1. Management mode lagging behind, unclear job definition
Although we are currently in a situation where
In the Internet era with advanced science and technology, there are still many "historical legacy" problems unsolved.
For example, a large part of sewage treatment plants still adopt the management mode of the planned economy period, especially some small and medium-sized sewage treatment plants located in urban areas. These sewage treatment plants are generally funded and supported by the national government, and some are built with foreign loans and managed by government departments, which brings great pressure to local finances.
Nowadays, the production and domestic sewage discharge in society are rapidly increasing, and such a single funding operation model will inevitably result in insufficient resources for the operation of small and medium-sized sewage treatment plants; Although some local governments have carried out institutional reforms, the lack of scientific reform plans has led to unclear job definitions, and multiple departments are simultaneously implementing operational supervision of sewage treatment plants. Once problems arise, departments will shift blame to each other, ultimately causing great difficulties in the operation and management of sewage treatment plants.
2. The overall level of the work team is low and lacks professionalism
The sewage industry is a vertical type of industry that requires professionals with specialized technical skills to operate and manage.
However, as is well known, the threshold for sewage treatment plants is low, and many personnel have left halfway. I have no professional knowledge in sewage treatment and can only master one or two aspects of sewage treatment technology. Resulting in a relatively low overall professional competence of this team.
Some personnel, although from professional backgrounds, lack work experience, research and innovation capabilities, or management knowledge, which also brings difficulties to the operation and management of sewage treatment plants.
In addition, the working environment of most sewage treatment plants is relatively poor, especially for small and medium-sized sewage treatment plants. The salary and benefits are also relatively low, making it difficult to attract and retain talent.
When the amount of urban sewage increases significantly, traditional technologies are obviously unable to cope, and the personnel and technology of sewage treatment plants are insufficient, which puts the operation and management of sewage treatment plants in a dilemma.
3. Water quality monitoring work is neglected, and laboratory management is weak
For wastewater that needs to be directly discharged after treatment, water quality monitoring is particularly important. Some laboratory staff have a weak sense of responsibility and a serious lack of understanding of monitoring work. In their work, it is common to not take water quality monitoring seriously, miss monitoring items, and not conduct testing according to national standards. Some laboratory personnel even modify test data without authorization, which reduces the reliability and authenticity of water quality monitoring results.
In addition, archive management is also a very important task in the operation and management of sewage treatment plants. Its main function is to provide reference materials for water quality issues. However, currently, small and medium-sized sewage treatment plants do not attach great importance to archive management of water quality monitoring.
On the other hand, small and medium-sized sewage treatment plants lack sufficient financial strength, and the testing equipment and water quality testing equipment used were purchased in the early years, with a long service life and equipment performance that cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, the accuracy of the obtained testing data and experimental data is poor.
4. Weak awareness of energy conservation and prominent problem of energy waste
The sewage treatment of sewage plants requires a large amount of energy consumption and is a major electricity consumer in the surrounding area. In the operating costs of small and medium-sized sewage plants, electricity costs account for 50%, of which 85% are for sewage treatment work.
It can be seen that there is a significant issue of energy and resource consumption in the sewage treatment process. The main reason for this problem is not only due to the limitations of the process itself, but also due to the weak energy-saving awareness of the staff, inadequate control and management of process operating parameters, and lack of attention to equipment management, resulting in the equipment being in an open and operating state for a long time.
5. Waste of resources caused by sludge disposal
Sludge is a product of wastewater treatment. According to statistics, while sewage is purified, about half of the pollutants are transferred to sludge. If the problem of sludge treatment and disposal is not solved properly, the effect of sewage treatment will only be twice as effective, and there is also a risk of secondary pollution.
In the new Environmental Protection Law, the management of sludge treatment has also been strengthened. Sludge treatment is a process that requires high investment and energy consumption. On the one hand, the sludge contains a large number of microbial cells and organic colloidal substances, making mechanical dewatering difficult. Mechanical dewatering is commonly used domestically, which can achieve a moisture content of around 80% in sludge.
The second issue is that organic matter in sludge mainly exists in solid form, making biodegradation difficult. How to strengthen the disposal and utilization of sludge has become a major issue that cannot be ignored.
Firstly, it is necessary to establish a sound sludge management system, strengthen the management of sludge production, storage, and external transportation, ensure a good environment and orderly management of sludge production and storage sites, prevent environmental pollution caused by disorderly discharge and leakage of sludge, improve sludge disposal rate, and reduce the risk of secondary pollution.
Secondly, it is necessary to improve the sludge treatment process, enhance the technical level of sludge dewatering equipment, and improve the dewatering effect. Some sewage treatment plants now use plate and frame filter presses, which can reduce the moisture content of dehydrated sludge to around 60%, which has a certain alleviating effect on subsequent treatment.
6. Annual budget management
The operation of a sewage treatment plant requires expenditure, and expenditure must first be supported by a budget. The annual budget is usually formulated based on the actual operation of the sewage plant in the previous year, combined with the plan and goals for the new year. The budget includes total revenue, total cost, and net profit. The total revenue includes water sales revenue, guarantee revenue, and other revenue. The total cost includes:
(1) Direct operating costs such as electricity, chemical fees, routine maintenance fees, major repairs, sludge disposal fees, labor fees, etc;
(2) Administrative expenses such as travel expenses, communication expenses, welfare expenses, hospitality expenses, etc;
(3) Other costs such as insurance premiums, management fees, taxes, etc;
(4) Add fixed assets.
In production and operation, it is generally necessary to strictly follow the approved budget. In case of special circumstances, such as mandatory requirements of relevant systems or emergency situations, special handling should be carried out in accordance with emergency procedures.
7. Cost expenditure management
(1) Pharmaceutical expenses. There will be significant fluctuations based on changes in the amount and quality of incoming water. Especially with fluctuations in water quality, sewage treatment plants should adjust the concentration and dosage ratio of chemicals in a timely manner based on the inflow water quality, in order to achieve the optimal treatment effect with the best dosage ratio and ensure that the treated effluent meets the standards.
(2) Sludge disposal fee. Generally, it includes sludge transportation fees and sludge treatment fees (landfill or incineration). Different dosages of chemicals can also affect the amount of sludge produced.
(3) Repair and overhaul costs. Firstly, the sewage treatment plant needs to develop a preventive maintenance plan for the whole year and strictly carry out equipment maintenance work according to the planned schedule during operation. Secondly, for maintenance and major repairs that occur during the operation process, the sewage treatment plant should promptly handle them. At the same time, the system should analyze the reasons, update the equipment history sheet, summarize experience, and adjust the maintenance plan and scheme in a timely and reasonable manner.
(4) The investment in new fixed assets is usually large in amount. Before purchasing, sufficient research is needed to support the necessity of fixed asset subscription with sufficient basis and reasons. If necessary, a certain benefit analysis is also needed to demonstrate whether the investment in fixed assets is beneficial to the future operation or income of the sewage plant. In cost expenditures, attention should also be paid to labor fees, administrative fees, taxes, insurance premiums, etc.
8. Equipment management
In the operation of sewage treatment plants, the role of equipment management is quite important. Whether the maintenance and upkeep of equipment are in place, whether the maintenance of equipment is timely, and whether the updating and renovation of equipment are reasonable, play a crucial role in the smooth operation of sewage treatment plants. Equipment management is the management of the entire life cycle of equipment, including the selection, proper use, maintenance, repair, and renovation of equipment.
There are various types of equipment operating in sewage treatment plants, and all equipment has its own operation, operation, maintenance, and repair rules. Only by operating and maintaining correctly according to the prescribed working conditions and operation rules can the equipment be in good technical condition.
At the same time, during long-term operation of mechanical equipment, due to friction, high temperature, humidity, and various physical and chemical effects, it is inevitable to cause wear and tear of components, misalignment, gradual deterioration of technical status, and gradual decline in operational efficiency. Therefore, accurate, timely, and high-quality dismantling and repair are necessary to restore the performance of the equipment and keep it in good working condition. Therefore, it is necessary to standardize the management of equipment archives, classification, use, lubrication, sealing, spare parts, maintenance, anti-corrosion, accidents, audits, and other aspects.
In reality, many key equipment in sewage treatment plants are not backed up, which poses significant safety hazards during production. Once the equipment malfunctions, it may cause the sewage treatment plant to shut down, resulting in the inability to discharge sewage in compliance with standards and causing pollution.
9. Pharmaceutical procurement management
The role of pharmaceutical procurement in production is crucial. The sewage treatment plant needs to timely report the drug procurement plan according to the water quantity, water quality, and inventory situation. The procurement receiving department must complete the procurement work on time, with quality and quantity according to the requirements of the sewage treatment plant, to ensure the normal production and operation of the sewage treatment plant.
From the perspective of operating a sewage treatment plant, the chemicals should not only meet the needs of production and operation to ensure water quality standards, but also have reasonable and favorable prices, which is known as "good quality and low price". In order to achieve this balance point, sewage treatment plants and procurement receiving departments usually need to go through multiple small-scale and pilot tests to find the most suitable chemicals. If there is a sudden change in water quality, timely adjustments should be made according to the actual situation. At the same time, suppliers of pharmaceuticals also need long-term stability to ensure timely supply and reliable and stable quality of pharmaceuticals.
10. Safe production
In the operation of sewage treatment plants, safety hazards need to be eliminated. Safety risks include hazardous chemical management, security, emergency response, etc. The risk of hazardous chemical management mainly refers to the inspection, measurement, storage, and residue treatment of chemical agents that need to be added during the water treatment process.
For the management of hazardous chemicals, a safe and reasonable management plan should be developed, including the establishment and improvement of standardized chemical/laboratory operating procedures, review of various inspection and environmental testing reports, recording, submitting, and archiving of experimental data, and standardized disposal systems for experimental waste/chemical residues.
Security risks include deficiencies in security guards, patrols, monitoring, as well as security risks for factory staff and finances. Wastewater treatment plants should promptly identify and eliminate all safety hazards that exist.
The handling of emergency incidents includes the feasibility of various emergency plans and the timeliness of practical exercises
