open position. BILCO also makes an anti-slip coating for its aluminum floor access door covers that have a higher coefficient of friction than standard diamond plate. Climate change is placing an added burden on already taxed wastewater treatment plants. Photo credit: Jenn Bakker/Breathtakingmomentsphotography.com
The American Society of Civil Engineers gave wastewater treatment plants a D+ grade in its 2021 report card. Photo credit: Jenn Bakker/ Breathtakingmomentsphotography.com
The report concluded that most water treatment plants have an average lifespan of 40 to 50 years. Many of them were built during the 1970s. The Clean Water Act of 1972 spurred construction, but many of those systems are now reaching the end of their useful lives.
“Products such as BILCO’s safety systems are precisely engineered and work great in our fall protection systems. They are an important part of the overall protection plans,’’ Jimenez said. Needed Overhaul Certainly, climate change cannot be directly attributed to the deaths and injuries of workers at water treatment plants. The data is clear, however, that water treatment plants are dangerous. It is also evident that plants need a major overhaul. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave wastewater treatment plants a D+ grade in its 2021 report card. In the nation’s more than 16,000 wastewater treatment plants, 81 percent reached their design capacity and 15 percent reached or exceeded it. In 2019, the annual water infrastructure capital investment gap stood at $81 billion.
In addition, the drinking water and wastewater pipes are now approaching 50 years old, while some system components are more than a century old. The typical lifespan of wastewater pipes is between 50 and 100. “As collection systems decline in condition, groundwater and stormwater enter the networks through cracks, joints, or illicit connections as inflow and infiltration,’’ the report said. “When collection systems are overtaxed, sanitary sewer overflows can occur.” One other trend that points to needed infrastructure improvement is population migration to urban environments. A 2018 Pew Research Center study expects 86 percent of the nation’s population growth to occur in urban and suburban areas. “Growing urban environments signal a trend that central wastewater treatment plants will increasingly accommodate a larger portion of the nation’s wastewater demand,’’ the report said.
Wastewater Plant Dangers • Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for every 100 employees at water treatment plants, 5.3 suffer injuries. • Fall protection: According to the Occupation Safety and Health Administration, fall protection regulations are the most often violated and ignored. • Simple solution: One product widely used to protect against falls is a fall protection grating system from BILCO, the manufacturer of specialty access products. • Risky business: Climate change is expected to overwhelm the already weak wastewater infrastructure system in the United States. The American Society of Civil Engineers said the annual water infrastructure capital investment gap stood at $81 billion. • Did you know? Water and wastewater utilities account for 5 percent of global greenhouse emissions, according to the World Economic Forum . 70 percent of that is caused by wastewater treatment.
40
csengineermag.com
Spring 2024
Made with FlippingBook Annual report