# WWTP Question



## R2D3 (Jan 16, 2015)

Hey guys, I just got a job as a wwtp maintenance electrician. I'm a journeyman and most of my experience is in industrial and commercial construction. Obviously maintenance is quite a bit different than construction and so im wanting to know, excluding process controls/automation, what are the most common type of repair orders you get in a wwtp?


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

Mostly just S&%t


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## running dummy (Mar 19, 2009)

I was just talking to a friend of mine who's been working at wwtp's for a few years now. He says he swaps quite a bit of 3 phase motors on pumps that go bad, along with general maintenance in all of the pumping stations and remote buildings. 

Mostly he said it's pretty slow paced. Everyday he shows up and they hand him a few work orders for him to complete. Change a ballast here, replace a pump there, and so on and so forth. There's also the occasional emergency that gets him out of bed, but not often.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

If I were to do that for one facility, my advice would be to survey all of the complex equipment in there and make sure you know where the manuals are for it, and what you will be expected to deal with vs what they rely on others for. For example, most plants expect their maintenance electricians to deal with the power devices, like VFDs and Soft Starters, but not the PLCs or DCS systems, because they will often have a contract with a Systems Integrator for that. The same might be true for much of the instruments, but it's a good idea to know in advance what is in your bucket, so time isn't wasted in trying to find out in a crisis.

The biggest culture shock I hear about from guys getting into that industry is the urgency issue. In manufacturing plants where down time is costly, people are used to that. But in commercial maintenance or construction, there is either no real urgency, or a set schedule to follow that is coordinated with other trades. They come into the W/WWTP thinking that since they don't "produce" anything, the urgency isnt there. But that industry is ruled by hefty fines for improper treatment, plus a total lack of being able to "stop the inflow" while waiting to fix something. This often drives urgency issues well beyond what most people have experienced elsewhere. That's why preparedness is extra important.

That, and a willingness to get woken up at 3 AM, get in your truck, and be prepared to go down a ladder into a wet well full of sewage to free up a float switch that got caught in a sanitary napkin that someone flushed...


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

Submersible pumps by far will be what you will be checking and pulling.

Look at all the equipment and familiarize yourself with the names and the contacts for that equipment. Check for the literature on the equipment and if they have the drawings/schematics for the systems too.
Find the address or contact list for the shop and if they allow it, call all your vendors and introduce yourself. These people can help you.
If you are the only electrician, these folks very well might be calling you to introduce themselves.
Take advantage of any outside help you can get.
Take that lunch invite and get to know these guys. Find out about after hours service and other help they can provide.
If you need help on any of your equipment ask about free training. Or the famous two for one deals many manufacturers will give you.
Good luck and quit biting your nails.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Motor changes, cleaning/replacing floats and other devices that go in the poo, lighting repairs, equipment PM's. Replacing corroded stuff too.

Occasionally something big will blow up and then the headworks starts to fill up and the operators and the managers start running around and panicking. :laughing:


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

John Valdes said:


> ...
> Good luck and quit biting your nails.


:thumbup::laughing:
That's funny, but also he is dead serious!

And along the same lines, be VERY fastidious about cleaning and treating even the simplest cuts and abrasions immediately. I used to do a lot of electrical work on sewage lift stations for an OEM that built the pump systems for them. One of the guys I worked with in the field, a 30+ year veteran, got a tiny nick on his knee from a bit of galvanizing slag left on the ladder. But there was a crisis going on, so we kept working through the night before going home to clean up. The next day he was in the hospital with septicemia, blood poisoning from the bacterial infection. He ended up getting his leg amputated just above the knee to save his life. Needless to say it ended his career though.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Learn to love 409 and clorox too. 

If I really have to get into it I put all the tools I use into a 5 gallon bucket then bleach them later, then put them back in my bag. 

I wipe the plastic bottom of my Veto and line buckets off often too.


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## GuessLogical (Jan 17, 2015)

Everyone has summed it up well. Take JRaef's advice, a small cut in a WWTP is more serious. You should get all your vaccines up to date, especially your Tet shot.

Your work is going to be somewhat boring laced with a few emergencies. A WWTP is a production facility, it produces clean water for discharge to natural waterways.

Most WWTP facilities are redundant and maintain backups to cover for system downtime. There are some however that are running at or above capacity. If this is your plant expect to be put on the spot.

I agree with earlier comments it is important to familiarize yourself with every piece of equipment and make certain you have your documentation.

First thing I would do is get the latest copy of the P&ID and walk the plant, multiple times. Also don't shell yourself into just electrical, understand the process, this will be a huge asset when you have to troubleshoot problems.

Get to know the control end of things, the PLC's, DCS, and SCADA. Most times a fault can be remedied with a simple reset or cycling of power.

Learn the terminology quick, Primary Treatment, Secondary Treatment, Tertiary Treatment, Bar Screens, Grit Separators, Equalization Tanks, Diversion Valves, Flammable Liquids Detection, Digestion, Sludge Dewatering, just to name a few.

You will have pumps, valves, and instruments. Instruments will probably include pH measurement, flow, total suspended solids... etc. Know how they work and how to set the parameters.

Last thing, if you have pump stations, and you probably do, these will give you the most headache. Pump stations are notorious for overflowing because a float switch became entangled in a trash bag that was washed from the street.

About the smell... if it is done right it doesn't smell that bad. ))

GL


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## R2D3 (Jan 16, 2015)

Thanks guys, that helps a lot! I want to brush up on some of the maintenance specifics as well, so thank you for the feedback!


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

JRaef said:


> :thumbup::laughing:
> That's funny, but also he is dead serious!
> And along the same lines, be VERY fastidious about cleaning and treating even the simplest cuts and abrasions immediately. I used to do a lot of electrical work on sewage lift stations for an OEM that built the pump systems for them. One of the guys I worked with in the field, a 30+ year veteran, got a tiny nick on his knee from a bit of galvanizing slag left on the ladder. But there was a crisis going on, so we kept working through the night before going home to clean up. The next day he was in the hospital with septicemia, blood poisoning from the bacterial infection. He ended up getting his leg amputated just above the knee to save his life. Needless to say it ended his career though.





Jlarson said:


> Learn to love 409 and clorox too.
> If I really have to get into it I put all the tools I use into a 5 gallon bucket then bleach them later, then put them back in my bag.
> I wipe the plastic bottom of my Veto and line buckets off often too.


I still smoked cigarettes back then and the first thing the guy told me was to start buying the flip top box instead of the pack i had in my top pocket.
I guess they were concerned about stuff getting into my smokes.



GuessLogical said:


> Everyone has summed it up well. Take JRaef's advice, a small cut in a WWTP is more serious. You should get all your vaccines up to date, especially your Tet shot.


Any reputable WWTP will send you to have ALL your vaccines up to date before they allow you to work.
Most likely during the physical they are going to send you for. Drug test ahead. Careful.
I got a combination of several vaccines at once when i worked in a plant like this. I had never been that sick for one night in my life. Never forget it and the chick I had to drop off early that night. :no:
Got fired a few months later.


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## danhasenauer (Jun 10, 2009)

GuessLogical said:


> Everyone has summed it up well. Take JRaef's advice, a small cut in a WWTP is more serious. You should get all your vaccines up to date, especially your Tet shot.GL


Make sure you get hepatitis vaccinated also. This is 21st century waste we're discussing here. Change into your work clothes on site and bag them good when you take them to the laundromat, don't wash them at home. Write off a pair of work boots and leave them there to wear on site. Shower on site at the end of your shift, if you can, and shampoo your hair good (nothing worse than having the 'Ol Lady say "you smell like poo"). You'll survive. :thumbup:


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## GuessLogical (Jan 17, 2015)

John Valdes said:


> I still smoked cigarettes back then and the first thing the guy told me was to start buying the flip top box instead of the pack i had in my top pocket.
> I guess they were concerned about stuff getting into my smokes.
> 
> 
> ...



I agree any reputable U.S. company will send you for the necessary medical, however the last plant I started up was not in America.


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## DriveGuru (Jul 29, 2012)

JRaef said:


> If I were to do that for one facility, my advice would be to survey all of the complex equipment in there and make sure you know where the manuals are for it, and what you will be expected to deal with vs what they rely on others for. For example, most plants expect their maintenance electricians to deal with the power devices, like VFDs and Soft Starters, but not the PLCs or DCS systems, because they will often have a contract with a Systems Integrator for that. The same might be true for much of the instruments, but it's a good idea to know in advance what is in your bucket, so time isn't wasted in trying to find out in a crisis.
> 
> The biggest culture shock I hear about from guys getting into that industry is the urgency issue. In manufacturing plants where down time is costly, people are used to that. But in commercial maintenance or construction, there is either no real urgency, or a set schedule to follow that is coordinated with other trades. They come into the W/WWTP thinking that since they don't "produce" anything, the urgency isnt there. But that industry is ruled by hefty fines for improper treatment, plus a total lack of being able to "stop the inflow" while waiting to fix something. This often drives urgency issues well beyond what most people have experienced elsewhere. That's why preparedness is extra important.
> 
> That, and a willingness to get woken up at 3 AM, get in your truck, and be prepared to go down a ladder into a wet well full of sewage to free up a float switch that got caught in a sanitary napkin that someone flushed...



That's nuts,lmao. At 3am I might cut the float loose and drop another one down the pit,lol. That sounds like a confined space to me, need to have a pump truck to empty the pit, and the another contractor to power wash the pit, then with adequate ventilation maybe consider using that ladder, and that's a big maybe,lmao


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

DriveGuru said:


> That's nuts,lmao. At 3am I might cut the float loose and drop another one down the pit,lol. That sounds like a confined space to me, need to have a pump truck to empty the pit, and the another contractor to power wash the pit, then with adequate ventilation maybe consider using that ladder, and that's a big maybe,lmao


Given the basic nature of a sewer plant, it's very often not possible to stop the inflow.


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## Expediter (Mar 12, 2014)

Pm Eric. He has worked on those plants for years.


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## DriveGuru (Jul 29, 2012)

micromind said:


> Given the basic nature of a sewer plant, it's very often not possible to stop the inflow.



I understand, I do allot of work at wttp's, I still don't like them enough to climb in a confined space full of ****,lol


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