Optimizing Wastewater Treatment: Insights from a Utility Operator

Case Study Webinar | Optimizing Wastewater Treatment: Insights from a Utility Operator

This insightful case study features Brockton Advanced Water Reclamation Facility (AWRF), a large wastewater treatment facility located near Boston, MA, serving a population of over 132,000. Special guest John Downey, Veolia-Brockton AWRF Instrumentation Manager, and Adrienne Stenz, YSI Process Application Engineer, discuss how the plant leverages online sensor technology for ammonia-based and dissolved-oxygen aeration control to achieve optimal performance and meet stringent effluent limits.

Key Highlights:

• Brockton AWRF Plant Overview: Explore Brockton AWRF’s wastewater treatment process, which uses YSI IQ SensorNet ammonia ISE, DO, and UV-nitrate sensors to control the aeration process.
• Insights from a Utility Operator: John Downey shares insights on the preventative maintenance schedule implemented to ensure the reliability of fifty-two online sensors as control points in their system. Learn about sensor placement, routine maintenance, and measurement verification techniques for high-quality sensor data.
• Comparison of Aeration Control Methods: We cover an analysis of blower energy consumption, treatment efficiency, and effluent quality for a month between ammonia-based and dissolved-oxygen aeration trains employed at the plant.
• Operational Differences Between Methods: Discover the operational differences between the two methods, including ease of operation, blower control schemes, and optimal sensor placement.

What You’ll Learn: 

1. Practical Insights
   Gain real-world insights into using online sensors for ammonia-based and dissolved-oxygen aeration control to help meet regulatory compliance and improve process efficiency.
2. Effective Maintenance Practices
   Discover effective preventative maintenance practices to ensure the reliability and accuracy of online sensors as control points within a wastewater plant.
3. Performance Comparison
   Understand the comparative performance of aeration control methods. Gain valuable insights into the differences and find out how to optimize treatment processes and maintain high-quality effluent water with online sensors.

Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and optimize your process control.

Meet the experts:

Adrienne Stenz, Application Development Engineer, YSI, a Xylem brand

Adrienne has been with Xylem for over five years, specializing in municipal treatment, instrumentation, and analytics. She has extensive knowledge of wastewater processes and the integration of YSI’s instrumentation line in these applications. Adrienne supports the YSI process and utility team through technical training and marketing content, including application notes and presentations. She holds a B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder.

John Downey, Veolia-Brockton AWRF Instrumentation Technician

John is an Instrumentation Technician and Site Safety Coordinator for Veolia North America at their Brockton, MA project. He entered the environmental field in 2002 as a sales representative and has extensive experience in instrumentation field service across New England, New York, and New Jersey. He joined Veolia in 2020 to assist in commissioning and maintaining the ammonia-based blower control system at the Brockton Advanced Water Reclamation Facility.

John is an active member of WEF, NEWEA, and MWWA. He is also a board member of the Massachusetts Water Environment Association, serving as president from 2020 to 2022. In 2023, John received the Alfred E. Peloquin Award for outstanding contributions to plant operations excellence.