By James Des Cotes, Valera Saknenko and Stephanie Tran
For years, there have been predictions of the Canadian population aging and moving to retirement and the need for succession planning. Back in 2003, researchers from Statistics Canada noted that the rising wave of retirements in Canada’s labour force would reach a peak in the early 2020s (MacKenzie and Dryburgh, 2003). This future is now here.
In recent years, the number of senior water and wastewater operators retiring has increased. This is leaving a gap in knowledge regarding the operation and maintenance of water infrastructure, in particular treatment plants. This is becoming a trend at many wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in North America, where the rate of baby boomers retiring is outstripping the rate of recruitment of qualified people to fill their positions (Raney, 2019).
Between 2004 and 2011 the percentage of operators aged 51 and over increased from 29% to 42%. At the same time, the percentage of younger operators has decreased (OMBI, 2013). Based on this trend, it is expected that this experience gap will continue to grow over the next decade.
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Municipalities in Ontario are now encountering not only staff succession challenges, but also the cumulative effect of plant upgrades carried out over the past decades at WWTPs. For many, proper procedures may not have been captured in operating manuals and other documentation. This results in manuals and operating procedures that are not consistent with the current practice which is known to the seasoned operators who are about to retire. This knowledge gap can seriously hinder the ability of newcomers to be able to do their work properly.
To address these issues, one municipality in Ontario recently retained R.V. Anderson Associates Limited (RVA) to assist in preemptive actions to update plant operation and maintenance (O&M) manuals, monitoring protocols, troubleshooting and emergency response procedures, review plant performance, and provide process training for plant staff. The plant reviewed for this project consists of primary treatment, sequence batch reactor secondary treatment, tertiary filtration, UV disinfection, and ancillary chemical dosing systems.
The project was broken down into key components: plant operation and document review; plant documents update; sampling and testing procedures review; process troubleshooting guide; operations training; and final documentation.
During the first phase, RVA conducted a comprehensive review of the existing processes and documentation at the plant, including drawings, plant operating data, process controls and manuals. This was only available in hard copy and some items were found to be outdated, incomplete or missing entirely. RVA acquired the missing documentation from equipment manufacturers and assembled a complete set of plant O&M manuals. An electronic set of O&M manuals was also prepared for ease of access for all members of the operations group.
The next step in the project was an examination of the existing sampling, testing and operational procedures in place at the plant. An evaluation was conducted to ensure that the plant was recording sufficient information to not only meet regulatory requirements, but also to assist operators in their ability to properly operate and maintain the plant. It was discovered that, while the plant was meeting regulatory obligations, some information necessary to evaluate plant performance was missing.
Recommendations were made to the plant owner to start testing and recording parameters, such as sludge volumes and characteristics, flow measurements between each process train, and waste sludge flow rates. This would allow for a more comprehensive review of plant performance in the future.
Operational procedures for plant upsets were also considered. A process troubleshooting guide was developed, which acts as a quick reference for operations staff in the event of an upset. The guide included probable causes for each upset and procedures for addressing the issues. Recommendations were made for preventative measures to reduce the risk of each upset in the future. Topics covered by this manual included loss of flow, high effluent ammonia, cloudy effluent, solids washout and foaming.
Each item in the guide was detailed with probable causes, solutions to address the issue, and preventative methods. (Figure 1)
Training of operations staff was the final focus for the project. As the main process system utilized at the plant is a proprietary process, the manufacturer was retained through their local supplier, to provide specialized review and training. RVA provided training for the other processes at the plant, including an overview of sampling and testing procedures and the troubleshooting guide.
Several half-day training sessions were held for operations staff. The operation of each system was discussed, with an emphasis on the purpose of each component and troubleshooting common problems. Training materials, including responses to operator questions, were compiled and provided to operations for future reference.
The end goal of this project was for operations staff to obtain a better understanding of the plant and to ensure continuity in operation. Through the work completed in this project, the treatment plant will continue to be properly operated.
References available upon request
James Des Cotes, P. Eng., CCCA, Valera Saknenko, Ph.D., P.Eng., PMP, and Stephanie Tran, EIT are with R.V. Anderson Associates Limited. This article appears in ES&E Magazine’s February 2020 issue.
