The operation and management of sewage treatment plants is not a simple task. It is related to whether the sewage can be treated to meet the standards and has a significant impact on the environment. Today, let's talk about the knowledge and management skills that sewage plant operation and management personnel need to possess.
Professional knowledge reserve
1. Knowledge of sewage treatment processes: Have a clear understanding of various sewage treatment processes, such as common activated sludge process, biofilm process, oxidation ditch process, etc. Each process has its own characteristics and applicable scenarios. For example, the activated sludge process is widely used in treating domestic sewage. It utilizes microorganisms in activated sludge to decompose organic matter in the sewage; The biofilm method is suitable for treating wastewater with significant water quality fluctuations. Operations management personnel need to understand the principles and processes of different processes in order to select the most suitable process based on the actual inflow water quality and quantity, and make adjustments during operation. For example, if the organic matter content in the influent suddenly increases, we know how to adjust the aeration rate and sludge return ratio in the activated sludge process to ensure treatment efficiency.
2. Knowledge of water quality analysis and monitoring: It is necessary to understand the meanings represented by various water quality indicators, such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, etc. COD reflects the content of reducing substances in wastewater that can be oxidized by chemical oxidants, while BOD is the dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms to decompose organic matter in wastewater under certain conditions. These indicators directly reflect the degree of pollution and treatment effectiveness of sewage. Operations management personnel not only need to understand their meanings, but also need to master the methods and frequency of water quality monitoring. Daily water samples should be collected according to the prescribed time and requirements, and sent to the laboratory for testing and analysis. Through the analysis of these data, it is determined whether the sewage treatment system is operating normally and whether there are potential problems. If the ammonia nitrogen index continues to rise, it is necessary to quickly investigate the cause, whether it is a change in the incoming water quality or a problem with the treatment process.
3. Equipment principles and maintenance knowledge: There are various types of equipment in sewage treatment plants, ranging from grid machines, lift pumps, blowers, to mixers, mud scrapers, and so on in various reaction tanks. Operations management personnel must be familiar with the working principle, performance parameters, and operating methods of each type of equipment. For example, when lifting a pump, it is necessary to know its head, flow rate, and how to start and stop it correctly in order to ensure its stable operation and smoothly lift the sewage to various treatment units. Meanwhile, knowledge of equipment maintenance is also essential. Regular maintenance of equipment, such as adding lubricating oil to mechanical components, checking the wear and tear of equipment, and timely replacing vulnerable parts, can extend the service life of equipment and reduce equipment failures. If the equipment malfunctions, it is also necessary to be able to determine what the problem is, how to repair it or who to contact for repair, and not let the equipment malfunction affect the operation of the entire sewage treatment plant.
4. Knowledge of environmental regulations and standards: This knowledge is too important, and it is necessary to constantly pay attention to the environmental regulations and emission standards issued by the country and local governments, such as the "Pollutant Discharge Standards for Urban Sewage Treatment Plants", which have clear restrictions and requirements on various indicators of sewage treatment plant effluent. Operations management personnel must ensure that the operation of the sewage treatment plant complies with these regulations and standards, otherwise they may face penalties. Moreover, with increasingly strict environmental requirements and constantly updated regulatory standards, it is necessary to continuously learn and adjust the operation and management strategies of sewage treatment plants in a timely manner to ensure stable and compliant discharge of treated sewage. For example, in some regions where the requirements for total phosphorus and total nitrogen emissions have increased, sewage treatment plants need to find ways to optimize their processes and strengthen the removal efficiency of these indicators.
Management ability requirements
1. Team management ability: The operation of sewage treatment plants requires collaboration among personnel from various positions, and operation management personnel must have good team management skills. Reasonably allocate work tasks and arrange suitable positions based on each employee's skills and strengths. For example, assigning employees who are familiar with equipment operation to be responsible for equipment operation, and assigning employees with laboratory analysis experience to be responsible for water quality testing. At the same time, it is necessary to establish an effective communication mechanism and regularly organize work meetings to enable employees to timely exchange problems and experiences encountered in their work. We also need to pay attention to the training and development of employees, develop training plans, enhance their professional skills and overall quality, so that the entire team can operate efficiently. If there are conflicts or poor work cooperation among team members, the operations management personnel need to coordinate and resolve them in a timely manner to create a good working atmosphere.
2. Cost control capability: The operating costs of sewage treatment plants can be quite high, including energy consumption, chemical costs, equipment maintenance costs, personnel wages, and so on. Operations management personnel should have a cost control awareness and find ways to reduce costs. In terms of energy consumption, the running time of equipment can be optimized, such as adjusting the number and frequency of pumps and blowers according to changes in sewage flow, to avoid equipment idling and wasting electricity. In terms of drug use, precise water quality analysis and reasonable control of drug dosage can ensure treatment effectiveness without wasting drugs. Equipment maintenance should also be carried out in a planned manner, with daily maintenance done well to reduce the high repair costs caused by sudden failures. At the same time, regular cost accounting and analysis should be conducted to identify high cost areas and take targeted measures for improvement.
3. Emergency management capability: During the operation of sewage treatment plants, various unexpected situations may arise, such as equipment failures, abnormal inflow water quality and quantity, natural disasters, and so on. Operations management personnel must possess emergency management capabilities and develop emergency plans in advance. There should be clear response measures and procedures for different unexpected situations. If there is a sudden equipment failure, you need to know how to quickly switch to backup equipment to ensure uninterrupted sewage treatment; If the incoming water quality suddenly deteriorates, immediate measures should be taken to adjust the process to prevent serious impact on the treatment system. We also need to organize emergency drills for employees to familiarize them with the process of emergency plans and their responsibilities in emergency situations, improve their ability to respond to emergencies, ensure that problems can be quickly and effectively dealt with at critical moments, and ensure the normal operation and environmental safety of sewage treatment plants.
4. Data analysis and decision-making ability: The water quality monitoring data, equipment operation data, cost data, and so on mentioned earlier all require analysis by operation and management personnel. Through in-depth analysis of these data, patterns and potential problems in the operation of sewage treatment plants can be discovered, enabling scientific and rational decision-making. For example, by analyzing the water quality data over a period of time, it is found that the organic content of the influent water in a certain season is relatively high, so the process parameters can be adjusted in advance, or the operation time of the treatment unit can be increased to cope with this seasonal change. If the operating data of the equipment shows that the energy consumption of a certain device is gradually increasing, it can be determined that there may be a problem with the equipment, and timely maintenance can be arranged to avoid greater losses caused by equipment damage. The ability to analyze data and make decisions is one of the core competencies of operation and management personnel, which directly affects the operational efficiency and management level of sewage treatment plants.
