1. 1 Emergency Preparedness for Utilities Presented by: Chris Saunders Team Manager, Annapolis Sewer Service Area Anne Arundel County Bureau of Utilities “A View From the Field”

2. 2 Bureau of Utilities Wastewater Operations Overview 7Water Reclamation Facilities (WRF) 46.6 MGDCombined WRF wastewater capacity 253Sewage Pump Stations 45Wastewater System Technicians 5 Team Managers (operations/preventive maintenance) Electrical and mechanical repair support provided by 42 Technicians and three (3) Team Managers.

3. 3 Anne Arundel County’s Water Reclamation Facilities Capital Improvement Projects for ENR upgrades are currently under construction for each of the County’s Water Reclamation Facilities except Mayo. County engineers are nearing the end of the design phase for the upgrade and expansion of the Mayo plant.

4. 4 Overview continued… Day to day strategies for maintaining system reliability. Long term planning for emergencies. Steps to take when an event is anticipated. Contracting for vendor support in emergencies.

5. 5 Daily Maintenance: The Key to Preparedness CLAIR is an operational and maintenance philosophy that is applied whenever Operations staff visit a site. C lean: Keep equipment and work sites clean. L ubricate: Maintain lubrication in rotating equipment and engines. A djust: Make routine adjustments as needed to keep equipment within design tolerances. I nspect: Regularly inspect equipment for proper operation. R epair: Immediately make minor repairs when discovered. Promptly refer major repairs to appropriate support group. The objective is to increase attention to equipment operation and limit downtime which reduces vulnerability to failure during an emergency.

6. 6 Daily Maintenance: The Key to Preparedness continued… In addition to CLAIR work –Top off all generator fuel tanks at ½ empty year round. –Exercise generator sets under load weekly. –Exercise valves for emergency bypasses regularly. –Monitor pump run times and flow rates to anticipate pump wear or clogging before an event. –Forward chronic problems and needed upgrades to CIP group before situation is critical.

7. 7 Long Term Planning Take detailed notes during events. –Areas with more frequent or longer duration power outages. –Sewage pump stations that experience very high inflow during rain events. –Affect on plant processes, biological and mechanical. –Employee performance when fatigued/stressed. Arundel on the Bay #1 Sewage Pumping Station in Annapolis

8. 8 Long Term Planning Review your notes and meet with employees to gain insight into successes and failures during the event. Act on the knowledge gained from past event meetings. –Request on site back up power for areas where commercial power has proven to be unreliable. –Investigate areas with high inflow during rain events, find and solve problems before the next heavy rain. –Put procedures in place at the treatment plants to ease the impact of high flows and power failures on the effluent. –Look for alternative schedules or the possibility of importing support during emergencies to help prevent employee fatigue.

9. 9 Predicted Events 1.Review “lessons learned” from previous events. 2.Have a prepared checklist of action items to complete. 3.Fill all generator sets below ¾ full. 4.Contact on site inspectors at all active construction sites and instruct them on how to prepare for the storm. Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, Noreasters and Snow Storms -secure all loose items -ensure adequate protections are in place around excavations -If possible, remove equipment from process tanks that may need to be put into service. -Cancel construction activities and planned shutdowns for when storm arrives

10. 10 Predicted Events continued… 5.Ensure adequate staffing and employee resources are available. 6. Cancel scheduled leave. 7.Put extra employees on standby. 8.Fuel all equipment 24 hours ahead of event. 9.If snow related have plows and salt spreaders on the trucks. 10.Stock up on salt and spare shovels. 11.Maintain adequate food, water and emergency cots for potentially stranded employees. Consider clothes washer and dryer also. 12.Plan out your overtime schedule ahead of time. I prefer 12 hour shifts, noon to midnight. Employee skill sets and experience levels should be considered. Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, Noreasters and Snow Storms

11. 11 Contract Support-Equipment Generators -include multiple sizes for different situations. -possibly place generators at specific sites in advance. -include electrical power cables in the contract price. Pumps -consider contracts with more than one vendor. -include pump deliver and set up in contract. Fuel Delivery Support -challenge getting fuel to remote generator in an extended power outage -contract should have emergency clause for minimum response times. -use Utility pickup trucks with 75-100 gallon fuel totes for pump and small generator refueling.

12. 12 Contract Support-Equipment continued… Wastewater Hauling -practical in smaller sewage pump stations. -hauling can buy time to prevent a spill while temporary generators or pumps are put in place. -Contract with a vendor that offers multiple types of equipment. Large 5000+ gallon tankers Medium sized straight tankers (not tractor trailers) Traditional septic trucks Vacuum trucks *ask for emergency rates for off hours work and standby rates. *include minimum response times.

13. 13 Staffing for Emergencies PRIORITIZE Safety First –During an event everyone works in pairs. –Make sure Central Dispatch or EOC know where you are. –In dangerous conditions, don’t wait get off the road. Treatment Plant Effluent –Preventing NPDES violations second only to safety. Prevent SSO’s –Take action to prevent overflows. –Before storm events assemble a pump station matrix that includes station flow, generator size, bypass locations. Staffing Levels are Set for Normal Operations

14. 14 Summary Day to Day Operations is the Most Important –Implement proactive maintenance program Long Term Planning –Evaluate events after they are over –Take action to address shortcomings. Predicted Events –Have procedures in place. Contracted Support –Put contracts in place that control costs and improve responses. Staffing –Safety first. Watch for fatigue.