10Operations and Maintenance 8

INTRODUCTION
The City of Sultan’s (City) wastewater operations and maintenance program consists of the
following elements.
1. Normal operation of the wastewater collection and treatment system.
2. Emergency operation of the wastewater collection and treatment system, when one or more
of the components is not available for normal use due to natural or man-made events.
3. A preventive maintenance program to ensure that the wastewater system is receiving
maintenance in accordance with generally accepted standards.
4. Daily maintenance of the wastewater collection and treatment system.
5. Development review.
6. Construction inspection.

NORMAL OPERATIONS

City Personnel
The City’s wastewater division functions under the direction of the Public Works Director. The
Wastewater Systems Supervisor oversees daily operations of the wastewater department and reports
to the Public Works Field Supervisor as shown in Table 8-1.
The current wastewater department Operation and Maintenance (O&M) staff consists of two
maintenance personnel that function under the Public Works Director, as shown in Table 8-1. The
wastewater system tasks that are performed by the O&M staff include development review,
inspection, testing, installation and repair of system facilities; routine operation and preventive
maintenance; water quality sampling; regulatory compliance monitoring; record keeping;
administrative tasks; general clerical work; and corrective or breakdown maintenance required in
response to emergencies. Some of these functions may be outsourced to accommodate workload
and staffing levels.

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Table 8-1
Wastewater Division/Enterprise Fund Organization Chart

Rate Payers

Mayor

City Council

Public Works Director

Field Supervisor

Public Works Administrative Wastewater Systems Supervisor

Support

Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator

Personnel Responsibilities
The key responsibilities of the wastewater O&M staff are summarized below.
Public Works Director – Directs the activities of all divisions of the Public Works Department.
Oversees the operation and maintenance of the City’s water, wastewater, stormwater, garbage, parks,
streets and cemetery systems.
Field Supervisor – Supervises regular and seasonal Public Works staff directing the maintenance,
repair and operations of the City’s water treatment and distribution, sewage treatment and collection
and storm drainage systems. Responsible for the maintenance and repair of streets, sidewalks, parks,
cemetery and solid waste disposal.
Public Works Administrative Support – Provides permitting and administrative services to the
utility divisions.
Wastewater Systems Supervisor – Oversees the daily maintenance and operations of the
wastewater collection system, wastewater treatment system and related work.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator – Performs maintenance and operation of wastewater
collection system, treatment system and related work.

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 Operations and Maintenance

A supplementary description of the staffing levels recommended to achieve optimum operation and
maintenance of the sewer system is described later in this Chapter.

Certification of Personnel
Washington State Law (Chapter 173-230 WAC) requires that the City’s wastewater treatment system
is operated under the direct supervision of a Certified Operator. The wastewater treatment plant
(WWTP) is classified as a Class II wastewater plant. The wastewater treatment process is required to
be supervised by an operator certified at a level that is equal to or greater than the WWTP
classification. Table 8-2 shows the current certifications of the City’s wastewater O&M staff.
Table 8-2
Personnel Certification

Name Position Certification

Connie Dunn Public Works Field Supervisor Group II
John Harris Wastewater Systems Supervisor Group II
Todd Strom Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Group I

It is City policy to maintain a well-qualified, technically trained staff. The City annually allocates
funds for personnel training, certification, and membership in professional organizations. The City
believes that the time and money invested in training, certification and professional organizations are
repaid many times in improved safety, skills and confidence.

Available Equipment
The wastewater department has several types of equipment available for daily routine O&M of the
wastewater system. The equipment is stored at the City’s wastewater treatment plant. If additional
equipment is required for specific projects, the City will rent or contract with a local contractor for
the services needed. A stock of supplies in sufficient quantities for normal system O&M and
anticipated emergencies is stored at the WWTP. A list of major equipment and chemicals used in
the normal operation of the wastewater system is shown in Table 8-3.

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Table 8-3
Wastewater Department Equipment, Chemical and Communications Inventory

Quantity Description Size/Special Features

Wastewater Department Equipment Inventory

1 Dump Truck for Biosolids
1 Ford F-150
1 WWTP Backup Generator 125 kilowatts (kW)
1 Mobile Generator 60 kW
1 Mower
1 Air Compressor
Equipment Available from Other Departments
1 Backhoe
1 Grader
1 Air Compressor
1 Street Sweeper
1 Mower
1 Tractor
1 Flat bed Truck
1 Pickup 1 Ton with Dumpbox
Varies Miscellaneous Equipment
Chemical Inventory
Varies 12.5 percent Sodium Hypochlorite
Varies HRR Acid
Varies Polymer
Safety Equipment
3 Fire Extinguishers Main Building of WWTP
1 Fire Extinguisher Solids Handling Blower Room
1 Fire Extinguisher Biosolids Dump Truck
1 Fire Extinguisher Ford F-150
2 First Aid Kit
1 Safety Harness
2 Safety Lanyards
2 Breathing Apparatus
Varies Life Rings
Varies Gloves and Safety Glasses
Communications Equipment
Cell Phones with Two-Way Radios
for All Employees

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 Operations and Maintenance

Service, Equipment and Supply Vendors

The list in Table 8-4 identifies the typical vendors for service, materials, supplies and chemicals.
The City maintains adequate supplies and materials for normal operation. The suppliers maintain
adequate materials for unusual needs.
Table 8-4
Service, Equipment and Supply Vendors List
Name Address Phone Products

Engineering and Technical Services

PO Box 1199
Public Works Director/City
319 Main Street (360) 793-2262 Engineering Support
Engineer
Sultan, WA 98294-1199
12100 NE 195th Street, Suite 100 (425) 951-5400
RH2 Engineering, Inc. Engineering Support
Bothell, WA 98011 (800) 720-8052
20818 44th Ave W
Technical Systems, Inc. (425) 771-1190 Control Systems (SCADA)
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Adjacent Purveyors
2320 California Street Equipment, Materials, Labor
Snohomish County PUD (800) 562-9142
Everett, WA 98206 and Emergency Water Supply
769 Village Way (360) 794-6100 Equipment, Materials, Labor
City of Monroe
Monroe, WA 98272 Emergency (360) 794-7400 and Emergency Water Supply

Laboratory and Analytical Services

13600 NE 126th Place
AmTest Laboratories Suite C (425) 885-1664 Lab Testing
Kirkland, WA 98034
Materials and Supplies
17461 147th Street SE, #6 Industrial Oil, Grease and
Dynacco, Inc. (360) 794-8974
Monroe, WA 98272 Cleaning Solutions
PO Box 23334 Chemical
Kubwater Resources, Inc. (503) 866-5660
Tigard, OR 97281 (Polymer)
Bio Environmental Solutions, 4870 E 68th Street, Suite 233
(918) 770-8913 Process Bacteria
Inc. Tulsa, OK 74163
3108 E Bristol Road
Ocls Technichem, Inc. (810) 744-3770 Process Bacteria
Burton, MI 48529
PO Box 389
Hach Company (800) 227-4224 Lab Supplies
Loveland, CO 80539-0389
P.O. Box 8
NCL of Wisconsin, Inc. (800) 648-7836 Lab Supplies
Birnamwood, WI 54414
Scientific Supply and 926 Poplar Place South
(206) 324-8550 Lab Supplies
Equipment, Inc. Seattle, WA 98144
Equipment and Service
3225 Maytown Road SW Equipment and Service
American Industrial (360) 943-6553
Olympia, WA 98512 (Pump and Motor Repair)
5930 1st Avenue S Equipment and Service
Beckwith and Kuffel (206) 767-6700
Seattle, WA 98108 (Pump and Motor Repair)
12020 SE 32nd Street, Suite 2 Equipment and Service
PumpTech, Inc. (425) 644-8501
Bellevue, WA 98005 (Pump and Motor Repair)
Sea-Alaska Industrial Electric, 415 Maple Avenue Equipment and Service
(360) 568-7624
Inc. Snohomish, WA 98290 (Motor Repair and Service)
19430 59th Avenue NE Emergency Pumping
Rain for Rent (360) 403-8672
Arlington, WA 98223 Equipment

Routine Operations
Routine operations involve the analysis, formulation and implementation of procedures to ensure
that the facilities are functioning efficiently and meeting the demands of the system. The utility's
maintenance procedures are effective, with repairs being made promptly.

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Continuity of Service
As a municipality, the City has the structure, stability, authority and responsibility to ensure that
wastewater service will be continuous. For example, changes in the City Council or staff would not
have a pronounced effect on the City’s customers or quality of service.

Routine Wastewater Quality Sampling

Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) has adopted federal regulations that specify
minimum monitoring requirements for the wastewater system. The sampling requirements typically
depend on the type of treatment provided and site specific conditions. The sampling, testing and
reporting requirements are contained in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System waste
discharge permit; a copy of which is included in Appendix C.

Operations and Maintenance Records

Facilities Operations and Maintenance Manuals
O&M manuals are available for staff members' reference. These manuals are kept on file at the
WWTP. The City intends to maintain its policies of requiring complete O&M manuals for all new
equipment and facilities. In addition to equipment O&M manuals, the City has a Laboratory
Protocols and Training Materials manual that is kept at the WWTP.

Mapping and As-Built Drawing Records

Maintenance of as-builts is essential to maintenance crews, city planners, developers and anyone else
needing to know how the wastewater system is laid out throughout the City. The drawing records
are stored in files at City Hall and/or the Public Works Field Office and are maintained by the
Public Works Department.

Operations and Maintenance Records

Records are stored at the WWTP for the following items.
1. Daily Operating Log
a. Routine operational duties
b. Wastewater system component maintenance
c. Unusual operating conditions
d. Sludge data
e. Flow totalizer information
f. Oxidation ditch status
g. Rainfall data
h. Documentation of by-passes including time and duration

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 Operations and Maintenance

2. Laboratory Records
a. Lab tests summary
b. Sampling time and location
c. Unusual conditions documentation
d. Chemical reagent preparation summary
e. Laboratory work sheets
f. Process computations, test results and flow rate summary
3. Monthly Operating Report
a. Submitted to Ecology in the format as required
4. Miscellaneous Reports
a. Waste Control
b. Grease Check List
5. Personnel Records
6. Emergency Conditions Records
A copy of the common forms used by the WWTP staff is included in Appendix R.

Safety Procedures and Equipment

Safety is the concern and responsibility of all wastewater O&M staff. The following publications
providing additional information regarding wastewater treatment plant safety.
1. Safety and Health in Wastewater System, WEF Manual of Practices, No. 1, 1994
2. Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plant, WEF Manual of Practice, No. 11, 1996
3. Simplified Laboratory Procedures for Wastewater Examination WPCF Publication, No. 18,
1985
To maintain the highest level of safety, the City has taken steps toward educating its staff and
providing resources to ensure a safe working environment. The City continuously improves the
safety program as the requirements and affected operations change. Operating and field personnel
are required to complete a safety program as an initial condition of employment. Monthly safety
training is conducted by the wastewater operators at the WWTP. Copies of Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS) for all chemicals used for wastewater treatment are on file at the WWTP office.
The following identifies procedures to be followed for O&M tasks that involve the most common
potential work place hazards in the wastewater system.

Use of Chlorine or Chlorine Products

Standard Procedure – Handle with care, provide adequate ventilation, wear safety glasses and rubber
gloves, and follow MSDS and facility standard operating procedures.

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Use of Wastewater Treatment Chemicals

Standard Procedure – Follow MSDS and facility standard operating procedures.

Working in Confined Spaces

Standard Procedure – Follow State requirements for confined space entry.

Working around Heavy Equipment

Standard Procedure – Obtain proper training and follow all safety procedures. Use noise protection
equipment.

Working in Traffic Areas

Standard Procedure – Wear proper clothing and provide adequate signage and flagging for work
area. Certified flaggers are to be used when traffic management requires flagging around a work site.

Working on or Around Tall or Deep Structures

Standard Procedure – Follow proper safety harness procedures for working on tall or deep
structures and follow standard Labor and Industries safety procedures.

Working in or Around Pump Stations

Standard Procedure – Obtain proper training and follow all safety procedures for working on pumps
and electrical equipment. Use noise protection equipment.

Working on Asbestos Cement Wastewater Main

Standard Procedure – Obtain proper training and follow all safety procedures for working with
asbestos materials.
Sewer utility personnel are required to take training courses regarding the following topics: confined
spaces; fall protection; competent persons; heavy equipment operation; CPR; first aid; traffic
flagging; lockout-tagout; and blood-borne pathogens.
The City’s facilities are equipped with confined space entry equipment and lockout-tagout
equipment. Each City vehicle is equipped with first aid and blood-borne handling kits. The utility
also owns flagging signs and equipment for safe handling of traffic. City personnel can rent oxygen-
gas meters if necessary.
The Public Works Department follows all appropriate Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and Washington Industrial Safety Act (WISHA) regulations in its day-to-
day operations and complies with the following state requirements:
WAC 296-809 – Confined spaces;
WAC 296-155-650 to 66411 Part N – Excavation, trenching and shoring;
WAC 296-155-429 – Lockout-tagout for work on energized or de-energized equipment
or circuits;
WAC 296-155 Part C1 – Fall restraint and fall arrest; and

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 Operations and Maintenance

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) – Traffic control for work in the
public right-of-way.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS

Capabilities
The City is well equipped to accommodate short-term system failures and abnormalities. Its
capabilities are as follows.

Emergency Equipment
The City is equipped with the necessary tools to deal with common emergencies. If a more serious
emergency should develop, the City will hire a local contractor who has a stock of spare parts
necessary to make repairs to alleviate the emergency condition.
As previously noted in Chapter 2, the City has an emergency plan in place with Rain-for-Rent to
provide a pump, electrical equipment, piping and appurtenances needed to pump wastewater from
the Main Pump Station to the WWTP in the event the power outage duration is longer than one
day.

Emergency Telephone
The wastewater department has an emergency phone number for the public to directly contact
sewer department personnel after normal business hours. The police or other City departments can
reach the sewer department via Nextel phones or home contact numbers. Emergency contact
information, including cell phones, pagers and home phone numbers, is provided to each City
department.

Standby Personnel
The designated standby person can generally respond to a call within 30 minutes. A list of
emergency telephone numbers is provided to each on-call employee. New employees are not placed
on standby until they are familiar with the wastewater system and maintenance procedures and have
met the minimum standards, certification and qualifications required by the State of Washington.

Contacts
The City maintains a list of adjacent utility and agency contacts for routine and emergency use,
shown in Table 8-5.

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Table 8-5
Utility and Agency Contacts
Agency Contact Phone Address

Utility Contacts
2320 California Street
Snohomish County PUD Bruce Meaker (425) 783-8473
Everett, WA 98206
Utilities 794 Village Way
City of Monroe (360) 794-6100
Department Monroe, WA 98272
Agency Contacts
Washington State Department 3190 160th Avenue SE
Kenneth Ziebart (425) 649-7098
of Ecology Bellevue WA 98008-5452

Material Readiness
Some critical repair parts, tools and equipment are on-hand and kept in fully operational condition.
As repair parts are used, they are re-ordered. Inventories are kept current and adequate for most
common emergencies that can reasonably be anticipated. The City has ready access to an inventory
of repair parts, including parts required for repair of each type and size of pipe within the service
area. Additionally, the City has been provided with after-hours emergency contact phone numbers
for key material suppliers, which gives the City 24-hour access to parts not kept in inventory.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
Maintenance schedules that meet or exceed manufacturer’s recommendations have been established
for all critical components in the City’s wastewater system. The following schedule is used as a
minimum for preventive maintenance; the manufacturer’s recommendations should be followed
where conflict exists.

Collection System
Sewer Pipe
Annually or As Needed Conduct leak surveys on force mains and inflow and infiltration
surveys on gravity pipes.
Every 2 to 5 years or As Inspect, clean and evaluate manholes and sewer pipe line condition.
Needed

Wastewater Treatment Plant

Note: The City had a comprehensive O&M manual completed in 1999 for the WWTP. The O&M
manual maintenance program tables for the City’s WWTP have been included in Appendix S.

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 Operations and Maintenance

Sewage Pump Station

Daily Visual and audio inspection; check security; check pump motors for
excessive heat and vibration.
Weekly Observe and record motor current draw (three phases); log and record
flow rates and pump motor hours; check motor oil level; measure and
record discharge pressure; exercise valves; check motor noise,
temperature and vibration.
Monthly Check settings and alarms in pump control panel; hose down walls and
remove debris in wet well.
Quarterly Lift pumps from wet well and inspect; change motor oil; and take
inventory of parts, pumps and motors.
Annually Calibrate flow meter.
As Needed Maintain electrical and mechanical equipment; paint structures and
piping; routine maintenance of equipment.

Engine Generator Sets

Note: The City contracts with a service company to conduct annual maintenance on the generators
at the WWTP, water treatment plant, portable generator at the WWTP and the generator at the
police station.

Bi-Weekly Operate to achieve normal operating temperatures; observe output

Every Three Months
Semi-Annually
Annual and As Needed
Every 100 Operating
Hours
Every 250 Operating
Hours
Every 500 Operating
Hours
Every 800 Operating
Hours
Check battery charge state and condition, transfer switch, engine
ignition system and fan belts. Inspect and test fuel and exhaust
system.
Test engine safety devices (low oil pressure, low coolant level and high
coolant temperature). Routine maintenance in accordance with
manufacturer’s recommendations.
Replace fluids and filters in accordance with manufacturer's
recommendations (or more frequently depending on amount of use).
Perform tune-up. Test engine governor and adjust or repair, as
needed. Inspect generator. Flush cooling system. Change gearbox oil
(if equipped). Replace parts as necessary.
Change engine oil and filter. Change gearbox (if equipped). Re-torque
exhaust manifold.
Change gearbox oil (if equipped).
Service air cleaner. Check starter and engine direct current (DC)
alternator.
Check engine compression.

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Telemetry and Control System

Daily Backup program and data.
Monthly Visually inspect cabinets and panels for damage, dust and debris.
Semi-Annually Inspect the inside of cabinets and panels for damage, dust and debris.
Vacuum clean all modules. Test alarm indicator units. Clean and flush
all pressure sensitive devices. Visually inspect all meters to coordinate
remote stations.
Annually Check master and remote telemetry units for proper operation; repair
as necessary.

Tools and Equipment

Rolling Stock
Weekly Check all fluid levels and brakes. Fluid levels and brakes are checked
each time the equipment is used if less than weekly.
As Needed Replace fluids and filters in accordance with manufacturer's
recommendations (or more frequently depending on type of use);
preventive maintenance per manufacturer’s recommendation.
Tools
As Needed Clean after each use; lubricate and maintain as necessary; inspect for
damage and wear before each use; preventive maintenance performed
per manufacturer’s recommendation.

STAFFING
The preventive maintenance procedures, as well as the normal and emergency operations of the
utility, are described in the previous sections. The hours of labor and supervisory activity required
to effectively provide this ongoing maintenance and operations schedule forms the basis for
determining adequate staffing levels.

Current Staff
The current staff includes management personnel, supervisory personnel, operators, maintenance
workers and office personnel engaged in operating and maintaining the sewer system and sewer
utility. There are currently two field crew and one supervisory personnel in the operations and
maintenance organization that support the City’s wastewater system. Since the Public Works Field
Supervisor also supports the other City utilities, only a portion of their time is available for the
wastewater utility. There is additional staff that could assist the Wastewater Department staff in an
emergency but not as part of their routine daily work. Therefore, the wastewater utility is supported
by approximately 4.62 full-time field staff equivalents.

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Recommended Staff Level

A wastewater system is a complex assortment of equipment and parts that require both operation
and maintenance. The estimated level of effort required to provide effective operation and
maintenance in the future is expected to increase with an expansion of the collection system and the
construction of WWTP improvements.
The available hours of a person during a year are not the total hours worked. There are many hours
spent in training, non-work status and other activities that deduct from the 2,080 hours in pay status
during a year. The available hours are typically reduced to 1,540, as shown in Table 8-6.
Table 8-6
Annual Available Hours per Person
Beginning Hours Available 2,080
Less average vacation of 3 weeks per year -120
Less average sick leave of 2 weeks per year -80
Less holidays of 10 days per year -80
Less average training of 40 hours per year -40
Less average small tasks other than above of 1 hour per day -220
Net Available Hours Per Year Per Person 1,540

The City’s WWTP Upgrade Engineering Report for the treatment facility recommended, based on City
input, one additional full-time employee at the WWTP as flows increase and demands on staff
increase. This additional staff member will also be available to assist with additional collection
system maintenance activities as the system is expanded.

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS

Other proposed improvements not mentioned above are addressed in Chapter 6 or 7 and included
in the City’s Capital Improvement Program.

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