Facilities designed around the realities of day-to-day operations are more efficient to run, easier to maintain, and in turn reduce strain on budgets and staffing resources. With decades of in-house operations & maintenance experience across a breadth of water/wastewater treatment applications, Woodard & Curran is uniquely equipped to apply an operations lens to our engineering and construction projects.
Several factors go into designing industrial water/wastewater treatment facilities for operability. Some of the major factors we consider are access, efficiency, and longevity. Each of these come into play throughout design and implementation, from the process alternatives we recommend to the digital tools we integrate.
Equipped for efficiency
Operator experience is often the determining factor when weighing process alternatives with otherwise comparable cost and performance. Because Woodard & Curran’s O&M division serves a broad range of industrial, municipal, and environmental treatment facilities, we apply our experts’ familiarity with a wide variety of treatment systems and equipment to develop solutions that are easy to operate and maintain.
We apply our operations experience and embed operability reviews early in the project life cycle. Whether designing a new facility or an upgrade, our assessments and alternatives analyses balance our clients’ treatment needs with ensuring operational efficiency and equipment longevity.
Designed for the day-to-day
Like process design, equipment decisions and plant layout can make a substantial difference in how efficiently operators can work in a facility. We consider the small details that make a big difference, like the placement and design of valves, sensors, panels, rotating equipment and other critical elements that can either work for or against facility staff.
We also offer comprehensive digital support for implementing technology that streamlines daily operational concerns. In addition to in-house SCADA design and implementation, our experts provide digital road mapping, tailored software solutions, mobile device integration, and more. Understanding the baked in responsibilities and challenges facility staff face day to day allows us to facilitate smarter systems more in tune with operators’ needs than our competitors.
Whether or not we’re the contract operator for a facility, our support for our clients doesn’t end at project closeout. We provide substantial implementation support, including operator training and fine-tuning O&M manuals to make sure the efficiencies we’ve incorporated into our design are put to good use. Implementation support is key to making sure everyone is on the same page during the startup and operations phase, and our operations lens gives us an advantage in anticipating the information and resources plant staff will need to succeed.
Long-term benefits
It’s no secret that facilities designed with efficiency save ongoing operational costs, but there are substantial long-term savings associated with facilities designed with an operations lens. Many of the design elements that make a facility easier to operate also make it easier to maintain. When operators have enhanced physical and technological access to critical systems, they have greater insight and ability to address maintenance concerns.
In essence, plants that are easier to maintain are maintained more consistently. Consistently maintained equipment is less likely to fail. For our clients, that means saving on costly repairs and equipment replacement, and putting that money to greater use supporting their main revenue streams and investing in growth opportunities.
Operability of your industrial water/wastewater treatment systems shouldn’t detract from your main business concerns. When it’s time to upgrade, contact us to talk about how we can make your facility work smarter for you.
