you, it’s aboutthem. Know your weaknesses and comple-ment your team with people who havestrengths in those areas.

� A leader must communicate effectively.Communication is both letting someoneknow what you know, as well as learningwhat someone else knows. Questioning, lis-tening, and absorbing what you’re hearingare key qualities of a successful leader.

Many of you may say, “I’m not a leader.”Leaders come from everywhere to meet chal-lenges. You never know when you’ll find your-self in a situation where you are the leader. Inour field of supplying water to our customers,every day there’s the possibility of an eventthat will require you to take the lead.

Here’s an ultra-abbreviated version: Openyour ears and be fully prepared to optimisti-cally work with others to bravely do what’sright. All inspired by a man, Rudy Giuliani,who’s now a part of history.

I can’t wait for ACE15 in Anaheim. Makean effort to be there and attend the next open-ing session! ��

Carl R. Larrabee Jr.Chair, FSAWWA

Learning in Crisis: Leaders are Made, Not Born

FSAWWA SPEAKING OUT


Doug Prentiss Sr.

As the outgoingFWEA SafetyCommittee chair (a

seat I’ve held for the past30 years) for the last 30

years, I have many great memories and havemade many friends. At this point in my life,my focus is turning to family and home andmentoring my grandchildren. Thanks to allof you who helped, supported, and partici-pated in our projects and events.

I am very pleased tointroduce Judd Mooso asthe new committee chair.He brings with himunique experiences andabilities that will improvethe committee and its ac-tivities.

I will continue toserve a support role in thecommittee to ensure a smooth transition,but ask that each of you welcome him as thenew face of safety for FWEA. His contact in-formation is:

Judd MoosoDestin Water Users Inc.

Water Operations SuperintendentSafety Program Coordinator

Office: 850-337-3915Mobile: 850-699-3662

Fax: [email protected]

The following, in Mooso’s words, givesyou his background and plans for the com-mittee.

I am currently the safety programs andtraining coordinator for Destin Water UsersInc. (DWU), a member-owned, not-for-profit utility located in Destin. The DWUprovides wastewater collection and treat-ment, drinking water production and distri-bution, and reuse water distribution to ourservice area. I have been employed withDWU for over 16 years and have been ac-tively involved in the safety program for 14years. In March 2005, I was designated as thecompany safety committee chair andcharged with the general oversight and man-agement of safety in our utility. Althoughsafety can at times be a tremendous respon-sibility, I have enjoyed both the experienceand the education it has provided me overthe years.

Like many safety professionals, I can ap-preciate the challenges that come with beinga dual-hat employee. In addition to my re-sponsibilities to safety, I am also the super-intendent for our drinking water operationsdepartment and am a dual-licensed operatorin both water and wastewater. I have alsobeen serving in the U.S. Army for over 23years and continue to serve today with theArmy Reserve as a battalion command ser-geant major.

I have been fortunate to work for an or-ganization that encourages and promotessafety in every phase of the operation.Thanks to a fully supportive board of direc-tors and senior management team, DWU op-erates an extremely progressive safetyprogram with active participation at everylevel. Over the years DWU has not only man-aged to promote and develop its safety pro-grams, but more significantly, it has fostereda safety culture. They have also supportedmy role as a military serviceman, includinga 15-month deployment to Iraq in 2007, andmy ongoing monthly Reserve obligations. Iam also supported by outstanding cowork-ers who have taken on additional duties dur-ing these deployments.

Above all, I have an amazingly support-ive family. I am married to a wonderfulwoman who serves as my rudder during theebbs and flows of raising our two children.

Like many of you I am involved in my chil-dren’s activities by coaching and mentoringand doing whatever it takes to ensure theyare given a fair chance to succeed in ourcomplicated world. In my spare time there isnothing I enjoy more than a relaxed day ofboating, camping, or just enjoying a littledowntime with my family.

My immediate goals for the committeeare:� Increase membership and participation in

the FWEA Safety Committee.� Provide safety-related information useful

to FWEA members.� Align safety committee activities with

FWEA goals and objectives.� Establish annual Safety Committee meet-

ings in conjunction with the FloridaWater Resources Conference.

By accepting the position of FWEA SafetyCommittee chair, I hope to give somethingback to the industry that has provided me andmy family with opportuni-ties I never imagined,but am grateful to havereceived.

Doug Prentiss ispresident of DPI, providing a wide range of safety servicesthroughout Florida. ��

FWEA Safety Committee Appoints New ChairSPOTLIGHT ON SAFETY

MOOSO


Terrence McCue and John Milligan

The facility, which is located in the north-east portion of Seminole County (anaerial view is shown in Figure 1), has a

permitted treatment capacity of 3 mgd and ispresently operating at approximately 66 per-cent of its capacity. The facility was upgradedin May 2012 to improve effluent water qualityto meet new permit requirements and replaceaging plant equipment and infrastructure.Treated effluent is used for public access reuseor discharged to rapid infiltration basins(RIBs). The upgraded plant utilizes a biologicalnutrient removal (BNR) process to achieve an

annual average Total Nitrogen (TN) effluentlimit of 3 mg/L (effluent limitation on RIBs).

The recent improvements include:� Equipment replacement� Tank rehabilitation� New flow equalization/anoxic tank� Mechanical surface aerators with variable

frequency drives� New fine bubble diffusers in the oxidation

ditches� Internal recycle pump system� Replacement of existing travelling bridge

filters with upflow deep bed filters� New sequential facultative digestion system

for biosolids treatment

� Updated electrical and control equipment,including additional auxiliary power

The BNR process modifications includedthe addition of on-line monitoring of oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) at the end of thecarousel secondary zones for automatic mechan-ical aerator speed control, and ammonia (NH4)and nitrate (NO3) at the discharge of eachcarousel for process monitoring. The configura-tion of the biological process is shown in Figure 2.

The controls allow for automatic control ofthe aeration system to achieve simultaneous ni-trification/denitrification within the oxidationditches. The effluent quality averages from theprevious 12 months are summarized in Table 1.The data demonstrate the exceptional perform-ance of the facility, particularly in regard to nitro-gen removal. The new flow equalization/anoxictank, improved mixing in the aeration basins, au-tomation of the air control system using on-lineORP measurement, and installation of NH4 andNO3 meters that allow for the optimization of ni-trification and denitrification are the primary fac-tors contributing to the excellent TN removalobserved at the facility.

The recent upgrades not only improved ef-fluent quality, but also resulted in cost savings.The addition of the new mechanical aeratorswith variable frequency drives controlled by theORP meters, the replacement of the travelingbridge filters with upflow filters, and the reduc-tion in horsepower at the reclaimed water pump-ing station generated a reduction of 4 percent inannual electrical costs, for a cost savings of ap-proximately $13,000 per year. Due to the im-proved effluent quality (consistently lowereffluent ammonia and total suspended solids),the sodium hypochlorite usage was reduced byapproximately 48 percent, which also resulted ina cost savings of approximately $73,000 per year.

Terrence McCue, Ph.D., P.E., is projectmanager and John Milligan is wastewater man-ager with Seminole County EnvironmentalServices Department in Sanford. ��

Table 1. Facility Effluent Concentrations

..................................cBOD5 ................TSS ..................TN

Influent ................241 mg/L ......197 mg/L ......46 mg/L

Effluent ................1.06 mg/L ......1.34 mg/L ....0.96 mg/L

Permit Limit ............5 mg/L ..........5 mg/L ..........3 mg/L

Percent Removal........99.6 ..............99.3 ..............97.9

PROCESS PAGEGreetings from the FWEA Wastewater Process Committee! This month’s column will highlight one of this year’s Earle B. Phelps Award winners:the Seminole County Environmental Services Department (SCESD) Greenwood Lakes Water Reclamation Facility. We hope that you will enjoyreading about another outstanding treatment facility in Florida, and perhaps you will learn something that can be implemented at your plant.

Figure 1. Facility plant processes

Figure 2. Facility Biological Process Configuration


August is Florida Water ProfessionalsMonth—yes, that’s right: an entiremonth! As you know, August has tradi-

tionally had a week dedicated to water profes-sionals; this year, however, as proclaimed byGovernor Rick Scott, the entire month of Au-gust is dedicated to the state’s water profes-sionals.

The governor realizes the important rolethat you, our water professionals, play in theeveryday lives of the people of this great state.This proclamation, along with the hundredsof similar proclamations signed by the leadersof local communities, symbolizes the signifi-cant role water professionals play in protect-ing the health of our communities and theenvironment.

This will also be the last year that thisrecognition will be done in August. Startingin 2015, it will be recognized in April to coin-cide with the Florida Water Resource Confer-ence and Water Conservation Month.

Regional Meeting Recognizes Retirement

Wow! What an awesome meeting RegionVI recently had at the Lake Worth Water Treat-ment Facility. It was a very special meeting forone of our own—Phil Donovan. Phil is retir-ing from the City of Lake Worth, and the re-gion celebrated this milestone with him. Ihappily took the two-and-a-half-hour ride toshare this moment with one of our past pres-idents. Approximately 75 people attendedPhil’s sendoff including: a sitting state senator;several past mayors of the City of Lake Worth;many coworkers; his brothers, wife, anddaughter; and of course, his FWPCOA family.

As we took turns around the room givingaccolades, there seemed to be a commontheme. It was clear that Phil was active in hiscommunity and may have been the proverbialthorn in the side that helps leaders make theright choices. Several of the politicians men-

tioned how Phil stopped the county’s quest totake over the city’s drinking water system. Itwas through Phil’s passion and dedication tokeep the water treatment of their communityon a local level, which kept the system’s oper-ations in the hands of the local leaders.

It is people like Phil Donovan that havemade FWPCOA the great success that it is. Iam sure that thorn will be poking people morefrequently as the job he had will no longer begetting in the way! Thank you, Phil, for all ofyour contributions over the years!

Meeting Events Facilitate Interaction

If you didn’t attend the June board of di-rectors meeting you missed a good one. Re-gion IV was the host of the meeting and whata phenomenal job they did! The region wentout and found sponsors for a “meet and greet”event the Friday night prior to the meeting,which included dinner and door prizes.

It was awesome talking with the directors,their families, and the membership of RegionIV in a very relaxing atmosphere. The regionalso sponsored the breakfast prior to the boardmeeting on Saturday morning. I would like torecognize Debra Englander, Christina Pelle-gatti, and Janet DeBiasio of Region IV, andThea Parslow of Region XI, for their efforts inhosting this event.

Thanks to Some of My Mentors

As president of the Association, I haveseveral venues to show appreciation to thosein our industry who have done great things. Ialso get to recognize those people who havetouched me and helped me on a professionallevel.

Recently, there have been several col-leagues that I’ve worked with who have movedon to explore other opportunities. I would liketo thank them as they have been a major partof my life for the past decade or more. Dr.Bruce Weinstein, Don Blalock, Ron Weis, Ger-ald Erb, and Jake Hepokoski have all con-tributed to my success, the community that Iserve, and the Association that we are all a partof. I personally thank you for your contribu-tions and I look forward to working with youin future endeavors.

Water Expo Coming Up

I am extremely excited about the up-coming Southwest Florida Water and Waste-water Expo on September 11 that will be heldat the Harborside Convention Center in Ft.Myers. This will be the expo’s seventh yearand it just gets better and better every time.The expo is a joint training event of the FWPCOA Region VIII, the Southwest Chap-ter of FWEA, and FSAWWA Region V. Lastyear’s exposition floor had over 60 vendorsand more door prizes than I could count. Formore information contact Justin Martin [email protected].

August Board Meeting

The next FWPCOA board meeting willbe held at 9:30 a.m. on August 10 at IndianRiver State College in Ft. Pierce. This is thesame week as our State Short School. OnWednesday, August 13, to celebrate FloridaWater Professionals Month, we will hold ourannual awards banquet recognizing thestate’s best water professionals and commu-nities in our industry. I hope to see youthere! ��

Jeff PoteetPresident, FWPCOA

State Water ProfessionalsGet Deserved Recognition

C FACTOR

Small Operations

Bonita Springs Utilities

Accepted by Clifford Morris.

Biosolids Awards

CorrectionIn the June 2014 issue, page 20 had theincorrect photo for the acceptor of theFWEA Biosolids Award. The correctphoto is shown here.



The Division of State Lands of theFlorida Department of EnvironmentalProtection (FDEP) will sell state-ownedsurplus nonconservation lands to increasethe budget for future purchases. The movesupports the vision of the 2014-2015Florida legislature, which gave FDEP theauthority to sell $40 million worth of land.

“It is the priority of the department toacquire and manage lands needed for con-servation and public purposes and to dis-pose of surplus, state-owned lands that areno longer needed,” said Kelley Boree, direc-tor of the division.

�The South Florida Water Manage-

ment District has won the 2013 GrowingBlue Award that was presented during a re-cent ceremony at the American Water Sum-mit in Washington, D.C. The district wonthe award through a competitive, live voteof its peers at the summit.

The award recognizes individuals andorganizations advancing an understandingof how water is essential to economic andsocial growth and how it sustains the envi-ronment.

�In a new effort, Altamonte Springs

will collect rainwater that falls on Interstate4, which runs through the city, treat it to re-move oil, gasoline, and other pollutants,and pipe it to residents and businesses forlandscape irrigation.

The $13 million project, known as A-FIRST, is aimed at reducing the amount ofpollutants and harmful nutrients, includingnitrogen and phosphorus, that flow into theLittle Wekiva and Wekiva rivers and causealgae blooms.

With a program kickoff that was heldon June 13, the city’s sewage system will beready to deliver its first gallons of stormwa-ter to customers in about 18 months. Even-tually, the system will deliver up to 4.5 milgal of water a day. Any excess water from theinterstate remaining after it’s delivered tocustomers will be pumped to a secondwater treatment plant and then flow toApopka through a 5-mi-long pipe that willbe built as part of the project. Apopka willreceive this water for the next five decadeswithout charge as part of an agreement be-tween the two municipalities.

Florida’s Department of Transporta-

tion and Department of EnvironmentalProtection also collaborated on the project.

�Associated Industries of Florida will

host the 5th Annual Florida Water Forumon October 10 at the Renaissance Orlandoat SeaWorld, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.The forum will address critical issues re-lated to Florida’s water challenges, and thepresenters will include environmental ex-perts on agricultural water supply, permit-ting, alternative water supply projects,numeric nutrient criteria, and Evergladesissues. The program will also include a pre-view of the 2015 legislative session. Over thepast five years, this forum has garneredrecognition from business and communityleaders, local and regional government of-ficials, and the public.

�McKim & Creed Inc. has been named

Wastewater and Water Consultant of theYear by the Florida chapter of the AmericanPublic Works Association.

The award was presented on July 10 atthe Florida Public Works Expo in FortLauderdale. Robert Garland, regional man-ager with the firm, accepted the award.

The award is presented to one consult-ing company each year. To be considered, afirm must demonstrate project successes, beactively involved in community and profes-sional organizations, and be endorsed byclients and public agencies.

“APWA’s Florida Chapter Awards Pro-gram was established to recognize out-standing individuals and companiesrepresenting the best achievement in thepublic works profession in the state,” saidRussell Ketchem, chapter president. “Thisaward demonstrates McKim & Creed’scommitment to the engineering profession,its clients, and Florida’s communities.”

McKim & Creed is a multistate firmand established its Florida operations in1994. It has offices in Clearwater, DaytonaBeach, DeLand, Fort Myers, Palm Coast,Sarasota, and Tampa.

�The South Florida Water Manage-

ment District reports that wet-season rainsin mid-July have continued to fill the state’saquifers, lakes, canals, and conservationareas. An estimated 2.1 in. average rainfallfell across 16 counties, with a focus on areasaround and west of Lake Okeechobee.

Early July through mid-August is a typ-

News Beat


Wireless lift station monitors fromTelog Instruments collect information onstation operation and provide a combinationof real-time alarm notification via SMS textor email, time-stamp event data, trend data,station flow history, pump cycle data, pump-ing rate history, pump energy efficiency his-tory, and site diagnostics. Information isshared with interested parties via Web serveraccess, email and/or SMS message alarms,daily/weekly/monthly reports, and data shar-ing with third-party applications, such asmodeling, SCADA, etc. Data is automaticallycollected from lift stations using RTUs, thentransferred to a central server via a choice ofcommunication technologies, including cel-lular, landline, radio, or Ethernet. Data maybe transmitted on a user-defined scheduleand/or immediately on detection of a stationalarm. (www.telog.com)

�Masterflex peristaltic pumps from

Thermo Scientific eliminate the risk ofvapor lock, as the chemicals being pumpedare confined to elastomer tubing and nevercome in contact with the pump itself. Thepumps deliver optimal chemical oxidantslike sodium hypochlorite, aggressive materi-als like ferric chloride, polymers and othershear-sensitive products, and highly viscousand abrasive materials like lime slurries.Rollers on the pump head rotor squeeze thetubing, generating vacuum that propels thesolution through the tube at a specific rate.Scale doesn’t build up in the pump as thereare no valves or seats exposed to the fluidstream. The pumps offer simple operationand a large practical turndown and capacityrange with one variable, single-speed adjust-ment. When the pump stops, the occludedportion of the tube stays squeezed shut with

no siphoning effect. (www.thermoscien-tific.com)

�The Hexacon Model III toxic gas multi-

actuator valve controller from HalogenValve Systems has an organic light-emittingdiode (OLED) information display and op-tional programmable relay interface moduleto provide clear, timely informational out-puts. An optional second battery allowsquick, reliable valve closures. A micro-processor system measures and applies atorque of 30 to 50 ft-lbs for test or emergencyvalve closures for cylinder and ton containervalves. Fire codes recognize and approve theautomatic-closing and fail-safe shut-off valvesystem in place of a scrubber. The SCADA-option system provides 26 informationstreams like activation status and error codesby actuator to allow quick corrective action.(www.halogenvalve.com)

�Evoqua Water Technologies has origi-

nal-equipment Internalift screw pump com-ponent replacements for lifting of liquids inmunicipal or industrial applications. Com-

pany experts provide equipment evaluationsand recommend the best options to restoreoriginal pumping efficiency, extend the use-ful like of the product, avoid downtime, andmeet operating budgets. Turnkey services in-clude removal or rehabilitation of existingequipment and installation of new equip-ment or components. (www.evoqua.com)

�Tyr rotary blowers from Busch Vacuum

Pumps and Systems are vacuum and low-pressure generators that operate with pistonring seals. Available in six sizes, they can beadjusted by selecting the drive and variablespeed. Due to the noncontacting design, op-erating fluid is not required in the compres-sion chamber. Automatic belt tensioningbetween the drive and blower stage elimi-nates manual checking and retensioning onthe v-belts. The operating pressure, filter, andgear-oil level can be monitored via displayson the housing. Depending on the version,acoustic insulation reduces noise and an op-tional acoustic enclosure can reduce noise byanother 15 to 20 dBA. (www.buschusa)

ically hotter and often drier period ofthe wet season. This unusual weatherpattern has helped to prolong the typ-ically heavier rainfall that marks thebeginning of the wet season into thisdrier period.

South Florida is still under thedistrict’s year-round landscape irriga-tion rule that limits residential andbusiness landscape irrigation to two orthree days a week. To determine water-ing days and times in a particular area,go to www.sfwmd.gov/2days. ��


New Products


News BeatContinued from page 54

�The Schwalm robotic pipe renovation

system from LMK Technologies is compat-ible with sewer pipeline inspection camerasystems and can cut, grind, and chisel the fullcircumference of 5.5-to 24-in. diameter pipe.It can remotely disconnect lining equipment,enabling the robot to install another linerwhile a first liner is curing. Equipped with aninterchangeable digital zoom camera, therobot can reach 12 in. into a service connec-tion to remove resin slugs, as well as cut anddrive through a failed cured-in-place pipe(CIPP) installation. It can also reinstate serv-ice connections after a CIPP. (www.lmktech-nologies.com)

�Ford Meter Box Co. has a FSC-R2

Dual-Armor Wrap Clamp with an EPDMgasket that provides full wraparound cover-age for maximum protection against pipeleaks. The stainless steel body and epoxyductile iron lugs are corrosion resistant,while location indicators simplify “blind” in-stallation. Location indicators aid in posi-

tioning the gasket in the clamp, ensuring aproper fit. Designed for the repair of a pin-hole leak or small crack in copper or steelpipes, clamps are available in 3-in. (1 bolt)and 6-in. (2 bolt) widths for pipes from ½ to2 in. in diameter.

Gasket thickness varies by type and size.For steel pipes, gasket thickness is 0.17 in. for½- through 1 ½-in. pipes and 0.21 in. for 2-in pipes. Copper pipe gaskets range from0.146 to 0.315 in. thick. The 3-in.-wideclamps weigh from 0.75 to 1.5 lbs, while the6-in. clamp weighs from 1.5 to 3 lbs. (www-fordmeterbox.com)

�The mobile rotary lobe self-priming,

valveless, positive-displacement pump fromBoerger is used for rapid deployment offloodwater, stormwater, domestic waste-water, industrial effluents, and lagoon cleanup. Twenty pump models in six series are of-fered with pulsation-free operation, fully re-versible rotation, dry-run capabilities, andflow rates to 5,000 gpm. All wear parts canbe replaced through the front cover withoutremoval of piping or drive systems.(www.boerger.com)

�The 100W+ water communication

model from Itron has compact design, longbattery life, and technology designed toadapt and grow with a utility’s business,helping it streamline operations and maxi-mize resources. It includes standard con-sumption message (SCM+) with moreinformation that previous generations andhas capabilities in security and fixed networkperformance. (www.itron.com)

�Advanced Groove System (AGS) cou-

plings from Victaulic have a two-piece hous-ing and a wedge-shaped groove that deliverspressure ratings up to 350 psi. A typicallarge-diameter joint that requires severalhours to weld can be installed in less than anhour. The devices simplify installation byproviding visual confirmation of proper as-sembly. Installation is complete when hous-ing segments meet metal-to-metal andtorque requirements have been met. Thecouplings create a union at every joint foreasy access to the piping system for mainte-nance and system retrofits. Couplings areavailable for pipe up to 60 in. in diameter.(www.victaulic.com)

�The AM 1008 Protector System from

Aqua Mizer Inc. is a toilet tank system thatwill increase flush velocity, improving flushperformance with less water. A key feature isthe ability to turn the valve off in the event ofa leak or flood. The inexpensive system isideal for a utility water reduction rebate pro-gram. (www.aquamizerinc.com)

�Qube Packages from Tuthill Vacuum &

Blower Systems can be used for aerationwhere the blower supplies oxygen to an aer-ation tank or pond, for basic sewage andsludge movement, and for transfer of di-gester gases. Packages come with a Qx rotarypositive-displacement blower. A mainte-nance-friendly noise enclosure with easy ac-cess includes an instrument panel withprocess gauges and an oil drain/level gaugeaccessible from the front. The mounting baseincludes integral fork truck pockets, auto-matic V-belt tensioning with belt replace-ment indicator and a relief valve. Thepackage is suitable for outdoor installationand is offered with flows from 85 to 950 cfmand pressure ranges up to 18 psig.(www.tuthillvacummblower.com)




�The Upgrade progressive cavity replace-

ment grinder pump from Environment OneCorp. is designed to fit nearly any othergrinder pump wet well. It includes slide rails,pump/motor, float switches, piping, andmotor control devices. All solids are groundinto fine particles that pass easily through thepump, check valves, and small-diameterpipelines. The unit is designed not to jam andfor minimum wear to the grinding mecha-nism. It comes with a self-contained level con-trol system that eliminates float switches. It isautomatically activated and runs for very shortperiods. The 1 1/4-in. slide face discharge con-nection is adaptable to any existing dischargepiping. The internal check valve assembly iscustom designed for nonclog, trouble-free op-eration. (www.eone.com)

�Orenco Systems presents DualFiber, a

strong, lightweight, super-insulated fiber-glass enclosure that can house process andcontrol equipment, chemicals, and workersand is weatherproof, watertight, and hasseamless construction. Standard sizes of theenclosures are 8 ft high; 4, 6, and 8 ft wide;and up to 22 ft long. They have foam-corefiberglass walls that are 2 to 4 in. thick; sin-gle-piece, closed-molded construction; sur-faces protected with polyester gelcoat;outside surfaces protected with high=per-formance polyurethane; insulation value upto 24; lifting brackets for moving and settingand an internal pocket attachment system;internal and external lighting; roof structurerated up to 100 lbs per sq ft; and wind ratingto 130 mph. Options available include skid-proof fiberglass floors, roll-up windows,HVAC, load centers, ventilation fans, multi-ple color schemes, and insulated lift stationcontrols. (www.orenco.com)

�The Double-See pressure-rated double

containment vinyl piping system from GFPiping Systems offers an easy installationmethod, a closure coupling design that al-lows conformance to the ASME B31.3 testinspection requirements, and 3-D thermalexpansion compensation. Both primary andsecondary pipes are cut to the same lengthand can be joined simultaneously, savingtime and preventing potential mistakescaused by staggered pipe-cut measurementerrors. It offers assembled and tested fittingsand a pipe cut-length guidance system thatsimplifies installation. The system has pipe,fittings, leak detection and access tees, clo-

sure couplings, and termination fittings. It isavailable in PVC and CPVC (either materialmay be primary or secondary), with clearPVC an option for the containment pipe.System size options range from ½ by 2 in. to6- by 10-in. (www.gfpiping.com)

�The self-contained Archimedian Tube-

Mounted Screw Pump (TMSP) fromSchreiber turns inside a stationary supporttube, allowing it to transport return activated

sludge at low rpm, eliminating floc shearing.It can be set at a fixed angle, or the lower endcan be hoist-supported, allowing the pumpangle to be varied. The variable pump capac-ity, which can be modulated even at constantspeed by adjusting the pump angle, eliminatesvariable-frequency drives. The optional hoistfacilities provide easy access for maintenance.The self-aligning lower support bearing is asingle-row, spherical roller bearing designedfor radial and thrust forces. The lower bearing


lubrication system uses a transparent oil reser-voir and a gravity supply tube that eliminates agrease and recovery system. (www.schreiberwa-ter.com)

�The InstoMix high-energy flash mixer

from Walker Process Equipment dispersescoagulant and other flocculent solutions intoraw water. The flash blending of coagulant re-sults in optimum floc formation and maxi-mizes chemical economy. Units areconstructed for flange mounting directly inthe pipeline and are equipped with an inter-nal-feed manifold to distribute solutions uni-formly throughout the sectionalized mixerbody. The in-line design allows a low energyinput, low headloss, and high G-Value result.The mixer can be custom-sized to produce adesired G-Value. Units are available for 8- to72-in. pipelines.

�The Kruger ACTIFLO Carb facilitates re-

moval of natural organic matter, taste andodor compounds, endocrine disruptors, andpesticides with the combined benefits of bal-lasted clarification and the adsorption capac-



ities of powdered activated carbon (PAC). Itcan be applied to drinking water and waste-water and operates in a small footprint. Sincethe PAC is recycled within the process, dosagesare reduced and the solids handing capabili-ties allow for high concentrations of PAC tobe maintained in the system. The process isadaptable to changes in raw-water quality bymodifying the fresh PAC dose. The processtrain can be used with or without PAC basedon seasonal demands. (www.krugerusa.com)

�Vacuum diatomaceous earth filters from

Separmatic are easy to operate and maintain.Tank flushing is required approximately everytwo weeks, assisted by the reciprocating spraybars and internal flushing system. The unitcan be operated by any personnel; aside frominfrequent filter element fabric replacement,maintenance is minimal. Units are available incapacities as low as 5 gpm and can be skid ortrailer mounted for portability. Tanks are con-structed of stainless steel in 304 or 316 mate-rial. (www.separmaticsystems.com)

�RO WISE water process controls from

PRIMEX Controls combine control hardwareplatforms with Process PRO modular pro-gram architecture to provide process control,data storage, and remote monitoring and op-eration for reverse osmosis applications. Sys-tems include an HMI main touch screenoffering easy operation, flexible configurabil-ity, continuous process variable monitoring,normalization data, language selection, real-time units conversion, cycle counts, and runtimes for all valves and pumps. Data storagetracks trends for process variables and changesto system settings. With Internet access at thesite, the system offers remote monitoring, ac-cess to trend data, and email and SMS mes-saging of alarms. (www.rpimexcontrols.com)

�Regenerative turbine pumps from MTH

Pumps can reach pressures from 10 to 1,000psi at low flow rates, making them well-suitedfor water sampling where samples from manylocations need to be moved to one central lo-cation. Custom-sized for required pressureand flow to guarantee efficient performance,the pumps can distribute water hundreds offeet to testing sites throughout a treatment fa-cility. They can also be used for pressureboosting, such as for spray/washdown, sealflushing, and dust control. With the ability tohandle 20 percent vapor by volume, they cangenerate microbubbles for dissolved air flota-tion processes. (www.mthpumps.com) ��



1. What is the approximate expansion ratioof one volume of chlorine liquid when itevaporates to a gas?

A. 750 B. 8.34C. 7.48D. 460

2. Calculate the chlorine demand, giventhe following data: • Total daily lbs used is 1,400 lbs/day• The plant flow is 13.5 mgd• The effluent chlorine residual is 2.5

mg/L

A. 6,305 lbs/dayB. 1,118 lbs/dayC. 1,681 lbs/dayD. 281 lbs/day

3. What chemical is used to identify achlorine leak?

A. Sulfur dioxideB. Sodium hydroxideC. AmmoniaD. Sulfuric acid

4. What is the term most associated withfree chlorine residual?

A. BreakpointB. ChloramineC. FecalD. Alkalinity

5. Calculate the required volume of achlorine contact chamber, given thefollowing data:

• Plant average daily flow is 5.7 mgd• Plant peak flow is 9.9 mgd• Required detention time at average

daily flow (ADF) is 30 min• Required detention time at peak flow

is 15 min

A. 13,721 cubic ftB. 102,636 galC. 12,367 cubic ftD. 118,750 gal

6. What does this formula best represent?

Tank Volume, ft3

Flow, mgd x 92.84 cfm/mgd

A. Chlorine residualB. Contact chamber detention timeC. Fecal coliformD. Tank volume in gal

7. Sulfur dioxide and sodium bisulfite canbe used as dechlorination chemicals. A. True B. False

8. Never trap liquid chlorine between twoclosed valves. A. True B. False

9. Leaking chlorine gas will tend to collectnear the ceiling of a closed room. A. True B. False

10. Match the following emergency repairkits to their respective containers:

Kit A Tank cars and trucks

Kit B 150-lb cylinders

Kit C Ton containers

Answers on page 66

Readers are welcome to submitquestions or exercises on water or wastewater treatment plantoperations for publication inCertification Boulevard. Send your question (with the answer) or your exercise (with the solution) by email [email protected], or by mail to:

Roy PelletierWastewater Project Consultant

City of Orlando Public Works DepartmentEnvironmental Services

Wastewater Division5100 L.B. McLeod Road

Orlando, FL 32811407-716-2971

Certification Boulevard

Roy Pelletier

SEND US YOURQUEST IONS

Test Your Knowledge of DisinfectionIn recognition of the 65th anniversary of the Journal, here is the first

Certification Boulevard column that was published in the magazine in July 2000.

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS? Check the Archives

Are you new to the water andwastewater field? Want to boost yourknowledge about topics youʼll faceeach day as a water/waste-water pro-fessional?

All past editions of CertificationBoulevard through the year 2000 are

available on the Florida Water Envi-ronment Associationʼs website atwww.fwea.org. Click the “Site Map”button on the home page, then scrolldown to the Certification BoulevardArchives, located below the Opera-tions Research Committee.


ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

Tank Engineering And ManagementConsultants, Inc.

Engineering • Inspection

Aboveground Storage Tank SpecialistsMulberry, Florida • Since 1983

863-354-9010www.tankteam.com


ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

Showcase Your Company in the Engineering or Equipment & Services Directory

[email protected]

EQUIPMENT & SERVICES DIRECTORY

Contact Mike Delaney at 352-241-6006

Fort Lauderdale954.351.9256

Gainseville352.335.7991

West Palm Beach561.904.7400

Jacksonville904.733.9119

Key West305.294.1645

Miami305.443.6401

Navarro850.939.8300

Orlando407.423.0030

Tampa813.874.0777 813.386.1990

Naples239.596.1715


CentralFloridaControls,Inc.

Instrumentation Calibration

Troubleshooting and Repair Services

On-Site Water Meter Calibrations

Preventive Maintenance Contracts

Emergency and On Call Services

Installation and System Start-up

Lift Station Controls Service and Repair

Instrumentation,Controls Specialists

Florida Certified in water meter testing and repair

P.O. Box 6121 • Ocala, FL 34432Phone: 352-347-6075 • Fax: 352-347-0933

www.centra l f lor idacontrols .com

CEC Motor & Utility Services, LLC1751 12th Street EastPalmetto, FL. 34221

Phone - 941-845-1030Fax – 941-845-1049

[email protected]

• Motor & Pump Services Test Loaded up to 4000HP, 4160-Volts

• Premier Distributor for Worldwide Hyundai Motors up to 35,000HP

• Specialists in rebuilding motors, pumps, blowers, & drives

• UL 508A Panel Shop, engineer/design/build/install/commission

• Lift Station Rehabilitation Services, GC License # CGC1520078

• Predictive Maintenance Services, vibration, IR, oil sampling

• Authorized Sales & Service for Aurora Vertical Hollow Shaft Motors

Motor & Utility Services, LLC



Posi t ions Avai lable

Purchase Private Utilities and Operating RoutesFlorida Corporation is interested in expanding it’s market in Florida.We would like you and your company to join us. We will buy or part-ner for your utility or operations business. Call Carl Smith at 727-835-9522. E-mail: [email protected]

We are currently accepting employment applications for the following positions:

Water & Wastewater Licensed Operator’s – positions are available inthe following counties: Pasco, Polk, Highlands, Lee, Marathon

Maintenance Technicians – positions are available in the followinglocations: Jacksonville, New Port Richey, Fort Myers, Lake, Marion,

Ocala, Pembroke Pines

Construction Manager – Hillsborough

Customer Service Manager - Pasco

Employment is available for F/T, P/T and Subcontract opportunitiesPlease visit our website at www.uswatercorp.com

(Employment application is available in our website)4939 Cross Bayou Blvd.

New Port Richey, FL 34652Toll Free: 1-866-753-8292

Fax: (727) 848-7701E-Mail: [email protected]

Water and Wastewater Utility Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Management

Plant Operator - Water Waste Water at SCPSResponsibilities: Maintain and operate district’s water and wastewaterdistribution systems and treatment plants as prescribed by FloridaStatutes and DEP. Qualifications: AS/BS Degree(preferred) or HighSchool Diploma/equivalent, five years’ experience in water and waste-water systems, class C operator’s license for a water treatment plant,class D operator’s license for a wastewater treatment plant, and validdriver’s license.

http://www.scps.k12.fl.us/Portals/17/assets/doc/Plant%20Opera-tor_WaterWasteWater.pdf

City of GrovelandClass C Wastewater Operator

The City of Groveland is hiring a Class "C" Wastewater Operator. SalaryRange $30,400-$46,717 DOQ. Please visit groveland-fl.gov for appli-cation and job description. Send completed application to 156 S LakeAve. Groveland, Fl 34736 attn: Human Resources. Background checkand drug screen required. Open until filled EOE, V/P, DFWP

Wastewater Plant Operator C License Marathon, Florida Keys

Category: Full-Time

Description: This position is responsible for wastewater treatment plantoperation and process control data collection and reporting, ensuringthat the plant operates within the required State of Florida Departmentof Environmental permit standards.

Miscellaneous: Email application/resume to [email protected] orfax to 305-289-4143. See website for full description:www.ci.marathon.fl.us

C L A S S I F I E D S


St. John's Improvement DistrictWater Manager Administrator

St. John's Improvement District located in Indian River County, seeksto replace retiring Administrator/Chief Operating Officer to manageand operate agricultural water management system, flow-ways, reser-voir, canals, ditches and pump stations. Water is controlled for Districtmade up of 30,000 acres, most planted in citrus, balance in pasture orsod farming. Water control for both drainage and irrigation through apump driven system (51 pumps).Hands on experience in pump operation, repair and maintenance, agri-culture (citrus), personnel management, budgeting and basic account-ing, or degree in engineering/agronomy. Computer skills desired. St.John's Improvement District is located in southwestern Indian RiverCounty bordered on the north by State Road 60 and on the south by St.Lucie County serving 80-100 landowners represented by elected Boardof Supervisors elected from among landowners/members west of VeroBeach.Compensation competitive and negotiable dependent upon experienceand training. Agency benefits apply.Interested parties contact: Emmett Evans, Chairman Board of Super-visors, Evans Properties, 660 Beachland Boulevard, Suite 301, VeroBeach FL 32963, telephone: (772) 234-2410, email:[email protected].

City of Vero BeachElectronics Technician

Services, maintains, installs and performs preventative maintenance ofelectronic and electrical equipment throughout the water and sewersystem. Must have thorough working knowledge of configuring, pro-gramming and maintenance of Modicon Programmable Logic Con-trollers and GE IFix HMI software version 5.5 and later. Visit website forcomplete job description, qualifications needed, and instruction toapply. $28.04 p/hr www.covb.org City of Vero Beach EOE/DFWP 772978-4909

Utilities Storm Water Supervisor$53,039-$74,630/yr. Plans/directs the maintenance, construction, re-pair/tracking of stormwater infrastructure. AS in Management, Envi-ronmental studies, or related req. Min. five years’ exp. in stormwateroperations or systems. FWPCOA “A” Cert. preferred.

Utilities Treatment Plant Operator I$41,138-$57,885/yr plus $50/biweekly for “B” lic.; 100/biweekly for “A”lic. Class “C” FL DW Operator Lic. & membrane experience required.

Water Plant Mechanic$43,195 - $60,779/yr. Performs inspections and maintenance ofwater/reuse facilities, pumping stations, well fields/equipment. Strongmechanical background with electrical knowledge of equipment in-stallation and repair.Apply: 100 W. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach, FL 33060. Open untilfilled. E/O/E. http://pompanobeachfl.gov for details.

Seacoast Utility AuthorityUtility Compliance Officer

Responsibilities are to monitor development of and Seacoast’s compli-ance with existing and proposed laws, rules, regulations and permitsgoverning water, sewer, and reclaimed water operations, and air qual-ity standards (e.g., federal Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engineregulations).

Responsible for the operation, maintenance and certification of theCentral Laboratory and PGA WWTP Laboratory; supports all processlaboratory operations for water and wastewater treatment plants, in-cluding but not limited to purchasing laboratory supplies and fieldmonitoring equipment for certified and process laboratory operations.

Responsible for regulatory compliance monitoring, sample collection,and laboratory analysis (in-house and by contract laboratory) fordrinking water and wastewater operations. Compiles data and reportsto these departments for submittal to the applicable regulatory agency.

Supervise work group providing ongoing support and coaching re-garding work performance, evaluates, counsels and submits employeeperformance evaluation, provides safety training, explains the Author-ity’s policies and procedures and approves work group timesheets.

Salary Range is $52,270.40 – $87,796.80 annually plus an excellent ben-efits package to include employer paid health, dental, life, short & longterm disability and retirement.

Position is open until filled.

Apply to Seacoast Utility AuthorityHuman Resources Department

4200 Hood RdPalm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

(561) 627-2900 ext [email protected]

Posi t ions WantetdGARY MORRISON – Seeking a Trainee position for in plant hours toobtain license, completed wastewater course, has automotive experi-ence. Prefers the Boca Raton to Miami area. Contact at 6261 SW 24thPlace, Apt. 104, Davie, Fl. 33314. 954-444-8370

PHILIP LEON – Holds a Florida Dual license, B Water and C Waste-water with 14 years experience. Prefers the Treasure Coast to Keys areaand will consider relocation to other areas as well as overseas employ-ment. Contact at 772-485-2775

RANDALL HOLE – Holds a Florida Double C license with strongmaintenance experience. Prefers the Bradenton area within 50 miles.Contact at 2117 4th St. E, Bradenton, Fl. 34208. 941-747-9886

Looking For a Job? The FWPCOA Job Placement Committee Can Help!

Contact Joan E. Stokes at 407-293-9465 or fax 407-293-9943 for more information.



From page 60

1. D) 460The weight of one volume of liquid chlorine equalsthe weight of 456.5 volumes of chlorine gas. Underatmospheric temperature and pressure, liquidchlorine evaporates quickly, with one lb of liquidforming about 5.4 cubic ft of chlorine gas.

2. B) 1,118 lbs/daySupply - Demand = Residual• Supply is given at 1,400 lbs/day• Residual = 13.5 mgd x 2.5 mg/L x 8.34 lbs/gal =

281.47 lbs/day• 1,400 lbs/day - 281.47 lbs/day = 1,118.5 lbs/day

3. C) AmmoniaTo check for chlorine leaks, use ammonium hydroxide,which gives off chemical amplification. This results ina white color, which has greater visibility.

4. A) BreakpointWhen sufficient chlorine dosages are applied towaters containing ammonia and ammoniacompounds, reactions will occur resulting in thedestruction of the ammonia and the formation offree chlorine residual, which is known as breakpointchlorination.

5. D) 118,750 gal• DT @ ADF = 5.7 mgd x 92.84 cfm/mgd x 30 min= 15,875 cu.ft. x 7.48 gal/cu.ft. = 118,750 gal

• DT @ Peak = 9.9 mgd x 92.84 cfm/mgd x 15 min= 13,787 cu.ft. x 7.48 gal/cu.ft. = 103,125 gal

• ADF using 103,125 gal would only be 26 min DT

• Answer is 118,750 gal volume to meet bothflow/time requirementsNotes: 1) DT = detention time; 2) ADF = averagedaily flow

6. B) Contact chamber detention time1,000,000 gal ÷ 7.48 gal per cu ft ÷ 1,440 min perday = 92.84 cfm per mgd

7. TrueDechlorination is the process of removing residualchlorine from disinfected wastewater prior todischarge into the environment. Sulfur dioxide ismost commonly used for dechlorination.

8. TrueLiquid chlorine trapped in piping between twoclosed valves, or in the body cavity of aclosed valve, can cause destructive pressures, unlessthe design includes features to prevent it.

9. FalseChlorine gas is 2.5 times heavier than air and willtend to collect near the floor of a space.

10. Match the following emergency repairkits to their respective containers:

Kit A Tank cars and trucks

Kit B 150-lb cylinders

Kit C Ton containers

Certification Boulevard Answer Key Display Advertiser Index

American Ductile ................................44Auto-Meg ............................................51CEU Challenge ....................................41Crom....................................................17Data Flow ............................................35FSAWWA Conference ....................24-31FWPCOA Online Training ....................23FWPCOA Training ................................43FWRC Call 4 Papers ............................57Garney .................................................5Gerber E.C. ..........................................55GML Coating ....................................6,58HDR........................................................9Hudson Pump......................................39Hydro International ..............................66PCL ......................................................58Quality Control ....................................56Rangeline ............................................67Reiss Engineering..................................7Stacon ...................................................2TREEO ................................................50US Water .............................................59Wade Trim............................................54Xylem...................................................68

70- Wade trim71- Stantec FWEA 1/4 page

72 - Move directories

C- factor start on 70 & jump

ad log arcadis and ISA


florida water resources journal - august 2014

Documents

state of florida

executive manager

issue trademark names

fwpcoa operators

trademark owner

email changes

emerald lakesdrive

post office