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TRANSCRIPT
It’s that time again!
Come join us at the
38th Annual NHWPCA
Trade Fair
NHWPCA Board
President:
Tim Vadney
V. president:
Kurt Robichaud
Treasurer:
Noelle Osborne
Secretary:
David Mercier
1st director:
Ken Conaty
2nd director:
Mike Carle
3rd director:
Robert Robinson
1st Director-at-large:
Amy Pollack
2nd Director-at-large:
Ryan Pebbles
Editor’s Words
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE
Stephanie Rochefort, Todd Gianotti, Mary Jane Meier, Steve Clifton, Gene Weeks, Kurt Robichaud. We welcome additional members. We are looking for meaningful articles for the Wastewater Operator in a timely fashion. Send submission articles for THE COLLECTOR to: Stephanie Rochefort via email at [email protected].
Editor - Stephanie Rochefort “THE COLLECTOR” is the Official Newsletter of the NHWPCA
For more information about the NHWPCA visit our website at www.nhwpca.org
Printed by
155 River Rd. Unit 15, Bow, NH 03304 - 603-225-5529 - [email protected]
I always smile when I see ducks swimming in the clarifier. I’m sure that the
only thing that the ducks are smiling about is a chance to grab a tasty snack.
And that’s my reason for never eating duck. To be honest, there’s lots of
other great food options out there so it’s really not a problem. Right now
I’m on a mission to find a veggie-burger that’s as good as or better than the
one that I had at our Association’s 50th anniversary event in Hampton.
Please let me know if you have any recommendations!
Lots of people have jobs without any reason to smile all day. I’m really lucky that I can see the
ducks swimming in the clarifier from the lab door at the WWTF. I have some wonderful memo-
ries of my grandfather’s duck pond which is why the ducks make me smile.
Inside this newsletter you’ll find some pie graphs that illustrate the current and impending short-
age of certified wastewater treatment plant operators in our State. We need to get some dialogue
started about this issue. I’m doing my part by talking up my job to whoever is within earshot.
My daughter’s boyfriend is a commercial fisherman and his employer doesn’t offer medical in-
surance. Part of “meeting the family” involves a tour of the WWTF. And of course I had to
mention the great benefits that I have as a municipal employee. Unfortunately the ducks weren’t
here that day, or maybe I would have convinced him…
Stephanie, Somersworth WWTF
Upcoming Events
April 13, 2018 NHWPCA Trade Fair at the Radisson Hotel Nashua in Nashua, NH.
June 22, 2018 NHWPCA Summer Meeting at Ellacoya State Park in Gilford, NH.
August 2, 2018 NHWPCA Annual Golf Tournament at the Beaver Meadow Golf Course in
Concord, NH.
September 14, 2018 NHWPCA Fall Meeting at the Hall St. WWTF in Concord, NH.
September 29, 2018 WEFTech in New Orleans, LA.
December 14, 2018 NHWPCA Winter Meeting. More Details to Come.
Special Thanks to this Issue’s Contributors
Mark Roper, Stephanie Rochefort and Charlie Tyler.
In This Issue
Blurbs, Blurbs and More Blurbs.
Membership Changes for the 2018 Certification Committee.
Safety Corner.
Thoughts from the Bench.
Pre-Treatment Tales.
2017 Winter Meeting Photos.
Microbiology Practice Test Questions.
Get to Know Our NHWPCA Board.
1
Blurbs, Blurbs & More Blurbs
New Hampshire’s Newest Certified WW Operators
Congratulations to the following NH Wastewater operators for
passing the December 2017 exams!
Grade 1 Grade 1-OIT:
Nathaniel Guerette, Carl Herz, Christopher Lavigne, Brian Le-
Blanc, Russell McMahon, Lucie Muhlfelder, Terrill Rent-
meester, Joseph Tedeschi, Chris Uggerholt, and Wyatt Ulman
Grade 2 and Grade 2-OIT:
Darren Candello, Matthew Caporale, Michael Desaulniers,
Brian Goodman, Geoffrey Gyles, Adam Lewis, Casey Mitch-
ell, Dylan Murphy, Chad Pierce, Dan Putorek, Jesse Robillard,
Rob Rosselli, Stephen Simeone, and Ray Valdes
Grade 3-OIT
Ariel Wright
Grade 4 and 4-OIT
Peter Conroy and Joseph Piccolo
Recent Reciprocity Applicants:
David Bush- Grade 2 from MA, and Paul Brown- Grade 2
from CT
2017 EPA Awards
The USEPA New England Office has selected Peter LaBonte,
Chief Operator of North Conway WWTF as a 2017 Regional
EPA Wastewater Operator of the Year Excellence Award Re-
cipient. Mr. LaBonte was nominated by the NHDES to
acknowledge the outstanding work that has been performed
over the past year. The award and acknowledgement from the
NHDES and the EPA are well deserved.
The USEPA New England Office has selected the Town of
Northumberland WWTF as a 2017 Regional EPA Operations
and Maintenance (O&M) Excellence Award recipient. The
Facility was nominated by the NHDES to acknowledge the
outstanding work that has been performed by the staff. The
award and acknowledgement from the NHDES and the EPA
are well deserved.
James LaLiberte of the New England Interstate Water Pollu-
tion Control Commission in Lowell is being honored by the
US Environmental Protection Agency for his work training
wastewater operators throughout the country.
LaLiberte, who lives in Nashua, was given recently a “2017
Regional Wastewater Trainer of the Year Excellence Award”
by EPA. LaLiberte develops, coordinates, and instructs the non
-profit commission’s wastewater and safety training programs.
He has been training wastewater operators throughout New
England for 15 years. His courses include basic and advanced
wastewater math, basic and intermediate operation of munici-
pal wastewater treatment plants, basic industrial wastewater
treatment, pumps and hydraulics, and safety in wastewater
treatment plants.
Laliberte has been an integral part in preparing new and expe-
rienced operators for evolving changes in the wastewater field.
He has also had a major role in coordinating the Massachusetts
wastewater operator training and management candidate pro-
grams.
The EPA Regional Wastewater Awards Program recognizes
personnel in the wastewater field who have provided invalua-
ble public service managing and operating wastewater treat-
ment facilities throughout New England. The Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection was instrumental in
LaLiberte’s nomination.
“The professionals operating these wastewater treatment
plants, as well as the municipalities and the state environmen-
tal agencies that support them, are essential to keeping our en-
vironment healthy by protecting water quality,” said Alex
Dunn, regional administrator of EPA's New England Office. “I
am proud to acknowledge Mr. LaLiberte's outstanding contri-
butions to help protect public health and water quality for so
many years and to give him the credit he deserves.”
EPA’s New England office formally acknowledged LaLiberte
for his fine work during the annual New England Water Envi-
ronment Association Conference at the Boston Copley Mar-
riott Hotel in January.
The Town of Peterborough's Industrial Pretreatment Program
was honored recently with an award from the US Environmen-
tal Protection Agency recognizing the commitment of its staff
to improving water quality.
Peterborough received the "2017 Regional Industrial Pretreat-
ment Program Excellence Award" from EPA''s New England
regional office.
The pretreatment program staff in Peterborough, led by Antho-
ny Carland, was recognized for exceptional work inspecting,
permitting and sampling industrial users that discharge indus-
trial waste into the Town's collection system. Since the Town
does not have an approved pretreatment program, these accom-
plishments are even more noteworthy.
(Continued on page 2)
2
The EPA Regional Industrial Pretreatment Program Excellence
Award was established to recognize and honor employees of
publicly owned wastewater treatment plants for their commit-
ment to improving water quality through outstanding oversight
of its industrial users discharging to the municipal sewer sys-
tem.
"The professionals operating wastewater treatment plants play
a very important role in keeping our communities and environ-
ment healthy by protecting water quality," said Alexandra
Dunn, regional administrator of EPA's New England Office.
"We are proud to acknowledge this staff's outstanding contri-
butions to help protect public health and water quality and to
give them the credit they deserve."
The Town of Peterborough Pretreatment Program was present-
ed the Excellence Award at the 19th Annual EPA New Eng-
land Industrial Pretreatment Program Conference and was also
acknowledged at the Annual New England Water Environment
Association Conference in Boston.
(Continued from page 1)
The Certification committee extends its sincere thanks to out-
going committee member Ray Gordon of NH DES, for his
hard work and thoughtful input with the committee over his
6.5-year tenure.
During Ray’s term, the committee has benefitted from his ex-
pertise. Ray was instrumental in the committee’s outreach ef-
forts to educate operators and owners on their responsibilities.
Thank you Ray on a job well-done.
Longstanding member Daniel Peterson of Durham WWTF is
currently serving Our Beautiful Country in the Air Force Na-
tional Guard. During his deployment his role on the committee
requires coverage. Our thoughts and respect go out to Dan as
we pray for his safe return. Godspeed Dan.
For 2018, the Wastewater Operator Certification Committee
has two new members to announce. Timothy Sweatt of DES
and Robert Pierce of Hampton WWTF have joined Mary Jane
Meier and Kenneth Noyes, of NH DES and Kevin MacLean,
of Hanover WWRF, to complete the five person committee.
The committee membership is defined by the Wastewater Op-
erator Certification Rules Env-Wq 304. The committee con-
sists of three NH DES employees and two individuals not em-
ployed by NH DES, who are elected by the NHWPCA. The
NH DES committee members are designated by the Director of
the Water Division.
The NHWPCA Constitution Article V requires the certification
committee members elected by NHWPCA must hold current
wastewater operator certifications - one will hold a Grade 3 or
lower; and one will hold a Grade 4 license. These NHWPCA
members represent the regulated community as licensed opera-
tors from municipalities, who each spend a two-year term on
the committee.
Here’s some background on the new committee members for
2018:
Robert Pierce - first certified in wastewater treatment in 2008
and has been certified as a Grade 2 operator since 2012. Rob
has worked for the Town of Hampton since 2005 where he
currently serves as a Laboratory Technician. Rob looks for-
ward to being involved in the committee and meeting many of
the operators from around the state as their careers progress in
the wastewater field.
Timothy Sweatt, of NH DES, began employment at the Winni-
pesaukee River Basin Program regional WWTF in Franklin, in
1991. He completed the Water Quality Technology program
offered through the White Mountains Community College,
Berlin, N.H. Tim earned his NH wastewater certification in
1991 and has been certified as a Grade 3 operator since 1995.
Tim transferred to NH DES Concord Office Subsurface Sys-
tems Bureau. In 2002, he transferred to the Residuals Manage-
ment Section, as an Environmentalist III.
Announcing Membership Changes for the Operator
Certification Committee 2018
3
Safety Corner Wastewater Facility Safety Survey Results for 2016 Work Year
NEWEA Safety Committee
Early in 2017, the NEWEA Safety Committee emailed its an-
nual Wastewater Facility Safety Survey for the 2016 work year
to facilities throughout the six New England states. The pur-
pose of the annual survey is to:
· Collect regional incident and injury statistics
and publish them for use by all wastewater
professionals to benchmark their safety pro-
gram,
· Identify those areas and activities where inju-
ries are occurring so that facility managers can
better focus their safety efforts, and
· Gather information regarding the status of
safety programs at wastewater treatment facili-
ties throughout New England.
For the 2015 work year, 41% of those facilities returning sur-
veys reported at least one incident. For 2016, that rate de-
creased to 33%. There were a total of 31 injuries reported,
with 11 of those causing lost workdays. This means that al-
most one third of all incidents reported were severe enough
that the employee incurred lost workdays. Those 11 injuries
resulted in 180 total lost workdays.
The body part most frequently injured in 2016 was the hand.
The majority of those injuries were lacerations caused by
“struck against” injuries (e.g. cleaning pump or machine, mov-
ing equipment, opening hatchway, improper use of tools, etc.).
Arms/elbows/wrists were the second most common and the
majority of those were strains and sprains injuries (e.g. slip-
ping on ice, improper lifting technique, improper material han-
dling, etc.).
Machine guarding and safety gloves are common ways to ap-
proach hand safety hazards such as using tools, operating
equipment, handling rough materials and chemicals, and stack-
ing and storing objects. In addition to these safeguards, make
sure to take a moment to think about the task you need to per-
form and the potential hazards involved. What if the knife
slips while I am stripping this wire? Have I been properly
trained in the operation of this powered hand tool? Am I
standing on a stable surface that is suitable for this task? Have
I completely de-energized the piece of equipment I’m about to
install or repair? Am I wearing the appropriate personal pro-
tective equipment (PPE) for the current task?
By analyzing the potential hazards you could face, you will be
better prepared to choose the appropriate means to protect
yourself.
In addition to providing incident information, many of the sur-
vey respondents also expressed common concerns regarding
their biggest safety challenges. The list below represents the
top concerns:
· Avoiding complacency and increasing situa-
tional awareness during daily job tasks
· Aging workforce
· Keeping up-to-date with required safety regu-
lations
· Funding to keep safety equipment and em-
ployee training up-to-date
This infor-
mation
helps us to
understand
where the
majority of
our losses
and chal-
lenges are
coming from, and may allow us to plan resources for these are-
as in the future. The Safety Committee is pleased to have pro-
vided this information and we hope that members find it use-
ful. As expected, the survey highlighted the fact that accidents
are a reality in our facilities, and that additional efforts are
needed to improve our safety programs and protect our person-
nel. The vast majority of these incidents are preventable. We
would like to once again thank all of the facilities that returned
2016 work year surveys and we strongly encourage all facili-
ties to return the 2017 work year survey (watch for it in the
spring of 2018) in order to help us increase the value of its re-
sults.
respectfully submitted, NEWEA Safety Committee
4
Thoughts from the Bench
By Stephanie Rochefort, City of Somersworth WWTF
On my Girl Scout calendar, the date to submit letters of recom-
mendation for adult volunteer recognitions is the same as the
date to submit articles for this newsletter. I wrote a letter of
recommendation for a volunteer to receive an Appreciation
Pin. It doesn’t sound like much, but it sure does feel good to
receive this token and know that you’re appreciated. The rec-
ommendation letters are read out loud before the Appreciation
Pin is awarded and do not include names. It is so much fun to
watch somebody’s face go from “that sounds like an awesome
person…that sounds kind of like me…WOW that IS me!”
Since I’ve just spent so much time of the topic of appreciation,
I think I’ll reflect on things to appreciate in the WWTF lab.
Because I’m a dinosaur at the WWTF, I’ve seen many changes
and improvements. If you’re new, you probably take most of
these things for granted. Heck, some days I forget what the lab
used to be like and I take things for granted too. In no particu-
lar order, here’s my list of ten things that I really appreciate in
the course of my workday:
1. Analytical Balance: I remember the days before
electronic balances. There were dials and knobs
and a lot less accuracy and precision. I also re-
member the first electronic balances that had a lot
more drift than the one that I use now.
2. Laboratory Dishwasher: The laboratory dishwash-
er saves so much time! Sample bottles and glass-
ware all go in there and magically come out clean-
er than I ever was able to get them with hand-
washing. Even BOD bottles. Enough said.
3. Pre-mixed reagents for BOD dilution water: OK,
I’m not that much of a dinosaur but I have read the
instructions for making BOD dilution water from
scratch. When I first started work here, there were
bottles of the various chemicals to make up the
buffer/mineral/nutrient concoction that we call
dilution water. Luckily, there was also a package
of pre-mixed reagents.
4. IDEXX: I used to make my own mTec plates to
run the membrane filtration method for e-coli
analysis. I understand the old adage of “a watched
pot never boils” but there should have been a cor-
ollary of “but don’t take your eyes off the boiling
media because you’ll have a big mess and need to
start over!” I could go on….
5. BOD meters and probes: Thank goodness, I never
have had to rely on Winkler titrations! I’ve never
actually done a Winkler titration. It’s NOT on my
bucket-list.
6. Environmentally friendly thermometers: Mercury
is bad for the environment. I love having non-
mercury thermometers that are accurate for my
needs. And I never have to experience an evacua-
tion because of a broken mercury thermome-
ter….again. I’d like to say that it wasn’t my fault,
but it was!
7. pH meter: pH meters have been around a long
time. Modern pH meters that recognize buffers
and talk you through calibration procedures have-
n’t been.
8. Spectrophotometer: This is another instrument
that’s been around for quite some time but has im-
proved exponentially. I never would have
dreamed that I would have a spec that could recog-
nize what sample is being run by a code on a test-
tube!
9. Settlometer: They weren’t always made from pol-
ycarbonate with easy-to-read gradations. If you
knock over a full settlometer you’ll have a mess to
clean up, but the mess won’t include broken glass.
Not that I’ve ever done THAT – you think?
10. Fine-point black ink pens: No, I’m not scraping
the bottom of the barrel for #10 on this list. Fine-
point black ink pens used to skip and scratch and
tear the paper. Now my lab is full of a wonderful
brand that writes smoothly and is not expensive.
If you’re interested in what pens I’m using, come
see me at the next meeting and I’ll tell you. Or
give me a call. Or send an email. But I won’t
promise that I won’t try to talk you into writing
something for this newsletter…
I didn’t put it on my list, but I really appreciate each
and every one of my fellow wastewater treatment pro-
fessionals. What would the world do without us? And
when will the world realize how much they should
appreciate us?!?
5
Has this ever happened to you? You walk into a pump station
and smell petroleum. You decide to investigate further and
look at the wet well. It is completely red. Its smell and color
are unmistakable. Coming into your pump station is fuel oil,
and not just a little bit, it’s a lot! Or, maybe, you go to get your
daily Influent pH sample and you notice it has a chemical
smell. You measure the pH and it’s 12.0 SUs. Or, one day you
notice suddenly that your DO is dropping rapidly and your
blowers can’t keep up with the demand. Or, you walk out to
your aeration basin and there is five feet of white foam billow-
ing over the sides and floating down the river you discharge
into. What is happening? What am I supposed to do?
Although you probably really want to, the one thing you
shouldn’t do is put your blinders on and walk away and pre-
tend you didn’t see anything. It is likely that you have been
dumped on by an industry or another user of your system. It is
time to respond—not tomorrow, not next week—the time is
now if you want to find where it’s coming from and prevent
damage to your process or bypass of your treatment plant. But
how do you respond to these types of situations? The answer
can be found in your Industrial Slug Discharge Response Plan.
How do you get one of these plans? You have to make one.
If you look in the definitions sec-
tion of your SUO you will likely
find the definition of a Slug Load.
The definition comes from the fed-
eral pretreatment rules in 40 CFR
403 but basically, it’s something
that could cause problems to your
collection system or your treatment
plant from an accidental spill or
“non-customary batch discharge”.
Although you can require industrial
users to develop their own Acci-
dental Discharge/Slug Control Plan, I’m talking about devel-
oping a plan for your own WWTP in the event you need to
respond to a large spill from an industry or a user of your sys-
tem.
Our slug control plan is almost 20 years in the making. I was
tasked with updating one at my former place of employment
and developed another, more comprehensive one when I start-
ed in Hanover. Although you can find models for slug control
plans, your plan should be based on your own type of treat-
ment plant, collection system, industry, and the personnel at
your POTW.
EPA’s Control of Slug Loadings to POTW’s Guidance Manual
(section 3) lists four elements of a slug plan:
1) Detect and identify slugs
2) Coordinate response activities
3) Develop appropriate responses
4) Follow-up measures
The following are a few references you can Google that might
help you get started on a Slug Control Plan:
1) EPA’s Control of Slug Loadings to POTW’s Guidance
Manual
2) EPA’s Guidance to Protect POTW Workers from Tox-
ic and Reactive Gasses and Vapors
3) NH DES Waste Management Reporting of Spills Fact
Sheet
4) NH DES Model of an Emergency Response Guide.
When a slug occurs, you won’t be fingering through your slug
control plan to find out what to do. You should develop the
plan with your coworkers’ input and then review the final plan
with them so that when a slug does occur, everyone will know
what their job is.
The body of our slug control plan is about 20 pages long with
another 20 pages in attachments. Your slug control plan might
be completely different depending on the municipality you
work for. It might be a page long or it might be 100 pages
long.
Our slug plan index looks like this:
1) Introduction
2) Discovery of a Slug – Initial Response
-Initial Responders
(Continued on page 10)
Pre Treatment Tales “Industrial Slug Discharge Response Plan”
By Mark Roper, Town of Hanover, Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator
1991 EPA guidance manual is
where it’s at.
6
2017 NHWPCA Winter Meeting - Newmarket, NH WWTF
Photos by Charlie Tyler
7
2017 NHWPCA Winter Meeting - Newmarket, NH WWTF
Photos by Charlie Tyler
8
1. Electron microscopes are commonly used to observe
living microorganisms.
A. True
B. False
2. Which conditions will typically allow filamentous bac-
teria to grow and become dominant in activated
sludge?
A. Low D.O. and high F/M
B. High D.O. and low F/M
C. High D.O. and high F/M
D. Low D.O. and low F/M
3. What will microorganisms typically do when subject-
ed to an excessive supply of food (CBOD5)?
A. Grow and multiply
B. Slow their growth process
C. Die
D. Nitrify
4. Which microorganisms can typically ingest many
types of small organic particles, but bacteria are their
main food source?
A. Amoebas
B. Rotifers
C. Stalked Ciliates
D. Free Swimming Ciliates
5. Which microorganisms are most responsible for stabi-
lization of organic material?
A. Rotifers
B. Stalk Ciliates
C. Bacteria
D. Worms
6. Which indicator organisms will be more dominant
when the SRT is low and the sludge is young?
A. Rotifers
B. Stalk Ciliates
C. Water Bears
D. Free Swimming Ciliates
7. Which is an aerobic process where certain groups of
microorganisms convert Ammonia-N into Nitrite-N
and then to Nitrate-N?
A. Fermentation
B. Anoxic
C. Anaerobic
D. Nitrification
8. Which growth phase typically produces the highest
degree of cannibalism among the microorganisms?
A. Log Growth
B. High Rate
C. Endogenous Respiration
D. Declining Growth
9. Which bacterial group typically produces a higher
sludge yield as a result of assimilation?
A. Heterotrophic
B. Autotrophic
C. Nitrifiers
D. Anaerobic
10. Which type of bacteria can use oxygen either in a free,
dissolved form or a combined form?
A. Aerobic
B. Anaerobic
C. Facultative
D. Fermenters
(Answers on page 9)
Some Microbiology Practice Test Questions
from RoyCEU.com
9
(Answers to page 10 test questions)
1.A
2.D
3.A
4.B
5.C
6.D
7.D
8.C
9.A
10.C
“Like we say in the sewer, time and tide
wait for no man.”
- Ed Norton - Ralph Kramden, Inc
“As we say in the sewer, here’s mud in
your eye.”
- Ed Norton - Head of the House
“When the tides of life turn against you
And the current upsets your boat
Don’t waste those tears on what might
have been;
Just lay on your back and float.”
- Ed Norton - The Safety Award
“If pizzas were manhole covers, the sew-
er would be a paradise.”
- Ed Norton - Pardon My Glove
“You can take the man out of the sewer,
but you can’t take the sewer out of the
man.”
- Trixie Norton - Mind Your Own Busi-ness
“A sewer worker is like a brain surgeon.
We’re both specialists.”
- Ed Norton - Mind Your Own Business
“As we say in the sewer, if you’re not
prepared to go all the way, don’t put your
boots on in the first place.”
- Ed Norton - Confusion Italian Style
RALPH: “It’s rush hour. “We’ll never be
able to get across town in this traffic.”
ED: “Trust me, we’ll go by sewer.”
- Beat the Clock
RALPH: (annoyed with Norton for help-
ing himself to the barber’s after-shave
lotion): “How would you like him to
come down to the sewer where you work
and help himself to anything down
there?”
ED: “Help himself to what?”
-The Baby-sitter
(Continued on page 12)
Jokes from
the Honeymooners
Source – The History of Sanitary
Sewers - www.sewerhistory.org
-Local Emergency Numbers
3) Safety
4) POTW Operational Response
-Collection System
-Petroleum Slugs
-Color Slugs
-Sand, Grit, Settleable Solids
-Oxygen Demand Slugs
-Chemical spills and Toxic Slugs
-Other Process Control Possibilities for Activated
Sludge
5) Identifying an Unknown Slug
6) Reporting
7) Attachments
-Map
-Slug Response Checklist
-Industry Telephone Numbers
-Emergency Hauler Numbers
-Location of Safety Equipment
-Chemical Information
-Sampling Protocol
-Public Works Phone List
-Industries with Slug Control Plans
Regardless of what your slug plan looks like, the important
thing is that your staff are aware of what they need to do and
what their role is in the event of a slug discharge.
Unfortunately, I have run out of fingers and toes to count the
amount of times I have responded to slug discharges and have
encountered some of the scenarios listed in the first paragraph.
Here is an example of one spill in Hanover where teamwork
and knowledge of the slug discharge response practices result-
ed in a successful outcome:
I was at my desk when I heard my name over the Public Works
radio. “#20 Mark, #20 Mark?” I got on the radio. “This is #20
go ahead.” It was Dennis Smith, one of the operators. “Um,
Seth and I are at Pump Station 5 and it smells like fuel oil, and
it’s red in the wet well, and I think we got dumped on with
some fuel oil.” “How much?” I said. Dennis said, “Ah, it looks
like a lot.” I had just recently completed Hanover’s slug re-
sponse plan and gone over it with my coworkers.
The Pretreatment Coordinator is the one who is supposed to be
knowledgeable about the collection system and what industries
have for potential discharges, so my initial responsibility is to
track down the source of the spill and stop it. Time is of the
essence when trying to track down a spill, so your response
should be immediate, and everything needed to respond to
these incidences should be ready to go. For this spill it was up
to the other operators to deal with the situation at the pump
station until I found the source and stopped it. I got to the
pump station and took a quick look at the wet well. It did look
like a lot of oil and it looked like a small amount was still com-
ing in. I asked the operators to go ahead and implement what
was in the slug control plan, but they were already way ahead
of me.
I went outside the pump station to try and figure out what di-
rection to start looking for the fuel oil. I opened the manhole
directly outside of the pump station which receives flow from
two different directions. I could see that it was coming from
the direction which encompasses a much larger area of town,
so I knew I had my hands full trying to find the source. The
smell was strong, so I decided to use my nose and go to key
preplanned manholes (identified in the slug plan) to start nar-
rowing down in the collection system the direction of town the
fuel oil spill was coming from. I worked fast because in my
experience, these types of discharges don’t last long and find-
ing the source becomes harder when the spill has stopped.
In the first three manholes I smelled and saw nothing, but the
fourth one was the charm. I began working my way upstream
using my nose as a guide because at this point the amount of
oil viewed in my sample container was becoming less and less
visible. Odor travels in a gravity collection system so I got off
track a couple times, but eventually I found my way to a man-
hole in the parking lot of several large buildings belonging to a
college here in Hanover. Looking into the manhole invert and
seeing a slight sheen on the water’s surface made it clear
which building the oil was coming from. The building where
the oil was discharging from happened to be directly across
from the college’s Environmental Health and Safety office, so
I ran in and grabbed one of the staff I knew and had them
come with me to the building to allow me to gain access. We
(Continued from page 5)
(Continued on page 11)
10
11
met up with the building maintenance manager and when I
mentioned fuel oil, his smile turned upside down. I could tell
he might have an idea of what happened. We went straight to
the maintenance room where the boiler was located, and there
on the floor was oil flowing towards a floor drain. The oil had
been pumping from a day tank and leaking from the failed gas-
ket of a fuel filter and discharging into the mechanical room
floor drains. I informed them that they were in violation of the
Town’s SUO and to stop the fuel oil from discharging….
LIKE NOW!
When I got back to the
pump station I was pretty
proud of what I saw. Den-
nis and Seth were operat-
ing the pump station
pumps in hand keeping the
wet well level high enough
to prevent oil from bypass-
ing. The Fire Department
was there, and Clean Har-
bors was pulling in. Oil
sorbent socks were set up
in the pump station wet
well, environmental repre-
sentatives from the college
were showing up to assess the situation, and back at the plant,
the remaining operator was monitoring the influent and giving
updates over the radio. All of this happened so efficiently and
quickly because of experienced operators knowing what to do,
but it also happened pretty much as practiced in the Slug Plan.
In light of the
fact that there
was a bad spill,
this was a com-
plete success in
my opinion. The
source was
found, the spill
was contained,
and the material
was removed
before it could
made it downstream to the WWTP.
Once a spill is cleaned up the work has just begun. There is
reporting and follow-up both for you and the industry. You
will give a verbal notice of violation to the user and possibly a
written one later. Depending on the size and type of spill you
might be reporting to NH DES or EPA. You will be requiring
the user that created the spill to follow up with a five-day letter
reporting how the spill occurred and what will be done in the
future to prevent it from happening again. All this reporting
information should will be spelled out in your slug plan.
Whether you have an approved pretreatment program or not, a
Slug Discharge Response Plan is something that I believe is
beneficial for all WWTPs. By writing one, you are thinking
about situations that could occur and how you will deal with
them. In the event a serious slug does occur, your response
could end up saving your process, a NPDES violation, or even
a loss of life.
If you have any questions regarding this topic feel free to e-
mail me at [email protected].
(Continued from page 10)
Since this drain was needed they installed a berm around
it.
This was one of the drains fuel oil was leaking
into. Mechanical room floor drains that aren’t
needed can be plugged.
12
Get to Know Our NHWPCA Board
Name: Robert J. Robinson
Position on Board: 3rd Director
1. Nobody wants to grow up and work in a WWTF.
How did you find yourself in this field?
I received a flyer from the University of Lowell back
in 1991 touting how the wastewater field needed em-
ployees and that this field was not only growing, but
was stable and secure. They had a list of classes. I en-
rolled in the BS Industrial Technology Wastewater
Option degree program that fall. I switched into the BS
Civil Engineering degree program in 1995 when that
program was offered.
2. What is your current employer?
I am employed with the City of Manchester, Environ-
mental Protection Division.
3. How long have you been in the wastewater field?
I have been employed in the wastewater field since
October 1993.
4. What kind of cell phone is in your pocket – Apple
or Android? Android
5. What’s your favorite social media – Facebook or
Twitter?
I currently do not use any form of social media. I may
create a LinkedIn account.
6. What kind of computer is on your desk – Apple or
Microsoft? Microsoft
7. What’s the last movie you watched in a theater?
I watched Star Wars: The Last Jedi with my son.
8. What’s your favorite book of all time?
Michael Schumacher, The Edge of Greatness.
9. When you’re not working, what are you hobbies?
I enjoy kayaking, boating, mountain biking, hiking and
camping.
10. What is the one thing about our association that
you’d like to accomplish / change?
I would like to change the public perception of our
industry. We all know what we do on a daily basis
benefits the environment; I would like to get the word
out to the general public to help them better under-
stand.
RALPH: (sarcastically explaining to Norton why his water
pipes don’t work): “I hope that you realize that water al-
ways seeks its level.”
ED: “Yes, we’ve heard rumors to that effect down in the
sewer.”
- Dial J for Janitor
RALPH: “What do you know about golf?”
ED: “I’ve been working in the sewer for ten years. If that
don’t qualify me as an expert on holes, I give up.”
- The Golfer
RALPH: “I’ve always followed that old adage: Be kind to
people you meet on the way up, because you’re going to
meet the same people on the way down.”
ED: “Happens to me every day in the sewer.”
- On Stage
(Continued from page 9)
Deborah Mahoney
617-574-4747
Robert McCoy
603-623-4400
Charley Hanson
603-536-8900
Annie Wheeler
315-433-2782
Trina Picardi
978-482-7914
David Mercier, P.E.
603-230-9898
Tim Vadney, P.E.
603-430-3728
Source: Engineering News and American Railway Journal, Volume XLI, No. 13 (30 March 1899) insert facing p. 200.
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