Wastewater treatment is an essential service for any kind of building and every community in the country. Both public wastewater and private wastewater treatment systems need to operate at a certain standard and overcome typical problems in wastewater treatment.
The team at O & M Solutions provides wastewater treatment support services to plants, buildings, campuses, and all kinds of facilities throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. We are here to help you navigate the complexities of wastewater regulations and operational standards. Contact us to learn more, and read on to learn about the top problems in wastewater treatment.
Staffing Shortages in Wastewater Treatment
The wastewater sector has not been immune to the wide scale labor shortages many companies face. A recent survey conducted by the American Water Works Association found that 40% of the participating utilities are struggling to hire staff, specifically for jobs like water operator, driver, and service technician.
Employee turnover has increased across the board, doubling from 11% to nearly 21% by the end of 2021. Engineering positions, administrative positions, and technicians are also proving difficult to staff. The net impact directly affects a plant or facility’s productivity and uptime.
Supply Chain Disruption
Second only to staffing, supply chain disruptions are identified as a prime challenge faced by wastewater facility owners right now. Many leaders in this space have had to proactively seek out alternative chemical suppliers. Water sector supply chain issues have become so prevalent that the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created an online tool to find suppliers, as well as an online interface for reporting shortages or requesting assistance. This is available both for public water systems (PWSs) and publicly owned treatment works (POTWs).
Overwhelmingly, supply chain disruptions have catalyzed fresh analyses of systems: what works, what doesn’t work, what can be improved upon? Building better systems insulates against the inevitabilities of supply chain disruptions, as well as other external, uncontrollable factors. Creating and implementing world class systems for wastewater facilities management is a specialty of ours. Browse our site to see more on O & M Solutions capabilities, experience, and areas of focus.
Aging Infrastructure
Pumps, screens, receiving stations, filters, vacuums, compactors: every piece of equipment at every stage in the wastewater treatment process is subject to wear and tear. These are not low ticket items that are easily replaced. When industrial wastewater equipment, and the infrastructure supports it, wears down, it can be difficult to get timely, affordable fixes.
Any facility that hasn’t been adequately serviced and maintained will see this problem more frequently. Consistent, effective maintenance can go a long way to preventing premature breakdowns.
When breakdowns do occur, it’s vital that high quality replacements are installed correctly to restore the facility to full functionality.
Managing Energy Consumption for Wastewater Facilities
Renewed calls for sustainability make managing energy consumption an increasingly urgent point of consideration. Wastewater plants have to use energy to perform vital functions. It’s also important that both public and private wastewater treatment facilities have a plan for escalating energy costs, aligning with new energy regulations, and addressing the impacts of climate change. Managing a wastewater facility is itself a practice in overcoming environmental challenges, and new solutions all of the time are emerging that create fresh possibilities for sustainable practices.
To successfully navigate those new possibilities requires thoughtful analysis, extensive industry know-how, and novel tactics for energy efficiency in wastewater facility management and operation. Partnering with an organization like O & M Solutions, that brings decades of industry expertise and excellent problem-solving capabilities, can make all of the difference. Give us a call at (732) 965-5764 to learn more.