Grant’s Blog

I once worked with a grizzly ol’ codger who – when the going got tough – liked to utter a phrase his even-grizzlier-yet dad used to say, “Just do SOMETHING!”

I liked hearing that. It fit well with my Dad’s view of the world. For most of my youth, my father had me believing that I could do anything I wanted as long as I set my mind to it. It was a bit of a setback to me when I confronted the reality that I posses more failings than the sum of those known to my ex-girlfriends.

To this day, I still get upset when I encounter a “can’t do” attitude. Which puts me back on top of the soap box for today’s blather.

Wastewater operators not only can make improvements to underperforming treatment plants, we should be expected to optimize performance. I consider it a cop out to blame a lack of funds for poor treatment. Sure, it takes money to treat wastewater, but as superintendents, it is our job to (a) maximize treatment using what we have and (b) do something about fixing the situation when what we have to work with isn’t good enough.

A confession. I enjoy the Bravo TV show, “Tabitha’s Salon Takeover.” Not a particularly manly admission, but so be it. I get a kick out of watching Tabitha – a no nonsense entrepreneur – take small business owners to task. Episode after episode, Tabitha is invited to fix “employee problems” and otherwise make things right only to tell the owner that it is THEM that need to change THEIR attitude. The business owners that get it generally turn their businesses around. Those that don’t, don’t.

It doesn’t work like that in our business. When treatment suffers, a long line of people form to support the “need” for millions of dollars for new equipment. Consultants speak to the poor condition of existing equipment. State and Federal regulators promote the funding programs they administer. Environmentalists express their outrage at the community’s failure to spend enough for the environment. Politicians publicize their efforts to locate grant funds.

With this approach, there will never be enough money to make treatment plants run right. If only… Imagine what could be done if those of us in charge appreciated all of the resources we do have and if we accepted it as our responsibility to spend as little money as possible to make the water we send out of the plant as clean as it can possibly be.

Thanks for reading.

Grant

Four snowstorms in a two week period has buried Washington, DC. Congress has gone into unofficial recess. Tens of thousands of “non-essential” federal employees have been kept from their work. Among the offices closed: FEMA. Workers at America’s Federal Emergency Management Agency are not being asked to navigate their way to work this week.

I don’t know about you, but I have been affected neither by the absence of legislative action nor by the halting of the federal bureaucracy. The storm has cost Americans many millions of dollars for man-hours not worked. But has anyone among us been affected in any way?

Last week I had the pleasure to travel to Wisconsin. While there, it snowed. Non-stop. The snow didn’t shut down anything. In fact, 60 small town wastewater treatment plant operators drove an hour or more to attend an all-day workshop. They made the trip to discuss different ways of saving money for their ratepayers.

I spoke about wastewater treatment process changes that not only reduce O&M costs, but do so by while improving effluent quality and reducing the wastewater treatment plant’s carbon footprint. Another speaker talked about the benefits of rebuilding existing process equipment versus buying new. Both of our talks were well received.

Some time ago, as president of the Water Planet company, I made a business decision to not involve the company in Clean Water funded projects. My rationale: the administrative requirements outweigh the financial advantage of using Clean Water funds. Both the company and our growing client base are profiting from this decision. We provide design solutions that are typically one-quarter the cost of conventional designs. We deliver the same water quality improvements at a seventy-five percent savings. Correction, not really “same,” better. Our approach is being increasing embraced by those willing to think and act creatively.

In Wisconsin, it was nice to speak with a group of wastewater operators who share my interest in making clean water affordable by getting more done for less. Thanks to Terry Vanden Heuvel for inviting me to Merrill. And, thanks to the operators of north-central Wisconsin for doing what you do. And, for being who you are.

As to Congress, please stay in recess. I like it when you don’t pass laws. As to the rest of you…

Thanks for reading.

Grant