Streamline - Spring 2013 - (Page 25)

SUBMITTED BY BOB GAY, CIRCUIT RIDER II Asset Management and Drought Management SUPPLIES OF TREATABLE When full, the storage facilities and mile after mile of pipe represent probably billions and billions of gallons of water that are out of the replenishment cycle, if even for a short time. water are showing drastic signs of depletion. Science has always said that matter is neither created nor destroyed. That has proven to be true over and over. So the question is, “What form is our water taking now?” If we look back at the creeks, ponds and rivers that we played in as children, some are gone while most are suffering from a serious lack of volume. One potential explanation is the belief that much more water resides in the atmosphere in the form of vapor. Some theorize that this may be caused by global warming. A second theory to explain this phenomenon is the idea that the oceans contain more of the water. Fewer and fewer storms gather water from the ocean to be distributed as rainfall. Due to human development of the land (houses, pavement, clear cut timber), this rainfall fails to soak into the ground and runs off more quickly into streams, rivers and, finally, back into the ocean. This disrupted cycle of a less frequent pickup from, and a faster return to, the ocean results in less replenishment of the underground aquifers. Due to less ground absorption, the volume of water for most any given storm results in a large volume of water returning rapidly to the ocean. Storm water runoff has become a major issue with the regulatory agencies. This storm water may have to be captured for later use for drinking water and irrigation. There are about 450,000 water systems in this country and almost every one of them has a certain amount of water storage. This water is from a groundwater or surface water source, which has been treated and stored until used. When full, the storage facilities represent billions and billions of gallons of water that are out of the replenishment cycle. Much of this water will have a delayed replenishment return cycle due to distribution and treatment methods, residences with septic fields, agriculture, industrial contamination and evaporation. These approximate 450,000 water systems play a major part in how efficiently our water sources are utilized. This includes your system. Failing water and wastewater infrastructures can result in larger amounts of treatable water being drawn from these ground and surface water sources. Therefore, if less water is wasted a smaller amount of water needs to be extracted from our valuable sources. The treatment, storage and distribution infrastructures need to be maintained. This can be accomplished by an asset management program that dictates good routine maintenance, efficient utilization, as well as timely replacement of equipment. Begin with a thorough survey of your systems liabilities. Next, determine the costs of repairing/ replacing the most urgent needs. The next and largest challenge is to find the money. This should be followed by a plan to address all needs and have them placed into reasonable time frames. When each asset is repaired and/or replaced a projection of its approximate new lifespan along with projected expense of repair/replacement should be recorded and funded accordingly. A massive customer water usage awareness program (in order to educate the consumers in the many ways in which this valuable resource can be conserved) should be conducted. A big plus in customer conservation practices is that there is less impact on the system during a drought or other disruption. This program not only lessens the daily stress on the overall system, it can also save the customer money each month. Each locality must do its part to better utilize this most valuable asset. The driving force may be the water/wastewater operators along with the distribution and collection personnel. In many cases, you are also the customer. www.vrwa.org 25 http://www.vrwa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Streamline - Spring 2013

From the President
From the Executive Director
What If?
Stormwater Management
Soapbox Farewell
Water and Wastewater Certifi cation Exam Test Taking Tips
Past 25 Years of VRWA
Proactive vs. Reactive
Asset Management and Drought Management
Is the Tank Contaminating the Water?
Committed to the Future of Rural Communities
Standard Operating Procedure For Leak Detection Using the Pressure Hold Method
The Virginia RATES Program is at Your Service
Ergs, Joules and Other Stuff
Employee Introductions
VRWA 25th Annual Exposition Agenda
Wastewater Math
eLearning Benefits
Do You Know What Your VRWA Benefi ts Are?
Membership Application
Throwing My Loop
VRWA Mailbag
Welcoming New Members
Training Calendar
Board Of Directors
VRWA Committees
Index To Advertisers/Ad.com

Streamline - Spring 2013