2019 Fall Newsletter

workshop abstracts
communicat accuracy
portable automation
processes
meter
consumption treatment
efficient meter
control
training
service
WS #1 The Industrial Revolution
is Nothing to Fear or Miss
Disruptive Technologies are rampant
in Automation. Automation and
operations of Water\Wastewater it is
no different. We are seeing packaged
clarifiers which treat water with 1/10
the footprint compared to
traditional solutions. The operational
dashboard is becoming a cell phone
as well as the potential for a virtual
reality hybrid such as the holo-lens.
Rockets are sending over 10,000
satellites off over the next 5 year into
space, we currently have only 2000
satellites since the dawn of time.
Measurement is getting smaller and
more cost effective, lower power and
easier to deploy. Over the three
hours we will cover:
1. Measurement - low power
devices and lower costs, multiphase
flow measurement,
wireless process control
2. Process Improvements - What
does a low-price clarifier look
like and why the technology
can't be ignored.
3. Hardwired Communications -
from rocket launches to 5g and
how this will directly impact
you; from the grader driver to
the IT professional.
4. It’s all about the
data!!!! movement, analysis and
consumption - how do we get
the right data to the right
people at the right time in the
most efficient user-friendly
format possible. (Holo Lens may
be present.)
WS #2 Granular Media Filtration is a Batch
Process: Comparison of Various
Backwash Procedures and the Effect on
Filter Performance
The workshop will begin with a discussion of the
granular media filtration process and why it should
be considered a ‘batch process’.
Following this, case studies will be presented that
compare backwash procedures used in various types
of water treatment plants. Case studies for both
gravity and pressure filters will be included.
The backwash steps discussed will include:
n Filter drain-down
n Air scour, including rates and duration
n Low-rate and high-rate backwash, including
flowrate and duration
n Filter media restratification
The workshop will provide Operators with
answers to the following questions:
n What is the relationship between poor filter
performance and backwash?
n How long does it take to see the effect of a poor
backwash program on filter performance?
n How long does it take to see the effect of
changes made to the backwash program on
filter performance?
n How can the backwash procedure contribute to
filter media loss?
n Which backwash procedure is the best?
n Which backwash parameters and data should
the Operator be monitoring, trending and
collecting?
The workshop will also discuss:
n Stand-alone air scour and backwash vs.
concurrent air-water wash: Which is better?
n Backwash turbidity profile: What does it tell us?
What doesn’t it tell us?
n Monitoring and trending of backwash pressure:
Why is it a critical part of filter operation?
WS #3 Transient and Surge Related Pipe Bursts,
Water Loss and Damage Prevention
Pipe bursts because of transients and surges within a
piping network are a very common problem
throughout the world. Not only are the maintenance
costs of these repairs extremely expensive, but when
you add in possible litigation for third party damages,
employee/public safety combined with the potentially
significant value (cost) of the lost water, one quickly
realizes the significance of what may appear simply as
“another pipe burst”. It is not uncommon for water
utilities that serve a typical population base of 1 – 1.5
million people to be quoting pipe burst occurrences of
between 500 – 1000 incidents per year. To hear
maintenance repair costs quoted at potentially
thousands of dollars per incident, is not uncommon.
Surge or Transients are the result of a rapid change in
velocity which typically will happen when flow
suddenly stops or starts. This stored energy, released as
pressure can destroy fittings, pipes, valves,
instrumentation and pumps. The associated pressure
waves travel the length of the pipeline, upstream or
downstream, of the offending device (pump, valve, etc)
and then reverses direction. The waves move at
constant speed until they meet a boundary of some
sort. The reflected waves and incident waves
superimpose to produce a more complicated wave
pattern that includes double peaks and double troughs.
The resulting consequence of inattention or improper
protection would of course be a pipe burst or
equipment failure resulting in damage, lost water and
potential litigation.
Transients, surges and the resulting pipe bursts can be
created through numerous events. Loss of power at a
pump station, pump station PLC malfunction, single
speed pump motors with out adequate pump control
valves or the rapid closure of gate valves or butterfly
valves within the distribution system are a few of the
more common incidents.
This paper does not deal with the analyses of transients
or surges (other than a brief overview) as there are
numerous experts in this field and a wealth of
information and engineering expertise available.
There are a variety of solutions available that can result
in significant improvements regarding the numbers
and frequency of pipe bursts within a water utilities
distribution or transmission system. This paper will
focus on the following solutions complete with a brief
explanation of the application and the intricacies of the
associated equipment. An overview will be given of non
– diaphragm operated control valve solutions complete
with history and advantages and disadvantages.
Non – Diaphragm Operated Control Valve Solutions
n Rupture Discs/Burst Discs
n Surge Tanks or Surge Drums
The core paper will focus on pressure relief diaphragm
operated control valve solutions and the resulting
benefits, while taking the mystery out of the selection
process and variety of options.
Diaphragm Operated Control Valve Solutions
n Pressure Relief Valve
n Surge Anticipating Relief Valve
n Surge Anticipating on Rate of Rise Relief Valve
n Surge Anticipating Relief Valve (electrically timed to
low pressure reading or power failure at pumps)
n Electronic Control to respond to any out of limit
signal
Diaphragm Operated Pump Control Valves will be
briefly included in this paper for consideration where
pumps operating with single speed motors are utilized.
Pumps that operate utilizing modern VFD (variable
frequency drive) motors will not typically require
diaphragm operated pump control valves for normal
service but will most definitely require careful review
and selection of appropriate pressure relief valve
protection for power failure incidents
The paper will describe a variety of situations while
citing examples of transients/surges and the resulting
damage. The above solutions will be reviewed, while
discussing the key advantages and disadvantages of
each method of Pressure Relief as well as key
application information and examples of a variety of
successful applications. The paper will clearly present a
variety of pressure relief options for water utilities and
educate interested parties on the overall reduction of
pipe bursts and the associated costs combined with the
corresponding savings in water.
WS #4 Distribution Maintenance
Topics to Cover
n Fire Hydrants – Inspections & Repairs
n Water Main Valves
n Unidirectional Flushing of the Water Mains
n Leak Detection
n Water Meters & Testing
WS #5 Achieving Safety, Performance
Optimization and Overview of an
Engineered Chemical Feed System
Many public water utilities have a growing
awareness for safety and performance
optimization when it comes to their chemical
feed. Understanding how an engineered
chemical feed system operates and how every
component on the system contributes to safety
and process optimization is important.
Main focus points of ProMinent Fluid Controls
Ltd. presentation will be:
n General overview of an engineered
chemical feed system
n Advantages of using an engineered
chemical feed system versus a standalone
metering pump, focusing on the categories
below:
n Safety
n Performance optimization
n Maintenance
n Best practices used when installing an
engineered chemical feed system.
WS #6 Multiple Pathways to Resiliency
Increased resilience does not fall under the
purview of a single organization and does not
exist as a single point on the horizon. The
emergency management version of resilience
is achieved through the strategic and effective
coordination of multiple organizations within a
community and multiple communities within a
province. The presentation will describe the
Saskatchewan Public Safety Divisions vision of
a multiple pathway to resilience strategy.
WS #7 Chad Hymus see keynote information