Water Systems for Small Communities

A Puzzle Guide for Local Officials
Bulletin 910

Water System Operation and Maintenance

Julie Gillenwater, Division of Drinking and Ground Water, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Karen Mancl, Professor Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University
Lori Libby, Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs, Miami University

The weekend operator stops in at the water plant Sunday morning to conduct her routine checks. No chlorine residual is detected in the water being delivered to the town. After further inspection, she discovers the chlorinator is broken. She is unable to find the spare parts inventory in the file and finally finds it in a pile of paperwork. The inventory shows a spare chlorinator is on hand, but it is not in the storage area.

The operator calls around to find a replacement chlorinator. Because it is on a weekend, she calls the supplier's emergency number to get overnight delivery. The supplier is able to supply the chlorinator at an additional premium charge.

Operation and maintenance (O and M) are essential practices in any reliable water system. Regular operation and preventative maintenance allows operators to detect and correct malfunctions before they turn into major problems.

Water system operations are all the necessary activities to provide safe water to the customers. Routine operations fall into three phases:

1. Start-up—the operator first checks the notes from the previous shift. Next, the reservoir levels are checked. The operator follows standard procedures for starting up equipment, along with checking and refilling chemical feeds.
2. Daily operations—water testing, washing filters, and checking chemical feeds are just some of the routine operations performed by the operator. Addressing calls from customers can also be an important part of daily operations.
3. Shut down procedures—after checking levels in the reservoirs, equipment and chemical feeds are turned off following standard procedures. Notes on the events of the day are logged for the next day before they are filed for future reference.

It is important to have standard documents to refer to and to record information on plant operations. An operations manual and a daily operations log are two necessary items in any water system. The operations manual serves as a guide for both daily operations and seasonal variations. Since things like changes in temperature or rainfall can change the conditions of the raw water, the operations manual helps to ensure that the customers can rely on a constant supply of safe water. It is important to note, however, that the manual still serves as a guide. Problems may occur that are not covered in the manual.

Operations Manual Table of Contents Start-up Facility plan with details on equipment locations Sequence of turning on pumps and equipment Map of plant showing detailed instruction cards for each piece of equipment Daily operations for various raw water conditions Chemical dosages Testing Laboratory procedures Sampling locations Mixing energies Residual withdrawals Flow Loss of head Backwashing procedures Shut-down Sequence of turning off pumps and equipment Detailed plan of valves at plant Detailed plan of valves in distribution system Safety

Example Daily Operations Chemical Feeds Log Weights Time Operator Comments: Water Volumes Water levels Time Operator Comments:

Water system maintenance consists of all necessary activities to sustain and protect the water system equipment for the owners. Routine maintenance falls into four phases:

1. Routine lubrication and care of pumps and equipment—All the mechanical equipment in a water system requires regular maintenance if it is to serve the system for decades. Equipment in water systems is in wet environments often exposed to corrosive chemicals. Routine care extends the life of the equipment saving the system money and most importantly guards against interruptions in service.
2. Housekeeping—Cleaning floors, mowing the grass, removing snow, and hauling away refuse are all necessary maintenance tasks in a safe and pleasant work environment. Unfortunately, if time is short and an operator must set priorities, housekeeping is often sacrificed to direct time to plant operations to provide safe water. While having a clean restroom or lunch area may not seem critical, poor housekeeping reflects poorly on the water system and reduces employee morale.
3. Painting—A water system is intended to serve a community for decades and unfortunately the original coat of paint on buildings, tanks, hydrants, and towers does not. Painting and repainting facilities and equipment is an ongoing maintenance responsibility for a water system.
4. Spare parts and supplies—Having the necessary parts, supplies, and replacement equipment on hand at all times guards against service interruptions, wasted time, and expensive shipping charges when the need arises. Even the most well-maintained plants will have breakdowns. Maintaining a spare-parts inventory keeps a minor problem from becoming a major crisis.

Maintenance Guide Table of Contents Equipment Maintenance schedule Written procedures for preventative maintenance Manufacturer's manual List of spare parts Inventory of spare parts and supplies Record of inventory and replacement Supplier addresses Price lists for key parts Routine housekeeping Key area Duty assignments Cleaning schedule Painting Key areas Duty assignment Painting schedule

Example Maintenance Log Today Sweep area #5 Clean bathroom and lunch room Empty trash from lab This week Lubricate pump #3 Run emergency generator motor Mow around tank #2 This month Drain and clean basin #1 Paint trim on building #2 Restock cleaning supplies Run emergency generator under load Repair record Today—had to repair leak in line #15 Noticed a puddle by #2 chemical feed—check on it tomorrow