The company’s pledge to environmental responsibility and waste management compliance led to the implementation of continuous process monitoring to ensure that local and provincial regulations are observed at all times as dictated by environmental policies.
Such a commitment to environmental sustainability and continual improvement of environmental performance set in motion several initiatives to make sure municipal regulations related to wastewater management were in full compliance. As part of the permit application, the water discharge from the lab onto the city sewage system required continued monitoring in order to verify the outflows and water caustic levels were within parameters as dictated by the environmental management act.
CopperTree Analytics was challenged to come up with a robust solution to satisfy all reporting requirements while providing real-time monitoring of sewer discharge and continuous process analysis to ensure proper operation of the neutralization system.
A comprehensive solution was designed that includes Delta Controls’ facility management software and our supervisory
platform. Transducers monitoring wastewater’s flow and pH level connected to the Building Automation System (BAS)
provide the process monitoring capability, with real-time readings displayed on an interactive dashboard.
While flow meters are used to keep track of wastewater volumes, pH sensors measure caustic levels in order to make
sure the water discharged into the sewage system is neither too acidic nor too basic. Using these pH readings, cumulative time buckets keep track of the number of hours the levels are below 6.2 (too acidic), above 10.2 (too basic), and at 15 – an
indication of loss of signal – given that the normal pH range is between 0 and 14. A monthly report provides daily cumulative calculations and totals per month in both graphical and tabular formats. In addition to this, a separate report showing
daily discharge volumes and combined monthly volumes are configured for delivery at the end of every month.
The solution helps establish cost avoidance measures, representing financial benefits in the form of significant averted expenditures, including:
Report generation costs – beginning with data collection and normalization to graphing, formatting and e-mail delivery, the process could take between four and eight man-hours per month after initial setup. At a technician rate of $80/hour, from $4,000 to $8,000 in annual labour costs are avoided with automated reporting functionality.
Non-compliance offences on restricted waste – liable to fines of up to $10,000 per day. Moreover, according to the province’s Hazardous Waste Legislation, penalties between $200,000 and one million could be imposed for each day the offence continues
The monitoring and reporting solution helps the company comply with the City’s wastewater regulations, meeting strict requirements related to water flow and caustic level management, including automated monthly reports to certify compliance. Real-time monitoring of sewer discharge verifies the performance of the neutralization system that controls pH levels, with facility personnel finding such information valuable in order to make necessary corrections and respond to critical conditions in a timely fashion. Furthermore, analyzing historical performance raises maintenance initiatives to proactive levels whereby pH sensor degradation due to caustic acid is identified and dealt with before actual sensor malfunction occurs, thus avoiding missed sampling and undetermined reporting.
Real-time monitoring, predictive analytics and comprehensive reporting equip facility management with additional tools, allowing them to:
