For an industry that is so crucial to the ongoing functioning of a modern society, few facilities are less thought about or analyzed than waste treatment plants. There is obviously a good reason for this, as they are not the most pleasant places to think about, but it should not detract from their vital role in keeping the world functioning as a clean and healthy place to live.
However, if you are the manager or owner of a waste treatment facility then you will understand better than anyone the fact that despite their critical importance, many plants are in fact dated and in need of modernizing.
To help you to make these changes, here are some key strategies for modernizing your aging wastewater treatment plant.
Renew the infrastructure
Arguably the most important way in which you can modernize a wastewater treatment plant is to renew the core infrastructure that enables it to function properly.
After all, you can integrate new workflows or compliance regulatory best practices all you want, but without the necessary tooling, your team members will find it impossible to carry out their daily duties.
To work out what elements of your infrastructure might need changing, you should conduct a full analysis of the facility, and pinpoint any areas of inefficiency or weakness.
You may want to enlist the help of your employees for this part, as they will know which tools or machines are getting long in the tooth, and which are in perfect working order.
Once you have done this and highlighted some areas of concern, waste no time in hesitating, and invest in modern infrastructure. This could include a secondary sedimentation system, for example.
Remember to abide by the compliance and regulatory considerations
Next, you should consider whether the water treatment facility is fully abiding by the necessary compliance and regulations in your sector. Often, if a facility is getting old, it can be easy to fall foul of the regulations, because the machinery is simply not up to scratch.
As you no doubt already know, it is crucial that you adhere to the relevant environmental regulations in waste treatment. Revisit the local, state, and federal regulations that govern your water treatment facility—particularly those related to air emissions, waste disposal, water quality measures, and the safety of your workers.
Run an analysis of your current processes to ensure you are not breaching the regulations in any way, otherwise you are potentially in breach of the law and will face the necessary punishment to match.
Remember to train your staff on health and safety best practices
Continuing with this theme of regulations, you need to ensure that your staff members are up to speed with the latest industry best practices for water treatment plants.
This includes teaching them the latest health and safety information to keep them safe during their working hours, because these plants can be dangerous places—as you well know.
By keeping you staff members up to date with the latest working practices, you will also be able to quickly highlight if there are any underlying issues with your wastewater treatment plant that need addressing.