Water Treatment Operator Training Handbook, Fourth Edition
The fourth edition of this book preserves the reservoir of knowledge found in the first three editions and blends in new material that is more challenging for the advanced operators who want to optimize their treatment processes. A chapter of practical problem-solving using a model plant has been added. It teaches operators how to work the math problems from actual plant data that are supplied. This edition also speaks to newly hired operators in an attempt to provide a traditional starting point for them that teaches them to think through problems and solve them on their own.
Description
Much has happened in the drinking water business since the last edition of this book was published in 2013. Some of it was highly publicized and reflected negatively on plant operators. In several cases, it was justified. When the operators of this country’s water treatment facilities are found to have performed poorly or to have made bad and even criminal decisions, the general public takes notice. To that end, this new edition includes a chapter on ethics and related types of training for plant operators.
What is also important to the public is the faith that the operators of their water systems possess the knowledge and skills to perform at a consistently high level, and that there is a steady flow of educable young staff willing to learn and take over the water systems. Therein lies the challenge.
The job duties and tasks of WTP operators have been upended by the improvements in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to a point that the daily operator routine of 25 years ago would be almost unrecognizable today. SCADA system design and maintenance has become such a specialized service that most utilities must rely on contractors to provide and maintain it. If the operator is unable to get into the system to perform simple tasks, such as formatting the y-axis on a trending graph or retrieving the data for analysis of filter behavior, the system is wasted.
In their laudable efforts to improve operator performance, designers have provided systems that can perform tasks much faster and efficiently. SCADA has the potential to improve plant operations to the benefit of all. However, many young operators are not learning to use as much of the basic knowledge that is needed to operate a plant manually. On those occasions when SCADA fails or is temporarily unusable, the staff may be unable to respond. In many plants today, we see that operators are not in control of their SCADA systems. They aren’t in possession of their own data.
Other challenges, such as the need for enhanced cybersecurity protocols and the use of artificial intelligence in the business, take time from the operator that otherwise might be spent on learning how to treat water.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Regulated Contaminants and Treatment Challenges
Chapter 2: Basics Properties of Water
Chapter 3: Well Design and Operation
Chapter 4: Pretreatment
Chapter 5: Coagulation and Flocculation
Chapter 6: Sedimentation
Chapter 7: Filtration
Chapter 8: Disinfection
Chapter 9: Softening
Chapter 10: Specialized Treatment Processes
Chapter 11: Membrane Systems
Chapter 12: Testing and Laboratory Procedures
Chapter 13: Instrumentation and Control Equipment
Chapter 14: Safety and Security Practices
Chapter 15: Record Keeping, Reporting, and Data Management
Chapter 16: Logic-Based Problem Solving
Chapter 17: Responsibility and Accountability
Appendix A: Sample Safety Data Sheet
Appendix B: Math and Calculation Methods
Appendix C: Water Chemistry
Appendix D: Metric Conversions