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*OCTOBER 2024*

In this issue:

* Free Cyber Vulnerability Scanning for Water & Wastewater Utilities. [ #link_1 ]
* Certification and Training Update. [ #link_2 ]
* DMR-QA Study 44 Update. [ #link_3 ]
* Grease and Septicity. [ #link_4 ]
* For Practice. [ #link_5 ]

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Free Cyber Vulnerability Scanning for Water & Wastewater Utilities.

System hacked

Drinking water and wastewater systems are an essential community lifeline. It is important to protect your system from cyberattacks to maintain its vital operations. You can reduce the risk of a cyberattack at your utility by externally scanning your networks for vulnerabilities caused by publicly facing devices. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) can help your drinking water and wastewater system identify and address vulnerabilities with a no cost vulnerability scanning service subscription. CISA, the Water Sector Coordinating Council, and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators encourage drinking water and wastewater utilities to use this service.

_Benefits_

CISA’s vulnerability scanning can help your utility identify and address cybersecurity weaknesses that an attacker could use to impact your system. The benefits of this service include:


* Identifying internet-accessible assets
* Identifying vulnerabilities in your utility’s assets connected to the internet, including Known Exploited Vulnerabilities and internet-exposed services commonly used for initial access by threat actors and some ransomware gangs
* Weekly reports on scanning status and recommendations for mitigating identified vulnerabilities
* Significant reduction in identified vulnerabilities in the first few months of scanning for newly enrolled water utilities
* Ongoing detection and reporting with continuous scanning for new vulnerabilities

_How it Works_

CISA uses automated tools to conduct vulnerability scanning on your external networks. These tools look for vulnerabilities and weak configurations that adversaries could use to conduct a cyberattack. CISA’s scanning provides an external, non-intrusive review of internet-accessible systems. The scanning does not reach your private network and cannot make any changes. CISA will send you weekly reports with information on known vulnerabilities found on your internet-accessible assets, week-to-week comparisons, and recommended mitigations. You will also receive ad-hoc alerts for any urgent findings.

CISA does not share any attributable information without written and agreed consent from the stakeholder.

_How can I get started?_


* Email [email protected] with the subject line “Requesting Vulnerability Scanning Services.” Include the name of your utility, a point of contact with an email address, and the physical address of your utility’s headquarters.
* CISA will reply with a Service Request Form and Vulnerability Scanning Acceptance Letter to obtain the necessary information about your utility and your authorization to scan your public networks. Scanning typically begins within 10 days of receiving all completed forms.

Cybersecurity resources for the water/wastewater sector can be found at these links:


* CISA: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]
* EPA: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]
* Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC): [link removed] [ [link removed] ]
* American Water Works Association: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]


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Certification and Training Update.

*Monthly Training Calendar and Training/Certification Resources. *

The monthly training calendar, which lists training by not-for-profit organizations, is emailed to certified operators each month. It can be found at the DEP’s certification website  https:/www.maine.gov/dep/water/wwoperator/ [ [link removed] ] under the Additional Materials section.

*Save the date for these Upcoming Meetings and Trade Shows*


* WEFTEC, 10/5 -10/9/2024 in New Orleans, weftec.org [ [link removed] ].
* NEWEA CSO/Wet Weather Issues Conference, Exhibit & Tour, Manchester, NH, October 22-23, 2024, [link removed]
* MRWA Administrative Summit on Wednesday, October 24th. Virtual. [link removed] [ [link removed] ].
* NERPCA Annual Workshop, October 30-31 in Nashua, NH. Registration NERPCA: New England Regional Pretreatment Coordinators Association [ [link removed] ].
* Northeast Residuals & Biosolids Conference, Exhibit & Tour, Providence, RI, November 13-14, 2024, NEWEA [link removed] 
* MRWA 44th Annual Conference and Trade Show at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, 12/10 to 12/12/24, registration at [link removed].
* NEWEA Industrial Wastewater Seminar & Tour, Portland, ME, December 10, 2024, [link removed] [ [link removed] ]
* MWUA 99th Annual Conference, February 5 & 6, 2025 at the Augusta Civic Center, [link removed] [ [link removed] ].
* JETCC’s North Country Convention (NCC), 4/2 to 4/3/25 in Presque Isle,  [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

*Upcoming JETCC Wastewater Classes*

Here are some upcoming training classes of interest to new and experienced wastewater personnel. Classes are eligible for the Alfond 50% reimbursement. More information can be found at [link removed] [ [link removed] ].

*"Introduction to Wastewater Treatment and Process Control, "*October 2, 16, and 30, 2024 at the Portland Water District. Taught by Judy Bruenjes, Maine DEP; Andre Brousseau, Sanford Sewerage District; Jackie Villinski, MEL; Scott Firmin & Dustin Price,  Portland Water District.

*Registration:* [link removed].

*"Laboratory Analyses, Sampling, and QA-QC,"** Presque Isle ME, *October 17, 2024, at the Presque Isle Utility District. Taught by Dick Darling.

*Registration: *[link removed] [ [link removed] ]

*"Biological Nutrient Removal presented by Michael"** Gerardi *at Maine Water Company, Saco River Drinking Water Resource Center in Biddeford on October 24, 2024. $150.00. Lunch Included. Taught by Michael Gerardi, Gerardi & Associates

*Registration:* [link removed].

*"Wastewater Grades 3-5 Exam Prep"**, *December 17 – 19, 2024, $450 with 50% reimbursement when completed. Cost includes lunch. Taught by Patrick Wiley, Water/Wastewater Instructor on SMCC Campus at the SMCC in South Portland (live) with simulcasts at F.W. Webb in Hampden and Presque Isle.

*Registration:* [link removed].

For more information, contact Spring Connolly at [email protected], 207-253-8020.

*JETCC Website has a new Look!*

Check out JETCC’s new website to help better serve Maine’s wastewater Operator Certification Program, as well as training classes and webinars.

_NEIWPCC South Portland:_

Spring Connolly new email: [email protected]

General email: [email protected]

Landing page: www.neiwpcc.org/maine [ [link removed] ]

_JETCC Training:_

JETCC Training: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

Wastewater Operator School (WOS): [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

Management Candidate School (MCS): [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

North Country Convention (NCC): [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

About JETCC: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

_Operator Certification Program:_

Email: [email protected]

Landing page: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

Exams: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

Renewals: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

Forms Library: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]

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DMR-QA Study 44 Update.

DMR-QA Study 44 closed on August 30th. Graded results must be sent to the DMR-QA coordinator, [email protected], by October 25th.

The latest version of the announcement packet can be found here: DMR-QA Study 44 Announcement [ [link removed] ].

As a reminder, if your laboratory happens to receive a “Not-Acceptable” score for one or more parameters, you must complete a corrective action report and perform retests for all parameters with Not Acceptable results. A copy of the corrective action report and retest results must be sent to the State DMR-QA coordinator by December 6th. 

If you have any questions regarding DMR-QA study 44 please contact Brett Goodrich at 207-450-5590 or [email protected].

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Grease and Septicity.

Grease

"Copyrighted material. Reprinted with permission from ©Environmental Leverage Inc."

Grease buildup can easily be the biggest issue at a biological wastewater treatment plant. And when grease buildup causes septicity, that’s when the real problems begin.

*What is Septicity? *

Septicity is a result of anaerobic bacterial activity in absence of oxygen or nitrate, resulting with the presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in wastewater and sludge. The most undesirable property of H2S is its “rotten egg” odor. Additionally, septicity will quickly remove oxygen vs. the amount of time it takes to biologically consume the oxygen. You may be starving your bacteria of oxygen or even increasing your electricity bill. By preventing septic conditions from arising, negative effects like odors, health hazards, corrosion and reduced efficiency of the treatment plant can be eliminated or reduced.

*Screening and Primary Treatment*

Plants without proper screening or a functional primary cannot easily remove some of the solids and grease that cause septicity, causing a huge impact on the amount of dollars you spend on electricity and solids handling.

If you see grease on the surface of the primary, what does it tell you? It tells you that you should go back and check your screening. There may be broken screens allowing stuff to get through or they may be clogged. Screening can significantly affect the entire operation of a plant. When functioning properly, screening removes any large debris to protect pumps and mechanical equipment. Anything that you can physically remove prior to the primaries, the easier it will be for the screens to properly function. Small adjustments can have big impacts on the rest of the equipment throughout the entire system.

The ability of fine screens to remove smaller particles from the wastewater will provide a degree of BOD and TSS removal. While screens are not designed to remove trace metals, toxic organics, oils and grease, or soluble materials, the association of these contaminants with suspended solids will result in some removal. For example, oil and grease will coagulate on fibrous materials and other solids, which fine screens will remove. When you physically remove particulates from the system vs. biologically having to treat them it can make a serious impact on costs such as mechanical, chemical, electricity and solids handling. Electricity and solids handling costs are typically the two highest in a wastewater treatment plant. By attempting to control how many solids get into the system, the type of solids, and the condition of the incoming or returning water, you can keep costs down.

Primary clarifiers are not sterile, and bacteria can easily grow and cause septicity issues. Primaries without surface skimmers can get a huge buildup of grease and solids. High levels of solids can be very hard on the rakes, as well as the hydraulics of the system, not to mention the loading to the aeration basin. The solids will not only slowly release some of the BOD from the grease but will also turn septic by sitting so long in the primary. Pretreatment of the primary with screening upstream should be looked at first if you are finding excessive solids in your primary clarifier.

Why does it matter if there is grease in the primary? A primary is not a holding tank. Its function is to remove some of the physical loading that the screening missed. The more you physically take off the loading to the aeration basin, the less you will spend on aeration and solids handling costs.

The longer the grease sits in the primary, the greater chance there is that the flow will dissolve some of the grease into the water which will carry over into the aeration basin. If you have manual skimmers, check them once or twice a day, and more frequently after rain washes grease down to the system. And make sure you do not ignore them on the weekend; hire a college kid if needed to come in and turn on the skimmers once a day. In the long run, the cost is minor compared to the overall impact it could have on your system.

We pulled some grease from a primary; the COD was extremely high on the grease-3,690,000 ppm. That is insane. A typical loading into a municipality is 150-200 ppm of BOD. Imagine a spike of grease like this into your system. Granted, all grease is not the same, but still, anything over 1000 ppm, much less one million is extremely high.

We had another municipality try to run BOD on a primary sample and it was impossible. There was not enough air for the sample to run properly, no wonder. I am sure it was significantly higher than the normal 150-200 daily BOD loading!! Imagine how many solids will be generated by this grease if it gets into the system, as well as Zooglea, filaments such as Nocardia, increased cost of electricity, solids handling, polymers, etc. It is so much easier and cheaper to physically take loadings out of a system and landfill them then to try to biologically treat, if at all possible.

When it comes to floating solids and grease, these also need to be removed quickly. Even though your influent BOD may be 150 -200 ppm, one small chunk of grease that gets over the weirs may be 10 times that amount. The faster you remove the grease, the less can get over the weirs or even dissolve into the water.

Grease will provide food for the bacteria in the primary and induce septic conditions by sitting for too long. It is not sterile anywhere in your system, not the collections system, wet wells, primaries, etc. Anywhere you have food, biological activity will grow. By controlling the amount of time solids can be in a clarifier, whether primary or secondary, you can change the growth in your system.

Grease is the number one cause of filamentous problems in municipalities. Nocardia and M parvicella can make a serious problem for Municipalities and can affect sludge handling costs by 40-60%, including polymer or sludge haul off costs.

*Primaries and Solids Handling*

Skimmers are required in both primary and secondary clarifiers for control of scum, and especially in primaries for grease control. Most primaries are designed with movable scum skimmers, scum troughs or baffles. These should be optimized to ensure that the solids that settle to the bottom and grease and floating solids captured from the surface are removed as quickly as possible so they do not turn septic.

*Why Does It Matter How Long I Hold Solids? *

Holding primary influent or effluent and associated solids too long generally causes not only septic conditions, which can generate odors, but also generates low D.O. conditions. Low D.O. conditions cause the bacteria to generate specific compounds with sulfides and/or organic acids. Holding times of influent should always be kept to a minimum.

Generation of septic conditions can also contribute to ashing in the clarifier, since the solids are turning anaerobic in the bottom of the clarifier and generate gasses that cause clumps of solids to float to the top. This increases solids carryover. These conditions usually lead to the growth of excessive levels of filaments later on in the aerobic biological portion of the system. Sometimes, anaerobic sludge is sent to the primary clarifier via the belt press supernatant. This can also lead to an increase in septic conditions in a primary clarifier, since you are seeding the system with bacteria that like to grow in anaerobic or facultative conditions.

One way to tell if the solids are being held too long in the clarifier is if there is ashing on the clarifier or gassing. Ashing occurs when little pieces of floc float up to the top of the clarifier due to trapped air bubbles in the floc. This is usually caused by the biological formation of H2S or N2 gas when the floc is held too long in the clarifier and runs out of O2. The bacteria do not stop growing in a clarifier unless there is no more food. If the conditions are not right, many problems can occur.

Generation of H2S gassing can cause major safety issues. When you allow solids to build up in any tanks without mixing or aeration, anaerobic activity will occur. Sulfur compounds are generated, organic acids are created. Septic influent when sent anywhere will pull out oxygen just to oxidize any of the sulfur compounds. It can also reduce the amount of free oxygen available for aerobic bacteria to degrade any organics.

Avoid sending septic water to the aeration basin as it will impact the amount of electricity used in the plant due to instant oxygen consumption.

Bacteria will eat anything given enough time, including mechanical parts. Low pH, anaerobic bacteria, sulfur bacteria and septicity will allow for a condition to develop in a piece of equipment where normal wear and tear on machinery is sped up. Low pH and septicity can increase the corrosion effects on a clarifier.

Septicity will also promote the growth of certain kinds of filaments, which increase solids handling costs. Spirillum, a type of bacteria found during septic conditions, will increase turbidity as they will not settle out and can impact TSS. Make sure you do not return septic influent, supernatant or decent to the front of a system.

*Microscopic Evaluation*

We recently examined a sample with high grease and solids under a microscope and this is what we saw. Not only were there huge amounts of grease, which is the number one cause of Nocardia, but there were indications of low pH and septicity also. Fungi and yeast were present, spirillum, N. Limicola and a few other filaments. Worms were present, dark, black floc, high TSS. You would not think some things so minor could have such a major impact on your biological system.

Grease and septicity are both major concerns in a biological wastewater treatment plant. Keeping all of your critical parameters in the right range will help your plant run smoother. And, working through one issue at a time is a beneficial way to get things going in the right direction.



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For Practice.

* The jar test is used to determine the proper dosage for which chemical?

A. chlorine for disinfection

B. BOD for organic chemicals

C. polymer for sludge coagulation

D. ammonia for nitrification

 


* Which of the following is most resistant to disinfection?

A. Fecal Coliform

B. Salmonella

C. Viruses

D. Spores

 


* An operator who normally wastes 1500 gallons of sludge with a concentration of 3% is now able to pump sludge with a 5% concentration. How many gallons should be pumped to remove the same amount of sludge solids?

  A. 600 gallons

  B. 900 gallons

  C. 1200 gallons

  D. 1500 gallons

 


* You notice a sour, septic odor coming from your secondary clarifiers. When you examine the return sludge, it is black. What would you do to fix this problem?

A. increase the number of times the clarifiers are cleaned.

B. reduce the return rate to prevent septic sludge from harming the aeration basins.

C. increase the return rate to reduce the sludge detention time in the clarifiers.

D. do nothing; this is a normal operating condition.

 

*Answers":"*


* C: Jar tests are commonly used to determine the optimum dose of a polymer or other coagulant for sludge conditioning.
* D: Some bacteria and protozoa can form spores or cysts that can resist disinfection by chlorine.  "Giardia" and "Cryptosporidium" are examples of pathogenic protozoa that form cysts that are not usually killed by chlorine disinfection and can cause human health problems.
* B: Set up a proportion of gallons of sludge pumped times the percent solids of the sludge: (1500 gallons X  3%)/5% = 900 gallons
* C: The sour, septic odor means that the sludge is becoming anaerobic because it is sitting too long in the clarifiers. Increasing the return rate will move the sludge back to the aerobic conditions in the aeration tanks and help prevent the septic conditions from happening in the clarifiers.

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