Harney, Shannon

Shannon Harney was a speaker at the WEFTEC 2025 conference held in Chicago, IL from September 27-October 1.

Titles from this speaker

Developing a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) for South Platte Renew

Abstract

Facility Overview: South Platte Renew holds the distinction of being the third-largest Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) in the state of Colorado. Serving as a vital lifeline, it caters to the needs of over 300,000 residents and consistently processes an average of 20 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater. SPR's asset registry is a testament to its complexity and scale, comprising nearly 6,000 assets across multiple disciplines, encompassing mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and controls, structural, and fleet components. The diversity within this asset portfolio is further underscored by the wide-ranging age of these components, stemming from the original plant construction in the 1970s, complemented by significant upgrades undertaken during the 1990s and the early 2000s. This intricate blend of assets has introduced a formidable challenge for SPR, as it endeavors to strike a balance between the renewal needs of variable aging infrastructure with other process and regulatory capital improvement needs. Asset Management Background: While SPR has been performing certain asset management activities since its original construction, SPR's formal programmatic asset management journey started in 2008 with the acquisition of an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system. Since then, SPR has advanced its asset management program by launching a series of initiatives designed to enhance overall asset lifecycle health. These initiatives encompass recurring asset-focused programs, such as equipment rebuilds, tank cleaning, HVAC maintenance, valve exercises, and concrete repair and rehabilitation projects. In addition, SPR has integrated asset management principles into its capital projects through standard development and data utilization. This ongoing commitment to enhancing asset management practices reflects SPR's dedication to continually evolve and improve its approach to ensure the sustained health and efficiency of its vital infrastructure. The Challenge: SPR has diligently worked across various departments to develop data management and maintenance strategies to support the ongoing advancement of its asset management program. However, one thing that became evident to SPR was the lack of a cohesive and organization-wide strategy amid the ongoing tactical endeavors. The lack of understanding and inconsistencies in asset management practices among SPR staff posed a notable challenge. It was not well understood among SPR staff what asset management meant and what the overall goals and objectives of the program were. It was also evident that there were inconsistencies in how asset management practices were being performed. The Solution: To address the challenges faced, SPR embarked on the development of a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) which had a dual purpose. Firstly, it formalized asset management strategies and policies. Secondly, it actively engaged key stakeholders and nurtured an asset management culture within the organization. The SAMP encompassed critical components such as: Identifying and recruiting key asset management stakeholders across operations, maintenance, engineering, data analysis, and senior leadership staff Developing a clear vision, goals, objectives, and policies around SPR's asset management program Establishing programmatic governance, roles, and responsibilities Defining levels of service and key performance indicators Implementing risk-based renewal planning methodologies in consideration of an asset's condition, criticality, and redundancy Optimizing maintenance strategies Benefits Realized: SPR has already realized several benefits from the development and implementation of the SAMP. There is overall a greater sense of understanding of asset management among staff, there is excitement and the realization of value from asset management activities, and there is consistency and clarification on many procedures and activities. Through the implementation of a SAMP, SPR will also gain an increased resiliency in financial planning through transparent and accurate reporting, as well as operations and maintenance practices, allowing SPR to better maintain high water quality and maximize value to customers. Lessons Learned: SPR's asset management journey offered valuable lessons, including the importance of starting with simplicity and gradually building complexity, eliminating silos, and the foundational importance of thoughtful and strategic data management. The SAMP emerged as a concise, repeatable document that can guide any utility in creating an asset management framework. Key Value Points for UMC Attendees: This presentation by SPR staff and its external consultant will provide attendees with insights into SPR's asset management journey, including: Step-by-step guidance for creating a SAMP and its associated benefits Strategies to avoid single points of failure by sharing institutional knowledge The significance of fostering an asset management culture across an organization Transitioning from fragmented and inconsistent initiatives to a formalized organizational strategy The advantages of self-performing SAMP development in collaboration with external consultants The importance of building upon past successes and discarding outdated approaches to meet current and future programmatic needs. SPR's asset management story serves as a valuable case study, offering practical guidance and inspiration for utilities seeking to enhance their asset management practices.

This paper was presented at the WEF/AWWA Utility Management Conference, February 13-16, 2024.

SpeakerHarney, Shannon

Presentation time

15:30:00

16:00:00

Session time

15:30:00

17:00:00

SessionBest Practices for Capital Program and Asset Management

Session number10

Session locationOregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon

TopicAsset Management and Capital Program Frameworks

Author(s)

Harney, Shannon

Author(s)S. Harney1, A. Hager1, S. Simon2

Author affiliation(s)South Platte Renew 1; Hazen and Sawyer 2;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Feb 2024

DOI10.2175/193864718825159291

Volume / Issue

Content sourceUtility Management Conference

Word count12

One Industry's Waste is Another Industry's Carbon Source

Abstract

Wastewater treatment and whiskey distilling, two seemingly unrelated industries that deal with waste on a daily basis, have the opportunity for an innovative, sustainable, and mutually beneficial partnership. At Laws Whiskey House (Laws), a craft whiskey distiller located in South Denver, two waste streams are generated with production: stillage, a byproduct of the stripping still, and heads, the undesirable alcohols extracted during the distillation process. These streams, high in alcohol and carbon content, present disposal challenges for distillers but are potentially valuable carbon sources for wastewater treatment processes.

Just down the street at South Platte Renew (SPR), the third largest water resource recovery facility (WRRF) in Colorado, carbon is delivered weekly in the form of Methanol to support the nitrogen removal process in the denitrification filters. SPR discharges directly into the South Platte River, an area largely known for recreation, thriving aquatic populations, and used as a water source downstream. As such, maintaining stream health through nutrient reduction is vital. With the desire of reducing chemical purchase costs, decreasing chemical footprints, and improving community and environmental stewardship SPR created an unlikely partnership with Laws.

This partnership led to the Laws Denitrification Pilot (Pilot), conducted through SPR's Pilot and Research Center (PARC), aiming to prove that whiskey distillation byproducts could support nitrogen reduction in wastewater treatment.

The Pilot, beginning in the fall of 2023, utilized a return sludge flow to dose the stillage and heads into the reaeration basin where the necessary retention time and anoxic environment could be met to promote denitrification. A staff member from Laws delivered the waste products to the plant site each week where it was held in a storage tank and then pumped into the return sludge stream, which flows at approximately 28 million gallons per day. To monitor progress and ensure no unwanted disruptions to downstream treatment processes, SPR staff monitored several key performance indicators in numerous locations:
- Reaeration (RA) Basin: Influent and effluent nitrate, air flow, carbonaceous oxygen demand (COD)
- Solids Contact Tanks (SCTs): Air Flow, influent and effluent phosphorus
- Stillage Holding Tank: Carbon, alcohol by volume, metals, phosphorus
- Denitrification (Denite): Methanol usage

In addition, factors such as alkalinity and mixed liquor were monitored to maintain the health of the overall SCTs and to observe plantwide impacts. The overall goal for the Reaeration Basins was to see a ten percent nitrate reduction which has the potential to save over 24,000 gallons of Methanol at Denite.

Initial dosing periods showed low COD content in the deliveries and minimal denitrification. These initial deliveries were mostly stillage, this waste product is more abundant but not as strong as the heads which are generated later in the distilling process. Therefore, after shifting to deliveries of heads alone in early 2024, denitrification was observed, with a 42% nitrate reduction and a COD of 310,000 mg/L.

The Laws Pilot, while deemed successful, was not free from obstacles. Inconsistent waste deliveries due to varying distillery operations caused challenges in creating a stable testing environment. The next phase of the Pilot is aimed at addressing this concern through community outreach and creating additional partnerships with other distilleries in the area to rerun the pilot as a long-term application.

The successful results of the Laws pilot at SPR shows great potential for a repeatable partnership at WRRFs across the US. Any wastewater treatment process requiring a carbon source has the opportunity to partner with a local whiskey distiller or community discharger. As long as the world keeps drinking whiskey, wastewater treatment could have a consistent and sustainable supply of carbon to use for treatment. These distillers and other community dischargers are often heavily regulated and can be fined for disposal of these waste sources. But just a small redirection of where those streams are entering the treatment process from the influent to secondary treatment can actually enhance processes, increase sustainability, and has the potential to save over $50,000 a year in operational expenses. This Pilot highlights the importance of external collaboration and seeking solutions outside of just the water and wastewater industry.

This presentation will showcase the innovative partnership between SPR and Laws, outline the pilot setup, methodology, and results, and introduce a sustainable treatment technology that any utility with nutrient limits can explore.

This paper was presented at WEFTEC 2025, held September 27-October 1, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Presentation time

08:40:00

08:50:00

Session time

08:30:00

10:00:00

SessionMunicipal-Industrial Synergy: Innovations in Wastewater Treatment

Session locationMcCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA

TopicIndustrial Treatment (All topics related to industrial sites)

Author(s)

Harney, Shannon

Author(s)S. Harney1

Author affiliation(s)South Platte Water Renewal Partners1, University of Kansas2

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Sep 2025

DOI10.2175/193864718825159998

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count9

Description: Roadmap for Achieving Energy Management Vision and Goals: South Platte Renew...

Roadmap for Achieving Energy Management Vision and Goals: South Platte Renew Improves Energy Efficiency While Addressing Regulatory Challenges and Aging Infrastructure in Colorado

Abstract

South Platte Renew (SPR) has developed an Energy Management Master Plan (EMMP) to serve as a roadmap for being an energy efficient plant by decreasing the overall energy usage and cost without compromising the integrity or quality of the water being treated. The EMMP builds on progress towards continually improving energy performance and implementing projects that maximize energy resiliency and move towards energy neutrality. A baseline of energy usage by process area was created to understand the overall plant energy flow and identify process areas that have a high potential for optimization. SPR is currently producing approximately 55% of the total equivalent electricity and natural gas energy demands in the form of renewable natural gas (RNG). The EMMP also included the development of a project prioritization tool and template outlining the steps and actions for SPR to develop an energy management program that aligns with SPR’s overall mission, vision, and values.

This paper was presented at WEFTEC 2023 in Chicago, IL.

SpeakerKeddy, Elizabeth

Presentation time

14:00:00

14:20:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionOptimizing Energy Investments Part I: Energy Master Planning

Session locationRoom S501d - Level 5

TopicEnergy Production, Conservation, and Management, Intermediate Level, Sustainability and Climate Change, Utility Management and Leadership

Author(s)