Results

Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to walk the audience through the process of increasing the capacity of a wet weather collection system and how this affects the sustainability of the system. The presentation will present the concepts of sustainability as defined in the ASCE MOP 151 Sustainable Design of Pipelines. Benefits of Presentation: There are several benefits to the industry that this presentation will provide. This presentation will provide a real-world project where the San Antonio Water System had to work through the process of increasing the capacity of a major interceptor through the historic and congested downtown area. This presentation will describe the options available and the deciding factors used for the ultimate solution. When faced with the requirement to increase capacity of a centralized gravity wastewater collection system, utilities have numerous options that can span the full range of costs, schedule, impacts to resources, customers, the environment, and to the public. The recently issued ASCE MOP 151 Sustainable Design of Pipelines publication provides an abundance of ideas for engineers and utilities to consider when designing and constructing a pipeline project to increase its sustainability and minimize its adverse impacts. As the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) Broadway Corridor Interceptor Improvement Project was recently placed into service, this provides an opportunity to compare the project to the precepts presented in ASCE MOP 151. There are multiple solutions available for designing an interceptor to handle both dry flows and wet weather flows. These solutions include inline and offline storage, upsizing, pumping, and parallel pipes (typically with one being the relief sewer). Each of these have their own unique hydraulic properties and requirements and influence the final design. This presentation will review the hydraulic characteristic of each solution and how this can affect the ultimate sustainability of the project. The hydraulics of a gravity sanitary sewer are of utmost importance to ensuring the proper operation of the system and long-term longevity and unimpeded service to the public. However, it is imperative that proper hydraulics is not the only or even the top-ranked factor used in determining the final solution. Status of Completion: Completed, operational since 2020 Conclusion: Many projects use a matrix to help consider other influences that could steer the decision-makers toward one solution or another. This is exactly the approach that SAWS and the design team used in determining the final solution for the Broadway Corridor Interceptor. ASCE MOP 151 provides a well-documented and step-by-step guide for scoring those influences that affect the sustainability and resiliency of pipeline projects. As laid out in the MOP, the areas that should be considered include pipeline materials, owner best practices, planning and design best practices, construction, operations and maintenance, and life-cycle analysis. This presentation will evaluate each of these areas and how the Broadway Corridor project measures up against each of these sustainability goals. With the updated Broadway Corridor Interceptor operational since 2020, this presentation will provide the audience with a real-world example of how projects can be designed more sustainably by applying the principles of MOP 151 during the planning and design phase and how important it is to continue the application of those principles through construction and operation to benefit the owner and community.

INTRODUCTION Sustainability is increasingly more important for the operation of wastewater treatment plants. To meet sustainability goals and better energy recovery, the current business as usual approach to anerobic digester operation is not ideal. Improving digester operation is crucial for effective energy recovery. Having a reactive approach to digester foaming prevents optimal digester performance and causes other problems like digester failure, poor biogas recovery, uncontrolled release of contaminated waste to the environment and odour. Figure 1 shows some of these impacts. The best way to mitigate digester foaming is through robust design, but if this is not possible there are several operating conditions that can be improved to control foaming. Sydney Water Corporation (SWC) recognised the importance of preventing anaerobic digester foaming. Digester foaming at SWC plants has been caused by multiple different issues and foam management can therefore be largely reactive. There are operational methods and digester design features in place at some plants that aim to reduce the occurrence of the impacts of foam events, however this is not widespread or consistent. Investigation into 5 plants was undertaken to determine the likely causes of digester foaming and gas entrainment and the most effective ways to manage this and where possible through design changes as upgrades occur. For plants where design changes are not possible in the near future, key operating conditions were reviewed, early warning signs for digester foaming events determined and management practices recommended to mitigate digester foaming. METHODOLOGY Digester foaming was investigated at 5 SWC Water Resource Recovery Plants (WRRP), including Cronulla, Malabar, Warriewood, West Hornsby and Hornsby Heights. Digester operation data was analysed to determine the likely causes of digester foaming issues and recommendations on proactive and reactive measures for foam management including how to prevent or mitigate foaming at these plants and across broader SWC plants were established and operator training provided. Digester operation parameters and recommended monitoring were also outlined. Best practice digester design to minimise foaming and maximise energy production was investigated, drawing on international experience. These design components were presented to SWC designers, along with recommended implementation methodologies. RESULTS The main issues causing digester foaming at the SWC plants investigated were seasonal foaming related to activated sludge processes, lack of effective redundancy or contingency measures associated with the digester process, and illegal industrial discharges to the incoming sewer. There are other fundamental operating issues that cause digester foaming, such as running with one digester offline for extended periods (for example, at 2 plants digesters were offline due to issues with digester lids, which resulted in excessive volatile solids load in remaining digester/s particularly when food waste was accepted), turning off mixing, high volatile solids loading rates in digesters, poor temperature control, unstable feed to the digesters, and large step changes in temperature and feed. Figure 2 shows the volatile solids (VS) loading rate and specific volatile solids loading rate (SVSLR) in the primary digester at one of the plants where primary and secondary digesters are currently operated in series. At this plant, there is inadequate solids retention time (SRT) in the digesters, as well as a high VS loading to the primary digester. The average VS load to the primary digester was 3.74 kgVS/m3.d and a peak loading rate of 4.5 kgVS/m3.d, where the recommended range is 1.6-3.2 kgVS/m3.d . Therefore, the anaerobic digesters are operated beyond the typical recommended VS loading rates. The high VS loading rate is also exacerbated by the unloading/loading sequence of flow, which results in intermittent VS loading, rather than constant loading across the day. The high VS load impacts the stability of the sludge and increases risk of foaming in the digesters. The SVSLR is a variation of VS loading rate that considers the VS in the digester as a function of active biomass. However, SVSLT may not account for the feedstock other than the wastewater sludge such as high strength organic matter. The maximum recommended SVSLR for mesophilic digestion without any pre-treatment is 0.16 kg VS/kg VS in digester day. As shown in Figure 1, along with the VS loading rate, the SVSLR for the primary digester is consistently above the recommended limit, making it vulnerable to the digester foaming and failure with fluctuation in digester loading rate. Best practice digester design to avoid foaming issues and maximise energy recovery include the use of standpipes for surface overflow (see Figure 2) and emergency withdrawal via p-traps (see Figure 3), minimisation of the top water surface area, installation of fixed covers and external gas storage, the use of pumped mixing to reduce short-circuiting and having adequate redundancy to ensure that there is no single point of failure. Digesters should have a conical shape to facilitate grit removal and more efficient mixing. Wasting foam from the surface in secondary activated sludge processes will also minimise the amount of trapped foam, improving conditions in the downstream digesters. Rolling out design changes in a systematic way as digesters are taken offline for planned maintenance is an effective way to facilitate continuous removal of foaming issues from upgraded digesters. In addition to benefits of maximising energy generation, achieving maximum hydraulic capacity within existing digesters by having external gas holders and running digesters full may allow capital upgrades of digesters to be delayed for a number of years if not decades, further improving sustainability of WRRPs. Where design changes cannot be implemented, there are operational improvements that can be made to manage digester foaming and increase energy production. Generally, if there are filamentous bacteria in the activated sludge bioreactor at a plant, there is a high likelihood of foaming in the digester. These foaming incidents are manageable through adjusting the operating parameters in the activated sludge plant. Digesters should be brought online slowly with small step increases in feed and temperature over time. A common misconception is that digester mixing should be turned off to control a foam event, however mixing should be turned down. Digesters should be operated with a top water level high into the lid, with sprays used to suppress foam and move foam to wasting points. Digested sludge should be withdrawn from the top and bottom of the digester, and consideration given to alkalinity correction when the pH in the digester starts to drop. Running the digesters without any safety factor and running some process equipment at loading rates higher than designed for will increase the risk of process upsets that could also contribute to foaming. Allowing a safety factor in terms of solids retention time and volatile solids loading provides plants with the ability to cope with under upset conditions and avoids the need to detune the digesters and the plant to minimise the risk of foaming. CONCLUSION By successfully managing digester foaming and operating digesters in a manner than maximises power generation, WRRPs can achieve more effective energy recovery and meeting energy sustainability and neutrality goals. Some fundamental issues that generally arose to cause digester foaming were: -Running with one digester offline for long periods resulting in much higher loadings and shorter SRT than originally designed -High VS loading rates in the digesters -Reduced effective SRT due to mixing being turned off and accumulation of grit and screening -Mixing generally not designed for current solids loading due to intensification -Poor temperature control for the digesters -Unstable feed to the digesters -Large step changes in temperature or feed due to heater failure or storm conditions Foaming subsequently resulted in lower biogas production, high costs for digester reinstatement, and poor run times on biogas engines due to poor biogas quality. Robust digester design which minimises digester foaming and gas entrainment is the most preferable management mechanism, and changes to digester components can be implemented over time as maintenance is undertaken. Where design changes are not possible, operational improvements can be made to greatly reduce digester foaming. This paper outlines some best practice measures that can save millions of dollars by avoiding catastrophic foaming events and will help maximise biogas production and energy generation.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is a special-purpose district responsible for treating wastewater and providing stormwater management for residents and businesses in its 882-square-mile service area, which encompasses Chicago and 128 suburban communities throughout Cook County. The MWRD works diligently to protect Lake Michigan, the source of their drinking water, and to ensure the health and safety of residents and area waterways. In 2020, the MWRD embarked upon a strategic planning process to establish the vision and goals that would guide its work over the next five years. The MWRD engaged Arup and Civic Consulting Alliance to conduct the strategic planning process in collaboration with its Board of Commissioners and Executive Team. We brought expertise on structuring comprehensive stakeholder engagement for water utilities along with experience working with institutions to embed an equity-focus across their work — two strategic priorities for the MWRD in this round of planning. This new Plan built on the accomplishments of their 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. The goals were to: - Articulate the mission, vision, and strategic goals for the MWRD for the next five years - Identify a set of strategic initiatives to achieve those goals - Provide a framework for measuring progress and reviewing/updating the Plan on an annual basis The planning process began in September 2020 and was completed February 2021. The Strategic Plan was formally effective on June 3, 2021. We undertook a comprehensive, staged approach that consisted of four consecutive phases: - Phase 1: Led an intensive and iterative engagement effort to assess the MWRD's current state and identify its desired future state. That engagement effort included MWRD leadership and more than 500 MWRD staff, as well as approximately 50 stakeholder organizations that participated in a stakeholder workshop — including the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Metropolitan Planning Council, and a range of environmental and community-based organizations — and members of the general public who participated in public-facing surveys. - Phase 2: Conducted a workshop with the MWRD's strategic planning Steering Committee, which identified five strategic goals: resource management; stormwater management; workforce excellence; community engagement; and enterprise resilience. The strategic goals were formulated based on information and opinions collected during Phase 1. - Phase 3: Facilitated working groups for each strategic goal and developed a Strategic Roadmap for the MWRD to implement, including 150+ sequenced initiatives and metrics to measure progress. - Phase 4: Finalized the Five-Year Strategic Plan, which includes 5 overarching strategic goals, 32 strategies (that support the goals), and initiatives and a framework for the MWRD to update the plan annually. We presented on global best practices and industry trends to help guide the visioning process, and facilitated external stakeholder workshops to bring perspectives from environmental organizations, local communities, and regional planning groups into the planning process for the first time in the MWRD's history. Our Strategic Planning team leveraged industry frameworks from organizations such as the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and Water Environment Federation (WEF); and augmented with other trending research such as City Water Resilience Approach (by Rockefeller Foundation, Stockholm International Water Institute, Arup) and Circular Economy principles (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) to create a context-specific Strategic Plan for the MWRD. This resulted in a Strategic Plan that is innovative, responsive to key trends such as the growing threat of climate change, and the racial and social inequity in Cook County. As a result of this process, the MWRD is equipped with a Strategic Plan guided by the principles of engagement, collaboration, innovation, equity, and resilience. The MWRD's vision for its future state has been updated, and given the racial and social inequity in the communities served by the MWRD, its core values have been expanded to include equity and diversity. Moreover, these values are reflected in the specific strategic initiatives outlined in the new Plan. For example, one key focus is to identify and eliminate barriers to participation for disproportionately impacted areas (DIAs) — low-to-moderate income areas that may be more susceptible to flooding, and that often have less capacity to partner with the MWRD to implement stormwater solutions and alleviate local flooding. The benefits and significance of the Strategic Plan will be far-reaching for the MWRD to give a positive social impact to the communities it serves. These include: - Integration of an equity lens into the District's vision and strategies, to reduce the disproportionate impact of flooding and other water management challenges on low-to-moderate income areas in Cook County - District is equipped with a robust, collaborative, and community-informed strategic planning process that will guide it to a path to a more sustainable future The presentation will provide the following: - An overview of the overall strategic planning process - Steps to make the process more inclusive, and how staff at all levels were engaged, and how external organizations and the public were engaged - Identify the industry related frameworks that were used to develop the Strategic Plan - A review of key themes and initiatives identified in the Strategic Plan - Key outcomes that will forge stronger and more equitable connections with the communities the District serves - Lessons learned from conducting this process remotely and in virtual environments

Charlotte Water is the largest sewer utility in the Carolinas with approximately 4,500 miles of gravity sewer. Charlotte has been implementing a substantial and aggressive long-term sanitary sewer rehabilitation program to reduce sewer system overflows (SSOs), correct historic maintenance problems, and reduce infiltration and inflow (I/I) into aging sewers. Charlotte's rehabilitation program has a current annual budget of about $25.5 million, including an annual budget of approximately $10 million for small diameter sewer rehabilitation and approximately $6 million for large diameter sewer rehabilitation. Charlotte has been systematically rehabilitating their large diameter sewers over the last 10 years. Charlotte's main trunk sewer entering their largest treatment plant (McAlpine Creek Wastewater Management Facilities) is a 78' concrete sewer installed in the 1960s. The sewer has deteriorated over the years, including significant structural defects/cracks, heavy infiltration into the sewer, and severe hydrogen sulfide corrosion. Failure of this large sewer would cause a major sewer system overflow and be extremely difficult to repair. Charlotte prioritized this 78-inch sewer as their most critical sewer asset in need of rehabilitation. This presentation will discuss the first phase of the 78-inch sewer rehabilitation work that was completed in 2022 for $6.5 million. The 78' sewer is routed through the Carolina Place Mall and big-box store parking lots and crosses two major 4-lane roads. The sewer is 64 feet deep at its midpoint and 32 feet deep at each manhole. The total length of 78' sewer rehabilitated was 2,700 feet, with one section of sewer being 2,200 feet long with no intermediate manholes. Cured-in-place pipe lining (CIPP) was installed in the 78-inch sewer via an 'over-the-hole' wetout installation, meaning the CIPP was wetout (manufactured) right on site and immediately inverted into the 78' sewer. Special CIPP thickness design was required due to the 64-foot depth. The bypass pumping system had a capacity of 57 mgd and included ten 12' pumps manifolded into three 24' force mains over 5,000 feet long each. The bypass piping was routed across two major roads utilizing portable steel truss bridges over the roads -- the first time this was ever approved for such use by NCDOT. This was a major project with many difficult obstacles and challenges. The design issues, construction techniques, and bypass pumping system were very unique and definitely not an everyday type of rehabilitation project. The complex design issues that were encountered that will be presented to the attendees include determining the accurate inside pipe diameter using specialized LIDAR CCTV inspections to profile the pipe (this pipe was severely corroded so the inside diameter was larger than the original pipe diameter), modifying the CIPP thickness design parameters to achieve a design that could be successfully installed (including the soil modulus, short-term flexural modulus and safety factor), utilizing a fiberglass reinforced liner to reduce the CIPP thickness and allow the 2,200-foot section of CIPP to be transported to the jobsite and installed in a single installation (including shipment via a special 94-foot-long trailer with 44 wheels that could be steered independently), and designing a temporary steel truss bridge over a 5-lane and 3-lane road to allow the bypass force main piping to cross the roads (the first time NCDOT ever approved a bridge installation for this purpose). The primary purpose of this presentation will be to thoroughly describe the unique challenges with this project and transfer our lessons learned and unique solutions to the attendees. Large diameter sewers are the most critical sewers in the sewer system as they convey large amounts of flow. Failures can lead to major sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and significant environmental impacts. Rehabilitating large diameter sewers is extremely complex and difficult, and the design challenges often seem insurmountable, just like was the case for this project when Charlotte prioritized this sewer for rehabilitation. Sharing our lessons learned, out-of-the box thinking, and unique solutions to difficult design issues will be invaluable to the attendees as they return home to tackle their own difficult, large diameter rehabilitation projects. In addition, several of our design and construction solutions will impact the rehabilitation industry as a whole, in particular in the Southeast where this project was performed. We have demonstrated that substantial CIPP material can be shipped to the jobsite using a special 94-foot-long trailer, whereas shipments were previously limited to a much smaller quantity of CIPP on a much smaller trailer. Understanding that a trailer this large is available will impact how other parts of the country start planning their CIPP designs and installations. Further, we have convinced NCDOT to allow temporary truss bridges over their roads for bypass pumping which will significantly change how rehabilitation projects can be performed. We now have another method to address the difficulty of how to cross DOT roads with bypass piping, and we are already seeing that solution being utilized in other parts of North Carolina. Sharing this solution at a national conference may have wide-ranging impacts across the country.

INTRODUCTION Anaerobic digestion is utilized by water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) to stabilize wastewater residuals and recover renewable energy in the form of biogas. Recently, anaerobic co-digestion of wastewater residuals with high strength organic waste has gained much popularity in the wastewater industry due to it's potential to improve methane yield. Fats, oils and grease (FOG) is one of the desirable co-substrates due to its higher methane production potential and degradability (compared to wastewater residuals) (Salama et al., 2019). However, some studies (Amha et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2018) have shown that higher FOG loadings can be inhibitory to the digestion process or the complex consortium of microorganisms involved. Therefore, it is critical to explore and understand how FOG impacts the co-digestion process and evaluate methods to avoid inhibition. One of such methods examined in this work was to evaluate if microbial acclimation through stepwise introduction of the co-substrate can avoid inhibition during FOG co-digestion. The goal of this study was 1) to determine the impact of co-digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) with FOG on methane yield and microbial communities using short term Biomethane Potential (BMP) tests and long-term bench-scale reactors; and 2) to determine if microbial acclimation through stepwise introduction of FOG can be implemented to avert inhibition by comparing step-load and shock-load conditions in bench-scale reactors. METHODOLOGY Substrate and inoculum collection: Anaerobic inoculum was obtained from the Nashville Metro Biosolids WRRF's anaerobic digester which treats primary sludge and secondary scum. The WAS was obtained from City of Cookeville WRRF. The FOG used in this study was pure fats and grease obtained directly from a pork roasting grill at a local restaurant. BMP tests design and operation: Three experimental phases were carried out in 160 mL serum bottles at 35 °C. Phase 1 involved mono-digestion of WAS, as well as the co-digestion of WAS with FOG fractions of 25%, 50% and 75% (volatile solids basis). Phase 2 involved the co-digestion of 50% FOG with the 25% FOG digestate from Phase 1 as inoculum, while Phase 3 involved the co-digestion of 75% FOG with digestate from Phase 2 as inoculum. Phase 1 lasted for 20 days, while the phase 2 and 3 lasted for 13 days each. Bench-scale experimental design and operation: The experiments were conducted using two identical 10 L bench-scale reactors with a working volume of 6 L and operated at 35 °C. During the startup phase, all the reactors were fed with 100% WAS until they reached steady state. The designated control reactor was fed with WAS throughout all experimental phases, while the test reactor received various fractions of FOG. Phases 1 to 3 were conducted at volatile solids loading rate (VSLR) of 2 g-VS/L/d, and involved co-digestion of 25%, 50% and 75% (VS basis) of the co-substrates, respectively. Due to digester failure in Phase 3, Phase 4 was experimented as a recovery phase by feeding the test digester with only WAS. Phase 5 involved the co-digestion of 75% co-substrate at higher VSLR of 4 g-VS/L/d without prior exposure to the co-substrate, and therefore without prior microbial acclimation. Reactors were operated at 20 days SRT and each experimental phase was run for 3 SRTs. The digesters were monitored weekly by measuring parameters such as biogas volume and methane content, pH, and VS removal. The methanogenic community present within the different experimental phases were also examined through 16s rRNA gene sequencing to understand the impact of the FOG fractions on the methanogenic communities. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Results from the study revealed that compared to the mono-digestion of WAS, co-digestion with FOG can improve specific methane yield (i.e the total methane volume per gram VS added) up to 16.5-fold. The specific methane yields of all the tested FOG fractions were higher at the BMP level than the ones observed in the bench-scale as shown in Table 1. In the BMP study, inhibition was not observed even at the 75% FOG fraction; however, 75% FOG was found to be inhibitory in the bench-scale experiment as seen in the decline in weekly average biogas production rate in Figure 2. The BMP tests were loaded only once, which made it less likely to cause inhibition as compared to the continuous loading in the bench-scale experiment which resulted in organic overload and subsequent inhibition. At the microbial scale, the overall methanogenic community was dominated by Methanolinea, a hydrogenotrophic methanogen, and its abundance remained similar across all the tested FOG fractions at the BMP level. However, significant reduction of methanogenic population was observed during the inhibitory conditions at 75% FOG fractions in the bench-scale experiment, as shown in Figure 3. The results suggest that bench-scale experiments provide more realistic methane yields with detectability of inhibitory thresholds of FOG as well as reveal methanogenic community response to different FOG fractions under stable and unstable conditions. The bench-scale experiment also showed that step-wise increment of the FOG could not achieve microbial acclimation to avert inhibition in this study. Further, FOG co-digestion was only viable with up to 50% FOG addition at the 2gVS/L/d loading rate. At the higher loading rates, inhibition occurred due to accumulation of volatile fatty acids above 2,000 mg/L and decline in pH. It should be noted that the 50% FOG threshold observed in this study may have been influenced by the inoculum, the FOG characteristics or lack of continuous pH adjustments within the experimental phases. CONCLUSION The study shows that FOG can be used as a co-substrate to improve methane yield when up to 50% FOG fraction is used at an organic loading of 2gVS/L/d. The study also provides insights about the influence of operational modes and stepwise acclimation strategy on FOG co-digestion and highlights the need for other strategies to avoid inhibition in FOG co-digestion systems.

There is a need for a framework to mainstream citizen engagement, increase Transparency and boost Communication channels in case of repeated episodes of impact in neighboring communities. When there is a conflict, most crisis communication experts agree that Engagement, Transparency, and Communication (E&T&C) are key to maintaining or regaining the neighbors' trust. The Volkswagen emissions scandal is a recent case demonstrating the negative outcome of not having an Engagement, Transparency, and Communication Policy. To promote a change in the traditional industrial opaque thinking paradigm, we have created the first E&T&C Certification. This Certification is designed to assess the performance of Water Resource Recovery Facilities concerning their relationship with communities nearby, making it the first Certification of its kind. A project's performance is verified through 'third-party' audits by an independent auditor, depending on the degree of depth of analysis. This third-party Certification guarantees independence and impartiality in the process. The ultimate goal is to score the degree of a Water Resource Recovery Facility's Transparency, Communication, and Participation.

Transforming a utility's culture to embrace innovation requires redefining behavioral norms and recruiting stakeholders into the innovation environment. Often, utilities struggle with establishing innovation cultures due to ineffective change behavior techniques as well as complex and inflexible supply chain relationships. Peer scanning, informative interviews, and design thinking are all effective tools that can assist utilities with breaking down these barriers. Our team used these tactical approaches to serve as the catalyst for understating how to leverage innovation for the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB). BWWB sought out ways to use innovation for financial impact. It began by conducting a survey to determine ways that peer utilities have reduced operating expenses, reduced/delayed capital expenditures, generated revenue, experience economic development, or 'delivered value' to the customer. 17 utilities were surveyed to understand how they utilize innovation to improve their financial bottom line. Through exploring ways to reduce operating expenses, generate revenue, and optimize capital expenditures, utilities are using innovation to overcome financial hurdles. Insights emerged, detailing that utilities have felt real financial benefits from implementing innovative ideas, technologies, and business processes. 100% of the utilities experienced reduced operating expenses. While 47% experienced reduced capital expenses, only 29% of the utilities experienced increased revenue. Most utilities reported benefits were long lasting and were not one-time. 12 of the surveyed utilities participated in informational interviews to gather further details on their approaches. From conducting interviews, BWWB gained insight on items for possible implementation. Over 20 suggestions were mentioned; it included ideas such as regionalizing services to leveraging assets to partnering with vendors to develop technology. Overall, the initiatives mentioned were aligned with alternative revenue, economic development, cost savings, and management of customer expectations. To determine the feasibility of implementing some of the innovation approaches discovered, BWWB vetted the unique ideas. Since BWWB had already implemented several strategies similar to peer utility initiatives, those opportunities were not considered further. BWWB ultimately selected to vet 4 opportunities through the design thinking process. Tim Brown, the president of the design house IDEO, defines design thinking is defined as 'a human centered and collaborative approach to problem solving, using a design mindset to solve complex problems.' By bringing together diverse stakeholders and perspectives to engage on strategic opportunities, design thinking places the human at the front and center of a problem. Our process followed 3 themes: -Learn: Examine opportunities through the lens of all stakeholders involved and consider the jobs done by key players. -Inspire: Explore innovation approaches that have been successful in other utilities. -Create: Generate ideas that addressed opportunities identified in the Learn session and then developed an actionable roadmap to bring the ideas to fruition. Our team will present BWWB's case study approach to building its innovation culture as well as detail lessons learned along the way. BWWB recognizes that a culture of innovation is born when everyone can play. By using tactical approaches, BWWB focused on fostering new behavioral norms and engage key stakeholders in the organization as building blocks for developing its culture of innovation.

Water and Wastewater Utilities operate in a constantly changing environment. Regulations, funding availability, utility workforce, and environmental conditions are all constantly changing and impact the needs and capabilities of utilities. However, despite the changing conditions, it is important to stay focused on long term utilities goals and objectives. By setting strategic goals, and employing a continuous improvement approach, (Plan-Do-Check-Act) organizations can become more resilient in pursing long-term goals and gain the ability to pivot when their operating environment changes. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County (WSFC) Utilities has made a long-term commitment to reducing SSOs and optimizing their collection system operations. In 2014 the US EPA issued a Letter of Violation citing poor collection system performance. In response to that, the Collection System Improvement Program (CSIP) was developed to improve operational and regulatory performance of the collection system. The PLAN Phase: Utility leadership established six high level objectives to guide utility actions in improving collection system performance. A detailed roadmap of specific actions was developed to make initial steps toward these goals. The DO Phase: The Utility completed initial studies, tool developments, and implemented the steps in the long-term road map to make first steps toward these goals. The CSIP program resulted in the dismissal of the pending EPA case, but that was not the end of WSFC Utilities commitment to improving collection system performance and focusing on those original long-term goals. The CHECK Phase: The environment had changed along the way. The Utility has experienced hiring freezes, staff shortages, and pandemic conditions. In addition to these phenomenon, the recent weather patterns have resulted in never-before seen levels of Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) of the collection system. The associated flows were now beginning to stress WWTP operations. The ACT Phase: The utility has decided to implement a comprehensive flow monitoring approach to address the high levels of I&I. In response to other changes in the operating environment the utility has also undertaken an extensive maturity and gap assessment to revisit the long-term goals and operational objectives of the collection system program. The result is a new set of initiatives (or roadmap) to establish a sustainable and long-term approach for the future of the collection system operations. This will include the specific tactics needed to continue to make progress towards the latest strategic goals for the program. Following this continuous improvement cycle has allowed for WSFC Utilities to realize over a 40% reduction in SSO events since the start of the CSIP. This has translated to the dismissal of the open EPA case against the utility without regulatory action in 2019. These results represent a significant milestone for the CSIP, but not an endpoint. New regulatory drivers we're surfacing including high peak flows at WWTPs because of I/I within the collection system. Using the continuous improvement framework, the CSIP was able to adapt to this change. Existing programs and activities we're able to be modified to address this new program driver and provide continued value to the utility without the formation of a new or different program. WSFC Utilities was able to use exiting condition assessment data, maintence observations, and flow information to model and understand I/I risk within the wastewater collection system. This information was then used to reprioritize further inspection and rehabilitation work to address this new concern. By adapting program activities to address new and emerging risks, WSFC Utilities has increased the resiliency of their operation. This has allowed the progress and accomplishments of the past to be leveraged to address the problems of the future. By implementing a cycle of continuous improvement, WSFC Utilities has been able to achieve short term goals while continuing to pursue a long-term mission and vision. Other organizations can learn from this example how to adapt to a changing operating environment in ways that deliver value to their staff, ratepayers, and communities.

Don't Forget Manhole Rehabilitation: Significant I&I Reduction Accomplished Through Asset Management Program Methods WEF Collection Systems Presentation Abstract September 2021 Johnson County Wastewater (JCW) owns and operates a collection system consisting of approximately 2,300 miles of gravity pipe, 40 miles of forcemains, and 60,000 manholes. As the JCW collection system and workforce continue to age, investments in maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and knowledge transfer to sustain desired service levels and risk tolerances will continue to grow. Increasing investment needs, coupled with limited resources, has driven JCW to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery while continuing to execute day-to-day work functions. To meet this challenge, JCW and HDR staff collaborated in the development and execution of JCW's Collection System Asset Management Program (CAMP) Implementation Plan which establishes a clear, practical, and strategic path forward. JCW has executed its asset management program through this approach which identifies, prioritizes, coordinates, and schedules continuous improvement initiatives at a manageable pace that strives to balance staff availability and continuous improvement objectives. JCW's CAMP is a comprehensive, mature asset management program that encompasses all collection system assets. The efforts completed through this program have enabled JCW to forecast maintenance, condition assessment, and renewal investment needs with a high level of confidence, justify appropriate investment levels, focus limited resources, increase operational efficiency, and facilitate knowledge transfer. The asset management principles this program is built upon, and the lessons learned during the execution of this program are applicable to utilities of all sizes. One of the major program initiatives is the Manhole Inspection and Renewal Program. This presentation will present the challenges, accomplishments, and lessons learned throughout the development and implementation of the CAMP, specifically through the lens of our manhole program. The presentation will provide a review of the manhole program development (Years 1 and 2, 2016 -2017), and provide details on the accomplishments of the program goals completed in Years 3 - 6 (2018 - 2021). The program thus far has included six phases of Tier 2 inspections (over 10,000 manholes), and three phases of rehabilitation centered on both infiltration and structural findings. Pre-rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation flow monitoring has shown the program to be successful in reducing I/I, further emphasizing the importance of not forgetting about your sanitary manhole structures. The key Manhole Program accomplishments to date include: - Assessment of historical manhole inspection and rehabilitation efforts, and development of opportunities for continued improvement. - Development of JCW specific data collection standards and best practices, which focus on collecting the right data and limiting superfluous data collection. - Development and implementation of a Tier 2 inspection process utilizing 360 videos capturing defects throughout the full sanitary structure. - Development of a rehabilitation decision model and algorithm for manholes tailored to the manholes assets present within JCW's system. This model consists of multiple decision models dependent on material, structure location characteristics, cover and frame type, and drainage area conditions tributary to the manhole. - Independent QC of the rehab decision model using over 3,000 inspection findings to refine the decision model. - Testing of JCW's standard manhole cover types to determine inflow rates for each cover type and corresponding I/I reduction strategies for cover inflow. - Targeting floodplain areas and manholes susceptible of high inflow sources within various locations in the County. - Linking decision model data and 360 videos to GIS systems across departments, supporting improved decision making by allowing easy review of rehabilitation and inspection project locations. - Integrating program results and projections with JCW's basin planning and capacity enhancement program. - Automation of these tools to help execute the program. - Scaling inspection program up to 2,500 Tier 2 inspections per year, leading to complete Tier 2 inspections of over 10,000 manholes. - Completed rehabilitation of nearly 1500 manholes. - Evolution of standard specification of rehabilitation materials consistent with industry best practices. - Initial post-rehabilitation flow monitoring efforts indicating I&I reduction levels average over 20% in program focus areas. - Continuation of historical practice of capturing Tier 1 inspection data every time a manhole is opened by JCW staff members. Attachment A: Roadmap of JCW Collection System Asset Management Program Attachment B: Example Photo Using 360 Degree Manhole Camera Attachment C: Manhole Cover Inflow Testing Attachment D: Identification of Potential Manhole Inflow Sources in Floodplain Attachment E: Manhole Rehab Logic Example (Brick Manholes)

Relevance Organic food waste is an underutilized energy and nutrient source in North America that is mostly disposed of in landfills. This common practice contributes to global warming and wastes precious carbon and nutrient resources. Some private and public entities have started to separate, collect, pretreat, distribute, and recover so-called 'source separate organics' (SSOs) at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). Many more WRRFs are interested in evaluating similar practices for their future operation. The substrate quality of SSOs added to anaerobic digesters requires focused evaluation: It varies between locations and might contain contaminants of potential concern to digester stability, operation, equipment, or final quality of biogas and biosolids. To date, we have a few but no standardized industry specifications to monitor and control the quality of SSO feedstock or pre-treated slurries accepted by WRRFs. To address these challenges, this project aims to develop accurate and reproducible analytical methods for food waste characterization. These methods are applied in this project to various engineered bioslurries produced from SSO food waste. This presentation will present the characterization results and implications for co-digestion performance, operation, and design. Results point to practical guidance for the wastewater industry to create cost-effective and meaningful sampling strategies as well as acceptable minimum quality specifications for accepting SSO substrates for co-digestion. Introduction The Water Research Foundation (WRF) Project #4915 called 'Characterization and Contamination Testing of Source Separated Organic Feedstocks and Slurries for Co-Digestion at Resource Recovery Facilities' aims to develop guidance for the characterization and assessment of SSO food waste quality for WRRFs who are planning or practicing co-digestion. The quality of accepted SSO foodwaste may impact the stability of digester operation, biogas production, quality of the final end products (such as biogas and biosolids) and even longevity of infrastructure used for receiving, pre-treating, storing, conveying, and digesting this material. SSO food waste may comprise of heterogeneous material from private households, restaurants, grocery stores, food producers and industry, and displays variability in quality characteristics depending geography, season, collection practices and pretreatment processes. Current laboratory methods applied by commercial producers of engineered bioslurries and by WRRFs have limitations and are not tailored to this type of material. For these reasons this project has the following objectives: 1. Identify, evaluate, and develop techniques for characterizing SSO feedstocks and slurries. Develop an Industry Guidance Document for a systematic, tiered, and comprehensive approach to characterizing feedstocks and slurries. Assess current and emerging concerns for potential SSO feedstock contamination. Define analytical methods for relevant feedstock characteristics needed for process modeling. 2. Standardize sampling protocols for rapid and comprehensive monitoring of feedstocks. Develop simple and robust methods for representative sample collection, preparation, and analysis. Recommend a timely and cost-effective quick-test strategy for WRRFs to assess relevant SSO feedstock characteristics. 3. Develop guidelines for minimum feedstock quality standards for various product goals. Provide guidance on potential contamination of SSO wastes and slurries, depending on their sources and pre-treatment process. Develop guidance on typical quality parameter ranges. Recommend limits for aesthetic, operational, and health-related parameters of concern, as well as final products and objectives. 4. Link characteristics to final product quality. Summarize cause-effect relationships for practitioners on how SSO feedback quality affects final effluent quality, process performance and stability, digester loading capacity, biogas/energy production, biosolids and biogas quality, and downstream treatment processes. The results for goal 1 have been previously presented. This presentation will focus on the results related to goals 2, 3, and 4. Methods Parameter Selection A broad literature review was conducted in the first part of the study from which our team identified relevant SSO food waste parameters for the operation, design and stability of co-digestion food waste systems. These parameters were then grouped into five tiers representing logical analytical parameter groups that can help utilities answer specific operational questions. 1. Tier 1: Immediate inspection. Parameters based on operators' fast inspection upon arrival of SSO to WRRFs. SSO delivery might be rejected or accepted based on this inspection. 2. Tier 2: Frequent routine monitoring screens. Parameters that are relevant for daily anaerobic digester operation and SSO feed control to the digesters. 3. Tier 3: Monitoring for final product quality. Parameters that are relevant for biogas, effluents, emissions or biosolids for land application. These parameters might be tested quarterly or when accepting material from new sources as they are more expensive and time consuming. 4. Tier 4: Comprehensive assessments. Parameters that are of interest for process modelling or research. These might need to be analyzed by commercial labs since they require specialized equipment. Table 1 lists the suggested parameters under each of the four tiers. Analytical Methods Analytical methods for SSO feed stock analysis were compiled from established standard methods currently employed by practitioners for the analysis for SSO feedstock bioslurries. A utility survey was conducted that solicited feedback on which protocols were challenging to conduct or resulted in poor analytical reproducibility or accuracy. The analytical protocols were established at the University of Michigan lab and were tested and refined on an exemplary sample received from a commercial producer of Engineered Bioslurry. Methods that resulted in poor reproducibility were refined until reproducible results were achieved. The written protocols were compiled and documented in a draft deliverable for publication by WRF upon completion of this project. Bioslurry Sample Sites and Monitoring Plan Four U.S. sampling locations were selected for sample collection and SSO feedstock characterization applying the analytical methods selected earlier in this project. The sample locations are in general terms listed in Table 2 and provide a diverse representation of bioslurries in the U.S. that reflect A geographical variety (within the U.S. and Canada); Pre-consumer and post-consumer SSO feedstock; A variety of pre-processing slurry technologies o onsite pretreatment process o commercial small scale pre-treatment o Commercial large-scale pre-treatment using various different technology approaches Good coverage of established slurry manufacturers Names and locations of the sample locations are kept anonymous by request while results can be published and shared. Samples are collected by the participant facilities on a monthly basis until early 2021. The samples are shipped to University of Michigan for analysis. and split samples are shipped to Eurofins for certain specialized tests. QA/QC procedures for sample preservation are followed prior to analysis. Split samples are shipped to Eurofins for certain specialized tests. Guidelines for Minimum Feedstock Quality Standards Monitoring data from the SSO bioslurry characterization is evaluated along with available full-scale data from the co-digestion facilities to assess cause effect relationships between the SSO food waste quality and co-digestion stability, operation, and quality of the final end products biogas, biosolids, and dewatering recycle streams. Table 3 summarizes relevant effects for WRRFs that could result from different SSO food waste characteristics. Conclusions Co-digestion of SSO food waste at WRRFs is quickly becoming industry practice in densely populated areas in the US where landfill space is limited and the sensitivity surrounding negative impacts of GHG emissions through climate change is rising. Co-digestion is an attractive option for WRRFs to increases energy recovery through enhanced biogas production and can generate economic benefits from tipping fees and reduced energy costs. This project fills an important need of the wastewater industry by developing robust analytical methods for the characterization of SSO food waste and helping WRRFs to understand cause-effect relationships between food waste quality and digester stability, operation, and design recommendations.

INTRODUCTION The heart of any organization's strategy is what it actively chooses to do and not do and how effectively it executes those choices. However, strategic plans often fail because organizations tend to go through the motions of developing the plan simply because common sense says 'every good organization must have a strategic plan', or because the organization doesn't appropriately focus on specific results, has only partial commitment of executives and staff, doesn't have the right people involved in the plan's creation, or has difficulty accepting the change that often results when a strategic plan is implemented. PURPOSE This presentation will showcase the dynamic and long-range strategic planning toolkit and process components that the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) used to explore and prepare for future known and unknown driving forces, adapt to emerging trends in the industry, and leverage innovative scenario planning to prepare for a wide variety of potential futures to remove much of the uncertainty associated with the implementation of typical strategic plans. This has enabled HRSD to continue to deliver the highest level of service to its customers in a flexible and dynamic manner. ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT Methodologies for conducting an organizational PESTEL assessment, to evaluate HRSD's current internal and external environmental drivers, will be shared. PESTEL is a strategic framework that breaks down opportunities and risks into Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors (see Figures 1 and 2) and can be an effective framework to prioritize and organize corporate initiatives and strategic actions. SCENARIO PLANNING HRSD used Scenario Planning to examine external forces that can impact the way it may need to operate in the future, determining the external drivers of change that may be difficult to predict (but that should be incorporated into the strategic planning effort) and developing strategies and actions that benefit HRSD and its stakeholders under a variety of potential futures. Scenario planning is a disciplined way of describing uncertainties and anticipating a wide range of future outcomes and making choices today that best position HRSD for those outcomes. Figure 3 presents HRSD's Scenario Planning Process. From the results of the PESTEL assessment, HRSD identified its primary drivers of uncertainty and identified Regulations and Community Perception as the two drivers that were most uncertain relative to HRSD's future, and also the two that had the largest potential impact to HRSD's future operations (see Figure 4). Once these primary drivers of uncertainty were identified, HRSD plotted them in a scenario matrix, named each scenario (see Figure 5) and worked to describe each of the four resulting scenarios (see Figure 6). These scenarios were then used to guide the development of Strategies and Actions that would most appropriately position HRSD for an uncertain future. Those Strategies and Actions that were identified to be appropriate in all four potential operating scenarios were deemed as 'Must-Do's', as they would work to strengthen HRSD's position in any of the four potential operating futures. Those that were identified in two or three of the four scenarios were also reviewed, validated, and prioritized before adoption into the Plan to ensure alignment with the developed Goal Areas and key Objectives. IMPLEMENTATION HRSD successfully unveiled its completed Strategic Plan in March 2023 at an internal 'HRSD Live' Conference. The first of its kind at HRSD, the conference consisted of 54 staff presentations across several concurrent sessions with attendance by over 75% of the organization. The review of the completed Strategic Plan was the highlight of the keynote address provided by HRSD's General Manager. As the success of HRSD's Strategic Plan will ultimately be determined by the HRSD employees required to implement the Plan, a proactive change control strategy was developed to get staff at all levels of the organization involved in the planning process at the appropriate points and levels of development, to accept the changes that will be brought about by the new Plan, and to implement strategies to remove barriers to the Plan's acceptance. To that end, HRSD created a detailed implementation roadmap for each of the Plan's Actions, including identifying all necessary steps, deliverables, deadlines, budget, and Action owners, along with targeting an 18-month timeframe for the completion of each of the Plan's Actions. This helps to ensure that individual accountability is inherent in the Plan, and that it is revisited every 18-24 months to validate Action progress and completion, develop new Actions for each Objective (as necessary), and track implementation progress and success. Finally, to ensure that its new Strategic Plan becomes a 'living plan' to help drive its activities and budget for the next decade and well into the future, HRSD developed its Plan in a digital/dynamic format (using Microsoft PowerBI), so it could remain current, be accessible to staff across the organization, and stay attuned to HRSD's changing needs throughout implementation.

In the past two decades, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) have been undergoing a dramatic transformation from solely focusing on wastewater treatment to resource recovery of valuable byproducts from waste. Utilities are increasingly realizing the benefits of biofertilizer production, nutrient recovery, energy production, and water conservation and the value it brings to the overall bottom-line for the end user. Wastewater utilities are also uniquely positioned to bridge the demands of renewable energy production as well as reducing organic solid waste from ending up in landfill, both regulated in many states in the US. The US EPA has identified more than 1,300 facilities in the US that rely on anaerobic digestion to reduce organics from wastewater, however, per the American Biogas Council, an estimated 40% of all anaerobic digesters in the US are being underutilized. Digesters with excess capacity are energy sinks, requiring just as much heat and electricity when operated at under capacity as they do while fully optimized, but with very little return in the form of energy production (as biogas). This unused digester capacity can be utilized to anaerobically codigest landfill diverted organics to produce biogas, which in turn can be converted to biomethane or heat and electricity using a combined heat and power system. Increased biogas production is just one of the many benefits of introducing high strength biodegradable wastes from commercial and industrial establishments into municipal anaerobic digestion systems. Digestion systems can also be designed to produce Class A or exceptional value (EQ) biosolids that is returned to the market as biofertilizer or soil amendment. In anticipation of an upgrade from 5.0 to 7.7 MGD, Hermitage Municipal Authority in Pennsylvania undertook a major upgrade of their solids handling facility to increase treatment capacity. The facility only has secondary treatment, meaning there is no easy-to-digest, high calorific value primary sludge as a feed to the new anaerobic digesters. As part of the upgrade, one of the goals was to boost biogas generation and use it as the primary fuel in a combined heat and power (CHP) cogeneration system to offset process heat and generate renewable electricity. This lead to a solids management plan specifically design to address high strength codigestion of source separated organic (SSO) wastes imported to the facility, mostly focused on pre-consumer expired or contaminated food waste, all while still able to produce a US EPA approved Class A biofertilizer. A new two phased digestion system was built using two existing anaerobic concrete tanks on site and one new steel tank. This system includes a first stage thermophilic hydrolysis reactor to acidify high strength waste, followed by high rate mesophilic digesters. A new biogas collection and treatment system and a combined heat and power unit was installed. Subsequently, a second CHP system was installed to maximize biogas utilization with minimal downtime. A new depackaging system, capable of handling dairy/liquid waste was included as part of this initial upgrade. This limited use process justified the needs of the time since only one regional dairy had agreed to divert their pre-packaged, expired dairy waste to the wastewater plant for organics recovery. Subsequently, a second depackaging system was installed to widen the imported source separated organics profile, specifically to include the capabilities to extract organics from various packaged solid food waste. The design of the facility also include a staging area to receive imported packaged organic waste from grocers, large food manufacturers, dairy and other organic waste generators. More recently, a new innovative depackaging process was installed to improve organics removal efficiencies, reduce contaminant level in extracted organic slurry, and manage increased throughput of imported waste at the facility. The three depackaging units are now capable of handling both solids and liquid waste effectively. Since January of 2013, the facility has grown from having just one dedicated organics waste supplier to now receiving food waste from over a dozen major sources. The facility has since processed over 8,000 dry tons of solid waste and over 12 million gallons of high strength liquid waste. The facility utilizes a custom organics feed staging strategy in the advanced anaerobic digestion system, that allows an applied organics loading rate (OLR) in excess of 12 kg/m3 (0.75 lb/ft3) in the first stage thermophilic acid digester. The second stage mesophilic gas digester is fed at a rate of 3 kg/m3 (0.19 lb/ft3), which is typical of conventional digesters, but is capable of higher OLR input. The phased digester feed is a combination of secondary municipal sludge and depackaged organic high strength slurry, in some instances pre-heated prior to introducing it to the thermophilic digesters. The organics loading ratio on a mass basis for municipal sludge to imported waste ranges between 1 to 0.6 and 1 to 1, with 20 tons of municipal sludge for every 12 to 20 tons of organic slurry. The phased digestion system is a US EPA's Process to Further Reduce Pathogens (PFRP) equivalent process, designed to achieve Class A biofertilizers as the final product. The current bioenergy system is capable of treating over 125,000 cubic feet of biogas and generates up to 13,400 kilowatts hour of power. The goal is to convert the biogas into compressed natural gas (CNG) to capitalize on the renewable energy credits to improve the cities renewable energy portfolio. In addition to increasing the bioenergy and biofertilizer production, the authority collects tipping fees from food waste generators that offsets ratepayer contributions. Renewable bioenergy production using landfill diverted organics all occurs within this resource recovery facility. This synergistic approach will benefit the solid waste industry from having to find new ways to manage organic food waste, the energy industry from having to build new renewable energy facilities, and most critically the wastewater industry in maximizing existing infrastructure to produce biofertilizer, recovery nutrients, produce bioenergy, and conserve water all while generating revenue from tipping fees. The paper offers a concise methodology that illustrates this synergetic approach to a growing problem. The paper aims to cover the nuances of source separated organics pretreatment, anaerobic codigestion and related processes.