Goodenow Award

The Brewer Water Pollution Control Facility (BWPCF) is staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week by 12 dedicated professional treatment plant operators. The staff consists of 1-Superintendent, 1-Chief Operator, 1-Maintenance Supervisor, 1-Laboratory Manager, 2-Operator II/Dewatering, 2-Operator II/Night Shift, 2-Operator I/Dewatering, and 1-Maintenance Mechanic. All but one operator is licensed by the State of Maine to operate wastewater treatment plants with three of the operators holding a Grade V license which is the highest level available for operators in Maine. Also, in addition to the treatment plant license, five operators hold a Grade IV, New England Collection System Operators License. The staff performs operation and maintenance on the City's WPCF, 12 Sewerage Pumping Stations , and 7 active Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO's). The Public Works Department operates and maintains the 46 miles of sewerage collection system.

The facility Operators are proud of their accomplishment as operators at the BWPCF. They are dedicated to the Facility mission of creating the best quality effluent possible, for discharge to the Penobscot River. During the Phase I&II Upgrades from 1992 through 1994 the facility staff operated the Facility under adverse conditions on a daily basis and never allowed the plant to violate its discharge permit. Because of their professionalism and the ability to work under the worst of condition the Facility staff was rewarded in 1995 by receiving the Richard B. Goodenow Award presented annually by Maine Wastewater Control Assoc., for excellence in operation and management of a wastewater facility.

Following are some of the in-house programs that the staff are responsible for on a daily basis:

• Computerized Maintenance Program

• EPA and DEP Approved CSO Abatement Program

• EPA and DEP Approved Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP)

• EPA and DEP Approved Sludge Monitoring and Disposal Program

• EPA and DEP Approved Laboratory QA/QC Program

• Chemical Hygiene and Hazardous Chemical Disposal Program

• Adopt A School Program

• Employee Drug and Alcohol Program

• Sexual Harassment and Discrimination

• Twenty-one Safety Programs

ADOPT A SCHOOL PROGRAM

SAFETY PROGRAMS: WITH MANDATORY TRAINING

• Confined Space Entry

• Respiratory Program

• Lock Out/Tag Out

• Hazardous Communication - Right to Know

• Material Safety Data Sheets - MSDS

• Hazardous Material Identification System - HMIS

• Noise Conservation

• Back Injury Prevention

• Tool Safety

• Fork Truck Safety

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Safety Glass Policy

• Bloodborne Pathogen

• Laboratory Safety

• Emergency Evacuation

• Ladder Safety

• CPR & Basic First Aid

• Chemical Hygiene

• Fire Extinguisher

• Hazardous Waste Disposal

All operators receive mandatory in-house training on all Facility Policies twice a month. All policies and procedures are written, and all training is documented.

In 1997 the Brewer Facility was awarded the George W. Burke Facility Safety Award given annually by the Water Environmental Federation (WCF) to a New England Waste Water Facility that demonstrates an effective safety program.

BWPCF WASTEWATER LABORATORY

The laboratory is responsible for collection and analysis of samples collected from throughout the treatment process. The lab results provide the Facility operators with the information required to determine the effectiveness of the treatment process and provides information necessary to decide on the daily process control strategy. Also, data provided by the laboratory results is necessary for compliance monitoring and reporting required by Federal EPA and the State of Maine DEP. The BWPCF has a established QA/QC program which was developed by the WPCF staff. The laboratory is Managed by the Laboratory Manager, and he performs all required analysis Monday through Friday, however all Facility operators have completed extensive lab training and are all capable of performing the required analysis during the Managers absence during vacations and weekends.

Analysis performed in the BWPCF lab with there frequency and location are as follows:

Additional testing and reporting is required if the stormwater bypass is active.

INFRASTRUCTURE:

Much of the City of Brewer Infrastructure (collection system) dates back to the early 1900's. Seventy-five percent of the system is combined where stormwater run-off and sanitary wastewater is carried in the same pipe to the City's pump stations. Brewer has 7 active CSO's which discharge untreated dilute wastewater to the Penobscot River during the Spring snowmelt and during periods of extended heavy rainfall. Prior to any separation projects in 1988 the City was loosing approximately 750 million gallons per year of untreated dilute wastewater to the river. After extensive separation projects were completed from 1988 through 1998, the water lost to the river decreased to approximately 210 million gallons per year. The City has a EPA and OEP approved CSO Abatement Schedule that will be completed in 2006. The City currently invests 0.5 million dollars per year to system separation projects and will continue to do so, until the City meets the EPA required minimum of 5-7 CSO overflows per year.

*Photo used with permission of NP Studios.