Mayors Water Council

Newsletter of the Mayors Water Council of The United States Conference of Mayors

Winter 2008

Local Startup Company Saves City of Fayetteville

(Ar) Money Using Supersaturated Dissolved Oxygen

injector at Wastewater treatment Plant

injection system currently in use. Unlike most emerging tech-

David Jurgens, P.E., Water and Wastewater Director,

nology companies, they offered to install their system free of

City of Fayetteville and Billy Ammons, Regional

charge for a full in-place trial.

Manager, Operations Management International

The City of Fayetteville and Operations Management Inter-

national (OMI), who operates the City's Noland WWTP under

A local startup company, BlueinGreen LLC, founded by sev-

a contract to the City, agreed to test BlueinGreen's new system,

eral University of Arkansas professors, approached the City

which is an innovative system using off the shelf hardware to

of Fayetteville in late 2006 proposing the City consider their

inject supersaturated dissolved oxygen into water which is then

new and unproven Supersaturated Dissolved Oxygen Injec-

injected into the effluent. Tests were conducted on the SDOX-

tor (SDOX) system to oxygenate the City's 12 MGD Noland

300 system in February and March, 2007.

Wastewater Treatment Plant's effluent. BlueinGreen believed

their system would be more cost effective than the oxygen

see STARTUP on page 7

ASSET MANAGEMENT from page 5

property and resources when natural or terrorist disasters

strike. Additionally, their institutional knowledge of the system

quate fire flow and adequate pressure need to match minimum

must be included in the asset management plan. The value of

criteria or critical factors in determining success for a water

the individuals is often not clearly understood until they retire.

distribution system. A wastewater collection system is expected

Mayors generally recognize that the City employees are a

to provide service without back-ups at peak flows.

tremendous asset. If you want to derive the maximum public

A one time media blitz will not obtain desired results in

benefits from their efforts they require training, good equip-

financing and communicating with your public. A goal ori-

ment and respect. With the increasing number of pipeline

ented, gradual, sustained activity that is well articulated to the

failures and the inconvenience that goes with it, your custom-

public is more likely to generate greater public awareness and

ers are becoming less appreciative of the daily challenges the

result in support for future investment in water infrastructure.

community, the elected officials, and the staff face.

"Human factors" touch the demographics and character of

Conclusions: What matters gets mea-

your community. Information about your replacement projects

need to have the public's understanding. Meetings with the

sured!

public on individual replacement projects or the program in

general can help to build support for the work. We have found

The six questions posed above, are important to a Mayor's

that neighbors who understand the reasons for a project are

administration in managing piped assets. Assets include:

better prepared for the inconvenience that construction proj-

·  financial

ects may bring. Loss of street parking and removal of mature

·  physical infrastructure

trees, are common issues with replacement projects.

·  human resources.

The human factor also considers your staff that operates

Having a plan and selling that plan to your community

systems, set priorities and implements your program. Trained,

relies on your ability to describe what is in service and what

adequately compensated and properly motivated staff are

needs to be reconstructed. Truly, the first step in managing

critical to your community's ability to complete pipeline asset

assets is having the means of measuring that system. Leader-

management goals. Pipeline construction crews are called into

ship is needed so that a proactive game plan is in place that

service week-ends, nights and holidays. Their skills are invalu-

speaks to the public about your infrastructure, staff, finances,

able! Their response-ready state of preparedness and activa-

and future of the community. In so doing, you can manage

tion to address damage and disruption incidents are much like

one "predictable surprise."

the emergency service first-responders that protect people,

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