LAWRENCE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM – SETTING A STANDARD

 

 

 

J. Robert Havlick Award for

Innovation in Local Government

 

Thomas H. Muehlenbeck Award for

Excellence in Local Government

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by:

Jeanette Klamm

Residuals Coordinator

Department of Utilities - Wastewater

City of Lawrence

PO Box 708/1400 E. 8th Street

Lawrence, KS 66044

jklamm@ci.lawrence.ks.us

785-832-7846 (phone)

785-832-7806 (fax)

jklamm@ci.lawrence.ks.us

Setting a Standard - The Innovation

The City of Lawrence Wastewater Management System (LWWMS) is the first fully integrated management system in the world to receive certifications for ISO14001:2004 Standard (environmental), OHSAS18001:1999 Specification (occupational health and safety), and the National Biosolids Partnership’s EMS for Biosolids (environmental/biosolids). The integrated LWWMS is utilized to manage and operate all systems in the Wastewater Utility, not just those with regulatory requirements. The implementation of this system substantially exceeds the standards for the wastewater industry, even among the most progressive municipalities.  The success of the LWWMS provides an innovative and leading-edge benchmark for others in the wastewater industry.   

 

Background

The City of Lawrence, Kansas has a population of approximately 87,000 residents and growing. Its central location between the Metro Kansas City area and Topeka, the state capitol; as well as being home to the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University, has resulted in steady and consistent growth and development. As with most growing cities, development is inching into rural areas, resulting in the expansion of City services including the wastewater collection and treatment.

 

The solids removed from the wastewater through the treatment process, called biosolids, are suitable for use as a fertilizer or soil amendment. The City provides biosolids to farmers as a fertilizer for area farm fields. Seasonal give-away of more extensively treated and tested biosolids are also made available to local gardeners. Biosolids recycling has occurred since 1956 with a switch from publicly owned property to privately owned property in 1992. Although the practice of recycling biosolids is generally accepted in the region, other regions of the country have experienced severe public opposition.

 

The following summarizes significant events associated with the implementation of the LWWMS:

 

1997 - The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP), an alliance between the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was formed to advance environmentally sound and accepted biosolids management practices.  Essentially, the mission of the NBP was to “raise the bar” by developing a comprehensive industry standard for biosolids that serves as a model for the wastewater profession and promotes public acceptance of the various biosolids reuse practices.

 

2000 - The Lawrence Wastewater Utility had become involved with the NBP and was solicited to voluntarily participate as a demonstration agency (with 26 other charter agencies) in the development of the standard, which required implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) for its biosolids activities. The City chose to voluntarily participate in the program for the following reasons:

1.      The USEPA has encouraged EMS programs in wastewater and other industries with environmental impacts to improve environmental performance, communicate with the public, and generally work to exceed the regulatory requirements.

2.      Credibility and public confidence from constituents, customers, and the public could help shield the agency from public disapproval based on other area, regional or national agency actions.

3.      Lawrence saw the need for a small/medium sized facility perspective to help determine program standards for the entire industry.

 

2005 (October) – The independent third-party audit conducted on the EMS for Biosolids resulted in the City of Lawrence becoming the 10th wastewater utility in the United States to be certified.

 

2005 (November) - Wastewater Utility management chose to pursue the expansion of the EMS to include the entire Wastewater Utility through incorporating the ISO14001:2004 standard and to also incorporate standards for occupational health and safety by following the OHSAS18001:1999 management system.  OHSAS18001:1999 defines a set of requirements for an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OH&S).  It is suitable for any kind and size of organization wishing to demonstrate sound health and safety performance.

 

2006 (October) – The independent third-party audit was conducted on the integrated LWWMS. Certifications were received for ISO14001:2004 and OHSAS18001:1999, as well as maintained for the NBP EMS for Biosolids.  Established in 1947, ISO is the International Standard Organization, a non-government federation of national standards bodies from approximately 150 different countries.  ISO 14001:2004 contains the environmental management standards and the requirements for environmental management systems. The purpose of this standard is to help organizations to protect the environment, to prevent pollution, and to improve their environmental performance.  In October 2006, the City of Lawrence Wastewater Utility became the first facility in the world to achieve all three certifications on an integrated management system.

 

LWWMS Operational Requirements – Overview

The LWWMS defines operational control, communications, improvement processes, and management involvement. Operational control requires:

·         Impact and hazard analysis to determine the environmental aspects and occupational health and safety risks that are significant

·         Identification of legal and other requirements

·         Identification of points where controls can be placed for significant environmental aspects, occupational health and safety risks, and legal requirements

·         Controls that will effectively manage the significant environmental aspects, occupational health and safety risks, and legal requirements

·         Contractor and supplier control

·         Determining competency, awareness and training needs for employees, contractors and others providing services to, or on behalf of, the Wastewater Utility

·         Responses and control of accidents and incidents

·         Identification of emergencies and preparation for such emergencies

·         Document control and recordkeeping procedures

 

Communication procedures include internal communication, external communication, and performance reporting. This addresses what is communicated, how that is accomplished, and who receives the communication.

 

Continual improvement of performance is a main principle for management systems. Goals are targets are used to set benchmarks, responsibilities and timeframes. Internal audits are required to determine areas where non-conformances of the management system are occurring. A corrective and preventive action process is required to assist in developing action plans to correct problems, non-conformances, audit findings, and other items necessary for correction.

 

Management is intricately involved in the process through review of the system performance and support of the management system, including administering changes required to adjust to frequently varying circumstances. Management support and buy-in is critical for the success of a formal management system.

 

Who has benefited from the innovation?

The City of Lawrence and its citizens benefit directly from the LWWMS which provides better management of our environmental performance.  The city government benefits from the increase in the public credibility of the Wastewater Utility.  However, just as important, the entire Wastewater Utility staff has benefited from the implementation of the LWWMS. Roles and responsibilities are better defined and expectations made clear, as well as deadlines assigned to assure completion. Problems are identified earlier and a mechanism is put in place to correct it and prevent it from happening again. Open communication is encouraged on how work is to be done and what can be done better. The requirement of public participation and the open communication that is encouraged with all stakeholders has increased public support for projects.

 

The City of Lawrence Wastewater Utility has seen an increase in productivity, quality of service, public and City management confidence, and program improvements as a result.  An employee satisfaction survey resulted in the Wastewater Utility being one of the highest ranking for employee satisfaction of all City of Lawrence departments. The 3rd party independent audit process contributes to the public’s confidence as well as gives us value-added feedback on how the system is performing from an outside source.

 

Another major benefit resulted from the sight selection for a second wastewater treatment facility, which was achieved 2 months ahead of schedule and with minimal adverse response from the public. Ultimately, the potential decrease in sight selection cost activities is estimated to be $50,000 to $100,000. Other benefits have been a decrease in meeting time to discuss preventive and corrective action plans for complaints and other high-priority issues, and better utilization of employees to maximize work hours more efficiently. 

 

The following outcomes were directly cited in the 3rd party audit report to illustrate the benefits recognized by Jon Shaver of KEMA-Registered Quality Inc., our 3rd party auditor:

 

 

The City of Lawrence has nearly completed acquisition of the property for the second wastewater treatment facility. Although there has been significant benefit in using the management system in the already existing facility, the Utility’s management intends to use the management system to help define the details of developing and designing the new wastewater treatment plant. A detailed evaluation of environmental impacts from the new plant will be conducted, as well as the occupational health and safety hazards that may be encountered with proposed equipment and processes. These determinations will be used in identifying critical control points for significant aspects and risks anticipated and establish the engineered and administrative controls necessary for managing them, possibly steering the decisions based on this criterion. To not only manage a system such as this, but to actually design it, is an innovative and unexpected benefit and use for the Lawrence Waste Water Management System.

 

How was the innovation initiated and implemented?

The timeline in the background section of this application describes the initiation and implementation process.

 

What risks were associated with planning and developing the innovation?

Minimal risks were involved with the implementation of this management system.

 

What was the environment in which the innovation was created and sustained?

It is critical to the success of an environmental management system to have the complete support of all involved, including management and staff. We were fortunate to have buy-in from all involved throughout the process which made the implementation process possible.

 

What were execution costs and savings?

Although the implementation cost was negligible, a considerable amount of time was spent to develop and implement the management system. Because the Wastewater Utility was a charter demonstration agency, the National Biosolids Partnership contributed travel, lodging, and training expenses for the initial development of the EMS for Biosolids. Savings in time and money have already proven to be considerably more than the time required implementing the management system.

 

What lessons were learned that could be shared with other local governments?

Being the first Wastewater Utility to accomplish an integrated system such as this, there were no existing models to use as a template; therefore, numerous modifications of the management system manual were prepared, as well as adjusting the way the management system was viewed by the Utility.  Some of the lessons learned include the following:

•         Despite how effective an agency’s management is, there are always areas to be improved upon.

•         An environmental or occupational health and safety management system can formally help accomplish improved operation of the facility.

•         Undertaking development of a management system is not a project, but a new way of doing business. A new culture for the organization may need to take root which can take time.

•         Most organizations operating effectively probably have 70-80% of an environmental or occupational health and safety management system already in place.

•         Make it simple. The management system does not need to be an elaborate matrix with infinite detail. It does have to be understandable, practical, and usable by all involved.

 

Which department and/or individuals championed the innovation?

This process was championed by the Assistant Director of the City of Lawrence Wastewater Division, as well as approved by City Management and the City Commission.  In addition, support for the system came from many individuals at varying levels of administration and staff.

 

Additionally, the Wastewater Utility received national recognition from the USEPA, in part because of our involvement in developing an environmental management system. In 2005, we were recipients of National First Place Clean Water Act Recognition Awards for both Operational and Maintenance Excellence and for Exemplary Biosolids Management. This is the first time that one facility received both awards in the same year.

 

For further information on the Lawrence Wastewater Management System, please see the Wastewater Utility’s web site at City of Lawrence, Kansas.

 

 

Attachments:

(See separate email attachment)City of Lawrence Wastewater Management System Flowchart

Picture – 2005 National First Place Clean Water Act Recognition Awards for both Operational and Maintenance Excellence and for Exemplary Biosolids Management

Picture – Lawrence Wastewater Treatment Facility


 

Attachment 1. Photo

 

 

 

In October 2005, the Plant Manager - Mark Hegeman and Residuals Coordinator – Jeanette Klamm attend the Water Environment Federation Annual Convention (WEFTEC) in Washington, D.C. They accepted two national USEPA awards on behalf of the City of Lawrence there.