March 2014 - Florida Water Resources Journal

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Volume 66 March 2014 Number 3

Florida Water Resources Journal • March 2014 3

NEWS ANDFEATURES

4 Demand Management: ControllingEnergy Costs—Bryan R. Lisk

24 Florida Shares Karst Knowledge inChina—Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection

26 Technology Spotlight30 FSAWWA Drop Savers Contest32 Obituary32 2013 FSAWWA Awards34 Improving Water Resources in

Southwest Florida: The Case of thePicayune Strand Restoration—Hubert B. Stroud

38 News Beat

TECHNICALARTICLES

16 Performance Contracting: An Integrated Solution forAchieving Sustained Operationaland Energy Efficiency—Zia Qureshiand Andrew Apgar

EDUCATION ANDTRAINING

9 Florida Water ResourcesConference

21 TREEO Center Training29 FSAWWA Training31 FWPCOA State Short School33 ISA Water/Wastewater and

Automatic Controls Symposium41 FWPCOA Training Calendar

COLUMNS15 Guest Column: Words on Water—

Raymond A. Pilon20 FWEA Focus—Greg Chomic

22 Certification Boulevard—Roy Pelletier

28 FWRJ Reader Profile—Irma StellaMaria (Alexandra) Terral

30 FSAWWA Speaking Out—Carl R.Larrabee Jr.

33 C Factor—Jeff Poteet

39 Legal Briefs—Gerald Buhr

DEPARTMENTS40 New Literature42 New Products45 Service Directories48 Classifieds50 Display Advertiser Index

ON THE COVER: Karst landforms on the LijiangRiver in Guilin, China. Learn how the FloridaDepartment of Environmental Protection and theFlorida Geological Survey are sharing informationabout the state’s karst topography with China inthe article on page 24. (photo: Florida Departmentof Environmental Protection)

Bryan R. Lisk

Reducing energy usage and costs is rap-idly becoming a major priority for water andwastewater utilities. Typical energy manage-ment strategies for water and wastewater facil-ities fall into the following three categories:

� Energy Efficiency Improvements. These op-portunities focus on reducing the amountof energy used to perform a specific func-tion such as aeration, pumping, mixing,lighting, etc.

� Resource Recovery. This includes opportu-nities to recover wasted energy sources (i.e.,biogas, hydraulic energy, and heat) andbeneficially use them to offset the pur-chased energy sources (electricity, naturalgas, fuel oil, etc.). This includes opportuni-ties such as biogas-fueled combined heatand power systems (CHP) and thermal en-ergy recovery systems.

� Demand Management. Managing a facil-ity’s operations to reduce the electrical de-mand as metered by the electric utility toreduce purchased energy costs.

It is important to note that energy effi-ciency improvements and resource recoveryopportunities are focused on reducing the en-ergy usage, whereas demand management fo-cuses less on reducing energy usage and moreon reducing energy costs. Since most demandmanagement opportunities require little or no

plant modifications, demand management op-portunities can be implemented at a very low-or zero-capital cost. The purpose of this articleis to describe common demand managementstrategies that can be implemented by waterand wastewater facility owners and the impor-tant role the electric utility billing rate has ondemand management strategy development.

Demand Management and ElectricUtility Billing Structure

There are numerous demand manage-ment strategies that water and wastewater fa-cilities can implement to reduce energy costs.Since all water and wastewater facilities havedifferent operating requirements and utilitybilling rates, effective demand managementstrategies will be unique for each facility.

In order to identify and implement benefi-cial demand management opportunities, thepurchased electric utility billing rate structuremust be fully understood. The structure defineshow a facility is charged for its largest energysource and will therefore have the highest im-pact on demand management strategy develop-ment. The rates vary greatly among the utilitiesand the regions they serve; however, most elec-tric utilities base their billing rate structures on:energy usage charge, measured in kilowatts-hours (kWh); demand charge, measured in kilo-watts (kW); and a facility charge for the utilityowned equipment. The following is a descrip-tion of each of these billing components.

Energy Usage ChargesEnergy usage is the product of plant de-

mand and time; for example, a 1-kW heater op-erating for one hour will use one kWh of energy.Typically, the electric utility billing energy usagecharge is either a flat rate (i.e., ¢6.25/kWh) or theenergy usage charge can vary with the “time oruse.” Time-of-use rates vary the cost of energywith the time of day the energy is used. Generally,utility companies change their time-of-use ratefor the summer and winter seasons so that thehigher energy rates coincide with the seasonalhigh demand periods.

Metered Demand Charges Demand charges are used by a utility to

provide the capital cost for the facilities to pro-vide the electric service to the customer. De-mand charges are typically based on the peak15- to 30-minute plant demand metered by theelectric utility during a billing period. For ex-ample, the demand charge for the billing periodshown in Figure 1 will be based on the meteredpeak 15-minute demand (7500kW) for the 30-day billing period, even though the average de-mand is well below the peak demand.

Minimum Billing Demand Charges Many electric utility billing rates will include

a minimum billing demand charge that will becharged to the customer if the metered demandcharge is below the minimum billing demandcharge threshold. In most cases, this charge is de-fined as a part of the electric utility service con-tract. Some electric utilities will establish theminimum billing demand charge as a percentageof the peak metered demand from the preceding12 billing periods. Figure 2 shows as example of a12-month minimum demand charge based on90 percent of the peak demand. Demand man-agement opportunities can only generate benefitfrom demand reduction if the plant demand isabove the minimum billing demand level. Thisexample illustrates the importance of under-standing minimum billing demand charges whendeveloping demand management strategies.

Developing Demand Management Strategies

Most demand management strategies arebased on managing the plant load in coordi-nation with the electric utility billing rate. Thisminimizes energy usage during the periods

4 March 2014 • Florida Water Resources Journal

Continued on page 6

Demand Management: Controlling Energy Costs

Figure 1. Single Billing Period Demand Profile


when energy costs are high (peak periods)and/or reduces the plant’s peak demand to re-duce electric demand charges. Other demandmanagement opportunities exist by utilizingon-site power generation systems to partici-pate in electric utility emergency response andload curtailment programs.

The goal of managing demand is to re-duce cost by minimizing the electrical demandwhen energy and demand charges are at theirhighest, per the electric utility billing rate. Thisis typically achieved by managing plant opera-tions to reduce demand during on-peak hoursand/or utilize on-site power generation capac-ity to manage plant demand. The demandmanagement strategy will depend on the costratio between the energy and demand charges

and the differences in cost between the on-peakand off-peak billing periods as defined in thefacility’s electric utility rate structure.

The first step in developing demand man-agement strategies is to evaluate the electric util-ity billing rate structure and the average plantdemand profile to understand how the plant de-mand profile, in conjunction with the electricutility billing rate, is impacting the overall elec-tric energy cost. In many cases, the plant peak-demand charges will have a significant impacton the overall cost of electric energy. To illustratethis concept, Figure 3 shows two hypotheticalplant-demand profiles: one with a high peakingfactor, and the other with a lower peaking factor.For each profile, the energy usage for the billingperiod is the same (2330400 kWh each). Formost utility billing rates that include a demand

charge, the electric utility costs for the high-peakscenario will be higher due to the elevated de-mand charges, rather than the low-peaking sce-nario, even though the energy usage was thesame in both cases. This illustrates the potentialbenefits from managing a plant’s operations tominimize the peak-demand charges.

Common demand management strate-gies that can be used to control demand andenergy costs include:� Defer noncritical loads to off-peak hours when

energy and demand charges are lower. Non-critical loads such as dewatering, filter back-washing, and some mixing loads are examplesof loads that are commonly deferred to off-peak periods. Deferring dewatering opera-tions has a secondary benefit by reducing thenitrogen loading from the filtrate return to thesecondary process during the on-peak periods,which can increase the aeration demand.

� Utilize equalization storage to reduce diur-nal fluctuations to minimize high pumpingand aeration loads.

� Interlock intermittent loads such as filter back-wash pumping, air scour blowers, and large aircompressor loads so that they do not operateconcurrently, resulting in elevated demandcharges. It is also possible to interlock inter-mittent loads with other continuous loads (i.e.,backwash pumps and digester mixing pumps)that can be stopped without negatively im-pacting the process to offset the demand.

Utilizing On-Site Power Generation to Manage Demand

Many electric utilities offer remand re-sponse programs that provide a financial incen-tive to their customers to reduce their demandduring periods of high demand. A plant’s abilityto reduce or eliminate its demand during peakhours benefits the utility by balancing the utilitygrid loads during periods of high demand. Plantsthat have the ability to significantly reduce theirload through operation changes and/or by usingon-site power generators can benefit significantlyfrom these programs. For example, Duke En-ergy’s Powershare® demand response programwill compensate customers who have the abilityto reduce their load during curtailment periodsdefined by Duke Energy. Typically, water andwastewater facilities can reduce their energy costsup to 10 percent—and sometimes more—whenparticipating in demand response programs.

Many water and wastewater utilities utilizeon-site power generation to curtail load underan electric utility demand response program.Utilizing on-site power generators to managedemand under a demand response program isa very effective way to reduce energy costs; how-ever, the use of on-site power generators tomanage demand is considered nonemergency

Figure 2. 90 Percent Minimum Demand Charge Example

Figure 3. High- and Low-Peaking Plant Demand Profiles

Continued from page 4

Continued on page 8


use by the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) and therefore must comply withthe nonemergency use emission requirementsof the local air permitting board, the EPA NewSource Standards, and the EPA National Emis-sion Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.

Summary

Demand management opportunities canresult in low- or no-cost energy savings. Thekey to developing beneficial demand manage-ment strategies is to understand the plant’selectric utility billing rate and identify processand operation changes that, in coordinationwith the electric utility rate schedule, reduceenergy and demand charges. Significant costsavings have been realized when electric utilitydemand response programs have been incor-porated into the overall demand managementstrategy.

Bryan R. Lisk, P.E., CEM, is a senior associatewith Hazen and Sawyer in Raleigh, N.C.

This article is reprinted with permissionfrom the Ohio Water Environment FederationBuckeye Bulletin, Issue 4/2013,www.ohiowea.org. ��








Any debate about al-ternative water suppliesand resources starts ini-tially with definitions,followed by policy dis-

cussions. The discussions always end, however,with the topic of funding and revenue re-sources.

We can identify conservation, surface andriver water, and desalinization (includinggroundwater reverse osmosis), define them inlegal terms, and set legislative policy for waterall day long. However, unless the legislaturegets serious about identifying revenue sourcesfor alternative water, it will just be all talk.

That’s not to say that we have not madeprogress in the past few years. It has becomeclear that we can balance the needs of all waterusers. Public supply, the environment, busi-ness, and agriculture cannot only exist to-gether—each taking an appropriate piece ofthe water pie—they can also make the entirepie more reliable.

Alternative water supplies save ground-water for agriculture and the environment, andwatershed restoration and preservation keepthe water pie sustainable. In addition, conser-vation, best management practices, and infra-structure maintenance keep demand and usein check. You can’t name a water resource issuefor any user that can’t help another user if weare smart and cognizant of everyone’s needs.

So, if we accept that alternative water sup-ply is a key component of both expanding thewater pie and benefitting other users, either di-rectly or indirectly, how do we pay for it?

Funding Mechanisms

The state, water management districts,and local governments were doing fairly wellprior to the recession. Senate Bill 444, theWater Sustainability and Protection Act, be-came law, and documentary stamp revenuewas allocated to fund it. Grants and coopera-tive funding were available from the watermanagement districts, in partnership withlocal governments, and projects were fundedand completed. Things changed dramaticallywith the decline in ad valorem revenue col-lected by the water management districts, andstate budget cutbacks due to a sharp decline instamp revenue caused by the housing crash.

The trust-fund source also dried up, andgrants and water management district fund-ing became much more limited.

So, where are we today? The economy isimproving, albeit slowly, and business rev-enues and real estate are on the upswing. Is itas good as it was? No, but the deep breath wewere forced to take during the recession didhave the positive effect on water users by nothaving to deal with growth on steroids. Thisgave everyone time to rethink their needs, pro-jections, and strategies.

The Water—Money Nexus

It’s now time to realize that the connec-tion between water and the economy will beforever linked. We can build all the roads wewant and create a positive business climate,but without well-managed, reliable water re-sources, there will be no economic growth forFlorida in the future.

Alternative water resources are a keyspoke in the water supply wheel—and in theeconomic wheel as well. Currently, we have theopportunity to readdress funding through thetrust fund. I believe we should amend the lawto provide revenue at a base level: If the econ-omy improves, the revenue from documentarystamps paid into the trust fund should in-crease proportionally; if the economy takes adownturn, revenues would be diminished pro-portionally. However, this source is a trustfund, which like most other such funds, be-comes a target for a fund sweep by the legisla-ture, and it is not likely that that attitude willchange. We could temper this policy by arestoration clause that states if the revenue isswept in, either in whole or part, it will be re-stored within a given number of years.

Public-Private Partnerships

Then there is the P3 legislation, whichwas passed last year and opened up the op-portunity for infrastructure funding throughpublic-private partnerships. Perhaps this is nota silver bullet, but it’s an opportunity never-theless.

Caution has to be used in any public-pri-vate partnership, and the contract conditionsare by far the most important element of thesescenarios. For smaller governments, this toolmay not work unless it is combined with othergovernment efforts in their areas. Regional co-operation by local governments is the most

cost-effective way to fund alternative watersupplies—or any water project, for that matter.

Water management districts should beable to fund more projects as the economy im-proves; prioritizing these projects, however, isa necessity. The best example of a funding ma-trix is that utilized by the Southwest FloridaWater Management District (SWFWMD).Based on available ad valorem revenues, proj-ect funding goes first to regional water supplyauthorities, then to multigovernment projects,and finally, to local projects not applicable toeither of the other categories. This matrix wasfurther enhanced for alternative water supplyprojects when trust-fund dollars were avail-able. Instead of up to 50 percent of project costcoming from ad valorem water managementdistrict revenues and 50 percent from local co-operators, trust-fund dollars allocated toSWFWMD were reallocated to projects via a“one-third” formula: one-third was fundedthrough trust-fund dollars, one-third fromwater management district ad valorem, andone-third from local partners.

If budget dollars are again available thisyear, the legislature would do well to adopt asimilar matrix for at least the alternative watersupply projects. Even then, however, I haveconcerns about a nonreoccurring budget ap-propriation, since most projects require longer-term funding simply due to the length of timeit takes to build a project. In addition, the leg-islature passed a bill to allow 30-year water usepermits, more closely aligned to 30-year bond-ing terms. The revolving water and wastewaterloan fund is still available, but the dollars areusually small and better suited for smaller util-ities and nonalternative water supply projects.

Finally, in the upcoming Florida legisla-tive session, we are confronted with water qual-ity and environmental issues dealing withsprings restoration, the Indian River Lagooncleanup, and Lake Okeechobee and Evergladesrestoration. As mentioned previously, theseprojects in many ways are complementary andcan improve available water resources. Bothhouses are anticipating an allocation on non-reoccuring dollars. My hope is that we will con-tinue to explore more sustainable funding forwater supplies, resources, and infrastructure.

Raymond A. Pilon is a member of the FloridaHouse of Representatives from District 72, and amember of the Agriculture and Natural ResourcesSubcommittee and Agriculture and Natural Re-sources Appropriations Subcommittee. ��

Raymond A. Pilon

Alternative Sources: It’s All in the Funding

GUEST COLUMN: WORDS ON WATER


While today’s cities and counties facenumerous challenges, few opera-tions face tougher requirements or

more demanding circumstances than waterand wastewater utilities. Budget shortfalls,shrinking revenues, and staff reductions makeit nearly impossible to address aging and inef-ficient infrastructure and escalating regulatorydemands. In addition, there is mounting po-litical and public pressure for utilities to be-come more sustainable.

In its 2012 report, “Buried No Longer:Confronting America’s Water InfrastructureChallenge,” the American Water Works Asso-

ciation highlights the need for many commu-nities to significantly increase their levels of in-vestment to address aging water andwastewater systems in order to sustain publichealth and safety and to meet the next gener-ation of environmental standards. Also in2012, the American Society of Civil Engineers(ASCE) reported that an investment of at least$12.8 billion is needed to improve Florida’sdrinking water infrastructure to ensure thesafe delivery of water for the next 20 years. TheU.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)purports that this amount should be $16.5 bil-lion. The ASCE also reported that another

$19.6 billion is required to improve Florida’swastewater systems for the same time period.

Florida’s utilities lack funding and face anenormous structural deficit—and the gap be-tween these is quickly expanding. They arelooking for partners with the necessary ex-pertise, proven experience, and effective ap-proach to help them address their challenges.The solution to the infrastructure challengemay be performance contracting.

But what exactly is performance con-tracting and how can it benefit utilities?

Originally developed in the 1980s as aproject funding and delivery mechanism forbuilding envelope systems, performance con-tracting is a turnkey solution that can helputilities leverage the benefits of process im-provements and efficiency measures andmake much-needed improvements to theirwater and wastewater facilities without theneed for capital investment. Instead, utilitiescan reallocate utility and operating-expensesavings to pay for targeted improvements(Figure 1).

Energy services companies (ESCO) arecontractors that specialize in the developmentand delivery of programs that integrate de-sign, scope development, construction, andperformance verification services into a per-formance contract. Program improvementsgenerate energy and operational savings (andin some cases can increase revenues), maxi-mize energy efficiency, decrease life cyclecosts, and improve the utility’s ability to meetfuture mandates and operational demands.Best of all, these economic benefits are guar-anteed by the ESCO and are used to fund theprogram’s capital requirements. In the eventof a savings or revenue shortfall, the ESCO isrequired to make restitution. As such, theperformance risk is transferred from the util-ity to the ESCO.

Performance Contracting: An IntegratedSolution for Achieving Sustained

Operational and Energy EfficiencyZia Qureshi and Andrew Apgar

Zia Qureshi, P.E., is the national managerfor water/wastewater solutions, andAndrew Apgar is a business developmentmanager with Schneider Electric in Tampa.

F W R J

Figure 1. Paying for Targeted Improvements


Traditional Procurement VersusPerformance Contracting

For many years, municipal and publicagencies have employed the design-bid-build(DBB) model to procure capital projects. Thetrack record of DBB is extensive and filled withnumerous drawbacks, proving it to be a cum-bersome delivery system for complex projectsand often leading to scope, cost, and schedulecreep. As such, DBB is expensive, fraught withperformance and operational efficiency chal-lenges, and does not transfer risk from theowner in the way that performance contract-ing does.

In contrast, performance contracting al-lows for a design-build-at-risk offering withvery prescriptive requirements and outcomes,minimizing the “gaming” of the process. Be-cause contract execution is timely and deliv-ered through a single source of responsibilitywith robust performance guarantees that aremeasured and verified annually, the generalconsensus is that performance contracting isup to 20 percent less expensive than traditionalprocurement methods.

Florida’s municipalities and utilities havemultiple options when procuring perform-ance contracting solutions. Agencies can se-lect an ESCO directly from the state termcontract for energy savings, piggy-back off ofan existing performance contract, or procureservices via a request for qualifications (RFQ)or invitation to negotiate (ITN).

Enabling Legislation

Numerous states have enacted perform-ance contracting legislation. The Florida Leg-islature recently amended Florida Statute489.145, “The Guaranteed Energy, Water, andWastewater Performance Savings ContractingAct” in July 2013 and specifically included lan-guage to address water and wastewater proj-ects.

Highlights of the New Law � The addition of the following water and

wastewater efficiency measures:� “Meter replacement, installation, or mod-

ification; installation of an automatedmeter reading system; or other construc-tion, modification, installation, or remod-eling of water, electric, gas, fuel,communication, or other supplied utilitysystem.”1

� “Any other energy conservation measurethat reduces British thermal units (Btu),kilowatts (kW), or kilowatt hours (kWh);that reduces fuel or water consumption inthe building or wastewater production; or

that reduces operating costs or provideslong-term cost reductions.”2

� “Any other repair, replacement, or up-grade of existing equipment that pro-duces measurable savings, or any otherconstruction, modification, installation,or remodeling that is approved by anagency and that is within the legislativeauthority granted the agency, such as anenergy conservation measure.”3

� “Any other measure not otherwise definedthat is designed to reduce utility con-sumption, reduce wastewater costs, en-hance revenue, avoid capital costs, orachieve similar efficiency gains at anagency or other governmental unit.”4

� “Energy, water, or wastewater cost savingsmeans a measured reduction in the cost offuel, energy, or water consumption, orwastewater production, stipulated opera-tion, and maintenance savings; improve-ments in supplied utility systems,including, without limitation, revenue en-hancements or reduction in net operatingcosts resulting from increased meter accu-racy or performance; and identified capitalsavings, created from the implementationof one or more energy, water, or waste-water efficiency or conservation measureswhen compared with an established base-line for the previous cost of fuel, energy, orwater consumption, wastewater produc-tion, and stipulated operation and main-tenance, meter accuracy or performance,and identified capital costs.”5

� Savings are guaranteed. The ESCO is re-sponsible for savings and/or revenue short-falls.

� The payback and financing term must beless than 20 years.

� After project completion, savings are meas-ured, verified, and reconciled annually (ata minimum).

� Performance contracts can be funded viaseveral financial vehicles, including tax-ex-empt lease purchases, bonds, revenuepledges, cash, revolving loan funds, or othermeasures. The ESCO may also secure re-bates, grants, and incentives to improve thefinancial payback. However, savings and/orrevenues must be sufficient to pay for allimprovement measures that will be imple-mented via the performance contract.

One Size Does Not Fit All

While performance contracting is an ex-cellent tool for utilities to use, selecting theright ESCO partner is critical.

Traditional performance contracting ap-plications in the water sector as delivered byan ESCO concentrated solely on energy effi-ciency and include infrastructure replace-ments, like pumps, motors, and blowers.This rudimentary approach often falls shortas very little attention is focused on why theutility attained an inefficient operational sta-tus. Over time, utilities and plants have un-dergone myriad changes and expansions,

Figure 2. Comprehensive Integrated Strategy

Continued on page 18


often delivered by the design engineer usingapplicable state design thresholds and favor-ing peak-flow estimates. These changes canresult in the cascading effect of conservativedesign, selection of oversized equipment, andincorporation of inefficiencies and opera-tional challenges. While traditional ESCO so-lutions are easily implemented and havequick paybacks, they often prove themselvesto be little more than short-term fixes thatcan adversely impact the long-term opera-tions of the facility.

Water and wastewater utilities are com-plex in nature. When performance contract-ing is incorporated into a comprehensiveintegrated strategy, it enables the utility to ex-tract the maximum output for the least capitalinvestment (Figure 2). Performance guaran-tees can be leveraged by municipal govern-ments and utilities, which can develop a singleor hybrid funding strategy that serves the bestinterests of the owner with the least impact toan enterprise fund and ratepayers—a truewin-win proposition.

This integrated approach addresses sixkey elements: operational efficiency, perform-ance enhancement, energy efficiency, procure-ment efficiency, regulatory compliance, andsustainability and public image. These ele-ments are applied to the entirety of the utilityoperations or treatment processes and solu-tions are developed that complement eachfacet of utility operations, as opposed to a sin-gular upgrade or enhancement. The aggre-gated impact of this approach generally resultsin the development of solutions that facilitatesavings and enhance performance.

Opportunities in Water andWastewater Infrastructure

The municipal utility is generally com-prised of water and wastewater treatment, de-livery, and collection systems. In water utilities,most of the energy is consumed by pumping;except for an application like a desalinationmembrane treatment system, much less en-ergy is used in the treatment process. In waste-water treatment, biological reactors are veryenergy intensive and constitute 40 to 60 per-cent of the annual spending at the facility, fol-lowed by collection system pumping. Withenergy costs escalating annually, municipalowners are focusing on driving efficiency andimplementing solutions that result in favor-able outcomes.

Water treatment varies across Florida,ranging from more rudimentary groundwaterextraction, disinfection, and delivery systems,to more exotic surface water treatmentprocesses, such as desalination through mem-brane technologies. The latter system type re-quires more energy, and the design engineermust include energy recovery devices to offsetthe increased energy demand. In traditionalwater treatment, gravity is used for plant flowand pumping is sporadic and intermittent(i.e., backwashing of filters). Performance en-hancement solutions are limited and mainlyinvolve improved automation and controlsthat allow the plant to be managed in a real-time mode.

On the water delivery side, energy is ex-pended in pumping that is required to fill el-evated storage tanks, ground storage tanks,and reservoirs, or for keeping the systemproperly pressurized to comply with applica-

ble delivery metrics. High-service pumpingstations are key energy efficiency targets forsolutions. In the absence of dynamic pumpstation optimization protocols, decision mak-ing is relegated to operators and basic con-trols. This informal protocol precludes the useof optimum operational efficiency based ondemand and system pressures, sequencing ofpumps, pump operations within the preferredoperating ranges (or “sweet spot”), and lever-aging the maximum use of variable frequencydrives. The end results of employing a dy-namic pump optimization program withinthe station allows for extended pump life andelimination of transients, thereby limitingpipe bursts due to water hammer, trackingpump health on a real-time basis, and savingenergy by minimizing specific energy con-sumption.

Another key area of concern to most mu-nicipal owners is the percentage of nonrev-enue water (NRW). Nonrevenue water isdefined by AWWA as the “sum of unbilled au-thorized consumption (water for firefighting,flushing, etc.), apparent losses (customermeter inaccuracies, unauthorized consump-tion, and systematic data handling errors) andreal losses (system leakage and storage tankoverflows).”6 More simply put, NRW is waterthat has been distributed but is not reflectedin any customer billings.

Driving efficiency through the employ-ment of advanced metering infrastructure(AMI), automated meter reading (AMR) so-lutions, and appropriate meters for all flowconditions and applications, coupled with leakdetection, results in timely revenue enhance-ments and real and apparent water loss cor-rection.

Wastewater treatment plants are de-signed to treat unique influent flow charac-teristics and comply with permitteddischarge standards. Generally, wastewatertreatment facilities employ activated-sludge-extended aeration processes for the liquidstream and can utilize sophisticated aerobicor anaerobic digestion processes to managesolids. In between, plants utilize screening,grit removal, disinfection, nutrient removal(if required), sludge thickening, solids dewa-tering, and open-cell lysis technologies. Inaddition to the mechanical processes, waste-water plants also utilize certain chemicalsand polymers to enhance plant operationsand performance.

Of late, larger plants with anaerobic di-gesters have recognized the value of captur-ing and enhancing methane gas productionto power cogeneration units. Achieving en-ergy neutrality is gaining momentum, andmost municipal owners are evaluating or im-

Table 1. Wastewater Plant Performance Strategies



plementing strategies to offset energy costs bygenerating power from within the plant.

Wastewater pumping stations, com-monly referred to as lift stations, are usuallyoperated by rudimentary controls and opera-tor discretion. Dynamic pump station opti-mization solutions will result in favorableeconomic outcomes in specific energy savingsand life cycle extension of the operating sys-tems.

Comprehensive integrated strategies andsolutions dictate a complete and thorough un-derstanding of the treatment technologies, andtheir collective impact from one process to an-other, as the wastewater flows through theplant. Detailed process knowledge and under-standing allows a focused, forensic assessmentof plant operations and leads to customizedsolutions that offer the opportunity to extractthe maximum output from the process andthe plant as a whole.

Typical solutions and expected results inwastewater plants are summarized in Table 1.

A Parting Thought

Well-maintained water and wastewaterinfrastructure is critical to a utility’s ability toproperly and efficiently manage water use,water quality, and water resources. The activemaintenance of infrastructure requires signif-icant capital investment, and Florida faces asizable structural deficit where capital needsoutpace available funding. Without action, de-clining infrastructure will impact the state’swater and wastewater systems that serve 19.3million people. However, utilities do have op-tions, and a performance contracting programthat is integrated into a comprehensive strat-egy may very well be the answer for which theyare looking.

References

• 1,2,3,4,5 Florida Statutes, Section 489.145,Guaranteed Energy, Water, and WastewaterPerformance Savings Contracting Act, July2013.

• 6 American Water Works Association, WaterLoss Control: Water Loss Control Terms De-fined, 2012. ��


They say that time flieswhen you’re havingfun. Well, time has

certainly flown by in my term as FWEA presi-dent this year! It is already March and we are nowjust one month from the Florida Water Re-sources Conference (FWRC) where I will pass onthe president’s gavel at the FWEA annual mem-bers and awards luncheon meeting on April 8.

Committee Kudos

But before I preview our plans for theFWRC, I would like to recognize the outstand-ing work of a couple of our FWEA technicalcommittees. First, the Collection Systems Com-mittee’s first PACP/MACP/LACP training classwas held January 21-23 at the Cardno TBE of-fices in Clearwater. For those of you not famil-iar with collection system terminology, PACPstands for Pipeline Assessment and Certifica-tion Program, MACP for Manhole Assessmentand Certification Program, and LACP for Lat-eral Assessment and Certification Program.There were 13 attendees (maximum capacitywas 15) from various Florida municipal agen-cies, as well as contractors, in attendance.

The class covered the complete NASSCO(National Association of Sewer Service Com-panies) certification program for pipelines,manholes, and lateral assessment. The studentswere instructed on how to properly code defectsin pipelines, manholes, and laterals from TVand physical internal inspections using a na-tional coding system implemented by NASSCO.The program provides standardization andconsistency in evaluating and managing TV in-spection results in sewer pipe, manholes, and

laterals, which can be used in prioritization,planning, and renovation of wastewater collec-tion systems. The training was rated as “excep-tional” by the class participants.

The committee is already planning the nexttraining class, which should be held later in 2014or early 2015. If you think you might be inter-ested in this training next fiscal year, please con-sider adding the $950 registration fee in yournext budget and look for announcements on theFWEA website. I would like to thank commit-tee co-chairs Rudy Fernandez of ParsonsBrinckerhoff and Walt Schwarz of CH2M Hill;Dorian Modjeski of Cardno TBE; and Don Mc-Cullers of Cardno TBE, the certified NASSCOtrainer who conducted the training program.

Second, the Integrated Water ResourcesCommittee (IWRC) hosted a seminar in Orlandoon January 30, entitled “Sustainable SolutionsUtilities are Implementing for Integrated WaterResources.” I attended this event and was very im-pressed by the quality of all the speakers and theirpresentations. Thomas Frick, the Florida Depart-ment of Environmental Protection (FDEP) di-rector of environmental assessment andrestoration, and David Childs of Hopping, Greenand Sams (the primary legal counsel for theFWEA Utility Council) both gave excellent up-dates on the history and implementation of thenumeric nutrient standards. Chris Rader of Cityof Altamonte Springs, Bob Elmquist of the City ofApopka, and Flip Mellinger of Marion CountyUtilities each presented his utility’s successful in-tegrated water resources program case history. All60 people that attended the seminar gave it highmarks for technical content and venue quality.

We hope to see an encore presentation ofthis seminar in another region of the state sothat other FWEA members can benefit from theknowledge and experience of these speakers. Iwould like to thank Saurabh Srivastava of Par-sons Brinkerhoff, IWRC chair, and LeslieGowdish of Faithful + Gould, conference chair,

for their work organizing and executing thisoutstanding technical event.

Providing quality technical education op-portunities for our members is one of FWEA’sstrategic objectives and the two events I de-scribed certainly fulfill this goal. Another oneof our strategic goals is to educate the publicon the value of Florida’s clean water environ-ment and acknowledge the professionals in allfacets of the industry who work to keep ourwater clean so we all have a better opportunityto live prosperous and healthy lives.

West Coast Florida Water Festival

The Florida Water Festival is growing intoa premier public educational and outreach eventfor FWEA as it spreads to other areas of the state.This growth is apparent with this year’s first fes-tival sponsored by the FWEA West Coast Chap-ter scheduled for March 22, from 9 a.m. to 3p.m., at Spa Beach Park in downtown St. Peters-burg. There will be fun events for the entirefamily, such as the Walk for Water, where par-ticipants can understand the hardships that peo-ple in developing nations must endure just toget access to water. There will be live music forall, water animal face painting, and a caricatureartist for children.

For students, there will be a water-themedposter and filter design competition, as well asopportunities to learn about water quality sam-pling and testing methods. If you live in thegreater Tampa Bay area, please support our vi-sion for Florida’s water environment by plan-ning to attend this fun-filled event with yourfamily and friends.

As of early February, the following ex-hibitors have signed up for the event: FDEP,Southwest Florida Water Management District,TECO, Tampa Bay Water, Tampa Bay Watch,and the City of St. Petersburg. Also, the follow-ing sponsors have committed to financially sup-

FWEA FOCUS

Greg ChomicPresident, FWEA

Time (and FWEA) Marches On!


port the event: Hazen and Sawyer, HDR, MTSEnvironmental, and Heyward Incorporated.The Festival Planning Committee is looking formore volunteers, sponsors, and exhibitors. If youare a utility manager or consultant in the TampaBay area, please consider supporting the festivalby being either a sponsor or exhibitor. Flyers andup-to-date information on the festival can beobtained at www.fwea.org/water_festival .php,or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Flori-daWaterFestival.

I would like to thank Juan Oquendo ofGresham Smith and Partners and his entireplanning committee for their commitment tothe FWEA vision and mission through their ef-forts to make this first-ever water festival a suc-cess. Their goal for a successful festival can onlybe realized with your involvement and support.It’s easy! Just go online and sign up today to bea volunteer, exhibitor, or sponsor.

Florida Water Resources Conference: The State’s Premier

Water Quality Event

The pinnacle of the FWEA fiscal year is theFWRC. This year the conference will be held atthe Walt Disney World Coronado Springs Resortfrom April 6-9. This is a beautiful venue that of-fers a great educational experience for you andfun for the family. What a great opportunity toearn CEUs and PDHs and give the family a funvacation! The FWRC is among the largest andmost successful state conferences in the country.We expect over 2500 attendees and 300 ex-hibitors this year! I strongly encourage all FWEAmembers to attend our state conference (jointlysponsored by FWEA, FSAWWA, and FWPCOA)and see the following FWEA-sponsored events.

For over a decade, the FWEA Student De-sign Competition (SDC) has showcased thework of some of the best and brightest civil andenvironmental college students in the state.Florida has the best SDC program in the coun-try and this claim is supported by the fact thatFWEA teams have placed first in ten of thetwelve national competitions at WEFTEC sinceits inception in 2002. For two years in a row, theUniversity of South Florida has won both thewastewater design division and the environ-mental division in the state competition, withthe wastewater design team winning top honors

at the national SDC at WEFTEC in 2013. Thisyear there are eight teams from seven schools inthe competition, which will be held on April 6,from 12 noon to 5 p.m. in Room Fiesta 4 of thehotel. The schools with teams competing are:Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf CoastUniversity, Florida International University,Florida State University-Florida A&M Univer-sity, University of Central Florida, University ofMiami, and University of South Florida. If yourorganization is looking to hire new, young en-gineering talent, look no further than this com-petition! These are the most talented,enthusiastic, and motivated engineering stu-dents in the state. I would like to thank RebeccaOliva of CDM Smith, chair of the Students andYoung Professionals Committee, for all her hardwork organizing this outstanding competition!

The Operations Challenge is a skills-basedcompetition consisting of five timed events thatshowcase the knowledge and expertise of waste-water treatment plant operators. The teams dis-play their proficiency in process control,maintenance, safety, collections, and the labora-tory. The winning team will represent Florida atWEFTEC in New Orleans on September 28.This year, the competition will be held from 8 to10 a.m., on Monday April 7 in Room Monterrey1. At the time of this writing, teams from GRU,

St. Cloud, and St. Petersburg will be competing.Please plan to attend this exciting fast-movingcompetition to cheer on your favorite team! Iwould like to thank Chris Fasnacht of the City ofSt. Cloud, and FWEA Director Brad Hayes ofthe City of Tavares, for their work supportingthis competition at the state and national levels!

As mentioned inthe opening paragraphof this column, my termas FWEA president endsat the FWEA awardsluncheon, which will beheld on April 8 from 12noon to 1:30 p.m., in Fi-esta Ballroom 5 and 6.During this meeting,you will be voting in a new slate of state officers,cheering on some of our industry’s best per-formers, and receiving an update from WEFtrustee Garry MacDonald, who will be travelingall the way from Auckland, New Zealand! Hewill travel over 8000 miles and be on a plane for17 hours (each way) just to attend our annualmeeting at the conference. So, let’s all plan to at-tend the FWRC and the FWEA luncheon to giveGarry a warm welcome and show him howmuch we appreciate his dedication to the waterquality industry! ��

1. Which chemical is typically used to adjusteffluent pH (between 6.0 to 8.5) beforebeing discharged to a surface wateroutfall?

a. Lime b. Polymerc. Sodium Hydroxide d. Alum

2. What typically happens to the chlorinedemand of reclaimed water when thenitrite concentration is elevated?

a. The chlorine demand doubles foreach pound of nitrite oxidized.

b. The chlorine demand is cut in halffor each pound of nitrite oxidized.

c. The chlorine demand is unaffectedby nitrite concentrations

d. The chlorine demand is multipliedby at least five times for each poundof nitrite oxidized.

3. What is the detention time of a reclaimedwater storage tank if the tank volume is2.5 mil gal (MG) and the flow enteringthe tank is 4.5 mil gal per day (mgd)?

a. 13.3 hours b. 16.4 hoursc. 1.23 hours d. 3.90 hours

4. What typically happens to the oxidationreduction potential (ORP) value ofreclaimed water when the ammoniaconcentration increases from 0.5 mg/L to2.5 mg/L?

a. The ORP value increases.b. The ORP value decreases.c. The ORP value is fairly unaffected by

the ammonia level.d. Ammonia at any level will cause a

typical ORP probe to fail.

5. Given the following data, what is themg/L total suspended solids (TSS) in thisreuse water sample?· 100 ml of sample· Tare weight of filter paper is 1.8873

grams· Final weight of filter paper after drying

is 1.8875 grams

a. 2.0 ppm b. 1.3 ppmc. 3.4 ppm d. 4.3 ppm

6. Which chemical is more commonly usedto dechlorinate effluent followingdisinfection with chlorine?

a. H2SO4

b. Sodium hypochloritec. SO2

d. FeCL3

7. What is the equivalent in gal per minute(gpm) of a pipe that has 2.5 mgd flowingthrough it?

a. 694 gpm b. 1,440 gpmc. 1,735 gpm d. 7.48 gpm

8. What is the final effluent TSS value if theplant influent TSS is 225 mg/L, and theTSS percent removal is 98.9 percent?

a. 7.6 mg/L b. 2.5 mg/Lc. 6.7 mg/L d. 1.1 mg/L

9. Which formula is used to calculate thecircumference of a circular tank?

a. πr2 b. πd2

c. 0.785 d2 d. πd

10. What is the volume of reclaimed waterin a 100-ft-diameter storage tank at asidewater depth of 15 ft?

a. 58,718 gal b. 880,770 galc. 1,120,588 gal d. 238,545 gal

Answers on page 50

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 Wastewater Disposal

LOOKING FOR

ANSWERS? Check the Archives

Are you new to the waterand wastewater field? Want toboost your knowledge about top-ics youʼll face each day as awater/waste-water professional?

All past editions of Certifica-tion Boulevard through the year2000 are available on the FloridaWater Environment Associationʼswebsite at www.fwea.org. Click the“Site Map” button on the homepage, then scroll down to the Cer-tification Boulevard Archives, lo-cated below the OperationsResearch Committee.



Karst formations in China.

Karst landforms on the Lijiang River in Guilin, China.

Florida caverns.


Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Florida’s karst landscape is not unique to the state. About 10 per-cent of the earth's land surface is limestone, and in the United States,limestone accounts for about 15 percent of the land surface. In Florida,the entire state is underlain by limestone, easily dissolved by water toprovide springs, sinkholes, and underground waterways.

Karst topography is a geological formation shaped by mildly acidicwater that causes the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usu-ally carbonate rock, such as limestone or dolomite, but also gypsum. Overtime, openings in the bedrock increase in size, and an underground drainagesystem begins to develop, allowing more water to pass through the area,which accelerates the formation of karst landforms, features, and aquifers.

These formations and features provide more than stunning viewsand recreation opportunities. According to some estimates, karstaquifers provide drinking water to 25 percent of the world’s population.In Florida, karst aquifers provide about 90 percent of its drinking water.

Beyond the fascination factor, karst landforms also present chal-lenges. Sinkholes in developed areas, high groundwater recharge, andcomplex groundwater flow paths make for vulnerable water supplies,which affect human activities, health, and the economy.

Across the Pacific

It’s important to study local geography and geology and share theknowledge that is discovered. Dr. Jon Arthur, a state geologist and direc-tor of the Florida Geological Survey, was recently invited by the Interna-tional Research Center on Karst to share his knowledge about Florida’sgeology at the International Training Course on Karst HydrogeologicalInvestigation, Dynamic Monitoring, and Application in River Basins heldat the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences in Guilin, China.

The Center organizes the training to promote research coopera-tion and academic exchange—based at the Institute of Karst Geology—and invites geologists, hydrologists, and other scientists from aroundthe world to share their knowledge of karst environments.

The lecture schedule last year included topics such as carbon cyclein karst systems and the potential contribution to atmospheric carbondioxide, determination of potential leakage from karst dam sites, and cli-mate-change impact on karst aquifers. Guest lecturers included karst ex-perts from the United States, Russia, Germany, South Africa, and China.

Dr. Arthur contributed to the discussion with a lecture on sinkholedistribution, predictive modeling, and triggering mechanisms; a sec-ond presentation covered aquifer vulnerability modeling in karst.

Further Study

A geoscience team at the Florida Geological Survey, the FloridaDepartment of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Division ofEmergency Management (FDEM), are conducting an assessment ofsinkhole vulnerability in Florida. A $1.8 million grant from the FederalEmergency Management Agency and FDEM is funding the research.Maps generated from the study will refine scientific understanding ofFlorida’s karst terrain and hydrogeology. The maps may also be usefulin predicting sinkhole formation.

Throughout the world, karst scenes are set in stone, but that stoneis water-carved and everchanging. Researching, mapping, and sharinginformation help to ensure that when the ground beneath shifts, watersuppliers are ready.

Learn more about the Florida Geological Survey atwww.dep.state.fl.us/geology/. ��

Florida Shares Karst Knowledge in China



Not uncommon to utilitiesall over the country, an aging in-frastructure, growth issues, andescalating purchased energy costsare becoming exacerbated by dailypeak flows that are nearly exceed-ing the capacity of their waste-water collection infrastructure."Symphony - Harmonious pump& flow management" is a patentedtechnology available from DataFlow Systems Inc. (DFS). Sym-phony utilizes the TAC II SCADASystem to coordinate the opera-tion of sewer pumping stationsfor the purpose of reducing forcemain pressures and equalizingflow into a master pump stationor a wastewater treatment plant.The result is a significant reduc-tion in energy costs and a solutionto daily peak flow problems.

Problem: Random, Locally-Controlled Lift

Station Operations

A typical lift station consistsof a wet well, an electrical controlpanel, two or three pumps, andsome sort of liquid level device formeasuring wet well levels. Pumpsare controlled locally at the indi-vidual lift station. Wastewaterflows from private and/or com-mercial properties into the wetwell. When the in-flow fills thewet well to a predetermined start-pump level, one of the pumps willrun until the wet well reaches thestop-pump level. The wastewateris pumped into a main pipe thateventually leads to a wastewatertreatment facility. In areas that aremostly flat, these main pipes arepressurized so that the wastewatercan be moved without the benefitof gravity. Utilities may have twoor three—or perhaps dozens—offorce main pipes within theirservice areas.

The problem lies in the factthat each individual lift stationoperates on its own local parame-ters; that is, when the controlpanel senses that the wet well levelhas reached a certain height, thepump(s) will run—with no re-gard for the operations of theother stations that share the samepressurized force main pipe.However, wastewater is not gener-ated at a steady, even pace. Mostwastewater is generated at certainpeak usage times of day, such as6:00 to 8:00 a.m., when familiesare rising and businesses areopening, and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.,when families are returning homeand meals are prepared.

During these high-usagehours, lift stations run more fre-quently and, due to their localcontrols, are often pumping at thesame time. The head pressure inthe force main pipe increases aseach lift station pump attempts toforce more wastewater into thepipe. As the pressure rises, pumpscannot operate efficiently. It takespumps longer, and they consumemore energy, as they strain tomove wastewater against thegrowing pressure. In some cases,lower horsepower pumps onsmaller lift stations are unable topush their wastewater into theforce main pipe, causing them tospin uselessly until the pressure fi-nally reduces to a level at whichthey can contend. The problemcompounds itself as wet wells takelonger to empty, increasing thelikelihood of other lift stationshaving to run at the same time.The result is a “perfect storm” ofwaste: wasted energy, wastedbudget dollars, and carbon gasesspewed into the atmosphere, notto mention the greatly increasedlikelihood of a wastewater over-flow. In addition, the extra time

that pumps must run can causegreater incidents of pump failures,higher maintenance costs, and re-duced pump life expectancy.

Unmanaged collection sys-tems cause another problem forthe municipal utility: the dailypeaks in wastewater flow challengethe capacity of the collection andtreatment systems. While manysystems are built to handle a 24-hour collection total on an averagebasis, the peak flow rates can be somuch higher than the “average”rate that wastewater plants mustbuild costly storage facilities toavoid toxic spills. Also, older sewerpipes may not be large enough todeal with peak flows. The disrup-tion and expense of digging upand replacing undersized pipe isconsiderable and has a detrimen-tal effect on municipalities, privatebusinesses, and residents.

Solution: Smart Wastewater Collection

Grids Can ManageLift Stations

Ironically, while the majorityof pumps on a force main pipemight run simultaneously duringpeak hours, there are other quiethours of the day during which fewto no pumps run at all. If a wetwell level reaches the point ofpump activation during thesequiet hours, the pump's task ismuch easier. When it doesn't haveto fight the high pressure, it com-pletes the cycle quickly and effi-ciently without wasted energy orunnecessary wear and tear on thepump.

In order to save energy, mini-mize the carbon footprint of waste-water utilities, and reducemunicipal utility operating/main-tenance expenses, random and locallift station controls must be re-

placed by a smart wastewater col-lection grid—a coordinatedmethod of control that prevents liftstation pumps from fighting againsteach other in their day-to-day op-erations. Lift stations can indeed bemanaged so that some of theirpumping activities are coaxed intothose periods during which lesswastewater is generated and fewerlift stations are engaged to pump.

The TAC II SCADA System,along with “Symphony - Harmo-nious pump & flow manage-ment," can be configured tocommunicate with each individ-ual lift station that shares a forcemain pipe and synchronize theirpumping operations. Synchroniz-ing the pump operation that dis-courages simultaneous operationswith other sites, force main pipepressure is reduced and pumpswill operate more efficiently andwith less strain. Operating underthese ideal conditions will drasti-cally lower pumping energy con-sumption, and lowerconsumption results in a reduc-tion in greenhouse gas emissions.In addition, the utility saves main-tenance dollars since pumps thatrun efficiently require fewer re-pairs and have a longer life ex-pectancy.

Finally, properly managed liftstations reduce the flow peaks thattravel through a collection systemand create an artificially expandedsystem capacity. A more level flowis directed to the wastewater treat-ment plant, curtailing the needfor over-capacity storage tanksand diminishing the likelihood ofcostly sewerage spills. The Sym-phony technology has proven tobe a valuable tool for the City ofWinter Park, producing a 34 per-cent average in reduced pumpruntimes and 42 percent in energycost reductions. ��

Harmonious Pump and Flow Management Technology Produces Energy-Efficient

Wastewater Collection Systems

T E C H N O L O G Y S P O T L I G H T

Technology Spotlight is a paid feature sponsored by the advertisement on the facing page. The Journal and its publisher do not endorse any product that appears in this column. If you would like to have your technology featured, contact Mike Delaney at 352-241-6006 or at [email protected].



Irma Stella Maria(Alexandra) Terral, P.E.

AECOM, Tampa

Work title and years of service. I am a senior project engineer, withmore than 16 years of service.

Job description; what does your jobentail?

As a professional engineer, I amtypically charged with planning,executing, and managing mainly utilityprojects for public and private clients.These projects include master planningthrough construction and startup, toimproving and creating newinfrastructure for water resources, potablewater, reclaimed water, and wastewater.

For design projects, myresponsibilities include management anddelivery of bid documents (plan sheetsand specifications) for construction ofpump stations and pipelines (conveyanceand distribution), as well as water andwastewater treatment plants (new andexpansions). For construction projects,my responsibilities include assisting ourclients during the construction phase byreviewing submittals (shop drawings,request for additional information, andpay requests), conducting site visits andprogress meetings, and supervising on-site construction support.

In many cases, my projects alsoinclude client support permitting(renewal, construction/clearance), publicpresentations, training, funding assistance(American Recovery and ReinvestmentAct), and LEED certification. I have hadthe privilege of serving clients all over theUnited States (Washington, Kansas,Missouri, Colorado, New Mexico,Nebraska, Louisiana, and Florida) andLatin America (Mendoza, Buenos Aires,San Juan, and Santiago).

What education and training haveyou completed? � Universidad Santa Maria la Antigua –

Industrial Engineering � University of Washington –

Bachelor’s Degree in CivilEngineering

� Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA) ConfinedSpace Training

� AECOM Management Training � Many safety protocols� North American Society for

Trenchless Technology (NASTT)Horizontal Directional Drilling

� AECOM Wastewater Academy� E-ONE Vacuum sewers

What do you like best about your job? I enjoy interacting with my highlyintelligent and experienced colleagueswithin the engineering and constructioncommunity. By working together, we aredelivering the best and most innovativesolutions for our clients’ projects andthe public in general.

What organizations do you belong to?FWEA, WEF, AWWA, and FSAWWA.

How have the organizations helpedyour career? These organizations have given me theopportunity to make a difference in ourcommunity. They have enhanced,challenged, and sharpened all of my skills;

broadened my perspective; augmentedmy creativity when problem solving; anddeveloped my ability to think strategically.They have also expanded my technicalsolution and managerial abilities,developed my leadership skills, andallowed me to meet some great folks.

What do you like best about theindustry?I became a civil engineer because Iwanted to protect the beautiful earthand the environment in which we live. Iam surrounded by folks who are like-minded in this goal and face the samechallenges I do. One of these challengesis the support of the public and therealization that we all have a part inmaking our world a better place.

What do you do when you’re notworking?

I volunteer for FWEA and serve asthe Strategic Planning Committee chair. Ihave served on this committee since 2008and have been chair since 2010. Thecommittee promotes the excellence ofour association generally, and theactivities of our committees specifically,throughout the year. Among theseactivities are: the development ofbusiness plans based on the association’sstrategic plan; preparation of theassociation’s budget; support of chapterand committee event planning andexecution; organizational support of theLeadership Development Workshop;development of the association’smentoring program; support of newcommittee creation, including theWastewater Process Committee; andsupporting the West Coast Water Festival.

I am a volunteer at my church andserve on its Strategic PlanningCommittee. I also enjoy spending timewith my family and developing mybody, mind, and spirit. ��

FWRJ READER PROFILE


Have you ever tried to do a job and did-n’t have the right tools to get it done?I have, and it isn’t always easy or suc-

cessful. I’d like to share one experience I hadthat did work out, as well as my personal phi-losophy on filling your “tool pouch.”

My first car was a used 1971 Toyota Corollabought in 1974 for $1,200. It came with two op-tions: AM/FM radio and carpet; the base modelonly had AM radio and vinyl floor covering. I didmy own oil changes and muffler replacement,and even installed a new engine head gasket.

The car had a MacPherson strut suspensionsystem: you tested your shocks by pushing downon the hood and waiting to see if it comes quickly

back to neutral or bounces awhile. Well, my carstarted bouncing—the front shock absorbers wereshot. I thought to myself, “No mechanic neededfor me; I’ll just buy the materials and install themmyself.”

The old shocks came out pretty easily;however, there was a loud “sproing” noise whenI undid the bolts holding them in place. Thenext step was to install the new shocks that fitwithin the now much longer springs that sup-ported the weight of the engine. These twosprings were made of very stiff spring steel andthey needed to be compressed in order to bereinstalled. Because I didn’t weigh as much asthe engine, I knew I couldn’t compress them byjust squeezing them by hand.

The solution: I took a pair of my father’sheaviest channel locks and squeezed two parts ofthe spring together. That shortening wasn’tnearly enough, so I tied them together with pic-ture hanging wire. I then proceeded to do thesame along the entire length of the spring. Voila!

It was now short enough to house the shock andbe reinstalled into the car’s front suspension.

I “released” the wires by cutting them withelectrical wire cutters. The noise was loud and anew tone rang out with each cut, but the job wasdone—finally. And when the hood was pusheddown, it didn’t bounce anymore. Success!

I found out later that the car-parts storerented out the tool used to compress the springs.My method got the job done, but it was more time-consuming, tricky, and just a little dangerous.

The work done every day in the water in-dustry can yield new challenges that can alsobe time-consuming, tricky, and dangerous. Theknowledge and experience of those who workin water can lessen these factors, but only ifthey have the right tools in their tool pouch.

Your own “tool pouch” includes all of theideas and methods of dealing with various chal-lenges; it may also include physical tools likewrenches, computers, compressors, operating

Carl R. Larrabee Jr.Chair, FSAWWA

The Right Tools, the Right Job,the Right Organization

FSAWWA SPEAKING OUT



FREE BBQ DINNER

� Monday, March 24, 4:30 p.m. �

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Florida Water & Pollution Control Operators Association

FWPCOA STATE SHORT SCHOOLMarch 24 - 28, 2014

Indian River State College - Main Campus

– FORT PIERCE –

Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester ..........................$375/$405

Backflow Prevention Assembly Repairer ......................$275/$305

Backflow Tester Recertification ......................................$85/$115

Basic Electrical and Instrumentation ............................$225/$255

Facility Management Module I ......................................$275/$305

Reclaimed Water Distribution C, B & A ........................$225/$255(Abbreviated Course) ................................................$125/$155

Stormwater Management C & B ...................................$260/$290

Stormwater Management A .........................................$275/$305

Utility Customer Relations I, II & III................................$260/$290

Utilities Maintenance ....................................................$225/$255

Wastewater Collection System Operator C, B & A ......$225/$255

Water Distribution System Operator Level 3, 2 & 1 ......$225/$255

Wastewater Process Control ........................................$225/$255

Wastewater Sampling for Industrial Pretreatment& Operators................................................................$160/$190

Wastewater Troubleshooting ........................................$225/$255

Water Troubleshooting ..................................................$225/$255

CHECK-IN: March 23, 20141:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

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For more information call the

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FWPCOA STATE SHORT SCHOOL

manuals, and backhoes as well. When you have all of the tools you need, ajob can be very easy; if the tools are not there, it may not be.

We all start our careers with a tool pouch with just the basics: workethics, consideration for others, a little math and physics, and not muchelse. But over time, we fill our tool pouches from watching others, reading,taking classes, completing tests, and learning from the school of hardknocks.

I’ve always loved learning hard lessons the easy way: from someoneelse’s mistakes (even though I’ve made plenty of my own!). As EleanorRoosevelt said, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live longenough to make them all yourself.”

Membership in the American Water Works Association (AWWA)allows you to be exposed to a wealth of knowledge. Almost everythingthat has been learned or experienced in the water industry is memorial-ized in writing. If it’s not in writing, there’s bound to be other memberswho have experienced it; all you need to do is ask them.

As members of AWWA, we can access the tool pouches of tens of thou-sands of other members. Our employer, co-workers, and, most importantly,our customers, all have the benefits and wealth of all those tool pouches.

One of the handicaps many societies have is knowledge and expe-rience not passing properly from one generation to the next. Fortunately,we don’t have that handicap. The opportunities to fill our own toolpouches and access those of others in the water industry is a blessing weshare here in America that is in place now—and for generations to come.And, AWWA is a key tool to help that happen.

I encourage you to join AWWA, if you haven’t already. I invite youto encourage others to join AWWA as well. Fill your tool pouch full andhelp others fill theirs. Our industry and the customers we all serve willbe all the better for it. ��


William Thomas Engel Jr., 68, ofOcala, passed away on January 17. Hegraduated from St. Francis College and

Xavier University, and received his Ph.D. in chemistry fromAmerican University in Washington, D.C.

He was employed as director of the TREEO Center at theUniversity of Florida from 1994 until his retirement in 2010.Dr. Engel previously worked at Central Carolina Technical Col-lege as the environmental training program director and atCharles County Community College in Maryland. From 1996to 2002, he was the executive director of the Southeast Part-nership for Environmental Technology and Education.

Dr. Engel taught a series of ISO 14000 environmentalmanagement training systems courses and was a certified en-vironmental trainer and a licensed wastewater treatment op-erator in Maryland. A past president of the NationalEnvironmental Training Association, he was also a member ofthe American Water Works Association, Water EnvironmentFederation, and the Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers.

He is survived by a daughter, Mary Kathleen (Brian)Marsh, of Ocala; a son, William T. Engel III, of Cooperstown,N.D.; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death byhis wife, Jeannie. Online condolences can be made atwww.hollenbeckcahill.com.

William T. Engel Jr.1946-2014



Whether or not youbelieve in globalwarming/climate

change, we can all agree that we need to begood stewards of our environment. Environ-mental stewardship is the theme for thismonth’s magazine and therefore I will try andtailor my column to it.

So, what does it mean to be a good stew-ard of the environment? According toWikipedia, my favorite resource (lol!), envi-ronmental stewardship refers to “responsibleuse and protection of the natural environmentthrough conservation and sustainable prac-tices.” Personally, I do not believe that there isanother industry that protects our natural re-sources more than the water and wastewaterindustry. It is your efforts that help sustain ourcommunity’s natural resources and the envi-ronment that surrounds those communities.

In a nutshell, environmental stewardshipis taking responsibility for our choices. As pro-fessionals we put systems in place that willallow us to use our resources more efficiently.These processes will reduce waste and mini-mize the negative impacts on the environ-ment. These waste reductions will alsotranslate into financial savings to the commu-nities that we serve. Ultimately, good environ-mental stewardship results in a healthy andmore efficient and effective community, andthat is something we can all be proud of.

I have often said that I do not think we getthe recognition that we deserve. There is not agroup of people that protects the health andwelfare of the communities that we serve morethan our water and wastewater professionals.If you did not do the things that you do—dayin and day out, 365 days a year, in good andbad weather—no one else, including our finepolice officers, firefighters, or health profes-sionals, could do the things that they do. Sim-ply put, if you did not do the job that you do,our environment and our communities wouldsuffer severely. Therefore, we (all of us workingin this industry) are good, responsible stew-ards of the environment, and I for one thankyou for your efforts.

Board of Directors Meeting

Our last board of directors meeting washeld at the Plantation Renaissance Hotel in Plan-tation. I would like to thank Region VII for host-ing this meeting and setting up the breakfast thatwe all enjoyed. The food was great and the venuewas outstanding. There are a few reports fromthe meeting that I would like to share with you.

Our Awards and Citations Committeechair, Renee Moticker, mentioned several awardsthat will be presented at the 2014 Florida WaterResources Conference (FWRC) in Orlando.Along with the awards named for David B. Lee,Richard Vogh, and Pat Flanagan, FWPCOA willrecognize a few other people for their continuedcontributions to our association. Renee also pe-titioned the board for a new award to be calledthe Utility Maintenance Award. The board ap-proved the implementation of the award and thenew recognition criteria will be added to ourpolicies and procedures manual.

With the assistance of our executive direc-tor, Tim McVeigh, our Publicity Committeechair Janet Debasio reported that the committeeis routinely sending out email blasts publicizingFWPCOA activities. Janet also announced thewinners of our proclamation contest, which en-courages the regions to actively seek out procla-mations from their communities proclaimingWater Professionals Week; these decrees are sim-ilar to the governor’s proclamation of WaterProfessionals Week. I congratulate all of the re-gions that participated in this outstanding eventand a special recognition goes out to the win-ners: First Place - Region III; Second Place - Re-gion VI; and Third Place - Region IV. Along with

some special FWPCOA memorabilia, Region IIIwill hold the bragging rights for the next year.

Our Region VI director, Phil Donovan,suggested that FWPCOA request the governor’soffice to revise the annual celebration to WaterProfessionals Month, rather than just a week. Amotion was made, seconded, and unanimouslyapproved to petition the Florida governor’s of-fice to extend the recognition, with the sugges-tion that it begin annually in August 2014, thenin April 2015, and each April thereafter. I’ll keepyou posted on the governor’s response.

The Florida Water Resources Journal(FWRJ) is turning 65 this year! Our HistoricalCommittee chair, Al Monteleone, highlighted a10-page FWPCOA historical perspective he hascreated for the anniversary. He encouragesthose having access to documentary, or evenanecdotal accounts, of historical FWPCOA ac-tivities to contact him at [email protected].

Our largest committee, which is the Educa-tion Committee, is anchored by Art Saey. Art, asusual, had a plethora of discussion items for theboard. Among the items discussed were coursesthat the committee is developing for our mem-bership. These courses include water storagetanks, utility construction inspector, water me-ters, advanced utility maintenance, and globallyharmonized systems of hazard communications.

Our next board meeting will be on held onMarch 23. The meeting is in conjunction withour Spring Short School. The meeting and theschool will be held at the Indian River State Col-lege in Ft. Pierce. There is still time to sign up forthe classes! Give Shirley Reeves a call (321-383-9690) and get the training you need to advancein your profession. I hope to see you there! ��

Jeff PoteetPresident, FWPCOA

The Water Industry is the Best Environmental Steward

C FACTOR


Hubert B. Stroud

Throughout much of human history, theEverglades were viewed as useless swamps thatshould be drained for development. Numer-ous misguided attempts to convert these wetenvironments into more “productive” landuses included canals that rapidly removed 70percent of the water that once nourished thesystem. After decades of abuse, politicians andthe public began to realize that all the humantinkering was a big mistake (McIntosh, 2002).In a bold move to correct some of the errorsof the past, the federal government approved

the Comprehensive Everglades RestorationPlan (CERP). The $7.8 billion plan is made upof more than 60 restoration projects that areto be completed over 30 to 40 years under anunprecedented federal-state partnership be-tween the Army Corps of Engineers and theSouth Florida Water Management District(SFWMD). Although CERP is intended toprovide continued flood control and drinkingwater supply for south Florida residents, thelegislation makes it clear that restoration of theEverglades is the top priority(http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/pro-jects/docs_30_sgge_pir_final.aspx).

The Project Begins

The Picayune Strand is the first CERP proj-ect selected to receive funding for restoration.The restoration is designed to restore acreageowned by Gulf American Corporation (GAC), aland development company that specialized insubdividing and selling lots to a distant clientele(Dodrill, 1993 and Stroud, 1995). The GAC pur-chased the property that is now the PicayuneStrand in the late 1950s and created a huge landdevelopment, named Golden Gate Estates. Thisdevelopment included as much as 100,000 acresand was promoted as the world’s largest subdivi-sion (Stroud and Payton, 2001). The GAC con-structed roads and canals across its propertyduring the 1960s and 1970s. The canalsoverdrained the land, reduced aquifer recharge,and greatly increased the freshwater point dis-charge into receiving estuaries to the south. Theroads and ditches blocked the natural sheet flowand created conditions suitable for invasive plantspecies (Brazilian Pepper, for example) and formore frequent forest fires (Duever, 2013).

The construction of Interstate 75, alsoknown as Alligator Alley, split Golden Gates Es-tates in half, forming North Golden Gate Estatesand South Golden Gate Estates. North GoldenGate Estates grew rapidly and now has a per-manent population that exceeds 30,000 people.The area south of I-75 remained largely vacant,in part because most of the lots were underwa-ter during the wet season and infrastructure waslimited to roads and canals. The restoration thatis now underway for South Golden Gate Estateswas initiated by CERP and authorized by Sec-tion 601 of the Water Resources DevelopmentAct of 2000. The restoration area, originally re-ferred to as the South Golden Gate Estatesrestoration, has been renamed the PicayuneStrand Restoration Project (Nath, 2013).

The Picayune Strand contains some of themost diverse plant and wildlife communities onthe North American continent and provideshabitat for several federally listed endangeredspecies, including the critically endangeredFlorida panther. In October of 2004, GovernorJeb Bush announced that the state would do itspart to speed up restoration projects throughan expedited course of action called “Acceler8.”This program consists of eight projects that,when completed, will provide immediate envi-ronmental, flood control, and water supplybenefits. With support from Accerler8, theSFWMD moved ahead with the effort to plugthe northern 7 mi of the Prairie Canal locatedalong the eastern side of the Picayune Strand.

Improving Water Resources in Southwest Florida:The Case of the Picayune Strand Restoration

Figure 1. Map illustrating the strategic location of the Picayune Strand Restoration.Source: U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Draft Limited Reevaluation Report andEnvironmental Assessment, Picayune Strand Restoration Project. Jacksonville,Florida, May, 2013, p. E-vii.


In addition, 65 mi of roads adjacent to thePrairie Canal were degraded and exotic plantspecies were removed from the canal banks.Fortunately, the benefits of this partial restora-tion are already being seen with the reemer-gence of foraging wading birds and native florathat have been absent in the area for decades.These benefits have occurred in only six years(www.evergladesplan.org/new_item_accerer8.aspx).

The Setting

The restoration site, extending across morethan 55,000 acres of environmentally sensitiveland, is located within the Big Cypress Basin andis surrounded by several nature preserves andwildlife areas (Figure 1). It is located southwestof the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge,north of the Ten Thousand Islands NationalWildlife Refuge, east of the South Belle MeadeState Conservation and Recreational Lands(CARL) project, west of the Fakahatchee StrandState Preserve, and northeast of the Collier-Seminole State Park. The central location of theproject area among all of these nature preservesand wildlife areas reflects its importance to theecosystem connectivity of the entire region. Theecological condition of the Picayune Strand af-fects not only the immediate area, but is signif-icant to regional resources as well. Thisrestoration project is a unique opportunity forimproving water and other important resourceswithin Collier County and the western portionof the Everglades ecosystem (Stroud and Payton,2001, and Stroud and Warrick, 2004).

The Picayune Strand lies within the lowercoastal lowlands topographic division in the BigCypress physiographic region. Dominant geo-morphic features include a gradual southwest-ern slope and coastal swamps, or wetlands. Theentire area is underlain by limestone and marinedeposits that were formed during the Pleis-tocene epoch. The topography is characterizedby low relief and poorly defined drainage pat-terns; elevations range from 24-ft National Ge-odetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) in the north justsouth of I-75 to only 2-ft NGVD near the coastsome 28 mi to the south. The general directionof water flow (sheet flow) is to the southwest.

The humid subtropical climate of southFlorida typically undergoes a 6- to 7-month dryseason and a 5- to 6-month wet season. The an-nual rainfall for nearby Naples averages 53 in.,with nearly 80 percent occurring during Maythrough October. Under natural conditions, thecombined process of evapotranspiration ac-counts for an approximate loss of 45 in. of waterper year. This leaves only about 8 in. of averageannual precipitation available for surface runoffand groundwater recharge (U. S. Army Corpsof Engineers, 2004, pp. 2-12—2-13).

The humid subtropical climate, flat topog-raphy, marl soils, and seasonal rainfall patternwere principal influences on predevelopment hy-

drology of the project area. The gentle slopes cre-ated poorly defined first-order streams in somelocations, but typically resulted in sheet-flow pat-terns. Water depth varied from 1 to 2 ft above-ground surface at the height of the wet season to3 ft below ground surface in the late dry season.

The onset of the wet season quicklybrought saturated conditions for large portionsof the historic Picayune Strand. By July, habitatswithin the study area were uniformly wet, withthe deepest water levels occurring during the laterainy season in September and October. Thistypically began to change in November whenthere was a shift to runoff exceeding precipita-tion. The result was isolated pools as sheet flowreceded to below the ground surface. By March,standing water was limited to depressions.

Subsurface flow, groundwater recharge,and evapotranspiration are major componentsin the hydrologic cycle. As the wet season ended,and throughout the dry season, water stored indepressions was slowly depleted as it rechargedthe shallow water table aquifer and providedmoisture for vegetation in the evapotranspira-tion process (U. S. Army Corps of Engineers,2004, pp. 2-13 & 2-14 and Duever, 2013).

The Restoration

The restoration project includes the instal-lation of spreader channels, canal plugs, pumpstations, and the removal or degradation of roadsand ditches (Figure 2). These efforts are designedto restore and enhance wetlands in the PicayuneStrand (Southern Golden Gate Estates) and adja-cent public lands, improve estuarine water qual-ity by reducing large freshwater inflows, andimprove groundwater recharge (Nath, 2013).

The spreader channels are being con-structed immediately downstream from thepump stations on the Miller, Faka Union, andMerritt canals. Spreader channels will be used toredirect the water flowing southward within the

canals to the east and west (perpendicular to thecanals). As water rises within the spreader chan-nels, it will overtop the southern, downstreambank of the channel and move over the land assheet flow. Pumping water from the canals andinto the spreader channels will ensure that watercontinues to flow southward and will preventwater from flowing back (north) into the NorthGolden Gate Estates. The capacities of the pumpstations, which is 1,250 cubic ft per second (cfs)at the Miller Canal, 2,630 cfs at the Faka UnionCanal, and 800 cfs at the Merritt Canal, are de-signed to be large enough so that the spreaderchannels and other construction features do notreduce the drainage of the North Golden GateEstates that has been provided by the canals. Inaddition, 100-cfs pump stations will be con-structed for interior drainage at the private landslevee systems (Nath, 2013 and U. S. Army Corpsof Engineers, 2004, pp. v-vii).

A total of 83 canal plugs will be installedsouth of the pump stations in the Miller, FakaUnion, and Merritt canals and along the entirelength of the Prairie Canal. A large segment ofthe Prairie Canal has already been plugged. Theplugs will stop the canals from transportingwater southward to the coastal estuaries. This isan important step in preventing the canals fromoverdraining the Picayune Strand and sur-rounding wetlands and reducing or eliminatingthe problems associated with too much fresh-water flowing into the estuaries of the TenThousand Islands. The areas near the pluggedcanals will become much wetter for severalmonths during the rainy season. This more nat-ural condition will promote the return of na-tive vegetation and deter the spread of invasiveplants (Duever, 2013).

Most of the roads in the Picayune Strandare elevated from 6 in. to a few ft above thesurrounding terrain. Approximately 260 mi ofroads are being removed or graded to lower


Figure 2. Map de-picting the most im-portant features ofthe Picayune StandRestoration.Source: U. S. ArmyCorps of Engineers,Draft LimitedReevaluation Reportand EnvironmentalAssessment,Picayune StrandRestoration Project.Jacksonville,Florida, May, 2013,p. E-v.


their elevation to the same level as the sur-rounding ground. Degrading the roads andfilling the ditches will greatly increase the po-tential sheet flow across the landscape becausethe roads have served as small levees and rep-resent barriers to sheet flow. The formerroadbeds will be abandoned and allowed torevegetate. The nonasphalt materials from thedegraded roads will be used to construct thecanal plugs and the asphalt will be disposed ofor recycled in accordance with state regula-tions. Approximately 19 mi of the existingroads will remain and are to be maintainedand used by forestry officials, and for limitedpublic access.

Invasive and exotic vegetation foundalong the abandoned roadways, particularlyBrazilian Pepper, are to be removed. The hopeis that native vegetation will return shortlyafter the natural hydroperiod has been re-stored. Unfortunately, some invasive speciesdo well—even thrive—under wetter condi-tions. Melaleuca trees, for example, will likelyflourish when the sheet flow is returned. Thismeans that special efforts will be needed to re-move these exotic and invasive trees (Duever,2013).

Five levee systems are to be constructedaround developed areas to prevent floodingthat might occur as a result of the restorationplan. The areas to be protected include thePort of Islands Waterfront Recreational Vehi-cle Resort and other structures, the Port of Is-lands development located south of theintersection of the Faka Union Canal and U. S.41, agricultural land south of Belle Meade, andresidential property in northern Belle Meade(U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2004, pp. vi-vii).

Nine additional culverts will be placedunder U. S. 41 to allow sheet flow to continuesouthward into the estuaries of the Ten Thou-sand Islands region. Culverts will also be builtin each of the levee systems mentioned to

allow for interior drainage (U. S. Army Corpsof Engineers, 2004, p. vii).

Save the Manatee and Other Wildlife

Manatee mitigation is an unexpected andimportant component of the restoration. Sincethe lower end of the Faka Union Canal servedas an important cold-period refuge for a largenumber of manatee, the restoration must pro-vide an alternative location after the installa-tion of the canal plugs. The preferred optionis to construct (dig) a 20- to 30-ft-deep pool(refuge) along the west side of the Faka UnionCanal that would be continually recharged(fed) by groundwater that has a relatively con-stant temperature. The water temperaturewithin the pool would be above the requiredthreshold for the manatee during cold weather(Duever, 2013).

Monitoring of the hydrology, vegetation,fish and wildlife, endangered and threatenedspecies, oyster reefs, fish communities, andwater quality will continue for a period of atleast 10 years (Duever, 2013). The idea is tohave data on conditions before, during, andafter completion of the restoration project.Monitoring would help determine the bene-fits of the project and help in the assessmentof whether or not the major goals of the proj-ect have been met (U. S. Army Corps of Engi-neers, 2004, p. vii).

The estimated restoration cost of over$550 million based on 2013 dollars illustratesjust how expensive it is to recover from ill-con-ceived subdivision activity. Two of the largestconstruction expenditures are for pump sta-tions and levees and floodwalls. The othermajor expenditure is associated with land ac-quisition and the lengthy and complicatedbuyback program that was implemented yearsago to acquire the property from over 17,000land owners (Stroud and Warrick, 2004 and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, 2013, p. 21).

Summary and Conclusion

A completed restoration will remove theinfrastructure of a poorly planned 55,247-acresubdivision and restore its predrainage hy-drology and ecology. The environmental ben-efits of completing the project are numerousand widespread. It would tie several criticalnatural habitats together and generate positiveeffects on the hydrology, vegetation, andwildlife of the project area and surroundingpublic lands. More specifically, a completedrestoration would improve aquifer recharge toprotect water supply and to prevent saltwaterintrusion; restore and enhance habitat for fishand wildlife resources, including threatenedand endangered species; reduce drainage ofthe adjacent Fakahatchee Strand State Pre-serve; reduce (or eliminate) overdrainage ofother environmentally sensitive ecosystems;and reduce freshwater releases (point dis-charge) to improve the health and productiv-ity of downstream estuaries. In addition, theexisting level of flood protection for NorthGolden Gate Estates and adjacent privateproperties will be maintained.

Implementation of the plan will result inrestoration of the hydrology of 113 sq mi, in-cluding parts of Fakahatchee Strand, to near pre-development conditions. The increased waterstorage (both surface water and groundwater)would cause increased evaporation and recharge,which would result in an overall reduction of 6in. of annual runoff basin wide. Freshwater pointflow discharge of the Faka Union Canal will bereduced from an annual average of 260 cfs to 2cfs and will be replaced by distributed runoffalong a 6-mi-wide front through U.S. 41 bridgesand culverts. Average annual groundwater levelswill be 1 ft higher over existing conditions andwill provide for additional groundwater storageamounting to 25 bil gal. Hydroperiod criteria forthe upland vegetation would not be exceeded.

Hydrologic monitoring across the mainFakahatchee flow-way has shown seasonal pre-


Aerial view of the Faka Union Pump Station that is under construction. Source: Photo provided by the South Florida Water Management District.

Aerial view of the Merritt Pump Station. Source: Photo provided by the South Florida Water Management District.


restoration water table drawdowns of almost 6and a half ft in the vicinity of the eastern-mostcanal in the Picayune Strand that borders thewestern edge of Fakahatchee Strand. The watertable has been significantly lowered for a dis-tance of over 1 mi from the canal during the wetseason when water levels are naturally above-ground and to almost 3 mi from the canal dur-ing dry periods when the water table is naturallybelow ground. Monitoring also shows positiveresults from the filling of the upper portion ofthe Prairie Canal that was completed in 2004.During the subsequent wet seasons, there was apartial restoration of wet-season overland flowin the eastern portion of the Picayune Strand. Acomparison of data from monitoring wells nearthe filled canal and from wells near unfilledcanals approximately 2 mi to the west showspositive results. Hydroperiods have increasedand groundwater levels have risen in the easternportion of the Picayune Strand, and in the Faka-hatchee Strand to the east. There are diminish-ing positive results in the central and westernportions of the Picayune Strand where canalshave not yet been plugged. This points to the im-portance of completing the project and providesan indication that full hydrologic recovery willnot occur until the Merritt, Faka Union, andMiller canals have been filled (Duever, 2013).

Finally, the restoration, when completed,will also preserve upland habitat, control in-

vasive exotic plants, improve water quality ofstormwater runoff, and provide resource-based recreational opportunities. Because ofits strategic location, a restored PicayuneStrand will provide comprehensive habitatconservation for the greater Everglades ecosys-tem, including the Florida Panther NationalWildlife Refuge, Fakahatchee Strand State Pre-serve, Ten Thousand Islands National WildlifeRefuge, Collier Seminole State Park, and theBelle Meade CARL project. For these andother reasons, the benefits associated with thePicayune Strand should help tremendouslywith efforts to restore the Everglades ecosys-tem and improve resources for south Florida.

References

• Dodrill, David E. Selling the Dream. Univer-sity of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, Alabama,1993.

• Duever, Mike. Senior Environmental Spe-cialist, South Florida Water ManagementDistrict, Naples, Florida, personal commu-nication, November 2013.

• McIntosh, Phyllis. “Reviving the Everglades,”National Parks: The Magazine of the Na-tional Parks Conservation Association. Jan-uary/February, 2002, pp. 30-34.

• Nath, Ananta. Principal Engineer, Big Cy-press Basin, South Florida Water Manage-

ment District, Naples, Florida, personalcommunication, November 2013.

• Stroud, Hubert B. The Promise of Paradise:Recreational and Retirement Communities inthe United States Since 1950. Johns HopkinsUniversity Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 1995.

• Stroud, Hubert B. and Nancy B. Payton.“Protecting Environmentally Sensitive Landfrom Mistakes of the Past: A South FloridaExample,” The Florida Geographer, Vol. 32,2001, pp. 58 – 73.

• Stroud, Hubert B. and Judy K. Warrick. “Em-inent Domain Proceedings As A Crucial FinalStep in the Acquisition of EnvironmentallySensitive Land in South Florida,” The FloridaGeographer, Vol. 35, 2004, pp. 29 – 49.

• U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Final ProjectImplementation Report and EnvironmentalImpact Statement for the Picayune StrandRestoration Project. “Predrainage Condi-tions,” Jacksonville, Florida, May, 2004.

• U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Draft Lim-ited Reevaluation Report and Environmen-tal Assessment. Picayune Strand RestorationProject. Jacksonville, Florida, May, 2013.

• http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/proj-ects/docs_30_sgge_pir_final.aspx

• http://www.evergladesplan.org/new_item_accerer8.aspx

• Hubert B. Stroud is professor of geographyat Arkansas State University. ��


Curtis Burkett, P.E., LEED AP, hasjoined McKim & Creed Inc. at its office inDaytona Beach as a regional manager. Hehas extensive experience with stormwater,water, sewer, and roadway projects, andwith municipal engineering. In his newrole, he will provide strategic direction forthe company throughout the region. Hemost recently served as regional managerwith Zev Cohen & Associates Inc.

Burkett graduated from the FloridaInstitute of Technology with a degree incivil engineering. He is a LEED-accreditedprofessional and a member of the Or-mond Beach Brownfield Committee.

�Lake Worth Water/Sewer Utilities

has launched a new customer servicetechnology called MuniApp. Customerswith Android and iPhones can now paybills, view usage, and instantly connect tocustomer service by phone or email fromtheir smartphones.

With this new technology, customers

receive high-usage alerts, delinquent no-tices, and conservation messages. Mu-niApp LLC, based in Jupiter, hasdeveloped and installed the technology.The app can be viewed atwww.dmaus.com; click on Mobile WaterApp.

For more information, contact D.J.Soviero at [email protected] or 415-609-1990.

�Ecosphere Technologies Inc. in

Stuart, a water engineering, technology li-censing, and manufacturing company, hasannounced that Fidelity National Finan-cial Inc. has purchased an additional 8-percent ownership of Ecosphere EnergyServices Inc. for $4 million, bringing itstotal ownership to 39 percent.

The company also filed a series of en-vironmental patent applications with theU.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Thesepatent filings include a method to use thecompany’s Ozonix® water treatment tech-

nology to increase and maintain desiredoxygen levels in the C-44 Canal (St. LucieCanal) that feeds the St. Lucie Estuary andthe Indian River Lagoon. The estuary andlagoon make up one of the most biodi-verse ecosystems in North America, withmore than 4,000 plant and animal species,including 36 endangered and threatenedspecies.

�The Florida Department of Envi-

ronmental Protection has announcedthat $55 million in funding has beenmade available for the restoration andprotection of Florida’s springs from the2014-2015 “It’s Your Money Tax CutBudget.” The funding will enable state andlocal partners to protect the quality andquantity of water that flows from thestate’s springs, as well as eliminate nutri-ent impacts and ensure proper flow. Theseare important not only to animal andplant life, but also add to Florida’stourism industry. ��

News Beat


City of Wildwood Accused of Charging Utility

Customers “Police Fee”

Apparently, the current economic condi-tions and municipal money crunch may havegotten the best of the City of Wildwood. It hasbeen reported that a class action lawsuit ofutility customers has sued the City for what isreferred to as a “police fee.” The $5-a-monthfee generates $168,000 a year, and the city hasreceived more than $1 million since its incep-tion. There is no apparent relationship be-tween the police services and utility services,and the city does not try to explain one; it sim-ply needed more money for its police force be-yond the money received in property taxes.The problem (and there are many more) isthat a government cannot simply charge a newfee that has no bearing on usage. If it is not afee for actual usage (water or sewer usage oravailability, garbage, etc.) or assessment basedon benefit received by the payees (fire service,utility main extensions, etc.), there are notmany labels you can place on such a fee otherthan a “tax.” Unfortunately, there is a consti-tutionally established procedure for raisingtaxes, and this isn’t it. The city’s own attorney(now ex) told them as much and imploredthem to cease the fee.

I feel badly for the customers who had topay for this fee if it is, in fact, as unlawful as re-ported, because they are now forced to pay anattorney to recover the money, and likely, theinterest on that money. I’m also concerned forthe citizens who will foot the bill for the re-funds in some form, if the allegations are cor-rect. They cannot raise utility rates to pay thecharge because that would be unlawful as well.How are they now going to produce that re-fund—increase taxes maybe? Ironically, if theypay it out of new taxes or out of the budget,the refunds would also be paid for by the util-ity customers who are also citizens; they would

refund it with one hand, and receive it with theother. Yikes—what a mess!

Source: www.wuft.org, via the FMMA News.

DEP “Thrilled” That Federal Court Accepted Its Numeric Nutrient Criteria

In 2010, the U. S. Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA) unilaterally imposed nu-meric nutrient criteria for all Florida “waters,”and that criteria have been widely criticized inFlorida as having no basis in science, and beingneedlessly costly. The EPA was forced to im-pose the criteria because of lawsuits from en-vironmental groups alleging that it was notenforcing the Clean Water Act in Florida. TheDepartment of Environmental Protection(DEP) developed its own numeric nutrientcriteria and worked out an agreement withEPA that will replace the EPA criteria. In Jan-uary, the federal court accepted the DEP cri-teria and modified the EPA consent decree.The DEP’s published statement from Talla-hassee says:

“We are thrilled by today’s ruling byUnited States District Judge Robert L. Hinklegranting U.S. EPA’s motion to modify the con-sent decree to discontinue federal rulemakingand allow the Department to implement themost comprehensive numeric nutrient crite-ria in the nation.

The Department can finally implementthese additional standards for our treasured

waterways, especially our unique set ofsprings, spring runs, lakes, and estuaries. Thisis the necessary catalyst to move beyond liti-gation and end needless delays that preventedus from applying these additional protections. The Department would like to acknowledgeour dedicated scientists, and thank EPA forworking diligently to position Florida as theonly state in the nation with comprehensivecriteria set for all rivers, streams, lakes, springs,estuaries, and coastal waters.

Not only are the state’s rules the mostcomprehensive standards in the nation, noother state has even come close to adoptingcomplete nutrient standards that cover alllakes, rivers, streams, springs, and estuaries,providing 99 percent coverage of all state wa-terways.

This marks a significant step forward inprotecting and restoring water quality acrossFlorida.”

Sources: Jan. 14, 2014 Department of Envi-ronmental Protection press release; www.sun-shinestatenews.com.

Gerald Buhr is a utilities attorney whoholds a Class A license in back water and waste-water treatment. A Florida Bar-certified spe-cialist in city, county, and local government law,he is the city attorney for Mulberry, ZolfoSprings, Bowling Green, and Avon Park andreprresent Lake Wales on water and wastewaterlegal issues. ��

Police Fee Charges; Federal Court Ruling for DEP

LEGAL BRIEFS

Gerald Buhr


The water industry is facing challenges as-sociated with an aging workforce that is now re-tiring, resulting in shortages of trained personnelin key jobs. This is coupled with the need to de-velop new employee skill sets to manage techno-logical advances in the water sector and to addresshigher stakeholder and public expectations. In re-sponse, the Water Research Foundation (WRF)has published two project reports aimed at help-ing water utilities meet their workforce needs:“Competency Model Development and Applica-tion to Meet Utility Workforce Needs” (Project#4244) and “ Water Utility Executive Leadershipfor the 21st Century” (Project #4342).

The focus of project 4244 and the accom-panying “Water Utility Workforce Needs WebTool” is on applying competency modeling toimprove job performance, which involves ana-lyzing a job to identify the skills that drive su-perior performance. These competencies arethen incorporated into a model that describesthe personal characteristics, attributes, and mo-tivations that are needed to perform a job well.Once the competencies of a position are known,the hiring, training, and retention procedurescan be put into place that will help a utility cre-ate the workforce it needs for the future.

Twelve models were developed for criti-cal positions in the water field:

� Water treatment plant operator� Distribution system operator� Process control specialist� Water operations supervisor� Facilities maintenance mechanic technician� Instrument technician� Distribution system operations supervisor� Foreman/crew leader� Water quality specialist� Customer service representative� Laboratory technician� Project engineer

The jobs chosen were those that the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.Department of Labor, and WRF identified asbeing important in the day-to-day function-ing of a water or wastewater utility and alsoprojected to have high vacancies in the com-ing decades. The report describes how themodels can be used and outlines a process forcreating additional ones. The Web tool allowsusers to download the competency modelsand other material from the report.

Project 4342 presents a summary of execu-tive positions in the water community, includingtheir demographics, educational qualifications,professional backgrounds, skills, career paths, at-titudes, and behaviors. The study assesses the de-

gree to which chief executive officer characteris-tics align with a utility’s present and long-termchallenges and helps lay the foundation for im-proved recruitment, training, and promotion ofwater utility heads in the future.

�A new report from Black & Veatch, titled

“Strategic Directions: Utility Automation andIntegration,” highlights the issues that utilitiesface regarding network operation intelligence.

“Metering, automation, and data analyt-ics are changing how utilities approach theircustomers,” said Paul Miller, vice president ofthe organization’s private networks businessline, “and it’s a robust telecommunicationsbackbone that enables the full value of theseongoing smart grid investments to be realized.”

The report found that approximately 50percent of utilities in the United States have indi-cated plans to implement advanced automationtechnologies in the next five years. Based on fieldtesting and data from previously implementedprojects, enhanced operations can reduce costsand increase reliability. The additional knowledgegained through data analytics can also improveplanning and predictive modeling decisions.

Other key findings from the report include:

New Literature


FWPCOA TRAINING CALENDARSCHEDULE YOUR CLASS TODAY!

* 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

MARCH4 ........Backflow Recert................................................Lady Lake ..............$85/115

3-6 ........Backflow Tester ................................................St. Petersburg..........$375/40524-28 ........SPRING STATE SHORT SCHOOLSPRING STATE SHORT SCHOOL ..................Ft. Pierce

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

APRIL7-9 ........Backflow Repair ..............................................St. Petersburg..........$275/305

21-24 ........Backflow Tester ................................................Deltona ..................$375/40521-24 ........Backflow Tester ................................................Pensacola ..............$375/40521-25 ........Reclaimed Water Field Site Inspector ..........Orlando ................$350/380


MAY6 ........Backflow Recert................................................Lady Lake ..............$85/115

5-9 ........Wastewater Collection C, B ............................Deltona ..................$325/35512-15 ........Backflow Tester ................................................St. Petersburg..........$375/40519-21 ........Backflow Repair ..............................................Deltona ..................$275/305


JUNE2-5 ........Backflow Tester ................................................Deltona ..................$375/405

9-13 ........Water Distribution Level 3, 2 ........................Deltona ..................$275/30523-26 ........Backflow Tester ................................................St. Petersburg..........$375/405


JULY8 ........Backflow Recert................................................Lady Lake ..............$85/115

7-11 ........Stormwater A....................................................Deltona ..................$275/3057-11 ......Water Distribution Level 1 ..............................Deltona ..................$275/3057-11 ........Wastewater Collection A ................................Deltona ..................$275/305

14-16 ........Backflow Repair ..............................................Deltona ..................$275/30514-16 ........Backflow Repair ..............................................St. Petersburg..........$275/305


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 Screentac Vertical Bar Screen fromAqualitec Corp. is designed for headworks,lift and pump stations, manholes, and deepwells. With a vertical design, the screen can beretrofitted to any application with minimal tono structural changes. The screen protectspumps from rags and debris, fits into narrowand deep structures, and provides minimaland easy maintenance.

Go to www.aqualitec.com for more in-formation.

�Advance Products & Systems Inc. pres-

ents five new sizes of its Innerlynx® modularmechanical seal: IL265, IL310, IL440, IL625,and IL 700. The seal can replace some sizes ofexisting seals and reduce the number neededto seal some penetrations, thereby reducingcosts. With the addition of the IL700, users canaccommodate and stabilize larger pipes. Theproduct forms a hydrostatic seal between pipesgoing through walls, floors, and casings. Thenonconductive seal can be installed quickly byone worker with no special equipment. It ab-sorbs vibration, shocks, and sound waves andelectrically insulates the inner carrier pipefrom penetrating structures.

Visit www.apsonline.com to learn more.

�The Hexa-Cover® from Lemma Tech-

nologies Inc. adapts to any pond or tank ap-plication and offers unique features for odor,algae, and evaporation control, as well as heatretention. The patented design incorporateshexagonal discs constructed of 100 percent re-cycled polypropylene with interlocking edgesand a buttressed profile that allows for self-lev-eling, adjustment, and dispersion, ensuringmaximum surface area coverage in all condi-tions. The cover is installed using minimaltime, cost, and equipment.

The design incorporates discrete discsthat distribute themselves across the water sur-face to easily accommodate any basin equip-ment, piping, or water-level fluctuations. Bagsor containers of discs are emptied into thebasin, and in a short period of time, the coverinstalls itself across the water surface, adjustingfor any irregularity in basin shapes, with 99percent surface coverage. Two disc sizes allowfor flexibility in selecting the best fit for eachapplication.

Details can be found at www.lemma.com.

New Products

� The combination of public and privatetelecommunication networks will con-tinue. Many utilities will leverage publiccarrier networks to support automatedmetering infrastructure programs.

� Recruiting challenges and an agingworkforce will force utilities to considertelecommunications outsourcing.

� Remote monitoring and measuring ef-forts will continue and more sensors willbe deployed to facilitate real-time deci-sion making and future data analysis.

� Automation of distribution systems isan area of focus for all utilities to en-hance performance and reduce costs.

� Data analytics will allow managers tomake smarter operating decisions andefficiently deliver on the business goalsof their organizations.

� Small utilities lacking the resources to in-vest in complex technology systems maybe able to use cloud-based solutions to im-prove operations and business functions.

The full report is available for down-load at no charge at www.bv.com/reportsor the iTunes App Store(R). ��

New LiteratureContinued from page 40

�Offered by Headworks International, the

HIT-CS is a single compact unit that incorpo-rates all the treatment stages required for pro-ducing effluent suitable for reuse. The systemis composed of equalization, pretreatment, andActiveCell® moving-bed biofilm reactor forbiochemical oxygen demand and nitrification,tertiary filtration, and disinfection. It is suitablefor treating flows up to 100 m3/d.

The system is also designed to producesecondary sludge at 8 percent dry solids, whichresults in reducing solids volume by half, com-pared to traditional activated sludge systems.Because of its small footprint, the system canbe used for many different applications, suchas residential communities, labor camps, ho-tels and resorts, office buildings, constructionsites, and decentralized systems. Also availableis the HIT System™ developed for larger flows.

Also from Headworks is the Screw-pactorHD, which is designed with more-ro-bust spiral, higher-torqued, sealeddouble-thrust bearings and other proprietaryfeatures for durability. The 5-hp motor and0.75-in. spiral make the unit second to nonein compressing inorganic solids or materialthat could clog the system. The compactorcompresses these materials and provides solidscreenings and handling performance. Thelow-profile conveyor/compactor can handleabout 105 ft3/h and is retrofitted easily to ex-isting systems.

The unit is manufactured from grade 304or 316 stainless steel, and the shafted spiral ismade of alloy steel. Options include a screen-ings washing system that loosens and emulsi-fies organic material on the screenings and acontinuous bagging module.

Log onto www.headworksinternational.comto find out more.

�The Fiber Filter from BKT Co. Ltd. is a

compact filter that uses flexible polypropylenefiber bundles that surround a perforated col-lection pipe. Pore size of the filter media is con-trolled by adjusting the tension on the fiberbundles. During filtration, the fibers are pulledtightly in the longitudinal direction to reducethe effective pore sizes of the filter media. Ashead loss increases through the filter fibers, thefilter bundle is relaxed to increase the porosityof fibers, enabling backwashing that is quickand efficient. Paired with BKTurbo Blowers andthe BKT Biological Filtration System, the filtercan be used to provide a complete package.

More information can be found atwww.bkt21.com.

�Aquametrix presents the P60C-5

pH/ORP differential probe, which combinesthe oversized electrodes of the flagshipP60C8 probe with the slim profile of a 1-in.fixed insertion probe. Its glass electrode sur-face area is four times larger than any com-peting 1-in. differential probe, providing thefastest response and highest signal quality inthe industry. The probe comes in two ver-sions: the six-wire sensor interfaces with anyexisting Aquametrix or GLI/Hach controller,

and the two-wire sensor provides a direct4—20-mA output and interfaces with a pro-grammable logic controller. The probe alsocomes with a choice of electrodes, includingdomed, flat-face, and antimony for hydro-fluoric acid. The domed electrode offers thehighest signal, while the flat-face electrodesare more robust and offer a greater resistanceto fouling. The Office Routing Plus versioncomes with either a platinum or gold elec-trode.




Visit www.aquametrixcontrollers.com forfurther details.

�The Streaming/Floating Remotely Oper-

ated Vehicle from Hibbard Inshore LLC isspecifically designed to inspect fully flooded,partially flooded, and dry sewer lines and canperform inspections in high-flow situationswith the ability to travel up to 11,000 ft from asingle access point to inspect both above andbelow the waterline. The float comes standardwith video cameras and adjustable lightingabove the waterline, and dual sonar headsbelow the waterline, to identify open cracks,offsets, and holes. The sonar can also be usedto determine volumes of sediment buildup,identify out-of-round conditions, and meas-ure dimensional anomalies. Scanning lasersand ground-penetrating radar can be added asoptions above the waterline for measurement.Go to www.hibbardinshore.com to find moreinformation.

�The CUES Digital Universal Camera is a

high-resolution, closed-circuit-television, side-

scanning camera designed for rapid and de-tailed condition assessment of wastewater sys-tems. It can be used to inspect and assess 5000ft or more per day, increasing revenue whilereducing expenses. The system produces ahigh-resolution digital video scan of internalpipe conditions in a 6- to 60-in. pipe and a flat,unfolded view of the pipe is provided formeasurement purposes. The camera has nomoving parts and is driven through the pipewithout the need to stop, or pan and tilt. Theunit can be driven on cruise control to the re-mote manhole or through multiple manholesfor maximum efficiency.

Further details can be found atwww.cuesinc.com.

�The Mission Communications Man-

hole Monitor is built for active sewer moni-toring programs. It immediately notifies usersbefore effluent backs up into a manhole, andtracks the time and duration of the surchargeor overflow. Early warnings of flood condi-tions help prevent unwanted backups.

The monitor is designed and tested toIP68 specifications for submersion and has arugged, serviceable waterproof enclosure. Re-

liable, encrypted data are transmitted viafourth-generation radios. Reports and trendscan be accessed by any Web-based device. Themonitor can be installed in a few hours, withno manhole modifications required.

More information is available atwww.123mc.com.

�WaterSignal introduces the first wireless

system that continuously monitors waterusage in real time. Utilizing breakthroughtechnology, a self-contained, non-intrusivemonitor listens to the pulse of the water meter,and real-time data is sent wirelessly to a web-site portal to view the water consumption bythe month, day, or even down to the hour. If amajor leak occurs, the device alerts the man-ager or engineer that a water spike above thepresent limit has occurred. The alert can besent to both a computer and a smartphone forpersonnel to act upon, and can be customizedfor business hours as well as after hours andweekends. The system data can be a valuabletool on which to build an effective water con-servation program.

To learn more, go towww.watersignal.com. ��


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 lablePurchase Private Utilities and Operating Routes

Florida 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]

CITY OF WINTER GARDEN – POSITIONS AVAILABLE

The City of Winter Garden is currently accepting applications for the following positions:

- Collection Field Tech – I & II- Utilities Operator II- Customer Service Technician I- Distribution Field Tech – I

Please visit our website at www.cwgdn.com for complete job descrip-tions and employment application. Applications may be submittedonline, emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 407-877-2795.

Town of Lake Placid, FloridaDirector of Utilities

Civil Engineering Degree or Finance Degree preferred. Experience inmanaging and operating water and wastewater systems required. Ex-perience in financial issues involving the management, operation andacquisition of utilities is required. Prefer that applicant have at least aFlorida dual “C” Certification in water and wastewater treatment orability to obtain within three months of hire.

Interested parties may mail resumes to Town Administrator by email [email protected], 311 W. Interlake Blvd, Lake Placid, FL33852. Download job description and emp. application from websiteat: www.lakeplacidfl.net. EOE/DFWP.

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 thefollowing locations: 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

General ManagerDestin Water Users, a member-owned water and wastewater utility inDestin, FL is seeking qualified candidates to serve as General Manager.DWU serves10,000+ customers with annual revenues of approximately$13 million, and a workforce of 60+ personnel. Candidates will possessa minimum of three years’ experience in a senior management posi-tion in a similar-sized water and wastewater private and/or public util-ity, which includes experience in finance, human resources,engineering, government and customer relations. Excellent pay of$90,000+ depending on qualifications. Benefits package commensu-rate with experience. For more information on how to apply and dead-line for submission, please visithttp://dwuinc.com/contact-us/career-opportunities/.

C L A S S I F I E D S



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. req.

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.

Lift Station Operator I$37,313 - $52,503/yr. Inspects/repairs wastewater pumps, electricalequipment and radio telemetry system. FL Class “C” WW Collectioncert. & Class “B” CDL required.Apply: 100 W. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach, FL 33060. Open untilfilled. E/O/E. http://pompanobeachfl.gov for details.

Broward County Water & Wastewater Services-Planning and Development Manager

Salary Range: $73,734-$120,924 Dependent on Qualifications

Broward County is seeking an Environmental Engineering Planningand Development Manager for the Water and Wastewater Services En-gineering Division, a large water and wastewater utility in South Floridaserving 600,000 customers. This is advanced professional and admin-istrative work in planning, designing and managing Division opera-tional and strategic business projects and programs. Work involves thesupervision of professional engineers, contractors or other technicalstaff involved in County Public Works/Environmental Engineering pro-grams and projects.

Graduation from an accredited four year college or university withmajor course work in civil, environmental industrial engineering or re-lated field; thorough experience in the planning, design, constructionand management of capital projects, including considerable experiencein administrative and supervisory work in a utility environment; or anyequivalent combination of training and experience. Registration as aProfessional Engineer in the State of Florida is required.

To apply for this exciting position in a great location, visit:http://www.broward.org/HumanResources/Pages/EnvEngPDManager.aspx.

BROWARD COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERAND PROVIDER OF SERVICES.

UTILITY MECHANIC IHigh school education or equivalent. One year experience in mechanicalmaintenance work involving plumbing, mechanical and electrical repairof pumps and motors. Specialized training in the repair of water plantequipment desired. Must possess a valid Florida Driver’s License. Applyin person Monday through Friday 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. to: Human Re-sources Department 2nd Floor. 17011 N. E. 19th Avenue, North MiamiBeach, FL. 33162. Fax: (305) 787-6034. Applications will be acceptedthrough March 4, 2014. Only the first 100 applications will be accepted.

The Town of Hillsboro Beach is acceptingapplications for a Class C or higher WaterTreatment Plant Operator or a trainee who hascompleted the DEP approved coursework. Forapplication, please visitwww.townofhillsborobeach.com.

Broward County Water & Wastewater Services-Expansion Project Administrator

Salary Range:$67,032-$109,932 Dependent on Qualifications

Broward County is seeking an Expansion Project Administrator for theWater and Wastewater Services Engineering Division, a large water andwastewater utility in South Florida serving 600,000 customers. This ad-vanced, professional and administrative work is the link between theproject team and other County agencies, and coordinates, oversees andexpedites the process to obtain various required County approvals. In-cumbent establishes time-lines, maintains a document tracking system,evaluates and reviews reports and documents for correctness, com-pleteness and timeliness, undertakes special studies, performs analysisand prepares reports. Supervision may be exercised over engineers, sub-professional assistants and other employees engaged in various projectmanagement, construction, inspection, or related operations. Work isreviewed for general adherence to established policies

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university withmajor course work in engineering, architecture, business administra-tion, construction management or related field, four (4) years of expe-rience overseeing contracts which involved design/constructionprojects, including two (2) years of experience in government contractprocurement and management or any equivalent combination of rele-vant training and experience. Registration as a Professional Engineerin the State of Florida is a plus.

To apply for this exciting position in a great location, visit:http://www.broward.org/HumanResources/Pages/ExpanProjAdminWWS.aspx

BROWARD COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERAND PROVIDER OF SERVICES.

Posi t ions WantetdRICHARD WHALEN – Seeking a operator related position or that ofa professional engineer. Is an active licensed engineer and holds aFlorida C Water and Wastewater licenses, Louisiana Water and Waste-water licenses and Collection I certificate. Prefers Lakeland/centralFlorida area but is willing to relocate. Contact at PO Box 90813, Lake-land Fl. 33804 or 863-397-8347

COREY McCOY – Holds Florida C Water and Wastewater licenses with10 years experience and has passed the B Wastewater exam. Experiencedin maintenance, heavy equipment and is OSHA Certified. Prefers Lake,Orange or Polk County but is willing to relocate. Contact at PO Box501, Groveland, Fl. 34736. 352-346-1017

DARYL BROWN – Holds Florida B Wastewater & C Water licenseswith six years experience. Prefers Central Florida locations. Contact at5445 Limelight Circle, Orlando, Fl. 32839. 407-692-3333

From page 22

1. C) Sodium HydroxideWater that is disinfected with chlorine, andthen dechlorinated with sulfur dioxide, mayrequire a chemical to stabilize the pH withinthe required 6.0 to 8.5 range. A commonchemical used for this application is sodiumhydroxide, or caustic soda.

2. D) The chlorine demand ismultiplied by at least five times foreach pound of nitrite oxidized.Nitrites (NO2) will consume about five timestheir weight in chlorine before a residual isdetected. However, nitrate (NO3) values havelittle to no affect on demand for chlorine in thedisinfection process.

3. A) 13.3 hoursDetention Time, hours= Tank Volume, MG x 24 hrs/day ÷ Flowentering the tank, mgd

2.5 MG x 24 hrs per day ÷ 4.5 mgd= 13.3 hours

4. B) The ORP value decreases.The ORP and ammonia are inverselyproportional to each other; when theammonia level increases, the ORP valuedecreases. Conversely, when the ammonia leveldecreases, the ORP value increases.

5. A) 2.0 ppmTSS, ppm = weight of suspended solids ingrams x (1,000,000 ÷ ml of sample)

Weight of TSS = Final Wt. - Paper Tare Wt.= 1.8875 gm - 1.8873 gm= 0.0002 gm

TSS, ppm = 0 .0002 gm x (1,000,000 ÷ 100 ml sample)= 2.0 mg/L (ppm)

6. C) SO2

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is the only chemical onthis list that will effectively dechlorinatechlorinated effluent. Other chemicals used fordechlorination may be sodium thiosulfate andsodium bisulfite.

7. C) 1,735 gpm1,000,000 gals per day ÷ 1,440 mins per day = 694 gpm per mgd x 2.5 mgd = 1,735 gpm

8. B) 2.5 mg/L225 mg/L x 0.989 = 222.525 mg/L225 mg/L - 222.525 mg/L = Effluent TSS of2.475 mg/L

OR100% - 98.9 percent = 1.1 percent225 mg/L x 0.011 = Effluent TSS of 2.475mg/L

9. D) πdCircumference is calculated as pi times thediameter, or πd. Basically, you can take thediameter of any circle and wrap it around thecircumference (the outer wall of the circle)3.14 times. If you have a calculator with a pibutton, it typically displays 3.1415926535.Another way of calculating circumference is 2times π times r, known as 2πr.

10. B) 880,770 gallons Volume per ft = πr2 x 1 ft x 7.48 gals/ft3= 3.14 x 50 ft x 50 ft x 1 ft x 7.48 gals/ft3 = 58,718 gal per ft

58,718 gal per foot x 15 ft = 880,770 gal in 15 ft of a 100-ft-diametertank.

Certification Boulevard Answer Key

Display Advertiser Index


Carollo..............................................................39CROM ................................................................8Data Flow ........................................................27FSAWWA Drop Savers ......................................30FSAWWA Likens ..............................................42FSAWWA Operator Awards................................32FSAWWA Training ............................................29FWPCOA Short School ......................................31FWPCOA Training..............................................41Florida Water Resources Conference ............9-14Garney................................................................5GML Coatings ..............................................37,44

Hudson Pumps ................................................23ISA ..................................................................33Old Castle ........................................................40Rangeline ........................................................51Reiss Rngineering ..............................................7Stacon................................................................2Synagro............................................................38Treeo................................................................21Unimin..............................................................43US Water ..........................................................19Xylem ..............................................................52

Editorial Calendar

January . . .Wastewater TreatmentFebruary . .Water Supply; . . . . . . . . . .Alternative SourcesMarch . . . .Energy Efficiency; . . . . . . . . . .Environmental

StewardshipApril . . . . . .Conservation and

Reuse; Florida WaterResources Conference

May . . . . . .Operations andUtilities Management

June . . . . . .BiosolidsManagement andBioenergy Production;

. . . . . . . . . .FWRC ReviewJuly . . . . . .Stormwater

Management; . . . . . . . . . .Emerging Technologies

August . . . .Disinfection; WaterQuality; 65thAnniversary

September .Emerging Issues; . . . . . . . . . .Water Resources

ManagementOctober . . .New Facilities,

Expansions andUpgrades

November .Water TreatmentDecember .Distribution and

Collection

Technical articles are usuallyscheduled several months in advance andare due 60 days before the issue month(for example, January 1 for the Marchissue).

The closing date for display ad anddirectory card reservations, notices,announcements, upcoming events, andeverything else including classified ads, is30 days before the issue month (forexample, September 1 for the Octoberissue).

For further information onsubmittal requirements, guidelines forwriters, advertising rates and conditions,and ad dimensions, as well as the mostrecent notices, announcements, andclassified advertisements, go towww.fwrj.com or call 352-241-6006.

February 2014

Documents

March 2014 - Florida Water Resources Journal