James (J.D.) Malone
Collection System Maintenance
The Maintenance Department maintains all electrical and mechanical equipment and facilities for the treatment plant and collection system. The department is organized into three work groups allowing the District to operate as efficiently and reliably as possible. The three work groups are Plant Maintenance, Collection System Maintenance, and Information Systems / Instrumentation and Controls.
Plant Maintenance:
The Plant Maintenance ensures the reliability and performance of over 5,500 assets and 25 Buildings at our 99-acre wastewater treatment facility, playing a vital role in maintaining the infrastructure essential for effective operations.
- Mission Fulfillment: The Maintenance Department plans and executes upkeep tasks, including scheduled maintenance, repairs, and preventive measures, to keep equipment operational and prevent breakdowns. This proactive approach helps us avoid costly repairs and downtime.
- Unique Expertise: This team shares a broad skill set, allowing us to handle diverse maintenance tasks ranging from electrical to mechanical work, making the job dynamic and interesting. Staff members are adept in multiple trades, ensuring we can tackle various challenges without relying on external resources.
- Collaborative Integration: The Maintenance Department works closely with other departments, such as Operations and Laboratory, to ensure safety and alignment in achieving shared goals. An emphasis on open communication encourages a team-oriented environment where knowledge sharing and problem-solving thrive.
- Adaptation and Progress: Our maintenance approach has shifted from reactive strategies to proactive and predictive maintenance, leveraging technology for efficiency. We are streamlining processes, while future advancements in AI will further enhance our asset management capabilities.
- Future Goals: The Maintenance Department aims to reduce downtime, enhance asset performance, and improve communication and inventory management. These goals align with our commitment to maintaining the district’s infrastructure and supporting its mission effectively.
Collection System Maintenance:
The Collection System Maintenance team ensures the functionality and upkeep of the infrastructure that conveys wastewater from the community to the treatment plant. This includes maintaining 52 lift stations, 4 Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) facilities, and over 100 miles of interceptor sewers, along with the Wyckles Biosolids Facility. Lift stations span from multi-room buildings to tanks that are completely underground except for the controls.
· Mission Fulfillment: The Collection System Maintenance Department is responsible for maintaining key infrastructure, including lift stations and CSO facilities, essential for wastewater flow. They conduct proactive maintenance and address issues quickly to ensure everything runs smoothly and prevent system failures.
· Unique Expertise: The Collection System Maintenance team has a diverse skill set, allowing them to handle routine maintenance and emergencies alike. Their versatility ensures quick responses and seamless operations.
· Collaborative Integration: This team works with engineering, operations, and other departments to clean pipes, address emergency repairs, and manage spills, maintaining effective operations across the system.
· Adaption and Progress: The team has introduced a Sewer Cleaning Crew to handle tasks like jetting lines, clearing growth, and annual interceptor cleaning. These focuses, paired with advanced tools, ensure the collection system runs smoothly while adapting to changing demands.
· Future Goals: The Collection System Maintenance team’s future goals focus on preventing Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) through proactive maintenance and improved system capacity. The Sewer Cleaning crew has been working on a multi-year project to remove trees and other vegetation from the easements above the interceptor pipes. This reduces the amount of root intrusion in the pipes and allows for easier access for cleaning and repairs. The team also plans to use new technologies and improve maintenance methods to strengthen reliability and prevent long-term problems.