Municipal utilities facing wastewater collections conundrums can now get help through a new assessment process developed by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC).

Based around the CMOM (Capacity, Management, Operation & Maintenance) concept developed by the U.S. EPA, the assessment process has been applied through an extensive pilot program involving communities in New England and the State of New York. Now the results are available to utilities nationwide, free of charge, by way of a user-friendly Web site.

“Our CMOM evaluation tool is designed to help utility managers self-assess their organizations,” says Mike Jennings, a program manager in the NEIWPCC wastewater division. “It’s in response to EPA’s proposed Sanitary Sewer Overflow rule of 2001-2002. The rule was never fully implemented, but our organization and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have partnered to move ahead and develop guidance for rehabilitating sewer infrastructure and optimizing operation and maintenance procedures.”

Inadequate investment

Jennings explains that many collection systems perform poorly because they have received minimal maintenance. “Systems also suffer from a history of inadequate investment in maintenance and repair, due in large part to the out-of-sight, out-of-mind nature of these systems,” he says. “The potential health and environmental risks highlight the need to optimize management, operation and maintenance of these systems.”

In response, the CMOM assessment process was developed by a team of experts, including James Courchaine of Westin Engineering; Tim Miller of the New York DEC; and Kirk Rowland of the Town of Tonawanda (N.Y.) Water Resources Department.

“We were very fortunate to have Jim Courchaine come in and help us put this together,” says Jennings. “He’s sort of the godfather of collections systems.”

Working with three partner communities representing large, medium and small utilities, the team organized an extensive process that reviews and evaluates the entire collection system business practice. A series of interviews, fact-finding exercises, workshops, and field visits identify the most serious needs, then assigns priorities to provide a clear framework for specific actions. The utility then logs improvements, and a follow-up program tracks progress.

“We knew going in that no two utilities are the same,” says Jennings, “but the CMOM tool is a template — an evaluative process — that can be adapted to all sizes and types of systems.” The process recommends improvements that utilities can undertake at their own pace. It’s voluntary, and utilities can set their own timetables.

The three participating utilities were linked to the CMOM Web page, so that results could be shared with others. “Overall, I think the biggest benefit is that the program brings all stakeholders of the utility’s collection system operation and maintenance together to discuss and deal with local issues and solutions.”

Partner communities

The Saratoga County Sewer District No. 1 in upstate New York has formalized its collection system maintenance program because of the CMOM assessment, says executive director James DiPasquale. The district has made other improvements to its business practices in communications, accounts with satellite municipalities, and overall management of wet-weather flows.

“We serve an estimated 148,000 people and operate an extensive collection system serving about 250 square miles,” says DiPasquale. The district’s collection system consists of about 500 grinder pumps and 80 pump stations discharging through 17 miles of interceptor sewer, 120 miles of trunk sewers, and 180 miles of collector sewers. In addition, the district accepts flows from several satellite systems owned by municipalities and private transportation corporations.

Saratoga County, the large utility in the pilot program, began working with CMOM in April 2005. “They came in and did an extensive evaluation of our collection system,” says DiPasquale. The evaluation involved management interviews, interviews with maintenance and operations staff, and field inspections.

“We received the final report and rankings in December 2007, and have been reviewing our procedures ever since. Our goal is to do the best we can with resources available to us, bring us to the highest level of performance possible, and demonstrate that commitment to our public and regulatory agencies.”

The new monitoring and maintenance program is the most tangible evidence of that commitment. ”The maintenance management program provides and documents system information — maintenance intervals, parts, vendors, warranties and repair frequency, for example,” explains DiPasquale.

“Implementing the system has proven helpful in maximizing use of financial and personnel resources to maintain reliable operation. In addition, a maintenance history helps us evaluate and identify conditions causing repetitive situations.”

Maximizing resources

In Somersworth, N.H., near the Maine border, a CMOM assessment has led to a number of pivotal changes. According to John Jackman, Director of Public Works and Utilities, the program required a candid review of the town’s collection practices but has led to improvements in infrastructure, reduction of environmental risk, and development of better management and training programs.

The community maintains 35 miles of sewers, and serves 3,300 homes and businesses with a biological nutrient removal wastewater treatment plant with average flows of about 1.2 mgd.

The CMOM assessment was “a great experience,” according to Jackman, even though it forced the utility to open up and discuss everything it was doing well and not so well. “But it wasn’t just a critique — it provided us with a tool to deal with issues,” Jackman explains. “We have a lot of sumps here, and they can increase our flow and disrupt the oxygen balance in our BNR system.”

One of the issues involved a long-ignored interceptor that ran alongside the river. It hadn’t been looked at since 1972 and was identified as a potential environmental risk. “It had the highest priority in the CMOM matrix, and because of that we were able to convince our council to approve televising and cleaning it,” Jackman says. “We discovered a 20-foot section of root, 30 inches in diameter. It was essentially blocking flow in the 30-inch line — wastewater was just sneaking through.”

After the root was removed, flows decreased from nearly three-quarters of the inside pipe diameter to around one-quarter. “What a difference!” Jackman says.

In another case, a CMOM-recommended visual inspection of all lines revealed a deep open manhole with the lid askew, presenting the opportunity for public access. That safety concern was addressed right away.

In another instance, a shallow 90-degree turn in a sewer line ran directly beneath a house in a new development and was causing problems. “We obtained a new sewer easement and ran a tight diagonal line just to that house, bypassing the problem area,” Jackman explains.

CMOM has propelled other initiatives in Somersworth, including the hiring of a new foreman certified in collections and confined-space entry. He in turn has organized a training program to certify other members of the staff. Staff awareness of wet-weather issues is keener, too. In the past, overflowing manholes might have been ignored as common occurrences, but now the utility is quick to deal with them. “We expect a lot more from our staff now, and I think they do as well,” Jackman says.

Would he recommend a CMOM assessment to other communities? Without question. “It’s not something you can do yourself,” he says. “You need something like the NEIWPCC assessment tool and Mike Jennings’ team to turn the exercise into a valuable experience. Otherwise, it’s just a self-critique.”

Progress at Boonville

With a population of around 2,200, Boonville, N.Y., was the smallest community in the pilot program. Because of that, says chief operator Al Salmon, the treatment and collection staff hasn’t been able to implement all the recommendations. “But we’re working on it,” he says. “Overall, I’d say the CMOM assessment was a worthwhile exercise. I wouldn’t hesitate to go through it again, and I’d certainly recommend it to other utilities.”

The Boonville treatment plant is designed for 1.1 mgd and averages 0.5 mgd. In prior years, wet-weather events could raise the flows to as much as 10 mgd. Salmon says many sewers were not separated, and sumps in homes could easily overflow the system.

“Since then, we’ve separated most of the system and have replaced or rehabbed a lot of the sanitary lines,” he says. “We’ve also run storm lines into areas so people can run their sumps directly into them.”

Salmon feels the CMOM program is good discipline. “We’ve been able to look back at where we were and compare that with where we are and where we need to be,” he says. “The CMOM team came in several times during the evaluation process and those were good discussions.”

Another benefit is training. As a result of CMOM, his utility has stepped up its training in safety and professional development.

CMOM assessment has proven worthwhile for the pilot project communities. The NEIWPCC now awaits its broader application to communities across the nation. The results are likely to include better-maintained and higher-functioning collection systems and better protection for public health and the environment.