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Department of Natural Resources

K i n g C o u n t y

Wastewater Treatment Division

MaintenanceSection

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The WTDMaintenance Section...Implementing efficient wastewater treatmentsolutions to preserve quality of life in our region

The SystemIn the Seattle area today, 1.2 million citizens will stepinto their showers, throw a load in the washing ma-chine, start the dishwasher, and flush their toilets,sending millions of gallons of water into the sewers.And each day, hundreds of companies and industrieswill also pump millions of gallons of water into thesewers.

Every 24 hours, over 200 million gallons of wastewa-ter flow through 255 miles of sewer lines to two re-gional treatment plants for secondary treatment. At 39pump stations, large pumps automatically start andstop to control the flow. Gates at 22 regulator stationsautomatically direct and control the flow.

The Maintenance SectionWho assures that these essential wastewater treatmentprocesses and systems operate at top efficiency to pro-tect and preserve the quality of life King County citizensexpect and deserve?

The King County, Department of Natural ResourcesWastewater Treatment Division (WTD) maintenancesection is responsible for keeping this system of sewageconveyance and treatment operating efficiently andsmoothly 24 hours a day, preserving water quality andprotecting public health and the environment.

The 122 highly-trained, professional WTD mainte-nance section personnel use leading-edge technologyand equipment to service and maintain this intricatesystem.

The East Section Reclamation Plant serves 600,000 customers inthe suburban Seattle area. The secondary treatment plant treats anaverage of 103 million gallons of wastewater per day.

The West Point Treatment Plant, located on Puget Sound, serves anarea of approximately 169 square miles. The secondary treatmentplant treats an average of 110 million gallons of wastewater per day.

Section Accomplishments:

• 1.2 million citizens served

• 200 million gallons wastewater treated every 24 hrs

• 16,500 work orders completed annually

• 10,000 pieces of equipment maintained annually

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Complex SystemsWastewater TreatmentAt WTD’s two advanced treatment plants, complexsystems perform at the highest industry standards.They pump, filter, spin, aerate, drain, siphon, force,filtrate, separate, ventilate, oxygenate, circulate, cool,heat, and chlorinate the wastewater as it flowsthrough the preliminary, primary, and secondarytreatment processes.

In addition to maintaining the essential wastewatertreatment equipment and systems, complex supportsystems require continual maintenance, monitoring,servicing, replacing, lubricating, and calibrating.These systems include:

• Electrical systems

• Water systems

• Compressed air systems

• Heat loop systems

• Odor control systems

• Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning

• Computerized alarm and control systems

Scheduled Maintenance

Preventive Maintenance

Emergency Maintenance

WTD Maintenance Program

Three Maintenance ProgramsThree maintenance programs enable the maintenancesection to service and repair equipment and systemsdaily and also to respond to emergency equipmentbreakdowns and system failures, as shown below.

Scheduled MaintenanceScheduled maintenance is the day-to-day service andrepair of equipment and systems due to normal wearand failure.

Scheduled maintenance keeps 64 facilities in top operat-ing condition, and maintains flow to the plants, and pre-vents overflows to private and public property.

Preventive MaintenancePreventive maintenance (PM) reduces maintenancecosts and equipment downtime, and eliminates cata-strophic failures of equipment.

In the PM program, all major equipment at the plant andat all offsite facilities is on a regular maintenance sched-ule. With regularly scheduled checking and servicing,many hours and dollars are saved by detecting potentialproblems before equipment breaks down.

Emergency MaintenanceEmergency maintenance is required when unplannedequipment failures occur demanding immediate atten-tion. Flexibility is vital because the maintenance teamsmust respond to emergency repairs while continuingscheduled and preventive maintenance work.

Maintenance is well prepared for any emergency. Allmajor equipment, and most other equipment, arebacked up by at least one standby unit. This redundancysystem, together with a well-maintained equipment in-ventory, provide quick, essential equipment repair andreplacement during an emergency.

Thousands of pieces of equipment must bechecked, serviced and repaired annually.

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Section manager

Management analyst

Facilities project specialist

Technical training coordinator

CAD designers

Mechanical supervisors

Instrument/electrical supervisor

Planner/scheduler

Purchasing/stores

Instrument/electrical leads

Instrument technicians

Electricians

Mechanical craft

Administrative assistant

Supervisor

Planner/scheduler

Purchasing/stores

Mechanical leads

Mechanical craft

Instrument/electrical lead

Instrument technicians

Electricians

Senior operators

Operators

Gardener

Mechanical supervisors

Instrument/electrical supervisor

Offsite/PM supervisor

Planner/scheduler

Purchasing stores

Instrument/electrical leads

Mechanical leads

Instrument technicians

Electricians

Mechanical craft

Administrative assistant

Custodian assistant

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM

MAINTENANCE WEST WEST OFFSITE MAINTENANCE EAST

WTD maintenance section is managed by the

section manager. An administrative team

assists the manager in the daily operation and

planning for the west, east, and offsite teams.

WTD Maintenance Staff Organization

The administrative team works closely with the

east and west operations teams in managing

WTD’s two advanced treatment plants and offsite

facilities.

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The Maintenance Administrative Team

The maintenance section capital program consists ofnew equipment purchases, equipment replacementplans, and new projects. When considering majorequipment replacement, the analyst submits the sectioncapital program requirements and prepares cost-ben-efit analyses for review by section management.

The management analyst provides analytical support tothe WTD Gainsharing Program.

Most recently, the analyst is representing maintenancein the multi-agency Benchmarking Project, whererepresentatives from other wastewater treatment facili-ties compare operating costs and operations and main-tenance methodologies.

Facilities ProjectsThe facilities project specialist assures the efficiency oflong-range maintenance planning efforts throughcoordination with other related programs within WTD.

The facilities projects specialist represents the mainte-nance section in the planning, design and construc-tion of major capital projects. All equipment specifica-tions under consideration for installation in WTD facili-ties are reviewed from a maintenance perspective.

About the TeamThe maintenance administrative team includes the sec-tion manager, the management analyst, facilities projectspecialist, technical training coordinator and CAD de-signers. They manage the three maintenance sectionteams from two locations: the West Point TreatmentPlant maintenance building and the East Section Recla-mation Plant maintenance building.

Section ManagerThe section manager is responsible for the long-rangeplanning and the day-to-day operation of the main-tenance section.

The manager regularly meets informally with the me-chanical and instrument/electrical leads and supervisorsto discuss day-to-day operating problems and decisionsThe manager also formally meets monthly with the en-tire maintenance management team—supervisors,planners/schedulers, trainers, administrative projectstaff, and designers to discuss current maintenance poli-cies, projects, and problems.

The manager attends bi-weekly WTD managementteam meetings and reports on the major maintenancesection projects. The manager keeps the maintenancesections up to date on the status of major departmentdecisions that impact them.

Budget/FinanceThe management analyst prepares and tracks thesection $11,500,000 annual budget. Major budgetitems are salaries and supplies. The analyst submitsmonthly budget updates to the section managementteam and revisions to the spending plans are made asneeded. Careful monitoring throughout the year resultsin the maintenance section meeting their budget projec-tions within two to three percent each year. Section manager checks progress on equipment repair.

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Recent major facilities projects include the West PointTreatment Plant expansion to secondary treatment andthe Renton III Expansion.

Design/As-BuiltsThe main responsibility of the maintenancedesign/as-built team is keeping over 11,000 westsection drawings monitored, current, and avail-able for maintenance crews and other site personnel.The team tracks changes made to West Point and offsiteequipment and systems, and then revises and distributesthe updated drawings.

An important part of the job is assisting engineers,maintenance crews, and consultants research, locate,and acquire accurate data for their projects.

A workstation located in the instrument shop, with read-only access to the drawing database, allows personnel toresearch drawings, monitor job progress, plot, or makered-line sketches.

CAD (computer-aided design) workstations, the CADserver, plotters, and hard copies of all West Pointdrawings (current and historical), and other referencematerials are located in the design/as-built offices onthe second floor of the maintenance building.

CAD operators discussing updates to computerized constructiondrawings. Maintenance personnel can access these drawings alsofrom a separate workstation.

TrainingNew equipmentand technologies,safety awareness,technical knowl-edge, job progres-sion, and skillimprovement re-quire a comprehen-sive training program forall maintenance personnel. The maintenance trainingcoordinator is responsible for the training programs inthe section.

Safety training is a top priority and regularly scheduledsafety training ensures that all maintenance personnelare trained and certified for first aid and hazardous situa-tions.

“Train the Trainer” classes were developed by thetraining coordinator to provide in-house training bymaintenance craftspersons rather than hiring outsidetrainers. This capability saves training dollars and en-hances job satisfaction.

Another major part of the maintenance training programis the Job Progression Program. Job progression,developed jointly by management and personnel, allowspersonnel to advance based on their contribution to thebusiness and to have more control over their careergrowth. Job progression has resulted in a more produc-tive, higher quality work environment with increased effi-ciency and effectiveness in plant operations and mainte-nance.

The maintenance training coordinator works with eachbusiness team to develop consistent job progressionstandards and tasks lists. He also verifies training accom-plishments, administers tests, and advises managementon job progression procedures. Of the 122 employeesassigned to maintenance, 41 are or were eligible to par-ticipate in job progression—the others are either exemptor beyond their last gate. To date, 13 of those eligiblehave completed the requirements to pass through a gateand have been promoted to the next level; this is a30␣ percent success rate.

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Planning/SchedulingThe planner/schedulers are the hub of the mainte-nance program. They coordinate and facilitate mainte-nance projects at the treatment plants and the offsitefacilities.

Planning the Days and WeeksSchedules are planned weekly with enough flexibilityto accommodate unexpected equipment problems ornecessary process changes.

The planner/schedulers meet daily with operationspersonnel, maintenance supervisors, and craft leadsto identify, prioritize, and plan work for the day. Highpriority work requests are integrated into the existingweekly schedule of planned work and preventivemaintenance. This monitoring and communicationassists in keeping critical equipment in service.

Coordinating withOperations and Process ControlAny impacts on plant operations are coordinated withoperations and process control personnel. Majorprojects that require equipment be taken out of ser-vice are frequently scheduled during the dry summermonths, when flows into the plants are at their lowest.

Purchasing/StoresParts, materials, and service contracts are a major partof planning for the maintenance section. Each mainte-nance facility has a warehouse staffed by purchasing/stores personnel responsible for ordering, receiving,and disbursing parts for work orders. They maintainan inventory of critical spare parts. Maintenance mate-rials and supplies are purchased on an as-needed basisand service contracts are created for specialized workto be performed.

The combined inventory value at the three facilities ex-ceeds $5 million dollars with over 6,000 inventoryitems on hand.

Planning and purchasing staff assess the availability ofrepair parts locally, the demand for routine parts andmaterials, and the lead time required to receive partsfrom vendors out of the area to determine which partsand materials need to be stored onsite in our ware-houses. Minimum and maximum stocking levels aredetermined and a computer report is generated to“flag” parts that need restocking.

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EastMaintenance Teams

About the TeamsEast maintenance supports the East Section Reclama-tion Plant and east offsite facilities. East maintenanceincludes the instrument control and electrical (ICE)team and the mechanical team.

East ICE TeamThe ICE team includes the instrument/electrical leads,instrument technicians, and electricians that service theEast Section Reclamation Plant and east offsite facilities.

Typical ICE Projects• Replaced main and drive boards in variable speed

drive.

• Replaced faulty power supply for the programmablelogic controller (PLC) and reprogrammed the PLC atthe Murray Pump Station (PS).

• Corrected problem at Murray PS PLC. The station lostcommunication with Renton, causingpumps to perform in fill-and-draw mode.Electricians replaced a defective PLC.

• Completed upgrade of station controls atBellevue PS. Cleaned up wiring and com-pleted as-builts.

• Completed an installation of the communi-cation intertie between the water reusesystem and Forney.

• Programmed the pump building programmable logiccontroller for a new raw sewage pump RSP 5.

• Installed drywell flood alarm floats in lower level of allfive flow control structures.

• Replaced wet well level recorder at Bellevue PS.

KING COUNTYPIERCE COUNTY

SNOHOMISH CO.

KING CO.

E A S T

S E C T I O N

WTD ServiceArea

East SectionService Area

EastReclamation

Plant

The East ICE Team:“Our mission is to provide the most efficient andcomplete electrical and instrumentation control systemspossible for the east operations section of WTD.”

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East Mechanical Team:“Our mission is to provide qualitymechanical repair in a timely, cost-effective, and safe manner in support ofour customers.”

East Mechanical TeamThe east mechanical team includes the lead mechan-ics, master mechanics, mechanics, lubrication spe-cialists, PM mechanic, vibration analyst mechanic,offsite team, and maintenance worker.

Typical Offsite Mechanical Team Projects• Rebuilt and installed RSP 2 at Heathfield PS.

• Replaced the RSP 4 at Murray PS with a rebuilt pumpfrom inventory. Rebuilt the removed pump, replacingthe wear sleeve, bearings, and seals.

• Repaired leak on 16-inch force main at Wilburton PS.

• Pre-fabricated a spool piece of pipe with flanges anda saddle, cut out worn section of pipe, welded newsection in place. No interruption of service at thepump station.

• Repaired RSP 2 at South Mercer Island PS. Replacedimpeller.

• Removed drive line from RSP 2 at Juanita Bay PS toreplace u-joints and have it balanced.

Typical Mechanical Team Projects• Rebuilt DAFT 1 and 2, involved fabrication and assem-

bly work.

• Completed modifications to motor base of gas scrub-bing compressor 1. Eliminated vibration problems.

• Rebuilt instrument air compressor 3.

• Replaced DAFT 6 THS pump.

• Overhauled belt filter 8 press washwater pump.

• Completed major overhaul to belt filter press 1 indewatering.

• Overhauled instrument air compressor 3.

An east mechanical vibration analyst mechanic checksequipment for worn parts.

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West maintenance supports West Point Treatment Plant.West maintenance includes the power and control (PAC)team and the west mechanical team.

West Mechanical Team:“Our mission is to consistently providethe highest quality of mechanicalmaintenance, repairs, and installationservices that will enable all personnelto operate equipment and facilitiesefficiently, safely, and with reliability.”

WestMaintenance Teams

West Mechanical TeamThe west mechanical team includes lead mechanics,master mechanics, engine mechanics, mechanics, lubespecialist, and maintenance worker.

Typical Engine Mechanic Projects• Replaced turbochargers for co-generator engine 2.

• Rebuilt co-generator radiator cooling tower.

• Rebuilt engine for co-generator 1.

• Rebuilt instrument air compressor 2.

• Installed new manifold on co-generation engine 3.

Typical West Mechanical Projects• Rebuilt west grit pump 4.

• Rebuilt east raw sludge pump 6.

• Rebuilt digester feed pump 2.

• Rebuilt digester 5 gas mixing compressor 1.

• Installed isolation valves at the pressure relief valves andrebuilt relief valves for digesters 1,2,3 to reduce odor.

• Rebuilt centrifuge 1 discharge conveyor by replacing itsscrew.

• Inspected and made repairs to east primary sedimenta-tion tank 1.

KING COUNTYPIERCE COUNTY

SNOHOMISH CO.

KING CO.

West PointTreatment

Plant

W E S T S E C T I O N

WTD ServiceArea

West SectionService Area

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West PAC Team:“Our mission is to provide highquality, cost effective, technicalexpertise for the maintenance,modification, and design of theWest Point WastewaterTreatment Plant’s powerdistribution and controlsystems.”

West PAC TeamThe power and control (PAC) team includes instru-ment/electrical lead, the electricians, and instrumenttechnicians.

Typical PAC Team Projects• Repaired VSD for effluent pump 3.

• Modified co-generator radiator controls.

• Repaired and maintained primary and combined seweroverflow (CSO) hydraulic systems.

• Rebuilt post-chlorinators 3 and 4.

• Completed repairs to chlorinators:

- repaired valves

- rebuilt regulators

- checked valves

- calibrated electronics

• Recalibrated prechlorinator to meet treatment processdemands.

• Repaired final effluent flowmeter.

• Identified and implemented short term and long termsolutions for plant hydraulic system.

PAC team electrician cuts threads in west maintenance shop.

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Pump stations (such as Interbay shown above and right) aremain worksites for the offsite team. Their job is to keepwastewater smoothly flowing to the WPTP.

Offsite LocationThe offsite team combines operations and maintenanceinto one team with a common goal. This combined main-tenance and operations team was created in 1992 tomeet a permit requirement to reduce total traffic intoWPTP.

The offsite team is located at the Jameson Building,about five minutes from the WPTP. The building containsa fully-equipped machine shop, electrical/instrumenta-tion repair shops, offices, and a large meeting/ confer-ence room.

Daily Pump RunsThe offsite operations team, senior operators and opera-tors, visit offsite facilities daily to service all equipment,alarms, controls and to perform daily, weekly, andmonthly tests at each facility to assure the integrity of theoperating, alarm, and warning systems.

Emergency ResponseOffsite personnel rotate weekend standby duty to be avail-able 24 hours a day to respond immediately to equip-ment failure at any offsite facility.

West Offsite Team

West Offsite Team:“Our mission is to operate and maintain the offsitefacilities efficiently and effectively.”

West Offsite Maintenance TeamThe west offsite team operates and maintains the westsection pump stations, regulators, and collectionsystem for West Point Treatment Plant (WPTP).

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Typical Offsite Projects

Instrument/Electrical Team• Repaired wet well float switch and reinstalled high

wet well floats at Lake Ballinger PS to improvebackup control.

• Moved pump 2 controls at Interbay PS to improverunning the generator on simulated outage.

• Assist with installation of VSDs at several offsite sta-tions.

• Installed new rain gauges at several pump stations.

• Completed the yearly PLC battery change-out PM.

• Programmed and installed new Metrotel II system.

• Changed UPS batteries in all west facilities.

• Installed new chlorine analyzer and sampling systemat Carkeek CSO plant.

Mechanical Team• Replaced several instrument air compressors at

several pump stations.

• Rebuilt pump 5 unit at Richmond Beach PS.

• Replaced hydraulic oil pump 2 at Matthews PS.

• Replaced anti-reversing gear on pump 3 at DuwamishPS.

• Overhauled pump 2 at Belvoir PS.

• Inspected and installed silencers on Densmore forcemain pressure relief valves.

• Rebuilt Carkeek grinder.

• Assisted with University odor control project andHidden Lake discharge pipe replacement projects.

Operations Team• Started the flow swap with Edmonds Treatment Plant at

Lake Ballinger PS.

• Changed carbon in Lake City odor control unit.

• Did a storage program to assist in shut down of theWPTP plant (planned shutdown of pump and regulatorstations to store sewage in wet wells and trunk lines).

• Worked on startup of the new West Seattle PS.

• Changed out carbon in Denny odor control unit.

• Assisted with testing of new Harbor regulator gate.

• Assisted with Hidden Lake PS discharge pipe replace-ment project.

• Assisted with installation of temporary odor controlunit at University Regulator.

Offsite staff are the maintenance staff’s “road crew,” travellingto the sites they maintain. The offsite team attracts self–starters who don’t mind working alone or the occasionalencounter with a snake.

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WTDMaintenance Today

Vibration analyst checks for excess machineryvibration, the precursor of equipment failure.

Maintenance Faces New ChallengesWith major expansion projects at both treatmentplants and new, more complex pump stations andcollection system components coming online, themaintenance section has a challenge to maintainequipment and processes at top performance level.

Preventive and Predictive MaintenancePreventive and predictive maintenance are the back-bones of the equipment maintenance program. Rang-ing from weekly to biannual schedules, equipment ischecked, serviced, and maintained to protect both theinitial capital investment and minimize correctivemaintenance downtime.

Lubrication, vibration analysis, and laser alignment arecomponents of the predictive maintenance program.Detailed step-by-step procedures and indicators areidentified by the preventive maintenance program.

Equipment Vibration AnalysisThe vibration analysis program detects conditions in themachinery, such as alignment and impeller wear, thatcause premature failure.

Using special equipment and training, the vibration ana-lyst determines the “root causes” of rotating machineryproblems, such as imbalance, misalignment, vane-pass,or drive problems. The ability to discover problemsbefore they cause costly equipment failures results inboth reduced labor and parts costs.

Maintenance Section Vision:“Working together to create an environment wherepeople can achieve goals and meet the challengesof the future through safety, integrity, teamwork,respect, trust, diversity, communication, honesty,positive attitude, and technical competence.”

“We are dedicated to provide quality maintenanceservices and support to all of our customers.”

Maintenance personnel use state-of-the-art lasers to checkmachinery alignment. The maintenance section always strives toprevent problems from occurring to avoid system downtime.

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• Maintain precise, historical records of equipment opera-tion/maintenance

• Increase machine time, decrease downtime

These cost savings are reflected in the WTD GainsharingProgram each year.

In-House Machine Shop BenefitsThe west offsite machine shop provides in-house exper-tise and fast service at a cost savings of thousands of dol-lars by manufacturing standard and customized toolsand parts for all wastewater facilities.

Cost and Time SavingsThe machinist fabricates tools and parts that are nolonger available from the manufacturers. With the in-house ability, maintenance saves money by not having topurchase new equipment to replace obsolete pieces.

Typical Machine Shop Projects• Manufactured sprockets and saved $1,120.

• Custom-designed samplers for solids.

• Machined a new shaft for emergency repair for theInterbay PS, for a savings of $4,215 and two weeks indelivery time.

Laser AlignmentManufacturing industry statistics show that 50␣ percent ofrotating equipment failures are caused by poor or im-proper alignment techniques. Laser alignment technol-ogy checks and corrects internal conditions such ma-chinery misalignment. Maintenance teams employ thevery latest in laser alignment techniques.

All major capital equipment and most other equipmentis now aligned using laser techniques. Laser alignmentof new construction equipment begins a valuable his-torical tracking record.

Lubrication and Oil AnalysisThe lubrication oil analysis program identifies anddiagnoses internal conditions that contribute to machin-ery internal surface and component wear and destruc-tion. The program includes three types of analyses:

Fluid properties analysis identifies physical and chemi-cal properties of the lubricating or power transfer fluidsof machinery. Tracking these properties allows for earlydetention of oil breakdown, which causes equipmentwear.

Fluid contamination analysis identifies what contami-nants are present and at what concentration. Contamina-tion is the leading cause of failures and rapid wear inprocess machinery.

Wear debris analysis identifies the presence of machinewear particles. Analysis of the size, shape, color, andtexture of particles helps determine the origin.

Cost SavingsThrough New TechnologiesThe combination of these three technologies enablesmaintenance to improve the quality of mechanical main-tenance, as follows:

• Reduce labor costs

• Reduce parts costs

• Improve planning/scheduling

• Improve budget planning for large work requirements

Rebuilding pumps often requires machine work. Providing thiswork in-house eliminates the need to send equipment out forrepair, saving time and money.

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Performance Standard Sample

Form #

Equipment to be repaired

Persons Required:

Estimated Hours:

Job Description:

Work Requested:

Tools and Parts Needed:

Lockout Location and Safety Warnings:

Procedure List:

1 5

6

7

8

9

2

3

4

PM#:WM-707A-EPS3 ANNUALAnnual coupling inspection—EPS goulds pump 3 [holset coupling]

Inspect rubber blocks in holset coupling on pump 3

EPS pumps coupling insp. 707-P09AC031

2

5

1. 32—Rubber blocks DCB 847.5—#U100972. Metric all-thread 2.0 x 2.53. 1-3/16 Socket and ratchet4. Torque wrench set for 243 foot pounds

1. Electrician is required to perform lockout [2 locks].

2. Valve out discharge side hand wheel [1 lock].

3. Close and lockout influent gate in parking lot [1 lock].

4. Close and lockout hydraulic valve on discharge side of pump.

1. Pull off two opposite sides of guards to access coupling.

2. Take out two bolts from one side of bottom plate and insert metric all-thread rod into bolt holes, run nuts up all-thread to hold

plate in place. Remove rest of bolts and lower bottom plate down the all-thread.

3. Visually examine the rubber blocks to check for any of the following:

A. Large amounts of dry rubber dust or loose fitting rubber blocks. This shows that the rubber blocks are abrading and should be

replaced at the next scheduled shut down.

B. Deep cuts or deformed rubber blocks show that the coupling has been overloaded. They should be replaced at the next

scheduled shut down.

C. Rubber blocks should have a slight oil film coating them.

D. After inspection—note that the nuts may be only used three times.

The sample performance standard above informs themaintenance craftsperson assigned to this project that this isan annual preventive maintenance project performed oneffluent pump 3 impeller. Two persons will be required andthe inspection should take about five hours to complete.Several tools and safety equipment will be needed. A confinedspace permit is required before work can begin. Lockout/tagout locations are provided.

Inventory PartsAnother important part of the machinist’s work is themanufacture of parts for the maintenance inventorysuch as shafts, seals, wear sleeves, and many otherparts. Producing these parts in-house saves approxi-mately 20 percent over the outside price.

In-House Shop Drawings BenefitsThe machinist also produces the shop drawings for spe-cific pieces of equipment. The drawings are catalogedand filed for future use. This saves maintenance time andmoney because shop drawings were previously sent out-side.

Performance StandardsPerformance standards are thestandard operating proceduresfor the preventive maintenance(PM) projects. They provide allthe details of a specific PMproject, including time and num-ber of persons required. Thisinformation helps both theplanner/schedulers and thecraftspersons.

The performance standards weredeveloped by the craftspersons inthe field. They recorded eachstep and detail of a project as itwas performed.

ComputerizedMaintenance ProgramThe maintenance section hasused a computerized mainte-nance information system for14␣ years. This year, a new systemwas installed, MainSaver— aWindows-based computerizedmaintenance management soft-ware program. MainSaver allowsmaintenance to collect the stan-dard information used in the

past—work and equipment history, timekeeping, andequipment parts listings. The program can also use theinformation as a management tool to track labor andmaterials expended, analyze program efficiency, identifycapital replacement before breakdown, monitorworkload, detect trends, and identify needed resources.

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Work Orders/Work RequestsMainSaver processes work requests and generates awork order that coordinates the work of the purchas-ing/stores teams and the teams in the field. It effi-ciently tracks all equipment work history and printsout parts lists, standardized procedures, and equip-ment drawings.

With MainSaver, the maintenance section can quicklyassess the best progress for a specific system or pieceof equipment based on history, present inventory,current workload, and available personnel.

Preventive MaintenanceMainSaver generates PM work orders according toequipment hours and schedule dates. The PM pro-gram also prints out the standard performance pro-cedures, a scanned drawing, or as-builts along withthe work order.

Lubrication ProgramMainSaver allows the lubrication specialists to create“lube routes,” which identify grease points, high/lowvalues, lube oil codes, parameters, and samplinglocations.

Time KeepingMaintenance created a customized time keeping mod-ule to effectively meet their specific employee needs.An employee is automatically upgraded when workingoutside their primary job description. Payroll recordsare entered into MainSaver.

Historical RecordsMainSaver is a great long range planning tool for themaintenance teams. MainSaver’s historical equipmentrecords includes: purchase date, price, manufacturer,number of repairs, cost of repairs, length of service,and cost of replacement. With this information, main-tenance determines when to repair or replace failedequipment.

With the new MainSaver system, maintenance can quicklyand efficiently schedule projects with instant access toequipment history, present inventories, current workload,and available personnel.

Both east and west treatment plants are amazingly efficient andclean. Staff work closely with the community to be a goodneighbor monitoring odors and making sure excellent service isprovided 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

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Revenue-Producing Maintenance Projects

West Point Treatment PlantCo-Generation System

East Section Reclamation PlantSludge Gas Scrubbing SystemThe sludge gas scrubbing system at East Section Reclama-tion Plant removes low-pressure sludge gas from the di-gesters and blending storage tank, compresses the gas,and scrubs it with cooled C3 water to remove impurities.The scrubbed gas is then dried, metered, and sold. Thegas scrubbing system produces an annual revenuein excess of $187,000 in sales to WashingtonNatural Gas.

The sludge gas scrubbing system consists of two similar,separate process trains, each capable of scrubbing1.2␣ million standard cubic feet per day of sludge gas. Eachprocess train includes digester gas collection domes, lowpressure sludge gas compressors, gas scrubbing towers,scrubbing water pump/turbines, gas dryers, scrubbed gasanalyzer/controller, and waste gas burners.

The sludge gas scrubbing system requiresintensive maintenanceefforts from the ICEand east mechanicalteams. Routinepreventivemaintenance isperformed on allsystem components.

The co-generation system at West Point Treatment Plantuses methane gas from the digesters to fuel engine gen-erators and boilers to produce electricity and heat.The co-generation system produces an annualrevenue in excess of $350,000 in sales of elec-tricity to Seattle City Light. The hot water generatedby the engines and heat recovery boilers provide heatto the entire plant.

The co-generation system consists of three 1,300 kWco-generation units. Each unit consists of an enginegenerator and heat recovery boilers. Auxiliary equip-ment includes turbochargers, gas compressors, heatexchangers, cooling pumps, and expansion tanks.

The co-generation system requires intensive mainte-nance efforts from the PAC and west mechanical teams.Routine preventitive maintenance is performed on allsystem components. Complete engine rebuilds are re-quired every 1 to 3 years.

West Point co-generator undergoing routine maintenance.

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WTD Maintenance – Tomorrow

As the maintenance sectionplans for the 21st century,they face many changes, chal-lenges, and opportunities.The following programs havebeen identified by KingCounty Regional WastewaterServices to manage the waste-water needs of our region foranother 40 years or more:

• Expand the currentconveyance and treat-ment capacity of WTD.

• Accelerate the controlcombined sewer (CSO)program.

• Reduce inflow and infilitration.

• Continue current biosolids program and evaluatenew technologies.

• Investigate new ways to recycle and reuse effluent.

To meet the demands of this expanding, complex work-place, the maintenance section strives to stay ahead ofcurrent technology by continually researching and test-ing new technologies, new equipment, and new mainte-nance processes to streamline, improve, and economizetheir processes.

The maintenance section constantly

searches for the most innovative and

efficient solutions to preserve water

quality in our region.