Chapter 7 Operations & Maintenance

Wastewater Utility staff are responsible for all day-to-day operations and maintenance (O&M) activities associated of the Utility. This includes approximately 224 miles of sewer pipe (both gravity and pressurized pipe) ranging from two to 42 inches in diameter; more than 4,000 maintenance holes and 1,100 cleanouts; 31 sewer lift stations; approximately 1,800 residential, commercial and multi-family STEP systems; and one community septic system, also known as a community onsite sewage system (OSS). This chapter discusses O&M staff organization, and O&M activities: routine and preventive maintenance, computerized maintenance management, small-scale repair projects, emergency response, and training and emerging trends and needs.

7.1 O&M Staff Organization

Wastewater Utility O&M staff draw from two work groups in the Public Works Department. Wastewater/Stormwater Operations staff operate and maintain both wastewater and stormwater collection systems (including gravity sewer pipes; force mains (pressurized pipes); catch basins and maintenance holes; STEP tanks, mains and side sewers; and the community OSS). Additionally, a pump crew supervised by Pump Stations Operations maintains all wastewater lift stations. Allocating staff time based on similar kinds of work and required skills across the Utilities has proven effective in making the most of limited resources. Cost and funding are managed separately for the various work efforts.

The Wastewater Utility funds 11.3 FTEs for the operation and maintenance activities listed below. Some employees are partially funded and used by the Stormwater and/or Water Utilities thereby making a full position.

•    Wastewater Operations Supervisor (0.5 FTE).

•    Pump Stations Supervisor (0.5 FTE)

•    Wastewater Lead Worker (1.25 FTE).

•    Data Control Specialist (0.375 FTE).

•    Inventory Control Specialist (0.125 FTE)

•    Maintenance Worker II (4.5FTE). Assigned to one Residential STEP, one CCTV Program, one Cleaning and Inspection, and one Construction and Repairs.

•    Maintenance Worker I (1.5 FTE). Assigned to cleaning and inspecting pipes and maintaining lift stations.

•    Maintenance Technician (2 FTE). Assigned to wastewater lift station O&M.

•    Remote Systems Technician (0.75 FTE). Assigned to operation and maintenance of the wastewater telemetry system, as well as controls and electrical equipment.

7.2 Operations and Maintenance Programs

Regular and focused operations and maintenance of the wastewater system ensures continuous, uninterrupted service for utility customers. Pipes, pumps, and structures can become damaged and/or are susceptible to accumulation of sludge, fats/oils/grease, soil, debris, as well as roots. Neglecting maintenance of this system can result in blockages which puts the public and the environment at risk from overflows. It is the responsibility of the Wastewater Utility to perform proactive preventative wastewater system maintenance in order to provide for the safety and well-being of the community, as well as the environment.

Cleaning and Inspections

Cleaning and inspection of gravity sewer pipes and maintenance holes is the primary method used by the City to ensure efficient and unobstructed sewer flows. This work is performed by a two person crew using a specialized vacuum/jetter truck capable of water jetting pipes and retrieving the materials.

On an annual basis, the cleaning and inspection program completes:

•    Routine cleaning of approximately 225,000 feet of gravity sewer pipes (10%).

•    Removing roots in approximately 30,000 feet of pipe (33%).

•    Cleaning approximately 27,000 feet of problematic pipes, mainly due to low flow, flat slope, and/or grease (100%).

•    Cleaning and inspecting 797 maintenance holes (20%).

•    Cleaning and inspecting 34 wet-wells (100%).

Additionally, the cleaning and inspection crew performs the following:

•    Construction and engineering support (Hydro-excavating utilities)

•    Internal and external spill response, clean-up, and investigation.

•    CCTV support.

Closed Circuit Televising (CCTV) and Condition Rating

The Utility's assesses of gravity sewer pipes by a one-person television inspection van equipped with closed circuit televising equipment capable of withstanding the conditions commonly found in gravity sewer pipes. The primary operator is trained using industry standard condition rating methods such as Pipeline Assessment Certification Program coding and GraniteNet software. Wastewater engineering staff manage the condition rating information and initiate, schedule and prioritize most minor and major repairs.

O&M crews and engineering staff use television inspection and condition rating of gravity sewer pipes to evaluate structural integrity and identify O&M and construction features. The ability to see the underground pipe condition is essential to effective management.

The televising system gives staff the ability to look at pipes and document its design and intricacies. The distance that the underground camera travels is recorded, allowing staff to locate pipe features and problem areas. Using industry standards, the structural condition of the pipe can be assessed and documented. With repeated televising, changes in the condition of a pipe over time are tracked.

The televising and condition rating program feeds staff with a list of priority repairs. Some of the repairs are small and can be corrected by City construction and repair staff. Others evolve into extensive design and construction projects. Regardless of the project's scale, the condition rating program catches problems and facilitates their timely correction.

The City has televised and condition-rated well over 99% of the gravity sewer pipes since 2005. This has created operational capacity for the CCTV program to support other programs such as Cleaning and Inspections, Construction and Repairs, as well as function as the primary tool used to respond, investigate, and assess side sewer ownership questions and requests.

Construction and Repairs

A two-person crew performs construction and repair of the wastewater system. This crew conducts preventative maintenance, small-scale wastewater system repairs, and minor construction projects in accordance with State law. Work orders are typically generated from the Cleaning and Inspections or CCTV programs, are prioritized and reviewed by an engineering and operations team (WWoPS), and are then scoped, planned, completed, and documented by the Construction and Repair crew, with oversight from a lead worker. This construction ability provides the high quality and timely repairs needed to keep utility customers in service.

Annual in-house repairs typically include the following:

•    Approximately 80-90 pipe repairs

•    2-5 maintenance hole repairs, replacements or new installations

Additionally, the Construction and Repair crew typically performs the following:

•    658 wastewater valve inspections (100%)

STEP Systems

The City owns and operates approximately 1,800 STEP systems located on individual privately- owned parcels (for details see Chapter 3), including 25 commercial and multifamily systems. STEP systems serve approximately 9 percent of the Utility’s residential sewer customers.

Maintenance of these systems is labor intensive. Systems are typically located near the street within the yards of individual residences. Residential STEP systems are scheduled for maintenance and removal of solids once every seven years and commercial STEPS every one to six years, depending on size and use. Regular maintenance includes pumping the tank and removing and cleaning of screens, pumps and level controls. Maintenance of STEP systems requires one dedicated staff person as well as contractor services for tank pumping.

Operational problems with individual STEP systems can result in overflows. With this in mind, a system failure prompts the resident to notify wastewater staff. In turn, a staff member inspects and repairs the system, often after hour normal work hours. Given the high number of systems in the City, a relatively high level of maintenance is needed to minimize time-consuming and costly emergency responses. Significant strides have been made in recent years to bring maintenance and emergency responses down to manageable levels.

Annual STEP system maintenance typically includes the following:

•    268 Residential STEP systems pumped, inspected, and maintained.

•    12-18 Commercial STEP systems pumped, inspected, and maintained.

Additionally, STEP system O&M staff perform the following:

•    61 Air relief valve assemblies (ARV) inspected annually (100%).

Lift Stations

Lift (pump) stations and force mains are used to convey wastewater from a low point in the wastewater system to a higher elevation from which it can continue flowing by gravity. The City currently owns and operates 31 lift stations. Failure of any of the critical lift station components can lead to significant, ongoing wastewater overflows.

Electronic telemetry, also known as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) equipment, monitors operations continuously at each lift station and signals any malfunction to the SCADA communications center at the City’s Maintenance Center. A telemetry failure prompts an immediate response by O&M personnel. The number of wastewater lift stations in concert with the extensive drinking water pumping system necessitates effective telemetric monitoring of the stations.

The Pump Stations crew checks each lift station monthly to verify proper operation and ensure emergency preparedness. The crew also completes many mechanical and electrical improvements to the stations including:

•    Pump replacements

•    Emergency generator installations

•    Monitoring upgrades

•    Site and building maintenance

Over the course of the past ten or more years, existing lift stations have been upgraded in one form or another. These improvements are essential to providing sewer service without serious system failures. This Plan will ensure that lift station upgrades are proactive rather than in reaction to failures.

As Olympia grows, especially in outlying areas, the use and number of lift stations increases. Pump crew staffing will also need to increase.

7.3 Spill Response and Illicit Connections

When wastewater spills occur, O&M staff respond quickly in order to reduce public and environmental exposure to wastewater. Typical response efforts include identifying the point or source of the spill, isolating the source if possible by closing a valve, rerouting, bypass pumping, or jetting a line to clear a blockage, and spill clean-up. Spill response typically includes post-event investigation to verify the cause, identify any lessons learned, and modify preventative maintenance practices as necessary to eliminate future spills if possible. All wastewater spills are reported to LOTT staff for further reporting as required. See the Emergency Response Plan in Appendix G.

When an illicit connection is suspected, O&M staff use CCTV equipment, as-builts, and historic data to identify and isolate the illicit connection in a timely manner.

7.4 Operational and Safety Training

The nature of utility work often involves hazardous conditions. As such, staff safety and technical training is a very high priority in O&M. Staff certification and training programs are in place, consistent with Washington State Wastewater Collection Personnel Association (WWCPA) recommendations. Typical WWCPA certifications by position are: Maintenance Worker I, WWC I; Maintenance Worker II, WWC II; Lead Worker, WWC III; Operations Supervisor, WWC IV. The following are certification/training standards within wastewater operations and maintenance:

•    Wastewater Collection I-IV (WWC I-IV)

•    Pipeline Assessment (PACP)

•    NFPA 70E

•    Backhoe Certification

•    Forklift Certification

•    Confined Space

•    Competent Person

•    First Aid/CPR

•    Flagging/Traffic Control

7.5 Outreach and Education

In recent years, the need to increase outreach and education to utility customers has become more apparent. In addition to proactive preventative maintenance, good communication with residents about ownership, use, and maintenance of utility infrastructure is also critical for public health. Over the last few years, staff have developed handouts, fliers, and notification methods to ensure a consistent application of utility standards, procedures, and best management practices is shared with utility customers. Some examples of communication methods the utility uses are:

•    Residential STEP System Information

•    Annual STEP pumping and maintenance postcard

•    Callout/Follow-up/Response door hanger

•    Side sewer ownership handout

•    Grinder pump ownership handout

•    Grease disposal letter (targeted to known FOG problem areas)

7.6 New Technologies and Trends

Programmatic advances because of new technology have increased, especially in the area of field data collections and map accessibility. In the past, maps were accessed in the field using cellular technology and laptops. Today, smart phones and tablets are the platforms used to access utility maps in the field. The use of applications has increased tremendously to document asset condition and inspections in the field. That information can then be post-processed in the office and prioritized for repair, replacement, or monitoring.

Recently, Cityworks has been beta tested in the Drinking Water utility as a viable GIS-based software tool to advance asset management within that utility. It is scheduled to be rolled out for use in the wastewater utility in the near future. At that time, Data Control Specialist support will be needed in Lift Stations.

SCADA use and technology has been proven as an effective tool for the utility, and both software and hardware upgrades are anticipated.

The use of new technology, as well as upgrading existing platforms, presents new opportunities, as well as challenges. New technology can improve processes, decisions, productivity, and overall efficiency for the utility. Often, there may be a reduction in staff time, but an increase in other operational areas needed to support the use of that technology.

The cost to operate and maintain utility infrastructure has continued to go up since the last recession. Electricity, pumps, pipe, and other operating expenses continue to rise. The utility has had no significant increase in the operating budget to compensate for the increased cost of materials since before the last plan in 2013. In order to maintain the same level of service to utility customers, operating budget increases are anticipated.

As the City begins to adapt to climate change, utility support for that effort is anticipated. Operationally, this work will emphasize protection of the combined system, as well as interlocal support for LOTT and other agencies.

Regionally, efforts are underway to begin to understand the effects of massive earthquakes and other catastrophic environmental events. Operational staff have already begun to understand and prepare for large-scale regional catastrophes. It is anticipated more effort will be needed.