Lagoon Treatment Systems: Natural Wastewater Processing Article Overview Article Type: Informational Primary Goal: Provide municipalities, design engineers, plant operators, and equipment manufacturers with a practical, technically rigorous guide to lagoon treatment system selection, design, operation, performance expectations, limitations, and upgrade strategies so they can evaluate whether a lagoon system is appropriate and how to design […]
Introduction to Ozone System Engineering Ozone generation is one of the most chemically potent yet operationally complex technologies in the water treatment arsenal. Unlike UV or chlorination, ozone is generated on-site, requiring a sophisticated integration of power supply, gas preparation, cooling thermodynamics, and mass transfer mechanics. For municipal and industrial engineers, the challenge is rarely […]
Introduction In the municipal and industrial water sector, data integrity is the bedrock of process control. Yet, a surprisingly high percentage of plant alarms—estimated by some automation audits to be over 40%—are nuisance alarms caused not by process failures, but by instrumentation drift, fouling, or improper specification. For the design engineer or plant superintendent, the […]
1. INTRODUCTION In the municipal and industrial water and wastewater sectors, the battle against corrosion is a primary driver of capital expenditure and maintenance operational costs. Traditional materials such as carbon steel, galvanized steel, and even aluminum often degrade rapidly when exposed to the aggressive chemical and biological environments found in treatment facilities. Hydrogen sulfide […]
Introduction to Horizontal End Suction Pumps in Water & Wastewater In the complex hydraulic landscape of municipal and industrial water treatment, the horizontal end suction pump remains the ubiquitous workhorse. While vertical turbine pumps may dominate deep well applications and submersible pumps handle the depths of wet wells, the horizontal end suction (HES) configuration is […]
Introduction to Valve Specification in Municipal Infrastructure In municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, valves typically represent less than 5% of the capital expenditure (CAPEX) of a treatment plant or collection system. However, industry reliability data suggests that valve failures, leakage, and actuation issues can account for up to 60% of the unscheduled maintenance operational expenditure […]
Introduction In municipal and industrial fluid handling, the “miscellaneous” valve category often contains the most critical components for system stability and surge protection. While gate and butterfly valves handle standard isolation duties, specialized equipment—such as air release valves (ARV), check valves, pilot-operated control valves, and pinch valves—dictates the hydraulic integrity of the network. Engineers frequently […]
Introduction For municipal and industrial engineers, the centrifugal pump is the heartbeat of water conveyance and treatment infrastructure. However, a staggering number of pump installations fail to meet their expected lifecycle due to specification errors rather than manufacturing defects. Industry statistics suggest that over 60% of pump failures are attributed to operating outside the Preferred […]
Top 20 AWWA-WEF Books 1. Public Health Effects of Disasters (2021) – Guidance on protecting public health during and after natural disasters, chemical spills and other emergencies that disrupt water and wastewater infrastructure. 2. Activated Sludge and Nutrient Removal (2022) – Provides updated technical details on activated sludge processes, nitrogen and phosphorus removal, troubleshooting guidance, […]