Costs and Benefits of Complete Water Treatment Plant Automation

236 Pages·2009·2.115 MB·English

by  David Roberts, David Kubel, Alan Carrie

Costs and Benefits of Complete
Water Treatment Plant
Automation
Subject Area:
Efficient and Customer-Responsive Organization

Costs and Benefits of Complete
Water Treatment Plant
Automation
©2008 AwwaRF. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
About the Awwa Research Foundation
The Awwa Research Foundation (AwwaRF) is a member-supported, international, nonprofit organization
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©2008 AwwaRF. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Costs and Benefits of Complete
Water Treatment Plant
Automation
Prepared by:
David Roberts and David Kubel
Black & Veatch, Kansas City, MO 64114
Alan Carrie and Dean Schoeder
Westin Engineering, Inc., Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
and
Chris Sorensen
Transdyn Controls, Inc., Pleasanton, CA 94588
Jointly sponsored by:
Awwa Research Foundation
6666 West Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO 80235-3098
and
U.S Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC
Published by:
Distributed by:
©2008 AwwaRF. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
DISCLAIMER
This study was jointly funded by the Awwa Research Foundation (AwwaRF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA) under Cooperative Agreement No. CR-83110401. AwwaRF and USEPA assume no responsibility
for the content of the research study reported in this publication or for the opinions or statements of fact expressed
in the report. The mention of trade names for commercial products does not represent or imply the approval or
endorsement of either AwwaRF or USEPA. This report is presented solely for informational purposes.
Copyright © 2008
by Awwa Research Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced
or otherwise utilized without permission.
ISBN 978-1-60573-012-7
Printed in the U.S.A.
©2008 AwwaRF. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLES................................................................................................................................... ix

FIGURES.................................................................................................................................. xi

FOREWORD............................................................................................................................ xiii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................................................................................ xv

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................................... xvii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND...................................................... 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1
Objectives..................................................................................................................... 1
Report Organization...................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 1 – Introduction................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2 – WTP Automation Regulations and Industry Practices.................. 1
Chapter 3 – Cost and Benefits of WTP Automation Systems.......................... 2
Chapter 4 – Automation Considerations........................................................... 2
Chapter 5 – WTP Unit Process Considerations................................................ 2
Chapter 6 – “Balanced Approach” Methodology............................................. 2
Appendix A – NPV Examples.......................................................................... 2
Appendix B – Case Studies............................................................................... 2
Appendix C - Cost Database and Example Cost Estimate............................... 3
Appendix D – Literature Review and Search................................................... 3
Drivers of Unattended WTP Operation........................................................................ 3
Regulations and Unattended Plant Operation............................................................... 3
Drivers of Economic Analysis...................................................................................... 4
Understanding the Costs and Benefits.......................................................................... 5
Tangible Costs.................................................................................................. 5
Economic Life Cycle Cost Analysis............................................................................. 7
Strategic Costs and Benefits......................................................................................... 8
Balanced Scorecard .......................................................................................... 8
Asset Management ........................................................................................... 9
Literature Review.......................................................................................................... 9
Technology Trends........................................................................................... 10
Automation Planning, Design, Procurement and Implementation................... 10
Water Treatment Process Optimization............................................................ 10
Energy Management......................................................................................... 11
Cost-Benefit Analysis....................................................................................... 11
Water Industry Regulations.............................................................................. 12
Non-Water Industry Automation...................................................................... 12
Significance of the Project............................................................................................ 13
Summary....................................................................................................................... 14

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©2008 AwwaRF. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CHAPTER 2: WTP MONITORING AND CONTROL REGULATIONS AND INDUSTRY
PRACTICES.................................................................................................................... 15
Overview....................................................................................................................... 15
State and Federal Regulations Governing Operational Monitoring
of Water Treatment Plants...................................................................................... 15
Regulations Governing Plant Staffing and Unattended
Operation................................................................................................................. 17
Federal Regulations.......................................................................................... 17
State Regulations.............................................................................................. 17
Classification of CWS....................................................................................... 17
Staffing Requirements...................................................................................... 18
Industry Practice .......................................................................................................... 19

CHAPTER 3: COST AND BENEFIT CONSIDERATIONS OF AUTOMATION
SYSTEMS........................................................................................................................ 21
Introduction................................................................................................................... 21
Quantifying the Costs and Benefits.............................................................................. 21
Water Treatment Plant Automation Systems................................................................ 21
Process Monitoring and Control....................................................................... 23
Process Automation.......................................................................................... 23
Plant-wide SCADA .......................................................................................... 23
Remote Monitoring........................................................................................... 23
Cost and Benefit Categories ......................................................................................... 24
Tangible Costs.................................................................................................. 24
Intangible Costs................................................................................................ 24
Tangible Benefits.............................................................................................. 24
Intangible Benefits............................................................................................ 24
Control System Project Phases..................................................................................... 24
Procurement Approaches.................................................................................. 25
Automation Cost Estimating......................................................................................... 25
Planning............................................................................................................ 25
Design............................................................................................................... 26
Bid Services...................................................................................................... 28
Construction Phase Support.............................................................................. 28
Contracting Method Best Practices................................................................... 28
Implementation Costs................................................................................................... 29
Generic Implementation Cost Model................................................................ 29
Automation Package Spreadsheets................................................................... 30
Component Cost Estimate Database................................................................. 31
Direct Costs....................................................................................................... 31
Indirect Costs.................................................................................................... 32
Implementation Cost Estimating................................................................................... 33
Additional Factors Affecting Cost................................................................................ 34
Market Conditions............................................................................................ 34
Working Conditions.......................................................................................... 34
Automation Requirements................................................................................ 35

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©2008 AwwaRF. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Procurement Methods....................................................................................... 35
Reliability and Expected Life........................................................................... 35
Post Acceptance Costs.................................................................................................. 36
Maintenance Costs............................................................................................ 36
Spare Parts Inventory........................................................................................ 38
Total Project Cost......................................................................................................... 38
Estimating the Benefits ................................................................................................ 38
Life-Cycle Cost Best Practices .................................................................................... 39
Summary....................................................................................................................... 39

CHAPTER 4: AUTOMATION CONSIDERATIONS............................................................ 41
Water Treatment Plant Automation Components......................................................... 41
Risk and Failure Analysis ............................................................................................ 41
Risk, Reliability and Failures............................................................................ 42
Automation Design Reliability Considerations............................................................ 43
Electrical Power ............................................................................................... 44
Hardware........................................................................................................... 44
Communications Network................................................................................ 44
Local Control Panels......................................................................................... 45
Master Control Computers................................................................................ 45
Software Considerations............................................................................................... 45
Operating Systems............................................................................................ 45
Application Software........................................................................................ 46
Configuration Files........................................................................................... 46
Data Considerations...................................................................................................... 46
Accuracy........................................................................................................... 46
Timeliness and Availability.............................................................................. 47
Data Security..................................................................................................... 47
Treatment Plant Reliability Considerations.................................................................. 47
Risks Analysis and Mitigation Measures...................................................................... 48
Risk Analysis Approach................................................................................... 48
Probability of Failure........................................................................................ 48
Consequences of Failure................................................................................... 49
Risk Evaluation................................................................................................. 49
Identify and Develop Alternatives.................................................................... 51
Barriers to Unattended Operations................................................................................ 51
Recommendation Summary.......................................................................................... 52

CHAPTER 5: UNATTENDED WTP PROCESS SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS............... 55
General Considerations ................................................................................................ 55
Plant Operation and Maintenance Costs........................................................... 55
Plant Types and Processes............................................................................................ 59
Representative WTP Processes..................................................................................... 60
Raw Water Pumping......................................................................................... 60
Coagulation/Flocculation/Sedimentation.......................................................... 64
Dual/Multimedia Filtration............................................................................... 71

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©2008 AwwaRF. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Chlorine Disinfection........................................................................................ 75
Finished Water Pumping................................................................................... 79
Additional Energy Considerations................................................................................ 82
Energy Rates..................................................................................................... 82
Energy Charges................................................................................................. 82
Demand Charges............................................................................................... 83
Monitoring Your Energy Use........................................................................... 85
Considering VFDs for Control.......................................................................... 85
Financing Opportunities.................................................................................... 86
Summary....................................................................................................................... 86

CHAPTER 6: ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES.............................................................. 89
Introduction................................................................................................................... 89
Methodology Overview................................................................................................ 89
Methodology Steps....................................................................................................... 90
Step 1 – Research and Define the Project......................................................... 90
Step 2 – Brainstorming and Documenting Benefits......................................... 95
Step 3 – Analyze Financial Benefits................................................................. 98
Step 4 – Develop Project Costs......................................................................... 99
Step 5 – Calculate Project NPV........................................................................ 100
Develop the Business Case Document......................................................................... 101
Business Case Outline....................................................................................... 102
Summary and Recommendations................................................................................. 102
Future Research............................................................................................................ 103

APPENDIX A: EXAMPLE BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS.................................................. 105
APPENDIX B: CASE STUDIES............................................................................................. 123
APPENDIX C: COST DATABASE AND EXAMPLE COST ESTIMATE........................... 149
APPENDIX D: LITERATURE RESEARCH AND BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................. 169
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 199
ABBREVIATIONS.................................................................................................................. 209

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©2008 AwwaRF. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED