Operator Exchange

Networking, knowledge, pride, and the ability to meet other wastewater professionals were just a few of the attributes that the NEWEA Operator Exchange program gave me. I recently had the opportunity to partake in this valuable program and did my exchange with the Connecticut Water Pollution Abatement Association. The exchange was tailored to my needs and allowed me to tour the facilities of my choice in order to take full advantage of the program. The opportunity allowed me to increase my knowledge of various plants and processes that I was either not familiar with or have had little exposure to. I feel like I have learned a great deal both personally and professionally from the trip and would highly recommend this to any operator interested in participating in the program.

My trip started off with a quick dose of reality as I was taken to the Bridgeport Wastewater treatment facility. Here, I quickly realized how small my facility really was as well as the complexity of having to run a plant of that size. The coordination, skills, and logistics of that magnitude were all something I had yet to see and was quite impressed with. I started the morning off at the East Side facility, which is a 10 MGD activated sludge plant. Though I was familiar with the process, the way the volume of flow was managed through SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) and the method of the process control techniques was intriguing to see. After the East Side tour was complete, I was taken to the West Side facility of Bridgeport. The facility is rated for 30 MGD with a combined system, often seeing flows upwards of 90 MGD. The equipment was quite similar to that of the East Side facility with exception of the size of some pumps that are meant to deal with more volume. Both facilities were well run and do an outstanding job of managing variations of flows that size.

After a scenic lunch in Bridgeport, I made my way to the Fairfield Water Pollution Control Facility. The facility is located in a pleasant town and is designed for a flow of 9 MGD. The process is activated sludge with an exceptional concentration regarding nitrogen removal. The use of fixed film in the aeration basin, methanol addition in the anoxic zone, and remote nitrate monitoring were proof that the facility is doing everything it can to improve water quality. Along with the technological advances of the process equipment were means of self-sufficiency through the use of two anaerobic digesters. The digesters are designed to capture the methane and fuel 5 micro turbines that produce 60 KW each. Along with the micro turbines is a 50 KW fuel cell that was meant to supply enough power to fully run and heat the facility. Though it was currently being remodeled, a composting facility is also located on-site. With the exceptional process control, cogeneration, on-site composting, odor control measures, and advanced SCADA capabilities it truly amazed me with its detailed oriented capabilities.

That night I drove up to Waterbury and spent the night. The next morning I was picked up and taken to the Wallingford Water Pollution Control Facility. The plant is rated for 8 MGD and utilized a process I was excited to see. The facility uses 56 RBC (Rotating Biological Contactors) with a total of 8,640,000 sq. ft. of media as its aeration basin. I had never seen an RBC, so to see 56 at once was a site I will always remember. Along with the RBC’s, there were two anaerobic digesters that were used for sludge reduction as well as a heat source for all facility buildings. The process and all pertaining equipment seemed to be dialed in for maximum quality and energy efficiency. Another excitable site for me being a lab technician was to tour the facility laboratory. Most equipment was state of the art and automated allowing the plant to test for an extraordinary variety of parameters. It was obvious that the facility was managed exceptionally and that each employee truly cared about what they were doing here.

Upon completion of the Wallingford tour, I was taken to the facility that handled their sludge and caused me the most grief to pronounce. The Naugatuck facility is a conventional activated sludge plant that like most Connecticut facilities puts a great emphasis on nitrogen removal. The unique characteristic about this facility was that it housed an extremely large incinerator that allowed it to handle tremendous volumes of both liquid and dry sludge from surrounding facilities. The facility had large volumes of storage capabilities that allowed it to hold sludge and to feed the incinerator at a rate of maximum efficiency. The technology, size of the equipment, temperatures, and automated controls of the incinerator were almost surreal. I was again amazed at how well this facility was operated and with what ease. The amount of control needed to run both a wastewater treatment facility and a sludge fluid bed incinerator in unison is truly remarkable and something they were doing well.

I ended the day by driving up to state capital of Hartford and enjoyed some fine dining. The next day I drove over to Manchester and toured the water pollution control facility. The facility is a conventional activated sludge plant, yet uses a few technologies I had little experience with. The mechanical aerators, UV disinfection, SCADA controls, and final effluent aeration systems were educational tools and interesting to see how different “conventional” processes are equipped. Along with the facility tour, I was given some time to talk with the Process Control Supervisor Ray Weaver. Discussing the operator certification, Water Pollution Control Association, Department of Environmental Protection involvement, and other Connecticut wastewater issues with him brought me up to speed on how such items are run in another state. This also allowed me time to discuss similar Maine operations and related issues.

I ended the program by touring the Vernon Water Pollution Control Facility, the most sophisticated wastewater treatment facility I have ever seen. I truly believe they saved the best for last, sending me home with my head hurting from absorbing so much information. The Vernon plant was designed around heavy industrial flow issues regarding dye waste colors in the water. To combat challenges, the facility uses PAC (powder activated carbon) addition to its wastewater to allow more extreme surface area and food sources. The recovery of the Carbon is the most interesting and intense thing I have yet to learn about in wastewater. The use of heat exchangers and 1000 PSI compressors is something you need to see to appreciate. Along with the PAC process were the screw pumps, converted rectangular to circular tanks, sand filters, predictive maintenance measures, chemical feed controls, SCADA capabilities, odor control equipment, converted trickling filters to maintenance facilities and laboratory quality control measures that make this a facility that everyone in this profession must see first hand.

I headed home after three full days of learning and greatly appreciated the opportunity. I hope to extend what I have learned to operators back in Maine and will encourage all of them to take advantage of the program if given the opportunity. I truly have to thank the New England Water Environment Association, Maine Waste Control Association, and the Connecticut Water Pollution Abatement Association for allowing this program to exist. I also want to thank Frank Wood, Michael Finoia, Dan Sullivan, Jon Hoisak, Ray Weaver, Arnold Bevins, and all the employees of the facilities I toured for a great welcome over my three days. Lastly, I want to say a special thank you to Dave Carfo who spent a lot of time coordinating and putting this whole exchange together. If it wasn’t for the dedication from someone who cares as much as Dave I am not sure I would have had this opportunity and am greatly thankful for his hard work, concern, and pride.

Sincerely, Travis Peaselee Saco WWTP Maine