Mastering O&M in Water Treatment Plants – A Personal Journey

The water and wastewater industry isn’t just a job; it’s a responsibility. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about the challenges that come with managing operations and maintenance (O&M) in water plants. But I’ve also learned that small improvements can lead to big results.

This series is my way of sharing the lessons I’ve learned from hands-on experience, with the hope that it helps others in the industry. Whether you’re in the early stages of your career or you’ve been in O&M for years, there’s always something to learn.

In these blogs, I’ll dive into topics like preventive maintenance, energy efficiency, technology, and customer engagement—all things that can directly impact how well your plant runs and how your customers view your service.

Let’s start with a fundamental piece of the puzzle: Preventive Maintenance.

Preventive Maintenance – The Key to Consistency and Reliability

If there’s one thing that has made a huge difference in how we operate, it’s preventive maintenance. Early in my career, I didn’t fully grasp the importance of getting ahead of issues. We spent a lot of time reacting to breakdowns, trying to fix things on the fly. But over time, I came to realize that prevention is always cheaper than repair.

At one of the plants I managed, we started using data to predict when equipment was likely to fail. We weren’t waiting for something to break down—we were proactively taking steps to fix things before they got worse.

The impact? A 40% reduction in downtime, which directly translated into improved service reliability for our customers. They started noticing the difference, and that’s when I realized how much of an impact we were making.

If I could go back and do one thing differently, it would be to focus on preventive maintenance from day one. It’s a game-changer.

Next, I’ll share how we were able to improve energy efficiency in the plant without breaking the budget. Small changes can have a huge impact.