The millions of dollars of machinery and equipment at Utilities Division’s 53 major facilities are vital in providing reliable water and sewer service – through rain, shine and power outages – for Morgan Hill residents and businesses. However, the reliability of the system also depends on other factors, in addition to this machinery and equipment.
Recently, someone asked me about changes in pump technology that have increased system performance and reliability. Actually, the basic mechanics of moving water and wastewater haven’t really changed for more than a century. We have higher efficiency pumps and motors, but that’s about the extent of mechanical improvements.
This isn’t unusual: an automobile’s engine operates by the same internal combustion principles of a hundred years ago. Valves opening at exact intervals create a precise mixture of air and fuel; spark plugs ignite this mixture; and pistons moving inside a cylinder rotate the car’s wheels.
Pump technology is still a century-old inductive process of magnets and electricity that induce rotors to spin, thus starting a pumping action.
What does change frequently in today’s world, however, is the software that runs the 24/7 monitoring, control and data-gathering systems. That’s why software updates and new software comprise a significant portion of the annual operating budget.
As I thought about the blend of old and new technology, it brought to mind the term “working smarter.”
I thought about what happens when a utility worker enters a pump house for a scheduled inspection. He or she immediately and consciously begins capturing – with all senses alert – the condition of that pump house.
Any telltale water pools on the floor? Oil spots under the machinery? Does the pump feel hot to the touch? Any burning smell (motor abrasion)? Any gashes in the fencing or new graffiti (possible intrusions)? Is there something “different” than what was observed a week ago?
Incidentally, by keeping the facilities clean, we significantly increase the probability of immediately noticing anything that’s not as it should be.
But these observational skills are just part of the reliability equation. Before the computer age, observational skills and some handwritten notes sufficed. Today, however, computers are indispensable for information retention, organizing and data storage.
Another part of the equation involves the knowledge and operational skills of the crews. These are built by systematic training, mentoring, experience and guided practice. Crew members learn to watch for the different or new, and then relate it to similar observations at other facilities weeks or months earlier.
Observational skills, knowledge and experience are then combined with computerized tracking and organizing of real-time data. Finally, the interpretation and sifting of computer data by knowledgeable, experienced employees bring us to that level of “working smarter.”
Today’s employees still use the same observational skills needed in years past. But now these are leveraged through technology. Computers help to capture and retain the “institutional memory” of the hour-by-hour operational nuances of the equipment and machinery.
These facilities include 17 water wells that feed an interconnected grid of pipelines to deliver water.
Ten water booster stations increase the pressure in the lines to move water from the valley floor up the hills to elevated parts of the city.
Meanwhile, 12 large storage tanks hold millions of gallons of water and are always kept at 50 percent capacity or higher for emergency fire protection. The water stored in these tanks is fed back into the distribution system so that wells and pumps don’t have to run during peak energy-use hours.
In addition to providing safe, clean water, the city’s miles of sewer lines and lift stations carry away millions of gallons of wastewater every day. This wastewater is gravity-fed to a jointly owned waste treatment center in Gilroy.
The computer age is what has most shaped today’s utilities, driving the evolution of improved reliability of today’s water and wastewater industry.
To that end, technology – united with the training, skills learned and experience of dedicated employees – is defining, measuring and advancing system reliability.
