James-Ridgway-Plenar..
James-Ridgway-Plenar..
James-Ridgway-Plenar..
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Wastewater Treatment<br />
Best Management Practices<br />
An Oxymoron?<br />
<strong>James</strong> W. <strong>Ridgway</strong>, PE, Vice President<br />
Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc.
Why is it so hard to try new<br />
stuff?<br />
• Public Health – It’s Important<br />
• Inflexible Regulatory Limits<br />
• Rate Payers<br />
Expectations/Public Perception<br />
• Look who’s making the<br />
decisions<br />
• Aversion to Risk/Litigation<br />
• Engineers vs. Scientists<br />
• Civil Engineers
What are the Administrative<br />
Challenges?<br />
• Not very sexy<br />
• “Best and Brightest”<br />
chasing other fields<br />
• Investors chasing more<br />
lucrative rainbows<br />
• Few public officials long to<br />
be at the ribbon cutting<br />
• Pressure on rates<br />
• Most energy savings take<br />
upfront investment<br />
• Fix it first mentality<br />
• Don’t fail on my watch
What are the Technical<br />
Challenges?<br />
• Old Pipes/Plants<br />
• Energy Consuming Technology<br />
• Excess Flow Challenges<br />
• CSO Control<br />
• SSO Control<br />
• Storm Water Quality<br />
• Non-Point Source Control<br />
(including Agriculture)<br />
• Conventional Pollutants<br />
• Very Low BOD/TSS levels<br />
• Nutrients<br />
• Non-Traditional Pollutants<br />
• PCBs<br />
• Mercury<br />
• Pharmaceuticals<br />
• Endocrine Disrupters
What’s Being Done<br />
• More Private Investment<br />
• More Interest in University<br />
Programs<br />
• More Public Investment (as<br />
Economic Development)<br />
• Incubators/Accelerators<br />
• More Smart Folks paying<br />
attention
Some Examples –<br />
Energy Conservation<br />
• Improved Storage (w/ smart systems)<br />
• Aeration Management<br />
• Innovative oxygen<br />
transfer<br />
• In-Pipe water<br />
generation for<br />
powering<br />
instrumentation
Some Examples –<br />
Wastewater/Sludge as Fuel<br />
• If it really paid for itself – more folks would be doing it!<br />
• Digestion – Old technology – new systems approach<br />
• Pyrolysis / Vitrification – Energy Challenges<br />
• Microbrial Fuel Cell –<br />
It works! But how<br />
well over long term<br />
and at what cost
The Goal - Cheaper and Better!<br />
• Software – SCADA or DA!<br />
• Water Loss Management<br />
• Improved Instrumentation and control<br />
• Cheaper/better instruments<br />
• Decision Support Systems<br />
• Algae vs. Sludge<br />
• Production of Syngas<br />
• Improved Solids Removal –<br />
on the fly!<br />
• Water and Sewer Line<br />
Replacement
Questions?
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